fall winter 2013
Morningside renovates Eppley Auditorium PAGE 12 College has impressive art collection PAGE 16 California students come to Morningside PAGE 22
P R E S I D E N T T H E F R O M
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In this issue, you will read about the $1.5 million renovation of Eppley Auditorium that was completed earlier this fall. Morningside has a long history of excellence in the arts, and the renovation of Eppley has put a spotlight on all of the wonderful things that happen there. For almost 50 years, Eppley has served the college and community as one of the finest performing arts facilities in Siouxland. Hundreds of thousands of people have attended events there. Jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and the folk-singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary have performed in Eppley. New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, filmmaker Ken Burns and, more recently, Google Ideas founder Jared Cohen have given lectures there. Eppley is the primary performance site for our music department. It is the setting for student recitals, faculty performances and larger events such as Christmas at Morningside. We wanted the first major upgrade to Eppley since the facility opened in 1966 to demonstrate our pride in the events and concerts that take place in the auditorium, especially the work of our students. High-quality student performances deserve a setting of the same caliber. Along with improvements inside the auditorium, we transformed the landscaping in front of Eppley to better connect the area back to the Hilker Campus Mall. This is in line with the college’s overall plan to create more gathering spaces on campus, where students, faculty and staff can meet and interact. It also will give Eppley more prominence as we complete construction of the new academic village on Eric Alatorre (left), a member of the male vocal ensemble Chanticleer, talks with student Clay the south end of campus. Ackerman just before Morningside choir students had the opportunity to work with Chanticleer members during a master class. Photo by Nick Buth 2011 For the grand re-opening of the renovated auditorium on Oct. 1, we brought in Chanticleer – the “world’s reigning male chorus,” according to The New Yorker – for a major concert. The afternoon before Chanticleer’s performance, our choir students had the unique opportunity to work with the professional singers during a master class. The Eppley improvements also allow us to expand the college’s performing arts programs. The Betty Ling Tsang Fine Arts Series, for example, will now take place year-round, and every spring the college will put on a major production of a musical or opera, complete with costumes, orchestra and set. The first show will be the comic opera “The Mikado” in March. This will be a great opportunity for the public to see a high-quality production. Even more, it will be a great learning experience for our students. At Morningside, we provide opportunities for growth both inside and outside of the classroom. We understand that even if a student is not majoring in music, singing in the choir can be an important part of his or her educational experience here. We are not just preparing students for specific careers; we are developing whole persons. That is part of what makes the Morningside experience so special.
JOHN REYNDERS
contents fall winter 2013
Editor: Jenny Welp Art Director: Kevin Kjeldseth
volume 69 number 1
Vice President for Communications & Marketing: Rick Wollman Alumni Association Executive Committee: Adam Lloyd 2004, president Matt Campbell 1998, vice president Dick Stone 1968, treasurer & secretary Mandie Mayo 2005, college board representative Gene Ambroson, director of alumni relations Morningside College Operator: 712-274-5000 or 800-831-0806 The Morningsider is published twice a year under the auspices of the public relations office. © 2013 by Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. All rights reserved.
in this issue 4 Morningside Avenues
Community news on and off campus
9 Mustang Minutes
Football team among nation’s best
16 Have you seen it? Morningside has impressive art collection.
Meet the new inductees
11 M-Club Messenger
Remembering Shorty Shortenhaus
24 Faculty and Staff Notes
New faculty and staff, faculty news
Standard A postage is paid in Lawrence, Kan. The magazine is distributed free of charge to alumni and friends of the college. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Morningsider Morningside College 1501 Morningside Ave. Sioux City, IA 51106
10 M-Club Hall of Fame
26 Class Notes
Alumni news and feature stories
3 22 Morningside attracts students from after-school program in California.
Morningside College does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, religion, creed, race, color, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information or national origin. The Morningside College experience cultivates a passion for life-long learning and a dedication to ethical leadership and civic responsibility.
31 Learn more about this year’s freshman class.
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: Students Ruth Martinez (left), Ashley McGee and Grant Aden go for a stroll just outside the newly renovated Eppley Auditorium. See the story on page 12. Photo by Doug Burg, Burg Studios.
MORNINGSIDE AVENUES
College gets sneak preview of the latest technology
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Google Glass is “the most anticipated piece of electronic wizardry since the iPad and iPhone,” according to the New York Times. Morningside College acquired one of the wearable computers months before it is expected to be available to the public. It started back in February when Google announced a contest where people could post 50 words on Twitter or Google Plus explaining how they would use Glass if given the opportunity. Employees in Morningside’s technology department were encouraged to apply. Marcie Cambigue, manager of technology services at Morningside, was one of 8,000 people in the United States invited to participate in the Google Glass Explorers Program, so she traveled to Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., in June to purchase the technology for the college. It won’t be available to the general public until next year. Google Glass looks like a pair of glasses, but instead of having lenses, there is a computer screen and camera in the upper right-hand corner. Through voice activation and a touchpad on the side, users can search the Internet, read and send emails, take pictures, or record videos. They can share experiences like a nature hike in the first person, or receive information like directions or transit information in real time. Since receiving the technology this
Morningside student Martin Abbott shows how the image he is recording on Google Glass can be transmitted to a smart phone. Glass users have the ability to share their experiences in the first person. Photo by Doug Burg, Burg Studios.
summer, the college has been exploring educational uses for Google Glass. Students have been experimenting informally, and faculty members have been looking at ways to use Glass in the classroom. For instance, this spring Dean Stevens, associate professor of mathematical sciences, will ask his students to create apps for Google Glass.
“Wearable technology looks to be an emerging field in consumer technology,” Stevens said. “By having access to Glass early, we can have firsthand experience with the technology, and also have a hand in shaping the direction of the new technology as well. It gives our students a head start in learning to program with this stuff.”
John Bowitz presents retrospective art show John Bowitz, who will retire in January after teaching art at Morningside for 36 years and serving as chair of the art department for the past 20 years, had a retrospective art exhibit on display this fall. The exhibit on campus showcased his work as a creative artist over a 44-year period and featured a variety of media, including collage, oil, watercolor, acrylic, digital manipulation, graphite, dye pens, colored inks and colored pencils. Some of the work represented his collaboration with Sioux City artist Shannon Sargent 2000, who co-curated the exhibit. Photo by Doug Burg, Burg Studios.
Notable Record Enrollment:
MORNINGSIDE AVENUES
Homecoming 2013
Photo by Mike Byrnes.
Morningside College reported the largest total enrollment in the school’s history with 2,542 full- and part-time students enrolled for the fall 2013 semester. This fall’s total enrollment surpasses the previous enrollment record of 2,224 full- and part-time students in the fall of 2012. “Achieving this new enrollment milestone at Morningside comes after receiving more than 3,500 freshman applications for the fall semester, the largest number of applications Morningside has ever received,” Morningside President John Reynders said.
Good Investment: The Affordable Colleges Online website ranked Morningside College as a top college in Iowa for return on investment. The website placed Morningside fifth from the top on a list of 22 Iowa colleges that offer the most cost-effective education. According to the website, graduates from these schools enjoy the largest earnings gap between non-degree holders over 30 years, and earn more on average than graduates from other Iowa schools.
NAIA Leadership Role: The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Council of Presidents (COP) has selected Morningside College President John Reynders as its chair-elect, effective Jan. 1, 2014, and as its chair, effective Jan. 1, 2015. "This is a great opportunity for the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) to have one of our presidents serve as chair of the NAIA COP,” said Corey Westra, GPAC commissioner. “The GPAC prides itself in what we do as an affiliated conference of the NAIA, and John will serve us well in his roles as chair-elect and chair."
One of “Best Colleges”: Morningside was designated one of the Midwest’s “Best Regional Colleges” in the U.S. News & World Report 2014 “Best Colleges” rankings. Morningside was ranked 22 out of 99 regional colleges in the Midwest. This is the 10th consecutive year that U.S. News has designated Morningside a “Best College.” The Princeton Review also included Morningside in the “Best in the Midwest” section of its website feature “2014 Best Colleges: Region by Region.” It has designated Morningside as a "Best in the Midwest” college every year since 2003. The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges.
More than 2,500 alumni attended Homecoming this year, making it one of the largest celebrations the college has ever had.
New graduate education awards presented
Morningside College presented two new awards to students graduating with a Master of Arts in Teaching during the spring commencement ceremony. Nancy Martin 2013 of Morning Sun, Iowa, received the Owens Award for Professional Service, which was presented in honor of Dr. Richard Owens, professor emeritus of education at Morningside. She received the award in recognition of her professional service, including leadership in schools, mentoring, curriculum development, committee service, student group advising, advocacy for students, participation in professional organizations and community outreach. Kevra Hawk 2013 of Williamsburg, Iowa, received the Tevis Award for Excellence in Action Research, which was presented in honor of Dr. Glenna (Erickson) Tevis 1970, director of graduate studies at Morningside. She received the award for conducting an outstanding research project titled “The Relationship Between Self-Correcting Homework and Math Achievement in High School Students.”
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MORNINGSIDE AVENUES
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Morningside College student Quinton Behlers (right) conducts research at the University of Iowa this summer with his advisor Dr. Rachel Robson (left) and Dr. Daniel Diekema, professor of internal medicine at the Carver College of Medicine. Building on research started by Morningside students Tanner Ferguson and Nate Drees 2013, Behlers worked with professors to study whether two viruses that do not hurt humans could kill Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is resistant to many antibiotics and can cause serious infections. They treated 526 strains of MRSA bacteria and found that 78 percent of the MRSA strains were killed by at least one of the two viruses. Morningside was one of six colleges accepted to participate in the University of Iowa’s FUTURE in Biomedicine program this summer. Behlers and Ferguson are currently doing follow-up work at Morningside before submitting this project for publication. Photo courtesy of the University of Iowa.
