The Morningsider, Vol. 66/No. 2 - Spring/Summer 2011

spring summer 2011

Morningside offers more international experiences PAGE 12 Graduate responds to disaster in Japan PAGE 18 Students make the world a better place PAGE 20

P R E S I D E N T T H E F R O M

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A little more than a decade ago, Morningside College was at a crossroads. The institution faced declining enrollment and budget deficits. For many, the future of the school looked bleak.

It was a difficult time, but we did not let those challenges overwhelm us. Instead, we developed a culture of planning. Board members, faculty and staff members, students, alumni and friends all worked together to develop a vision for the college that would allow us to prevail.

After much discussion and thought, we decided to start by focusing on a physical transformation of the campus. This would improve the experience for current students, and it would make Morningside more attractive to prospective students visiting the college. Our efforts resulted in overwhelming success. We raised $45.2 million in our most recent fundraising campaign, and much of that funding went toward facilities improvements.

Now Morningside has one of the most beautiful college campuses in the Midwest. In fact, it sometimes can be difficult to remember just how far we have come. Use the QR code at the bottom of this page to see before and after photos. (It is scary how “smart” our phones are President John Reynders talks with the parents of a prospective student during a getting these days, isn’t it?) It is recent Celebration of Excellence Scholarship Weekend. The college is currently exploring ways the student experience at Morningside might be enhanced. not surprising that student enrollment is reaching record numbers. I am so proud of the way we created a vision for this campus and then made that vision a reality.

Our next task is even more exciting than the first. We are planning to transform the student experience at Morningside College to the same degree that we transformed the physical space.

For the past several months, three task forces have been exploring how the student experience might be enhanced.

The curriculum task force is concentrating on the credit-bearing aspect of the student experience.

It has conducted a thorough review of what is happening nationally in higher education, and it is looking at the characteristics of our incoming students to see how Morningside might help them to become more competitive in the 21st century. Early ideas include enhanced writing and increased skills in quantitative literacy, problem solving and critical thinking.

The holistic student development task force is focusing on activities outside of the classroom that contribute to a distinctive, meaningful college experience. It is evaluating what is already taking place at Morningside, as well as what is happening at other schools around the country. One new idea is to make financial literacy a graduation requirement so students would better understand how credit cards and student loans work, for example. Another idea is to focus on communication and etiquette, making our students better writers, speakers and listeners.

College is a time of major transitions. The advising task force is working to determine the most effective strategy for advising our students. One idea is to have an advising center, a physical location where students could go for advising before they get into a specific major. Professional advisors would serve as a resource, assisting students with everything from academics to personal counseling. They would be experts on the first-year experience and the transition into college. Faculty members would help with the advising, but they largely would be freed up to focus on their courses and advising students in their majors.

It will be a few years before we know exactly what our enhanced student experience is going to look like. But planning for the evolution of this college is ongoing. It provides the vision so that Morningside will continue to grow.

JOHN REYNDERS Use the barcode scanning app on your smartphone to view a slide show of the campus transformation, or go to this website on your computer: www.morningside.edu/morningside/CampusTransformation.htm

contents spring summer 2011

Editor: Jenny Welp

volume 66 number 2

Art Director: Kevin Kjeldseth Vice President for Communications & Marketing: Rick Wollman Alumni Association Board: Dave Holub 1970, president Adam Lloyd 2004, vice president Matt Campbell 1998, treasurer Karen Dreessen, secretary Gene Ambroson, alumni relations director Morningside College Operator: 712-274-5000 or 800-831-0806

features 12 Broadening horizons

Morningside offers more international experiences

18 Annie (McInnis) Chen 2008 volunteered to help the Japanese recover from the earthquake and tsunami that struck the country in March.

German student enjoys time at Morningside

20 Making an impact

Students get involved in making the world a better place

Standard A postage is paid in Lawrence, Kan. The magazine is distributed free of charge to alumni and friends of the college.

also in this issue

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Morningsider Morningside College 1501 Morningside Ave. Sioux City, IA 51106

The Morningside College experience cultivates a passion for life-long learning and a dedication to ethical leadership and civic responsibility.

Morningside student studies in Oxford, England

16 Welcoming international students

The Morningsider is published twice a year under the auspices of the public relations office. © 2011 by Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. All rights reserved.

Morningside College does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, religion, creed, race, color, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or national origin.

14 Going abroad

4 Letters to Morningside 5 On Campus 9 Mustang Minutes 28 Did you know Dr. Kim Christopherson makes

homemade pasta, Dr. Bill Heyborne is a cyclist who participates in RAGBRAI and Dr. Jim March flies high-powered stunt kites? Learn more about the 2010 Sharon Walker Faculty Excellence Award recipients.

11 M-Club Messenger 26 Faculty Excellence Awards 32 Staff Excellence Awards 33 Faculty and Staff Notes 35 Alumni Educator and Nursing Awards 36 Distinguished Alumni Award 37 Class Notes

The Morningsider is also available online. Go to www.morningside.edu/morningsider to read the magazine or to access additional online content.

ON THE COVER: Mary Froeschl (left), Elizabeth Norton and Emily Beckfield are some of the Morningside College students who will spend a semester studying abroad next year. Norton will study in the Netherlands, while Froeschl and Beckfield will study in Spain.

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Letters

to Morningside

Paul Splittorff

Editor’s Note: Paul Splittorff 1969, a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals from 1970 to 1984, died May 25, 2011, shortly before this magazine went to press. The college received this note the day he died.

I don't know what kind of tributes your school will issue on alumnus Paul Splittorff, but I wanted to weigh in with one little memory. Splittorff, who played sports at Morningside and went on to big-time things with the Kansas City Royals, died today. He became a Royals and Big 12 basketball broadcaster after his playing days and always spoke at the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Sports Seminar held every year, hosted by the Royals. This involved sports broadcasters and students from around the state. I brought up his Morningside roots after he started to leave one year, and it brought a smile to his face. He was a cordial man, and I know he had fond memories of your school.

Michael Swan Sports Media Adviser Butler Community College El Dorado, Kan.

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“Anything Goes”

Choral composition concert

Becky and I really enjoyed “Anything Goes.” It's a fantastic show, and your version was bright, sharp and funny and really moved. I appreciate how much work it is to bring together a show of that size, especially with students. The set was amazing. I would have come back for an audience sing-a-long.

Thank you for bringing my music to life at the recent festival concert.

It was my distinct honor and privilege to be selected as one of your featured composers. Your performance was lovely and filled with compassion!

Editor’s Note: The Morningside College Theatre Department presented the Cole Porter musical “Anything Goes” in February. These were some comments Morningside received in response.

Bill McKenny Sioux City

Editor’s Note: Choirs performed new, original compositions during the Morningside College Choral Composition Festival Concert. Morningside received this letter from one of the featured composers.

A. Eric Heukeshoven Music Instructor Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota

Music department outreach

Editor’s Note: Dr. Jim March, professor of music, takes piano students to Northern Hills Retirement Community to entertain residents with informal piano recitals. Here is a letter in response.

Thank you so much for sharing your musical talent with our Northern Hills residents. So many of our residents gave me very positive feedback. They loved the program. Thank you so much, and we look forward to your next program.

Lynn Fleckenstein Life Enrichment Coordinator Northern Hills Retirement Community

Correction Morningside College students present “Anything Goes” in February at the Klinger-Neal Theatre. The musical takes place aboard an ocean liner bound from New York to London.

We apologize for incorrectly reporting in the fall winter 2010 issue of The Morningsider that the Rev. Stephen Schroeder 1971 of Twisp, Wash., had died. He is still living.

OnCampus

"Earth Mirrors" sculpture installed on Morningside College campus A new outdoor sculpture by artist Andréa Stanislav was installed in April near the Eppley Fine Arts Building on the Morningside College campus.

“Earth Mirrors” consists of 10 two- to four-ton limestone rocks that have mirror-polished stainless steel plates attached to them. The rocks, which form a triangle, are positioned so that the mirror surfaces reflect each other, Eppley and the surrounding area.

Stanislav said she created the sculpture to respond to the site in which it was placed, and to be in conversation with the site.

“I was very concerned about the piece being harmonious with the site and also working as a connector between this particular area and the rest of the university,” she said.

The process of developing the sculpture started with a sketch and several visits to the site. Stanislav was interested in using the actual landscape, which meant the rocks would be sitting on a hill. She also wanted to use stone indigenous to Iowa.

“Originally, I was thinking of using granite, and then I started to talk to the geology department at Iowa State University about indigenous stone to Iowa and to the area,” she said. “Technically, granite boulders are not indigenous to Iowa because they come from the glacial shift. It’s limestone. There’s an Iowa limestone. It’s not Artist Andréa Stanislav cleans the mirror-polished stainless steel plate on a three-ton Indiana limestone, but it’s Iowa limestone and it has a limestone rock that was installed as part of the "Earth Mirrors" sculpture. much warmer color.”

So Stanislav decided to go with Iowa limestone, which is the same color as the façade of Eppley Auditorium.

She was referred to a limestone quarry in Anamosa, Iowa, where she obtained the rocks for the sculpture.

The rocks originally came in block form, but Stanislav told the facility how to break the stones to make them look more organic. Then she traced by hand where she wanted a mirror to be placed on each stone, and she sent that information to a laser company in Minneapolis that cuts steel. Finally, she took the stainless steel plates to Anamosa to be attached to the rocks.

The stones were shipped to Morningside on a truck and placed on cement footings that go four feet down.

Steel pins even go up into the rocks to make sure they cannot be moved.

“They’re not going to come out,” Stanislav said.

“Nobody’s going to push them over. They should be happy for hundreds of years here.”

Under Stanislav’s direction, the sculptures were put in place on April 13, and a dedication ceremony that This photo shows a portion of the "Earth Mirrors" sculpture installation near the evening marked completion of the installation. The Eppley Fine Arts Building. sculpture, commissioned by Morningside College, was the final element put in place for the college’s Hilker Campus Mall.

Stanislav said the sculpture is appropriate for an educational institution like Morningside College because it is a place of discovery.

“It’s very much about the viewer’s engagement as you move about the piece, sort of changing and shifting your visual perspective,” she said. “Once you walk into it, the idea is that there is this unexpected experience or surprise in the reflections. My hope is that it becomes sort of a destination where people will congregate.”

Stanislav is a contemporary artist whose work includes sculpture, video installation, collage constructions and public art. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions around the world.

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OnCampus

Students recognize faculty and staff members Faculty and staff members were recognized for their service to students in April during the 2011 Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) Honors Assembly. ODK is a national leadership honor society that recognizes and encourages superior scholarship, leadership and exemplary character.

Faculty Person of the Year

Dr. Leslie Werden, assistant professor and chair of the writing and rhetoric department, was voted by the student body as the Faculty Person of the Year for her outstanding contributions to Morningside and its students. Werden teaches courses in the writing and rhetoric and English departments. She also serves on several national composition committees and coaches Morningside’s speech team.

First-Year Teaching/Advising Award

The First-Year Teaching/Advising Award went to Karmen Ten Napel, coordinator of exploring students/learning disabilities specialist.

The award, presented with assistance from the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the United Methodist Church, is given to an exemplary teacher who has helped first-year students succeed in making the transition to college. In addition to working with students who are exploring options for an academic major and tutoring students with learning disabilities, Ten Napel also teaches a section of the first-year seminar course and advises freshmen.

Staff Member of the Year

The Rev. Kathy (Olson) Martin 2000, chaplain and director of church relations, received the Staff Member of the Year award. Martin has organized and led several Morningside mission trips to assist with ongoing reconstruction efforts in Mississippi, Texas and Louisiana after 2005’s Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. She also led mission trips to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the summer and fall of 2008 to help with flood recovery efforts.

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Faculty member is recognized by her peers Terri P. McGaffin, associate professor of art, received the 2011 Lucille and Charles Wert Faculty Award for excellence in teaching.

Presented during commencement, this award recognizes the faculty member judged by his or her peers to best exemplify the ideals of the academic teaching profession at Morningside.

McGaffin joined Morningside as a full-time faculty member in 2004. She has been active in faculty and student-related committees on the Morningside campus. She also has been a visiting professor of art at South Dakota State University in Brookings, a teaching assistant at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, and an instructor and artist-in-residence at the Sioux City Art Center.

McGaffin has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and drawing from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, and a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of South Dakota.

President John Reynders presents Terri P. McGaffin with the 2011 Lucille and Charles Wert Faculty Award during this year’s commencement ceremony.

Alumni recognize outstanding seniors The Morningside College Alumni Association honored three members of the college’s 2011 graduating class with outstanding senior awards.

Recipients of the senior awards were Andrew Gerodias of Laurens, Iowa, a counseling psychology major; Terence Hancock of Malvern, Iowa, a computer science major; and Heather Nielsen of Ida Grove, Iowa, a business administration major.

A committee of Morningside faculty and staff selected the senior award recipients based on a student’s commitment to campus life, academic achievement and service to the Sioux City area.

David Holub 1970, president of the Morningside College Alumni Association Board of Directors, presented the outstanding senior awards. They were presented in the name of the late Brooke Simmons-Goodwin 1999, who had served as a member and past president of the alumni board.

Did you know?

EV EN T S , H O N OR S Comedian presents hit show

Seth Rudetsky, an actor, musician, writer and Broadway host for Sirius Satellite Radio, visited campus in February and performed his multimedia comedy show “Seth Rudetsky’s Deconstructing Broadway.” The show has toured all over the United States. In New York, it continued to sell out in every Manhattan venue in which it was performed. His visit to Morningside College was made possible in part by a grant from the Gilchrist Foundation.

Judge discusses same-sex marriage ruling

Polk County District Court Judge Robert B. Hanson, whose ruling in a lawsuit opened the door to same-sex marriages in Iowa, presented a lecture at Morningside College in February. His lecture focused on his decision in Varnum v. Brien that Iowa’s 1998 Defense of Marriage Act, which allowed marriage only between a man and a woman, violated the state’s constitution. The Iowa Supreme Court later unanimously upheld Hanson’s ruling.

“No Impact Man” gives lecture

Self-proclaimed environmentalist and “No Impact Man” Colin Beavan presented a lecture at Morningside College in April focusing on how people can reduce their impact on the environment through lifestyle changes. It was based in part on Beavan’s book “No Impact Man: The Adventures of a Guilty Liberal Who Attempts to Save the Planet and the Discoveries He Makes about Himself and Our Way of Life in the Process” and the movie “No Impact

& OTH E R N E W S FRO M MO RN I N G SI DE

Man” that documented his family’s efforts to make as little environmental impact as possible for one year.

Author talks about “Living Biblically”

Author A.J. Jacobs presented a lecture at Morningside College in March that was based on his best-selling book “The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.”

He visited Morningside as part of the Goldstein Lecture series, which is sponsored by Morningside College, the Jewish Federation of Sioux City and Congregation Beth Shalom.

The Goldstein Lectures at Morningside College are made possible through a permanent endowment provided by the Harold and Bernice Goldstein Foundation.

Choir performs at Carnegie Hall The Morningside College Choir and the Morningside College Choral Union toured three states in May, with the culmination

being a performance on the main stage of Carnegie Hall in New York City. Along with two performances in New York City, the singers performed in Batavia and Springfield in Illinois, and Akron and Seville in Ohio. Also performing during the concerts was Morningside’s Eclectix Vocal Jazz Ensemble, a group of a cappella singers who perform a mix of jazz, show and pop tunes.

College is named to community service honor roll

It was announced in May that Morningside College was admitted to the 2010 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for engaging its students, faculty and staff in meaningful service that achieves measurable results in the community. Higher education institutions are selected for the honor roll based on a series of factors, including the scope and innovation of service projects, the extent to which service-learning is embedded in the curriculum, the school’s commitment to long-term campus-community partnerships and measurable community outcomes as a result of the service. To learn more about service at Morningside, turn to page 20.

Jazz concert helps Japan

Jane Ricard (left), Jennifer Ranek and Michelle O'Neill present research this spring at the Palmer Student Research Symposium. During the event, more than 230 Morningside College students presented results from about 100 independent or classroom research projects.

Morningside College senior music major Keisuke Mukai from Tokyo, Japan, was a featured performer at the Morningside College jazz concert in May that raised money for disaster relief in Japan. Donations collected at the concert went to the American Red Cross for eventual use in Japan as the country continues to recover from the March earthquake and tsunami. Performing during the concert were the Morningside College Jazz Band, Morningside’s Eclectix Vocal Jazz Ensemble and the Reggie Schive Big Band. Mukai played tenor saxophone with the college’s jazz band.

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OnCampus College presents three honorary degrees at commencement

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Morningside College presented three honorary degrees, 255 bachelor’s degrees and 190 Master of Arts in teaching degrees during its 113th spring commencement exercises.

The college presented honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degrees to Dr. Richard J. Light, a professor at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and the John F. Kennedy School of Government; Lucy (Yoshioka) Buhler 1956 of Edmonds, Wash., a retired vocal music educator/consultant; and Carolyn B. “Tigger” Jensen, a longtime Sioux City resident and community volunteer.

Light’s work in higher education has had a profound impact on colleges and universities throughout the United States and on the lives of countless students. Morningside College has directly benefited from his counsel, guidance and expertise as it has searched for ways to improve the educational journey for students.

For more than two decades, Harvard’s Seminar on Assessment project, which Light created and chaired, has focused on how faculty members can most effectively help students learn and on how innovations in the classroom can be encouraged and assessed.

Light’s book “Making the Most of College: Students Speak Their Minds” provides valuable insight to those who care deeply about teaching, learning and college life, and his work as founder and chair of the Spencer Foundation’s Forum for Excellence and Innovation in Higher Education has developed several innovations that are in use on campuses around the nation.

