2017 Fall Simpson Magazine

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Preparing Outstanding Teachers Dear Alumni and Friends of Simpson College: For decades and more, teacher education has been one of Simpson’s most successful programs.

The College has graduated generations of teachers who have spent their careers in Iowa and across the country educating the nation’s students.

Our commitment to preparing Simpson students to be outstanding teachers continues today. It is not an accident that two recent Iowa Teachers of the Year are graduates of Simpson College— Charity Campbell ’96 and Scott Slechta ’80. These recognitions reflect the dedication and expertise that our faculty in the College’s Department of Education share with their students. It’s one of the reason schools make it a priority to recruit Simpson graduates.

In the following pages, you will read accounts of Simpson graduates who have devoted themselves to educating and guiding students. Their efforts are remarkable for the inspiration and mentorship these Simpson alumni so freely share in their classrooms.

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These alumni accomplish their work academically, athletically and artistically. In each case, their work strengthens their surrounding communities and enhances the quality of life all of us enjoy.

After seeing some of these stories, my appreciation for our teachers and their work deepened. Indeed, I want to use this opportunity to convey to them my thanks for their efforts. Our teachers are laying the foundations of our collective future. When you read the accounts of their work, I believe that you will come to the same conclusion that I have, namely, that the foundations for our future are quite well made.

Thank you for supporting Simpson College. I hope you enjoy reading this edition of The Simpson Magazine.

Sincerely,

JAY K. SIMMONS

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4 THIS IS SIMPSON 8 FACULTY PURSUITS Patti Woodward-Young Faculty Accomplishments 11 CONTINUING & GRADUATE PROGRAMS

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13 AROUND CAMPUS 14 FEATURE STORY We Teach the Teachers 21 CHAPLAIN’S MESSAGE 22 ATHLETICS 26 EXTRA! • New Majors and Minor at Simpson • New Trustees at Simpson • Alumni Travel Program • Alumni Out and About • Simpson Students Receive National Recognition • Lekberg Collection • State Fair Recap • The Zenith is Back!

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35 CALENDAR OF EVENTS On the cover: Sheena Smitley Grove ’08 and son Jansen in front of mural at Prairieview School in Waukee.

The Simpson Magazine is published by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations. Send correspondence to themagazine@simpson.edu.

THE MAGAZINE Jay K. Simmons Simpson College President Produced by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations Jill Ramthun Johnson ’85 Vice President for Marketing and Public Relations

Leslie Byars Diehl ’03 Art Director

Oscar Preis Web Development Specialist

Ken Fuson Marketing Writer/Media Strategist

Mary Fortune Administrative Assistant

Danny Fast Digital Content Specialist

Touring the Years Editor Sara Thompson

Bryan Geelan ’07 Athletics Communication Director

Contributing Writers Ken Fuson Bryan Geelan ’07 Jill Ramthun Johnson ’85

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Photography Jonathan Facio ’20 Danny Fast Laura Wiersema ’18 Office of Alumni Relations Andy English ’05 Director 515-961-1547 Office of College Advancement Bob Lane ’81 Vice President 515-961-1549

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JORDAN UKENA ’17 Southern College of Optometry Memphis, Tenn.

DANA BOHAN ’17 Immunology Graduate Program University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa

“We love to hear about the success of our students. The data quantifies the possibilities of a Simpson experience."

-Laurie Dufoe Assistant Director of Career Development and Civic Engagement

MEGAN MCDONALD ’17 Law school, University of St. Thomas Minneapolis, Minn.

ATTENTION, 2017 SIMPSON GRADUATES: IF BOBBI SULLIVAN, THE DIRECTOR OF CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, IS TRYING TO CONTACT YOU, RETURN HER PHONE CALL OR EMAIL MESSAGE. Please.

Sullivan is leading Simpson’s effort to learn what students are doing within six months of graduation, a list of outcomes that includes beginning a career, continuing education, entering the military or performing a year of service.

This is the kind of data that prospective students and their families want to know.

“They’re choosing which institution is going to be right for them,” Sullivan said.

“They want to see when they invest in their education that there’s a return on that investment.”

The information will eventually be compiled and presented in what’s known as the First-Destination Report. Simpson has been creating the reports, based on guidelines established by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), since 2014.

Too few Iowa colleges participate to allow a direct comparison, but NACE

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TANNER AUGUSTINE ’17 Audit Associate, KPMG West Des Moines, Iowa

ROBERT LYONS ’17 Pursuing Masters of Public Administration American University Washington, D.C.

BRENDA SOTO ’17 Pursuing nursing degree, Allen College Waterloo, Iowa

data show plains states perform well compared to other regions.

Consider Simpson’s Department of Education. Of the 29 students who graduated in 2016, 24 are employed, one is continuing education, one is completing service and three could not be contacted.

For the 2016 report, Simpson recorded a response rate of 93 percent. “That’s great,” said Laurie Dufoe, the assistant director who collected the information. “Our knowledge rate is impressive compared to the suggested minimum of 65 percent from NACE.” Of those who responded, 99 percent said they had a positive outcome within six months of graduation. That’s important for students and parents contemplating a Simpson education.

Sullivan said the First-Destination Report offers valuable information for both current and prospective students.

“We use this information a lot for students who are exploring majors or aren’t sure what career to go into,” she said.

A student who expresses an interest in accounting can learn where recent graduates are working. A jobshadowing experience with a recent graduate who is interested in giving back might be coordinated for that student.

“The report gives students who are still figuring out their paths a good network of people to lean on,” Sullivan said.

She will continue to track down 2017 graduates until December. The next First-Destination Report will be published in February or March. About half of the graduates knew what their next step would be at the time of graduation. The Career Development and Civic Engagement office will try to track down the others.

“We love to hear about the success of our students,” Dufoe said. “The data quantifies the possibilities of a Simpson experience.”

So return their calls. Please. You’ll be helping your alma mater. n

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literacy

Donna Helble ’71 (left) is pictured with the 2013 recipient of the Outstanding Junior in Elementary Education Award, Steffanie Elkin ’14, and Barb Ramos, professor of education and chair of the Department of Education.

PROMISE

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love

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LEADER

Legacy

DONNA'S First came sadness. Then astonishment.

mother was a teacher and her father was a farmer.

Donna Jeanne Helble ’71 died suddenly in March at the age of 68. It was a shock to everyone who knew her, including Chris Goodale ’86, assistant vice president for College Advancement, who had visited Helble in Winona, Minn., with Simpson President Jay Simmons just one month earlier.

“She was one of those larger-thanlife personalities,” Goodale said.

“Outgoing, bubbly, with a great laugh; highly involved in her community.”

Goodale had known Helble for 14 years, since he started working at Simpson. She often mentioned that she had included Simpson in her estate plans, “but we never knew the extent of that,” he said.

He had no idea.

“Her parents encouraged her to come to Simpson mostly because it was Methodist college and relatively close to home,” Goodale said.

She graduated with a B.A. in Elementary Education and French, then received a M.S. in Remedial Reading from Winona State University and an Ed.D. in “She was one of Language Arts Education from the University of Northern Colorado. those larger-than-

life personalities.

Outgoing, bubbly, with a great laugh, highly involved in her community."

-Chris Goodale ’86 assistant vice president for College Advancement

So far, Helble’s gifts to the College have amounted to about $2 million, with the promise of more after her estate is eventually settled.

She set aside about $750,000 for various projects, then divided the rest of her estate between Simpson and Winona State University Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the university where she taught.

“She was very proud of anyone who went to Simpson,” said Debbie Greenwood of Winona, Helble’s longtime friend. “She loved it there and talked about the small campus.”

For several years, Helble returned to the Simpson campus for Honors Convocation, where the outstanding Simpson junior in elementary education was recognized with The Dr. Donna J. Helble Award. This award came through an endowment created from an estate gift to the college from her father, Don Helble.

Helble’s estate left resources to the high school and church in DeWitt, Iowa, where she grew up. Her

After teaching grade school children, Helble became a professor of education in 1988 at Winona State University. She was named a professor emerita upon her retirement.

From all accounts, though, Helble never slowed down.

“I don’t know if there was a board she wasn’t on,” said Greenwood, who first met Helble when they worked together on a campaign drive for the American Red Cross. “And she was always the leader of the board. If she truly believed in something, she gave it her all.”

Literacy was Helble’s passion—one of many. She also served on a steering committee for Simpson’s pending comprehensive campaign.

Goodale said Simpson has used part of her gift to purchase new technology for student teachers. Her gift will also help fund a proposed addition to Dunn Library to serve the Department of Education.

That means Helble will continue to influence generations of Simpson students and the students they go on to teach.

“She always wanted to leave a legacy,” Greenwood said.

Mission accomplished. n

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Creating a Better World B Y L A U R A W I E R S E M A ’ 18

PATTI WOODWARD-YOUNG LOVES TO LEARN. MAYBE THAT’S WHY HER STUDIES ENCOMPASS SO MANY SUBJECTS: BIOLOGY, EDUCATION, HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY AND SOCIOLOGY. At Simpson, besides teaching in the teacher education program, Woodward-Young oversees the Interdisciplinary Studies program, which allows students a pathway to create their own major.

And recently she’s noticed a trend.

“So many students are involved and engaged in different causes, different ways to create a better world, to create more justice,” she said.

As a result, she helped develop a new major, called social justice studies (see page 26). The major is interdisciplinary, something Woodward-Young finds advantageous in many ways.

“I love being an interdisciplinary person because when I sit down to look at issues and problems, sometimes I find that I can see things that other people may not,” she said.

Only one other school in Iowa, and a few nationally, offer a similar program. Woodward-Young said Simpson is a logical pioneer, given its history.

“Simpson College is an independent, selective, churchrelated, comprehensive liberal-arts college dedicated to… social justice and global citizenship,” she said, referring to the College’s mission statement.

With a social justice studies major, students are able to pursue careers in community organization, human rights work, lobbying and a range of nonprofits, among other careers. And one particular nonprofit holds a special place in Woodward-Young’s heart: the Animal Rescue League.