Got loans? You may be eligible for loan forgiveness Morningside College wants its graduates to know that you may be eligible to receive relief from student loans. If you are currently working in a career as a nurse or teacher or work for the government or a non-profit, you could be eligible for loan forgiveness. There are a variety of programs, depending on your occupation and the type of loans you have, that could allow you to reduce your loan balance. Karen (Vanderloo) Gagnon 1997, director of student financial planning at Morningside College, said that federal or state programs typically do not seek out eligible graduates so it’s important that you do your own research to make sure you are taking advantage of these loan forgiveness programs. There may be requirements that graduates must fulfill to be eligible. In some cases, timely loan payments over a given period are required before eligibility, or there may be a certain number of years one must work in the professional field before being eligible. In other cases, there may be more specific requirements, such as working in an area of high need. Despite this, Gagnon said it is never too early to get started on the paperwork for these programs, as it may make the qualification process easier and faster when the time does arrive for eligibility. Along with state and federal programs, Gagnon said it could be beneficial to talk to your employer to find out if they offer loan forgiveness programs. Some employers offer these programs to current employees or through negotiations during the hiring process. Again, Gagnon said it is best to do your own research in order to find the best possible program for your situation. To learn more about loan forgiveness programs, you can visit studentaid.ed.gov/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation, or you can go to iowacollegeaid.gov and click on “Loan Forgiveness.” You may also contact the Morningside College Office of Financial Planning at 712-274-5159, or your lender for more information regarding your own specific needs. To find contact information for any federal lender, go to www.nslds.ed.gov.
Seeing the world
Katie Larson gives Erin Ponder a piggyback ride as they pose for a photo near Stonehenge in England during one of this year’s May Term trips. This spring almost 80 students traveled with faculty members on May Term trips to England, Ireland and Wales; Puerto Rico; Costa Rica; and Australia and New Zealand.
MORNINGSIDE AVENUES
One of world’s most influential people gives 2013 Waitt Lecture
Jared Cohen, best-selling author, founder and director of Google Ideas, and former advisor to Secretaries of State Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton, was on campus in October to deliver the 2013 Waitt Lecture. Cohen’s lecture focused on the global transformation being driven by the expansion of digital technologies and the ways people use them. Cohen has traveled to Iraq, North Korea, Syria, Lebanon, Afghanistan and much of Africa in order to understand the impact that technology will have on societies, governments and economies. Earlier this year, Time magazine named Cohen one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Vanity Fair has named him a member of the “Next Establishment.” The Washington Post and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government have named him one of six "Top American Leaders," and Foreign Policy listed him as one of the "Top 100 Global Thinkers." Cohen is an adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, and he serves as a member of the National Counterterrorism Center’s (NCTC) Director’s Advisory Board. He received a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a master’s degree in international relations from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. The Waitt Lecture Series was established at Morningside College in 1997 by Norman Waitt Jr. 1986, a member of the Morningside College Board of Directors. Recent lecturers have included Doris Kearns Goodwin, retired Gen. Stanley McChrystal, Yale Law School professor Stephen Carter, economist/humorist Ben Stein, and documentary filmmaker Ken Burns.
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MORNINGSIDE AVENUES
Michael Abbott
Arlene Curry
Russell Olson
Brendan Pinto
Mia Sudo
Morningside College board elects new members and officers The Morningside College Board of Directors elected five members to new terms during its annual meeting in October. Board members elected to new terms include Michael E. Abbott 1970, chairman and chief executive officer of AmericanEnterprise Group Inc., Des Moines, Iowa; Arlene Curry, commercial broker associate with NAI LeGrand & Company, Sioux City; Russell G. Olson 1976 of West Des Moines, Iowa; Mia Sudo, executive vice president of Sudo Corporation, Sioux City; and Brendan J. Pinto of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, Morningside student body president. Michael L. Bennett, president of Albaton Enterprises, LLC in Sioux City, was re-elected chair of the board. Curtis N. White 1976, chief procurement
8 We’re working on a new alumni directory Morningside College will produce an alumni directory in 2014. In the coming weeks, you will be contacted by our publisher - Harris Connect. Alumni will receive a note by mail or email asking them to participate. The note from Harris will ask that you contact them so that your name and other pertinent information may be included in the directory. We have had a great experience with the Harris firm in the past and look forward to working with them again. We’d love to see all alumni names prominently displayed in this directory – and so would your friends!!
officer and senior vice president, worldwide logistics and international operations for Mattel Corporation in El Segundo, Calif., was re-elected vice chair of the Morningside board. Sandra K. (McMahon) Bainbridge 1970 of Jefferson, S.D, was re-elected board secretary. Members named to chair board committees include Cynthia C. Moser, an attorney with the Heidman Law Firm, Sioux City, Student Life and Learning Committee; Craig I. Struve 1970, agribusiness owner from Calumet, Iowa, Finance/Facilities and Investment Committee; and Richard A. Waller, chairman and chief executive officer of Security National Bank, Sioux City, External Relations Committee.
2,5542 That is the record high number of students enrolled at Morningside College. Scholarship support is more important than ever because it helps us provide a quality and affordable education to our students. Make a gift today to the Annual Scholarship Fund by completing and returning the enclosed envelope.
MUSTANG MINUTES By Dave Rebstock
Morningside sports highlights
Mustang football team among the nation’s best
Morningside enjoyed its most successful football season in school history during the 2012 campaign when it played in its first-ever national championship football game. The Mustangs dropped a 30-27 overtime heartbreaker to Marian (Ind.) University in the 2012 Russell Athletic-National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Football National Championship Game in Rome, Ga. Judging by their play through the first nine games of the season, the Mustangs have a legitimate opportunity to make a return trip to Rome. Starting with the NAIA’s pre-season poll, the Mustangs were ranked No. 1 in the nation through their first eight games before a 38-28 upset loss against No. 19 Northwestern College on Nov. 9 in Orange City. Despite the loss, Morningside had already clinched at least a share of the 2013 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) championship and could secure a third straight outright GPAC crown with a victory against Doane in its Nov. 16 regular season finale at Elwood Olsen Stadium. At press time Morningside had outscored its opposition by an average margin of 34.0 points per game and was one of only six teams in the nation with one loss or less. The Mustangs’ biggest strength has been an explosive offensive unit that led the nation in scoring with an average of 51.6 points per game and was second in total offense with a norm of 585.8 yards per game. Morningside amassed a school-record 712 yards total offense in a 67-0 shellacking of Briar Cliff University on Oct. 26, and on Sept. 21 the Mustangs racked up their highest point total in 80 years with a 79-14 win against Dordt College. It was Morningside’s highest scoring output since a 79-0 triumph against Western Union during the 1933 campaign. Morningside’s offense has been led by the nation’s most efficient quarterback. Newcomer Ryan Kasdorf, a former California Gatorade Prep Player of the Year, has stepped in quite nicely to fill a vacancy created after the loss of senior Joel Nixon. Kasdorf was the NAIA national leader in pass efficiency and was on pace to break a school record with a completion rate of 69.7 percent. Kasdorf passed for 2,775 yards and 35 touchdowns through the first nine games and threw at least three TD passes in all but one game. He ranked fourth nationally in both passing and total offense with averages of 308.3 yards passing and 352.1 yards total offense, per game. Kasdorf is blessed with one of the best receiving corps in the nation. Kyle Schuck, Joel McCabe, and Devin Thomas combined for 140 receptions for 2,265 yards and 30 touchdowns through the season’s first nine games. Schuck, the team leader with 58 catches for 1,090 yards and 15 touchdowns, became Morningside’s all-time touchdown leader after he tied a school record with four touchdown catches in the Mustangs’ blowout win against Briar Cliff and was at 41
Joel McCabe finds the end zone during the Mustangs’ 44-3 Homecoming win against Hastings. Photo by Jamie Byrnes.
career touchdowns and counting after week nine. The Mustangs’ rushing attack has also been a share the wealth system as Jon Halvorson and Brandon Wegher, the same Brandon Wegher who had been a freshman standout at the University of Iowa, had combined for 1,386 yards, 17 touchdowns, and an average of 5.3 yards per carry. Both backs had three 100-yard rushing performances over the first nine games of the season.
Women’s soccer team reigns over GPAC
Speaking of GPAC championships, the Morningside women’s soccer team shocked the experts during the 2013 season. Picked for no better than a fifth place finish in the GPAC Coaches’ Pre-Season Poll, the Mustangs held first place in the league standings wire-to-wire after they upset three-time defending champion Hastings College 1-0 in double overtime in the league opener to hand the Broncos their first regular season league defeat since the 2009 season. The Mustangs went on to win the GPAC title with a 9-0-1 league record to secure their second GPAC crown in school history. The Mustangs, who were also GPAC champions in 2007, took a 13-2-3 overall record and the No. 1 seed into the GPAC Post-Season Tournament. Seniors Kelsey Niles and Felicia Felicia Reimann Reimann have been the team’s offensive and defensive leaders. Niles, who scored nine goals over her first three seasons with the Mustangs, led the team with 15 goals and 36 points. She stepped it up once the Mustangs reached the conference season by scoring 11 of her goals in the Mustangs’ 10 league games. Reimann has been the GPAC’s premier goal keeper and led the league with a goals against average of 0.75 goals per game. She was named the NAIA National Defensive Player of the Week once and the Kelsey Niles GPAC Defensive Player of the Week four times during the regular season.
GPAC cross-country champions
Morningside won its first-ever GPAC championship in men’s cross-country when it surprised pre-meet favorite Concordia University on its home course at the 2013 GPAC Championships held Nov. 9 in Seward, Neb. The Mustangs trailed Concordia in the NAIA national rankings throughout the season and had even dropped out of the NAIA Top 25 prior to the conference meet. Senior Garret Ehlers stepped up with one of the best performances of his Morningside cross-country career by finishing first in a field of 95 runners to claim the GPAC’s individual championship. Morningside had three other runners join Ehlers among the top 10 finishers as Mark Abrams was fifth, Alec DeVries was seventh, and Jay Welp was 10th. The GPAC title qualified the Mustangs for the 2013 NAIA Cross-Country National Championship to be held Nov. 16 at Rim Rock Farms in Lawrence, Kan.