Buhler is a longtime friend and supporter of Morningside College. As a member of the board of directors from 2000 to 2010, she played a key role in reshaping and rebuilding Morningside into the exciting and thriving institution it is today.

Buhler served on the steering committee for the “This is Our Moment” campaign that raised more than $45 million for facilities improvements, scholarships and endowment funding.

As chair of the annual scholarship fund, she also was instrumental in helping to raise nearly $11 million for the annual fund during the campaign.

Buhler has supported Morningside’s music program and students in many ways, most visibly through the Buhler Outdoor Performance Center that graces Morningside’s Hilker Campus Mall. But her dedication to music, the arts and education reaches far beyond the Morningside campus. Countless organizations around the world have benefited from her leadership and generous support.

Jensen was recognized for her public and behind-the-scene accomplishments as a community volunteer. She and her husband, Irving, have been involved with many of the major cultural and educational initiatives in Sioux City, such as the new Sioux City Public Museum and the Orpheum Theatre renovation. She also has shared her time and leadership skills with many other Sioux City organizations and civic groups.

Jensen and her husband are longtime advocates for education. As an example, the two generously underwrite a program that each year sends a group of Sioux City teachers to the Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute to learn techniques that will bring American history to life in the classroom.

Her family has longstanding ties to Morningside College. In addition to providing scholarships for students and awarding grants to academic programs, the Jensen family made the naming gift for the Elizabeth and Irving F. Jensen Softball Complex. Jensen and her husband also have a grandson, Alex Kent, who is among this year’s graduates.

A selection from the commencement address There is a story about a man who was walking along the road and came across a builder who seemed to be slowly piling some bricks on top of other bricks. And he really did not look very happy with what he was doing.

“What are you building?” asked the fellow who was walking by. “Can’t you see,” snarled the builder, “I am simply building a wall…”

A few miles later, the walker noticed another person who seemed to be starting a similar project, piling stone upon stone. “And what are you building, sir?” asked the walker.

“Why, can’t you see?” replied the builder, eyes glowing with pride and pleasure, “I am building a cathedral…”

This is a simple story. Others have told it also, yet it contains so much wisdom.

Morningside College has prepared you well to go out and be successful in this modern world, however you choose to define success. Take life and grab it and live it to the hilt.

Second bit of advice, remember what matters in life. I think over time you will find that what really matters the most in your life is love. As you spend time with your family, who love you so much, and as you make new friends in coming years, and as you keep in touch with the friends you have made here at Morningside, I urge you – just pour in more and more love. If you work at it and you get it right, it will make you happier than anything else you do in your life.

-Dr. Richard Light

MUSTANG MINUTES

By Dave Rebstock

Morningside sports highlights

Larsen is national runner-up in track

Monte Larsen capped a brilliant junior track campaign when he finished second in the 800-meters at the 2011 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Outdoor Track & Field National Championships. Larsen had a time of 1 minute, 50.28 seconds, which topped his own school record of 1:50.6 from this year’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championships.

His time at the GPAC Championships erased the former school record of 1:51.03 that was set by current Mustang head coach Dave Nash 1990.

Larsen earned NAIA All-America honors with his runner-up finish in the 800-meters. He also earned All-America honors at this year’s NAIA Indoor National Championships with a second-place finish in the 600-meters and by anchoring the Mustangs to a runner-up finish in the 3200-meter relay. The other members of the Mustangs’ All-America relay team were Brian Gesink, Garret Ehlers and John Harris.

The Mustangs also received an All-American performance from Jessica Hudelson at this year’s NAIA Outdoor Nationals when she finished fifth in the 1500-meters with a school-record time of 4:31.78 to shatter the former Morningside standard of 4:35.25 by Gina DeWitt 1995.

Hudelson was the GPAC champion in the 1500-meters during the outdoor season and the 800-meters during the indoor season.

Morningside’s other GPAC champions were Larsen in the indoor 600-meters and the outdoor 800-meters and Breanna Mathes in the outdoor 800-meters.

Women’s basketball team makes Final Four

The women’s basketball team came within a minute of reaching the NAIA Division II National Championship Game when the Mustangs held an 81-80 lead against eventual champion Northwestern with just 52.9 seconds left in the national tournament semifinals.

Morningside eventually lost 86-81 to finish another banner campaign. The Mustangs, NAIA II National Champions in 2004, 2005 and 2009, bowed out with a 29-6 record for their eighth straight 20-win season and their ninth consecutive appearance in the national tournament.

The Mustangs’ leader was senior guard Tanaeya Worden, who averaged a team-high 16.1 points, 4.3 assists and 2.8 steals per game en route to first-team All-America honors. Worden and Emily Christen were each named to the all-national tournament team, while Chelsie Trask was named an honorable mention All-American.

Young talent displayed in golf and tennis

The Mustangs’ Cameron Oakley made the All-GPAC Women’s Golf Team as a freshman, while freshman Austin Grundy and sophomore Reid Rosen each made the All-GPAC Men’s Tennis Team. Grundy’s first-year exploits were especially impressive, as he fashioned a 13-5 record at No. 1 singles.

Wrestling team takes GPAC Championship

The wrestling program rose to the top this winter when the Mustangs captured their first-ever GPAC Championship and went on to win the NAIA North Region crown as well. The two titles garnered GPAC and NAIA North Region Coach of the Year honors for Tim Jager, who led the Mustangs to a 10-3-1 dual record.

The Mustangs crowned three GPAC champions in Drew Smith, Joe

Sievert and Brian Block. Block made the Mustangs’ best showing at the NAIA National Championships with a fifth-place finish in the 174-lb. division to earn All-America honors. Smith and Ben Knight also earned All-America status with sixth-place finishes in the 141and 165-lb. divisions.

Men’s basketball team finishes strong

The men’s basketball team went on a late-season surge to get fans fired up for next year. The Mustangs won seven of their last 10 games to finish with a record of 15-17, and they graduated only one player from their regular rotation.

The top player was junior center Garth Hamilton, who led the team with averages of 12.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game en route to first-team All-GPAC honors, while sophomore point guard Trent Miller was the GPAC leader with averages of 4.7 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

Softball team returns to nationals

The softball team went 46-11 this spring to set a school record for victories. The Mustangs won both the GPAC regular season and post-season tournament championships on their way to a third consecutive appearance in the NAIA Softball National Championship tourney.

Morningside blasted a school-record 75 home runs and was led by Erin Bohlmann and Kirsten Dargy, who each slugged 14 homers to tie a school record previously set by Mindi (Prince) Sauer 1998.

Bohlmann also made news when she was named a Capital One First-Team Academic All-American.

Bohlmann, Kylie Helmink, Jordan Johnson, Mackenzie Neely and Emma Remy were all first-team All-GPAC selections, and the freshman Remy was also the GPAC Pitcher of the Year. Neely was named a second-team All-American after she led the Mustangs with a .393 batting average and 54 RBIs.

Longtime coach retires

One of the longest coaching careers in Morningside history came to an end with the conclusion of the 2011 baseball season when Jim Scholten retired after 28 seasons at the helm. Scholten piloted Morningside to a 631-615-4 record, including a 31-21 mark this spring.

Travis Hanson was this year’s NAIA national leader with 44 stolen bases. He was joined on the All-GPAC first team by Steven Aschinger, Bill Meacham and A.J. Staiert.

The Mustangs’ new head coach will be Brian Drent 1996, a first-team All-North Central Conference center fielder for Morningside in 1993, who led Sioux City North High School to a Class 4A state championship in 2009.

Monte Larsen earned NAIA All-America honors in three events during the indoor and outdoor track seasons. Photo by Dr. Gene Knudsen 1971.

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Emily Christen gives surprise performance in basketball

By Dave Rebstock

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One of the leaders of the women’s basketball team this past season was senior Emily Christen, who gave the Mustangs their most rebounding production from the post position since the days of Jennifer (Childress) Hazelett 1998.

Christen averaged 10.4 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds per game and also led the team in field goal accuracy at 50.2 percent and with 44 blocked shots, including a season’s high five rejections against Northwestern in the semifinals of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II National Tournament.

Aside from her coaches and teammates, probably nobody saw it coming. Christen had been a relative unknown for the Mustangs the previous two years, when she waited to join the basketball team until after the volleyball season had ended. Christen was an All-Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) performer on the volleyball court, but the late starts in basketball limited her to just 31 games and averages of 1.5 points and 1.4 rebounds per game over her sophomore and junior seasons.

“The transition from volleyball to basketball was hard because I basically had to start a month behind everyone else,” Christen said. “I would make all the pre-season mistakes while everyone else was a month ahead of me. I always felt I finally caught up with everyone else right at the end of the season when it was too late.”

Christen said this year she was on the same page as her teammates.

“I was able to go through every aspect of the basketball season with my teammates, from the summer workouts to pre-season conditioning to the first month of practice,” she said. “I think it’s beneficial for teammates to work, struggle, improve and succeed with each other because it builds a Emily Christen’s productive play in the post was one of the key strong bond between them.” ingredients in the Mustangs' success during the women's Christen came out of the starting blocks fast with basketball season. Photo courtesy of Dr. Bob Rasmus. four double-doubles in the first nine games, including a 17-point and season’s high 13-rebound performance in a memorable 103-96 overtime win against Iowa Wesleyan to spark a Mustang rally from a 24-point deficit with just 8:05 left in the game. She also grabbed a key offensive rebound on a missed free throw that led to a game-winning 3-pointer by Chelsie Trask with 4 seconds left in an early season 62-61 victory at Sioux Falls.

“I will always remember the Iowa Wesleyan game when we came back from more than 20 points and our first game against Sioux Falls when Tanaeya (Worden) intentionally missed a free throw so Chelsie could make the game-winning 3-pointer,” Christen said. “However, the most memorable game for me was when we beat Sioux Falls in the national tournament (a 72-70 triumph). I love the games where you have to work hard the entire time, but the work feels like nothing because everyone is playing hard and at the top of their game. That game was an intense battle from the beginning to the end. It was so much fun, and having my parents and all of my brothers there to see me play the best game of my career meant a lot to me.”

Christen said she will always have fond memories of the season.

“This season came as close to perfect as I could ever have hoped for,” she said. “I was able to play for such an amazing coaching staff that helped me become a better basketball player and person, and I could not have asked for a better group of teammates to end my college career with. They all exceeded my expectations of what a team could be. I can never thank them enough for all the fun I had, and I am grateful to have been able to play with such a talented group.”

M-Club Messenger 1960 North Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Champions

The baseball champs of 1960 A look back at the 2010 M-Club Hall of Fame inductees

By Dr. Sharon Ocker

The 1960 baseball season was typical in several ways. It was cold and wet, snow greeted the team early and often, and players had some fun on and off the diamond. But it was atypical in other ways.

The team was unbeaten in the conference, it was invited to play in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championships held in Sioux City, and it got to play against a future Major League star pitcher.

The 1960 team was the first of four championship squads led by legendary coach Don Protexter 1949, and it was Morningside’s first North Central Conference (NCC) crown since way back in 1923.

The team won its first two games locally and then drove in three cars to the Air Force Academy to play two scheduled games. It lost the first game 5-4, and the other was canceled due to snow.

Don Miller 1960 was one of the drivers, and he and some buddies decided not to waste the evening. They drove to Colorado Springs, just 20 miles away, for a little fun. The next day Pro, ever the economist, noticed that one of the cars had 40 more miles on it than the other two. Nobody owned up to it. Later, when the team had to travel to the University of North Dakota for a playoff game, Miller again drove one of the cars. After arriving, Pro asked for the keys. Once was enough.

The team lost two at South Dakota State, but went on a tear, winning 10 in a row at one point, parlaying timely hitting, solid pitching, and – according to the Sioux City Journal, its strongest point – excellent defense.

The usual starting lineup included Jim Anfinson 1961 – catcher, Bob Garretson 1962 – 1B, Harold Poppen 1960 – 2B, Dr. Dave Mulder 1961 – 3B, Jerry Block 1960 – SS, Daryl Kohnke 1960 – LF, Don Miller 1960 – CF, and Gary Wardlow 1962 – RF, although Paul Te Stroete 1962 and Lloyd DeMoss 1962 did their share of outfielding and Ken Goecke 1960, Wendell Hanson 1962 and Dennis Metcalf 1962 played infield at times. The pitchers were Dr. Jae Johnson 1961, Jim Stodden 1962 and Ken Stripling 1960.

Of course, the big one was to meet the University of North Dakota for the NCC championship game in Grand Forks.

Morningside had finished its Southern half schedule at 5-0. It was a real classic, with the Maroons winning 4-2 in a nail biter, though getting only two hits.

One of them was Mulder’s 425-foot home run over the center field fence in the first inning. UND promptly tied it, but Garretson put Morningside ahead with a two-run double. Anfinson had reached first on an error, Poppen walked, and Stripling advanced the runners with a sacrifice. UND cut the margin to one run in the fourth. Morningside later scored an insurance run without a hit. Goecke walked, Wardlow was hit by a pitch, and Mulder’s sacrifice fly scored Te Stroete, who was running for Goecke. Stripling scattered 10 hits for his fifth conference win.

Another highlight, of course, was making it to the NAIA College World Series held in Sioux City at the old Soos Park.

The first opponent was Whitworth College of Washington. Whitworth had a hard-throwing right-handed pitcher named Ray Washburn, who went on to play for the St. Louis Cardinals, so the team rode his great hurling to the championship.

Washburn was 6 feet 1 inch tall and 200 pounds. He worked the first seven innings, allowing just one hit to Goecke, and then moved to right field to save his arm for future games. In those seven innings, he struck out 18 Morningsiders! The final score was 10-4 in favor of Whitworth. Morningside lost to Omaha University 8-1 in a real anticlimax.

Be sure to check out more stories about Washburn and others by going to The Morningsider online at www.morningside.edu/morningsider.

Standing (from left) Wendell Hanson 1962, Dr. Jae Johnson 1961, Ken Goecke 1960, Harold Poppen 1960, Paul Te Stroete 1962, Daryl Kohnke 1960, Gary Wardlow 1962, Dennis Metcalf 1962, Don Protexter 1949 Kneeling (from left) – Lloyd DeMoss 1962, Jim Anfinson 1961, Jerry Block 1960, Dr. Dave Mulder 1961, Bob Garretson 1962, Don Miller 1960 and Jim Stodden 1962.

(Ken Stripling 1960 is not pictured. )

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Broadening Morningside College offers

Lisa Grosvenor learned about stereotypes this fall while studying abroad in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The Morningside College student from Newcastle, Neb., still remembers what happened the day she met some international students from Austria.

“When I met the Austrians, the other American was like, ‘Oh, “Sound of Music.”’ And they said, ‘We hate that film. We only watch that when we’re learning English. They make us because they say that’s all you’re going to know about us.’ I was like, ‘Guilty!’”

Morningside College has increased efforts to expose students to international experiences. As a result, next year more students will study abroad than ever before. Twice as many students as usual applied and were approved to participate in study abroad programs.

“For students to be well-rounded individuals and to be competitive in the marketplace upon graduation, they need to have more global awareness experiences,” said Dr. Susan Burns, associate dean for academic affairs. “We see direct engagement with other cultures as the best way to learn.”

Over the past several years, faculty members have taken hundreds of students abroad for a couple of weeks at a time during the May Term session, which takes place after the spring semester. This is a less expensive way for students to have an experience overseas, and students continue to show interest in taking advantage of this opportunity.

Even so, Burns said she is excited to see the increasing number of students wanting to spend a semester or year abroad because it helps them to take their international experience to the next level – from that of a traveler to someone who actually lives in another country.

There are several ways Morningside College is working to increase the number of students studying abroad. For one, it is partnering with Morningside College student Lisa Grosvenor visits Belfast Castle in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Grosvenor said that during her semester abroad, she grew in self-confidence, made a lot of friends, and got to see the United States from an outsider’s perspective.

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Four ways Morningside is offering more international experiences

Promotion and funding. Morningside is doing more to promote study abroad to the student body, and it has almost tripled funding to help with study abroad expenses.

Partnership with Central College.

Morningside College is partnering with Central College in Pella, Iowa, to expand the number of places where students can study.

horizons more international experiences

By Jenny Welp

Kristin Shaw will study in the Netherlands next spring.

Central College in Pella, Iowa, to expand the number of places where students can study. Starting next year, students can study in locations such as Austria, China, France, Wales and the Netherlands.

Then starting in the spring of 2013, students will be able to participate in the new Morningside in Italy program. This program is unique in that Morningside College courses will be taught overseas by Morningside faculty members. The program will be led by Dr. Heather Reid, professor and chair of philosophy at Morningside. She is fluent in Italian, has led summer bicycle tours of “For students to be well-rounded Italy since 1998, and has individuals and to be competitive in worked in Italy more recently as a visiting the marketplace upon graduation, scholar. they need to have more global In general, Morningside is doing more to awareness experiences.” promote study abroad –Dr. Susan Burns to the student body. It also has almost tripled the funding available to help students with study abroad expenses.

Along with opportunities off campus, the college is working to provide students with international experiences on campus. There are currently 20 international students from 11 countries studying at Morningside.

“Having a roommate from another country, you’re faced directly with cultural differences,” Burns said. “Our students are very open to having these kinds of experiences. There’s not only an openness – there’s also a desire.”

In addition, there was a pilot program at Morningside this spring where participants used the Web-based Rosetta Stone program to learn a new language. Over 120 students, faculty and staff expressed interest, and 25 people were selected to participate in the pilot program.

Grosvenor said she is happy to have had the experience of living in another country. She said she learned a lot living in a house with four other international students.

“There are so many stereotypes,” she said. “Then when you actually meet all of those cultures and stick them all into one room, it’s like, ‘Yeah, we’re all different, but we’re not that different.’”