Her home includes three dogs, two cats and one rat, all rescues. She has always loved animals and opened her home to some after her daughter began volunteering at the ARL. “We started volunteering together and then we started bringing everybody home,” Woodward-Young said.

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Professor of Education, Chair of Education and Sport & Health Sciences

Education: B.S., Elementary education/general science, Milligan College (Tenn.), 1983 Ed.M., Social and philosophical and historical foundations of education, Rutgers University, 1987 Ph.D., Philosophy, University of Iowa, 1996

PATTI WOODWARD-YOUNG More recently, she has rediscovered a childhood hobby: horseback riding. And that’s how she learned about off-the-track thoroughbreds—retired racehorses that are often killed once they no longer make money. When Woodward-Young learned one was in need of a home, her inner child saw the chance to own what she’d never been able to have.

“I have an off-the-track friend now,” she said. “He’s doing really well now, just got his first set of shoes. He’s walking, trotting, cantering, so we’re learning together.”

FIVE QUESTIONS FOR PATTI: Favorite class to teach? Human Relations in Teaching.

If you weren’t a professor, what would you be doing?

I’d either be a vet or I’d be working in animal rescue.

Favorite book? The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd.

If you won the lottery, what would you do?

Probably buy a huge chunk of land and make a place where animals that couldn’t find a place could have a home, and then open it up to schools.

What is the most interesting thing in your office?

(Laughs.) There’s a lot of trash everywhere. (I have been told by others.) It’s the second messiest office on campus. ■

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Mimi Kammer, assistant professor of theatre, presented her paper, “‘As They Fear Nature, So They Fear Us:’ Ecofeminism and Mortality in Shakespeare’s Cymbeline,” at a recent meeting of the Ecology and Performance Working Group of the American Society for Theatre Research (ASTR) conference. Additionally, her article on the intersections of environmentalism and dance performance, titled “La ‘Jarana’ de Coca-Cola in the Mexican Yucatan,” was published in the Fall 2016 journal Theatre Annual: A Journal of Theatre and Performance of the Americas.

Rebecca Livingstone, associate professor of history, play tested her historical role-playing game, Peacemaking, 1919: The Peace Conference at Versailles, at the Reacting to the Past Game Development Conference (GDC) held at Newman University, Wichita, Kan. The game asks participants to serve as national representatives to hammer out the treaty to end the First World War. Livingstone also serves as co-chair of the GDC Board which coordinates and organizes the annual conference.

Mark Bates, professor of Spanish, presented his paper, “La novela como moscaico historico: Te dio miedo la sangre? de Sergio Ramirez,” at the V Congreso de Ficcion Criminal en Leon, Spain.

Nicolas Rey-Le Lorier, assistant professor of physics, along with collaborators Maxim Perelstein, Eric Kuflik and Yu-Dai Tsai, all currently at Cornell University, has had a research paper accepted for publication in the Journal of High Energy Physics. “Phenomenology of ELDER Dark Matter” studies the possibility of discovering a new type of dark matter particle using current and future experiments.

Mike Eckerty, associate professor of music, recorded the Mendelsohn First and Second Piano Trios along with Dr. Christy Eckerty, artist teacher of piano, and Dr. Dave Camwell, former associate professor of music. The recording was featured on Iowa Public Radio and named by Barney Sherman, classical music host for Iowa Public Radio, as one of the top classical recordings from

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Iowa in 2016. Eckerty also served as guest conductor for the Des Moines Metro Community Band’s Music Under the Stars performance at the Iowa State Capital. Finally, Eckerty served on an Iowa Bandmaster’s Panel Discussion, “Guess what?! I’m going to be a music major next year in college!” at the 2017 Iowa Bandmaster’s Conference.

Sharon Wilkinson, professor of French, will receive the first annual American Association of Teachers of French (AATF) of Iowa Outstanding Teacher of the Year award. Her nomination cited her impressive presentations to the Iowa World Language Association, her willingness to share relevant teaching materials for her profession, her “culture is key” mentality and her kind and collegial personality.

Bernard McDonald, associate professor of music and Larsen Chair of Opera, continued his professional engagement with the operas of Giacomo Puccini as conductor for the Mobile Opera’s March production of Suor Angelica in Mobile, Ala., and Opera Kelowna’s La bohème in Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, in August of this year. Further productions with both companies are in preparation.

Terry Grapentine, adjunct instructor of marketing, wrote an article titled, “Critical Thinking for Researchers,” that appeared in the August issue of Quirk’s Marketing Research Review. Quirk’s is the most read magazine in the marketing research industry, world-wide.

Justin Nostrala ’86, professor of art, attended a printmaking workshop titled Multiple Plate Intaglio, at Frogman’s Print Workshop in Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Chad Timm ’95, associate professor of education, authored a chapter titled, “History Has its Eyes on You,” in the book Hamilton and Philosophy: Revolutionary Thinking. His contribution questions whether the musical reflects a radical or consensus view of American

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history. Timm also authored another chapter titled, “Thinking Philosophically: The Power of Pop Culture in Developing a Personal Philosophy of Education,” published in the book, Educating Through Popular Culture: You’re Not Cool Just Because You Teach With Comics. In his chapter, Timm describes ways he uses pop culture to help introduce his students to educational theory and philosophy.

Nick Proctor, professor of history, presented “Yalta, 1945,” the Reacting to the Past game he co-wrote with John Moser at the Reacting Summer Institute at Barnard College. Kentucky, 1861, the book Proctor co-wrote with Margaret Storey, was published by WW Norton.

Art in Paris, the book he co-wrote with Gretchen McKay and Michael Marlais went into production at the Reacting Consortium Press. Proctor also finished the fourth edition of his Game Designer’s Handbook.

Maeve Callen, associate professor of religion, and Nick Proctor, professor of history, co-sponsored the second annual Humanities Summer Camp for middle school students, held on Simpson’s campus with nearly 50 students from all over the state of Iowa participating.

Bob Kling, adjunct instructor of art, has been notified that two of his paintings – “Early Morning Floral Leaves” and “A Pasture Landing,” will be published in the new book, AcrylicWorks 5: Bold Values, by Jamie Markle, in May of 2018.

Published by North Light Books, this book features the best of contemporary acrylic painting by 100 artists from across the United States. Only 110 paintings were selected for this publication. Additionally, “A Pasture Landing” has been selected as a finalist in the Artists Magazine 23rd Annual Art Competition. The work was selected out of 7,000 entrees and will be published sometime next year.

continued >>>>

Patricia Singer, professor of biology, received the 2017 Distinguished Science Teaching Award from the Iowa Academy of Sciences. The award honors and promotes exceptional and innovative science teaching at an Iowa college or university.

Matthew Lau, assistant professor of music, performed leading roles with Opera Theatre of St. Louis and Opera Maine.

In St. Louis, Lau sang two of the leading roles, Uncle Albert and The Inspector, in The Trial. This was the American premier by one of American’s most celebrated living composers, Philip Glass, and Maestro Glass was in attendance for opening night of the production. In Portland, Maine, Lau sang the role of Dottor Grenvil in La Traviata, a role he has also sung with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Atlanta Opera and Cedar Rapids Opera among many others. Finally, Lau was awarded “Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year for 2017” from Student Support Services at Simpson College.

Katie Smith ’09, assistant professor of sport science and health education, had two articles published in Strength and Conditioning Journal. The first was titled, “Special Populations: Training the Pregnant Client,” and the second, “One-On-One: Guidelines and Practical Tips for Training the Prenatal Client.”

Smith also presented “Comparison of Step Count During a Bout of Pokémon Go vs Traditional Aerobic Exercise” at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) Annual Conference in Denver.

Carolyn Dallinger ’80, professor of sociology and criminal justice, published an article in the Teaching Sociology Journal of the American Sociological Association entitled, “Achieving a Global Mind-Set at Home: Student Engagement with Immigrant Children.”

Maeve Callan, associate professor of religion, organized and chaired a session at the International Medieval Conference at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Mich., commemorating the 1,500th anniversary of St. Darerca’s death.

She also presented “Brigid the Bishop, Refuge of Women: Authority, Sex, and Gender in the Lives of an Irish Saint” at the Berkshire Conference of Women Historians, held at Hofstra University in New York. This fall, Callan will be presenting “‘All that was in Flooding is Now in Ebb’: Gender and Holy Space in Medieval Ireland” at the Southeastern Medieval Association Annual Meeting at the College of Charleston.

Callan has also published four book reviews in academic journals including Zubin Mistry’s Abortion in the Early Middle Ages, c.500–900, in Early Medieval Europe; Andrew Sneddon’s Witchcraft and Magic in Ireland in Magic, Ritual, and Witchcraft; Soldiers of Christ: The Knights Hospitaller and the Knights Templar in Medieval Ireland, in Studia Hibernica; and The Trial of Tempel Anneke: Records of a Witchcraft Trial in Brunswick, Germany, 1663, in The Medieval Feminist Forum: A Journal of Gender and Sexuality. Callan’s own book, The Templars, the Witch, and the Wild Irish: Vengeance and Heresy in Medieval Ireland, is now available in paperback.

Finally, Callan was accepted as one of ten participants from colleges across the country in Interfaith Youth Core’s inaugural year-long Interfaith Assessment Academy. She will be working with Rev. Mara Bailey ’06 to enhance Simpson’s interfaith internship programs.

Michael Patterson ’75, professor of music, published a volume of his songs, entitled “22 Songs by Michael Patterson,” written over a period of several decades. These songs are written for high, medium high and medium low voices with piano accompaniments and were inspired by a very disparate collection of poetry admired by the composer. All of the songs were written for faculty, students and professional singers. All proceeds from the sale of this volume go to the Des Moines Metro Opera.

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Heather Priess Groben, assistant professor of psychology, graduated from the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute’s Community Leadership Program. During her participation in the program, Groben learned about issues facing the Greater Des Moines community, completed training in leadership skill development and worked on a team project for the Des Moines Area Religious Council (DMARC).

