Spring 2012

SPRING 2012

The Magazine

| president’s message

Global perspective It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears It’s a world of hopes; it’s a world of fear.

There’s so much that we share That it’s time we’re aware.

It’s a small world after all.1 ith all due credit to Sherman and Sherman (and Walt Disney), it is a small world.

Improvements in transportation, communication and in the use of technology have, as Tom Friedman described in his best-selling book, made the world flat.2 At Simpson we are constantly challenged to understand and prepare our students for success in a rapidly changing and more intimate global context.

A few years ago, while visiting Tahiti to help establish our Study Abroad program with l’Université de Polynésie française (The University of French Polynesia), I was reminded of just how flat the world had become. While taking a tour of the campus, I happened to glance at the weekly menu posted outside of the student center. My limited ability to read French kept me from knowing what was on the menu, but I clearly recognized the name of the food service provider — the same company that we used at Simpson College. Our students would be learning in a most exotic environment, but with a clear reminder that the world is more interconnected and smaller than ever before.

Our new engaged citizenship curriculum has a sharp focus on helping our students build the competitive skills necessary to live, work and learn in a more intimate world. You will find our commitment to providing students with these skills reflected everywhere on campus. Our foreign language department, for example, has been redefined as the Department of World Language and Culture Studies to better communicate how we work with students to help them bridge cultural differences, analyze the global context of issues and effectively communicate within other cultures.

Nothing has a more profound impact on our students, however, than the experience of studying in another country. Not long ago, U.S. News and World Report named Simpson as one of the top 100 institutions in the country based upon the percentage of our students who study abroad. It is a component of their education we strongly support and encourage. There is simply no way to match the experience of living in a country and experiencing a different culture. It can, and often does, change a student’s life and outlook. And that knowledge gives Simpson students a decided advantage in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace.

The global environment touches us all. At Simpson, we are working to ensure that our students are equipped not only to participate in, but also to lead our world into the future. So join us on our virtual trip around the world as you read about how Simpson is preparing students for big opportunities in a world that seems to get smaller and flatter with each passing day.

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1 It’s a Small World (After All); Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman; 1964.

2 The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century; Thomas L. Friedman; Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2005.

contents

The Magazine Simpson College President John Byrd Produced by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations Jill Ramthun Johnson ’85 Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations Leslie Byars Diehl ’03 Art Director Ken Fuson Marketing Writer/Media Specialist

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Greg Votava Digital Content Specialist Amanda Leichty ’10 Graphic Designer Bryan Geelan ’07 Athletics Communication Director

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Oscar Preis Web Development Specialist Mary Fortune Administrative Assistant Jenifer Mertes Welch ’12 Copy Center Manager

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Touring the Years Editor Sara Thompson Contributing Writers Ken Fuson Bryan Geelan ’07 Leslie Midget Held ’86 Jill Ramthun Johnson ’85 Rosemary Link Ben Lucas ’12 Ben Rodgers ’15 Fritz Wehrenberg Photography Luke Behaunek Leslie Byars Diehl ’03 Dave Peterson Greg Votava Office of Alumni Relations Leslie Midget Held ’86 Director 515-961-1544

6 Investing in Simpson 7 Faculty Pursuits - Pat Singer

- Where Are They Now? - Faculty Accomplishments

10 A SIMPSON SPACE 12 CHAPLAIN’S CORNER 15 Cover story

25 ATHLETICS 28 UPCOMING EVENTS 30 EXTRA!

- Homecoming & Family Weekend - Symposium - The Carver Legacy

34 TOURING THE YEARS

Experience the World!

Office of College Advancement Bob Lane ’81 Vice President 515-961-1549 The Simpson magazine is published by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations. Letters to the Editor and story ideas are welcomed.

Send correspondence to themagazine@simpson.edu

ON THE COVER: We turned some of your submitted Study Abroad photographs into postcards to show the diversity of people and places represented by Simpson’s international study opportunities.

Visit www.simpson.edu/magazine to view more photos.

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| this is simpson

Helping others appeals to Jorie Landers. She spent spring break in Winnipeg working with Siloam Mission.

OPENING NEW DOORS or Jorie Landers ’12, the Study Abroad experience didn’t end when she left Thailand.

She’s working this semester as an intern at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in Des Moines.

“To be honest, the internship sort of just fell into my lap this past summer,” said Landers, 21, of Sioux City. “I received an email from the internship coordinator announcing the opportunity … I probably wouldn’t have given it a second glance had I not spent my semester in Thailand.”

While studying in Thailand, Landers visited a refugee camp filled with people from Burma.

How small is today’s world? She now works with some of those refugees in Des Moines.

“My internship has given me the opportunity to work with people from all over Burma, those who sought refuge in various places, such as Nepal, Malaysia and even Thailand,” she said. “I have even met a few people who lived in the refugee camp that I was able to visit while studying abroad.”

Landers said she didn’t know that would be the case when she accepted the internship.

“I undoubtedly feel like my time in Thailand prepared me more for this internship than I could have predicted, and my time studying abroad definitely gave me an upper hand in the application and interview process.”

A religion and sociology major with a concentration on social work, Landers isn’t sure what career path she will take after graduation.

“However, my time in Thailand and my experience (as an intern) have certainly opened new doors for me.” ■

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Bringing the world

February 19

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BACK HOME ere it not for the Peace Corps, it’s fair to say more than 200 Simpson College students would know a lot less about Thailand and Southeast Asia.

That’s how many students have gone on May Term or Study Abroad trips to Thailand and other Asian countries with Lora Friedrich, a professor for the social sciences, and other Simpson professors since 1999.

“I’m incredibly humbled by that,” Friedrich said.

To understand how it began, it’s best to return to Friedrich’s undergraduate days at Huntington College, a Christian school in Indiana. After she graduated, she accepted a Peace Corps assignment to Thailand, where she worked from 1982 to 1985.

“I wanted to understand what it meant to be a minority, and to unpack Christianity outside of a Christian environment, so I could get a sense of what I believed apart from what I was socialized to think,” she said.

The result? Friedrich now describes herself as “a Christian with a Buddha vibe.”

One of the Peace Corps’ three goals is, “Bringing the world back home.” With that in mind, Friedrich launched Simpson’s first May Term trip in 1999 to Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.

“The impetus for my doing the first May Term was the idea of bringing the world back home and wanting young adults to have an understanding of the developing world in Southeast Asia,” she said.

Ten years later, she helped establish the first Study Abroad program to Thailand, in which Simpson students spend an entire semester there. The course has proven to be popular.

“It always fills up,” Friedrich said. “I think students have gotten a better perspective of the world and issues related to the world.”

Which means she has carried out a Peace Corps goal.

“I hope so,” she said. “I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I think it’s one of the things that’s made the greatest impact on my life.” ■

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| investing faculty pursuits in simpson

Krystal Daggett ’15 said she is thrilled to have the opportunity to spend an academic year studying in Greece.

A VALUABLE EXPERIENCE om Herr hopes an experience that changed his life as a student will change someone else’s.

To that end, the 1978 Simpson graduate is providing a $32,000 scholarship for a current Simpson student to spend an entire academic year at the College Year in Athens, a Study Abroad program that focuses on Greece and the East Mediterranean region.

“I really wanted someone at Simpson to have that same experience I had,” said Herr, an attorney in Fort Wayne, Ind. “It was important for me that they went for a whole year.”

it also gives you a perspective of your own country that you cannot get when you’re living in your own country.

In 1976, Herr was a sophomore history major at Simpson.

Back then, the interim semester was held in January, and he went with his Spanish class to Mexico.

“You learn there are people in other countries who are just as proud of their country as we are of ours, and they don’t see the United States as infallible.”

“It was the first time I had been out of the country, and I really liked it,” he said.

When he returned, History Professor Owen Duncan had a surprise. A benefactor had provided the money for a Simpson student to study in Greece. Was Herr interested?

He paused. A full academic year, all by himself, in a country he had never thought much about before then?

He agreed to go, spending his junior year there.

“I didn’t know anybody,” he said. “I just showed up there and had three roommates, two from New York and one from Chicago. We became very good friends.

“No question about it, it changed my life.”

It wasn’t simply the academic opportunities, although Herr says he still enjoys reading Greek tragedies. “And every day as you walk to class there’s the Acropolis. It’s a very inspiring place to study history because it’s right there in front of you.”

But what really changed was his perspective.

“For anybody who has not traveled, it gives you a perspective of not only another culture, which I always appreciated, but

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In Fort Wayne, Herr manages an endowment that sends high school students on trips to Japan, Poland and Germany.

“I know my work there comes from that year in Greece,” he said. “It was such a valuable experience that I want more people to have it.”

Krystal Daggett ’15, of Creston, has accepted the scholarship and will be studying the 2012-13 academic year in Greece.

“I am beyond excited and grateful to get this chance,” she said.

“The College Year in Athens program provides experiences that are truly once in a lifetime, from class participation in archaeological digs to hiking Mt. Olympus. It is sometimes hard to believe that I actually have the chance to be part of this amazing program.”

Bob Lane, vice president for college advancement, said Herr’s gift “is an incredibly generous gesture to give back what he received at Simpson. This is how our alumni ensure that the college’s spirit and traditions are passed along to future generations. It makes a huge difference.”

Said Herr: “I never thought about going away for a year, and I never thought about Greece, and it turned out to be just a remarkable experience. It was all positive.” ■

faculty pursuits |

LISTENING

By BEN LUCAS ’12

tudents in the United States might find it hard to visualize a place where there are no toilets, no running water and only very basic medical care. For Pat Singer, seeing these places gives her and her students a new understanding of life in the developing world.

A professor of biology at Simpson, Singer has visited Peru, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, Mexico, Namibia and Thailand, as well as developing countries in Central America, with a second Namibia trip planned this May. Her focus is not always on biology or a country’s famous landmarks. It’s often about something simple: listening.

“The trips that I think are most valuable for me and for the students aren’t sight-seeing trips,” Singer said. “The trips that I think have been most transformative for the students are when we sit down and listen to the stories of people who live there. It’s listening to all those different voices.”

Singer wants her students to listen to a variety of voices, ranging from someone scraping by in a barrio to a local business owner to government officials. She said that hearing all these different viewpoints will help students gain an appreciation of life outside the developed world that they could not receive from a class or a book.

“Later on, students can go travel as tourists, but this should be a unique opportunity to meet people and talk to people and listen to what life is like in that country,” she said.

Back home, Singer considers her field a fast-moving, hard-topredict discipline, and preparing her students for the future is a challenge because of it. “The curiosity that students gain from studying abroad will help them later,” she said.