Morningside in Italy.

Starting in the spring of 2013, students will be able to spend a semester in Italy taking Morningside College courses taught

by Morningside faculty members.

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Rosetta Stone.

Through a pilot program this spring, students, faculty and staff used the Webbased Rosetta Stone program to learn a new language.

Photo by Doug Burg, Burg Studios.

Going abroad

By Janet Flanagan

Morningside student studies in Oxford, England

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When Steven Postolka decided to map out his future, his life compass led him overseas to Oxford, England.

His opinion?

“Absolutely, one of the best choices I have ever made in my life!” he said.

It was Morningside’s global awareness focus that led the Sioux Rapids, Iowa, native to decide to study abroad.

Postolka traveled to Spain in 2009 with the Morningside Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Having some college Spanish under his belt gave him a comfort level visiting with the locals. It also fueled his global curiosity.

When the political science and mass communication double major learned of the Centre for Medieval and Renaissance Studies in Oxford, England, he “thought a study abroad experience was the next logical step,” he said. “My advisor, as always, was behind me.”

So Postolka spent the fall of 2010 at a center affiliated with the world-famous University of Oxford, the oldest university of the English-speaking world.

“Academically it was very challenging, rigorous and rewarding all at the same time,” said Postolka, a 4.0 student. “I learned a lot about British Next year more students will study abroad society and British culture and British law.” than ever before. Twice as many students He took a required as usual applied and were approved to medieval history class, along with three other classes that participate in study abroad programs. involved one-to-one teaching, small seminar classes, intensive lectures and field trips. Postolka immersed himself in English history and law, critical analysis, oral presentation skills, essays and research papers.

“I would not recommend a semester in Oxford unless you are academically prepared and experienced with writing papers,” he said. “It’s an adjustment no matter who you are, but I think I was very prepared for the work. I would say the personal attention you receive at Morningside helps students develop. It certainly helped me. The professors in the political science and mass communication departments have always been willing to make personal connections to help students succeed.”

It wasn’t all work and no play in England for the Morningside exchange student. The city of Oxford has a thriving social scene, Postolka said, and the university has an abundance of activities and societies.

He also traveled within England, visiting several cities and touring many medieval landmarks. Windsor Castle was a highlight.

“London was a great tourist city,” he said. “There’s so much to do there. We spent a day at the Tower of London and went to Big Ben and Abbey Road (of Beatles fame).”

He passed on other travel outside of the country to take the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) while in England. That paid off too. Postolka will be attending the University of Iowa College of Law in the fall on a full-tuition scholarship.

In addition to his law school entrance exam score and high grade point average, Postolka feels his experience in Oxford played a critical role in his success.

His experiences in Sioux City haven’t hurt either. Postolka worked as an intern last summer at the KWIT-KOJI public radio station. Then when he returned to Morningside from his Oxford studies, he resumed work at the station as a part-time announcer.

“Steve really grasped the concept of public radio very quickly and recognized this is a great hands-on opportunity for him,” said Gretchen Gondek, general manager of KWIT-KOJI. “He was always here when he needed to be here. He would show up to work at 4:30 in the morning − a college kid! He picked up news immediately and went out and packaged his own news stories on RAGBRAI and Saturday in the Park.

“Steve is one of these rare people you see and know the world will be his oyster. He’s going to do great things.”

And now with degree in hand and Oxford on his Morningside resume, the 2011 graduate will chart new roads for his future in law school.

Steven Postolka visits Wells Cathedral in Wells, England. The photo was taken in September of 2010, the first month of his semester in England.

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Nancy Waterstraat visits the Woodbury County Courthouse in Sioux City. Waterstraat is an international student from Germany studying psychology and international affairs at Morningside College.

Welcoming international students German student enjoys time at Morningside

By Janet Flanagan

It’s hard to imagine that Nancy Waterstraat of Germany was once quiet and shy when listening to the international student chatter about her experiences at Morningside.

In just two years, the now college junior has embraced a “bring-it-on” spirit. Waterstraat is an RA, a 4.0 student, a double major, a member of the college’s mock trial team and president of the International Students Association. All of the activities at Morningside have opened a lot of doors.

“There are so many Morningside also exposes students on opportunities and expericampus to other cultures. There are currently ences,” she said. “It’s like, ‘You want to do this?’

20 international students from 11 countries There’s another door!” studying at the college.

Waterstraat admits in leaving Stralsund, Germany, she left behind an enchanting and “gorgeous” hometown founded in 1234 close to the border with Poland. A popular spot for tourism, Stralsund is surrounded by lakes and the Baltic Sea. It’s filled with medieval structures and historic stone buildings. A national park is nearby. Waterstraat traded it all for opportunities she has enjoyed at Morningside.

“Since Morningside is small, it’s much more one-on-one,” she said. “You know your professors.

I love that. The classes are smaller so it’s easy to ask questions. I can’t imagine sitting in a huge lecture hall. I like the classroom interaction I enjoy at Morningside.

“Yesterday I helped judge a high school mock trial competition,” Waterstraat added. “With a small campus, there are a lot of opportunities to get involved.”

Last fall she went on a mission trip to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to help with flood recovery. The group patched and painted the home of an older couple. Then in the spring it was a trip to Washington, D.C., with other students as part of the college’s May Term.

Waterstraat was introduced to international studies when her family hosted a Frenchspeaking Swiss student in high school. Then when her mother challenged her to consider an international exchange in high school, she went for it.

“I used to be kind of timid, but my high school year in Washington turned me around 180 degrees,” she said. “I used to be quiet and now I’m a much stronger communicator. I’ve definitely become Americanized.”

So how did she wind up at Morningside? Waterstraat’s boyfriend from Washington state decided to play football at an Iowa college a few hours away, so she applied to be closer. When Morningside contacted her, she jumped at the chance.

Waterstraat has especially relished the connections she’s developed as one of 24 resident assistants in Dimmitt Hall.

“I like problem-solving,” she said. “Being an RA, I have learned communication and – how do you say it – to maintain composure. I love the experience of being an RA. I get to meet with 24 other leaders and learn from them when we meet every week.”

Her presence on the Morningside campus has made an impact on her classmates.

“Nancy always puts a ton of effort into everything she does,” said Samantha McCarville, who worked with Nancy in mock trial this past year. “In mock trial, Nancy took one of the toughest roles and memorized all the opening arguments. I was really impressed.

“I used to think the International Students Association was just for international students but learned from Nancy anyone can come learn about the variety of cultures,” said McCarville, a history and international affairs major from Indianola, Neb. “Nancy has invited me to meetings, and she’s always very open. It’s good we can all understand each other’s cultures. It’s fun knowing people are a little different but the same.”

Waterstraat, a psychology and international affairs major who was born behind the Berlin Wall, thinks it’s important not only to understand other cultures but also other political systems and global interaction. Her classes at Morningside have opened up the possibility of going to graduate school and working in an international setting.

“It’s important to know what’s going on in the world,” she said. “We all live in our own everyday lives, but we should know one way or the other that we are influenced by global factors.”

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Responding to disaster in Graduate’s experience teaching

abroad leads to volunteerism

By Janet Flanagan

“I love putting my hands to work to help people.”

– Annie (McInnis) Chen 2008

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College leaders pay a visit While visiting alumni in Japan last summer, Morningside leaders got to watch Annie (McInnis) Chen 2008 in action. Chen remembers well their visit to her school.

Visiting were John Reynders, college president, and his wife, Robin; Terri Curry, vice president for student life and enrollment; and Gene Ambroson, director of alumni relations.

“It was a scorching summer day with no AC in the schools, and here they come in their suits and ties!” she laughed. “They were such a huge hit with the students, and I felt so much support and love, giving hugs and shedding tears right there at school.

They joined my sixth-grade class, and we did the ‘electric slide’ dance. I posted the video on my blog. It was hilarious!”

Japan

When she enrolled at Morningside in 2004, Annie (McInnis) Chen 2008 had no idea that a few years later she would be married, teaching in Japan and volunteering to help the Japanese recover from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck the country on March 11.

In April, the Morningside College graduate traveled from her home in Chiba to Miyagi prefecture in northeastern Japan to help a team from Singapore clean contaminated mud from two Japanese homes.

“I’ve been on mission trips before to help clean up rubble, but I’ve never seen this kind of devastation,” Chen said. “I was blown away by the power of water. We would see huge boats sitting in the middle of a field or on top of a house. The whole coastline was damaged. The rivers that come inland also flooded, which caused more damage.”

Chen and the team worked with Samaritan’s Purse, a global organization providing disaster relief and spiritual support in crisis areas around the world.

“I love putting my hands to work to help people,” Chen said. “It was very inspiring to be in the company of people from Samaritan’s Purse. It’s a well-oiled organization. We got a lot done. People were so surprised and so thankful.”

A native of Omaha, Neb., Chen is the daughter of a Methodist minister, the Rev. Michael McInnis. Two days after the earthquake, she used Skype to visit with his Omaha congregation on a big screen during church services.

“It was reassuring to see their faces,” said Kathy Jo McInnis, Chen’s worried mother. “They (Annie and her husband, Adeng Chen) are about 150 miles from the worst hit city, and they are beginning to seek opportunities to serve and help.”

Chen was an elementary education major at Morningside who ran track and cross country.

She held a work-study job, worked in the library coffee shop, played volleyball intramurals and starred in a Morningside TV commercial. Her commitment to her Christian faith led her to start a Bible study group with other students and to seek mission work.

“Going international was made possible because I'd grown to be a leader, to think and make decisions for myself,” Chen said. “Morningside definitely played a role in helping me go after my goals and dreams.”

Chen learned about the opportunity to teach in Yamanashi City, Japan, from her faculty advisor, Joan Nielsen. A teaching post was available because of the sister-city relationship between Sioux City and Yamanashi City.

Shortly after graduation, Chen left for Japan and a new life adventure. She helped teach English to Japanese elementary students at three schools, and she met her new husband at an international church there. The two became immediate friends and found a common interest in mission work.

“It’s amazing because before I came to Japan, I had no idea that my teaching job or this life even existed,” Chen said. “Now these people and connections are so much a part of my life.”

Chen plans to continue to help the Japanese people by returning to the damaged earthquake zone to volunteer. She said volunteers are monitored for radiation leaks from damaged nuclear reactors at the Fukushima power plant, and they feel safe.

“There were a lot of volunteers when I was in Miyagi, and Japan will need volunteers for years,” she said. “I encourage people in the states to rally together and come over and work.

The Japanese are so willing to help and to work toward the greater goal. There was heaviness among victims because their lives are forever changed, but there is resilience, too. They are always looking forward.

“I thank and praise God for the lessons I learned on this trip,” she said. “I will cherish them, as well as the people God brought into my life that week.”

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Making an

You don’t have to be at Morningside College long to realize that this community places a lot of emphasis on giving back to others. Service is part of the college curriculum, but more than that, it is part of the campus culture.

“I am amazed at the enthusiasm with which our students go about their service work,” said President John Reynders.

“It is clear that they feel a sense of responsibility to make the world a better place.”

Read on for just a few examples of the ways Morningside College students are making an impact.

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impact

Students get involved in making the world a better place

Mission trip to serve Navajo community An elderly Navaho couple taught life lessons to Morningside students on a mission trip to the Southwest in February.

Nine students and five adults spent their spring break near Shiprock, N.M., volunteering through the Four Corners Native American Ministry.

Team members worked on the unfinished home of the Navaho couple, who had been living in a temporary trailer for five years. They painted ceilings and walls and laid a subfloor and tile. They also learned to cut with a power saw and use power drills.

“It was amazing to watch students’ faces as they felt their sense of accomplishment,” said the Rev. Kathy (Olson) Martin 2000, college chaplain and trip coordinator. “We got to know this couple really well. She made fry bread for us and Navaho tea. They made us welcome in their home and told us about their life experiences.”

Martin said the trip fostered patience, respect, understanding of the Navaho culture, and a spirit of giving.

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Collegewide day for community volunteering An army of 600 Morningside students were deployed last election day to lend a hand at 35 organizations in the Sioux City area as part of the college’s “Into the Streets” volunteer day.

During the morning, students tutored schoolchildren, read the newspaper to nursing home residents, helped at an animal shelter, cleaned, painted, delivered meals to seniors and more.

The experience — held on a day with no classes — helped broaden student learning and involvement in real-world activities.

“Volunteer service helps our students gain valuable work experience, explore community issues and develop a sense of civic responsibility,” said Morningside President John Reynders.

“I like to get out and volunteer,” said Miriam Pfahler, co-public relations officer for Into the Streets. “It’s important to make connections and be active. Just knowing that we put 600 people out in the community volunteering for three hours is impressive.

It’s a lot of hours of work. It’s cool that our college could make that much of an impact in Sioux City.”

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Fraternity fundraiser to fight breast cancer One box. Sixteen students and alumni. One hundred hours. Three hundred T-shirts.

That’s what was involved when the Morningside men of Delta Sigma Phi fraternity used their standing stamina to raise $3,950 last fall to honor mothers, grandmothers, aunts and others in the fight against breast cancer.

The students raised funds as part of their third annual “Sigs Stand Against Breast Cancer” event for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

“It is physically strenuous. Your back and knees start to ache and the lack of sleep doesn't usually help,” said Johan Frafjord, fraternity chapter president. “We do it because it’s a fantastic cause; everyone knows someone who has had breast cancer.”

The students built the 4-by-2-foot box they place in front of the Olsen Student Center to withstand constant weight.

“We have someone on the box every second during the week, so we schedule shifts all day and night,” Frafjord said. “We stand rain, shine, wind or hail. Raising $10,000 in the past three years is fantastic.”

Class project to help feed the hungry

The cause? Hunger. The hands-on answer for Morningside students? Setting up a mobile food pantry last fall at a local Lutheran church.

Students did far more than hand out food. As part of their classwork, they attended planning meetings, created a survey, recruited the food distribution site and helped promote the event.

Alex Kent of Sioux City was amazed when people were waiting in their cars for the doors to open even as students were setting up. Students ultimately helped distribute 3,775 pounds of cereal, fruit, bread, frozen chicken and canned goods to some 100 low-income residents suffering the troubles of a down economy.

“I would say we made a difference,” said Kent, who worked with the Food Bank of Siouxland and the Center for Siouxland on the project.

In the spring, students went a step further and designed a public relations campaign to help the food bank raise awareness of its services.

Service group sleepout for the homeless

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A dedicated group of 43 Morningside students braved the wind and cold last November to sleep in boxes and tents during the sixth annual Siouxland Sleepout for the homeless at nearby Lewis and Clark Park.

Some 40 more participated, standing in soup lines, playing games and gathering around fire pits. Students raised $537 and then received a matching donation, doubling support to over $1,000 for the area’s homeless. They also donated more than 300 cans of food for a local homeless shelter.

Morningside’s involvement in the event was coordinated by the college’s community service group SERVE, or Serving Everyone Respectfully through Volunteer Efforts.

“I had at least three layers of clothing on before the winter coat and three blankets inside my box,” said Jessica Boschen, who has participated the past two years. “This event has really made me realize that I take too many things for granted, including a warm bed to sleep in every night. I never imagined that there was such a large homeless population in the area.”

Biology department program to educate the public

What do Morningside College and the second grade have in common? More than you’d think, thanks to an outreach program started four years ago by Dr. William Heyborne, assistant professor of biology.

Through Creature Outreach, Morningside students take live animals out into the community to educate people about science, nature and conservation.

Creature Outreach has become an official part of the second-grade curriculum in Sioux City. Students also take insects, scorpions, snakes, turtles, lizards and frogs to visit other grade levels, college groups and organizations such as day cares, libraries or Girl Scout troops.

Almost 70 Morningside students volunteer through the program. On average, there is at least one Creature Outreach presentation every week during the school year.

“It’s a good way to prevent unnecessary fears of animals,” said Kelsey Prosser, vice president of Creature Outreach. “You show them to a second grader who is kind of scared. Then you tell them about it, and they realize that there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

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Faith, politics,

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Dr. Christopher Gilbert gave the keynote address for the Sharon Walker Faculty Excellence Awards banquet in December. He has worked with Morningside in the past as an outside evaluator for the Walker Awards.

Gilbert is a professor of political science at Gustavus Adophus College in St. Peter, Minn., where he has taught since 1991. He has published extensively on religion and politics in the United States, including four books, most recently “The Political Influence of Churches,” which he co-authored with Dr. Paul Djupe of Denison University in Granville, Ohio. He is the recipient of two all-campus outstanding teaching awards from Gustavus students and faculty, and he received the Gustavus Faculty Scholarly Achievement Award in 2007.

Gilbert has a doctorate from Washington University in St. Louis. He lives in St. Peter, Minn., with his wife, two sons and two cats. Here is a shortened version of his keynote address.

We’re here tonight to celebrate excellence, particularly excellence in teaching, something I know exists in abundance at Morningside College.

I teach about faith and politics, or religion and politics as we would say in my field. It remains to me an endlessly fascinating topic, sitting at the intersection of two particularly important sets of American institutions, and the intertwining of the two continues to spawn endless controversy in the political and religious arenas, and endless subjects of study for those of us in the scholarly professions.

For many of us who choose to examine religion and politics, whether in the U.S. or around the globe, the reaction of peers has often been noteworthy, usually for the wrong reasons. It’s too simple to say that political science is divided into two camps – those who take seriously the idea that religion matters in the political realm and those who do not – but it often feels that way. The religion and politics scholar always has to look out for those who see the entire line of inquiry as taboo – the two topics one never, ever discusses in polite company, right?

