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Would you be one, who dares to try, When challenged by the task; To rise to heights you’ve never seen, Or is that too much to ask… You will be proud of what you’ve done, When at the close of day; You look back on your battles won, Content you came this way!

–From “The Challenge” by Dr. Heartstill Wilson, a locker room poem that inspired the 1974-1975 basketball team

Colby Henderson

led the NAIA with 11 interceptions during the 2011 season. He returned an interception for a touchdown to help spark the Mustangs’ memorable come-from-behind victory at Midland. Photo by Dr. Gene Knudsen 1971.

Amazing Mustang comeback stories

By Dr. Sharon Ocker

“It ain’t over till it’s over.” This popular saying is often credited to former Yankee baseball star Yogi Berra, although others have also been said to be the author. Regardless of the source, sports fans know that it is very true. There have been some signature comebacks in the rich history of Morningside athletics. One occurred just this past fall, when the Mustang football team pulled out a victory over Midland that seemed out of reach with only a few minutes to go. I was in Fremont, Neb., for the game, and it was truly amazing. Midland entered the game unbeaten, thriving with the addition of a number of transfers, including a seasoned quarterback from Eastern Washington named Greg Panelli, who had his way with the Morningside defense, throwing a host of sideline passes with such speed and accuracy that we couldn’t seem to stop him. Midland’s defense was inspired, too, holding the Mustangs to just 73 yards through the first three quarters. The Warriors led 21-3.

Preston Ives had a nice kick return to the Midland 38-yard line. Seven plays later, freshman Kyle Nikkel, filling in at quarterback because of an injury, hit Dillon Robinson with a 20-yard scoring pass. It was 21-10 with 12:09 remaining, but it still looked pretty bleak. Then Panelli went to the well once too often. Morningside’s cornerbacks had been playing soft on defense all afternoon, but Colby Henderson, who led the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in interceptions with 11 during the 2011 season, played closer, saw a pass coming, picked it off and ran it in from 20 yards out. The score was 21-18 with 4:07 remaining on the clock. After the kickoff, the defense held and the Mustangs took over on their own 40 with 2:59 left in the game. A 10-yard pass from Nikkel to Colby Rohde and a 15-yard personal foul penalty got it close enough for freshman Zach Maxey to kick a 47-yard field goal to tie the game. Now 54 seconds remained. But Panelli threw two passes – one long and one short – to get Midland back in the lead at 27-21 with 20 seconds left. However, they missed the point after. As Yogi said, it still wasn’t over. With time running out, Nikkel threw a 50-yard “Hail Mary” into the end zone. Three defenders fought for the ball with Kyle Schuck, but the Mustang wide receiver somehow came down with it. Maxey kicked the extra point, and the game ended with Morningside on top, 28-27. Another fabulous comeback for Morningside was a basketball playoff game in March of 1975. It happened in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where Morningside came back in the last minute to defeat hometown Iowa Wesleyan by scoring six points in less than 60 seconds. That doesn’t sound like much of a miracle today, but back then there was no 3-point shot. Iowa Wesleyan’s Larry Gunn was at the foul line for a one-and-one. He missed. Morningside raced down court and missed a shot, but Marvelous Marv Munden 1976, who had 26 points for the night, scored off a rebound. With 21 ticks left, Iowa Wesleyan’s Tom Dickens missed yet another free throw. This time, Doug Marx 1977 missed a jumper, but big Dave Schlesser 1975 tipped it in. There were 10 seconds left. After a timeout, second-year coach Dan Callahan called for a “big man trap,” with Schlesser fronting the throw in. Wesleyan panicked and threw a long pass to half court that was headed out of bounds. Their guy tried leaping in the air to save it, but threw it to Joe Longo 1977. Longo relayed it to Munden, who spied Dan Pomerenke 1975 open in the corner. Pomerenke drove the baseline and put up the winning layup as time expired. Schlesser finished with 27 points, and in doing so, set a new Morningside single-season scoring record. Others who played that night included Owen Lomax 1979 and Herb McMath 1976. That Morningside basketball team punched its ticket to the NAIA National Tournament, where it lost in the first round to WisconsinParkside to finish the season with a 17-12 record. There were many sweet memories that season, but none was better than the win in Mount Pleasant. Paralleling these great comebacks was one I witnessed at the Kansas Relays in 1960. A runner whose name I don’t recall was competing in the 3000-meter steeplechase. He led to the first water barrier, but fell in the drink and everyone passed him. He regained the lead, but again fell and was behind. By the time the fifth “wet” barrier was reached, with the same result, the crowd was really into it. It happened twice more, but at the last hurdle, he got up and won the race to tumultuous applause. Talk about not giving up.