Groben also completed a research project for the Young Women’s Resource Center (YWRC) in Des Moines, where she assessed the psychometric properties of a new instrument the YWRC developed to assess psychological resilience in the clients it serves.

Finally, Groben presented her research behavioral predictors of mathematics engagement at the Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD) Biennial Meeting. In this research, middle school students were video recorded completing mathematics tasks with their mothers. Recordings were coded for the types of “mindset” statements made (e.g., mathematics performance reflects innate ability versus effort), which were found to predict mathematics grades, standardized test scores, course selection and career aspirations in high school.

This research extends Groben’s recently published longitudinal investigation of mathematics motivation by developing the first behavioral measure of mathematics mindsets.

Bill Friedricks, professor of history, authored a book entitled, “A Great State Fair: The Blue Ribbon Foundation and the Revival of the Iowa State Fair.” The book chronicles the history of the Iowa State Fair, how the state almost lost the event and how Iowans came together under inspired leadership to save and build a lasting, high quality fair.

Spencer Waugh, director of speech, debate & mock trial, received the John Shields Award from the National Council of Pi Kappa Delta. This award is a testament to his strong efforts to enhance the organizational profile in professional development. n

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A Caring Advocate SHE WAS A SINGLE MOTHER. SHE WAS ATTENDING A COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BUT LEFT FOR A YEAR TO EARN ENOUGH FOR HER AND HER SON TO LIVE ON. “I was lost,” Sarah Schall Davitt ’09 said. “I didn’t have faith in myself anymore. I didn’t have faith in anything.”

And then she discovered Simpson.

“They gave me my life back, if you will,” she said.

The people at Simpson encouraged her not to give up. They instilled her with confidence.

“Without them, I wouldn’t have been successful,” Davitt said.

“I was young and stressed out and I worked and lived on my own. It was hard.”

She graduated with a degree in biology, along with minors in chemistry and forensic science. Professors helped her obtain an internship with the state medical examiner—“the internship I had dreamed of.”

Or so Davitt thought.

“I had worked there just a few months and realized that was not the career path I wanted to take,” she said. “I was too softhearted, and the cases we were dealing with, I couldn’t leave them at work.”

She decided to return to school, to earn a Masters of Arts in Teaching degree through Simpson’s Continuing & Graduate Programs. She credits Gwen Schroeder, a former Simpson employee who worked with transfer students, for helping and encouraging her to return to the classroom.

Teaching is a career Davitt had wanted to pursue when she was considering options as an Indianola High School student.

“A guidance counselor told me, ‘Sarah, you could do so much more with your talent and make so much more money.’”

The financial aspect might be correct, but Davitt said teaching offers its own rewards. Her office is filled with photos and drawings given to her by appreciative Des Moines high school students.

After earning her MAT degree in 2011, Davitt became one of the youngest teachers hired as a full-time staff member in the Des Moines Public School’s Central Academy. She taught biology—“the best job ever.”

Yet she still had her eye on Simpson. “I wanted to give back and serve the College,” she said.

This fall, Davitt will begin as an academic coach in The Center for Academic Resources. She will teach an academic skills course with Ron Warnet, the longtime Simpson chemistry professor who was Davitt’s advisor as an undergraduate. She will also mentor students and advise students in the C & G program. She is a member of C & G’s alumni board.

The undergraduate who once felt lost has a different life. She and her husband, Ben, raise their two children, Joe, 12, and Makena, 4, in a home south of Indianola.

“My strength didn’t come from me,” she said. “My strength came from God. My faith came from the transformation of going through school and knowing what God has called me to do with my life.

“I just want the students I meet to know that they truly have an advocate who cares for them.” n

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UPCOMING EVENTS OCTOBER 14 | 9–11AM Smith Chapel open house with guided tours

OCTOBER 15 | 11AM Joint Worship service with First United Methodist Church, Indianola: celebrating a shared ministry between Simpson College and First United Methodist Church.

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SMITH CHAPEL IS SUCH A VITAL PART OF LIFE ON THE SIMPSON CAMPUS THAT IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO IMAGINE IT NOT BEING THERE. Yet, as Joseph W. Walt explains in his history of Simpson, Beneath the Whispering Maples, the completion of Smith Chapel “was the successful culmination of probably the longest and surely the most exasperating building project in the history of the College.”

At issue was the building’s modern design. The major donors didn’t like it, and they weren’t budging, at least not until then-President Ralph John found another donor.

The cornerstone was laid in 1967, and the Chapel was dedicated a year later, during Simpson’s Homecoming. On this page you’ll see some of the earliest construction photos, courtesy of the Rev. Art Allen ’70 and Dunn Library. n

DECEMBER 9 | 5:30 & 7:30PM 5:30pm, holiday meal in Great Hall (purchased tickets required) 7:30pm, A Festival of Lessons and Carols

DECEMBER 10 | 2PM A Festival of Lessons and Carols

For more information on any of these events, or to be added to the mailing list for Smith Chapel’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, call the chapel office at 515-961-1610 or email the Rev. Mara Bailey, Chaplain, at mara.bailey@simpson.edu 13 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

WE THE THE CALLS BEGIN AS EARLY AS FEBRUARY AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE SUMMER. Superintendents and high school principals throughout Iowa—and, increasingly, throughout the country—contact Barb Ramos and ask if Simpson has any graduating seniors looking for a teaching job.

“Nine times out of 10, I have to tell them our students already have jobs,” said Ramos, BARB RAMOS a professor of education and chair of the Department of Education.

According to the Iowa Department of Education, 34 first-year teachers in Iowa this fall will be Simpson alumni. Many others are teaching in other states and several are teaching overseas.

Simpson teaches the teachers. It has been true for decades, and other educators have noticed.

What is it that sets Simpson-educated teachers apart?

IS IT TRADITION?

According to Beneath the Whispering Maples, Joseph W. Walt’s history of Simpson, the College was producing more teachers than business students in the 1920s.

During that decade, Simpson approved a new degree, a Bachelor of Science in Education, and adopted a two-year college-level training program for training primary teachers, “a significant step forward in teacher preparation.”

In fact, Simpson’s role as a leader in teacher training can be traced back to the 1880s—a legacy not lost today among the College’s 10 education faculty members.

“We’re all aware of it,” Ramos said. “And all of us want to carry on that tradition.”

IS IT THE FACULTY?

When Dan Carver ’06 (see page 16) was preparing a computer course for elementary students in the Carlisle School District, he consulted often with Jack Gittinger, a now-retired education professor at Simpson.

“I was still talking with many of the faculty nine or 10 years after I graduated,” he said.

Carver has served on advisory boards for the education department. His conclusion: “They’re always looking for ways to better themselves. It’s not a stagnant department.

They’re looking to stay ahead of the curve and do the best they can.”

Ramos waxes passionately about the faculty’s role: “I think there is an absolute burning passion among the faculty in the education department to prepare high

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Carissa Coopman Harrington ’13 is a head start teacher for the Des Moines Public Schools.

“I think there is an absolute burning passion among the faculty in the education department to prepare high quality teachers, and I mean high quality in every sense of the word."

-Barb Ramos Professor of Education, Department Chair of Education

IS IT THE ALUMNI?

quality teachers, and I mean high quality in every sense of the word. We think PK-12 students deserve the very best teachers every single year they are in school, and it’s up to us to make that happen.”

Chad Timm ’95 has observed Simpson’s education programs from a variety of perspectives—as a student, as a parent of a current student and now as an associate professor of education.

IS IT THE SIMPSON PHILOSOPHY?

Ramos has a promise for the prospective students she meets.

“By the time you leave here, you will understand yourself as a teacher and what you truly believe and what you want to do,” she said.

Some colleges require students to wait two years before taking education courses or getting in a classroom. Not Simpson, where education majors will, in their first semester, spend at least 10 hours in a classroom at Irving Elementary School in Indianola.

In their second or third semester, they will work in a high school, and Simpson’s location is also an enormous asset, offering students everything from urban to rural environments.

“This is the best,” Ramos said.

He said Simpson’s Engaged Citizenship Curriculum, and its focus on critical thinking and communicating effectively, encourages students to learn the skills they will need in the classroom.

CHAD TIMM

“The structure of our education program also helps our students to stand out,” he said. “Mirroring my own experiences, our program carefully balances instruction in educational philosophy and theory with practical application.”

So what is it that sets Simpson apart: The College’s tradition of excellence, the faculty commitment, the method of preparing teachers or the alumni who are working in classrooms?

IT'S ALL OF IT.

From their first class, Simpson students learn how they can improve.

“We tell students, ‘Those are years of growth for you, and we’re going to have these conversations so that when you leave here, you’re going to be the very best teacher that you can be,’” she said.

Think of all those Simpson-educated alumni and how many students they influence. Then consider the number of years they have been doing so.

“All of those things cross our minds,” Ramos said. “That’s why we’re here and why we do what we do.”

15 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

DAN

’06

His classmates may remember Dan Carver ’06 for his many campus roles, including Student Government Association president. He was so involved he earned the nickname, “Mr. Simpson.”

Fans of the Storm’s football, basketball and volleyball teams may recognize Carver’s voice as the public address announcer, a role he began in college.

Friends and neighbors in Carlisle, where Carver will begin his 12th year of teaching, may know him as a family man who is helping wife, Rebecca, raise two sons, Roy and Ben, in a home that sports a huge Simpson flag on game days.

What few people may know is that Carver is also a pioneer.

He’s serving in a group for the Iowa Department of Education to establish guidelines and standards for how computer science should be taught to elementary school students.

“We want students to think about more than how to use computers,” he said. “We want them to think about how do they work and what can they do and what that means and how that will change us.”

After teaching fifth grade for eight years, Carver now teaches computer science in Carlisle to students in kindergarten through fifth grades. It’s the sort of career shift that Simpson prepared him to make.