I know many of you do understand the levels of anxiety that come with feeling that one has to justify one’s place in academia. I’m sure you’ve seen stories recently in The Chronicle of Higher Education or elsewhere about specific departments and programs targeted as no longer necessary or justifiable in tight budget times, and the liberal arts seem to be front and center in those stories. Those cuts and attacks don’t strike equally across academic disciplines, and within political science it’s exceedingly rare to have to worry about justifying one’s choice of topics.

One of the frustrating features of the study of religion and politics within political science, then, is our particular reaction to the scorn of our more secular colleagues. My field has turned inward, choosing to talk with one another, even to create our own journal to give ourselves publication outlets safe from the doubters. This both helps the field – it’s good to publish and it’s wrong that research is denied publication in the discipline at large because most other political scientists decline to take religion seriously – but it also hurts the field, giving us an insular mindset that helps to perpetuate the idea that there are two camps and we need to protect ourselves from the doubters.

Walker Awards Dinner Keynote Address

and the liberal arts “candy store” Building bridges

Coming from a liberal arts tradition, literally in my blood through generations of family who attended and then taught at schools like Gustavus and Morningside, my natural inclination is always to seek to build bridges across disciplinary divides. One of the reasons I became a political scientist was because my mentors in college showed me repeatedly that good political scientists could not, dared not, confine their interests just to politics. No one is a good political scientist without some strong grounding in history, in sociology or – in my case as an empirical social scientist studying religion – without some working knowledge of psychology and theology, not to mention math and statistics.

I often tell students a particular story about how I came to choose religion and politics as my academic specialty. Usually I present this as a story of the liberal arts – that the key course setting me on my path toward this field of inquiry was, pause for dramatic effect, a required course, something my school forced me to take that ended up shaping my future. This is a great story to haul out at registration time as students navigate the requirements we set out for them.

But there’s another way to look at this story, for it’s technically true but not completely honest to imply that I was forced somehow into taking The History of Religion in America in the fall of 1985. The truth is I didn’t need that particular course; I had already satisfied the distribution requirement the summer before. But I wanted that course, partly due to the subject matter but mainly due to the fact that I loved the professor and wanted to take another course with him.

To this day, I really have no idea what Dr. Steve Gordy personally thought about religion and politics, the intent of the American founders with respect to church-state relations, or any of the other pressing issues he introduced to me long ago in that course. This, I have come to understand, is the greatest gift he could have passed

down to me as a future professor, and it’s been a sustaining gift in my own teaching career.

The larger culture loves to paint a portrait of academia as the last bastion of liberalism, the place where crafty out-of-touch ‘60s wannabes lead an unsuspecting captive audience to the dark side. This portrait, we on the front lines of higher education know, is a caricature, and we find it particularly insulting for what it says about our students. I never asked Steve Gordy why he chose to take the approach of making all his commentary on his subject matter professional, and only professional. But this has become a guidepost for my own ventures with students into the thickets of church-state relations.

Making a difference

Steve Gordy made a difference in my education and career path. The choices he made mattered for my future, and I suspect in different ways for the futures of my classmates as well.

I’ve been to many faculty meetings lately where our curriculum inevitably gets compared to a graveyard – let’s find out where the bodies are buried, that sort of thing. My stories tonight should remind us all that curriculums might just as well, and much more positively, be described as candy stores – places where we need to invite students to look around, sample and see what they like in both expected and unexpected ways.

The decisions we make as faculty matter. We profess both our subject matter and our love of that subject to our students. We make a difference in their lives by asking them timeless questions and guiding them to their own understandings about those questions. It’s why we get out of bed in the morning, and it’s also why, from time to time, we decide to require particular courses in particular fields of study. I’m glad someone made that decision for me 25 years ago. I’m still enjoying wandering through this particular candy store.

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Walker Awards 10 Walker Awards 10

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Kimberly Christopherson

Dr. Kimberly Christopherson joined the Morningside College faculty in 2007 as an assistant professor of psychology. She received a faculty excellence award for her commitment to excellence in teaching and her overall dedication to the profession.

Christopherson thrives on being in the classroom. In addition to having a well-grounded philosophy of teaching, she knows the latest developments in teaching technology and is able to use the technology effectively. She also helps advisees develop appropriate goals for themselves and the skills necessary to achieve those goals.

A colleague noted that Christopherson serves as a role model for students by setting high standards for excellence. Despite being on campus only a few years, she has taken on several important leadership roles.

Her scholarly work is timely and relevant and has been published in journals and presented at regional and national conferences. But there also is a passion for helping students to develop their own research ideas into completed projects. Last year she mentored nine students through independent research projects, some of which won first-place awards at the college’s Palmer Student Research Symposium. Her students also have presented at regional and national conferences.

Christopherson has a doctorate from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.

William Heyborne Morningside College Dr. William Heyborne joined the Morningside College faculty in 2007 as an assistant presented the 2010 professor of biology. Award evaluators commended him for embracing the joy of teaching and spreading the joy of learning.

Sharon Walker Relating to each student personally is a top priority for Heyborne. He connects with students using friendly repartee and creative pedagogical Faculty Excellence techniques. His efforts pay off in terms of high praise from students, who Awards to thank him for being a “best professor” and teaching courses that are “tough but worth it.”

Dr. Kimberly A careful and dedicated advisor, Heyborne carried 42 advisees last year, and he demonstrated an intimate knowledge of each student’s individual Christopherson, aspirations. His dedication to students is further indicated by the fact that he has re-focused assistant professor of his research to accommodate Morningside student collaborators.

Heyborne “is willing to work hard to make this college a better place for both students and psychology; Dr. William faculty,” according to one of his colleagues. He served on eight campus committees last year, including the faculty senate. His service also extends into the Sioux City area and is Heyborne, assistant professor highlighted by the Creature Outreach program where he and Morningside students use live of biology; and Dr. James animals to educate the general public about science, nature and conservation.

Heyborne has a doctorate from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley.

March, professor of music. The awards, presented for the first James March Dr. James March, professor of music, has been teaching at Morningside College since 1986. time in 2003, are funded by a When award evaluators observed him with students, his passion for both generous gift from teaching and life-long learning quickly became evident.

INTRO He had invited students to his home for breakfast and a working lab on Morningside alumni Jim and the topic Walker of the day as partExcellence of their classwork. interaction Morningside College presented the 2010 Sharon Faculty Awards His to Dr. Kimberlywith Sharon Walker 1970 of students at home and in the classroom was masterful, according to the Christopherson, assistant professor of psychology; William Heyborne, assistant professor of most evaluators, andDr. they reported that his courses were perhaps the Wayzata, Minn.

Outside interconnected of those they observed.

World history, physics, biology; and Dr. James March, professor of music. The awards, presented for the first time in 2003, art and design were all interwoven into the coursework. evaluators the gift from are funded selected by a generous Morningside alumni Jim and Sharon 1970 Another part of March’s service to the collegeWalker has been his of work with recipients, and criteria for one of Morningside’s sight-impaired students, and a braille project to better communicate Wayzata, Minn. Outside evaluators selected the recipients, and criteria for selection included teachstudent in ways that once would have seemed impossible. Because of this, the ing excellence, effectiveteaching advising, scholarshipwith andthis service to Morningside College during the previous academic year. Read selection included student is now closer to a career involving his passion for music and the piano. onMarch’s to learnteaching more about this year’s appeared award recipients.

Evaluators commented that and scholarship to be a near-perfect excellence, effective advising, “marriage,” as was the integration of his passions and hobbies. A pianist himself, one of BIOSscholarship and service to March’s passions is instrument building. He has crafted both keyboard instruments and cello bows.

Morningside College during Kimberly Christopherson March has a doctorate from the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

Dr. Kimberly Christopherson joined the Morningside College faculty in 2007 as an assistant professor of psychology. She received the previous academic year. a faculty excellence award for her commitment to excellence in teaching and her overall dedication to the profession.

Christopherson thrives on being in the classroom. In addition to having a well-grounded philosophy of teaching, she knows the Read on to learn more about latest developments in teaching technology and is able to use the technology effectively. She also helps advisees develop approprion nextgoals. three pages by Doug Burg, Burg Studios. this year’s award recipients. ate goals for themselves and the skills necessary Photography to achieve those A colleague noted that Christopherson serves as a role model for students by setting high standards for excellence. Despite being on campus only a few years, she has taken on several important leadership roles.

Her scholarly work is timely and relevant and has been published in journals and presented at regional and national conferences.

Why she is passionate about psychology: Like most people interested in psychology, I enjoy understanding why people do the things they do.

But what I really love is the research in my discipline. The idea that human behavior can be predictable and can be researched is exciting to me, and it is the way that I enjoy learning more about why people do the things that they do.

Why she got into teaching: I had some great professors when I was in college who inspired me, challenged me and transferred their love of their discipline to me. All of these professors made class interesting, challenging and accessible. I wanted to be able to do the same thing.

As I moved through graduate school, I focused my research on issues of teaching and learning and worked just as hard on my teaching skills as I did my research skills.

Why she loves teaching at Morningside: I love that I work on a campus where people really do care about teaching. I have been a part of several official and nonofficial groups on campus where the focus has been solely on teaching and learning. I do not think that this is as common as it should be in higher education. I also enjoy teaching at Morningside because I get to know many of my students very well.

When I was in graduate school, I was routinely teaching lecture bowls of 100 to 200 students. It is very difficult to get to know any of your students in that atmosphere and very difficult to do the types of things that I am easily able to do at Morningside, such as small-group work, in-class activities, group discussions and lab-type class periods. This type of active learning benefits my students greatly.

One of her favorite class activities: My favorite class activities are the research projects that I require in some of my classes. Having research skills is important for an educated person. I

Dr. Kim Christopherson assistant professor of psychology

enjoy helping students through the whole process from idea inception to dissemination. I’m happy when we get to the data analysis phase and students start to see why statistics can be so exciting. In psychology it is often the statistical analysis that tells you if your prediction was correct or not. I am always impressed with the interesting ideas students develop for their research projects and how involved they get in the process.

How she interacts with students outside of class: I interact with students outside of the classroom in many ways. I always encourage students to visit my office when they have questions or need some assistance on my homework assignments. I am faculty advisor to the Undergraduate Psychology Association and work quite closely with that group on its activities. I also work with several students on their senior thesis projects and other independent research projects. As a department, we go on several trips to various psychology research conferences. In the classroom, you often do not really get to know your students’ personalities. Working with students closely on research projects and traveling with them during conferences really allows me to get to know them in a way that is often difficult in the classroom.

A fun fact about her that people may not know: I LOVE to cook. I do not really have any certain specialty, but what I do is make from scratch what most people would buy preprepared. In my house, we have not bought canned soup for at least five to six years. I always make my own. I make my own pasta when time allows and will often bake bread.

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Dr. Bill Heyborne assistant professor of biology

Why he is passionate about biology: How can you NOT be passionate about the living world? Living things are amazing, beautiful and strange beyond anyone’s imagination. With millions of species on the planet, one could work a lifetime and never run out of fascinating stories waiting to be discovered. I also find immense joy in sharing the natural world with others.

Why he loves teaching at Morningside: What’s not to love!? When in the job hunt, I was specifically looking for schools like Morningside: smaller, liberal arts in focus, and in a community where I could raise my family. After arriving at Morningside, I found even more than I was looking for. Not only was Morningside a small, liberal arts school in a good community, but Morningside was a dedicated group of professionals working to create a great atmosphere for teaching and learning. I am fortunate to call many of my colleagues friends.

One of his favorite class activities: I particularly enjoy having students conduct original research. This is something that I require in all of my upper-division courses, and this is the place where students get to apply their learning about both the subject matter and the process of science. This is often a stressful and frustrating experience both for me and for the students – just like doing science in the real world. Working through the various issues and frustrations is part of the process. And, in the end when the students have a great project to present to our campus community, it all seems worth it.

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How he interacts with students outside of class: Some of the ways that I have been involved with students outside the classroom here at Morningside include working with them on research; participating in the Adopt-a-Faculty Member program and Into the Streets; serving as faculty advisor for Beta Beta Beta and Creature Outreach; and becoming a faculty member of Omicron Delta Kappa. I interact with students outside of class for two primary reasons. First, I remember very well my own interactions with faculty outside of the classroom and the positive influence that had on me and my learning. Second, I spend time with students outside of the classroom because I enjoy being around young people. In many cases, students also make great colleagues. It is quite enjoyable to work with students on research projects, service projects and outreach education.

How he is contributing to his academic discipline: I am interested in many aspects of community ecology, including predator-prey interactions and biodiversity. My Ph.D. research, conducted at the University of Northern Colorado, focused on the biological roles of snake venoms. My work with venoms has already resulted in two publications and 10 conference presentations, and I am still working on publishing more of this work. Most of my current research focuses on two groups of animals: reptiles/amphibians and terrestrial gastropods (land snails). My students and I are involved in survey projects for both groups as we attempt to document the local biodiversity. Past projects have included work in insect community ecology, animal behavior and forest entomology.

These interests can easily be expanded into research involving undergraduates. In fact, I mentored a project in insect community ecology that was presented this year at the Iowa Academy of Science meeting with a recent alumnus as lead author.

A fun fact about him that people may not know: I am an avid cyclist. Last year I completed my first full RAGBRAI, and I plan to ride for the second time this summer.

When the weather is warm enough, I will bike to campus several days per week.

How he got into his academic discipline: I began studying the piano when I was about 5 years old and really have never stopped. I was involved in a variety of musical activities during high school and decided that, despite starting my college career as a chemistry major, I wanted to continue taking piano lessons in college. My college piano teacher was an influential mentor, and I soon realized that my true passion was music.

Why he is passionate about music: Music moves people. It can inspire, encourage, comfort or support. It affects us whether or not we have any formal musical training. The great 19th-century composer Franz Liszt once said, "If music has one advantage over the other media through which a person can represent the impressions of the soul, it owes this to its supreme capacity to make each inner impulse audible without the assistance of reason." As musicians, we are informed by our studies, but always guided by our inner creative impulses. As teachers, we may present the same basic concepts year after year, but even if the material is the same, the students are not, resulting in an endless variety of aesthetic experiences.

Why he loves teaching at Morningside: I love teaching here because of the students. Morningside College provides the sort of small liberal arts environment that is so conducive for them to discover and develop their potential. I am able to work in the classroom and studio with engaging students at all levels, from beginning non-majors who have always wanted to play an instrument through piano performance majors who aspire to careers in music. I also have been encouraged and given the flexibility to pursue my own interests and passions, discovering in the process that many of these interests have direct parallels to my work at Morningside. I have had the opportunity to research and build numerous instruments and even to teach an instrument-building seminar in May 2005. Next year I will embark on a study of recording techniques that will hopefully lead to a series of recordings within the music department.

One of his favorite class activities: As I have mentioned, one of my passions is instrument building. Since I was in graduate school, I have been fascinated by early keyboard instruments and the impact the sound and design characteristics of these period instruments have on performance practices of early music. Over the years I have built fortepianos, harpsichords and clavichords and restored a number of interesting period pianos.

I am currently building a copy of a 1728 English bentside spinet using drawings I obtained from a museum in Scotland. I enjoy having students to my home to play and listen to the various instruments I have in my collection. These experiences inform the interpretive choices they make when performing on modern instruments. Besides, it is fun to talk about and experience music in settings other than the classroom.

How he contributes to his academic discipline: Over the years I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to collaborate with a tremendously

Dr. Jim March professor of music

gifted saxophonist, Dr. William Perconti, on several recording projects. Many of the works we recorded were first performances on CD, and several others were premieres. I also recorded Brahms’ “21 Hungarian Dances” for piano four hands with my wife, Kathryn, for Centaur Records. She and I perform regularly throughout the region and serve as adjudicators for many local, state and regional competitions.

A fun fact about him that people may not know: For the past 27 years, I have spent time each summer on Hatteras Island in North Carolina. One of my favorite activities at the beach is flying high-powered stunt kites.

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Announcing the 2010 Thompson Award Recipients

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Morningside College presented the 2010 Thomas S. Thompson Staff Excellence Awards to Jim Braunschweig 2006, electronic communication specialist; Chris Delfs 2009, computer services manager; Jeanette Frey 1995, accountant; Jay Malin, head groundskeeper; Michelle Robinson, assistant director of student financial planning; and Jenny Welp, publications editor and writer. Malin also was named Staff Employee of the Year.

Recipients were selected based upon their demonstration of outstanding dedication, service and commitment to Morningside and its students during the 2009-2010 academic year.

President John Reynders presented the awards at the annual holiday and recognition banquet in December. Each recipient received a cash bonus. Funding for the annual awards comes from an endowment established by Margaret Thompson, wife of the late Thomas S. Thompson, who served as president of Morningside from 1969 to 1978.

Braunschweig began working for the college in 2006 as an admissions counselor.

In 2008, he was named electronic communication specialist in the admissions department with responsibility for supporting recruiting efforts and electronic communications with prospective students and their parents.

Braunschweig has championed the use of social media at Morningside to extend and enhance communication with prospective students and parents, alumni, friends and current students. He has Facebooked, tweeted and blogged extensively about the Morningside experience, and he has encouraged students to share their Morningside experiences through social media.

Delfs started working for Morningside in 2006 as a computer technician in the college’s information services department.

He was promoted to computer services manager in 2008 with responsibility for

computer support to students, faculty and staff. When confronted with a computer hardware or software issue, Delfs listens carefully, asks the right questions and wastes no time getting the problem solved.

Staff members have had positive experiences when working with him, and so have students. Patient, helpful and respectful are just some of the words people use to describe him.

Frey joined the college in 2007 as an accountant in the business office. She is responsible for billing, accounts receivable and working with students on their accounts. Frey provides excellent customer service to students, their parents and other college employees.

