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Morningside Avenues
Notable
Top special education degree
The website Top Education Degrees recognized Morningside College for offering the nation’s most affordable online master’s degree in special education. The website’s “50 Most Affordable Online Masters in Special Education Degree Programs 2015” ranks Morningside’s program at number one.
Graduate courses for music teachers
This fall Morningside College began offering graduate-level courses specifically designed for music teachers. The new 18-hour Music Education Strand is offered 100-percent online, and the coursework may be applied toward a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Morningside.
ALD receives national award
Morningside’s chapter of Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD) National Honor Society won a 2015 Order of the Torch Award. Six chapters were honored for outstanding chapter work in programming, internal communications, campus visibility and overall presentation of their application. ALD recognizes and encourages academic excellence among first-year college and university students.
ODK National Leader of the Year
Hannah M. Hecht 2015, who graduated summa cum laude in May with a bachelor’s degree in English, was named one of five Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK) national leaders of the year. ODK is a leadership honor society that recognizes and encourages superior scholarship, leadership and exemplary character.
Author speaks at Morningside
Drew Magary, author of the novel “The Postmortal,” gave a lecture at Morningside College in September, after much of the student body had read the book. All incoming Morningside freshmen were given “The Postmortal” to read this past summer. The freshmen discussed the book with upperclass student leaders during orientation activities on campus. In “The Postmortal,” Magary imagines a near future where the cure for aging is discovered and made available to people worldwide after much political and moral debate. The critically-acclaimed novel was nominated for the 2012 Philip K. Dick Award and the 2012 Arthur C. Clarke Award. Magary is a correspondent for GQ and a columnist for Deadspin. He also is the author of the book “Someone Could Get Hurt: A Memoir of Twenty-First-Century Parenthood.” He has written for New York magazine, NPR, NBC, Maxim, The Atlantic, Bon Appetit, The Huffington Post, The Awl, Gawker, Playboy, Rolling Stone, Yahoo!, ESPN, Comedy Central and more.
Professor writes book on the histories of American holidays
Why is Easter called Easter? Why is Christmas as commercialized as it is today? Where does the Valentine heart shape come from, since it does not seem very similar to a Valentine heart shape come from, since it does not seem very similar to a real heart? When did trick-or-treating originate? Has the Thanksgiving story always involved Pilgrims and Indians? These and many other questions are answered in the book “America’s Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories” by Dr. Bruce Forbes 1970, professor and chair of religious studies at Morningside College. Forbes’ book, recently published by the University of California Press, discusses the importance of Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween and Thanksgiving in American culture. It also discusses how these holidays came to be, as well as what they are today. “I wrote this book to survey scholarly information about these holidays and condense it in a way that would be interesting and available to a general audience,” Forbes said. “Much of the conventional information about these holidays is sugar-coated and sometimes flat-out wrong. This book is my answer, when someone asks me, ‘What’s the real story?’” “America’s Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories” can be purchased at the Morningside College Bookstore, on Amazon.com and at Barnes and Noble.
Chuck Todd gives Waitt Lecture Students cut off professor’s iconic beard
Photo by Rick Wollman.
Chuck Todd, NBC News political director and host of “Meet the Press,” gave the 2015 Waitt Lecture at Morningside College in October. Todd offered commentary and analysis of the presidential race leading up to the 2016 Iowa Caucuses and the 2016 presidential election. Prior to “Meet the Press,” Todd served as NBC News chief White House correspondent (2008–2014), as well as the host of MSNBC’s “The Daily Rundown” (2010–2014). He has held the role of political director since 2007, leading all aspects of the news division’s political coverage and analysis. He is also the editor of “First Read,” NBC’s online guide to political news and trends in and around Washington, D.C. Todd is author of the book “The Stranger: Barack Obama in the White House” (2014) and co-author of the book “How Barack Obama Won” (2009). The Waitt Lecture Series at Morningside College was established in 1997 by Norman Waitt Jr. 1986, a member of the Morningside College Board of Directors.
Photos by Kevin Pottebaum 2010
Alumni and friends are encouraged to write down their Morningside College memories from the last 25 years and submit them to the college. College memories from the last 25 years and submit them to the college.