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Recent grads

When Dr. Patrick McKinlay meets with prospective students, he is often asked what job they will get when they graduate with a degree in political science. He said he understands the question, but he cannot simply give them an exact answer. “As I try to explain to prospective students, the jobs they want may not exist yet,” said the professor and chair of history and political science. “Their Morningside experience helps prepare them to create their own opportunities.” Recent alumni have found ways to use their passion for politics to make a difference in the world. Graduates have gone on to serve on the Sergeant Bluff City Council, work for President Barack Obama’s grassroots campaign, and serve as second-in-command on the staff of Rep. Steve King in Washington, D.C. Last fall at the age of 26, Nicole Cleveland 2008 became the youngest candidate in recent history to be elected to the city council in Sergeant Bluff, Iowa. She ran against two incumbents and was still the highest vote-getter. “I think I knocked on every single door in Sergeant Bluff,” Cleveland said. “I did a lot of phone calling. I put up yard signs. I wrote letters to constituents. I went to every city council meeting for over a year before I decided to run and just stayed involved and made sure that I was ready for this.” Cleveland took office in December and has already faced a controversial issue – whether to overturn a property tax abatement program. She said she is trying to hear all sides of the issue before she makes a decision. And citizens do seek her out to share their perspectives. “I get letters, phone calls, knocks at my door,” she said. “It is just really nice to be able to be there for them. And they all have been friendly. Whether they disagree or not, they’ve all been very kind and respectful and cautious of understanding what’s going on. It’s been a lot of fun to be able to talk to them.” When Blair Lawton 2008 first graduated from Morningside College, he got a job managing a clothing store in Sioux City. Then he was on vacation in Washington, D.C., the week that lawmakers were debating and eventually passed the Affordable Care Act.

Cassie (Nguyen) Loomis 2007 went to Washington, D.C., for a three-month internship. Two years later, she was second-in-command on the staff of Steve King, U.S. representative for Iowa’s 5th District.

citizensBy Jenny Welp make a difference through politics

“That was my big issue in 2008, so it was super exciting going to the rallies and being out there on Capitol Hill when it passed,” Lawton said. “I was really excited but then also felt really bad. I was thinking it was just a waste of my time that I cared so much about this one issue but didn’t do anything at all to work for it.” When he got back to Sioux City, Lawton started volunteering for President Barack Obama’s grassroots campaign, Organizing for America. He volunteered for almost a year-and-a-half, sometimes putting in as many as 40 hours per week. Then he was offered a paid position with the campaign as a field organizer for Woodbury County. “Definitely volunteering and working hard for that long span really got my foot in the door,” he said. “That was probably the biggest thing.” Since then, Lawton has gotten two promotions. Now he is working in Waterloo, Iowa, as a regional field director, overseeing 18 counties in Iowa. He manages staff and develops political relationships with key players across the region. Back in 2008, Cassie (Nguyen) Loomis 2007 traveled from Sioux City to Washington, D.C., for a three-month internship. Little did she know that two years later, she would be second-in-command on the staff of Steve King, U.S. representative for Iowa’s 5th District. Loomis was an intern for another lawmaker when King’s people called her for an interview. They created a position just for her, and she quickly moved up the ranks to become legislative director. In this position, she was a top advisor to King, responsible for studying the issues and developing recommendations on how to vote. She said it normally takes people at least five years working on Capitol Hill to reach that level. “The congressman really took a risk for me,” she said. “I told Steve – I had to look him straight in the eye – I’m like, ‘I know I’m unqualified for this position, but if you take a risk, I promise that you won’t regret it.’ And I had to work 60, 70, 80 hours a week to be on top of everything that I was given.” Loomis was legislative director for over a year. Then she became engaged and let King know of her plans to move home. King wanted to keep her on staff, so he created a position for her in Sioux City as a policy advisor and district scheduler. “It’s really been an incredible journey,” she said. As for Lawton, he said he is happy he found a way to use his passion for politics to make a difference. He said his previous job was fun, but it wasn’t very rewarding. “This one I feel like I get up in the morning, and I feel good,” he said. “I feel like I’m doing good work, and I’m helping people.”

Blair Lawton

2008 is a regional field director for President Barack Obama’s grassroots campaign, Organizing for America. He oversees 18 counties in Iowa.

Nicole Cleveland

2008 ran against incumbents and still won a seat on the Sergeant Bluff City Council. “I think I knocked on every single door in Sergeant Bluff,” she said. Photo by Doug Burg, Burg Studios.