She makes sure students who come into contact with her get reassurance if they are nervous; patient, calming words if they are angry; and a high five if they are proud of an accomplishment. She also helps our students learn about personal finance by obtaining and distributing information on “40 Money Management Tips Every College Student Should Know.”

Malin was hired as head groundskeeper at Morningside in 2007. He is responsible for the cultivation and maintenance of all landscaping on the college’s campus. He also works to ensure the success of large on-campus events such as Commencement and Homecoming.

When visitors step onto the campus, their initial impressions are formed in part by what they see around them: beautifully manicured lawns; colorful, thriving flower beds; and well-tended trees and bushes. Or in the winter, they notice that all of the sidewalks are clear and free of ice and snow. Under Malin’s direction and guidance, the landscaping at Morningside College has never looked better.

Robinson came to work for Morningside in 1997 as a student financial planning counselor. She was promoted to assistant director of student financial planning in 1998 with responsibilities for loan processing, scholarships and financial aid counseling. She works with students before, during and after their time at Morningside College, helping them with the complex and ever-changing world of financial aid. As enrollment growth and changing federal and state regulations have impacted the student financial planning office, she has continued to come to work each day with a get-the-job-done attitude.

Welp joined Morningside in 2007 as a writer in the college’s public relations department, and she was promoted to publications editor and writer in 2010. She always puts forth her best effort, whether she is writing a speech for the president, preparing material for the admissions office or putting together a news release to promote a college event.

As editor and principal writer for The Morningsider, she has portrayed the college as a vital and growing institution that has a positive impact on the lives of students.

faculty and staff

notes

Faculty Notes Patrick Blaine, Ph.D., assistant professor of Spanish, presented on methods for teaching film at the Cine-Lit VII Conference at Portland State University in Portland, Ore. His presentation shared bibliographies and filmographies for teaching courses on the literature and film of Argentina and Chile from a number of different perspectives. Blaine also is revising a book manuscript titled “Recovering Democracy in Chilean Film and Narrative.”

Michael Calvillo 1985, Ph.D., associate professor of psychology, gave a presentation at the 11th annual Iowa Teachers of Psychology conference at Central College in Pella, Iowa. During the presentation, Calvillo demonstrated a teaching technique he uses which combines multiple technology products – such as PowerPoint and Moodle, a learning management system – to conduct live, interactive experiments in the classroom.

Sam Clovis, D.P.A., professor and chair of business administration and economics, presented five “Serious Civics” lectures at Morningside College. His lectures examined conservative thought and progressivism in the United States; key components – and proponents – of capitalism, socialism and communism; various templates for evaluating presidential candidates; and the impact economic philosophies are likely to have on the next presidential election based on lessons from history.

David Elder, Ph.D. (ABD), assistant professor of writing and rhetoric; Jeremy Schnieder, Ph.D., assistant professor of writing and rhetoric; and Leslie Werden, Ph.D., assistant professor and chair of writing and rhetoric, are conducting a research project that will follow a cohort of students over four years at Morningside and gather data on what writing skills they bring to college, which skills they transfer from class to class, and which skills they have upon graduation. The professors created a pilot program to test the idea this spring, and they plan to launch the full project in August.

James Fisk, M.L.S., college librarian and assistant professor; John Kolbo 1977, B.A., instructor of art; and Pam Mickelson, Ed.D., professor of business administration, were presenters at the Marketing Management Association’s annual fall educators’ conference held in Indianapolis, Ind. They offered information on how faculty can provide a more comprehensive marketing and graphic

design education through crossdepartmental cooperation. Mickelson also served on a panel looking at best practices for using technology in the classroom.

William Heyborne, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, co-wrote an article with two off-campus colleagues that has been published in the May/June issue of the Journal of College Science Teaching. The article, “A Comparison of Two Forms of Assessment in an Introductory Biology Laboratory Course,” provides evidence that student performance differs depending on the format of exams, and states that substituting one question type with another may have profound implications with regard to student performance and learning.

Jan D. Hodge, Ph.D., professor emeritus of English, continues to write poetry. Several of his poems appeared in the anthology “Tipping the Sacred Cow: Overturning Myth, Fairytales, and Legends,” and another in the anthology “New Sun Rising,” a volume published to raise money for disaster relief for Japan. His 'signature' poem, "Carousel," appears in the new edition of Lewis Turco's standard reference work The New Book of Forms, and his double-dactyl rendering of a tale from the “Arabian Nights” can be found online in the most recent issue of Lavender Review.

Mary Kovarna, Ed.D., professor and chair of nursing education, joined the board of directors for Sunrise Retirement Community of Sioux City. Sunrise is Siouxland's largest community-based not-for-profit retirement community that provides the entire continuum of care for seniors from independent living to specialized memory care for individuals with Alzheimer's and related disorders.

Pam Mickelson, Ed.D., professor of business administration, was selected to receive a 2011 Hormel Meritorious Teaching Award at the 2011 Marketing Management Association Spring Conference in Chicago. The Marketing Management Association is a worldwide organization of both business people and academics who are involved in marketing.

Joan Nielsen, Ed. Spec., associate professor of education and director of Project Unlimited Proficiency, was a presenter at the National Association for Multicultural Education Third Regional Conference in Kansas City, Mo. With faculty members from three other universities, she presented preliminary outcomes of a five-year collaboration where universities

in multiple states used the same curriculum to assist teachers working with English language learners.

Jen Peterson, Ph.D., assistant professor of English, had a chapter published in the book “Approaches to Teaching the Works of Tim O’Brien,” which was edited by Alex Vernon and Catherine Calloway. Her chapter applies two prevalent postmodern theories to “In the Lake of the Woods.” She details specific ways in which an instructor can draw students into analysis of the novel’s form as well as into the narrative itself.

Heather L. Reid, Ph.D., professor and chair of philosophy, presented her paper “Athletics and Aesthetics” at the third annual geo-aesthetics conference that was sponsored by the International Association for the Study of Environment, Space and Place at Towson State University in Maryland. The paper surveyed the similarities between sport and art and the ethical connection between beauty and goodness as embodied in the ancient Greek gymnastic ideal of kalokagathia. Her article, "East to Olympia: Recentering Olympic Philosophy between East and West," was published in Olympika, the journal of the International Centre for Olympic Studies at the University of Western Ontario. The article interprets the Olympic movement's official philosophy according to both Eastern and Western philosophies and argues that a balanced approach between the two perspectives better reflects the ancient Hellenic heritage of the Olympic Games. Reid also has two books coming out this summer: "Aretism an Ancient Sports Philosophy for the Modern Sports World," which she co-wrote with Mark Holowchak, and "Athletics and Philosophy in the Ancient World: Contests of Virtue."

Rachel Robson, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, and Susan Burns, Ph.D., associate dean for academic affairs, collaborated on an article that has been published in the May issue of the Journal of Microbiology and Biology Education. The article is about a teaching technique Robson developed at Morningside to help students understand the role of random mutations in evolution. No teaching technique has ever been shown to improve students’ understanding of this concept before. Robson and Burns showed that, following this lesson, students were more than two times better at explaining how genetic mutations occur than they were before the lesson. Burns’ role was to collect and analyze data regarding the teaching technique.

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notes

Jeremy Schnieder, Ph.D., assistant professor of writing and rhetoric, received an award from the International Journal of Sport and Society for a paper he wrote, and he was invited to present the paper at a conference in India. Schnieder won the International Award for Excellence in the area of Sport and Society. His paper, “And the Crowd Goes Wild: Fan Participation as Epideictic Rhetoric,” was selected by editors from the 10 highest-ranked papers emerging from the referee process.

Jim Stroh, Ph.D., professor of biology, will work with students in August on a weeklong intensive survey of the Five Ridge Prairie Wildlife Management Area. Located just north of Sioux City, Five Ridge Prairie is one of the largest tracts of native prairie left in Iowa. The Morningside group will try to determine what species of mammals and reptiles are living on this important prairie remnant.

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Molly Williams, J.D., professor of business administration, attended the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Leadership Conference in Arlington, Va. She attended as incoming president of Siouxland SHRM, a local chapter with over 100 members. The mission of SHRM is to serve the business community through education, networking and sharing best practices in the management of personnel.

Jill Wilson, D.M.A., assistant professor of music, presented research for her dissertation, “Practices of and Attitudes Toward Treble Choral Ensembles,” at the international Research in Music Education conference at the University of Exeter in England, and she was selected to give a poster presentation on her research at the Summer Symposium of the Society for Research in Music Education in Washington, D.C. Wilson also was named editor of the Sounding Board, a quarterly publication of the Iowa Choral Directors Association, and she is joining the Iowa Music Educators Association Board as the Society for Music Teacher Education chair.

New Staff Monica Curry, copy center technician, has been hired to assist with the coordination of production activities in the copy center, operate high-volume copy equipment and related production equipment, and supervise student workers.

She previously worked for Midwest Office Automations in Sioux City. Curry has a bachelor’s degree from Briar Cliff University in Sioux City.

Keenan Ganz, offensive coordinator, has joined the full-time football coaching staff after assisting the Mustangs for three previous seasons, last year as the team’s wide receivers coach.

Ganz previously was an assistant coach at Avila University in Kansas City, Mo. He also was a coach at the 2006 and 2007 Tim Dwight Camps in Iowa City, Iowa. Ganz has a bachelor’s degree from Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan. Sara Horn, head volleyball coach, was hired in December after previously serving as head coach at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa. In 2010 she guided the Tritons to a 22-17 record and a berth in the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 11 Semifinals. She also has coaching experience at Millard North High School in Omaha, Neb., and Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. Horn has a master’s degree from Wayne State College.

Aaron Orndorff, technology services supervisor, has been hired to work as a member of the information services team to ensure that timely, effective computer support is provided to the students, faculty and staff. He performs technical and administrative duties in the technology service center, and he supervises student workers and third-party vendors. He previously worked at Riverside Technologies Inc. in North Sioux City, S.D. Orndorff has a bachelor’s degree from Central Bible College in Springfield, Mo.

New Staff Appointments Jim Braunschweig 2006 assumed new duties as social media manager. He is responsible for developing and executing a social media strategy that supports communications and enrollment initiatives

while increasing online awareness.

Braunschweig has a bachelor’s degree from Morningside College.

Ashley Brewer 2007 assumed new duties as admissions recruitment specialist. She is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with prospective high school sophomore and junior students. Her position also includes the research and development of niche markets. Brewer has a bachelor’s degree from Morningside College.

Casey Jacobsen assumed new duties as co-defensive coordinator for the Mustang football team. He is the dean among the Mustangs' assistant coaches with seven years of service. He was the team's special teams and linebackers coach during the 2010 season and also served as the athletic department's equipment manager.

Jacobsen previously coached at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. He has a bachelor’s degree from Buena Vista University.

Steph (Mohr) Peters 1999 is assuming new duties as director of admissions. She is responsible for managing the admissions counselors and staff, providing information and guidance about Morningside College to prospective students and their families, and researching, developing and implementing marketing plans by segmenting territory and outlining objectives and action steps to achieve enrollment goals.

Peters has a bachelor’s degree from Morningside College.

Randee (Ball) Small 1988 has assumed new duties as graphic services manager/webmaster. She has taken on the additional responsibilities of managing the copy center and overseeing the mailroom.

She also continues to design collegerelated publications and coordinate development of website content and page design. Small has a bachelor’s degree from Morningside College.

Amy (Gerdes) Williams 1998 has assumed new duties as senior enrollment specialist.

She is responsible for developing and implementing a plan to identify, recruit and enroll traditional freshmen. She also is responsible for recommending strategies for effective market positioning, image enhancement and name recognition for the admissions program. Williams has a bachelor’s degree from Morningside College.

faculty and staff

notes

Alumni recognized Alumni educators The Regional Center for Teaching and Learning at Morningside College recognized the 2011 National Alumni Educator of the Year and the Siouxland Alumni Teacher of the Year during a special banquet held in March.

To be considered for the awards, candidates had to exemplify the qualities of an effective educator, have made a significant contribution to the field of education and have had a positive impact on students and their families.

Morningside founded the Regional Center for Teaching and Learning in 2001 to work collaboratively with other institutions and agencies to improve education in the tri-state region.

National Alumni Educator of the Year

Dr. Bruce Borchers 1993 was named the 2011 National Alumni Educator of the Year. He is superintendent of the Rockwood School District in Eureka, Mo. This is the largest school district in St. Louis County with more than 22,300 students.

Borchers started his career as an elementary physical education teacher in the Sioux City Community School District. He also has worked as an interim assistant principal and guidance counselor in Iowa City, Iowa; an assistant principal and principal in Mankato, Minn.; and an associate superintendent of secondary schools for the Anoka-Hennepin School District, which is the largest school district in the state of Minnesota. He was named Rockwood School District superintendent in 2010.

Borchers has master’s degrees from Wayne State College in Nebraska and the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. He earned his doctorate in education from the University of Minnesota.

Siouxland Alumni Teacher of the Year

Crista Limoges 2004 was named the Siouxland Alumni Teacher of the Year. She is an advanced placement language arts and psychology instructor at Sioux City North High School.

Limoges has taught at North High School for seven years. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Limoges is the founder of the Friends of Rachel Club, which sponsors a variety of service activities for North High School students and staff. She serves as a member of the language arts curriculum committee and the faculty leadership team.

Limoges has a master’s degree in education administration from Wayne State College in Nebraska.

Other nominees for the Siouxland Alumni Teacher of the Year award were Lynne (Erickson) Boulden 1974, Lisa (Cunningham) d’Auguste 2007, Rochelle (Coffman) Greigg 2002, Lonnie Hill 2009, Karla Lichty 1993, Rebecca (Dreager) Mahlberg 2007, Erin (Barham) Pinney 2003, Billie (Eastling) Pomerenke 1983, Kari (Altena) Rea 1997, Maria Ruelas 2004, Shelly (McQuade) Sadler 1992, Julie (Henderson) Sweeney 1993 and Robin (Brower) Wilmesherr 1994, Sioux City Community School District; Chuck Prior 1986, Lawton-Bronson Community School District; Rosemary Andrews 1992, South Sioux City Community School District; Cindi Byrne 1978, West Monona Community School District; and Julie (Watson) Murphy 1993, Westwood Community School District.

Nursing Alumna of the Year The Morningside College Department of Nursing and the Morningside Student Nurses’ Association recognized Sheila (Peuse) Jennebach 1995 of Zumbrota, Minn., as the 2011 Nursing Alumna of the Year during the Maud Adams Nursing Research Day, which took place in April.

Jennebach is a native of Sioux Center, Iowa. She works in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Mayo Clinic’s Saint Marys Hospital in Rochester, Minn.

Jennebach has worked at Mayo Clinic for all 15 years of her nursing career. From 1995 to 1999, she was a staff nurse on an adult medical floor with patients facing diverse medical needs, including acute and chronic renal failure. She was selected to serve as nurse liaison from 1997 to 1999, representing nursing on a team to facilitate communication, continuity of care and discharge planning for adult medical patients.

In 1999, Jennebach transferred to the NICU, where she now serves as a breastfeeding resource advocate and bereavement coordinator. Her leadership role in the NICU has included responsibilities as charge nurse and as NICU magnet champion for the 2010 Mayo Clinic Magnet Recognition Redesignation Program. She also serves as a member of the planning committee for the Mayo Eugenio Litta Children’s Hospital Remembrance Celebration.

The Nursing Alumni Scholarship was presented in Jennebach’s honor to Leslie Pfeifer of Juniata, Neb. The scholarship is presented each year to a student who shows potential for outstanding professionalism in nursing. Pfeifer graduated this spring from Adams Central Junior-Senior High School in Juniata, and she plans to enroll at Morningside this fall to pursue a Bachelor of Science in nursing.

The nursing research day started in 1983 as a tribute to the late Maud Adams, a former chair of the Morningside nursing department. Before she came to Morningside, Adams served as a staff nurse, instructor and administrator in various public health agencies and nursing programs.

35

Former board member and church leader receives Distinguished Alumni Award The Rev. Dr. Gary Armstrong 1970 accepts the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award during the college’s senior celebration dinner, which was held in May.

36 The Rev. Dr. Gary Armstrong 1970 received the 2011 Distinguished Alumni Award during the college’s senior celebration dinner, which was held in May. President John Reynders presented the alumni award and cited Armstrong for his unselfish service to Morningside College, the United Methodist Church, his congregations and the communities in which he has lived.

Armstrong served on the Morningside College Board of Directors from 1994 to 2008. Reynders said he “played a key role in reshaping and rebuilding Morningside into the exciting and thriving institution that it is today.”

An ordained United Methodist Church minister, Armstrong served as pastor for congregations in several Iowa communities: BusseyHarvey-Tracy, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Council Bluffs, Slater-Sheldahl, Dike, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Cherokee, First United Methodist Church in Ottumwa and First United Methodist Church in Indianola. He also held a leadership role as district superintendent for the Fort Dodge District of the Iowa Conference, and he served on numerous Iowa Conference task forces, boards and commissions. He retired from full-time ministry in 2009.

The church was not the only beneficiary of Armstrong’s leadership skills. He also served on the boards of directors for the United Methodist Wesley Foundation Campus Ministries at the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University, the board of directors for Friendship Haven Retirement Home in Fort Dodge, and the board of trustees for Simpson College. He volunteered with community organizations ranging from the Red Cross to the Pottawattamie County Mental Health Commission, and served as board chair for the United Service Credit Union.

A native of Montana, Armstrong enrolled at Morningside College with the intention of preparing for ministry. He and his wife, Laurel (Nagel) 1970, were married during their senior year at Morningside.

Following graduation, Armstrong enrolled at the Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colo., and graduated with a Master of Divinity degree in 1974. He received a Doctor of Ministry degree with a focus in gerontology in 1985 from Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo. He also took part in a Clinical Pastoral Education residency at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines in 1987 and 1988.