“I’m a molecular biologist, and I see my field moving extremely fast, and it moves in very surprising ways,” she added. “I don’t know what’s going to happen or what’s going to be discovered 10 years from now. And so I think about how am I going to create and develop for a future I can’t even imagine. I think the most important thing is to give students the curiosity and the skills to be learners. The facts are going to be outdated five or 10 years from now, but how one discovers and how one learns are way more important.”

Singer said she will continue traveling, listening and learning.

She hopes her students will, too.

“Every time you learn something, there’s another question,” she said.” ■

Pat Singer

Professor of Biology Education: • B.A., St. Olaf College, 1976 • Ph.D., Kansas State University, 1981

Six FACTS about Pat Singer: Favorite place I’ve visited: I’d go back to Iceland in a heartbeat.

Favorite hobby: Running, and mowing the lawn.

Biggest misconception about science: People think of science as black and white. It’s not. New discoveries are constantly changing old paradigms, and even in science, old ways of thinking are hard to change.

If I could have unlimited grant money I would research: Cancer.

The most interesting thing in my office: My Aung San Su Ki t-shirt. She was a Burmese heroine elected to the office of prime minister but never allowed to serve by the Burmese army.

My inspiration is: Curiosity.

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Roger and Joan Betsworth celebrate the arrival of Spring by taking a spin on their tandem bike.

| chaplain’s corner

ROGER BETSWORTH

B y L e sli e midg e t h e ld ’ 8 6

where are they now? e might imagine our emeriti faculty spending their golden years relaxing in a wing back chair in front of a cozy fire with a book nearby. In our Where Are They Now series, we’ve discovered we are more likely to find them on a tennis court, restoring a 100-yearold log cabin or, in the case of Professor of Religion Chair Emeritus (1973-1998), Roger Betsworth, on a tandem bike or traveling the globe — sometimes simultaneously.

You’re an Iowa native, but your journey took you around the world before you settled here.

I was born in Sioux City and went to high school in Waterloo. I earned my B.S. from the United States Naval Academy in 1955. I spent four years at sea on small ships that didn’t have chaplain, so I led divine services when the ship was at sea. Because I visited with Methodist teachers when we were in ports around the world, I learned about differing cultures. Those experiences confirmed my call to ministry. I earned my master’s of divinity from Drew University in New Jersey and was appointed to a Methodist church in Huntington Beach, Calif., where I did a lot of teaching and enjoyed it very much. I was offered a full scholarship to the Ph.D. program in Social Ethics at the University of Southern California. When I finished in 1973, I had two job offers, one at Simpson. I started at Simpson as both chaplain and assistant professor of religion.

As a teacher of religion and ethics in the 1970s, you certainly had ample material for discussion.

What classes were your favorites?

Social Ethics and Black Religion & Social Change were

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among my favorite classes, as was the marriage course and Psychology of Religion. And I truly enjoyed leading students in Study Abroad experiences.

What memories of those trips stand out?

In 1995, Ron Warnet, Dick Tinder and I took students to Guatemala and El Salvador. As I also found in subsequent trips, people were eager to share their homes and food with us as they searched for ways to bridge the language barrier and share the story of their people. The stories were often heartbreaking stories of repression. We were welcomed into humble abodes with dirt floors and fed as honored guests. Often our students would make up games to play to the delight of the local children. They couldn’t speak the language but discovered play is universal.

And what keeps you busy today?

My wife and I bike tandem and did an Elderhostel in the Netherlands called “Bike and Barge.” I was on a writing team which just published “Welcoming the Stranger,” a Lenten Bible Study series which reflects upon Biblical stories of immigration and connects them with current stories of immigrants. Along with our daughter, who is a Methodist minister, and 25 other Methodists from around the country, we took a trip to the Holy Land that was sponsored by the Methodist Board of Church and Society. And just as in Central America, in Israel we often heard heartbreaking stories of oppression. But despite their experiences, we were once again welcomed with open arms by locals. ■

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faculty accomplishments Nick Proctor, associate professor of history, is leading five discussions about the Civil War at the Franklin Avenue Public Library in Des Moines.

issue of Saxophone Journal, and a CD Master Class on his arrangement of J.S. Bach’s BWV 1057 and 1060 for saxophone will appear in the May/June issue.

Opera at Simpson were also the subject of a front page feature in the Des Moines Sunday Register prior to Simpson’s spring performance of “Cosi fan tutte.”

Jan Everhart, associate professor of religion, co-authored an article with Holly Pedersen ’08 titled “Ancient Prophets and the Current Environmental Crisis.” The article appeared in God’s Earth is Sacred: Essays on Eco-Justice, published December 2011 in a Kindle version. She also presented a paper on integrating ecological concerns into the Biblical studies classroom at the Central States Society of Biblical Literature meeting in St. Louis. Finally, Jan has authored two chapters in a book that is being reviewed in pre-publication form entitled Teaching the Bible in the Undergraduate Liberal Arts Setting.

Professor of Music John Benoit led the Ballyhoo Foxtrot Orchestra in a performance of “I’m Gonna Jazz My Way: The Story of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Told in Narration and Song” at the Nielsen Concert Series at Grand View University in Des Moines. John played trombone, second cornet, and slide whistle. Also taking part were Instructor of Music Jamie Paulsen (piano) and Affiliate Instructor Mike Short (tuba).

Composer and Professor of Music Education Michael Patterson’s 2011 Christmas carol was performed at the Lekberg Christmas Party and at President Byrd’s Christmas Party at The Village in Indianola.

Jack Gittinger, professor of education,

presented two sessions on Exploring Elementary Core Geometry with GeoGebra at the Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Conference.

Paul Craven, assistant professor of computer science, wrote an interactive online textbook teaching students how to program with Python and Pygame.

Assistant Professor of Religion Maeve Callan delivered a paper at the American Society of Church History annual meeting in Chicago in January. Her paper, “A Pagan Resurgence in Twelfth-Century Ireland? Aodh Eanghach, Gerald of Wales, and Laudabiliter, Considered,” examined claims that in the 12th century the Irish were Christians in name only who had reverted to paganism.

Dr. David Camwell, associate professor

of saxophone and jazz studies, performed as a featured soloist in the North American Saxophone Alliance’s Biennial concert. He also recorded several works with Drs. Ron Albrecht and Jillian Camwell with the chamber ensemble Xplorium! for a future CD release. In addition, David recently had articles published in the March/April

Connie Kostelac, assistant professor in sociology and criminal justice, was invited to serve on a Technical Advisory Group with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) based out of Washington, D.C. The project involves one of the first national-level evaluations of how police organizations utilize civilian (non-sworn) employees and how agencies have been impacted by recent budget deficits and the availability of federal grants to hire civilians.

Professor of Chemistry and Physics Werner Kolln served as a reviewer for the Iowa Junior Academy of Science 2012 Starr Student Research Grant Proposals.

Students submit proposals for funds to assist them with science fair projects. The reviewer comments also help students to improve their projects.

Assistant Professor of English Lauren LaFauci reviewed Judith Carney and Nicholas Rosomoff’s “In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa’s Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic World” for the journal Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment.

Simpson’s Director of Opera Bernard McDonald at the piano gave a recital with baritone Todd Thomas for Des Moines Metro Opera, at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Des Moines. McDonald and

Tim McMillin, associate professor of

music and director of choral activities, engaged in an “artist in residence” project with the choir at Central-Decatur High School in Leon. Collaborating with the Central-Decatur administration, he served as clinician to the choir and offered continuing education over a series of visits.

Director of Bands Mike Eckerty published an article in The Iowa Bandmaster entitled, “Relevance in the Rehearsal.” He also performed the reedthree part in the pit orchestra of the Des Moines Civic Center’s production of Mel Brook’s “Young Frankenstein” as well as third bassoon/contra bassoon in the Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of Poulenc’s “Dialogue of the Carmelites.”

Professor of Management and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) advisor Marilyn Mueller accompanied students to Minneapolis to present their projects to groups of business people who served as judges. This is the 10th year of participation for a SIFE team from Simpson College.

Nicolle L. Whalen, assistant professor

of sport sciences, is helping spearhead an effort to improve fitness and nutrition at the Indianola Middle School.Working with school administration, a researcher from Iowa State University and community members, she will integrate Simpson exercise science students into the analysis of students’ physical activity data and assist in enhancing programming to address the needs of students at this level.

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| a simpson space

college DIRLAM LOUNGE hall B y Emily S c h e ttl e r ’ 1 0

hen students returned from winter break, they received a surprise. Dirlam Lounge in Smith Chapel had received a face-lift. And this was a renovation proposed, planned and mostly paid for by students. “I think it shows that students, faculty and the administration can work together,” said Joe Sorenson, president of the Student Government Association.

Track lighting and floor: New track lighting and a wood floor give the lounge more of a cozy, coffeehouse feel. “Business is great and the people who were buying drinks before are now staying longer and hanging out with people or studying,” said Meredith McCay, a junior who manages Holy Grounds Coffee Shop.

Furniture: A comfy couch and chairs invite conversation.

The renovation became possible when students learned they had a $60,000 budget surplus. While discussing options, “We were actually sitting in this lounge and looked around and thought it could use a little updating,” Sorenson said. The Simpson administration and the Religious Life Council also contributed to the renovation project. Square-topped tables were added to make it easier for larger groups to meet.

Fireplace: The old Dirlam fireplace used to be woodburning and was used infrequently. The new fireplace is propane-building and has proven to be popular. Sorenson said the new lounge environment will provide an east-side complement to the new Kent Campus Center, which is still on schedule to open this fall. Dirlam now is “a much more open, more inviting space,” said senior Hannah Landgraf.

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Travis Mickle works in his lab at KemPharm, Inc., in Iowa City.

Espresso machine: Perhaps the biggest change at Dirlam Lounge is the coffee-making area.

Before, workers operated from a cart in the lounge. The cart was converted into a counter, and a new espresso machine was added.

“They changed it so much you can’t even tell it’s the same cart,” said junior JoAnna Freeland, who serves on the student government.

Artwork: Student-produced artwork decorates the new lounge and is replaced periodically. This example is from a digital photography class. “Before, it was a room, but it was very blah,” Landgraf said. “Now there’s more atmosphere. It’s awesome and exciting.” Freeland agreed. “I walked in here (after winter break) and said, ‘Oh my gosh, this is just what we wanted.’” ■ T HE M AGAZ INE | SPR I N G 2 0 1 2

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| chaplain’s evening, weekend corner & graduate programs

NOT THE SAME PERSON B Y F R I T Z W EH R E N B E R G | C HA P L A I N

I am not the same person since I saw the moon shine on the other side of the world.

