RAVEN REVIEW BENEDICTINE COLLEGE 2016
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DREAM DARE
EDITOR
Tom Hoopes G ’10
Vice-President of College Relations
Writers Steve Johnson G ’12
Director of Communications
Josh Pound ’09
Sports Information Director
DESIGNERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Amy Nell
Benedictine College 46 Annual th
Creative Director
Hayleigh Diebolt Graphic Designer
Janelle Perkins Graphic Designer
Christa Rieger February 25, 2017 Overland Park Convention Center
This year, the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict will go to Robert ’63 and Shirley von Harz ’63 Chenoweth and Sean ’82 and Julie Zook ’86 Doherty. With a special celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Ravens’ 1967 Basketball Championship.
Go to our Online Auction for a chance to win trips, jewelry and more! www.benedictine.edu/ScholarshipBallAuction2017
Graphic Designer
Kelly Elias ’85
Alumni Engagement Coordinator
COPY EDITORS Mary Asher ’80
Senior Administrative Assistant
WANTED: BENEDICTINE WEDDINGS
Did both you and your spouse graduate from Benedictine College, Mount St. Scholastica College or St. Benedict’s College? We want to feature your wedding picture on campus! Send your names, class years and a 5-by-7 or 8-by-10 inch framed photo to: Sue Durkin
Benedictine College • 1020 North Second Street • Atchison, KS 66002 Or email to: sdurkin@benedictine.edu
a year in review 04
Letter from the President
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Dream and Dare
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Cells, Stars and Russian Czars
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Designing & Building Architects
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First in Their Fields
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A Year in Review
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Nothing But The Best
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Century of Science
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Raven's Olympic Boost
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Meet You At The Murph
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Star Students
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All Those Years Ago
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For God and Ravens
RAVEN REVIEW
2016-2017 VOLUME 43
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Cardinal Dolan Speaks at Commencement
Highlights from Discovery Day 2016
Benedictine College's Newest Major
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Looking Back at our Incredible Athletic Successes
Glancing Back at a Memorable Year
Benedictine College Named an All-Steinway School
Benedictine College Celebrates Science History - and Future
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Kate Zachary helps Team USA
A Peek into the Murphy Family Recreational Center
Celebrating Ravens at the 2016 Scholarship Ball
A look back on a Raven celebrating her 75th Reunion
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An Interview with our Chaplains 2016 Raven Review| 3
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ew York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan gave our students some great advice at this year’s commencement. “You had a dream, Benedictine College students; you took a dare … similar to that of Lewis and Clark, who camped out on these very bluffs ... a dream, a dare, to believe that faith and reason are not just about yesterday, but about today and tomorrow.” It is a vision Ravens will recognize as our own: We dream great dreams and then have the daring to achieve them. Father Lemke dreamed of a college in the wilds of Kansas on the verge of the Civil War, and the monks dared to make that dream a reality. Mother Evangelista Kremmeter, OSB, and her sisters dreamed of a school for the Lord’s service on the Missouri River, and they dared to make that dream a reality. Today we have a Nobel Peace Prize laureate because of their dream and dare. We dreamed of building one of America’s great Catholic colleges and we dared to create Benedictine 2020: A Vision for Greatness. It has raised the bar in all areas of our mission. Community: To better serve our students, we dared to build 11 new residence halls, the Murphy Recreation Center and sports facilities that are second to none and a new Dining Hall. Today we have the highestrated student life program among our peers. Faith: We dreamed of glorifying God in all things, and dared our students to do more, sending more students from further away every year to the March for Life than anyone else and completing mission trips to 12 countries. Today we are recognized by the Newman Guide for our thriving faith life. Scholarship: We dreamed of greatness in academic excellence and dared to add Engineering, Nursing and Architecture and academic rigor, and have become a Top 15 U.S. News & World Report school. We dreamed of being a leader in the sciences, and in a new “Century of Science” we are daring to build a new Science & Engineering Building project, to be completed soon. As Cardinal Dolan put it, “The dream and dare of the Benedictines to renew culture through Catholic higher education is as gamechanging today as it was in the sixth century.” The stories in this magazine show how true that is. Forward Always Forward,
Stephen D. Minnis, ’82 President
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‘Dream and Dare!’ LOOKING BACK AT COMMENCEMENT 2016
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ommencement 2016 culminated in an inspirational address by His Eminence, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York. In his homily at the Baccalaureate Mass on May 13, Kansas City, Kan., Archbishop Joseph Naumann told students that “As Benedictine College graduates you have been taught not to be content with mediocrtity … Having Cardinal Dolan as your commencement speaker is a tribute
to Benedictine College’s national reputation.” “You had a dream, class of 2016; you took a dare. You made a very significant choice,” said Cardinal Dolan, to “spend your college years on the bluff overlooking the Missouri River.” In the next pages, we remember Cardinal Dolan’s visit to our campus and the class of 2016 which he joined with an honorary doctorate.