Reynders said that as a board member, “Gary cared deeply and passionately about Morningside College and its students. He wasn’t the most vocal board member; however, when he did speak out, it was always with conviction and after thoughtful consideration.”

Armstrong and his wife live in Clive, Iowa. They have two grown children, Andrea and Ryan 2000, and three grandchildren.

About the award The Distinguished Alumni Award is given annually to a Morningsider or Morningsiders who have distinguished themselves in their profession, service to their community and/or service to Morningside College. Alumni, faculty and staff provide the nominations for this award. Then a committee of alumni and staff makes the final selection of award recipients. A few examples of past award recipients are Era Bell Thompson 1933, who was editor of Ebony magazine; William Wolle 1949, who was U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates; and Paul Splittorff 1969, who was a pitcher for the Kansas City Royals.

By Dave Rebstock Editor’s Note: Keep sending us your news! Everyone is excited to find out what has been going on in your life.

Thank you, class editors, for all of your help in getting this information to us.

Please send your news to your class editor, or to: Karen Dreessen Morningside College 1501 Morningside Ave. Sioux City, IA 51106 alumni@morningside.edu 712-274-5107 Class Editors

1943 Mary (Cruikshank) Grefe 1953 Bruce Norris 1960 John Gilbert 1961-62 Earl Parsons 1963 Don Hill 1965 Wayne Shively 1967-68 Barbara (Kubiatowicz) Danger 1972 Donna (Tack) Ricks 1980 The Rev. Dale Schoening 1981-82 Michael Madsen 1989 Penny May 1990 Tom Gerking 1991 Troy Sparks 1992 Jami (Walquist) McCuddin 1993 Eric Wylie 1995 Jennifer (Rice) LeMar 1996 Kristin Johnson and Lynn Kogelmann 1997 Brian M. Clarke 1998 Amber (Ellerbroek) Hegarty 1999 Jami (Wheatcraft) Langholdt 2001 Allison (Hallquist) Newman 2002 Tasha (Segebart) Eldridge 2003 Mike Eldridge 2004 Erin Mulvany 2007 Brian Hamilton 2009 Trey Blackburn

Forties

1943

Meet Your Class Editor Dr. Mary (Cruikshank) Grefe recently retired after serving 12 years on the Morningside College Board of Directors. She currently resides in Des Moines, Iowa.

Send your notes to: marygrefe@aol.com.

Wash. Delta Kappa Gamma is a professional organization that was founded in 1929 and has a membership of more than 100,000 women educators.

1957

Shirley (Hansen) Fornia was selected as corresponding secretary for Abu Bekr Shrine Kan-Duettes, a unit composed of widows and other survivors of Shriners who continue the work of the Temple and the Abu Bekr Transportation Fund.

Fifties

Sixties

Col. George “Bud” Day served as the parade marshal for Sioux City’s 2010 River-Cade Parade to personify the parade theme “We Support Our Troops.” A few months later, the Florida Legislature designated the highway entering Eglin Air Force Base as Col. Bud Day Boulevard. Then earlier this year, Day flew a P-51 in Destin, Florida, and an F-100 at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas.

Meet Your Class Editor John Gilbert and his wife, Carlene, enjoy traveling, spending time with family, bicycling and fishing.

Send your notes to: jdgilbert1937@gmail.com or 12313 Long St., Overland Park, KS 66213-2210.

1950

1960

1951

1961

1952

John and Charma (Harmelink) Lind celebrated their 50th anniversary with their children and grandchildren at their church, The Kirk of Dunedin Christian Church, in Dunedin, Fla., on June 5, 2011, followed by a week at Celebration World Resort in Kissimmee, Fla. Charma was Morningside’s 1961 Homecoming queen, while John was a member of the track team. John said, “I met Charma on Jan. 2, 1961. At the end of the year, we sold our textbooks for $100 and used the proceeds to pay for our wedding on June 2, 1961. We have been in love ever since.”

Leon Harbeck and his wife, Barb, Sioux City, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with an open house on Aug. 1, 2010, at Whitfield United Methodist Church in Sioux City. He sold real estate, worked for the post office and retired from Toy National Bank after 23 years.

Doug Gresham and his wife, Jean Austen, are the great-grandparents of Kaydence Dunn, born Sept. 11, 2009, and Braden Lawson, born Oct. 13, 2010.

1953

Meet Your Class Editor Bruce Norris lives in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with his wife, Dione.

He taught in the public schools and at the junior college level for 38 years. He has been doing volunteer work at Lewis Central High School in Council Bluffs for the past 18 years.

Send your notes to: loweregister@msn.com.

1956

Dr. Constance L. “Connie” (Carlson) Hoag, professor emeritus at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, co-authored an international historical document, “Our Heritage Volume III,” the 1970-2008 history of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International. The 32-month project, documented on CD by Full Effect Productions of Sioux City, was officially presented to the Delta Kappa Gamma Society International at its convention held in July 2010 in Spokane,

Gary Anderson, a reverse mortgage specialist in Georgetown, Texas, played for the Rusty Pistols basketball team that won the gold medal at the 2010 Texas Senior Games. The team is representing Texas at the 2011 National Senior Games being held June 16-30 in Houston, Texas.

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1962

Meet Your Class Editor for 1961 and 1962 Earl Parsons retired in 2001, after more than 35 years in the health care industry - nursing homes, specifically. He was involved in building, owning and operating buildings in Iowa, Nebraska, Arizona and California. Being father to three wonderful girls and grandfather to identical twin girls, all living in the Denver area, has led to a lot of traveling. Parsons says, "If I knew grandfathering was going to be this cool, I would have skipped parenting and gone right to grandparenting!"

Send your notes to: jephasarrived1@cox.net or 2601 W. Romley Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85041.

class notes

Catching Up

1963

Meet Your Class Editor Send your notes to Don Hill: hilld@mercersburg.edu.

1965

Meet Your Class Editor Wayne Shively of Sioux City is currently a part-time employee of the Community Action Agency of Siouxland. He is retired after teaching English and language arts for 33 years.

Send your notes to: shively130@aol.com.

Janet (Goettsch) Pommrehn retired from teaching in the Denver Public Schools in Colorado. She is enjoying her 1-year-old granddaughter, Alexa, and 3-year-old grandson, Peter. She recently went on a trip to the Cayman Islands, where she fed squid to stingrays on a sandbar called Stingray City.

1967

38

Meet Your Class Editor for 1967 and 1968 Barbara (Kubiatowicz) Danger retired in 2001 after a 34-year career teaching English and working as a media specialist. She hopes to hear from classmates from both the classes of 1967 and 1968 because she started at Morningside with the class of 1968 and graduated early in 1967.

Send your notes to: barbaradanger@comcast.net or 13222 Spencer Sweet Pea Lane, Eden Prairie, MN 55347.

Jeannie (Buchanan) Lish assists part time with sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade band students as a paraprofessional instructor at two middle schools in Arlington, Wash.

Jeannie and her band director husband, Alan, who retired full time in 2004, play in the North Cascades Concert Band, sing in their church choir, and perform occasional instrumental and vocal solos. She earned a master’s degree in social work in 1970 from the University of Washington in Seattle, with emphasis in group work, community organization and the field of aging. Jeannie recently was installed as co-president for the Washington/ Northern Idaho unit of Church Women United, a national ecumenical movement. The Lishes have lived in the same home since 1974, but their address has changed: 17729 25th Ave. N.E., Marysville, WA 98271. Jeannie’s e-mail address is majel45@cedarcomm.com.

1968

R. Duane Aaland is the author of “Saving Our Democracy,” published by Xlibris Inc. The book is available online through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and it is available in some Barnes & Noble stores.

The Vander Berg File Graduation Year: 1975 Majors: Library Science & Elementary Education Current Residence: Scottsdale, Ariz.

When Martha Vander Berg was growing up in the Northwest Iowa community of Sheldon, she said there was never any question about where she or her brothers, Dr. Mike Vander Berg 1972 and Rick Vander Berg 1975, would go to college.

“We didn’t even apply to any other schools because we always knew we were going to Morningside,” Vander Berg said. “Morningside was the best school, so why would we go anyplace else?”

Family played the biggest role in her decision to attend Morningside. Her father, Dr. Elmer Vander Berg, was a 1945 graduate, and her mother, Marjorie (Bornholdt) Vander Berg, also attended the college.

“I had cousins and uncles who went to Morningside, too,” Vander Berg said. “Morningside was such a family-type of school, so we never dreamed of going anyplace else. And we were happy about it.”

Vander Berg said her father was especially proud of his alma mater.

“I can remember from back when I was little the times that my father would drive us to Sioux City,” she said. “We would go to Green Gables for lunch, and then my father would take us to Morningside and drive around the campus.”

Vander Berg has been at a much larger campus these days as an academic success specialist at Arizona State University in Tempe, where she has worked with graduate level and Ph.D. students in the computer science division. She has been doing that since 1999 and absolutely loves her work.

“I feel such energy from my students,” she said. “Most of them are international students, and it just amazes me how they can leave their country and their families and come over here to get an education.

These students just amaze me with their brilliance and they just energize me.

“I’ve kind of become their surrogate mother,” Vander Berg said. “For many of them, my office is the first place they go after they get off the plane.”

Before her position at Arizona State, Vander Berg had worked as a college administrator, admissions counselor and recruiter. She said the interactions and the relationships she has developed with her students at Arizona State have made that job the most rewarding by far.

“I am with the students from the very first day they start, and I am there with them at graduation, often helping them to find their place in line. And I cry at every graduation.”

Curt Bladt will be inducted into the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) National High School Hall of Fame on July 2 at the NFHS summer meeting at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown in Philadelphia, Pa. Bladt has compiled a 355-36 record in 33 seasons as the head football coach at Harlan Community High School in Iowa. His .908 career winning percentage is the highest of any Iowa coach. Bladt has guided Harlan to state-record totals of 11 state championships, 19 state championship game appearances, 30 playoff appearances and 85 state playoff victories. His teams have never lost an opening round game in the play-offs and have won 24 conference and district titles.

Seventies

1970

Lucinda (Hageman) Tryon took early retirement after teaching English for 33 years at South Sioux City High School in Nebraska.

She and her husband, Ed, have traveled all over the world to locations such as Russia, Lebanon, Vietnam, Egypt and most of Europe, among others. She serves on the boards of the

Siouxland Humane Society and Friends of FM90 public radio, and she spends lots of time with the family pug dogs, Peggy and Willie.

Cynthia Weiss retired in April after serving 25 years as director of Kendall Young Library in Webster City, Iowa. Prior to her position in Webster City, Weiss was a consultant and reference librarian for 15 years at Rolling Prairie Library System in Decatur, Ill. She earned a master's degree in library science from the University of Illinois at ChampaignUrbana in 1971.

1971

Dr. bill russell directed “Xmas! The Xpose!” on Dec. 12, 14 and 20 at The Duplex Cabaret Theatre in New York City. He is hosting concerts of his work in his hometown of Spearfish, S.D., on June 30 and July 3.

with Martha Vander Berg

By Dave Rebstock

Vander Berg learned to have compassion for her students from her own experiences when she was at Morningside, particularly from Dr. Margaret Hutchison, who was a faculty member in the education department.

“She took me under her wing and mentored me,” Vander Berg said. “If I was ever feeling kind of lost, I knew I could go and talk to her and she would help me figure things out. She would just sit there and talk to me about everything and anything. It didn’t feel like a professor talking to a student, but more like an older friend talking to a younger friend.

“She taught me about compassion, and that’s probably where I get that compassion for my own students. I think she would be very proud of me.”

Grafton Hull, a faculty member in the sociology department, was also one of Vander Berg’s favorite professors.

“He brought such a sense of humor to his classes,” she said. “I really looked forward to going to his classes because he made learning fun. One of my favorite classes was Children’s Literature, which we called ‘Kiddie Lit.’ It was taught by Edna Rogers (a faculty member in the elementary education department), and she made the class a very interesting experience.”

Greek life was prominent on the Morningside campus in the 1970s and Vander Berg was a member of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority.

“I made some really great friendships through that sorority,” she said. “The Greek life was really strong when I was there. There were three sororities and three fraternities. We had such a good time and made such good friendships. Each of the fraternities had their own place where they would hang out. The Tau Kappa Epsilon had Miles Inn, so that was the one I usually went to because my older brother and my twin brother were both members of that fraternity.”

Vander Berg had a great time being part of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority, but looking back now, wishes she had been even more active in campus life.

“I have some online students at Arizona State and I tell them, ‘You really need to come on campus and get a taste of what campus life is like because you will never experience anything like that again in your life,’” she said. “My advice to students is to really get involved in campus life and join as many different clubs and organizations as you can.”

After a lot of thought, Vander Berg decided to retire in May from her position at Arizona State.

“It was a hard decision to take this early retirement, but I have so many things on my bucket list that I need to get going,” she said. “This came as a shock to everyone and the department tried to talk me into staying, but I am happy with my decision and now it is playtime for me!”

1972

Meet Your Class Editor Donna (Tack) Ricks lives in Hudson, Iowa, with her husband, Al Ricks 1973. She retired in 2008 from her position as a speech coach and English and speech teacher at Dike-New Hartford High School in Dike, Iowa.

She loves being a grandmother to 4-year-old Ella and 1 1/2-year-old Tyce, who are the children of daughter, Sarah, and son-in-law, Shane Van Waardhuizen. Donna continues to be active in the Iowa High School Speech Association (IHSSA), judging contests and serving as a consultant to area schools and as secretary of the IHSSA Hall of Fame. She and Al are moving to the Grinnell area.

Send your notes to: djrteach@msn.com or 1698 E. 142nd St. S., Grinnell, IA 50112 Eugene Buccelli retired in 2009 after almost 11 years as senior vice president and chief operating officer for the Urban League of Central Carolinas Inc. Buccelli is licensed as a life, health, Medicare and long-term care

insurance agent. This year he participated in Leadership Union, a 12-month leadership program offered by the Union County Chamber of Commerce in Monroe, N.C. He serves on the executive board for the Mixed Income Housing Coalition in Charlotte, N.C., and he is a member of the North Carolina Housing Coalition in Raleigh. He also serves at Providence United Methodist Church as a team leader for the Workforce Initiative for Supportive Housing (WISH) program in coordination with Crisis Assistance Ministry, helping single parents working toward self-sufficiency.

1973

Dr. Edward Johnson was appointed president of Everest College Phoenix in Arizona by the institution’s board of trustees. Johnson had been president of The San Juan Colleges, a proposed private college consortium in San Juan Capistrano, Calif., and is a former president of Sterling College in Sterling, Kan. Johnson has extensive experience with the Arizona education community. As executive director of the Arizona Commission for Postsecondary Education, Johnson created the nation’s first state-level public policy

center for kindergarten through college ethnic minority student achievement and the nation’s first 529 private-sector college savings program. He also has served as a senior executive to the Arizona Board of Regents and was director of community relations for the Arizona State University law school in Phoenix.

Ken Spies, a broker at Century 21 ProLink in Sioux City, received the 2010 Top Producer award from Pro-Link Realty in Sioux City, and in April he was named Realtor of the Year by the Greater Sioux City Board of Realtors.

Spies qualified for the Residential Finance Consultant designation after he participated in an extensive nationwide education program. He also has donated 26 gallons of blood to the community blood bank.

1975

D. Douglas Rice was elected president of Security National Bank in Sioux City. Rice has been with the bank for 38 years and most recently served as the bank’s executive vice president. He serves on the boards for the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce, Shazam Inc., Sioux City Public Library Foundation and Pierce Street Same Day Surgery.

1976

Chris (Wiener) Case received the Distinguished Service Award Emeritus from the Iowa Association for Lifelong Learning after she retired from Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City in the summer of 2010. She was recognized for development of collaborative relationships that have positively affected the quality of the adult literacy program, outstanding contributions to the Iowa Association for Lifelong Learning, and major lifelong accomplishments at the local, state and national levels.

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1977

Patrick Bradley, senior director of university housing and residential dining services at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, was selected to be a faculty member for the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International STARS College. STARS College is a three-day experience for 55 undergraduate students interested in pursuing a career in housing, resident life or student affairs.

Steve Brown was an assistant coach for the OA-BCIG (Odebolt Arthur-Battle Creek Ida Grove) girls’ basketball team that won the 2011 Iowa Class 2A State Championship with a 46-35 victory against Estherville Lincoln Central to cap a perfect 26-0 season.

class notes

Don “Skip” Meisner was named the 2010 Port Admiral for Sioux City’s River-Cade summer festival. Meisner also was selected by the northwestern division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to serve as a representative on the Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee. The committee’s purpose is to help guide river recovery actions and to ensure that public values are incorporated.

1978

40

Kirk Clausen is regional president of Wells Fargo Bank Nevada in Las Vegas. He has been head of Wells Fargo’s community banking network in Nevada since 2002. In this role, he is responsible for the more than 120 Wells Fargo banking stores and four business banking and government banking offices.

Clausen began his career in 1975 at Norwest Bank (now Wells Fargo) in Sioux City, serving in many positions including loan officer and retail bank manager. Later, after working with Norwest Investment Services Inc., he was named vice president of Norwest Bank Wisconsin and eventually was named executive vice president and northern Nevada regional manager in 1999. He currently serves as a board member for the Clark County Debt Management Commission; Clark County Public Education Foundation; College of Southern Nevada; Desert Research Institute; Habitat for Humanity Advisory Board; Nevada Public Radio; Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce President’s Club; Nevada Patriot Fund; Nevada State College; and University of Nevada, Las Vegas Student Life Advisory Board. He is also an honorary board member of the Nevada Public Education Foundation; chairman of the Henderson Chamber of Commerce and Three Square Board of Trustees; and past chairman of the Nevada Bankers Association, Nevadaworks, Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada, and United Way of Southern Nevada.