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Alumni inducted into M-CLUB HALL OF FAME By Dave Rebstock
The 2013 M-Club Hall of Fame inductees and M-Club Coach of the Year are Trish Martin 2007 (left), M-Club Coach of the Year; Jessica Taff 1998; Bruce Fischer and Susan Jeans, who accepted for their father, the late Martin Fischer 1937; Jay Depner 1982; and Keith Warner 1957. Photo by Dr. Gene Knudsen 1971.
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Former athletes Jay Depner 1982, the late Martin Fischer 1937, Jessica Taff 1998 and Keith Warner 1957 were inducted into the M-Club Hall of Fame during Homecoming weekend. In addition, Trish Martin 2007 was honored as the 2013 M-Club Coach of the Year. Depner was a standout defensive back for the Morningside football team who graduated as the college’s all-time leader with 15 career interceptions. He was a two-time first-team All-North Central Conference (NCC) selection. Depner led the NCC in interceptions during his 1980 junior season when he picked off four passes in Morningside’s seven league contests. He finished the 1980 campaign with six interceptions. As a senior, Depner led the team in interceptions again with six pass thefts he returned for 179 yards for an average of 29.8 yards per return. Fischer, who died in 2011, was a standout distance runner and a six-time NCC champion in track & field. He won the mile and two-mile runs at the 1935, 1936 and 1937 NCC Track & Field Championships and was the only athlete in NCC history to win both events three times when the races were retired after the conference converted to the metric system in 1976. Fischer was a graduate of Morningside’s school of music and studied under Leo Kucinski 1936. In order to graduate with his degree in music education, Kucinski informed Fischer that he was required to participate in a spring music concert, which
happened to be held the day before the 1937 NCC Track & Field Championships in Grand Forks, N.D. After the concert, Fischer’s brother drove him to Grand Forks, where he arrived in time to win his third NCC title in the mile and two-mile. Taff was a four-year starting centerfielder for the Morningside softball team. She graduated with a school-record 50 career stolen bases and was a first-team All-NCC performer as a junior and senior. Taff batted .301 over her Morningside career with 162 hits in 538 at-bats. Taff made an immediate impact as a
Seeking nominations All alumni, especially former athletes, are encouraged to nominate deserving individuals for the M-Club Hall of Fame. We ask that all nominations be submitted through our online nomination form. To learn more about the nomination and selection process, go to www.morningside.edu/mustangs and click on the link for M-Club Hall of Fame.
freshman when she set a school record with 19 stolen bases. Her best season came as a senior when she hit a career-high .344, led the Mustangs with 13 stolen bases, and had career-high totals of eight doubles and 39 runs scored. Warner was a standout men’s basketball player who competed at a time when freshmen were ineligible to play at the varsity level. He scored 860 points during his three-year varsity career and graduated as the second leading all-time scorer in Morningside history. Warner was Morningside’s leading scorer as both a junior and senior and earned first-team All-NCC honors both seasons. He averaged 12.8 points per game as a junior and 16.0 points per game as a senior. He scored 384 points in his senior season, which at the time was the third highest single-season point total in Morningside history. Martin is the head girls’ basketball coach at Lawton-Bronson High School, where she has guided the Eagles to a 44-8 record for an .846 winning percentage in her two seasons with the team. She led Lawton-Bronson to one of its greatest seasons in school history last winter when the Eagles posted a 26-2 record, led the state of Iowa in scoring with an average of 79.5 points per game, and finished as the runner-up in the Class 2A division of the state tournament. Josie Kopal, the star player of last year’s LawtonBronson team, is now a freshman on Morningside’s women’s basketball team.
M-Club Messenger
Keep your socks up
Remembering Shorty Shortenhaus
By Dr. Sharon Ocker head coach had a heart attack, Shorty took over and led the team to “Keep your socks up.” Leon "Shorty" the state tournament. Shortenhaus often gave this advice when parting Then it was back to Sioux City as an administrator and counselor at company with friends and relatives. It was a Hayworth Junior High. He also served the tri-state region in a drug saying that clearly showed Shorty's great education program. In 1980, he joined the admissions staff at attitude. He was always cheerful, always smiling, Morningside and spent 11 years in that capacity. always willing to help others. The Morningside Shorty was an excellent recruiter of Morningside students. He was graduate and longtime college supporter passed active in Arizona, California, Nebraska and Sioux City. In 1990, he away last year. Here is a look back at his life. brought in 67 students, which was 28 percent of the freshman class. Shortenhaus enrolled at Morningside in 1943, left to join the Navy, Fred Erbes 1962 was director of admissions, and he would ask came back and graduated in 1949. As a senior, he was elected to freshmen who had recruited them. Often they didn't know, but Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, was co-captain Shorty's recruits always remembered him. of the football team, and was on the All-North Central Conference Somehow Shorty also found time to serve as secretary and (NCC) squad. newsletter editor for the alumni M-Club for 17 years. That last season was the beginning of a lifetime friendship with Shorty was proud of first-year Morningside his family. He and Ruth head coach George had three boys. Dan Allen, who would go on teaches high school to coach in the NFL. physics in Orinda, Shorty was the driving Calif.; Joe lives in Sioux force behind the City and is a welder for George Allen Classic, Northern Natural Gas; an event that was held and Ron 1987 is a 10 times. The first financial advisor for George Allen Classic Aviva in Des Moines. was held in 1989 and One way to show began with George how special Shorty was here for two weeks to is to tell stories about help coach the Chiefs. him. Hopefully, they'll Morningside had lost 13 make people smile, just games in a row, but like Shorty was always upended Northwestern doing. 31-13. Morningside At times, Shorty was went on to have an absent-minded. He got 8-1-1 record in George a lot of kidding about Allen Classic games. that but took it all in Shorty’s first stride. While at teaching and coaching Morningside, he job was in Sanborn, brought his oldest son, Iowa, where he taught Dan, along to work in science classes and Connie Callahan 1950 (left), George Allen and Leon “Shorty” Shortenhaus 1949 the library on a project coached football for for a class at the University of Iowa. At the end of the day, Dan three years. Then it was on to Sheldon, Iowa. His first squad there in stopped at the admissions office to get his ride home. Shorty had 1952 won only one game, but in four years he built them into a team already left work. Dan said, "Oh, gosh. He forgot me again!" One day, that finished second with a 7-1 record – the best mark that Sheldon he went out on a dual effort to mail a letter and get the garbage can. had in 30 years of Lakes Conference competition. Player Ken DeVries You guessed it; he put the letter in the can. 1957 was on that initial team and said they were "horrible players.” For more stories about Shorty, go online to After each loss, Shorty would come up with a new play and declare, morningside.edu/shorty.htm "This play will go, guys!" In 1980, the college honored Shorty with the Order of Morningside. Then Shorty and his wife, Ruth, decided to move to California. They The award said, "For his lifetime commitment to Morningside College had no job prospects, but he answered a newspaper ad and was hired and his active leadership and dedication to the admissions program, as head football coach and counselor at John Burroughs High, a the college is pleased to recognize Leon G. Shortenhaus with its school in Burbank with 2,300 students. He was there for 11 years and highest honor for outstanding service." That made Shorty smile, and won 65 percent of his games in a tough league of big-time football. was no doubt followed by his usual cheerful "Keep your socks up.” But they yearned for the Midwest and returned for a two-year stint in Fort Dodge, Iowa. He was an assistant basketball coach, and when the
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Spotlight on the arts
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Photos by Doug Burg, Burg Studios.
Student Drew Paulsen loves the Eppley Fine Arts Building at Morningside College. “Part of it is because I’m in Sinfonia – the music fraternity on campus,” he said. “We meet in Eppley, so it’s kind of like – not a sacred place, but I don’t know – just a good place for Sinfonians. I really like performing in Eppley and would hate to go somewhere else.” Morningside College completed a $1.5 million renovation project this fall that brings Eppley back into the spotlight on campus, along with the work of Paulsen and other fine arts students. “It is a commitment to the artistic side of what we are as a college – that we recognize the arts have a vital part in what we do and they play a vital role in the pride that we have in this institution,” said Dr. Heath Weber, associate dean for performing arts at Morningside. “There are great things happening, and this moves
that really to the forefront, I think.” The renovation of the interior and exterior of Eppley Auditorium is the first major upgrade since the facility opened in 1966. The auditorium got new seats, curtains, and wall and floor coverings, as well as improved lighting and sound systems. Improvements outside of the building included new landscaping, walkways, parking and a canopy entrance. “Eppley is a beautiful building. The architecture really stands out on campus,” said Michael Higgins, president of SCG & Associates and the campus planner for Morningside College. “Because of where it was situated on campus, I don’t think very many people knew what a true jewel it was.”
The “wow” factor Higgins said the south end of campus is becoming more prominent because of the academic village, which will feature a new classroom building with entrances on both the upper level of campus near the Walker Science Center and the lower level of campus near Eppley, and because of the new landscaping in front of Eppley Auditorium, which connects that area back to the Hilker Campus Mall. Like when he was designing the Hilker Campus Mall, Higgins said he wanted to create gathering spaces in front of Eppley where students, faculty and staff could meet and interact. He said creating that type of interaction space is consistent with the 2007 campus master plan, as was removing the circle drive in front of Eppley to create a pedestrian-dominated space.
Morningside renovates Eppley Auditorium By Jenny Welp
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Glass canopy
“It is much more consistent with what you want to occur on a college campus,” he said. “You want people to experience both the campus and other people – to have conversations and to have a vested experience in the campus. That doesn’t happen when you’re in a car.” The trees that used to be right in front of Eppley have been replaced with trees more to the periphery. Higgins said the existing trees were removed for several reasons. For one thing, a storm sewer line renovation project impacted 75 percent of the trees. Removing the trees also increased the building’s exposure to natural daylight, and gave more visibility to the face of Eppley and the beautiful mosaics that run across the top of the building. “We’ve already had reports of people saying that they’ve driven past Eppley for 15 years and they had no idea that those mosaics were on the building,” he said.