- Mary Anne Radmacher God saw everything that God had made, and indeed, it was very good.

- Genesis 1:31

have to offer a disclaimer for this issue of the Simpson magazine: I have lived and worked in Europe for five years of my life; my parents were lay missionaries for seven years in Zorzor, Liberia, after my five brothers and sisters and I had all grown; my son, Hal, is currently living and working in Zurich, Switzerland; all of my siblings have traveled overseas; one of my brothers worked in Hong Kong for three years. I am biased and predisposed to encourage students to look for an experience during their collegiate years that takes them out of the United States of America ­— May Term is good, a semester abroad is better!

If there is any truth in the creation stories in Genesis – whether metaphorical truth or literal truth is immaterial – the creation was, is, and remains blessed, or, as God declares, it was all very good. This garden state was imbued with free will, for authenticity and genuineness in any relationship requires such freedom. If God is to remain engaged, which Scripture clearly indicates God chooses to do, then there has to be such freedom. Upon occasion, I suspect there is a gleam in God’s eye and a smirk upon God’s face as God follows the evolving expressions within all of creation throughout all of time. I am equally sure 12

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that God’s heart has been broken over and over by our human choices in this wondrous garden. Of such is the nature of freedom and relationship.

In order to discover what all is in the garden and discern our place in it, it becomes imperative that we move out of comfortable, controlled locales. Just as we move away from home and establish a new home when we move to college, we begin — hopefully — a lifelong process of engaging with the larger world. We all know we live within a global context today; whether it is a tsunami in Japan or Quran burning in Pakistan or Greek debt or an AIDS epidemic in Africa. What happens throughout the world affects us right here at Simpson College. Again, of such is the nature of freedom and relationship.

It is God’s nature to create, something which remains, thankfully, ongoing. It is God’s desire for authenticity and genuineness in this ongoing relationship; hence, freedom.

It is apparent in the witness to God’s activity that there is a consistency to restore and renew this relationship when broken: “For God so loved the world” … John 3:16. All of this sacred activity occurs within this realm of a world and is available to us. What remains, then, is for us to open our eyes to the world in which we live, open our ears to the sounds of life’s rollicking rhythms beating in the lands and seas around us. We need to get out into this riotous, unruly world that God has so blessed. To get out and experience it is not just a matter of being faithful, it is imperative in the faith journey!

Of such is the nature of freedom and relationship in God’s world. ■

Photo courtesy of MicHael ramirez

Michael Ramirez and a friend perform for students during a visit to Slovenia.

evening, weekend & graduate programs |

Simpson DISCOVERS

EUROPE’S “BEST-KEPT SECRET” ow much do you know about Slovenia? Before last summer, Michael Ramirez might have replied, “Not much.” But now…

“It’s gorgeous,” he said. “I consider Slovenia to be Europe’s best-kept secret.”

Ramirez, 35, of Lacona, is a student in Simpson’s Evening, Weekend and Graduate Programs. Last summer, he joined Dr. Rosemary Link, Simpson’s vice president for academic affairs, and a group from Augsburg College in Minneapolis on an educational visit to Slovenia.

The group participated in the University of Ljubljana Summer School as guests of the School of Social Work in Slovenia. This was a pilot project for Simpson and a longstanding exchange for Augsburg.

Slovenia is described as a country of “blossoms and thorns.”

Slovenians refer to blossoms because of its alpine meadows, and fruit orchards, plus the blossoming opportunity for trade. Thorns refer to its recent independence (1991) from the former Yugoslavia and its emerging mixed economy after the post-war years of communism. Slovenia is a member of the European Union and is bordered by Hungary, Croatia, Italy, and Austria.

“It is a valuable opportunity for Slovenian and Iowa students to come together to encounter innovation in each other’s environments, to share culture and to simply learn about one another,” Link said.

Ramirez agreed. A music major, he took his trumpet to Slovenia and discovered a way to integrate music with social work.

He and a guitar player conducted a workshop for students in a Roma community, teaching the children songs.

The children then performed for older members of the community.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “And it was something that they were able to do and learn in a short time and provide a concert for their parents. It was just a unique opportunity.”

The Simpson-Augsburg group learned much about Slovenia, a small country of spectacular beauty and political complexity. The American students were astonished at the cultural history and the combination of ancient and modern architecture when they entered the pedestrian-only streets of the medieval city of Ljubljana.

This summer, a group of two faculty members and 10 students from Slovenia will visit Simpson as part of the Midwest Summer School 2012, which is based in Minneapolis. They will be led by Dr. Lea Bohinc and Dr. Gabi Cacinovic Vogrincic.

Plans are being made to welcome the students to Simpson College and to Des Moines. The schedule will include lectures relating to “Human rights: focusing on the wellbeing of children,” meetings with community leaders, tours of Des Moines and participation in arts events.

While the schedule is still being put together, Link invites the Simpson community to join in the welcoming picnic.

Ramirez said he might invite the students to tour his chicken ranch in Lacona.

“Slovenia had many beautiful sights that the students there took the time to show us,” he said. “Iowa’s the state that bears the quote, ‘Is this heaven? No, its Iowa.’ I look forward to showing our visitors from Europe’s best-kept secret why we consider this heaven.” ■

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ocations

2011-12 Simpson Study Abroad L Argentina Australia London, England Schorndorf, Germany Tahiti Thailand 14

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Namibia China Brazil Norway Denmark England Slovenia

Peru Dominican Republic Poland Spain New Zealand Northern Ireland

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impson College sits on 85 acres in the middle of Iowa, but its reach extends throughout the world.

Want to study in Germany? You’ll find Simpson there. In Tahiti and Argentina, too.

In fact, there are at least 19 countries where Simpson students have studied or will travel to in the 2011-12 academic year.

This includes the “Simpson Experience Abroad” programs, in which students and a faculty member spend a semester studying in another country; faculty-led May Term international travel courses; as well as countries in which Simpson has an exchange partnership with another educational institution.

We may never know which Simpson student took the first journey overseas, but we can probably guess why. It’s the same reason they go today.

“It’s amazing the kinds of experiences that a student can have overseas that they just can’t have taking a class on campus,” said Jay Wilkinson, who has been the international education coordinator since 2007.

Carolyn Dallinger ’80, associate professor of social work and criminal justice, and Walter Lain ’81, assistant dean for multicultural and international affairs, studied overseas as Simpson students. Now the husband and wife team accompany students to other countries, such as Ghana and Russia.

“The kind of learning that happens is just very significant,” Dallinger said, “And it is the type of learning that stays with them the rest of their lives.”

According to “Beneath the Whispering Maples,” Dr. Joseph Walt’s history of Simpson, the creation of the January term inspired more international travel.

“But the best overseas program by far was the one initiated by Glen Buhr for students of German,” Walt wrote.

Buhr’s semester-long study program in Schorndorf, Germany, Int’l Education Coordinator began in 1985 and has become a model for five other Simpson Experience Abroad programs. When Buhr retired, Patricia Calkins, professor of Germany, took over and has led seven groups there.

Jay Wilkinson

“Unless students experience the United States from outside of the United States, they’re never going to have a perspective of anything but what they’re used to,” she said.

Wilkinson said the Study Abroad committee reviews each proposal to ensure academic rigor. Any student who thinks a Tahiti semester is going to be spent lounging on the beach will quickly discover otherwise.

“One of my big issues is for people to not call them trips,” he said. “We’re offering an educational experience.”

Pre-departure orientation classes prepare students, but the unexpected can happen. In 2006, weather conditions in Russia forced Dallinger, Lain and their 11 students to spend an extra eight days in a small community there.

“The community just adopted us,” said Dallinger, who said the group found new things to do and to study. “It’s so difficult to explain, but these experiences change their perspectives and their lives.”

Wilkinson said he has witnessed many of those transformations.

“Students don’t think the world is Indianola, or Iowa, or even the United States anymore,” he said. “It opens their eyes to the rest of the world.”

Read six examples of Simpson students’ Study Abroad experiences and visit www.simpson.edu/magazine for additional submitted photos.

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Photo court

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esy of SAR

A ROUTH

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’99

By Ben L uc a s ’ 1 2

t n e m o m e h t t u o b A

erforming rel’s dream, p st in m a s ve li of audiences. ara Routh ’99 e for all kinds ob gl e th er ov all ay. art out that w But it didn’t st from about 20 miles outh ’73. k, al w or N in p ear R Routh grew u ter of Katie L gh that au d e th is d ersed herself in m im ra Indianola, an Sa , n at Simpso A music major cipating in eight operas. ti ar she department, p nior year when m se er h g n ri u d erseas came olf ’s May Ter Her first trip ov rofessor of English David W land. p e orway and Fin N , en ed joined associat Sw k, e in Denmar to study theatr countries. lture of other cu e th an th e d mor world.

She discovere on to see the si as p a d re ve She disco h music as so busy wit w I as w it ok ectively,” ason I to eatre classes el th “The main re ke ta to e y tim ing to take I didn’t have an is opportunity, so I was go a beautiful th of she said. “I had stic. It was the beginning ta n fa ” as g. it, and it w f and travelin etween mysel relationship b ged?

What had chan outh said. e moment,” R th t ou ab ’s it , ving in that el to learn, I’m li “When I trav on ss le a r fo g in able to do “I’m not look rst time I was fi e th fect me, as w at h t the world af le to y experience. T ad re as g. I that. I w ange everythin ch d an something like in go wanting to as opposed to me.” t it influence was ready to le

a gypsy. Her ibes herself as cr es d y gl n ki d China, Routh now jo urope, India an rming E to er h n ke ple and perfo travels have ta places and peo ew n g n ri ve disco her music. her selfles, working on tarter ge n A os L in s live Kicks She currently online service e th gh u ro th . (Her m produced albu website, sararouthmusic.com the er and building h , is an actor, best known for on brother, Brand uperman Returns.”)

“S in le ro g starrin for long. can’t stay still e sh e, om h Even at the day and ight or during n at e om h at be in my “I don’t sit . “I can’t really id sa walk th ou R ,” azy, so I like to the cr watch TV ir st t ge I long. tside apartment very part of what’s happening ou a e b d around an windows.” over. ays are far from d el av tr er h And she said that do things like ld ou sh le p eo p ch more “I think more eyes to so mu r u yo s en op ad in the because it just e or watch on the TV or re se had that than what you happy to have ’m “I . id sa e to see all newspaper,” sh have been able to ed ch ri en t either, so I journey. I feel m not done ye I’ s. re u lt cu t these differen next.” ere I’ll end up h w ow kn ’t don

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’85

B Photo courtesy of BO

SHANDLEY

many, Buhr had one strict rule: When in Ger even , man Ger k spea t Simpson students mus . ther ano one with in private conversations f because Shandley said Buhr chose Schorndor host with ed stay of family ties there. Students with ing lodg families, and Shandley found one of Buhr’s friends. did lots “The host families took us around and ily fam of things with us,” he said. “My host on, regi took me on weekend trips around the see.” to see things we might not ordinarily My “We spoke German the whole time. that was and , eted ock skyr German skills just ” me. for al heavily influenti is a How influential? Shandley currently He ity. vers Uni M professor at Texas A& teaches film studies – and German. out “That never would have happened with that trip,” he said. wasn’t But that first Study Abroad semester manall about classwork and improving Ger speaking skills.