Deb (Borchers) Juffer, a registered nurse with St. Luke’s Heath System in Sioux City, was named one of 100 Great Iowa Nurses by the Iowa Nurses Association. The nurses were honored in May 2010 at a reception in Des Moines.

Nancy (Goodwin) Rentel of St. Luke’s Birth Center in Sioux City received certification as an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners. In order to take the exam, health care professionals must meet stringent requirements involving pre-exam education and extensive hours of patient education with breast-feeding mothers. The day-long exam is offered only once per year.

1979

Karen (Graham) Stamoulis retired from teaching following the 2009-2010 school year.

She was with the Sioux City Community School District for 32 years and taught at McKinley, Nodland and Sunnyside elementary

Catching Up

The Chesterman File Graduation Year: 1991 Majors: Business Administration & Economics Current Residence: Jefferson, S.D. Current Occupation: President, Chesterman Co.

One of the major advantages of a small, private liberal arts institution over a major university is the intimacy of a more personal learning experience created by smaller class sizes and interaction between students and professors.

Cy W. Chesterman Jr., president of Chesterman Co., experienced that firsthand when he returned to Sioux City and attended Morningside to complete the final year of his bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics.

Chesterman had moved to California to pursue a job after his graduation from Sioux City North High School in 1985. He eventually enrolled at Golden West College, a community college with a population of over 12,000 students located in Huntington Beach, Calif., and later attended the University of Iowa in Iowa City before he came to Morningside to complete his degree.

“To me the biggest difference between a large school and a school like Morningside is that there is basically no interaction between the students and the professors at the bigger schools,” Chesterman said.

“At the larger school, you go to class and listen to a lecture with 500 other people. You basically listen to the lectures, read the book and take the tests.

“You still have lectures at Morningside, but they are different in that they are more interactive with a lot of classroom discussion and debate,” Chesterman said. “I liked that quite a bit more than just sitting and listening to a lecture. It’s nice to be able to interact with the professors, and the smaller class size allows them to get a sense of whether or not the material is getting through to the student, and that is very helpful.”

Chesterman Co., a distributor of Coca-Cola that produces over 10 million cases of soft drinks annually in its Sioux City plant, has been one of the most significant industries in Sioux City for over a century.

schools. During the 2000-2001 school year, she received two certificates of recognition from the governor of Iowa for completing a fire safety project and for a project with the Ronald McDonald House in Sioux City.

Eighties

1980

Meet Your Class Editor The Rev. Dale Schoening is pastor of the United Methodist Churches in three Iowa communities: Bussey, Hamilton and Lovilia.

He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill. He also plays trombone in two bands, collects license plates, and serves as consulting editor and Facebook page moderator for The Joyful Noiseletter, which is published by the Fellowship of Merry Christians. His wife, Mitzi, graduated from Morningside with a master’s degree in education in 2010. She is a special education instructor at Colo-Nesco High School in Colo, Iowa.

Send your notes to: daschoening@gmail.com.

Rear Adm. Michael T. Franken reported in May as the commander of the Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa in Djibouti, Africa.

He is commanding the principal U.S.

contingent conducting operations throughout East Africa. He was previously the vice director of strategy, plans and policy at U.S. Central Command in Tampa, Fla.

1981

Meet Your Class Editor for 1981 and 1982 Michael Madsen of Chicago, Ill., currently works in the Finance Service Center at the Chicago Tribune.

Previously he was with Midas International and Bankers Insurance Company, after 10 years in college sports information positions.

Send your notes to: mpmadsen1@att.net.

1982

Michael Brenner purchased Atomic Roll-Off in Des Moines, Iowa. The company specializes in the collection and disposal of commercial construction debris in the Des Moines metro area.

Carol (Haverdink) Kleyer accepted a position as an instructor in nursing at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. Kleyer previously coordinated nursing care for Orange City Area Health System's long-term care facility for many years.

with Cy W. Chesterman Jr.

By Dave Rebstock

Chesterman said Dr. Pam Mickelson, a professor in the business department, knew of his family’s involvement with Coca-Cola and often incorporated that into her courses.

“She would often apply what she was teaching to how it might relate to Coca-Cola,” Chesterman said.

“I have great memories and a lot of respect for my professors in the business department like Pam Mickelson, Doug Livermore and Dick Weikert 1953,” Chesterman said. “They were all great professors and great teachers.

“One of my favorites was Peter Lee, who was an economics professor,” Chesterman said. “He was funny and really made economics interesting. He was very sharp. He was at Morningside for a long time because my father, Cy Chesterman 1971, had taken classes from him when he went to school there. I think he retired from teaching shortly after I graduated.”

Chesterman said one of the most beneficial classes he took during his time at Morningside was Seminar in Business Administration, which was taught by Weikert.

“In that class, we took tours of various businesses in the area and then wrote papers about the tours,” Chesterman said. “It was a really cool class and was probably one of the neatest things I experienced when I was at Morningside. Some of the places we went to were Jolly Time Pop Corn and a Hy-Vee store.

We also went to Prince Manufacturing, which is located right next to Chesterman. It was amazing to see what goes on behind those walls.”

For Chesterman, his most profitable experience from the class was the time they toured Hy-Vee. “Listening to the Hy-Vee manager talking about pricing and promotions within their stores was very interesting and tied into what I do now at our company,” he said.

In regards to his own business, Chesterman said consumer preferences and tastes are constantly evolving.

“The consumers definitely have more choices today than they did 20 years ago, and there are a lot more products in the marketplace,” he said. “The proliferation, quantity and number of beverages have probably increased 10-fold over the last 20 years and that has added a lot of complexity in our business.

It used to be people just drank soft drinks or water. Now they have sports drinks, tea, protein shakes and bottled water. There’s a lot more out there to choose from.”

1983

Willie Delfs, co-owner of Able Home Builders in Sioux City with brother Jeff Delfs 1984, has been director of the Siouxland Sleepout since the first event in 2005. The annual event encourages individuals and groups to sleep outside, as homeless people often must do, to build awareness of the causes of homelessness and to raise money to help the homeless. The event has raised over $250,000 since 2005. Delfs received a 2010 Iowa Governor’s Volunteer Award for his efforts with the event.

Julie (Sorensen) Foster retired from teaching at the end of the 2009-2010 school year.

Foster worked for the Sioux City Community School District for 28 years, including 19 years as a first-grade teacher at Nodland Elementary School. Twice she was a candidate for the Sioux City Community School District Teacher of the Year award.

Vernon Simmons was named Minnesota’s Outstanding Juvenile Officer of 2010. He received the award from the Minnesota Juvenile Officers Association. Simmons is a school resource officer and head boys’ basketball coach at Johnson Senior High School in St. Paul, Minn. He guided the Governors to Minnesota’s 2010 Class AAA state championship with a 59-55 victory against Grand Rapids in the state title game

to cap a perfect 32-0 season. Johnson’s regular season triumphs included an 86-78 victory against Hopkins, which was Minnesota’s Class AAAA state champ.

1985

David Speer is a manager with Big Lots Stores. He recently transferred to a store in Naperville, Ill.

1986

Barb Lewison earned a master’s degree in public administration from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, in August 2010. She had a perfect 4.0 grade point average.

1987

John Beeck was appointed principal for Riverside Elementary School in Sioux City for the 2010-2011 school year. He spent the two previous years as the Sioux City Community School District’s director of assessment and school improvement.

1989

Meet Your Class Editor Penny May of Laurel, Neb., works for Nebraska Central Railroad in the customer service department.

Send your notes to: pjmfrg@yahoo.com.

Brad Barkema was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 2007 for his achievements playing basketball for South Hamilton High School in Jewell, Iowa. Since graduating from South Hamilton in 1985, his career school records in scoring (1,906 points) and rebounding (770) remain intact. While he was in high school, the Hawks never experienced a losing season, and they went to the state tournament in 1983 and 1985. As a senior he poured in 725 points for an average of 31.5 points per game after posting an average of 29.5 points per game as a junior. In a 50-49 first-round loss to eventual state champion Nashua in 1985, he scored 38 points and had 11 rebounds – a performance that landed him a spot on the all-tournament team. He was a first team all-state pick by the Iowa Newspaper Association and a second team choice by the Des Moines Register. He went on to play for Morningside College, where he started 68 games during his final three years. He was named the team’s top defensive player as a senior. Barkema is a district sales manager for GOMACO Corporation in Ida Grove, Iowa. He resides in Sioux Falls, S.D., with his wife, Laura, and children: Chad and Rachel.

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Brenda (Wetherell) Kluger is employed with Independent Insurance Agents of Iowa in Des Moines.

Nineties

1990

Meet Your Class Editor Tom Gerking just finished his 21st year serving as director of choral activities at Westwood Community School in Sloan, Iowa, where the vocal music program continues to maintain excellence. He also serves as a choreographer for several show choirs throughout the state of Iowa, and he serves as an adjudicator at music competitions and festivals throughout the country.

Send your notes to: tgerk@hotmail.com or Box 337, Sloan, IA 51055.

1988

Monty Kluger is attending Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.

class notes

Catching Up

1991

Meet Your Class Editor Troy A. Sparks is a letter carrier who resides in Milwaukee, Wis. He also works in television production and as a sports writer for several community newspapers.

Send your notes to: sparkstroy@sbcglobal.net.

Cheri (Stolle) Teut, human resource manager for Prince Hydraulics in Sioux City, was elected vice president of membership/membership chair for the Siouxland Society for Human Resource Management.

1992

42

Meet Your Class Editor Jami (Walquist) McCuddin currently resides in New Virginia, Iowa, with her husband, Mike, and three children: Brennon, Alex and Jenna.

She is a licensed massage therapist, and she and her husband own Step One Fitness, a small fitness center.

Send your notes to: macjr@iowatelecom.net.

The Baumgartner File Graduation Year: 1997 Majors: Business Administration & Economics Current Residence: Le Mars, Iowa Current Occupation: Senior Director/General Manager-Walmart Team, Wells Enterprises Inc.

Adam Baumgartner will tell you it was fate that brought him to Morningside, and he’s very glad things worked out the way they did.

Baumgartner is now in a management position with Wells Enterprises Inc. in Le Mars, Iowa, where he is the team leader for its business with Walmart and oversees basically all of the relationships between the two companies, including sales, marketing and supply replenishment. It’s a position he finds very rewarding.

“I am challenged every day with new opportunities and new issues that force me to grow and think differently to find new and exciting ways to resolve those challenges,” Baumgartner said.

Baumgartner credits his time at Morningside for helping pave the way to his current position, but while growing up in Glyndon, Minn., he barely knew that Morningside existed.

“Morningside wasn’t even on the map as far as colleges I was considering,” said Baumgartner. “I grew up about 10 miles east of Fargo, N.D., so about all I knew about Morningside was that it was part of the North Central Conference because it would play games against North Dakota State.

“It was January of my senior year, and out of the blue, I received a phone call from Morningside,” Baumgartner said. “The recruiter told me about a Celebration in Excellence scholarship program that was going on, and that I should come down to visit the campus and participate in the competition.”

That phone call planted the seed that led to Baumgartner’s ultimate decision to attend Morningside.

“My time at Morningside really shaped who I am today in many different ways,” Baumgartner said. “I met my wife (Lynn Callon 1997) while I was there. I came to enjoy Sioux City and the Siouxland area because of Morningside, and I found my career because of Morningside. I got exposed to the real world through an internship at Terra International that helped develop my passion for the profession I’m in. You think about all of that in the context of where I am now, and I couldn’t have done it without Morningside.”

One of his favorite experiences was helping to start Morningside’s ACACIA Fraternity as one of its founding members. He met Gene Ambroson, director of alumni relations, through his involvement with ACACIA. “Gene helped us get the fraternity off the ground and was our chapter advisor when we first started,”

1993

Meet Your Class Editor Eric Wylie lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with his wife, Krista, and children: Nathan and Rachel. He owns Wylie Creative Communications. His web site is www.wyliecc.com.

Send your notes to: eric@wyliecc.com.

Patty (Klaschen) Considine opened a new business, Irongirl Fitness, in Sioux City. Her nickname became “Irongirl” after she completed various IronMan Triathlons that consisted of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run in Florida, Wisconsin and New York. She and her son, Mike, recently completed an IronMan Triathlon in Lake Placid, N.Y.

1994

Kent Lundquist accepted a position as marketing/public relations manager for Cherokee Regional Medical Center in Cherokee, Iowa.

Rexann (Kaler) Smith is an instructor in the nursing and allied health division at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City.

She teaches a range of courses in the medical assistant diploma program, which prepares

students to perform administrative and clinical procedures in health care offices and clinics.

1995

Meet Your Class Editor Jennifer (Rice) LeMar and her husband, Joel, are the parents of three children: Elizabeth, Sam and Ben. Previously, she worked in the information technology industry in Des Moines, Iowa, and Dallas, Texas. Now she stays home with the kids and dabbles in a second career as a “digital artist” at www.scrapartist.com.

Send your notes to: nennikers@hotmail.com or 1005 55th St., West Des Moines, IA 50266-7534.

Darrell Langley is the principal at Roosevelt Elementary School in Sioux City.

Brian Schwanz was named principal of Monticello Trails Middle School in Shawnee, Kan. He was previously the principal of General Omar Bradley Elementary School in Fort Leavenworth, Kan.

1996

Meet Your Class Editors Kristin Johnson is an associate editor for the Iowa Geriatric Education Center at the University of Iowa. She lives in Iowa City with her husband, Dan Brock 1996. She is a longtime volunteer for the Iowa City Animal Care & Adoption Center.

Send your notes to: kjohnson8779@msn.com.

Lynn Kogelmann also is serving as a class editor for the class of 1996. She is a counselor at Courtland Elementary School in Spotsylvania, Va. Send your notes to: lkogelma@yahoo.com.

1997

Meet Your Class Editor Brian M. Clarke is director of sales for ConAgra Foods, a leading consumer foods company, and lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

Send your notes to: bclarke@comcast.net or 5050 Hacienda Drive #1331, Dublin, CA 94568.

with Adam Baumgartner

By Dave Rebstock

Baumgartner said. “He was kind of like a second father to me in many regards. He has nothing but the best in mind for everyone. He was a great mentor and friend and is still a good friend today.”

Baumgartner’s internship at Terra led to a part-time job with the company while he wrapped up college and eventually a full-time position for a few years after he graduated. He said Dr. Doug Livermore from the business department played a significant role in helping him land the internship.

“I learned a lot from Dr. Livermore,” Baumgartner said. “He helped me understand the different opportunities and areas of emphasis in the business world, and he was very creative in his approach to teaching.”

Baumgartner also listed Dr. Pam Mickelson from the business department and Dr. Patrick Bass from the history and political science department among his favorite professors.

Mickelson was the faculty advisor for Morningside’s Creative Edge Advertising Club, and Baumgartner said being part of that group was one of his most rewarding experiences at Morningside.

“Being involved with the advertising club was probably the single aspect of my college life that really defined for me what I wanted to do in my career,” he said. “Being able to learn from her (Mickelson) and the opportunities that were afforded to me because of her leadership with that group were big factors in shaping me into what I am doing today. Being involved with the ad club was the closest thing to real-world business experience that you will find anywhere.

“Dr. Bass was one of my favorite professors just because he challenged you,” Baumgartner said. “He made you think differently. He made his classes very enjoyable.”

Baumgartner said one of his fondest memories of his college days revolved around the 1994-1995 men’s basketball season when Morningside defeated Fort Hays State in Hays, Kan., to win the NCAA II North Central Regional Tournament and advance to the Elite Eight Tournament in Louisville, Ky. “That was a lot of fun,” Baumgartner said. “I traveled to Fort Hays with a bunch of my friends to go to that game. Jason Lauritsen 1996 and I ended up shaving our heads and painting our faces for the game.

That was a little out of character for me, but it was fun and something I’ll never forget. After we won that game, we went on to Louisville as well.”

The internship at Terra, the involvement with the ad club and the basketball road trips were all things that Baumgartner said made his college experience special. His advice to college students is to grasp every opportunity available.

“There are so many opportunities that Morningside affords you, and my advice is to take advantage of every chance you get,” he said. “You owe it to yourself to take the initiative to take advantage of those opportunities.”

1998

Meet Your Class Editor Amber (Ellerbroek) Hegarty of Sioux City is an associate with the law firm of Berenstein, Moore, Heffernan, Moeller & Johnson LLP in Sioux City.

Send your notes to: alh_52241@yahoo.com.

Kent Ackmann, assistant football coach and offensive coordinator at Heritage High School in Frisco, Texas, wrote an article published in the April 2010 issue of Texas Coach magazine that was voted Best Article of the Year by the Texas High School Coaches Association.

1999

Meet Your Class Editor Jami (Wheatcraft) Langholdt is an assistant vice president in the lending department at the Singing Hills office of Iowa-Nebraska State Bank. She shares her Morningside roots with her grandfather, James Moser 1965.

Send your notes to: txjami@yahoo.com or 3513 Virginia St., Sioux City, IA 51104.

Two Thousand

2000

Gennifer Paul-Fetterman, a Reading Recovery teacher at Whittier Elementary School in Sioux City, had two books selected

by Hameray Publishing Group to be part of its Kaleidoscope Collection. The book collection is a series of leveled readers written by experienced reading teachers under the editorial guidance of award-winning children’s author Joy Cowley. Paul-Fetterman wrote “Pocket Pal” and a nonfiction book called “I Can Use Technology.” The story “Pocket Pal” features a red-haired girl that is Paul-Fetterman’s 4-year-old daughter, Maleea. Paul-Fetterman is working on finding photos to use in “I Can Use Technology.” That means her children are excited because they could be featured! More information is available at www.hameraypublishing.com.