“Simpson provides the skills and background that you need in order to be able to teach,” he said. “But they also make it so you have to critically think and be able to adapt, and that’s a big thing that’s happening in the education world right now.”

Carver arrived at Simpson from Shueyville, Iowa, knowing he wanted to teach. But it didn’t take long for him to realize he also wanted to take advantage of everything the College offered.

Thus, “Mr. Simpson.”

“It felt like I was exactly where I needed to be and wanted to be,” he said.

He hasn’t slowed down since graduating. He has served on the Simpson Alumni Board and advisory boards for the Department of Education. Then there’s the public address announcing, for which he was named the Dick Buxton Award winner in 2016, which honors a member of the community who has willingly given his or her time and effort in support of Simpson athletics. He also received the Alumni Association’s Recent Alumni Loyalty Award one year prior.

Carver’s goal as a public address announcer is the same one he had as a student: “I want everyone who participates to have a great time and leave thinking Simpson is a great place.” n

Dan and Rebecca Carver with sons, Ben, 2, and Roy, 4.

16 SIMPSON COLLEGE

PAM LEAHIGH

’75

ZIMMERMAN Pam Leahigh Zimmerman ’75 will tell you that she retired from teaching in 2010.

“If you found out at that time it wasn’t your calling, you were in trouble,” she said.

Don’t believe her.

Sure, she officially retired that year from Irving Elementary School in Indianola, where she taught kindergartners for nine years and third-graders for 23.

“I still feel like I’m making a difference.

That’s what teaching is—a life of service.”

-Pam Leahigh Zimmerman ’75

was the first and only time future teachers worked with children.

But she still operates a mini-classroom in the basement of her home, where she privately tutors eight elementary students in reading and math.

Once a teacher, always a teacher. It’s one of the reasons she was named Indianola’s Teacher of the Year in 2005.

Zimmerman was invited this summer by a parent to discuss the Individual Educational Plan for one of her students, a third-grade girl with special needs.

“When I’m in that environment, with eight or so educators there, all trying to figure out the best way to teach this little girl, it just energizes me,” she said. “I know what they’re doing in school and I can reinforce that in my tutoring.”

Dozens of Simpson student teachers have benefited from Zimmerman’s expertise through a decades-long cooperative program with Irving Elementary School.

“I had a lot of student teachers, and I loved it,” she said. “What I can honestly say is they kept me on my toes. They learned from me but I also learned from them. It’s always good to have fresh ideas around.”

Zimmerman was a student teacher herself at Irving, but that was reserved for senior students. Back then, student teaching

Today, Simpson students begin a classroom experience the first semester of their first year.

That’s one reason Simpson has a great reputation in producing excellent teachers. Zimmerman says there are others: • Content knowledge. “They know what they’re teaching,” she said. “It also speaks to the caliber of Simpson students.

They’re bright.”

• Pedagogy, or what Zimmerman refers to as “the art of teaching.” She said Simpson “does a good job exposing our students to different learning styles, strategies and the special needs of elementary students. How do you then take all of that and prepare your lesson?”

• Passion. “When Simpson students came to me, they had a passion. It’s that passion that comes through when teaching and makes learning fun and exciting. Children feel that what they’re learning is important.”

Part of Zimmerman’s “retirement” has been spent traveling.

She and her husband, Cole ’73, who worked in Simpson’s Advancement and Admissions offices, toured Italy this summer with an alumni group (see page 27).

But if you want to hear the passion that made Zimmerman such a good teacher, ask her about the start of another school year and another opportunity to tutor students.

“I still feel like I’m making a difference,” she said. “Parents are so appreciative, and I get it. It’s hard to see your child struggle. I provide a service. That’s what teaching is—a life of service.” n

17 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

•

A T H L E T I C S

CORT

•

’17

SINGLETON MORGAN

MOLINE B Y L A U R A W I E R S E M A ’ 18

This is a boy meets girl story. The boy is Indianola’s Cort Singleton, Simpson’s friendly giant, standing at 6’10”. The girl is Webster City’s Morgan Moline, a woman who came to Simpson looking to enter broadcast journalism, but eventually traded the news desk for a teacher’s classroom.

The two stumbled across each other during their freshman year when Singleton and a friend stopped to check the World Series game they could see through the open door of Barker Hall, Room 135. How could he possibly know it was the room of the girl he would marry one day?

“It was pretty casual,” Singleton said. “Then we started running into each other on campus and eventually started hanging out together. The rest is history.”

Most couples share interests in hobbies and lifestyles, but for Singleton and Moline, one of their many shared passions comes in the form of their careers: teaching. Luckily, with Singleton in secondary education and Moline in elementary, their classroom experiences were different enough to keep things interesting.

But one thing sets them apart from the rest in the job market: they have Simpson degrees. The College’s reputation of producing excellent teachers follows them wherever they go.

“My mentor, Jon Fitzpatrick ’09, was so helpful and kind,” she said. “I plan on keeping in touch with him to share ideas and seek advice. He played a big role in guiding me into the teacher that I want to be.”

But the Simpson community isn’t limited to the workplace.

When Singleton and Moline rode RAGBRAI with the Simpson alumni team this summer, they discovered many more people had ties to the school than they realized.

“It was so fun to hear ‘Go Storm!’ from random riders and spectators that we didn’t know,” Moline said. “The best part about talking to people about Simpson is that they only ever have great things to say about my alma mater.”

When the couple graduated this spring, Singleton with degrees in math and psychology and Moline with degrees in elementary education and liberal arts, they knew they’d be closing a chapter of their lives at Simpson. Come fall, he would start at Indianola Middle School teaching eighthgrade algebra, and she’d be at Hartford Upper Elementary in Carlisle teaching fourth grade.

Only Singleton knew how the next chapter would begin.

When Moline and her friends decided to meet in the Kent Campus Center atrium for a photograph in their caps and gowns after graduation, she had no idea it was all part of his plan.

After a picture together, Moline turned to find Singleton on one knee, gazing expectantly at her with a ring in his hand. Cue the happy tears from Moline and cheers from the crowd.

“Employers know that Simpson has an excellent education program,” Singleton said. “When they see this on your resume, it helps become the deciding factor on who they will contact for interviews.”

“It seemed like time slowed down around Cort and I for a few moments,” she said. “It’s funny how, ‘I’ll give him a few Moline even worked with a Simpson alumni while student weeks,’ turned into, ‘I’ll give him forever!’” n teaching at Emerson Elementary School in Indianola.

18 SIMPSON COLLEGE

SHEENA ’08 SMITLEY

GROVE

Sheena Smitley Grove ’08 felt she had to do something.

A popular student at Waukee High School, where she was teaching, took his own life. Similar tragedies occurred in other Des Moines-area schools.

Grove turned on her camera.

“I’m talking to you today because I promised my students that I would be honest, that I would be vulnerable, that I would do something about an issue that provokes me,” she said.

The seven-minute YouTube video, called “Mrs. Grove’s Call to Action,” was posted in 2016 and has been seen by almost 5,000 people.

She talked about mental health and how students who seem outwardly happy may be pretending.

“The reason I see this in my students is that I used to be one of them,” she said.

Grove disclosed the trauma she felt as a teenager, and how troubles at home forced her to live temporarily in her car.

Today’s young people, she said, “need to know that we’ve been there. They need to know that we’ve all come from places of darkness sometimes.”

Most of all, she said, they need to know that life can get better.

Today, Grove is an instructional mentor in the Waukee School District, assisting first-year teachers. She and her husband, Bob, are raising two boys, Keygan, 3, and Jansen, 4 months old.

The first time she visited Simpson, she said, “Done. I knew I wanted to be a teacher.”

She was encouraged to let students know how much she cared about them.

“Simpson was like, ‘You be you.’ As long as you make students feel welcome and accepted for who they are, and let them know that they are awesome, then do what you’ve got to do.”

As a teacher, Grove has tried offbeat and creative ways to foster an honest relationship with her classes. She let students sit on desks and read “rant poems.” She left notes in student lockers, asking if they were OK. She began one school year reading a personal essay describing her own high school struggles. And then came the YouTube video.

“The most important class I ever took at Simpson was Human Relations and Teaching,” she said. “That was the class that emphasized getting to know human beings within a classroom. If they felt they were a better human being after being in my classroom, then that to me is winning, and Simpson is 1,000 percent that kind of school.” n 19 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

“Simpson was like, ‘You be you.’ As long as you make students feel welcome and accepted for who they are, and let them know they are awesome, then do what you’ve got to do.”

-Sheena Smitley Grove ’08

KISHA

’96

B Y L A U R A W I E R S E M A ’ 18

Ever since she was a little girl, Kisha Barnes ’96 knew she’d be a teacher.

“I’ve been playing teacher since I was five,” the Iowa City native said.

“Didn’t matter if I was outside, in our basement, in the playroom or at church.”

When she started at Simpson College in 1992, Barnes jumped right into the elementary education major. She couldn’t wait to have her own classroom and kids.

“The plan was to teach and teach forever,” she said.

What she never planned on was being a principal. The recommendations for a leadership role in education came early in Barnes’ teaching career, but she resisted the idea for nearly 10 years, teaching at schools in Des Moines, before accepting that her peers were right. She then obtained her master’s degree in educational leadership.

“As I learned more about how schools work and how our legislation works and how our communities work, and as I grew up as a teacher, I really saw how I could make a difference more globally,” she said.

After a challenging year of making the transition, Barnes began her second year as principal at King Elementary School in Des Moines this fall. As principal, one of her main goals is to increase student achievement in reading and writing.

Being a principal is no easy job. In her position, Barnes said the hardest thing is helping staff see that behavior is simply communication and the importance of the learning community in the classroom. Conditions for learning must be supportive in order for learning to happen at a deep level.

Despite the many challenges of her career, Barnes said the students make everything worth it. She loves the exchanges with students, even if they last no longer than a few moments in a hallway.

“The wonder in their eyes and knowing that you’re part of a family that made that happen is really powerful,” she said.