“We had free time,” Shandley said, then g laughed. “Most of it was spent samplin s.”

German beverage

A pioneer

icularly feel hey were pioneers, even if it didn’t part that way. said Bob “I don’t think it occurred to any of us,” Shandley ’85. students who But Shandley and the 12 other Simpson n to spend a tatio invi r’s accepted Professor Glenn Buh y, were making man Ger f, dor semester studying in Schorn al, semesterform first ’s pson history: they were part of Sim long Study Abroad program.

ismatic guy,” Shandley “He was quite a character, a very char vincing people to go con says of Buhr. “He was very good at on that trip.”

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in April Then there was the pretty spring day ded to deci te sma clas a in which Shandley and nich, Mu to head and skip class, board a train s. day of ple where they stayed a cou . “Buhr “We told them where we were,” he said e tim the had was really mad at us, but we few a for me to of our lives. He didn’t speak ld flip weeks after that. I know now that I wou .” that did out if one of my own students es to But the program survived, and continu r othe this day. Its success has led to many in, live to opportunities for Simpson students and explore, other countries. said.

“Buhr did all the legwork,” Shandley a pure was It . pigs ea guin first “We were the pleasure.”

Taking chances

Spreitzenbarth ar rived in Iowa in 20 09 and majored in global managemen t. He had grown up in a city of 6, people between Sc 000 horndorf and Stut tgart, so Indianol size presented no a’s adjustment.

“It was rather the lack of public trans portation that took time to get used to some ,” he said. “Besides this, I had everythi in Indianola that ng I could have wish ed for: great profes staff that took tim sors and e for each student , lots of interesting to get involved with things and people to hang out with.”

He credits Walte r Lain, assistant de an of multicultura international affai l and rs, with helping in ternational studen ease into the tran ts sition of life at Si mpson.

“Walter Lain is no t just a great phot ographer, he did fantastic job for m a e,” he said. “In fa ct, Other people wer e involved in mak it wasn’t just him. ing the transition for international easier stud friends and profes ents. I was fortunate enough to ha ve sors who cared ab out me.”

In 2011, during his senior year, Sp reitzenbarth serv intern to U.S. Se ed as an n. Tom Harkin of Iowa. He said he many great friend made s, and remembers playing soccer on Washington Mal the l.

“The job in the Se nate isn’t quite lik e any other job,” said. “As an intern he , I wasn’t entirely responsible for a certain area, but I had the chance to help and supp the staff and get ort insig particularly intere hts into a variety of areas. I was sted in energy an d natural resource s.”

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Photo courtesy of JAN SPREITZE NBARTH

impson students who study abroad are many things: scholars, researchers, visitor s, explorers.

You can add anot her title: Recruite rs.

She may not have realized it at the time, but Maggie Priebe ’03, served that role when sh e studied in Schorndorf, Germ any, during the 20 01 spring semeste r.

While there, she stayed with the Sp reitzenbarth family whose young son, , Jan, listened inte ntly as Maggie an friends talked ab d her out this college in the middle of Iow a.

“They didn’t say anything particul ar about the college drew me to Simps that on,” Jan said. “But they said it was a great school and when I graduated high school, I’d be welcome to come over for a semeste r.

“So when I finally graduated from hi gh school, I took chances and took my them up on the op portunity. What did not expect at I the time, however , was that I would eventually end up staying and gettin g a degree from Simpson.”

Jan Spreitzenbarth, here wit h U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin fro m Iowa, would like to work again one day in Washingto n, D.C.

Spreitzenbarth now works as a logistics trainee and planner not far from Schorndorf. He expe cts to begin work soon on a mas ter’s degree.

Did he enjoy his Si mpson Experience?

He puts it this way: “That’s difficult to explain. I only know that sometim es I dream about co ming back to Simpson to teach G erman or something .” He also would enjoy returning to Washington, D.C., as a diplomat or Congressional fello w.

Through the years, he has maintained contact with Maggie Priebe, whose mother, Shell y, is the administrative assis tant for Curriculum , May Term and Faculty Developmen t. Maggie now work s at Gremier Financial in Des M oines.

“I sometimes send a ‘care packet’ with some German sweets to her family ,” Spreitzenbarth sa id.

See? Yet another be nefit of studying ab road.

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’13

Studying abroad – in Iowa

or some Simpson students, studying abroad means something other tha n traveling to far-off destinations like Germany, Tahiti or London.

For them, the far-off destin ation is Indianola, Iowa.

Alejandro Caballero, a 20-ye ar-old junior, is an international student studyi ng at Simpson. His home is Juarez, Mexico.

“I still miss homemade, spi cy food,” he said, laughing.

“It’s one of the biggest changes I faced here.”

On the other hand, there is snow. “I just love it,” he sai d.

“I love winter. I tell studen ts I’m making up for all the years I didn’t get snow in Me xico.”

While U.S.-born students have to adjust to new cultur es during their May Term or Study Abroad experiences, the same is true for Alejandro and the other international students who find themselv es in the middle of Iowa.

His journey to Simpson beg an as a youngster in Juarez.

His sister, Elizabeth, received a scholarship to the Lydia Pat ter son Institute across the border in El Paso, Texas, by winning a writing contest sponsored by a local television station.

The institute is a private sch ool founded in 1913 and supported by the United Me thodist Church. Simpson has had a long-time relationshi p with the school, and Elizab eth was awarded a college schola rship. She graduated from Simpson in 2008 and now works for the U.S. consulate in Juarez.

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“When it was time for me to go to high school, my mo m thought my sister was gettin g a great education, and obviously she wanted the bes t for me, too,” Caballero said. “She decided that I wo uld go to school in the Un ited States.”

He was awarded a half-scho larship to Lydia Patterson, and spent his first two years completing the English as a Second Language program.

He also worked every day after school, and officials rew arded his determination wit h a full scholarship.

“I continued working as har d as I could until I graduate d,” he said. When he was offere d a scholarship to attend Simpson, “it was one of the biggest days of my life.”

On campus, several professor s “were really nice to me and helped me get through that first year. My second year, I had communication s professors who were very encouraging about my photo graphy.”

Alejandro is majoring in int egrated marketing communications, and he has proven adept at photography. He hopes to eventually find a marketing job in the United States after gra duation.

“Simpson has made me fee l welcome,” he said, “All the people I’ve met have been very helpful.”

Photo courtesy of ALEJA

NDRO CABALLERO

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’62

Making history a

t Oxford

Photo courtesy of Ron Mathias

onald Mathias ’6 he’s not exactly 2, made history at Simpson College, but sure how it happ ened.

And he wasn’t even a Simpson student at the ti me.

Mathias was st udying for a m aster’s degree at when he receiv ed In Simpson’s esteem a telephone call from Dr. Jo diana University seph Walt, ed history prof essor.

In essence, Wal t asked: How w student from Si ould you like to m Oxford Univers pson to participate in an ex be the first change program ity? with “I thought, wel l, made a right tu that sounds like a pretty good rn and went to Oxford,” Mathi opportunity, so I as said.

According to W al t’s bo ok , “Beneath the the Oxford Exc Whisp ha William Kerstet nge Program was an initiati ering Maples,” ve ter, the college’s president at the undertaken by time.

Kerstetter had jo a tour of Europ ined 11 other Methodist Col le ea Simpson send n universities. Kerstetter late ge presidents on a student to Chr r proposed that study program . Christ Churc ist Church at Oxford for a tw h, Simpson to teac oh the fall semes in turn, would send a professo year ter. r to In his book, W al rare promise m t said Mathias’s “academic ac ade him the id complishments ea student at Sim pson, Mathias l choice for this honor.” An and honor grad member of scho lastic and leader uated cum laude and was a ship societies.

And that’s how Oxford 2007 M traveled overse athias, an Indianola native as, found himse w lf at Oxford in ho had never October 1963.

Although neve r He said Indian told, Mathias has theories why a thanking college University had recently sent he was selected. a for more studen officials for sending Mathias letter to Simpson, In addition, be to Indiana and ts like him. cause the academ asking Simpson was lo oking for someo ic program for Mathias would ne who fit the scholar-athlete be the same as that for a Rho “I wasn’t a grea des Scholar, he profile. t athlete, but I wonders if was captain of the Simpson te He remains mod nn is te am for four year est about the ho s,” he said. nor. “There wer e pl en ty Mathias laughe of ot he r Simpson studen d ts who were as work. I studied when asked if he was intimid deserving,” he very hard.” He ated by Oxford’ said. received a bach s reputation. “N el o, I don’t think or of arts from The exchange pr O so xf .

It or d in 1965 and w a master’s degree as a lot of hard State Departm ogram undoubtedly changed ent, he spent m the direction of four years later. ost of his life w Mathias’s life. In or ki st ng as an intern ea After his stay at ational banker d of teaching, or working fo Oxford, Mathi in several differ r as described hi ent countries. the U.S. s experiences in “For me, Oxfor an article for th d e Simpson Col comedy of Uni is the weekly bout with the tu lege Bulletin, w on debates, afte to r, th riting: e B od le ia sum of all these rnoon tea, quic n L ib ra ry , the ga k trips to Londo parts.” n, Yorkshire pu me of squash, the society mee dding. And yet ti Only one othe it is much mor ngs, the r e than the commission qu Simpson student participated estioned the fa irness of Oxfor in the exchange. Mathias said d’s admissions Mathias and hi process for stud Christ Church ended the prog s wife, Carolyn ents from Engla ram after a reunions in Oxf B nd. ord and return akker Mathias ’63, are retired to Indianola at an least every othe d live in Walnut Creek, Cal r year. if. They often at tend 22

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’00

Experiencing a different way to livteincludes life with the host families.

er ’00, still welve years later, Megan Moyer Hog d, riding han by hes remembers washing her clot ked and wor she re whe the bus to the orphanage afternoon. uan arag Nic enjoying an ice-cream cone on a hot ers from her semesterBut most of all, what Hoger rememb aragua in 2000 is long Study Abroad experience in Nic ntry. what it taught her about her own cou have and a better “You get an appreciation of what you live,” said Hoger, understanding of the way other people d, Joel ’98. “You who lives in Indianola with her husban .” learn that your way is not the only way were part of the Hoger and five other Simpson students They took ua. arag Nic in first Study Abroad program s, a Simpson Bate k Mar by ht classes in the morning taug r internship thei at ked wor then professor of Spanish, and stayed with their host jobs in the afternoon. At night, they families in Managua. culture,” Hoger said.