Dr. Tim Orwig 1980, who wrote “Morningside College: A Centennial History,” is updating the book for the college’s 125th anniversary. Writers are encouraged to think about all of the changes in the past 25 years – technology, new buildings, new programs, campus achievements, humorous incidents, etc. Some more specific examples include the Palmer Student Research Symposium, Into the Streets campuswide service day, presidential campaigns, the campus response to 9/11 and other world events, the new athletic conference and teams, and the expansion of study abroad. Send your memories to Jenny Welp Thomas at welpj@morningside.edu. Dr. Mark Heistad, associate professor of mass communication at Morningside College, hadn’t seen his chin in more than 40 years until this fall, when he let students cut off his beard. Heistad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, and his doctors required him to remove the beard before continuing with his treatments. So Heistad allowed students from KMSC, the college radio station, to cut off his iconic chin whiskers during a special event on campus. Heistad, who has a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota, joined Morningside's faculty in 2002. Previously, he worked for more than 15 years at than 15 years at Minnesota Public Minnesota Public Radio. While working Radio. While working at KUNI in Cedar Falls, at KUNI in Cedar Falls, Iowa, he was a frequent Iowa, he was a frequent contributor to National contributor to National Public Radio's “Morning Public Radio's “Morning Edition” and “All Things Edition” and “All Things Considered.” Considered.” – Channing Pick
Linda L. Jennings Paul Johnson Cynthia C. Moser Ronald L. Shurts Dr. Craig Wansink Morningside College Board of Directors elects new members
The Morningside College Board of Directors elected five members to new terms during the board’s annual meeting in October. Board members elected to new terms include Linda L. Jennings 1986, a senior vice president for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Des Moines, Iowa; Paul Johnson, Morningside College student government president; Cynthia C. Moser, attorney and partner with the Heidman Law Firm in Sioux City; Ronald L. Shurts 1983, founding partner of the financial firm Annexus in Scottsdale, Ariz.; and Dr. Craig Wansink 1984, professor and chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, Va. Wansink also serves as the Joan P. and Macon F. Brock Jr. director at Virginia Wesleyan’s Center for the Study of Religious Freedom.
Curtis N. White 1976, retired chief procurement officer and senior vice president for Mattel Inc. in El Segundo, Calif., continues to serve as chair of the Morningside College Board of Directors. Sandra K. Bainbridge 1970 of Jefferson, S.D., continues to serve as board secretary. Members named to chair board committees include Dr. Esther M. Mackintosh 1969, president of the Federation of State Humanities Councils in Arlington, Va., Student Life and Learning Committee; Craig Struve 1970, agribusiness owner from Calumet, Iowa, Finance/Facilities and Investment Committee; Richard Waller, chairman and CEO of Security National Bank in Sioux City, External Relations Committee; and Dr. Thomas C. Narak 1970, West Des Moines, Iowa, Graduate Programs Committee.
Morningside acquires tennis courts, completes $200,000 renovation
Morningside College recently completed a $200,000 renovation of the campus tennis courts. The City of Sioux City transferred ownership of the Lewis Park tennis courts to Morningside College in the fall of 2014. The renovation was completed thanks to several generous gifts from alumni and friends, including Larry “Mace” Mason 1973, Morningside’s head tennis coach; Dr. Charles “Chuck” 1967 and Patricia Mason; Tom Rosen 1970; Richard 1971 and Frances (Radtke) Keith 1971; Capt. Russell C. McComsey 1975; and alumni brothers of the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. The dedication of the Mason Family Tennis Complex was held during Homecoming weekend. “The Mason Family Tennis Complex is an outstanding addition to our campus,” said Tim Jager, athletic director at Morningside. “Not only will it provide our athletes with a top-notch facility, but it will also help us recruit in an increasingly competitive market.” The tennis courts continue to be open to the public. “Through our partnership with the Siouxland community, Morningside acquired and transformed this area into a ‘wow’ facility that fosters health and well-being and is a place where people of all ages can come together and interact,” said Morningside President John Reynders.
Morningside College recently completed a $200,000 renovation of the campus tennis courts. Student Natasha Hongersmeier (below) plays in the newly renovated facilities. Photos by Kevin Pottebaum 2010.