Cardinal Dolan told the college, “The dream and dare of the Benedictines to renew culture through Catholic higher education is as gamechanging today as it was in the sixth century.” 2016 Raven Review| 5
Remembering
the last four years, and soaring into the next. Jerome Roehm was the 2016 Valedictorian. Completing double majors in Mathematics and Secondary Education with a perfect 4.0 GPA, he was also a captain of the Raven Football team and a Varsity Catholic leader. “Be open to God’s will,” Roehm said in his valedictory speech. “However we humans measure success with all our medals, awards and titles, this really comes second to the one thing that matters: following Jesus Christ.”
“Wisdom is more important than even knowledge,” Cardinal Dolan said. “Faith and family and friends are more essential than anything functional. Dreams and dares hardly diminish when sickness and adversity come. And the call to greatness that has echoed on this campus with you for four years is answered in eternal life.” A Cardinal
s h a r i n g l au g h s w i t h h i s f e l l ow R av e n s . Cardinal Dolan called students “my fellow Ravens” after receiving his honorary doctorate. Along with the serious purpose, Cardinal Dolan also delivered some of his trademark humorous one-liners. “It’s good to be back in the Midwest,” said Dolan. “I knew I was out of New York when they didn’t lock the car when they dropped me off on campus.” Noting the mortar boards in the room and his own red biretta, he said, “For once, I’m not the only one in the room with a strange hat.” 6 | Raven Review 2016
Chosen
to lead in service of t h e i r c o u n t ry . Near the end of the ceremony, one of the graduates, JonElliott Brubaker, was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Brubaker, who completed majors in Chemistry and Biochemistry, will serve in the Air Force reserves while he completes his medical schooling at Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis.
Chosen to lead i n t h e C h u rc h and the world. Engineering graduate James Nistler and education graduate Angela Lorang were the Fran Jabara Award recipients chosen from among their classmates as examples of leadership. President Minnis announced the names of graduates who are entering religious life or the seminary to a standing ovation from the audience.
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Singing
a fa r e w e l l
A l m a M at e r .
On a day when the beautiful weather added its own inspiration, the ceremony concluded with one of the graduates, Clare Nowak, a Music and Theatre Arts major, singing the Benedictine College Alma Mater, “O Lord of Ev’ry Blessing.”
Nearly 400 students participated in the event, receiving either undergraduate or graduate degrees. Cardinal Dolan was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. Benedictine College was recognized as having one of the most interesting speakers in America in 2013 when Rep. Paul Ryan spoke, and then landed Kansas City Royals General Manager Dayton Moore between World Series appearances in 2015. Bob Hope, Lou Holtz, Father Flanagan, Governor Sam Brownback, both Bob and Elizabeth Dole, Dick Vermeil and Erma Bombeck have all addressed the school’s graduates in the past. 8 | Raven Review 2016
Cells, Stars, and Russian Czars Discovery Day like you’ve never seen 2016 Raven Review| 9
Benedictine College hosted an extraordinary Discovery Day 2016 at Benedictine College last April 13.