“We were very much immersed in the r places might othe as s “It wasn’t necessarily as glamorou and learn about ure cult be. But if you wanted to learn the were immersed You e.

Central America, it was a great plac in everything.”

Tha

families that we “Economically, they were not wealthy were able to ly were living with,” she said. “You real yone does ever appreciate everyone’s differences. Not . It’s just OK ’s that everything the way we do here, and different.” worked afternoons Hoger and another Simpson student tally and physically at Pajarito Azul, an orphanage for men handicapped children. e to just play with “The workers didn’t have a lot of tim . “We’d play with the kids, so that’s what we did,” she said nd with them.” them and talk with them and walk arou s to Corn Island It wasn’t all work. Hoger describes trip periodic trips the e wer e and Costa Rica. And then ther for ice cream. the shopping mall “That was our biggest luxury, to go to ” she said. to get ice cream, because it was so hot, er said, “It was one Looking back at the experience, Hog how much you had of those things that made you realize ld really lives.” back here and how different the wor T HE M AGAZ INE | SPR I N G 2 0 1 2

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The women’s basketball team hoists the 2011-12 Iowa Conference Championship trophy.

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athletics |

Another year Like clockwork, the Simpson women’s basketball team made another postseason appearance in 2012. or the eighth year in a row the Storm closed the season with a trip to the NCAA Division III Championship.

This time around, Simpson lost a hard-fought battle with No. 18 Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 69-61 in the first round played at the University of Chicago.

The season was one of accomplishments and milestones for one of Simpson’s most decorated programs. Finishing the season 21-7, Simpson continued its dominance in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) by winning a fifth-consecutive championship. After a relatively slow start, the Storm rattled off nine wins in a row to end the season before losing to Coe in the IIAC Tournament Championship. The team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Along the way, IIAC Coach of the Year Brian Niemuth etched his name in the league record books. In a win over Wartburg on Jan. 21, the 25-year head coach earned his 294th win in conference play, becoming the all-time wins leader in league history. He went on to win his 300th conference game, the first women’s basketball coach in the Iowa Conference to reach the plateau.

“I have learned that it is hard to get to the top, but harder to stay at the top,” Niemuth said. “You have to work hard to get players and get them to buy in. It takes a lot of people — assistants, friends, players ... it takes a village to get to that point.”

To Niemuth, it’s about more than Xs and Os though.

Not only is the women’s basketball team one of the most successful on the court, it excels in the classroom as well, evidenced by team GPAs above 3.45 the last four years.

Simpson has landed in the top 10 on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 Team Honor Roll in five out of the last six years.

“He genuinely loves the game and cares about the players,” Assistant Coach Elizabeth Curry said. “When you have those two things, you have fun with what you’re doing. It’s not just a job — he wants to go out and get wins and do things right, but at the end of the day he cares about the studentathletes.”

Even though Simpson’s game plan is predicated upon a team concept — nine players averaged more than 17 minutes per game — a few players stood out during the season.

Senior post Stacey Schutjer ends her career as one of the most decorated basketball players in school history after being named First Team All-IIAC for the third time in 2011-12.

She is one of only four players in school history to make the first team three times, joining Laurie Sankeny Wood ’86, Michelle Stover Juon ’02 and Katelyn Whiton Brelsford ’08.

Her 1,388 career points rank sixth in school history and her 712 rebounds are third. Junior Kate Nielsen also earned first team honors while junior Cathy Kain was an honorable mention selection.

With the end of another great season comes uncertainty for the upcoming campaign. But come March 2013, rest assured the Storm will be back in the hunt. Like clockwork. ■ T HE M AGAZ INE | SPR I N G 2 0 1 2

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Photos courtesy of Global Football.

Simpson’s Colton Calvert dives into the endzone in the first half of the 2011 Tazon de Estrellas.

Below: Simpson’s Brian Tjossem celebrates with his teammates on team Stars and Stripes.

Simpson All-Stars go South of the border impson seniors Colton Calvert, Ben Coy, Braden Everding, Ty Larsen and Brian Tjossem represented the Simpson football team at the 2011 Tazon de Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) Dec. 17 in Puebla, Mexico.

A total of 53 players from 28 NCAA Division III colleges were selected to play for Team Stars and Stripes against a team of Mexican collegiate all-stars selected from the CONADEIP national conference of private schools in Mexico.

Despite the team suffering a 45-27 loss, Calvert made his impact on the game by returning a fumbled kickoff for a touchdown in the first half.

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While in Mexico, players took part in three, two-a-day practices during the week before a light practice and an opportunity to sightsee around the Puebla region.

Prior to this season, three Simpson players participated in the all-star game, previously known as the Aztec Bowl from 1997-2007. Running back Guy Leman played in 1998, quarterback Mike Donnenwerth in 2003 and wide receiver Dusty Kain in 2005.

Calvert (DB, St. Charles, Iowa), Coy (WR, Jewell, Iowa), Everding (LB, Tripoli, Iowa), Larsen (DE, Des Moines, Iowa) and Tjossem (C, Sutherland, Iowa) helped Simpson to a 5-5 record in 2011.

Larsen earned second team all-conference honors while Everding and Tjossem landed honorable mention nods. ■

Members of the women’s basketball team visit a patient at the Blank Children’s Hospital.

Storming the community n addition to balancing the rigors of being a student-athlete, the men’s and women’s basketball teams made their impact felt in the Indianola and Des Moines communities throughout the winter.

The men’s basketball team visited residents of The Village retirement community in Indianola in February.

Women’s basketball player Ali Sokol at the Hot Shot event.

“It was a good time,” sophomore guard Eric Lande said. “It’s nice to hear what people are doing around here.”

Bill Hansen, a 10-year resident of The Village in April, said he enjoys the visits many teams make to the community.

“Having been in the school business for 40 years, I love talking to kids,” Hansen said. “I like to find out where they are from, what they’re majoring in, why they came.”

The men’s team joined the women’s team to assist with the annual Hot Shot event, held Jan. 24 at Cowles Fieldhouse.

The Hot Shot event is a cooperative effort between Simpson College and the Heartland Area Education Agency for secondary students with special needs. Participants complete 13 stations within a 75-minute time frame, performing activities such as shooting, ball handling, passing, jump roping, push-ups and sit-ups.

The event has been hosted by Simpson for the past 22 years.

“The energy of seeing the participants doing the same activity all around the fieldhouse is a great thing to experience,” said Robin Olberding, adapted PE consultant at the Heartland AEA. “All participants and volunteers are winners during this event.”

Men’s basketball players Zack Barragan (left) and Joel Flores assist in the situp exercise.

The women’s basketball team also paid a visit to the Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines in early January.

There, the team met and visited with patients and even handed out some souvenirs. The women handed out special Simpson basketballs to commemorate the trip.

Men’s basketball player Zack Barragan (right) visits with a resident of The Village.

“It really helps the girls put into perspective how fortunate they are to be able to play the game they love every day,” Women’s Head Coach Brian Niemuth said. “To put a smile on the face of a child battling health issues is a rewarding experience for everyone involved.” ■

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| upcoming events

On Our Calendar APRIL 4

Campus Day. Join the Young Alumni team and gathering after! Contact adam.haselhuhn@simpson.edu.

9

Easter Break, offices closed

11

Culver Lecture featuring Mark Shields, syndicated columnist and political analyst, PBS Newshour, Great Hall, 7:30 p.m.

12

1970s Alumni Event in Des Moines

13-15

Festival of Short Plays, Barnum Studio Theatre, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.

14

Simpson Guild Spring Style Show and Brunch, Matthew Simpson Room in College Hall, 9 a.m. For tickets, call (515) 961-1547.

15

Simpson College Women’s Chorale, Smith Chapel, 4 p.m.

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Honors Convocation, Smith Chapel, 12:30 p.m.

3rd Annual Summer Research Symposium, Clifford and Bessie Barborka Gallery, Blank Performing Arts Center, 3:15 p.m. poster session and hors d’oeuvres reception.

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Final exams

28

Spring Commencement, Cowles, 10 a.m.

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May Term begins

MAY 11

Board of Trustees meeting

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Des Moines Civic Center Event, RAIN, special access preview in West Balcony Lounge at 6 p.m. and show at 7:30 p.m.

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May Term ends

JUNE 7-8/11-12 New student orientation 29

Simpson Cup golf outing and Presidents’ Picnic

JULY 21

Team Simpson departs on RAGBRAI

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Team Simpson returns

AUGUST 6-10 Iowa Private College Week 25

Move-in day for first years

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First day of classes

SEPTEMBER 20 Wayne Carse Storm Athletic Benefit OCTOBER 18 Presidents’ Society Dinner 19

Board of Trustees meeting

20

Homecoming, Family Weekend & Experience Simpson

Reunion gatherings for the classes of 1962 and 1987

For details and a complete schedule of events, go to www.simpson.edu or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (515) 961-1544 or (800) 610-6369.

2012 Culver Lecture Nationally syndicated columnist and political analyst, PBS NewsHour

MARK SHIELDS IS AMERICAN OPTIMISM STILL ALIVE IN 2012?

Wednesday, April 11 • 7:30 PM Great Hall, Simpson College

CULVER PUBLIC POLICY

CENTER 28

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Interned with BirdDog Jobs

DIFFERENCE Thankful for your financial support Member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority

Involved with Campus Activities Board and Students in Free Enterprise

{Autumn Girres}

C l ass of 2 0 1 2

Your investment lays the foundation By supporting the tools, resources and programs of the college, you provide Simpson students with a foundation to build on throughout their lives.

Your commitment impacts a student’s life forever Every moment, whether it is an academic, social or professional experience, will shape each student’s future and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Studying Management and Integrated Marketing Communications

INVEST in the Experience, FUEL the Future

Be the difference.

THE M AG AZIN E | SPR I N G 2 0 1 2

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| extra!

forever

RED&GOLD

NOTICE A CHANGE IN OUR EVENT SCHEDULE?

In anticipation of the opening of the Kent Campus Center in October and to encourage a big crowd, we have moved some events from Alumni Weekend to Homecoming, including our alumni awards and reunions. The Simpson Cup and Presidents’ Picnic will remain in June to take advantage of the warmer weather.