New exterior down lighting will help the mosaics be seen at night, and the college power-washed the building to make an even bigger impression. Higgins added a 12-foot glass canopy over the main doors to the auditorium. He said the canopy extends Eppley and helps connect the building to the landscape visually, and it provides some protection during inclement weather. “It’s very clean, very functional – a modern update that reinforces the existing horizontal nature and the strong vertical lines of Eppley,” he said. The redesigned Eppley traffic flow allows easy access to the building from the new parking lot, which was re-done to meet best practices in safety and traffic engineering standards. The parking lot provides handicap accessibility, and it has new lighting.
Impact on students There is a brand new look inside Eppley Auditorium. The faded gold stage curtain and acoustical wall coverings were replaced with brand new red ones. The light blue seats, many of them breaking, were replaced with larger, more comfortable gray seats with rich wood accents. Additional improvements range from new carpet and concrete finishes to painted ceilings. Weber said these aesthetic improvements make a difference for performing arts students. “It changes the way you perform,” he said. “When you walk out onto a stage that is brand new, beautiful, your level of attention to the small details of your performance is also elevated. It sends the right message that we are committed to
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New Eppley Auditorium interior
you in the performing arts, and we want to see a product that matches the space in which you are performing.” The college also moved to digital light and sound systems that can be run from an iPad. The college can do high-definition digital recordings of performances, and do live streams of events. A bass player in the jazz band, Paulsen said he is excited about the high-quality recordings because they could be nice keepsakes, and because the jazz band could use recordings of practices and performances as a way to improve. “We can hear what we’re sounding like,” he said. “Sometimes what I hear from my spot is different than what the third trumpet hears. It’s all different because the sound is bouncing off the walls in different places, hitting different people. So we’ll be able to hear it as the audience would hear it, not necessarily what we’re hearing right
Michael Lewis operating new sound system
there.” Student Michael Lewis is on the stage crew for Eppley Auditorium. He said he likes the new sound system because it is more like what he will come across working in television broadcasting. Lewis already works part time as a master control operator/production assistant at KTIV in Sioux City. “Coming from someone who’s already in the field, this is the type of equipment used at television stations,” he said. “It will help those wanting to get into the field to gain experience.” The lobby also was restored, complete with new furniture and finishes. Matthew Erion, partner with Cannon Moss Brygger Architects, said the goal was to better define seating areas and give flow to the circulation so people have more direction when they walk into the building. Brian Crichton, another partner with the
Drew Paulsen (left) and Hannah Hecht in updated Eppley lobby
architecture firm, said he hopes the lobby becomes more of a gathering space on campus. Paulsen expects good things to result from people spending more time in Eppley. “If they can see the posters and the different advertisements for different ensembles coming and different people performing, they might go support them more, and we’ll have a bigger following for our on-campus ensembles.”
Growth in performing arts Erion said the goal of the renovation project was to revitalize Eppley while preserving the building’s wonderful
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Dr. Heath Weber
mid-century modern design. “A lot of the features that were on it originally had faded,” he said. “There was no pizzazz left. Really what we were trying to do is accentuate what’s there, really highlight some of the wonderful features that are in there so people get excited – energetic – when they enter the space.” Weber said the improvements to Eppley go hand-in-hand with an effort to expand performing arts programs at Morningside. The Betty Ling Tsang Fine Arts Series now takes place year-round. The college has started a show choir, it is starting a marching band that will do half-time shows on the football field, and the jazz band will be going to its first competition in April. Every spring the college will put on a major production, alternating between musicals and opera theatre. The first show will be Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera “The Mikado” in March.
Eppley after remodeling
Paulsen said it makes him feel good to know that the college is supporting the arts. “They are investing in our education,” he Eppley before remodeling
said. “They are investing to make sure we have the best facilities and activities possible.”
Robert Motherwell, Untitled, 1978
16 Todd Behrens received a tip when he joined the Sioux City Art Center staff that Morningside College had an impressive art collection. The art center curator said he took a look at the collection, and he had to agree. “The works are special for all of the reasons any collection can be important,” Behrens said. “The artists represented are among the most important who worked during the last half of the 20th century.” More than one person has been surprised by the quality of the Morningside College art collection. It contains work by the masters you’d find in major galleries like Mexican artist Rufino Tamayo, French artist Jean Dubuffet, American pop artists Roy Lichtenstein and James Rosenquist, and important female artists Louise Nevelson and Helen Frankenthaler. Morningside’s collection holds tremendous
Jean Dubuffet, “Le Fugitif,” 1977
Have you seen it?
value, both in terms of money and in education. There are about 400 pieces of artwork featured in the collection – all of them donated to the college – and they range from paintings to prints to sculptures. The total value is somewhere over a million dollars, and that’s probably a conservative estimate, said John Bowitz, recently retired professor and chair of Morningside’s art department. “The two most valuable pieces in the collection are both oil paintings by Rufino Tamayo,” he said. “These paintings are a mixture of oil and paint and sand on canvas and they’re in the range of $250,000 and $333,000.” These two paintings, and many of the most important pieces in the collection, were donated by Helen Levitt. After her death in 1996, Levitt
Francisco Zuniga, “Seated Lady.”
Robert Rauschenberg, Untitled, 1982
Frank Stella, “Talladega Three I,” 1982
Morningside has impressive art collection By Chase Shanafelt 2013
gave her entire collection of about 300 works of art to Morningside, as well as funding to build a gallery for them and for student scholarships.The Helen Levitt Art Gallery was built as an addition to the Eppley Fine Arts Building. Not all of the college’s significant artwork, though, came from Levitt. A painting called “Scene Along the Wabash River Near Logansport, Indiana,” by American frontier painter George Winter was donated to Morningside College within the last couple of years.
This piece, like the Tamayo paintings, has a significant commercial value that Bowitz said is estimated to be about $200,000. The work can be seen on the second floor of the Hickman-Johnson-Furrow Learning Center. The commercial value of the art isn’t the only important thing about the collection, however. The Morningside College art department utilizes it as a teaching tool as well. Bowitz said the collection is great for an educational institution like Morningside. “Our collection has a nice balance to it,” Bowitz said. “It has people from a number of
George Winter, “Scene Along the Wabash River Near Logansport, Indiana”
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Rufino Tamayo, “Hombre,” 1960
Carlos Merida, “Nima-Camba,” 1970
different national backgrounds. It has people from different religious backgrounds. It is fairly well represented as far as balance of genders. So it’s a good collection to teach from, educationally.” Bowitz said that students also learn about the gallery setting, such as administrative tasks and how art is evaluated and priced. These lessons are taught both in class and through work-study and internships in the gallery. A good lesson students learn is how they can look at an individual piece in the gallery and see how the value can change based on things like the artist’s popularity or even after their death. One example of this lesson is the work of Robert Rauschenberg. “He was an extremely important 20th-century pop art fringe artist,” Bowitz said. “He was so important that at the end of his life, he had a retrospective show that was shared by three of the major art museums in New
York City. “There’s real truth in once an artist is dead, their work is worth more. It’s limited the amount of that commodity. As it turns out, a few months went by after Rauschenberg’s death, it became apparent that what everyone in the commercial world was simply going to do was add one zero, one placeholder, behind the previous value of his work. So this became a good lesson.” Students gain a sense of personal connection to these artists when they study them because they are able to see their work firsthand. Bowitz said it is cool for them to take field trips to major cities like Chicago and see work by the same artists featured in Morningside’s collection. Studio art major Dan Cunningham 2013, who graduated this spring, said he personally has found a lot of value
Rufino Tamayo, “Sandias,” 1974
Louise Nevelson, “Essences 4,” 1977
in the art collection. “There’s definitely a variety of work, that’s kind of what I like,” he said. “It gives a good first-person experience for art and non-art majors to see a gallery setting and professional work and how it’s presented.” Cunningham said that he primarily worked with the collection in his painting and modern art history classes. The classes focus on modern influence and access to new ideas of art, like attaching non art-related objects to their work such as discarded objects or other “found” artifacts. He said the gallery influenced his study of art and how he looks at certain aspects of painting, drawing and architecture. The collection even influenced the way Cunningham creates art. “There’s work in the collection that has influenced my style,” he said. “I would say my style is figurative expression,
Jasper Johns, “Target with Plaster Casts,” 1980
very loose and not so realistic – taking something and abstracting it from reality.” The art collection is beneficial to the art department as a recruiting tool to attract students like Cunningham to Morningside College. “I would say that students that have a little bit more or significant background in high school or beyond high school experiences, they can see this as very much a plus,” said Bowitz about the art collection. Students and guests often are unaware of just how valuable the collection is. Their reactions are generally positive when they hear about how much some paintings are worth. “Sometimes they’re surprised,” Bowitz said, “because it just seems like so much money to be on the wall right in front of them.” The art collection also holds value in
Roy Lichtenstein, “Dancing Figures,” 1980
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Rafael Coronel, “Companeros,” 1974
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the greater Sioux City area. Pieces have been featured at the Sioux City Art Center. They’ve also been on display at the University of South Dakota, Dordt College and Northwestern College, among other places around Siouxland. “In the spirit, I believe, of how Helen Levitt gave us her collection – to share it – I maintain that policy with neighboring institutions, that we’re very willing to share and let other viewers have access to these artists,” Bowitz said. When Behrens discovered the value of Morningside’s art collection, he decided to give part of the collection an exhibit at the Sioux City Art Center. Behrens chose to display the collection’s original fine prints. “These prints are not just fun
James Rosenquist, “L’Amour,” 1981
pictures to look at,” he said. “They are key to understanding much of what was going on in art in the late 1970s and early 1980s – a time of great change in the art world.” When Behrens was finally able to present Morningside’s print collection at the art center a couple of years ago, he was happy to show off a piece of art history that was right here in Sioux City. “We were grateful to John Bowitz and everyone else at Morningside College for making the prints available and funding the publication of a catalog of the exhibition,” Behrens said. “This is a collection of prints that would make any university or art museum proud to own. We were honored to share it with our visitors.”
Helen Frankenthaler, “Red Sea,” 1978-1982
Sam Francis, “Generated,” 1981
6 things to know about Helen Levitt • Levitt was born and raised in Sioux City. She was a graduate of Central High School and the University of Iowa. • She worked in the family businesses of Levitt Investment Co., Mutual Loan Co. and Postal Finance Co. • In 1970, she left her position as executive vice president of Postal Finance Co. to pursue other interests including art. Helen Levitt was a productive painter and sculptor. She won awards for her artwork in regional shows. Submitted Photo.