Barnes said Simpson prepared her well and helped make her teaching dream come true. As she entered the field, she discovered that she had benefitted from experiences that her colleagues from other institutions had missed.

Her Simpson experience included long periods in the classrooms of other teachers, observing and helping out. Barnes said she learned something new from every teacher she worked alongside.

“Simpson is a great place to study education because there is quite a bit of support for learning,” she said. “My breadth of experience because of that shows the dedication that Simpson has to excellence for education, truly.” n 20 SIMPSON COLLEGE

“Simpson is a great place to study education because there is quite a bit of support for learning. My breadth of experience because of that shows the dedication that Simpson has to excellence for education, truly.”

-Kisha Barnes ’96

•

C H A P L A I N ’ S

M E S S A G E

•

Faith Stories

BY MAR A LE H E W BAI LE Y ’0 6, C HAP L AI N

WHEN A CHURCH OR RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY BUILDS A NEW SPACE, A GREAT DEAL OF MEANING IS PLACED ON AESTHETICS. FOUND IN TANGIBLE, PHYSICAL PIECES SUCH AS COMMUNION ELEMENTS, CANDLE HOLDERS, OR STAINED GLASS (WHAT I OFTEN REFER TO AS “HOLY HARDWARE”), THESE ARE THE PIECES THAT PROVIDE REMINDERS OF IMPORTANT CHARACTERS OR ELEMENTS OF A COMMUNITY’S FAITH STORIES. Last October, my husband and I had an opportunity to spend 10 days in France. A highlight of our visit was the Chartres Cathedral in the town of Chartres— about an hour and a half by train west of Paris.

For me, the initial draw to the cathedral was to visit the famous labyrinth on the floor of the sanctuary. But most of our time there was spent learning about the stained glass of the cathedral. While the stained glass is breathtakingly beautiful (and historically significant— it is one of the only cathedrals whose stained glass survived in its entirety during World War II as a result of forward-thinking parishioners who removed the glass and stored it in 1939). It also served a practical role for the early faith community there. In the middle ages when few could read, it was the pictures of the stained glass that told the stories of faith.

The panels of the Chartres Cathedral are put together to be “read” in the same way one might read a book. They are pieced together in a certain order, maintaining themes, such as the story of creation or telling the lives of certain saints. The brilliant hues of the glass draw people in, and I can only imagine small children finding entertainment during long homilies as they search through the windows, pointing out different characters.

The stained glass of Smith Chapel is no different.

When the plans for the building were being put into place, great thought was put into the stories these

windows would tell. As we are spending this academic year celebrating the 50th anniversary of Smith Chapel, I wanted to give a little time and attention to some of the stories contained within our beautiful stained glass.

There are overtly Christian symbols that are apparent as soon as one approaches the chapel: namely the cross at the top of the campanile, and the cross found on the dominant wall of the chapel. Our relationship with the United Methodist Church means that we have celebrated our rich history with the Christian tradition.

However, the symbols found within the stained glass call us to recognize and celebrate the great many traditions represented by those who grace our campus.

While related with the United Methodist Church, Simpson is inclusive of a multitude of spiritual and religious practices and identities. A particular closeness with Judaism is felt and noticed as the main symbols over and around the main doors share a relationship between the Jewish and Christian traditions: the dove found above the door (a symbol of hope and peace); a menorah (to the left of the door); and a lamp found to the right of the door, symbolizing law in Judaism and knowledge in academia.

The north chancel window is known as the “Religions of the World” window and contains symbols of major religious traditions found throughout the world: a star and crescent for Islam; a lotus for Hinduism and Buddhism; the Yin and Yang for Taoism and Confucianism; a torii gate for Shintoism; and a totem animal for primitive religions. There was great intentionality in the architecture of these windows and the inclusion of these symbols. While acknowledging the overtly Christian nature of the chapel, its designers dreamt this space would be a place of intentional welcome for all persons. Students, no matter their geographic or religious background, could look around the space and find a symbol of home.

This is indeed the story we are still telling in this space. There are over 28 religious and spiritual identities represented on campus and Smith Chapel seeks to be the spiritual heart for our college campus.

May we “read” the stories of faith not just through the brilliant hues of our faceted glass but in the lives of those we are privileged to know and to love. n

21 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

Brent Mathias and Nathan Roling

•

A T H L E T I C S

•

SPRING

SUCCESS

The Storm men’s golf and track and field teams provided the biggest highlights for the athletic program in 2016-17. Led by a first-year head coach and a roster without a senior, the men’s golf team rallied to a second-place finish at the Iowa Conference Championship. The men’s track and field team boasted five All-Americans and crowned six Iowa Conference champions, rising as high as No. 22 in the national rankings.

YOUNG MEN’S GOLF SQUAD SURGES TO SECOND IN IIAC The first round of the conference championship was nothing to write home about. Battling inclement weather in Iowa City, Simpson sat in sixth place after 18 holes. More bad weather led to the cancellation of the second round, giving Simpson just two rounds to make up ground.

And make up ground they did.

Reid Cobb

Playing on their home course at the Indianola Country Club, the Storm fired the two lowest

22 SIMPSON COLLEGE

rounds of the tournament to place second in the team standings. First-year Head Coach Justin Livingston’s squad featured three all-conference performers, the most in school history. Freshman Reid Cobb shot a 71 on the final round to place fifth, the lowest individual round of the tournament. Junior Korbin Sesker placed sixth and freshman Andrew Lallier came in eighth.

Simpson shot a 336 in the first round before closing with rounds of 304 and 298 to edge Nebraska Wesleyan by one stroke.

Livingston led the Storm to the program’s best finish at the IIAC Championship since at least 1982, as complete records are unavailable prior

Left to right: Travis Tupper, Jordan Coughenour, Kirk Wicks and Chase Wetterling.

MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD CROWNS CHAMPIONS, ALL-AMERICANS

time, going on to place seventh overall for the program’s first All-America performance in the event since 1990.

The men’s track and field team enjoyed its best season in Head Coach Dave Cleveland’s 12 seasons at the helm.

The outdoor championship was highlighted by a fifthplace finish in the decathlon by Isaac Frazier ’17, Simpson’s best finish in an individual event since 1998. Frazier—a first team all-conference defensive end on the football team—posted personal-bests in the shot put, javelin throw and 1500 meters to become Simpson’s fifth All-American decathlete and first since 1989.

In all, the Storm qualified in eight events at the indoor and outdoor national championships and celebrated five All-Americans, including the program’s first two-time All-American since 1997. The record book was re-written in the process, as the season ended with four new indoor records and two outdoors.

The indoor season concluded with an All-American performance by the Storm’s upstart 4x400-meter relay team of Chase Wetterling, Travis Tupper, Jordan Coughenour and Kirk Wicks. The squad snuck into the championship field of 12 teams with the No. 10 qualifying

Jordan Coughenour brought home the other All-American finish outdoors, placing seventh in the 400-meter hurdles.

The junior entered the championship with the No. 17 qualifying time but made huge strides throughout the weekend, culminating a 52.77 in the final, the secondfastest time in school history. Coughenour is Simpson’s first multi-time All-American since 1997. n

23 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

SIMPSON SUMMER CAMPS Summer is the perfect time for youth and high school student-athletes to improve their craft, and many chose Simpson to help take them to the next level.

Simpson opened its doors to more than 2,000 sports campers this summer at 23 camps. Football alone hosted seven camps, with ages ranging from first grade to seniors in high school.

Volleyball, boys and girls basketball, cross country, swimming and diving, soccer and track and field also hosted camps throughout the summer. Campers benefit from quality coaching that often comes directly from Storm head coaches and staff members.

Next year’s camp dates will be coming soon! If you’re interested in attending Simpson Storm Summer Camps, visit www.simpsonathletics.com to learn more. n

SIX TO BE INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME This summer, the Simpson College “S” Club announced its Hall of Fame Class of 2017, a group that includes four former studentathletes representing five teams and two legendary coaches. The newest group of honorees will be inducted during the annual Red & Gold Celebration, which will be held Friday, Oct. 13, in Hubbell Hall in the Kent Campus Center.

Janelle Claiborne Duffy ’05 (women’s golf ) Tiffany Everding Goodchild ’07 (volleyball) Lisa Simpson Klein ’91 (women’s track and field) Jason Ripke ’07 (football) Joe Blake ’71 (assistant baseball coach) Henry Christowski (head softball coach) n 24 SIMPSON COLLEGE

My favorite part of being a student at Simpson is the relationships I’ve built and have yet to build."

-Addy Boettcher '19

The Simpson Fund provides resources to retain Simpson’s top-notch faculty and staff members that create lasting connections with our students like Addy. This campus-wide unrestricted fund also supplies much-needed support for scholarships, student organizations, technological enhancements and much more.

Please consider making a gift to The Simpson Fund today and support the strong connections students like Addy are able to make during their Simpson Experience.

WWW.SIMPSON.EDU/GIVE

25 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

•

E X T R A !

•

NEW MAJORS AND MINOR AT SIMPSON Simpson is always looking for ways to meet the changing needs of students, graduate schools and employers. New majors and minors reflect this.

The new major is a fundamentally interdisciplinary approach, allowing students to explore the terrain between ideals of justice and real-life problems. Simpson is the only private college in Iowa (and one of only a few nationally) to offer this major.

Interactive Media – The days are long gone when consumers wait for their morning newspaper or the 6 p.m. newscast.

We live in a 24/7 digital and mobile world, and the “We’re telling students that if they want to be active interactive media major is designed to help Simpson change agents while in college and make it their life’s students compete and thrive in the fast-paced environment. work, the social justice studies major is for them,” said Patti Woodward-Young, professor of Education and Brian Steffen, Department Chair of Multimedia Chair of the Division of Education and Sport & Health Communication, explained: Sciences.

“What we’re offering is a program that combines coursework in journalism, public relations, graphic design and software/web development so that students can take advantage of the new information economy that requires the ability to solve problems, show creativity and effectively communicate ideas with the public.”