JUNE 29 SIMPSON CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT

It’s a perfect excuse to hit the links with your Simpson friends! $60 per person includes green fees, cart and lunch. Indianola Country Club.

PRESIDENTS’ PICNIC

We’ll make it a memorable evening on campus with live music, great food and some of your favorite people. Best of all, we hope to give those attending a hard-hat tour inside the new Kent Campus Center! $10 adults, $5 for children ages 6-12. Children 5 & under are free.

OCTOBER 18-21 SIMPSON COLLEGE HOMECOMING & FAMILY WEEKEND Thursday: Presidents’ Society Dinner Friday: Discounted Golf at Deer Run, Alumni & Students Career Tailgate, Class of 1962 Reunion, Simpson Athletics Red & Gold Celebration,Yell Like Hell Saturday: Experience Simpson Admissions Event, Free Pancake Breakfast, Alumni Awards Brunch, GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION OF THE KENT CAMPUS Center, Giant Tailgate Party,

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So take your pick, or better yet, attend both on JUNE 29 and OCTOBER 18-21!

WW W. S I M P S O N . E D U /M AGAZINE Watch your mail box and our website for details!

Inflatables, Balloons & Face Painting, Greek Gatherings, Storm Football: Simpson vs. Coe, Post-Game Party in the Kent Campus Center, Class of 1987 Reunion, Storm Soccer: Simpson vs. Loras Sunday: Sunday Worship in Smith Chapel, Community Brunch in Pfeiffer Hall

Simpson College Undergraduate Symposium 2012: Honoring Excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity

or the third straight year, Simpson has set aside one day to showcase the research, scholarship and creativity of its students.

It’s called the Undergraduate Symposium, and this year it will be held on April 19.

Phillip Seiwert is ready. The senior from Indianola is looking forward to presenting the findings of two research projects.

The first will compare restored wetlands with natural wetlands at the Platte River in Nebraska. The second involves his research into the cicada. The bugs usually emerge every 17 years, but have begun appearing four years early.

The Symposium represents the first opportunity for Seiwert and his partners to present their studies in full.

“It will be exciting to finally share the full data from these research projects,” he said.

Seiwert’s research partner, senior Anna Statz, said, “The cicada’s early emergence is a very interesting phenomenon that could have equally interesting implications, and I think people might enjoy it.”

Last year, student presentations included everything from “Quality Websites for Struggling Readers” to “Moon Man and his Random Thoughts,” a collection of poetry. ■

For additional information, visit www.simpson.edu/symposium

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A TEAM EFFORT eslie Midget Held ’86 had an idea. She had seen a video on YouTube in which dozens of singers, as if out of nowhere, suddenly began singing “The Hallelujah Chorus” in a shopping mall. Weary Christmas shoppers looked surprised and delighted.

“My first reaction was, ‘Wow,’” said Held, the director of alumni relations at Simpson. “My next reaction was, ‘We could so do that.’”

And that is how Simpson’s first “Flash Mob” began. The result has attracted nearly 80,000 views on YouTube.

Talk about a team effort.

Tim McMillin ’97, associate professor of music and director of choral activities, and Jill Ramthun Johnson ’85, executive director of marketing and public relations, quickly expressed support. Officials at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines also endorsed the idea.

But you can’t have a Simpson Flash Mob without Simpson students, and nearly 100 volunteered to participate. Not only that, but they also agreed to donate shoes, boots and coats as part of Jordan Creek’s “Shoes that Fit” campaign.

“It’s really nice to be able to help out people less fortunate than you are,” said Meghan Kasanders, 20, a sophomore.

On a Sunday afternoon in December, Jordan Creek shoppers heard the mall’s sound system begin to play “The Hallelujah Chorus.” They might have noticed young people removing their coats to display their Simpson t-shirts and sweatshirts.

And then they heard why Simpson is known nationally for its music program. The soaring sound of the student voices filled the mall.

Onlookers cheered and applauded when it was over.

“It was really nice to come together through music,” said Thaddeus Ennen, 20, a junior.

A team of videographers under the direction of Lisa CarponelliLovell, assistant professor of communication studies, taped the event as part of a class. In addition to YouTube, the Flash Mob received coverage in The Des Moines Register, on KCCI-TV and WHO-TV in Des Moines.

A shop employee stopped Held afterward.

“We’ve been having a stressful day dealing with the big crowds,” she said. “We want to thank Simpson for completely turning that around. We’ve been smiling ever since.”

Watch the flash mob!

And next year?

“Not the same thing, but yes, Virginia, we have an idea,” Held said. ■ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WqKI3D2VaE

JOHNSON NAMED TRUSTEE The Simpson College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to elect Steven G. Johnson to serve as a trustee of the college, Class of 2012. Johnson is a native of Exira, Iowa, and a 1981 alumnus of Simpson, graduating with a degree in Economics and Business Administration. He has more than 20 years experience in the wireless cable industry and has developed various electronic telecommunications equipment including microwave downconverters, wireless cable set top converters, antennas, and MMDS transmitters.

Johnson is currently president and chief operating officer of CareView Communications, a company that provides the infrastructure to wire healthcare organizations and is committed to helping hospitals and nursing homes utilize new technologies, improve quality and enhance the patient’s experience. Johnson lives with his family in Highland Village, Texas.

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Simpson President John Byrd congratulates Lt. Gen. Russell C. Davis, this year’s recipient of the Carver Medal.

SIMPSON IN THE

NEWS very four years, the nation’s attention turns to Iowa and the first-in-thenation caucuses. This gives Simpson College a great opportunity to showcase our resources and expertise.

The Carver Legacy t. Gen. Russell C. Davis has won a mantel-full of awards in his 73 years, including the lifetime achievement award from the National Guard.

But he said receiving the Carver Medal from Simpson College was special.

For one thing, Davis had actually known Carver, the former Simpson student who went on to what’s now known as Tuskegee University and who became one of the nation’s great inventors and scientists.

Davis grew up in Tuskegee and attended a nursery school operated by the university. Occasionally, Carver would walk out to the playground and give candy to the children.

To the young Davis, Carver was “a tall guy in a lab coat,” but the more he learned, the more Davis was impressed.

“He was a man who mentored not just a few people, but generations,” Davis said.

Davis served as chief of the National Guard Bureau from 1998 until 2002, which made him responsible for more than a half-million Army and Air National Guard personnel.

He talked about his family’s connections to Carver during the Feb. 16 medal ceremony in Smith Chapel on the Simpson campus. Davis was the 39th person invited to speak at the Carver Legacy event.

Davis’s grandfather worked with Carver at Tuskegee University and often invited Carver to dinner. Davis’ mother remembered him as being a gentle, well-dressed man who had a kind word for everyone.

After receiving the Carver Medal, Davis had a surprise for Simpson. He presented President John Byrd with a plaque that contained a sculptured likeness of Carver.

Davis had bought the plaque as a youngster.

“Put it wherever you think it will do the most good, as a reflection of Dr. Carver and as a little piece of Russ Davis that will always be at Simpson,” he said.

After the event, Byrd said, “It was a remarkable gesture, and certainly a gift that we’re going to treasure at Simpson College.” ■ ■

This year we produced “The Simpson College Source Kit,” a list of political experts and contact numbers that was distributed to hundreds of media outlets and political reporters.

The effort paid off: • An ABC News reporter covered a focus group that Simpson conducted in conjunction with Harvard University.

• Kedron Bardwell, assistant professor of political science, was interviewed by U.S. News and World Report, ABC News radio, WHO radio and the Boston Herald.

• John Epperson, professor of political science, conducted several interviews as well, and he continued to serve as the political expert for WOI-TV in Ames.

• Brian Steffen, professor of communication studies, was interviewed on media matters related to the caucuses.

• The Des Moines Register wrote a story regarding a Simpson survey of student political views.

• A Kansas City Star reporter spent a day on campus, talking with students about their views. These included students affiliated with the Culver Public Policy Center.

The Culver Center also was heavily involved in educating students about the caucuses.

Ann Perry, the wife of Texas governor and republican presidential candidate Rick Perry, spoke on campus at the invitation of the Culver Center.

But Simpson received attention for more than politics in the past few months: • Bernard McDonald, the director of opera, was the subject of a long profile in The Des Moines Register regarding Simpson’s acclaimed opera program.

• Jackie Crawford, professor of education, and Simpson students were featured prominently in a Register story on teacher education requirements that focused on Simpson’s high standards. ■ THE M AG AZIN E | SPR I N G 2 0 1 2

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| touring the years CLASS NOTES Joseph Young ’53 is a retired United Methodist minister. His book, “The Journey from Doubt to Faith” has been published by Publish America. The book is designed to help persons address their doubts and work through them to a wholesome and vibrant faith. Joseph and his wife, Caroline, live in Marion.

Chuck Kayton ’58 and Marilyn Houghton Kayton celebrated their 50th anniversary in December. The Kayton’s were married at the First United Methodist Church in Indianola. Dr. Kerstetter, then president of Simpson College, and the Rev. Lamb, a local pastor, officiated.

Mary Ann Wolf Johnson ’61 is retired and teaches computer classes to senior citizens through the Shepherd Center of Greensboro, N.C. H. Roger Grant ’66 is the coeditor of a recently-published book by Indiana University Press, “A Young Dutchman Views Post-Civil War America: Diary of Claude August Crommelin.” This is Grant’s 28th book publication.

Jeff Peterson ’67 is retired from The Unland Companies.

He and his wife, Jill, split their time between central Illinois and Florida. The couple has two boys and two grandchildren.

Diana Parker Barry ’69 recently retired in December and is enjoying time with her husband, Robert, two children and four grandchildren.

Dr. Oliver Johnson ’69 was recently named assistant superintendent for student services of the Johnston County Schools in Smith Field, N.C. He will oversee health services, social work services, counseling services, dropout prevention, emergency

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management, driver’s education, superintendent’s round table, health advisory council, homeless education, foreign exchange students, enrollment and truancy intervention.

Clifford Levy ’69 retired in December after almost 38 years at Merrill Lynch. He and his wife, Patti, plan to travel to Arizona and Michigan to see their children and grandchildren.

Bruce Wilson ’69 is assistant director at Urban Dreams, a Des Moines inner city human services agency. He’s been at Urban Dreams for over 20 years and has no plans to retire in the foreseeable future. Bruce and his wife, Shirl, reside in Des Moines.

Glen Dalton ’70 is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors and resides in Des Moines with his wife, Cheryl.

Debbie McHose ’74 is a realtor for Coldwell Banker MidAmerica Group in Des Moines.