• Decades before she made her donation, Morningside College granted Levitt a show of her own artwork. • Levitt donated her own artwork to the college along with the masters that she had acquired. Some of her artwork is on display in Lewis Hall. • In the entrance to Lewis Hall, there is a commissioned portrait of her.
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California Connection
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Desiree Ponce (left), Miguel Beltran and Jesus Cendejas are three of the 17 students from the California after-school program currently studying at Morningside. André McWell (right), director of the Student Success Program at Morningside, is like a dad on campus for the students. Photo by Doug Burg, Burg Studios.
Morningside attracts students from after-school program By the time first-year students arrive on campus for move-in day, most Morningside students are already familiar with life in the Midwest. However, that was not the case for senior Miguel Beltran, who lived his entire life in Santa Ana, Calif., before coming to Morningside in August of 2010. “It’s different here,” he said. “Everyone’s so friendly and open to talk. Back home, if I were to be in school and say hi to someone, they wouldn’t say hi back. They’d be more like, ‘Who’s this creep?’” Beltran discovered Morningside College through its connection with the Nicholas Academic Centers Beltran (NAC) in Santa Ana. More NAC students attend Morningside than almost any other college in the country. And this spring Beltran will become one of the first students from the program to attend Morningside for four years and graduate. NAC is an after-school program that got its start several years ago when California Superior Court Judge Jack K. Mandel learned that a group of students in a Santa Ana high school had to sit outside the school to do their homework because the district couldn’t afford to keep the library open. Mandel got permission to open the library in the evenings and work with the students. The students thrived in their academics, but still lacked the resources or support to attend college. Mandel began working to open up opportunities for higher education for students who had the drive to be successful but not necessarily the support to make it happen. His efforts grew into the current program, which receives funding from philanthropist Dr. Henry T. Nicholas III. Morningside President John Reynders learned about the program while working at Allegheny College in Meadville, Penn., so he worked to build a relationship with the NAC when he came to Morningside. “They’re careful that they don’t send these students just anywhere; they want to make
sure that it’s a place where these students have a great chance of succeeding,” Reynders said. “It took a while for Morningside to earn Dr. Nicholas’ and Judge Mandel’s trust that we’re the type of place where NAC students would prosper. I think we’ve proven just that.” While Beltran and Jesus Cendejas are two students from the first group who started at Morningside their freshman year and are graduating, other students are following in their footsteps. Seventeen students from NAC currently study at Morningside. The only school with more students from NAC is Allegheny College. It has 18 students. Other
Cendejas
universities and colleges that have accepted NAC students are Georgetown University, Grinnell College, Pomona College and the University of Notre Dame. Cendejas said when choosing a college, more than anything, he wanted to be somewhere different from California. “I came to visit Morningside and I fell in love with the people, but not with the place and the city,” he said. “But Christ is a big part of my life, so the reason I came here is that I felt he was guiding me to come to this place. As soon as I came here, it became home. I realized that this is where I’m supposed to be.” Once students arrive at Morningside, the Student Success Program is here to help them make the transition to college. NAC students have weekly meetings with André McWell, the director of the Student Success Program, to help them address any transitional issues that may arise. “The Student Success Program helps because it feels like we have a support system and someone to pick you up when you fall,” said Desiree Ponce, a NAC student who is now a freshman at Morningside. “Our weekly
By Hannah Hecht
meetings are nice because you get to just let it out. André is our dad while we’re here. Life at Morningside would be a lot more difficult without André here or without the support of the president and his wife, Robin.” McWell encourages Morningside students from Santa Ana to become leaders around campus. Many NAC Ponce students, including Beltran and Cendejas, are heavily involved in campus organizations and activities. “I have seen this first class with Miguel and Jesus go from coming into my office for help to coming into my office to tell me how they’ve been helping others,” McWell said. Four years at Morningside have transformed them both into adults ready to take on the world. Beltran, a chemistry major, would like to return to California and find a job in food testing. Cendejas, a religious studies major, is planning on staying in Sioux City, despite his initial aversion to life in the Midwest. He would like to focus on ministry work for a year or two and eventually go to seminary to become a pastor. “Morningside enabled me to be a part of the community here on campus and also throughout the city,” Cendejas said. “It opened doors for me for the future.” Each summer Reynders and McWell travel to Santa Ana to meet with prospective students and their families. During these visits, current students and their parents share their Morningside experiences. The visits help parents of prospective students put a name and face to the college, so they know their sons and daughters will be in good hands. So far, each year Morningside’s enrollment of NAC students has increased. “I strongly believe that people are coming here because it is a good place to be,” Ponce said. “People here are so nice and they make you feel welcome. Whenever we go back, we say good things about the college, which also makes people want to come.”
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Faculty Notes Patrick Blaine, Ph.D., assistant professor of Spanish, presented at the Visible Evidence XX documentary film and media conference in Stockholm, Sweden. His presentation, titled “Representing Absences in Patricio Guzmán’s ‘Nostalgia for the Light,’” discussed an award-winning documentary by a Chilean filmmaker. It was part of a panel on the director's work, with co-presenters from the United States and Great Britain. Stephen Coyne, Ph.D., professor of English, won the New Millennium Prize for Fiction for his short story “Ice Boy.” He was the only winner in the fiction category, having beaten hundreds of other writers. The story will be published in the 2014 issue of New Millennium Writings, which will come out in February. It also is available online at www.newmillenniumwritings.com. “Ice Boy” is a gritty tale of a washed-up crabber hiding from life, and a woman just trying to find a way to fly, if only for a moment.
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Greg Guelcher, Ph.D., professor of history, gave invited lectures while teaching at Fujian Hwa Nan Women’s College in Fuzhou, China, in the spring of 2013. Guelcher’s first lecture, titled “Pursuing Asia: Recent Growth in Asian-Pacific Studies in the United States,” explored the growth in popularity of Asian studies in the United States in recent decades, and speculated on the likely course of the U.S.-China relations in the near future. The second, “Manshukoku or Manzhouguo: Whose Manchuria?” discussed the competition between Japan and China for control of Manchuria in the 1930s, especially as seen through picture postcards from the period. Marty (Steele) Knepper 1972, Ph.D., professor and chair of English, and John Lawrence, Ph.D., professor emeritus of philosophy, co-authored an article that was selected for publication in The Journal of American Culture. Their article, “T.P. Jones’s Loss of Certainty Trilogy: The Politics of Jobs, Race, Democracy, and River Management in a Fictional Upper Midwest City,” analyzes three novels based on the writer’s time spent living and working in Dubuque, Iowa. The novels explore Iowa character traits and politics as they develop during the crisis of a flood that threatens the entire community. Heather Reid, Ph.D., professor and chair of philosophy, presented two papers to the World Congress of Philosophy in Athens, Greece. Reid’s first paper, titled “Kalokagathia: Ethics, Athletics, Aesthetics,” explored the physical beauty of ancient Greek athletic art and its symbolic connection with the inner beauty that
derives from virtue. The second, “The Ethics of Efficiency,” argued against the use of performance-enhancing technologies in athletic competition.
New Faculty Dobrusia Bialonska, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology, previously was a visiting assistant professor at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas. She has almost 10 years of teaching and mentoring experience. Her research has explored diet and human gut bacteria, and anticancer and antimicrobial drug development. Bialonska has a doctorate in biology from Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland. Laura Kinnaman, Ph.D., assistant professor of physics, most recently served two years as a visiting assistant professor of physics at Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind. Previously she was a teaching assistant and an aide to a student with a disability while studying at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana. Kinnaman has a doctorate in physics from the University of Notre Dame. Jessica LaPaglia, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychology, has five years of experience as an instructor or teaching assistant at Iowa State University in Ames. While at Iowa State, she received an award for exceptional teaching. Previously she served as a teaching assistant at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minn. LaPaglia has a doctorate in psychology from Iowa State. Amber Harris Leichner, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of English, has over 10 years of experience as a teaching assistant or lecturer at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Montana State University Billings. She has taught courses in literature and cultural studies; writing, composition and rhetoric; and women’s and gender studies. Leichner
has a doctorate in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Shane Macklin, M.M., assistant professor of music and director of bands, has almost 25 years of experience teaching in the public schools in South Dakota, Nebraska and Texas. He has directed award-winning concert bands, marching bands, jazz bands, and small-group ensembles. Macklin has a master’s degree in conducting from Southern Oregon University in Ashland. Brian McFarland, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry, previously served as a tenured associate professor of chemistry at the University of the Ozarks in Clarksville, Ark. He has 13 years of teaching experience, eight of them at University of the Ozarks. His research has explored how to improve plastics, and how eating certain foods can affect cognitive function. McFarland has a doctorate from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Kari (Skalisky) Varner 2007, M.S.N., assistant professor of nursing, most recently served as a family nurse practitioner at Carl T. Curtis Health Center in Macy, Neb., and Le Mars Family Medicine Clinic in Le Mars, Iowa. Previously she was a registered nurse. She has been a nursing instructor at St. Luke’s College in Sioux City since 2010. Before that, she was an adjunct instructor at Morningside College. Varner has a Master of Science in Nursing from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. Richard Wicklein, Ph.D., visiting instructor of mathematics, has worked at North Dakota State University in Fargo for the past six years as a graduate teaching assistant and then a graduate teaching fellow. While there, he received a graduate teaching award from the department of mathematics. Wicklein has a doctorate in mathematics from North Dakota State University.
Richard Yates, M.F.A., assistant professor of art, most recently served three years as a graduate instructor or teaching assistant at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. He has more than 10 years of experience in the graphic design industry. When he was an online designer and developer for the Topeka Capital-Journal, it was honored three times by the Kansas Press Association for having the best newspaper website. Yates has a Master of Fine Arts in graphic design from the University of Minnesota.