The new program also will be available as a minor.

Social Justice Studies – Today’s students want to make a

difference in the world. An increasing number of them are working as volunteers, activists or advocates with the goal of serving others.

(See related story page 8 –Faculty Pursuits.)

Art Management Minor – What if a student is more

interested in the business of art than in the creation of it?

This new minor will prepare them to participate in, lead and manage arts organizations and activities.

The minor will show students how economics, management and accounting principles can be applied to careers in art, music and theater through the examination of art-related enterprises and companies. n

NEW MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Three new members have been added to the Simpson Board of Trustees since the most recent edition of The Simpson Magazine. Please welcome: Kaela L. Phillips – A 2006 Simpson College

Kaela L. Phillips

John T. Lawlor

The Rev. Timothy D. Bonney

graduate with a B.A. in political science, Phillips is employed as an instructional design consultant at Wells Fargo. She is highly involved as a Simpson alumni board member and as an advisor for the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. Phillips has worked in a variety of positions with Wells Fargo since graduating from Simpson and currently develops training materials for the human resources department. A resident of West Des Moines, she is involved with Covenant Presbyterian Church in West Des Moines and participates in the church’s annual mission trips to El Salvador.

John T. Lawlor – Lawlor is a 1973 Simpson graduate and started his career in higher education by working in admissions at Simpson. He later worked at Stamats and then founded The Lawlor Group in 26 SIMPSON COLLEGE

1987. His company offers strategic brand management, enrollment management and institutional marketing for higher education institutions. Lawlor is invited to speak nationally at various recruitment conferences and is viewed as an expert in the field. He is a member of the fraternity Alpha Tau Omega.

He and his wife, Nancy, have three children and live in Minneapolis, Minn.

The Rev. Timothy D. Bonney (ex-officio member)

– The Rev. Bonney assumed duties as senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Indianola in July. By virtue of that position, he will serve as an ex-officio trustee on the Simpson College Board of Trustees. He previously served a church in Sioux City and was also affiliated with Morningside College. He holds bachelor of arts and masters of divinity degrees. He and his wife, Michelle, have one daughter. n

ALUMNI TRAVEL PROGRAM 2017: ITALIAN INSPIRATIONS Where does one begin when describing a trip to Italy?

Continuing the adventure, the tour explored the Tuscan countryside, including the town of Vinci, home With the history? The architecture? of Leonardo; Lucca, a town of The art? The food? the Middle Ages protected by a large earth and stone wall; and It’s impossible to go wrong because the Cinque Terre region, boasting visiting Italy certainly inspires on beautiful beaches and cliff towns. numerous levels.

Venice’s Grand Canal, along Thirty-eight alumni and friends of with an abundance of seafood, the College enjoyed the legendary Murano glass and Venetian masks, cities and beautiful landscapes welcomed the visitors to the city, of Italy as part of the two-week which is situated across a group of Italian Inspirations Alumni Travel 118 small islands that are separated Program, led by Carl ’65 and by canals and linked by bridges.

Norma McBride Pullen ’66, from May 31-June 14.

The final destinations were Milan and the famed Lake Como.

This was the second alumni trip During the group’s boat tour of since the re-establishment of the Lake Como, they were unable to Alumni Travel Program in 2015. spot George Clooney sunbathing, The first trip toured Germany. but they were 99% sure they located his 25-room “humble” The Italy tour began with exploration of the ruins of Pompeii, abode. which were buried under as much as Throughout the tour, the group 20 feet of ash after Mount Vesuvius’ enjoyed the food, wine, shopping eruption in 79 CE. and sites of Italy, all while building amazing friendships.

The following days included

driving the Amalfi Coast, seeing Italy definitely inspired! the Greek ruins of Paestum and taking in the historic sites of Rome Photos from the Italian Inspirations and Vatican City.

Tour are available at http:// simpson2017.cnnpullen.com/ Moving north, the group Photos/AllBySite/index.html n experienced Siena and the beauty of the Renaissance in Florence, including viewing Michelangelo’s “David” and shopping for Italian leather goods.

OUT AND ABOUT If it’s happening in central Iowa, there’s a good chance you’ll find members of the Simpson community there.

Recent events included an Iowa Cubs game (395 people), Jasper Winery outing (235), Blank Park Zoo get-together (140), Continuing & Graduate Programs picnic (100) and an Iowa Speedway NASCAR Xfinity Series race (71).

Add to that the 64 intrepid members of Team Simpson who braved the 402.7-mile bicycle ride across Iowa, known as RAGBRAI. As you can tell by the photos, Simpson folks know how to have fun. n

27 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

THE LEKBERG COLLECTION Sven and Mildred Lekberg were a Simpson institution.

Mildred’s “remarkable talent, extraordinary generosity and gentility graced Simpson for nearly four decades,” Joseph W. Walt wrote in Beneath the Whispering Maples, a history of the College.

Sven led Simpson’s music program from 1940-69.

SIMPSON STUDENTS RECEIVE NATIONAL RECOGNITION We think Simpson students are the best—and two national organizations recently agreed.

Senior Olivia Anderson of Oak Ridge, N.C., was given one of six national “Hidden Heroes Awards” in August from The Andrew Goodman Foundation. The organization cited Anderson’s “exceptional contributions to voting rights and social justice.”

A Culver Fellow, Anderson helped secure caucus locations for students, as well as an early voting polling place. She also helped highlight an Iowa law that restricts voting for out-of-state students.

“She is fiercely dedicated to protecting students’ voting rights and ensuring that Iowa’s new voter ID law does not disenfranchise any eligible voters on our campus or throughout the state,” said Seth Andersen, director of the John C. Culver Public Policy Center at Simpson.

National honors also were received in July

by Simpson’s chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, which captured the John O. Moseley Zeal award.

The honor is the most prestigious award that SAE bestows, and it’s given annually to the most impressive fraternity among 240 chapters in the United States and Canada.

“I’d say what set us apart is that we strive for academic excellence in our fraternity,” said junior Nate Sams, president of the SAE chapter at Simpson. “We put grades above a lot of other stuff. That’s a core value for us.” n

28 SIMPSON COLLEGE

“A remarkable pianist, he was one of the most published choral composers in America,” Walt wrote.

“Beyond that, Sven Lekberg was a universal man. He conversed comfortably and intelligently on everything from French literature to modern architecture, collected a library so large that he had to have his house equipped with steel beams to carry the load, and always took time to be a friend, a loving husband and father.”

The complete collection of Lekberg’s Christmas songs is now available in a book. Composed over four decades, the carols are printed in enlarged manuscript. A CD is enclosed featuring recordings of the songs performed by Simpson students and alumni.

The book also includes photos of the Lekbergs and their students at home. The CD features an interview with Dr. Robert Larsen ’56, professor emeritus of music, and Sven Lekberg, in which he performs his version of Jingle Bells.

The manuscript is edited by Michael Patterson ’75, professor of music— music education/piano. All proceeds will go to the Lekberg Scholarship Fund at Simpson.

To order by mail, send $29.99 to Simpson College Music Dept., 701 N. C St., Indianola, Ia., 50125. To order with a credit card, call (515)961-1637. To purchase online: www.simpson.edu/the-lekbergchristmas-songs/ n

SIMPSON COLLEGE AT THE IOWA STATE FAIR For ten days in August, people from all over the state (and some from way beyond it), found themselves at the Iowa State Fair, elbow-deep in plate-sized tenderloins, buckets of chocolate chip cookies and just about anything you can imagine on a stick!

Many of those good folks also found their way to Simpson College’s booth in the Varied Industries Building.

We had so much fun talking with alumni, prospective students, parents, current students and people who knew people who went to Simpson. Alumni who stopped by got to show everyone where they’re living now by placing a pin in the United States map.

The Fair is a great way for prospective students to find out more information about Simpson. In fact, this fall’s incoming freshman class has four students in it whose first contact with Simpson was at the Fair! Since we’ve had a booth at the Fair, we’ve had 15 students enroll who first found us at the Fair.

If we didn’t get to see you this year, please plan to stop by next year, August 9-19.

We love talking to you and hearing your stories and memories of Simpson. n

THE ZENITH IS BACK! Three Simpson students who weren’t yet in high school when the annual yearbook ceased publication in 2009 decided to revive it as a project for their Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization (CEO).

They quickly discovered what they had gotten themselves into.

“Just finding consistent, reliable help was difficult,” said Megan Myers, president of the CEO chapter on campus. She is a senior this fall. “And promoting it and letting people know they could get it was a challenge.”

“We would have liked to have seen more sales,” Myers said. “We’re hoping that more people will hear about it and want to buy it next year.”

Marilyn Mueller, a professor of management and CEO’s

faculty advisor, said Myers, junior Macie Heller and sophomore Emily Sassman deserve credit for tackling such an ambitions project.

“The students did an amazing job on this project,” she said. “They were very self-directed, motivated, creative and disciplined.”

Myers said she hopes another class will take on the project this year.

“It was fun, but it was stressful,” she said. “It was a big project to take on and we learned a lot. Going forward we know what to do next year.”

Like finding more people to help.

“There was a lot of work for three people,” Myers said, “but we powered through.”

The revived Zenith will be published this fall. About 25 copies were sold; another 25 copies will be available for purchase. Contact Myers at megan.myers@ my.simpson.edu for more information. n

29 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

•

T O U R I N G

T H E

Y E A R S

Class Notes

Madison FiedlerCarlson ’12 and Jacob Carlson, Oct. 8, 2016, Des Moines.

A complete listing of all class notes can be found online at www.simpson.edu/ classnotesFA17.

Marriages

Lesley Olson ’10 and James Montgomery ’11, June 11, 2016, West Des Moines.

Margaret Hayes ’68 and Douglas Churchill ’68, June 3, 2017, Central Point, Ore.

Maggie Schuttler ’10 and Michael Scherer, Jan. 21, 2017, West Bend.

Grant Dyer ’77 and Susan Becker, May 20, 2017, Indianola.