Jennifer (Protexter) Schwebach is a sales associate at Younkers in Sioux City. She and her husband, Scott, are expecting a baby on Oct. 4.

2001

Meet Your Class Editor Allison (Hallquist) Newman is a financial consultant with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in West Des Moines, Iowa. She lives in Urbandale with her husband, Andrew, and their son, Tyler.

Send your notes to: allisonknewman@yahoo.com.

Ryan Dumkrieger was appointed assistant principal at Sioux City North Middle School for the 2010-2011 school year. Previously, he had been a secondary principal for three years in the Whiting Community School District in Whiting, Iowa.

2002

Meet Your Class Editors for 2002 and 2003 Michael and Tasha (Segebart) Eldridge live in Red Oak, Iowa. Mike just finished his second year as the sixth- through 12th-grade principal at Sidney Community School in Sidney, Iowa. Tasha just finished her fifth year as the elementary music teacher in Farragut and Sidney, Iowa. She also is a certified Jazzercise instructor. Mike and Tasha have one son, Nathaniel.

Send your notes to: meldridge@iowatelecom.net.

Dr. Marc Obbink was one of 14 Iowa chiropractors selected by the Iowa Chiropractic Society to participate in the 2010 Emerging Leaders Conference. Obbink practices at Kruse-Manley Clinic of Chiropractic in Sioux City.

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2003

Matthew Fitzke is a graphic designer for Carlson Wagonlit Travel in Minnetonka, Minn. His solo art show, "ONE," is on exhibit through June 27 at Maude Salon & Altered Esthetics Gallery in Minneapolis. It features acrylic-on-canvas paintings. For more information, visit www.matthewfitzke.com.

2004

Meet Your Class Editor Erin Mulvany earned a master’s degree in theatre, with an emphasis in directing, from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in May of 2007. She has been working for the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio since August of 2010.

Send your notes to: mulvany.e@gmail.com.

Melanie Albenesius was elected co-vice president of program/program chair for the Siouxland Society for Human Resource Management.

class notes Sean Saunders was elected into The Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) of America membership in January. He is the

teaching professional at LedgeStone Golf Club in Branson West, Mo., and he teaches at the Range at James River in Nixa, Mo.

2006

Annie (Cory) Stachowitz is pursuing a doctorate in school psychology at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.

2007

Meet Your Class Editor Brian Hamilton is working at Walmart in Spencer, Iowa. He enjoys the outdoors and watching the Kansas City Chiefs play every football season.

Send your notes to: hamilton.bham@gmail.com.

on the West Coast in places like Malibu, Catalina Island and Sacramento in California and Seattle in Washington. However, she did spend six months helping with the Hurricane Katrina recovery, and she worked in Alaska.

The assignments have ranged from disaster relief to environmental projects to working with youth.

2010

Brandon Sturges and his wife, Mallory, this spring purchased Transit Plaza Fitness in Sioux City. Also, through CNOS, Sturges is running the strength and conditioning program at Sioux City East High School.

2009

Meet Your Class Editor Trey K. Blackburn just finished his first year of graduate school in New York City. He is pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from The New School for Drama in Manhattan. He lives in the Windsor Terrace neighborhood in Brooklyn.

Send your class notes to: treykblackburn@gmail.com.

Kari Hansen is in her second year of teaching special education for the Council Bluffs Community School District in Iowa. She teaches kindergarten through third grade, and she is completing Reading Recovery training in pursuit of literacy lesson specialist certification through the University of Northern Iowa.

Hillary (Utman) Stevenson is a registered nurse at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

Kristina Sturm is completing her second 10 months of service as a member of AmeriCorps NCCC (National Civilian Community Corps), this time as a team leader. During her 20 months of service, she has worked primarily

Charles Mihos, Lynn, Mass., died Sept. 8, 2010.

1948 Dr. Robert Underriner, Omaha, Neb., died Sept. 17, 2010.

Dr. William Yockey, Sioux City, died Jan. 3, 2011.

Richard Youngstrom, Kansas City, Mo., died Sept. 25, 2010.

Matt Stachowitz is a retail banker at Security National Bank in Sioux City.

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1946 Gerald Knight, Mason City, Iowa, died May 13, 2010.

Dr. Willard Top, Sioux City, died April 13, 2011.

Kari Skalisky earned a Master of Science degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb., in May. She is now working at Carl T. Curtis Health Center in Macy, Neb., as a family nurse practitioner.

Andrew Mather accepted a position as director of senior high ministries at Thanksgiving! Lutheran Church in Bellevue, Neb.

Joe Lease, Sacramento, Calif., died Nov. 15, 2010.

1949 Laurel Franklin, New Port Richey, Fla., died Feb. 13, 2011.

Himi Mizutani is a secretary for foreign lawyers at Kojima Law Offices in Tokyo, Japan.

2008

Jeroldine (Wood) Gerber, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died July 10, 2010.

In Loving Memory 1937 Ardath (Goettsch) Jagnow, North Liberty, Iowa, died Nov. 25, 2010.

D. Irene (Pock) Johnson, Lincoln, Neb., died Dec. 2, 2010.

1938 Sara (Van Horne) Arrowsmith, Erie, Pa., died Oct. 21, 2010.

1940 Helen (Posey) Baltz, Decorah, Iowa, died April 11, 2011.

Ella Lauritsen, Hinton, Iowa, died March 9, 2011.

Dorothy (Olson) Mott, Sugar Land, Texas, died March 1, 2011.

AnnaMarie (Larson) Olsen, Clarion, Iowa, died Dec. 15, 2010.

1941 Dorothy (Rannells) Bridgford, Onawa, Iowa, died Nov. 7, 2010.

Anna Zenkovich, Sidney, Ohio, died Jan. 15, 2011.

1942 Bernard Feikema, Sioux City, died April 15, 2011.

1950 Donald Coons, Atlantic, Iowa, died Sept. 18, 2010.

Charles Downing, Jacksonville, Fla., died Oct. 1, 2010.

Lyle McKercher, Sioux Falls, S.D., died March 7, 2011.

James Naughton, McLean, Va., died March 10, 2011.

1951 Max Bacon, Harlan, Iowa, died July 7, 2010.

Dr. James Heacock, Circleville, Ohio, died Oct. 30, 2010.

Chet Joslin, Shawnee Mission, Kan., died Feb. 21, 2011.

Dr. Loren Moll, San Juan Capistrano, Calif., died Aug. 23, 2010.

Harold Strunk, Sioux City, died Jan. 13, 2011.

1952 Norman Reid, Des Moines, Iowa, died March 27, 2010.

1953 Betty Ehlers, Sioux City, died Oct. 29, 2010.

Norman Elias, Persia, Iowa, died April 21, 2010.

Donald Keck, Sioux City, died March 4, 2011.

1954 Merne Zacharias, Springfield, Mo., died Nov. 5, 2010.

He won a franchise-record 166 games during his career. Later he worked 24 seasons as a television analyst for FOX Sports Kansas City.

Margaret Pritchard, Sioux City, died Oct. 3, 2010. She was an assistant librarian at Morningside for 15 years.

1956 Donald Eilers, Los Alamos, N.M., died Feb. 28, 2011.

1971 David Fry, Sioux City, died Dec. 30, 2010.

Dr. Bari Watkins, Lancaster, Ohio, died April 2, 2011. Watkins was a former vice president for academic affairs at Morningside College.

Margaret (Cooper) Weaver, Boise, Idaho, died Feb. 10, 2011.

1958 Mervin Fry, West Des Moines, Iowa, died March 2, 2009.

Michael Hogan, Sioux City, died Aug. 22, 2010.

1972 Rita Mayer, Spearfish, S.D., died April 7, 2011.

Mary (Graffeo) Wiggs, Sioux City, died Jan. 31, 2011.

Dr. Bruce Lombard, Ankeny, Iowa, died April 14, 2010.

1980 Erlzie Cook, Sioux City, died Dec. 29, 2010.

1959 E.J. Eaton, Martin, Tenn., died Aug. 19, 2010.

1981 William “Bill” Pearson, Charlotte, N.C., died July 27, 2010.

1960 Lois (Krause) Fischer, Homer, Neb., died Oct. 28, 2010.

Albert Hunter, Windsor Heights, Iowa, died Jan. 13, 2011.

Victor Valeika, Mountain Home, Ariz., died Feb. 22, 2011.

1961 Jeanne (Olson) Culbertson, Dakota City, Neb., died April 14, 2011.

1962 Judith (Haas) Johnson, Emmetsburg, Iowa, died Jan. 28, 2011.

1963 Phillip Gjerstad, Dover, Kan., died Aug. 21, 2010.

1965 Ruth Swan, Whiting, Iowa, died Sept. 17, 2010.

1966 William Parrott, South Sioux City, Neb., died Oct. 11, 2010.

1967 Gordon Cornwell, Fort Dodge, Iowa, died Dec. 5, 2010.

Jane (Hollenbeck) Mauck, Kirksville, Mo., died Aug. 18, 2010.

Judith (White) Storms, Sioux City, died March 13, 2011.

1982 Billy Barbee, Sioux City, died Aug. 27, 2010.

1984 David Meyer, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died April 2, 2011.

Future Morningsiders 1982 Darla (Potts) VonHaden and her husband, George, Sioux City, a daughter, Megan Rose, July 19, 2010.

1985 Donna (Pitts) Jenkins, Carrollton, Texas, died Aug. 3, 2010.

1987 Janice (Schmitz) McIntyre and her husband, Carl, Atglen, Pa., a daughter, Marie, Jan. 10, 2010.

1987 Pamela (McManigal) Davis, Dakota City, Neb., died Feb. 25, 2011.

1993 Joseph and Kirsten (Jones) Loofe 1994, Sioux City, a son, Kaden Joel, Feb. 28, 2011.

Charles Muckey, Afton, Okla., died March 31, 2011.

1994 Chad and Catherine (Murphy) Moseman 1999, Lawton, Iowa, a daughter, Ava Catherine Murphy, Feb. 14, 2011.

1988 Rodney Chamberlain, Sioux City, died March 30, 2011.

1989 Stanley Cain, Salix, Iowa, died Dec. 30, 2010.

2001 Tracy Mork, Storm Lake, Iowa, died Nov. 1, 2010.

2007 E.J. Infanger, Denison, Iowa, died April 9, 2011.

45

1996 Dan Plathe and his wife, Misty, Grimes, Iowa, a son, Tyce Jaxton, Oct.6, 2010.

1998 Chad Kramer and his wife, Theresa, Elk Point, S.D., a son, Aug. 6, 2010.

Paul Niles and his wife, Jessica, Elk Point, S.D., a daughter, Alexis Malia, Aug. 13, 2010.

2000 Gennifer Paul-Fetterman and her husband, Chad Fetterman, Sioux City, a daughter, Macie, Dec. 8, 2010.

1968 Alice Nichols, Sioux City, died Feb. 23, 2011.

Remembering Cherished Friends

2001 Machelle (Hofland) and Luke Comeau 2005, South Sioux City, Neb., a daughter, Jasmine Love, May 24, 2010.

1969 Paul Splittorff, Blue Springs, Mo., died May 25, 2011. Splittorff was a left-handed pitcher for the Kansas City Royals from 1970 to 1984.

Dr. Helen Gleeson, Sioux City, died Dec. 25, 2010. She was a former member of Morningside’s board of directors.

Karen (Kuhler) and Chad Hutchinson, Rochester, N.Y., a daughter, Julia Christine, Nov. 1, 2010.

class notes

2008 Sarah Chilton and Aaron Spartz, Sept. 25, 2010, Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church, Sioux City. At home in Sioux City.

Jamie and Brenda (Schwanz) Mostek, Omaha, Neb., a son, Rece Matthew, July 7, 2010.

2002 Summer (Christensen) Amman and her husband, Michael, Bangor, Pa., a son, Asher Michael, July 27, 2010.

Annie McInnis and Adeng Chen, Jan. 1, 2011, Living Faith United Methodist Church, Omaha, Neb. At home in Yamanashi City, Japan.

Kelli (McGill) and Matt Britton 2003, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, a daughter, Clara Lynn, Dec. 22, 2010.

2003 Miranda (Eikelboom) Clark and her husband, Robert, Omaha, Neb., a daughter, Payton Elaine, Oct. 13, 2009.

Nicholas Kleve and his wife, Kristine, Sioux City, a son, Carter Nicholas, Aug. 24, 2010.

Nicholas and Jennifer (Benson) Marlow 2004, Sioux City, a son, Zachary Erik, Feb. 2, 2011.

2004 Angie (Dreyer) Forland and her husband, Ryan, Spring Valley, Minn., a daughter, Leigh Renee, Oct. 11, 2010.

Adam and Jill (Ellickson) Orban 2005, Orange City, Iowa, twins, son Ethan Kenneth and daughter Natalie Marie, Sept. 22, 2010.

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Brandon Shostak and Amy Salton 2009, July 10, 2010, Dickinson County Expo Center, Spirit Lake, Iowa. At home in Omaha, Neb.

Newlyweds

2009 Breanne Evans and Wyeth Lynch, Sept. 4, 2010, St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church, Crofton, Neb. At home in Sioux Falls, S.D.

1968 Melville Peter “Pete” Middleton and Sherri Lynn Anderson, March 26, 2011, Houston, Texas. At home in Houston.

2010 Brandon Sturges and Mallory Riemer, Sept.

17, 2010, in the bride’s parents’ backyard in Sioux City. At home in Sioux City.

1993 Tim Suits and Beverly Fontanares, April 8, 2010, Long Beach, Calif. At home in Long Beach.

1996 Nathan Hansen and Guadalupe Pollock, May 15, 2010. At home in Sedona, Ariz.

2005 Jeff Carlson and his wife, Ashley, Dakota Dunes, S.D., a son, Cade Jeffrey, Feb. 3, 2011.

2000 Jill Berkenpas and Kevin Heller, June 5, 2010, Broadway United Methodist Church, Council Bluffs, Iowa. At home in Council Bluffs.

2006 Brandon and Brittany (Cole) Anderson 2007, Kissimmee, Fla., a daughter, Mia Grace, Oct. 28, 2010.

Jennifer Protexter and Scott Schwebach, June 12, 2010, Marina Inn, South Sioux City, Neb. At home in Sioux City.

Craig and Ashley (Matthey) Hansen, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, a son, Kyler Richard, Feb. 18, 2011.

2004 Ginny Eberly and Kyle Dvorkin, May 29, 2010, Latham Memorial Park, Sioux City. At home in Olathe, Kan.

2007 Amber (Clausen) Kilburn and her husband, Eric, Sioux City, a son, Brixton Jack, Dec. 9, 2010.

Barbara “B.J.” (Rohlena) and Tyler McClellan 2008, Algonquin, Ill., a son, Colton Smith, Dec. 9, 2010.

2008 Teresa (Friend) Patelski and her husband, John, Sioux City, a son, Joseph Nathanial, Aug. 16, 2010.

2009 Samantha (Silva) and Andrew Mather 2008, Papillion, Neb., a daughter, Madison Nicole, Feb. 1, 2011.

Leslie Stodden and Jeremy Box, Dec. 11, 2010, North Liberty, Iowa. At home in North Liberty.

2006 Annie Cory and Matt Stachowitz 2007, Aug. 21, 2010, Orpheum Theatre, Sioux City. At home in Sioux City.

Nikki Kent and Dan Vakulskas, Oct. 9, 2010, Trinity Lutheran Church, Sioux City. At home in Sioux City.

2007 Himi Mizutani and Takashi Matsumoto, May 20, 2010. At home in Abiko City, Japan.

Barbara “B.J.” Rohlena and Tyler McClellan 2008, Dec. 28, 2009. At home in Algonquin, Ill.

class notes

The Betty Ling Tsang Summer Fine Arts Series brings a range of quality music and theatre performances to the people of Sioux City and the surrounding area at no cost to them. This summer is packed with great entertainment, so come relax and enjoy the shows!

The Music Man

Hansel and Gretel

A delightful adaptation of Meredith Willson’s long-running musical.

A production of this well-known children’s fairy tale tailored for the whole family.

7 p.m. July 8 and 9

The Belle of Amherst

with acclaimed Broadway actress Barbara Kingsley

7 p.m. July 22 and 23

A production based on the life of Emily Dickinson.

Photo by G.R. Lindblade and Co.

Come join us!

10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Aug. 5, and 10 a.m. Aug. 6

Quartus

8 p.m. Aug. 20

An Omaha jam band offering a unique blend of rock unlike anything else in the region.

Performances will be held in the Buhler Outdoor Performance Center at 3625 Garretson Ave. on the Morningside College campus. All events will take place rain or shine, with the rain location being Klinger-Neal Theatre on the Morningside campus.

Are you moving? Do you have an e-mail address?

Please let us know! Just send an e-mail to alumni@morningside.edu or write to the Alumni Office, Morningside College, 1501 Morningside Ave., Sioux City, IA 51106.

Sioux City, IA 51106 Change Service Requested

Be part of the excitement!

HOMECOMING Oct. 7-9 2011 A Taste of Morningside CLASS REUNIONS

1951, 1961, 1971, 1981, 1986, 1991, 2001

OTHER REUNION GROUPS Agribusiness/Livestock Marketing Bands 1968-1973 Football Teams 1984-1988 Football Teams

ALL ALUMNI AND FRIENDS ARE INVITED! For more information, call the alumni relations office at 712-274-5107 or 800-831-0806, ext. 5107, or visit www.morningside.edu/alumni.

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