New Staff Ahmad Boura, vice president for institutional advancement, has overall responsibility for the college’s fundraising efforts and alumni relations. He came to Morningside from Franklin Pierce University in Rindge, N.H., where he had served as vice president of institutional advancement since 2009. During his 10 years of fundraising at Franklin Pierce, Boura also worked as chief development officer, director of individual giving and assistant director of development for annual fund. Boura has a Master of Business Administration degree from Franklin Pierce. Nick Buth 2011, technology services technician, is a member of the information services team and provides computer support to students, faculty and staff. He previously was a computer tech at Riverside Technologies in North Sioux City, S.D. Buth has a bachelor’s degree from Morningside College. Amy Lofland, campus visit coordinator, arranges individual visits for prospective students. She works with current students, faculty, financial aid staff, admissions counselors and coaches to coordinate campus visits. She previously was a substitute teacher for the Sioux City Community School District. Lofland has a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Dakota.
Shiran Nathaniel, director of conferences and special events, designs, promotes and oversees conferences, camps and special events at Morningside College. He previously worked as general manager for Sodexo’s food operations at Morningside. Nathaniel has a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. Holly Petersen, reference and instructional librarian, works to build the learning center’s resources and services to support the curriculum. She has experience at libraries at the University of Iowa in Iowa City; at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa; and in Orange City, Iowa. She has a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Iowa. Collin Prosser, assistant football coach/offensive coordinator, is responsible for coaching the football team’s offense and assisting with the overall management of the football program. He previously assisted the Morningside football team on a seasonal basis as the running backs coach. Prosser has a master’s degree from the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. Rebecca Slick, registrar, conducts registration and maintains academic records. She previously was the associate registrar at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. She also has worked in registrar’s offices at Peru State College in Peru, Neb., and Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, Neb. Slick has a master’s degree from the University of Nebraska in Kearney. Cathi (Sohl) Swan 1991, accounts receivable assistant, helps business office customers, assists with accounting and general office
functions. Swan has a bachelor’s degree from Morningside College. Alex Watters 2009, assistant director of the Student Success program and coordinator of Campus Compact, assists with the Student Success program, and he coordinates community service activities on campus. The Student Success program works to make sure high-risk students are successful at Morningside. Campus Compact is a national association committed to fulfilling the civic purposes of higher education. Watters has a master’s degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. Brandon Wylie 2008, equipment manager, is responsible for maintaining and distributing athletic equipment for all intercollegiate sports teams, as well as custodial duties in Rosen Verdoorn Sports Center-Allee Gym. He previously worked as a painter and as a soccer coach at Morningside College and in the Sioux City Community School District. Wylie has a bachelor’s degree from Morningside College. Molly Jensen, Megan Suhr 2011 and Adam Sullivan 2013, admissions counselors, work within an assigned territory to provide information and guidance to prospective students and their families. Jensen was previously an admissions advisor at Kaplan University in Council Bluffs, Iowa; Suhr was an account executive for KMEG/KPTH in Dakota Dunes, S.D.; and Sullivan was a contract graphic designer for Value Added Marketing in Columbus, Ohio. Jensen has a bachelor’s degree from Simpson College. Suhr and Sullivan each have a bachelor’s degree from Morningside.
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Class Notes Please send your news to: Karen Dreessen Morningside College 1501 Morningside Ave. Sioux City, IA 51106 alumni@morningside.edu 712-274-5107
1948
Lois (McCallum) Hopkins, Peg (Johnson) Meyerdirk, Lela (Crandall) Conley, Vel (Redenbaugh) Moore, Dorothy (McConnell) Faul, Joyce (Horn) Vander Haar, Bonnie (Harms) Linder, Barbara (Sargisson) Nielsen, Myrtle (Geake) Stephens and Helen (Harding) Usher, as well as Lovice (Kingsbury) Sprugel 1947, are all members of a round-robin letter-writing group made up of Morningside College alumni from the classes of 1947 and 1948. Other members from the class of 1947 include the late Barbara (Schmidt) Johnson and the late Marjorie (McCracken) Martens. The group has been in existence for 40 to 50 years.
1949
Helen (Ling) and France Wanberg 1950, of Holstein, Iowa, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary on June 6, 2013. France was the postmaster in Galva, Iowa, and Helen served as the Ida County auditor.
26 1962
Wayne Boyd, of South Sioux City, Neb., and his wife, Diane, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 1, 2013.
1963
Merlyn Kimbell, of South Sioux City, Neb., and his wife, Oni, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on April 5, 2013.
1965
Marie (Johnson) Shattuck, of Sioux City, and her husband, William, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on June 15, 2013. William is a retired Sioux City firefighter, and Marie is a retired Sioux City teacher who has continued to substitute.
1969
Michael Cadwell, of Sioux City, retired from Federated Insurance in 2006 after a 26-year career in commercial insurance. Cadwell has continued his career with Stille Pierce & Pertzborn Agency of Storm Lake, Iowa, and operates their branch office in Sioux City. Linda (Johnson) Cadwell, of Sioux City, started her 11th year with Bible Study Fellowship, an international organization operating in all 50 states and around the world. This is her third year as a Bible Study Fellowship class administrator.
Catching Up The Kleis File Graduation Year: 1996 Majors: Business Administration and Economics (Jason); Biology (Shelly) Additional Degree: Doctor of Chiropractic (Shelly), Northwestern College of Chiropractic Current Residence: Dakota Dunes, S.D. Current Occupations: Investment Advisor (Jason): Stay-at-Home Mom (Shelly) If there was a theme that ran through the life and times of Jason and Shelly Kleis while they attended Morningside, it’s how important faculty and staff were to their education, how they were challenged to think outside the box. The Kleises graduated from Morningside in 1996 – Jason with a double major in business administration and economics and Shelly with a degree in biology. Shelly went on to earn a doctorate from Northwestern College of Chiropractic in Bloomington, Minn. “I thought my education at Morningside prepared me very well for chiropractic school,” she said. “I found the heavier credit load there to be very doable after finishing a biology major at Morningside.” On the other hand, Jason found that “the business classes gave me a great base of knowledge to do what I do today, not to mention small class sizes forced me to participate and learn better communication skills. I think I was also surprised that I liked classes such as psychology, mass communications and philosophy. I learned to critically think about things that had never even
Dr. Dan Flanagan, of Papillion, Neb., had the opportunity to hear his former Morningside College advisor, Dr. Bob Jewett, speak in the Urban Abbey of Omaha’s Old Market. Jewett spoke about “Spielberg’s Lincoln and the Issue of American Exceptionalism.” Jewett was a professor of religious studies at Morningside College from 1966 to 1981. Currently, Flanagan is the district superintendent of the Missouri River District of the United Methodist Church in Omaha, Neb. Jewett is a theologian-in-residence at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Lincoln, Neb., and a visiting professor at Heidelberg University in Germany.
1970
The Rev. Dr. J. Robert Burkhart, of Indianola, Iowa, retired from The United Methodist Church ministry after 42 years. During those 42 years, he served churches in Keokuk, Marshalltown, Eldridge, Indianola and Cedar Rapids. Most recently, he was assistant to the bishop of Iowa for 15 years. Burkhart also was awarded the Nancy Hill Award from Hillcrest Family Services in recognition of outstanding service. Hillcrest Family Services works throughout Iowa to provide better outcomes for those less fortunate, in personal crisis or in family turmoil. Nancy Hill was the founder of Hillcrest.
1971
Dr. bill russell, of New York City, is working on a revised version of “Side Show,” his Tony
Award-nominated musical with Henry Krieger and director Bill Condon. The musical will return to the stage at La Jolla Playhouse in La Jolla, Calif., in fall of 2013 and at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., in the summer of 2014. The book and lyrics for the show were written by russell, and the music was written by Krieger. In addition, russell wrote book and lyrics for “The Last Smoker in America.” That show’s original cast recording was released in June 2013.
1975
Linda (Runia) Baker, of Dallas, Texas, received the 2013 Community and Junior College Libraries Section (CJCLS) EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Leadership Award in June at the American Library Association Conference in Chicago. Baker has been at El Centro College, part of the Dallas County Community College District, since 1983 and has won numerous awards for her work. Delbert Christensen, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was selected as one of the umpires to work the 2013 Iowa girls high school state softball tournament in Fort Dodge in July. This was his third time working the tournament and his first time working a championship game. Judy (Bruce) Russell, of West Des Moines, Iowa, was awarded the 2013 Information Technology Pathfinder Award for the high school division from the American
with Jason and Shelly Kleis
By Gene Ambroson
crossed my mind before.” Shelly and Jason met at Morningside. While both were natives of Northwest Iowa – Shelly from Sanborn and Jason from Orange City – their paths didn’t cross until they came to Morningside. Jason’s favorite memory is them meeting in college. That is Shelly’s favorite memory too, but she also recalls “a lot of late-night trips to the Palmer House, which was the only place in town to go back then!” Jason said, “The basketball run in 1995 making the Elite 8 in Division II was definitely a highlight, I will never forget how close our relationships were with both players and coaches.” Like with all of us – both Shelly and Jason had their favorite professors while at the college and gave them high praise for where they are today. They mentioned faculty members such as Dr. Mary Leida in biology; Dr. Doug Livermore, Dr. Molly Williams and Dr. Tom Curry 1976 in business; Robbie Rohlena in math; and, as they both said “several others we distinctly remember that made a difference for us”. Shelly credited Leida especially for guiding her, while Jason gave kudos to Livermore and Brian Pearson, who was an assistant basketball coach while he was here. “Doug was caring and friendly, and directly led me to realizing I was a good fit for the business I am in,” Jason said. “Coach Pearson taught me that there was a big difference between working pretty hard versus getting out of your comfort zone to work even harder with determination and passion.” Shelly is a stay-at-home mom with headquarters at the family home in Dakota Dunes, S.D. She has taken on the task of guiding their three children. As Jason said, “Shelly choosing to stop her work as a chiropractor and stay at home with our three kids has been a huge blessing for us, and helps us keep our sanity.” Jason is a highly successful investment advisor and vice president with an investment firm, and has offices in the Sioux City and Kansas City areas. And how do they manage their lives with three growing children? As Shelly said, “It changes every year with new activities. We just figure it out as we go!”