Nancy Davis ’03 and Joshua Hart, July 16, 2016, Milwaukee, Wis. Heather Anderson ’06 and Mike Hannigan, Jan. 21, 2017, Sanibel Island, Fla. Rebecca Jackson York ’06 and Will York, June 11, 2016, Omaha, Neb.

Paige Shelton ’10 and Chase Durfee, Oct. 1, 2016, Little Sioux.

Sarah Keller ’11 and Thomas Nelson, Aug. 19, 2017, Des Moines.

Kasarah Menegon ’11 and Dail Boiter, May 27, 2017, Lexington, S.C.

Robert Trimble ’12 and Alyssa Thompson ’12, June 24, 2017, Ankeny.

Carrie Wubben ’12 and Joseph Galvan, May 6, 2016, Boone.

Aimee Allen ’13 and Todd Barnhill, Jan. 21, 2017, Charlotte, N.C.

Emily Gladfelter ’13 and Benjamin Lempka ’15, July 15, 2017, Indianola.

Nathan Houser ’13 and Jenna Houser, June 24, 2017, Otsego, Minn.

Tia Nearmyer ’07 and Andrew Nelson, June 10, 2017, Windsor Heights.

Jason Hayes ’09 and Rhonda Boesenberg ’09, Oct. 22, 2016, Storm Lake.

•

Sara Olson ’11 and Kristina Kelehan ’14, Sep. 10, 2016, West Des Moines.

Ambarlee Berringer ’12 and David Miller, June 7, 2017, Walt Disney World, Fla.

Alexandria Cochrane ’12 and Patrick Cashmore, July 8, 2017, Des Moines.

David Albrecht ’10 and Tabetha McCormick ’10, Sep. 10, 2016, Smith Chapel on the Simpson campus.

30 SIMPSON COLLEGE

Michael Kern ’13 and Lauren Sebek ’14, June 4, 2016, Smith Chapel on the Simpson campus.

Kasey McCreary ’13 and Cody Driscoll, April 29, 2017, Davenport.

Mark Meier ’13 and Alyssa Ahrenholtz ’15, June 10, 2017, Grimes.

Births/Adoptions Madison Boswell ’14 and Doug Simon, Oct. 8, 2016, Humboldt.

Kylie Van Houten ’14 and Ben Markey, Sep. 23, 2016, Des Moines.

Nathan Jones ’14 and Kelsey McLaughlin ’15, Aug. 20, 2016, Sugar Grove Vineyards and Gathering Place, Newton.

Allyson Louzek ’14 and Eric Cluney, Sept.

19, 2015, West Des Moines.

Callie Besaw ’16 and Evan Johnson, May, 2016, Storm Lake.

Erin Brown ’16 and Cory Hermann, June 17, 2017, Leech Lake in Minn.

Josie Violet Lutheran, Aug. 23, 2016, to Nicole Duncan Lutheran ’95 and Christopher Lutheran, Indianola, joined twins Kolton and Kaydence, born March 19, 2012, and adopted Aug. 5, 2016.

Elizabeth Ann Brincks, Dec. 28, 2016, to Jocelyn Stull Brincks ’01 and Alan Brincks ’15, Ankeny, joined brother, Carrick.

Ethan Dominick, Nov. 14, 2016, to Matthew Dominick ’01 and Letitia Dominick, Humboldt, joined Alexis.

Ashton Grace Buckner, March 22, 2016, to Jeffrey Buckner ’04 and Jill McIntire Buckner ’05, Urbandale.

Sloan Rhielle Foley, Feb. 21, 2016, to Andrea Flatt Foley ’04 and Nathan Foley ’04, Omaha, Neb., joined Xander and Westyn.

Alphonse Luis Petrovich, Dec. 24, 2016, to Andrea Diaz Petrovich ’04 and Andrew Petrovich, Des Moines, welcomed by sister, Amelia.

Emmilia Pearl Mortenson, Nov. 21, 2016, to Jackie Pigott Mortenson ’01 and Kory Mortenson, Cherokee, joined Ellena, Lincoln, Kristian and Korbin.

Hadley Elizabeth Schmidt, April 18, 2016, to Elissia Speicher Schmidt ’02 and Jon Schmidt, Ankeny, joined big sister, Harper.

Emma Lea Brix, July 14, 2016, to Karen Dobranski Brix ’03 and Shane Brix, Grimes, joined Anna.

Dean Allen Fesler, June 16, 2016, to Suzanne Messick Fesler ’03 and Chad Fesler, North Liberty, joined Elise.

Levi James Hart, April 16, 2017, to Nancy Davis Hart ’03 and Joshua Hart, Milwaukee, Wis. Matilda Standley, June 24, 2017, to Erin Reed Standley ’03 and Christopher Standley, Kansas City, Mo., joins big sister, Penelope.

31 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

Twins Scarlett Marie and John David “Jack” Sales, June 13, 2017, to Christine Walsh ’04 and John Sales, Bettendorf, join Ruby.

Reid Whitson, Nov. 16, 2016, to Jill Toombs Whitson ’04 and Stephen Whitson, Indianola, joined sisters, Eden, Stella and Baya.

Declan Brosamle, March 17, 2017, to Jacob Brosamle ’05 and Tyse Brosamle, Rock Valley, joins Mila and Knox.

Matthew Shaver, July 3, 2017, to Christopher Shaver ’05 and Jessica Shaver, Bondurant, joins Emma.

Jane Brack, March 29, 2017, to Jodie Duncan Brack ’06 and Michael Brack, Fraser, Colo.

Laney J. Cooper, Sep. 2, 2015, to Cody Cooper ’06 and Shannon Cooper, Grimes.

Mark Burton Hannigan, April 11, 2017, to Heather Anderson Hannigan ’06 and Mike Hannigan, West Saint Paul, Minn., joins Johanna.

Vera Ruth Huntley, Feb. 16, 2016, to Christian Huntley ’06 and Jenna DeDecker Huntley ’07, Bayport, Minn.

Ryan Alan Peterson, March 22, 2017, to Katie Struck Peterson ’07 and Ronald Peterson ’07, Key West, Fla.

Jacob Easton Bontrager, Oct. 10, 2016, to Neil Bontrager ’08 and Corrie Bontrager, Saint Petersburg, Fla., welcomed by sister, Charlotte.

Emmett Lee Mitchell, Nov. 21, 2016, to Andrew Mitchell ’06 and Cassandra Mitchell, Norwalk, joined brothers, William and Wyatt.

Oliver Harold Ott, May 26, 2016, to Lisa Rasmussen Ott ’06 and Justin Ott, Nevada, joined brothers, Travor and Carver.

Noah Schroeder, Jan. 27, 2016, to Stephany Robinson Schroeder ’06 and Ryan Schroeder, Andover, Kan. Samarth Man Singh, June 20, 2016, to Sandeep Singh ’06 and Rati Kasajoo Singh, Urbandale.

Henry Fritz Shultice, May 15, 2016, to Andrea Seehusen Shultice ’09 and Blake Shultice ’11, West Branch.

Dean Wesley Swoyer, April 24, 2016, to Meridith Sayler Swoyer ’09 and Zachary Swoyer, Urbandale, joined Hadley.

Robert Russell Crouthamel, March 7, 2017, to Sarah Aasheim ’10 and Kyle Crouthamel, Manson.

Mia Lily Chandler, March 23, 2017, to Amanda Bell Chandler ’08 and Brandon Chandler, Johnston, joins Isabella.

Oliver Lloyd Hutton, Sep. 9, 2016, to Ashley Janes Hutton ’08 and Ryan Hutton ’08, Nevada, joined William and London.

Jonathan Harold Lindberg, Nov. 24, 2016, to Sarah Burton Lindberg ’08 and Nicholas Lindberg, Roseville, Minn.

Caroline Rae Thorson, Feb. 28, 2017, to Adam Thorson ’08 and Katheryn Pearson Thorson ’10, Norwalk.

Bennett Alliman, June 25, 2017, to Leah Grothe Alliman ’10 and Kirk Alliman, Adel.

Brayden Lee Bolte, May 26, 2017, to Hannah Pickett Bolte ’10 and Ben Bolte, Papillion, Neb., joins Hallie.

Grady Pearson, Sep. 16, 2016, to Kristen Karpan Pearson ’11 and Tyler Pearson ’11, Knoxville, joined Aiden.

Hunter Bolton, May 31, 2017, to Kelsey Ubben Bolton ’09 and Shaun Bolton, Indianola, joins Leighton and Remy.

Adelyn Grace Collinsworth, June 12, 2017, to Ashley Backstrom Collinsworth ’07 and Chris Collinsworth, Johnston.

Luke Leon Brotherson, Nov. 11, 2016, to Erin Weaver Brotherson ’09 and Derek Brotherson, Saint Charles, joined Gage, Blake and Emmett.

Maddux Ray Satterwhite, May 10, 2017, to Carlye Owens Satterwhite ’09 and Matt Satterwhite, Cumming, joins Braxton.

32 SIMPSON COLLEGE

Weston Michael Robinett, May 8, 2017, to Emily VanMaele Robinett ’11 and Shane Robinett ’11, Lees Summit, Mo.

Levi Anderson, May 9, 2017, to Keri Waterhouse Anderson ’12 and Aaron Anderson, Maxwell.

Isaac Russell Mikels, June 25, 2017, to Rebecca Pietig Mikels ’12 and Blaise Mikels ’12, Commerce City, Colo.

Lola Jane Sorenson, Feb. 28, 2017, to Molly Swenson Sorenson ’12 and Joseph Sorenson ’12, Grimes.

Violet Claire Huebener, Dec. 14, 2016, to Zachariah Huebener ’13 and Bridget Huebener, Norwalk.

Leia Irene Barnett, Oct. 12, 2016, to Emily Dornbusch Barnett ’14 and Aaron Barnett, Des Moines.

Twins Wyatt and Harrison Moore, June 26, 2016, to Anthony Moore ’14 and Danielle Moore, Waukee, joined Sydney and Abby.