Building on a tradition

So many alumni have been active in politics over the years. There’s Stan Greigg 1954, who served in the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1960s and was later a victim of the Watergate break-in; Joanne (Franzen) Grueskin 1958, who became the third woman ever to serve on the Sioux City Council in 1986; Christopher Rants 1989, who served in the Iowa House from 1992 to 2010 and was either the speaker of the House, majority leader or minority leader for almost 10 years; and Ron Jorgensen 1979, who served on the Sioux City School Board and currently serves in the Iowa House. We’re just getting started. What names come to your mind? Tell us online at www.morningside.edu/morningsider.

Slam Dunk for Morningside

A Winning Attitude

When he wasn’t preparing for classes, guest professor Lin Benchun enjoyed attending Morningside’s home basketball games. He was often in the bleachers next to President John Reynders. “The funny thing? He cheers for both teams!” Reynders said. “When the other team would make a great play, he would clap and cheer and talk about what a great play it was.” “I’m a fan of those players. Boys or girls, they are very good,” Lin said. After games, he enjoyed going down onto the court to give congratulations and shake hands with the team.

Whether teaching in China or America, Lin Benchun knows the ropes. He’s been teaching for 40 years. This spring he spent a semester teaching Chinese culture and Chinese cinema classes at Morningside College. On a particular Wednesday this spring, Lin spoke to students about the last dynasty of China and the 1911 revolution that overthrew it. He explained the last emperor’s struggle to hang onto power. “To prove he was a powerful emperor, he made a man drink ink. Ink!” Lin exclaimed. Some students wrinkled their noses, disgusted, while others laughed. Lin didn’t glance at a textbook or list of topics. He effortlessly weaved a tale, taking students to another time and place. The students listened intently, captivated. Lin came to Morningside as part of an exchange with Hwa Nan Women’s College in Fuzhou, China. Hwa Nan students have studied at Morningside, and Morningside students and faculty have had the opportunity to teach at Hwa Nan. “It seemed like the logical next step to bring Benchun here and have him teach for a semester,” said Morningside College President John Reynders. Lin is a leader in Chinese higher education. Now a professor emeritus at Fujian Normal University in Fuzhou, he served as president of Hwa Nan from 2004 to 2007. “There’s no question when they write the history of Hwa Nan, Benchun is going to play a huge role,” Reynders said. Lin has been a teacher his whole life. Retirement hasn’t stopped him from continuing what he loves. “Teaching Chinese students or foreign students, teaching is a very, very rewarding job,” Lin said. At first, student Natalie Waller, a mass communication major from Holstein, Iowa, was nervous about taking a class with a visiting instructor. “I did not know if his teaching style was going to be different, making it hard to learn.” During the first class, she immediately realized that she had no reason to worry. “He did pronounce some words differently than Americans, but we always knew what he was saying,” she said. Lin learned English from textbooks and by reading English literature and newspapers. The problem with that? “The vocabulary in these is very different from everyday language you use,” he explained. In the early 1990s, Lin spent time teaching in Oregon. “The colloquial expressions I learned 20 years ago? You don’t speak them anymore!” he exclaimed with a laugh. “The students here are very kind to me. I learn a lot of expressions from them.” Language and cultural differences can sometimes cause minor challenges. That’s not surprising, though, according to Lin. “Sometimes you have conflict. Different breedings give you different life habits. The inconvenience is a good way to learn about a culture.” He didn’t have much trouble adapting to the American lifestyle, however. “I’m a very flexible man. It is easy to fit in.” Despite any differences, Lin has detected a unifying factor among people worldwide: technology. “Here, everyone has a computer in class. You go to China and students all have smartphones in their hands,” Lin laughed. Lin’s hope for the Information Age is that instructors will teach students how to find and utilize information. “Maybe later in your life if you think about Chinese culture, you will know where to find more information for yourself.” Because of that, Lin’s tests are open-book and open-note. “As long as you learn, that’s enough,” he said. “Chinese culture is a civilization of 5,000 years. How can you know everything?” Students like Waller found his take on teaching refreshing. “He taught about his lifestyle and things that happen in China, things he wanted us to know, not something a book told him to talk about,” Waller said. Reynders said he is extremely pleased with this exchange. “I hope this is the first of a number of opportunities to bring distinguished scholars from other countries to teach here,” he said. “Great colleges do this sort of thing. They bring somebody who has Lin’s kind of energy and passion and different perspective to campus. It’s been great for us.” What’s better than that? “I think we’ve made a lifelong friend,” Reynders said with a smile.

Photo by Nick Buth 2011.