4 minute read
Canine Companions
The Reynders’ dogs make the Morningside experience even more special.
by Carly Hanson '14
Sons Jeremy and Chuck (2013 Morningside grad) enjoyed being on campus with Sadie
Morningside has had three iconics mascots - the Maroons, Chiefs, and Mustangs. But in the years of President Reynders’ tenure, an unofficial mascot stole the hearts of Morningsiders everywhere - Boomer, the Reynders’ wheaten terrier.
A sighting of Boomer on campus often results in groups of students excitedly making their way over to the squirrel-obsessed dog and his people, President Reynders and his wife Robin. Boomer stickers are a common sight on laptops and water bottles. Social media posts featuring Morningside’s favorite four-legged friend accrue hundreds of likes in minutes. Even Monte the Mustang can’t compete with Boomer’s star power. One has to wonder - has the fame gone to his head?
“Yes, Boomer has a huge head,” President Reynders says with a laugh. “Always looking for more food.”
The path to Boomer’s canine celebrity started with the Reynders’ first dog, Sadie. The Reynders chose Sadie, who was John’s first dog, for their youngest son because wheaten terriers are hypoallergenic. It was a perfect fit, not only because she didn’t shed, but because of her kind temperament and love for people. Sadie’s kind disposition led to the natural progression of the Reynders’ dog becoming Morningside’s dog. This was helped along by her habit of excitedly greeting people on the Reynders’ evening walks through campus and becoming a special guest at the firstyear student dinners at the Reynders’ home after a student once asked if she could join them. Serendipitously, this aligned with President Reynders’ vision of Morningside as a family. “The family environment is the culture of Morningside,” says John.
After Sadie passed away in the spring of 2018, the Reynders welcomed Boomer to their home and the Morningside family. Boomer continued the tradition of making an appearance at events hosted by the Reynders, even joining John and Robin in Yockey Family Community Room for a socially distanced meetand-greet in the fall of 2020 as concerns about COVID kept students from being able to visit their home. Boomer wandered between masked students sitting in chairs spaced in six-foot increments and stopped for pets and photos, bringing them together during a time where many people felt pulled apart. “He’s not a therapy dog,” says Robin. “But he’s a greeter dog. Sometimes he’s a little intimidated by a group of people at first, but he turns into mister lovebug after that.”
While Sadie and Boomer are both wheaten terriers who love students, their personalities are very different in other ways - especially when it comes to squirrels. Boomer’s primary goal when coming to campus is chasing squirrels, of which Morningside has an ample supply. Robin likes to say it’s like watching a Morningside football game where the squirrels are Morningside and Boomer is the opposing team. The score may not be in his favor - “Squirrels: 87 and Boomer: 0,” Robin estimates - but he remains enthusiastic, especially after discovering the presence of squirrels in his new home state of Florida.
Trading Iowa winters for oceanfront views sounds like a good retirement plan to most people, but Boomer, who loves to run through the Sioux City snow, wasn’t too sure at first. “He’s definitely a snow dog,” says Robin. “He’s a happy dog on the beach, but he’s an extremely happy dog at home and jumping into the snow piles in Sioux City. But every time we go down there, he finds new things to enjoy.”
Anyone who has ever had a dog knows that there are few things as pure or loving as these canine companions. As they head to the sunny shores of their new home, Boomer and his people can rest easy knowing that the love they shared with Morningside will be remembered for years to come.