Mike Ostlund ’75 had his book, “Find ‘Em Chase ‘Em Sink ‘Em: The Mysterious Loss of the WWII Submarine USS Gudgeon,ated second edition recently.

Sam Carrell ’83 is principal at Carrell Strategies in Des Moines.

Jack Jetmund ’83 accepted a promotion and moved from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis to the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration where he is the business manager for all air traffic control facilities.

He received his Masters of Public Administration from American University in May 2010.

Barb Starrett Newhart ’85 is a substance abuse counselor at Community and Family Resources in Ames. She works with a team of counselors and therapists responsible for providing outpatient treatment groups and substance abuse evaluations for adults.

Mary Catlett ’88 is an advertising administrative assistant at EFCO Forms in Des Moines. Her position is tailormade to her talents, allowing her to write, edit and perform research for a major Iowa manufacturer celebrating its 75th year in business.

EFCO formwork and shoring is used in a wide variety of concrete construction projects throughout the world, including 95% of the stadiums in the world, a rebuild of the fallen I-35 Minneapolis bridge and the World Trade Center Tower One in New York City.

Eric Wilson ’88 is a senior police officer for the city of Des Moines.

Renee Govig ’89 works for Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A as human resources director.

The firm’s human resources department was selected by the Human Resources Association of Palm Beach County as the “HR Department of the Year” last May. Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley implemented employee training to help the law firm go “green.”

Many jurisdictions no longer allow boxes or documents, exhibits and models in the court room and allow the attorney only his/her lap top and a means of projecting images. The firm trained their employees to upgrade their skills so they can present information and data in the required state-of-the-art digital manner.

Tim Plate ’90 resides in Windsor, Colo., with his wife, Cindy, and two children Kaitlyn (14) and Madeline (11). Tim is president and owner of TCP Inc. in Pagosa Springs, Colo.

John Louk ’91 and Joy Funkhouser Louk ’91 live in Cedar Rapids, where he is pastor at Salem United Methodist Church.

David Ekman ’92 is working on his doctorate in psychology at Capella University. This spring, he anticipates opening a mental health and addiction treatment practice called Kindred Spirit Counseling and Addiction Services. David resides in Burlington.

Kevin Paulsen ’92 teaches in the middle school in the Jefferson-Scranton School District. He also coaches high school football and baseball.

Kevin and his wife, Jenni, live in Jefferson.

Jay Byers ’93 has been named chief executive of the Greater Des Moines Partnership and the 2012 Business Record’s Forty Under 40 Alumnus of the Year.

Paula Pasco Joiner ’93 is an internal wholesaler for Principal Financial Group in Des Moines.

2012

Commencement Join us for 2012 spring commencement ceremonies to be held Saturday, April 28 at 10 a.m. in Cowles Fieldhouse on the Simpson College campus. The commencement speaker will be Suku Radia, CEO and president of Bankers Trust, Iowa’s largest independent community bank.

Jamie Thomson Roberts ’96 is an event coordinator for MillerGroup. She and her husband, Mark, reside in Shawnee, Kan. Chad Simpson ’96 just began his twelfth year working for the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio as their director program development. He and his wife, Bridget, reside in Worthington, Ohio.

Shannon Main Doner ’97 is a controller for Trans Iowa in Des Moines. Rusty Doner ’97 is vice president at RGS Services in Grimes. The couple resides in Clive.

Melissa Bryan Vasconez ’97 resides in Ottumwa with her husband, Dennis Vasconez ’99, and their three children, Caleb (11), Ethan (9), and Ilana (3).

Emily Roush ’99 was named vice president of the Indianola Chamber of Commerce Board for 2012.

Diana Stoic Richardson ’04 is an opera singer. Diana and Dan Richardson ’06 reside in Chicago, Ill.

Terresa Kurth Goetsch ’00 is an accountant at Federal Home Loan Bank and resides in Ankeny with her sons, Cory and Colby.

Lindsay Clark Tucker ’04 works for Companion Animal Care Center as an associate veterinarian. She resides in Winona, Minn., with her husband, Brad.

Jesse Ofner ’01 is a senior account executive for CareerBuilder.com and resides in Denver, Colo.

Jake Abel ’04 is associate brand manager for Nestle USA in Oakland, Calif.

Tara Brown Dawson ’04 is a kindergarten teacher in the Southeast Polk School District.

She resides in Altoona with her husband, Cory Dawson ’05.

Nicole Molt Crain ’05 is president of the Iowa Taxpayers Association in Des Moines.

Nicole and her husband, Josh, reside in Windsor Heights.

Nick Feller ’05 is assistant athletic director at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla. He resides in San Diego.

Megan Kehoe ’05 received her master’s degree in education from Iowa State University in 2011. She is an accounts receivable manager at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake.

Mark Phillips ’05 works for Inteconnex in Johnston and received his AAS degree in telecommunications technology from Des Moines Area Community College last year.

Kristine Robson ’05 is senior project coordinator at Carno ENTRIX, an environmental consulting firm in Seattle, Wash.

Jo Tebbe Chaplin ’06 works for DRM Development in Des Moines.

Ben Frotscher ’06 is a writer for Stamats Communications, Inc. in Cedar Rapids.

A PART OF HISTORY Simpson received a part of history in November in the form of a small handcrafted table. Made from wood with a slate tile top, painted with pansies, the quaint piece was passed from family member to family member. In October, Budd Revell, now 90, contacted his relatives. Since he and his wife, Bonnie, were considering moving to a smaller home, he wondered what they should do with the heirloom. A cousin was the first to respond and said to give it to Simpson.

Revell sent a letter to the art department at the college, and Vice President of College Advancement Bob Lane responded. The table, Revell explained, was painted by the great-aunt whom he was named after, Etta Mae Budd. The family knew that Ms. Budd played a significant role in the history of Simpson College as art teacher of George Washington Carver and as the person who urged Carver to study agricultural science. Ms. Budd also played an important part in the establishment of Simpson’s chapter of Delta Delta Delta. While a student at Iowa Agricultural College in Ames, she founded a local society. When later studying painting at the Boston Museum of Art, she met the founders of the months-old Tri-Delta sorority at Boston College. Budd soon orchestrated that the Ames group and the L.F.V. society at Simpson would join Tri-Delta, and she, herself, was initiated. A year later, in 1890, Ms. Budd joined the faculty at Simpson. Simpson’s chapter became the second Tri-Delta chapter in the U.S. and remains Tri-Delta’s oldest continuously active chapter.

Pictured are President Byrd with Sara Heim Canady ’07 and Annie Fullas ’14.

The Revells delivered the table in November and gave the piece to the college.

After carefully considering where to place the table, Simpson’s administrators agreed it seemed only fitting that the table, graced with the sorority’s flower, should be loaned to the alumnae chapter of Delta Delta Delta and placed in the chapter’s Centennial Room, serenely guarded by a photograph of the chapter’s first initiates.

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Jessica Martin Hazelton ’07, admission coordinator at The Homestead in Altoona, is working on her master’s degree in teaching at Simpson College.

She and Brandon Hazelton ’06 reside in Altoona.

Erin Palmer Ruhland ’07 completed her master’s degree in exercise/physiology/cardiac rehabilitation at Minnesota State University. She works for UnitedHealth Group as an ergonomic consultant. Erin resides in Richfield, Minn., with her husband, Nate Ruhland ’07.

Pictured are Adam ’97 and Leslie Sickels Soyer ’97 sporting the 2012 Simpson jerseys.

BE IN STYLE If warming temperatures make you long for two wheels, a Powerade and a trail, be sure you hit it in style in a 2012 Simpson College bike jersey. We’ll be honest. It’s a pedaling billboard for the college. But we can’t think of a more fun way for you to help us get Simpson’s name out there.

Short sleeve and sleeveless styles are available for $65.

To find out more, go to www.simpson.edu/teamsimpson/ Team Simpson will be celebrating its 4th year with RAGBRAI XL July 21-28. Follow the adventures of President John Byrd and our 55 riders as they cross Iowa on Twitter @SimpsonRagbrai.

Carrie Brannen Kruse ’06 passed her CPA exam and is now chief financial officer for the city of Windsor Heights, where she resides with her husband, Tyler.

Ashley Finestead Moore ’06 is a digital editions desktop operator for Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, where she resides with her husband, Connor Moore ’08.

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Diogenes Ayala ’07 is operations manager for Verizon Wireless. He recently completed his master’s degree in criminal justice at Simpson College and resides in Des Moines with his wife, Jayne Hauser Ayala ’07.

Darrin Gregory Hansen ’07 is a registered nurse working at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Andrew Hansen ’08 is a police officer for the city of Newton. The couple resides in Newton.

Dustin Schelling ’07 of Carbondale, Ill., is a federal wildlife law enforcement officer for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

Prior to this position, he was employed by the Department of Homeland Security as a federal air marshal in Detroit, Mich.

Becky Wearne ’08 is a customer service representative at EBank in West Des Moines.

Brian Beauvais ’09 is completing his master’s degree at the University of Northern Iowa. Before returning to school, he worked at the National Parks Service in the Grand Tetons and for Vail Ski Company.

Billie Broich ’09 has earned the designation Accredited Business Communicator (ABC). Billie is a communications consultant for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Des Moines.

Michael Christensen ’10 is gallery manager at the Longbranch Gallery in Mineral Point, Wisc.

Malia Lloyd ’10 is an admissions advisor at Cornerstone Solutions/Job Corps in Ottumwa, where she resides.

Lucas Mihalovich ’10 is in medical school at Des Moines University. Lucas and his wife, Jessica, reside in Ankeny.

Sarah Schlitter ’10 of Rockwell is a certified public accountant at Williams & Associates in Mason City.

Paige Shelton ’10 is a behavioral services technician at Alegent Health: Immanuel Medical Center on Omaha, Neb. She is working on her master’s degree at the University of Nebraska – Omaha, Grace Abbott School of Social Work and anticipates graduating in the fall.

Shayna Calkins ’11 is an English teacher for Kid’s College in Ilsan, South Korea.

Stefani Egnell ’11 is working as a resident assistant at Edina Park Plaza in Edina, Minn., in order to gain experience in the medical field before she applies to physician assistant school.

Elizabeth Niemeier ’11 is a teacher in the Eldon School District and lives in Elgin, Ill.

Samantha Alitz Finneseth ’09 and her husband, John, reside in Adel.

Katie Rooney ’11 is events manager for the Historic Valley Junction Foundation in West Des Moines.

Joey Hofer ’09 works at Harley Davidson and resides in Indianola with his wife, Sarah.

Jan Spreitzenbarth ’11 is a logistics trainee at Bosch in the Stuttgart area of Germany.

Emily Pearson Banks ’10 is a personal trainer at Waukee Wellness & Chiropractic. She resides in Ankeny with her husband, Austen.

