Making an impact

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.

impactStudents get involved in making the world a better place

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.

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.”

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 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.”