Association of School Librarians. Russell is a teacher-librarian for the Saydel Community School District in Des Moines, Iowa.
1976
Dan Hogan, of Omaha, Neb., is the head softball coach at Papillion-La Vista South High School in Papillion, Neb. Last year he won his 325th career game. Hogan is also head of the health and physical education department at Papillion-La Vista South. Marianne (Ludwigs) Meister, of Le Mars, Iowa, has been named a sergeant at arms for WIT Masters Toastmasters club. Meister works for Wells Blue Bunny in Le Mars in production.
1977
Lorenda (Hinds) Glade retired from teaching at the end of the 2012-2013 school year. Glade taught elementary music for 36 years in the Sibley-Ocheyedan Community School District in Iowa. Chuck Kelsey, of Coralville, Iowa, is the organizing pastor for Journey United Church of Christ in Coralville. He has 23 years of pastoral experience including starting a United Methodist Church and consulting on several other new church starts with the United Methodist Church.
Troy Jasman was re-elected treasurer of the Western Iowa Tech Community College Foundation Board. Jasman is the vice president of finance and administrative services at Western Iowa Tech Community College.
1995
Jennifer (Bowen) Hicks is a writer whose work has appeared in journals such as The Iowa Review and the North American Review. Her essay “Attention” was nominated by the North American Review for a 2013 Pushcart Prize, and it was listed as a notable essay in The Best American Essays 2013. Hicks has received the Arts & Letters/Susan Atefat Prize and the 2012 Loft Mentor Series Award, both for creative nonfiction. She also founded the Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, a prison-writing program in the Twin Cities. More information about that program is available online at mnprisonwriting.org.
1996
1981
Tom Grimsley was named president of the 2013-2014 board of directors for Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City. Grimsley is the chief financial officer at C.W. Suter Services in Sioux City.
1982
Jim Clark, assistant fire chief for the Sioux City Fire Department, was part of a threeperson team sent by the Iowa National Guard to the Balkans to help the Republic of Kosovo prepare for disasters. He served as one of the Sioux City flood recovery leaders during and after the historic Missouri River flood in 2011. Dr. Barbara (Backer) Condon is a professor of nursing at Briar Cliff University in Sioux City. She had two articles published in the January 2013 edition of Nursing Science Quarterly: “Trying Something New” and “The Present State of Presence in Technology.” She also serves on the board of directors for Sunrise Retirement Community in Sioux City.
1987
Grammy Awards, and she was a finalist for the 2011 Golden Apple Award in the Rockford area. She is on the staff of the Illinois Ambassadors of Music European Tour and the board of the Illinois Music Educators Association. She is also a member of the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra. Felder earned her Master of Music Education in 1995 from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Ill.
Sheila (Kennerly) Felder, of Loves Park, Ill., has been the orchestra director for Rockford Lutheran School for the past 12 years. Her ensembles have consistently been awarded superior ratings at both state and national competitions. She has received numerous teaching awards, including the 2012 Illinois String Teachers Association Distinguished Service Award, recognition twice by the
David Codding, of Kansas City, Mo., was promoted to vice president, executive creative director at AMC Entertainment Inc. In this position, Codding oversees all creative groups, internally and from outside agencies, responsible for brand development, guest promotions and digital solutions.
27
1998
Jonathan Owens was selected to be the student speaker in May at the Master’s Commencement Ceremony for the University of Southern California Rossier School of Education in Los Angeles. There were about 700 candidates for a master’s degree in teaching. The selection for speaker was determined by a competitive process that included grades and video audition. Owens is a teacher and activities director at Valhalla High School in Rancho San Diego, Calif. In addition to work as an educator, Owens is a professional voice actor and broadcasts sports in the greater Southern California area.
2001
Chad Hutchinson has been hired to be the director of the Siouxland Youth Symphony Orchestra and coordinator of the Youth Orchestras program for the Leo Kucinski Academy of Music at Morningside College. He is also director of orchestras for Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, and assistant conductor of the South Dakota Symphony in Sioux Falls.
class notes
Chris Marnach has won first prize in Glimmer Train Magazine’s Short Story Award for New Writers with his short story “Death Week at the Funeral Card Company.” His story is set to be published in the summer of 2014. Marnach is currently pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing-fiction at Columbia College Chicago, where he also works as a graduate assistant to the associate chair of the creative writing department.
2002
Jason Heeren is in his 12th year of teaching and sixth year as a high school band director in the Storm Lake Community School District. Heeren lives in Aurelia, Iowa, with his wife and two children: Anna, 6, and Rylan, 3.
2004
Stephanie (Livermore) Keller, is an elementary special education teacher for the Papillion-La Vista School District in La Vista, Neb.
2006
Camille (Christensen) Barker works for the Sioux City Community School District as a school administrative manager.
28
Jonathan Fisk works for Colorado State University in Fort Collins as a graduate teaching assistant and instructor. Fisk received his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas in 2009 and is expected to receive his doctorate in political science with an emphasis on environmental policy, American politics, public administration and policy from Colorado State University in 2014. Melanie (Stocks) Parrish, is a third-grade teacher at Longfellow Elementary School in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
2007
Amy (Anderson) Renneke, of Sioux City, is the new director of development for UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Foundation in Sioux City. Laura Roost, Ph.D. candidate at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, received a Certificate of Recognition for Contributions to Students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Parents Association and UNL Teaching Council. Nominees for this award are selected by parents of UNL students. The parents nominate a member of the university who has made a significant difference in their child’s life while at UNL.
2009
Trey K. Blackburn graduated in May 2013 with a Master of Fine Arts in acting from The New School for Drama in New York City. Austin Granzow, of Sioux City, is director of content for the Team Training Institute, an international consulting firm in the dental field.
Catching Up
The Richardson File Graduation Year: 2013 Majors: Business Administration and Applied Computer Science Current Residence: Sioux City Current Occupation: Co-owner of RXA Technology
We all have had people pass through our lives who seem to be out of the ordinary in some very good way. We give notice because of what we see as the unusual good that they do. They are doers. It is a bit unusual to feature a recent graduate in a Catching Up. But as we reflected on it, we acknowledged that we try to select stories based on how extraordinary our people are – not based on how long the time frame since graduation. Such is the case with Sean Richardson. Richardson graduated from Lawton-Bronson High School. He grew up in rural Iowa and became interested in business and computers after visiting his father’s company – Tri-State Integrated Solutions, a firm that equips health care providers in the Upper Midwest with state-of-the-art speech recognition, transcription, dictation and computerized coding systems. When Richardson was a freshman, he stopped by the alumni office and asked if it would be possible to meet a number of Siouxland business leaders as he pursued his education. The alumni office introduced Richardson to Tom Rice, who was vice president of institutional advancement at the time. “I met with Tom and could not have asked to meet a more helpful person,” Richardson said. “Tom set up meetings with five CEOs and top management at great local businesses. Any time I wanted a
Bryan Hansen completed a master’s degree in nursing and is pursuing a Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md., while maintaining a limited clinical practice as a forensic nurse examiner and teaching psychiatric nursing clinicals to undergraduates. Hansen was one of nine who earned the National Hartford Centers of Gerontological Nursing Excellence Patricia G. Archbold Award and will receive grants of up to $100,000 to support their doctoral training and launch careers in academic gerontological nursing. Megan Parrish, is currently working as head carpenter for the national tour of Beauty and the Beast with NETworks Presentations.
2010
Adam Gonshorowski, of Los Angeles, Calif., has recently earned a Masters of Fine Arts in screenwriting from Loyola Marymount University and is currently pursuing a career as a screenwriter. Josh 2009 and Bailey Johnson 2010 of Hastings, Neb.; Travis Ward 2011 of Sioux City; and Lauren (Deichmann) Williams 2010 of Omaha, Neb., traveled to Moore, Okla., in May to help with clean-up efforts after a tornado devastated the area. They collected and then brought with them food and clothing donations from the people of Hastings, Neb. They stayed with Thomas Butzke 2009 of Oklahoma City, Okla., and were joined by Matt 2010 and Hope (Bartlett) Witt 2011 of Edmond, Okla., in their relief efforts.
2011
Krystal Shearer is a customer service representative for Mediacom in Red Oak, Iowa.
2012
Sammi Grella, of Bryans Road, Md., works as a recreation attendant for Marine Corps Community Services at Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. Monte Larsen and Breanna Mathes 2013 received top honors on the 2013 Capital One College Division Men’s and Women’s Academic All-America Track & Field/Cross Country Teams as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America. They were named the Men’s and Women’s Academic All-Americans of the Year. Morningside is the first school to ever sweep both the top men’s and women’s honor in the program. “It speaks loudly to the work ethic and balance that the two of them bring in all aspects of their lives,” said Dave Nash 1990, track and cross country coach at Morningside. “This is one of the finest honors we’ve had in any regard in recent memory.” Larsen also was named the Men’s Academic All-American of the Year in 2012, and then he received the award a second time as a graduate student at Morningside. Corinne Youngberg works as the development and communications associate at Nonviolent Peaceforce in Minneapolis, Minn.
with Sean Richardson
Robert “Bob” Meyer, West Des Moines, Iowa, died May 4, 2013.
By Gene Ambroson
board member or just wanted to chat, Tom was there to make it happen!” Many of Richardson’s professors commented that from the very beginning, it was apparent that he wanted to make a difference in the world. He is focused and knows what he needs to do to get things done, and he has an entrepreneurial spirit about him that inspires others. Of his professors, Richardson observed, “A few of my favorite classes and professors were Android Programming taught by Dean Stevens, Advertising Campaigns taught by Dr. Pam Mickelson, Economics and Public Policy taught by Dr. Jeff Zink and Business Policy taught by Mary Zink. They opened my eyes to the reality of what was waiting for me in the business world.” Though Richardson is in his early 20s, he still has some sage advice for students enrolling at Morningside. “The advice I would give today’s students is to get involved in both your campus and community, and to always push yourself beyond your academic education. Professors can only teach students so much. It is up to the students to push themselves beyond the classroom to get the most out of their college experience,” Richardson said. Richardson is most proud of the fact that he took his education at Morningside and went into business with a classmate, Blake Anderson, to build from scratch a firm that specializes in mobile and web applications. He said, “One of the projects we are currently working on is Discover MyCampus, a campus hub connecting alumni, current and prospective students. We now have four Morningside graduates on our team, and we could not be happier.” Oh, by the way, Richardson was a member of the Morningside College Golf Team while on campus. At a meet in Orange City, Iowa, he became the first Morningsider ever to hit a hole-in-one during a tournament.