MARRIAGES Jack Jetmund ’83 and Vince Keilman, September 17, 2011, Washington, D.C. Jocelyn Stull ’01 and Alan Brincks, November 18, 2011, Altoona.

Lindsay Clark ’04 and Brad Tucker, October 8, 2011, Winona, Minn.

Jeffrey Liggett ’08 and Erin Hopp ’09, October 22, 2011, Conroy.

Jason Courtney ’10 and Ashley Weiland ’10, October 22, 2011, West Des Moines.

Tara Brown ’08 and Cory Dawson ’09, June 18, 2011, Altoona.

Nicole Molt ’05 and Josh Crain, February 4, 2012, Windsor Heights.

Jason Alan Joiner, August 31, 2011, to Paula Pasco Joiner ’93 and Alan B. Joiner, Van Meter.

Ashley Drogo ’11 and Lucas Mosier, June 25, 2011, Massena.

Carrie Brannen ’06 and Tyler Kruse, June 11, 2011, Windsor Heights.

BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS

Emili Johnson ’08 and Jessie Radke, May 29, 2011, Des Moines.

Nathan Ruhland ’07 and Erin Palmer ’07, May 21, 2011, Richfield, Minn.

Isabella Lee Patton, March 5, 2012, to James Patton ’91 and Lora Duncan Patton ’92, Sultan, Wash.

Hayden Nash Faust, October 4, 2011, to Nicole Downing Faust ’99 and Corey A. Faust, Mankato, Minn., joins big brother, Jackson (7).

Ian Tyler Kamerman, August 25, 2011, to Tyler D. Kamerman ’00 and Jessica Kamerman, Des Moines.

Gianna Lisbeth Goemaat, October 3, 2011, to Janelle Hart Goemaat ’93 and Jeremy Goemaat, Winterset, joins Gunnar (7) and Gabrielle (5).

These Simpson legacies were spotted exploring the Simpson campus. Pictured left to right are Noah Biklen Hanson, Peter Schumacher, Will Schumacher and Kate Schumacher.

Noah is the son of Andrea Biklen ’93. Peter, Will and Kate are the children of Dawn Hellyer Schumacher ’94 and Scott Schumacher ’94.

Sagers Thomas Wickham, October 21, 2011, to Hannah Willenborg Wickham ’00 and Luke Wickham, Orlando, Fla.

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Owen David and Anna Haley Hartman, November 14, 2011, to Eric J. Hartman ’01 and Courtney Swartz Hartman ’01, Des Moines.

Quentin Philip VanderLinden, June 9, 2010, to Amanda Perkins VanderLinden ’02 and Mike VanderLinden, Knoxville.

Loukas Charles Moser, August 20, 2011, to Katie Espenmiller Moser ’04 and Nik Moser, Fort Dodge, joins big brother, Sam.

Lauren Marie Stoelk, August 23, 2011, to Jill Claiborne Stoelk ’05 and Marty D. Stoelk ’06, Norwalk.

Stella Raye Whitson, December 20, 2011, to Jill Toombs Whitson ’04 and Stephen G. Whitson, Indianola, joins sister, Eden.

Joselyn Donnenwerth, October 12, 2011, to Nicole Gruber Donnenwerth ’07 and Kyle Donnenwerth, Hampton, joins brother, Jacob (2).

Clover Evon Mitchell, November 22, 2011, to Dr. Alanah Davis Mitchell ’03 and Jason M. Mitchell ’04, Boone, N.C.

Jude Dennis Guetler, October 20, 2011, to Lindsey Ingles Guetter ’05 and Aaron Guetter, Arlington, Tenn.

Connor Murphy Vickery, October 26, 2011, to Amy Brown Vickery ’03 and Blake Vickery, Sioux City.

Blake Edward Yoder, October 17, 2011, to Sara Leichty Yoder ’04 and Donovan Yoder, West Liberty, joins sister, Emma.

Cora Fenimore Terlouw, November 29, 2011, to Morgan Kelly Terlouw ’07 and Matthew J. Terlouw ’08, Pella.

Peyton Allen Willey, July 21, 2011, to Kenna Wheeldon Willey ’07 and Randy G. Willey ’08, Newton.

Elliot Marie Lampman, August 17, 2011, to Seth D. Lampman ’08 and Emily Keller Lampman ’09, Indianola.

DEATHS Iris “Charlotte” Bustillo Robson, July 2, 2011, to Kristine Robson ’05 and Cesar B. Diaz, Seattle, Wash.

Dempsey Michael Biller, March 23, 2011, to Garrett M. Biller ’04 and Kelli Demetri Biller ’06, Dekalb, Ill.

Florence Weir Smith ’30, February 2, 2012, Indianola.

Mabel Schaal Hudson ’32, November 13, 2011, Meridian, Idaho.

Leota Harrison Smith ’38, February 29, 2012, Woodstock, Ill.

SUPERNATURAL STRENGTH Anyone married understands that longevity sometimes requires a bit of supernatural strength … or at least patience. So why not a super-hero wedding to get things started?

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Barry. At the end of July, Jas and Aric got a message from Barry’s agent. Barry was busy the weekend of the wedding but maybe they could meet at a later date. Among their gifts that day was a tweet from Barry to the new Mr. and Mrs. While Eldora is not exactly the planet Krypton, Riedemann, “I’d like to send my best wishes to Jasmine “ Jas” Crosser ’09, a corporate one of my biggest fans… she is getting married communications major and social media specialist, tomorrow and sadly I am unable to attend.” But makes a living out of grabbing attention. So it among the wedding cards… was one from Barry. was no surprise to her fiancée, Aric Riedemann, “To Aric and Jas- Congrats on the wedding. Take when she proposed to invite to the wedding her good care of each other. –Barry Sanders.” But the own real-life hero, Barry Sanders, the retired NFL story doesn’t end there. Soon after the nuptials, Detroit Lions running back. an agent contacted the newlyweds inviting them to meet up with Barry at a memorabilia She started her campaign with a blog, “Mr. Barry show in Chicago. What did she think of her Sanders, Will You Do Me the Honor?” and rallied hero? Watching the kind manner in which Barry her readers to urge Barry via email, Twitter and interacted with the public only reinforced her Facebook to attend. Then she posted a video of feelings as evidenced on her blog. “I.Love.Barry. herself popping the other big question. Not only Sanders.” Read more at: http://barrymeplease. did her friends and family jump on board, but wordpress.com/2011/10/01/barry-this-is-whatstrangers across the country also encouraged you-missed-part-i/ S IMP S O N.EDU /M AGAZINE

Evelyn White Van Rossum ’38, December 10, 2011, Manning.

Mearl E. Martin ’50, February 1, 2012, Cedar Rapids.

Don E. Worster ’56, October 9, 2011, Keokuk.

Eleanor Holman Ritter ’39, July 25, 2011, Winterset.

Beverly Nyswonger Rickabaugh ’50, November 2, 2011, Indianola.

Lorraine Lamb Dixon ’57, November 23, 2011, Shawnee, Kan.

Rev. Howard W. Washburn ’50, February 21, 2012, Saint Marys, Ohio.

Dr. Marvin C. Swanson ’58, November 19, 2011, St. Peters, Mo.

Roger K. Borthwick ’51, December 10, 2011, Carmel, Ind.

Judy Tyler Johnson ’60, November 21, 2011, Ankeny.

Lorraine Bruggen Major ’40, January 22, 2012, West Des Moines.

Robert M. La Follette ’42, November 26, 2011, Des Moines.

Doris Crawford Day ’45, November 30, 2011, Des Moines.

Dana Brown Nahkunst ’47, December 29, 2011, Hamburg.

Elaine DeLon Butler ’48, November 4, 2011, Roseville, Calif.

Barbara Frazier Miller ’51, January 2, 2012, Urbandale.

Jean Middleton Hedden ’52, October 12, 2011, Wilmington, N.C.

Donald L. Forret ’69, November 22, 2011, Indianola.

Patricia Frost Harvey ’69, December 3, 2011, Des Moines.

Gordon W. Jones ’52, February 15, 2012, Ft. Collins, Colo.

James H. Kelly, II ’70, November 9, 2011, Pleasant Hill.

Dr. James M. Comer ’48, January 17, 2012, Cornwall, Pa.

Robert L. Calhoun ’55, March 20, 2011, Seguin, Texas.

Gregory A. Krueger ’74, January 18, 2012, Omaha, Neb.

Florence Trunnell Schreiber ’48, December 29, 2011, Indianola.

Betty Finch Krane ’55, November 8, 2011, Austin, Texas.

Linda Berch ’04, February 28, 2012, Peru.

Vera Pratt Moser ’49, November 29, 2011, Everett, Wash.

Dr. Gordon H. Lamb ’56, February 6, 2012, Columbia, Mo.

KENT UPDATE! Taking full advantage of one of Indianola’s mildest winters on record, the contractors working on the Kent Campus Center are making great progress. The 54,000-square-foot building, located north of the Cowles Fieldhouse and south of the Tri-Delta sorority, sits in the same location as the former Brenton Student Center.

This new campus hub will feature a much expanded bookstore, coffee shop, yogurt shop, casual student dining options and a large second floor grand room that will overlook beautiful Buxton Park. A black box performance space will offer students a place to be entertained, and spacious student meeting rooms and offices. It will also provide student groups with what they need to be successful. Significantly upgraded, professional spaces will be built for career services, health services and all other student development operations. This beautiful building fits perfectly into the existing campus and will have an immeasurably positive impact on both recruitment and retention of the top students sought

by Simpson. With an opening date of October, your chance to contribute to this, the largest building project in Simpson’s history, is as easy as clicking on the Simpson website at http://www.simpson.edu/alumni/give/online. html, or by calling Bob Lane ’81, vice president of college advancement at (515) 961-1417.

Bingham Ray ’76 Notable alumnus Bingham Ray, Simpson College Class of 1976, passed away on January 23 at the age of 57 after suffering a stroke while attending the Sundance Film Festival. Co-founder of October Films, Ray was a prominent figure in the independent film industry. In November, he was named executive director of the San Francisco Film Society. He was former president of United Artists.

In a statement to the Los Angeles Times, Sundance founder Robert Redford remarked, “We lost a true warrior for independent voice today with the passing of Bingham Ray. He was a valued member of the Sundance family for as long as I can remember and he is responsible for mentoring countless seminal storytellers and bringing their work to the world.”

One of Ray’s best-known achievements was the purchase of Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine,” which won an Academy Award for best feature documentary in 2003.

He is survived by his wife, Nancy King, and their children, Nick, Annabel and Becca.

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