Deaths

Betty Dettmann Bishop ’48, June 6, 2017, Coralville.

Dr. Ruth Hillis Seay ’35, Feb. 18, 2017, Lexington, Ky.

Joan Winkelman Boggess ’48, April 27, 2017, Urbandale.

A. Wilson Goodwin ’38, Aug. 29, 2015, Ames.

Ila Lundquist Boston ’48, Nov. 1, 2016, Ames.

Ruth Schooler Felton ’39, June 3, 2017, Indianola.

Marynetta Leitch Grant ’48, April 26, 2017, Saratoga, Calif.

Margaret Hall Ott ’39, Nov. 3, 2016, Saint Paul, Minn.

Rev. William Miller ’49, Jan. 5, 2017, Des Moines.

Virginia Wheelock Henderson ’41, April 18, 2017, Georgetown, Texas.

J. Bruce Annear ’50, May 11, 2017, Coon Rapids.

Elizabeth Mitchell Kuntz ’41, April 18, 2016, Indianapolis, Ind.

Lawrence Boston ’50, July 11, 2017, Ames.

Jean Clark Warren ’41, Feb. 27, 2017, Des Moines.

Dwight Maitre ’50, June 3, 2017, Urbandale.

Rev. Walter Sieck ’42, March 1, 2017, Perry.

Harrison Coppock ’51, May 31, 2017, Lewiston, N.Y.

Wilma Courtney Beiley ’43, Feb. 22, 2017, Hemet, Calif.

Eugene Kelley ’51, Oct. 11, 2016, Carthage, Mo.

Mary Elgin Brewbaker ’43, July 13, 2017, Indianola.

Rev. Don Young ’51, June 1, 2015, Sierra Vista, Ariz.

Charles Godwin ’44, March 31, 2017, Indianola.

Hollis Haworth ’52, Feb. 16, 2017, Columbia, Mo.

Merle Matherly Lamb ’44, March 7, 2017, Indianola.

Arlene Hager Mains ’52, May 16, 2017, Indianola.

Phyllis Piatt Shaw ’45, April 1, 2017, West Des Moines.

Frank Taylor ’52, March 4, 2017, Indianola.

Ethel Casady Smith ’45, Oct. 4, 2016, Indianola.

Richard Borchert ’55, Aug. 1, 2017, Windsor Heights.

Louise Lepley Thompson ’45, July 29, 2017, Indianola.

Vanna Young Cook ’55, April 12, 2017, Naples, Fla.

Grace Argo Whitehead ’45, July 15, 2017, Centerville.

Carol Petersen Iverson ’56, July 23, 2017, Madrid.

Herbert Frank ’46, Feb. 22, 2017, Fort Worth, Texas.

Shirley Robinson Lamb ’57, April 23, 2017, Marionville, Mo.

Barbara Wilcox Niester ’46, Nov. 9, 2015, Decatur, Ill.

Dianne Benning Klisares ’58, April 13, 2017, Woodbine.

Lorna Iverson ’47, April 1, 2017, Plainwell, Mich.

James Stanton ’58, Aug. 26, 2015, Seymour, Ind.

Charles Kuchan ’47, June 7, 2017, Indianola.

Lysle White, Jr. ’58, April 4, 2017, Lynden, Wash.

33 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

Norma Taggart Cambridge ’59, May 13, 2016, Amarillo, Texas.

Marcia Pfeiffer Corchran ’64, June 15, 2016, Lake Hubert, Minn.

Greg Brewer ’75, June 12, 2017, Indianola.

Jack Denny ’59, Feb. 10, 2017, Liberty, Mo.

Robert Knox ’66, May 18, 2017, Council Bluffs.

Virgil Lundy ’75, March 30, 2017, Osceola.

Richard Fish ’59, Feb. 13, 2017, Ankeny.

G. Lee Miller ’67, March 6, 2017, Longmont, Colo.

Lita Meints ’76, June 14, 2017, Indianola.

Stephen Foster ’68, May 4, 2017, Indianola.

Gary Hunziker ’79, May 19, 2017, Ames.

Bill Hulen ’59, March 20, 2017, Indianola.

R. Ted Koski ’59, March 30, 2017, Wilmore, Ky. Jane Millard Lilly ’59, July 20, 2017, Norman, Okla.

Edwin Halstad, Jr. ’68, Oct. 28, 2016, Spring Hill, Tenn.

Janice Lucht Fuller ’80, Feb. 22, 2017, Indianola.

JoAnn Lester ’68, Feb. 3, 2017, Lamoni.

Robert O’Hern ’94, June 3, 2017, Des Moines.

Wilma Thomas Mitchell ’60, April 6, 2017, Adel.

Dorothy Baier Spiker ’69, June 6, 2016, Newton.

Nichole Stephenson Lynch ’04, April 18, 2017, Marion.

Sandra Jensen Nelson ’61, March 28, 2017, Ames.

Dr. Donna Helble ’71, March 13, 2017, Winona, Minn.

Jackie Repplinger, Sr. ’61, March 20, 2017, Pleasantville.

Dan Reeves ’71, June 14, 2017, West Des Moines.

Roseann De Biaggio Upton ’61, Sep. 18, 2015, Des Moines.

Charles Manly, III ’72, March 7, 2017, Spirit Lake.

Robert Jansen ’63, Feb. 6, 2017, Bondurant.

Elizabeth Wohlenhaus Johanson ’74, Sep. 21, 2015, Winnebago, Minn.

John Tucker, Sr. ’63, Dec. 3, 2016, Phoenix, Ariz.

Jon Witzenburg ’74, March 14, 2017, Indianola.

OCTOBER 13-15, 2017 SIMPSON.EDU/HOMECOMING2017

34 SIMPSON COLLEGE

•

C A L E N D A R

O F

E V E N T S

•

Calendar events are subject to change. For complete details and updates, view the full calendar online at http://events.simpson.edu/calendar/.

OCTOBER 1-23 2-26 4 12

13-15 13

13-15 14 17 19-20 26 27-29

Willis Gallery: Murphy Waggoner Art Exhibit Farnham Galleries: Kathyrose Pizzo Art Exhibit (reception 10/26) McBride Lecture—Dr. Brian Skotko 36th Annual Presidents’ Society Dinner—by invitation only Fall Honor Choir Concert Homecoming & Family Weekend Alumni Recognition Reception Red and Gold Celebration Theatre Simpson: Tartuffe Fall Visit Day—Homecoming Edition Simpson College Symphonic Band and Jazz Ensemble in Concert Fall Break Matthew Simpson Lecture: Dr. Barbara Newman Fall Opera Acis and Galatea

NOVEMBER 1 1 2 3 5

Willis Gallery: Simpson College Faculty Art Exhibit (runs through 1/26) Veterans Day Ceremony Reconsidering Herbert Hoover November Fall Visit Day Simpson College Choir and Women’s Chorale in Concert

6-12/7 Farnham Galleries: Jonathan McFadden Art Exhibit (reception 12/7) 12 Simpson College Chamber Singers in Concert 14 Simpson College Jazz Ensemble in Concert 16-18 Theatre Simpson: The Bald Soprano 17 2nd Annual Start Up Storm Event 20 Madrigal Singers in Concert 29 Simpson College Instrumental Chamber Music Recital

DECEMBER 3

Simpson College and Community Orchestra in Concert 7 Simpson College Symphonic Band in Concert 9 Holiday Meal 9 Lessons and Carols 10 Lessons and Carols 16 December Commencement 16-20 Men’s Basketball Cruzin Classic Tournament in Fort Lauderdale

JANUARY

9 Classes Begin 9-2/8 Farnham Galleries: Aaron Tinder Art Exhibit (reception 2/8) 20 Music Education Workshop: Thomas Michalek 25-26 Simpson College Jazz Festival

35 SIMPSON.EDU/MAGAZINE

FEBRUARY 2 2-16

Art Portfolio Scholarship Day Willis Gallery: High School Art Competition (competition reception 2/16) 9-11 Spring Opera—Little Women 11 Opera Audition and Scholarship Event Day 16 Music Showcase and Scholarship Auditions 19-3/22 Farnham Galleries: Michael Ryan Art Exhibit (reception 3/22) 23 Simpson College Nostalgia Dance 24-25 Simpson Softball in Dallas

MARCH

3-10 Simpson Softball in Orlando 3-11 Spring Break 13-4/11 Willis Gallery: Simpson College, All-Student, Juried Exhibition (awards 4/11) 16-18 Theatre Simpson: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee 21 Women in America Lecture 24-25 Simpson Softball in Chicago 25 Simpson College Madrigal Singers in Concert 29-4/27 Farnham Galleries: Senior Art Exhibition (reception 4/27)

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Des Moines, IA Permit No. 5740

701 North C Street Indianola, Iowa 50125 800.610.6369 l simpson.edu

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

HERE ARE THE TOP 10 WAYS YOU CAN HELP: 1.

WE NEED YOUR

2.

3.

Encourage young people to visit campus.

4.

5.

Wear your Simpson gear. That’s how conversations get started.

6.

AS YOU WELL KNOW, SIMPSON IS A GREAT COLLEGE, AND WE’RE LOOKING FOR MORE STUDENTS TO FIND THEIR SUCCESS HERE.

Spread the news. Word of mouth is still the most effective marketing tool.

7.

8.

9.

Visit with a teacher or guidance counselor in your community.

They can be influential in encouraging students to consider a college.

Our Admissions office has some great publications that tell Simpson’s story. Give one to a student who you believe could thrive on campus.

Students and parents are concerned about college costs.

Describe the value of your Simpson education.

Ask a high school junior or senior what they hope to study in college, then send them a link from our website—www. simpson.edu—regarding that major.

Tell them how small class sizes made a difference in your Simpson experience.

Ask students if they’d be willing to be contacted by a Simpson admissions counselor.

10. Just tell your story. Alumni are Simpson’s best ambassadors.

AND THANK

YOU!