2013
Cameron Meter works for the Lincoln Public Schools in Lincoln, Neb., as a seventh- and eighth-grade math teacher. Rachel Thompson, of Lawton, Iowa, is the Children’s Miracle Network Manager for UnityPoint Health St. Luke’s Foundation. Spencer Walker, of Kansas City, Mo., works for Rosen’s Inc. in Liberty, Mo., an agricultural chemical company.
In Loving Memory 1935 The Rev. Donald Littrel, Scottsbluff, Neb., died Feb. 6, 2013. Evelyn Pope, Fresno, Calif., died June 20, 2013. 1939 Dorothy (Carlson) Snyder, Bloomington, Minn., died Dec. 9, 2011. 1941 Edythe (Albert) Cawood, Valparaiso, Ind., died May 4, 2011. Ruth (Rance) Emme, Mitchellville, Md., died July 9, 2013. 1943 W. Bryce Clayton, Grimes, Iowa, died May 23, 2013. 1944 Sara (Arthur) Bohner, Des Moines, Iowa, died May 20, 2013.
1945 Leone (Sargeant) Barr, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, died June 12, 2013. Charles A. Parker Sr., Ames, Iowa, died Feb. 24, 2012. Lyla “Hap” (Hansen) Springer, Mesa, Ariz., died May 12, 2013. 1946 Dr. Warren Kuhler, Wakonda, S.D., died May 20, 2013. 1949 Bonnie (Peterson) Carpenter, Springfield, Ohio, died June 15, 2013. Robert “Bob” Hazen, Mesa, Ariz., died June 8, 2013. William “Bill” O’Neill, Omaha, Neb., died Dec. 29, 2012. Francis Wilson, Portland, Ore., died Nov. 5, 2012. 1950 Col. George “Bud” Day, Shalimar, Fla., died July 27, 2013. Alfa Fisher, Dakota Dunes, S.D., died June 13, 2013.
Dorothy (Clem) Otten, Des Moines, Iowa, died June 12, 2013. 1951 Charles Irwin, Sioux City, died June 20, 2013. Everett Posey, Sioux City, died July 21, 2013. Dorothy (Shaw) Spies, Hinton, Iowa, died May 22, 2013. 1953 Robert Culbertson, San Mateo, Calif., died May 23, 2013. Bruce Norris, Council Bluffs, Iowa, died June 7, 2013. James “Jim” Reed, Spencer, Iowa, died Aug. 10, 2013. 1955 Dr. Robert Bostrom, Versailles, Ky., died Sept. 27, 2012. Constance (Sarris) Nadermann, Dyersville, Iowa, died Aug. 18, 2013. 1957 Richard Anshutz, Cerritos, Calif., died June 22, 2013. 1958 Richard Pittenger, Nokomis, Fla., died Dec. 15, 2012.
29
1961 Jan Albertson, Denver, Colo., died June 30, 2013. Kent Hedges, Ankeny, Iowa, died March 28, 2013. 1963 Dorothy (Ides) Bernard, Hobbs, N.M., died July 13, 2010. Don Bulgrin, Milwaukee, Wis., died April 6, 2009. Sandra LaCharity, La Vista, Neb., died May 9, 2002. Annie “Odine” (Mann) Milbrath, San Antonio, Texas, died Dec. 5, 2010. Hugh Ranard died Sept. 22, 2004. 1965 Jerald “Jerry” Happel, Scottsdale, Ariz., died Dec. 15, 2012. 1966 Cook “Cooper” Taylor, Chanhassen, Minn., died March 2, 2013.
class notes
William “Bill” Hantsbarger, Fort Collins, Colo., died July 28, 2013. Robert Lage, Spencer, Iowa, died Sept. 14, 2012.
1967 Bruce Larsen, Meridian, Idaho, died June 1, 2013.
Alumni Office Update
By Gene Ambroson
Editor’s Note: The alumni office is starting a column in The Morningsider. It seeks to inform and engage alumni across the globe. Morningside College is proud to announce the appointment of Molli (Laing) Ginger 2004 as assistant director of alumni relations. Molli’s assignment is to have fun, keep people informed and expand the alumni engagement process – all key elements in staying connected with alumni. That’s why she was tapped for this new role. We know she can do it! Lucky for her – and for Morningside – she also will keep some of her former responsibilities, namely running the college’s annual phonathon. That program folds into the larger Annual Fund drive that will help fund scholarships totaling $1.7 million this year. Molli’s new responsibilities will include working primarily with younger alumni – the Student Alumni Association and young alumni groups being formed in communities where the college has a large contingent of young people. She has indicated tentative plans to form or re-form young alumni groups in places like Omaha, Des Moines, Sioux City and Sioux Falls. “I want to be very deliberate about putting these groups together,” she said. “It’s not going to happen overnight! My main goal is like the overall goal of the alumni office – to connect, reconnect and keep alumni connected to the college.” So just how does Molli plan to keep young people connected? “It’s about having fun and, yes, being family friendly! We will have a small group from each area that will plan activities for the rest of the group. This will be an alumni-driven operation – NOT an alumni office-driven program. It’s important that alumni have ownership in this. That is not to say the alumni office won’t help because we will! But young alums need
to own the program.” And how does Molli plan to communicate with this group? “I’m looking at a variety of different ways,” she said. “My initial thinking is that I will be experimenting some to see what works. I will more than likely integrate regular mail, email, Facebook, Twitter and a mobile app. So, young alums, be ready!” Who is a “young alum”? Molli said we have to start somewhere. “After discussion among alumni and institutional advancement staff members, it was decided that we would include all alumni who have graduated within the last 15 years. So we will go back to 1998 and come forward. Having said that, anyone who wants to join us is encouraged to do so. As I look at this demographic, we need to recognize that we have young upstarts on one hand and those who have started families. Thus, we need to plan accordingly.” Molli also has on the drawing board a preliminary plan of action that helps students understand the importance of giving back in some way. She plans to work with the Student Alumni Association and Student Government in formulating those plans. As the alumni relations director, I am thrilled to have Molli as part of the alumni office team. She brings a new level of passion and thinking so critically necessary in moving things forward. What is also critically important – Molli loves to have fun! As we continue on our mission of connecting and reconnecting, fun is a key ingredient! Molli has worked at Morningside for seven years and is married to Tony Ginger. They have two children – 5-year-old Carter and 1-year-old Kaylin.
30 1968 Larry Anderson, Davenport, Iowa, died May 8, 2013. 1974 Lorna (Perrin) Wessell, Moorhead, Iowa, died July 29, 2013. 1990 Todd Hansel, Sioux City, died May 17, 2013. 1997 Stephen C. Claussen, Iowa City, Iowa, died May 31, 2013.
Remembering Cherished Friends John S. Holtze, Okoboji, Iowa, died July 11, 2013. Holtze was a former member of the Morningside College Board of Directors.
Future Morningsiders 2000 Ryan Gehling and his wife, Cari, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, a son, Luke Thomas, July 18, 2013. Jason and Kristi (Rensink) Hargens, Le Mars, Iowa, a son, Kaden Allan, May 22, 2013.
2001 Allison (Hallquist) Newman and her husband, Andrew, Urbandale, Iowa, a son, Blake Allan, June 23, 2013.
2004 Lindsey Kellen and Matt Rixner, Nov. 12, 2012, Augustana Lutheran Church, Sioux City. At home in Sioux City.
2008 Cody and Reann (Richtermeier) Jaminet 2004, Sioux City, a son, Max James, July 8, 2013.
2004 Stephanie Livermore and Kevin Keller, June 1, 2013, Morningside College campus, Sioux City. At home in Omaha, Neb.
Andrea (Collier) Loutsch and her husband, Joe, Le Mars, Iowa, a son, Carson Joseph, Aug. 25, 2013.
2005 Mandie Norby and Jeremy Mayo, May 18, 2013, Tucker Hills Vineyard, Hinton, Iowa. At home in Sioux City.
2009 Molly (Drees) Yock and her husband, Nathan, Marne, Iowa, a son, Joseph, Feb. 19, 2013. 2011 Andrew and Amanda (Plemel) Gerodias 2009, Sioux City, a daughter, Morgan Lorraine, Aug. 5, 2013.
Newlyweds 1993 Joyce Dimig and Chris Scriver, March 1, 2013, Breezes Resort, Nassau, Bahamas. At home in Ayer, Mass.
2009 Will Swanson and Kate Doressler, June 1, 2013, St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Bancroft, Iowa. At home in Storm Lake, Iowa. 2010 Stephanie Baker and Andrew Scott 2011, Sept. 15, 2012, Latham Park, Sioux City. At home in Spencer, Iowa. 2011 Kara Nelson and James Nitz 2013, July 13, 2013, Immaculate Conception Church, Cherokee, Iowa. At home in Cherokee. 2013 Kaeli Austin and Brady Helmink 2009, June 29, 2013, Sunnybrook Church, Sioux City. At home in Sioux City.
students (197 female,160 male)
2017
42
percent graduated in the top 25 percent of their class
from Iowa, Nebraska or South Dakota
319
By The Numbers
357
Class of
from California
12
from 11 other states
Freshman Orientation Samantha Sorenson, Drew Nolan and Ariel Gass check freshmen into the residence halls. Ryan Gutz picks up his new laptop. Justin Berkey competes in the frisbee toss. Students participate in the activities fair. Elin Landgren moves into Dimmitt Hall. Photos by Jamie Byrnes.
25
40
identify as Hispanic, Asian, American Indian or black
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Christmas at Morningside
“In A Manger Lowly” Friday, December 6 7:30 p.m. Eppley Auditorium Free Admission