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n the morning you could catch an original and moving ballet depicting the fall of Russia’s first family at the hands of Rasputin and revolution. In the afternoon you could watch a concert of original choral and musical compositions. Students presented scientific research on esophageal cancer cells and solar luminescence. They made robots that audiences could manipulate. Engineering students explained how concrete canoes can float; Great Books students performed a Greek tragedy on the hill next to Memorial Hall. Discovery Day keynote Dr. Bernard Amadei, founder of Engineers Without Borders-USA, capped it all off with an emotional call to action in sustainable human development. “It’s not about giving a man a fish, or about teaching him to fish,” Amadei said. “It’s about creating a fishing industry!” Chosen to highlight the school’s year-long celebration of a Century of Science, Amadei’s work shows how career and concern can cooperate. In 2000, Amadei took a group of eight engineering students to Belize to build a water pump for the village of San Pablo. The pump, the first project for Engineers Without Borders-USA, was powered by a local waterfall and provided clean water to the village. Today, Engineers Without Borders-USA has more than 15,900 members and has impacted over 2.5 million lives around the world. But the stars of Discovery Day were the students. Since the school first cancelled classes for a Discovery Day in 1996, the event has seen more than 2,500 students participate in research projects in collaboration with their professors. Discovery Day 2016 included 90 presentations featuring the works of more than 240 students, 45 faculty/staff, and 21 academic departments. “There are projects spanning history, science, theology, music performance, and more,” said Dr. Terrance Malloy, chair of the Biology Department and co-chair of the Discovery Program. “It’s a great demonstration of the kinds of activities and the kinds of interactions (between faculty and students) that we’re proud of here at Benedictine.”
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The day’s mix of community and scholar
rship celebrates what makes a Benedictine College education uniquely effective.
Designing & Building Architects Benedictine College’s Newest Major
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enedictine College’s new architecture program is a pre-professional program with a classical emphasis that complements our liberal arts mission. Drawing on both technical and artistic foundations, graduates of this program will be well prepared for a graduatelevel architecture program leading to professional certification. “Adding Architecture is a great development for us,” said President Stephen D. Minnis. “We are unique among our peer institutions in that we have both an Engineering Department and an Art Department. Architecture takes us another step forward.” The development makes Benedictine College the only NAIA school with Engineering and Architecture. The
combination will give the college’s degree a strong technical dimension. To accommodate the program, the school has dedicated a computer lab, a beautiful historic loft space to the program, and an innovative, fully restored classroom space in Bishop Fink Hall—a historic landmark building. The program is designed to give students a studio-based learning experience, which prepares them for a professional graduate school program or an opportunity to work under architects in intern or junior designer positions. The architecture curriculum will explore various formal, conceptual and technical considerations and how they interrelate in design. The ideas and experience students gain in the design 2016 Raven Review| 13
studio will be reinforced and amplified by support courses. “Connections to engineering, math, philosophy, theology, psychology, history, and art will make our architecture students excellent models of the significance of a liberal arts education and how it can impact beyond the classroom,” said Christa Kagin, chair of the Art Department, where the program will be housed. She said field trips will broaden and expand students’ understanding of architectural concepts and internships will offer real-world experiences. Students will also benefit from the close student-to-teacher ratios and a true interdisciplinary learning environment. “As we began exploring architecture as a
new program, we were increasingly struck with the way this field of study is such a natural fit for our mission,” said Dr. Kimberly Shankman, dean of the college. “We seek to educate within a community of faith and scholarship; architecture is the study of how to give concrete expression to the idea of community.” “We found that we already had the nuts and bolts for an architecture degree,” Kagin added. “Students who study architecture at Benedictine College will benefit from a solid foundation in faith and community, two aspects which will directly impact their understanding of human relationships. This knowledge will inform how humanity’s history and interactions with structures is critical to creating spaces for worship, living, working, and learning today.”
God, Beauty, and Buildings The Cardinal Newman Society interviewed Benedictine College’s Dr. Kimberly Shankman on the college’s new Architecture program. Why is it important for students to be educated on the significance of both theology and architecture? One of the ways God sends his message of love to us is through beauty; understanding both theology and architecture can help students understand the significance of beauty as a sign of God’s presence in the universe. How will this new degree benefit from and utilize a Catholic understanding of theology? The incarnational nature of Catholic’s understanding of theology points to the ways in which our actions in the world have true significance. Things that we can touch and see are echoes and reminders of God’s plan and presence. Architects who truly embrace that vision will have an orientation toward their profession, which will encourage them to be the very best architects possible. Will there be any classes offered combining the subjects of theology and architecture, such as a Church Architecture class or Liturgy 14 | Raven Review 2016
and Architecture? How could such courses prepare students to “build up” the Church, so to speak? These types of courses are definitely consistent with our vision of the role of the architecture program at Benedictine College. What impact can Catholic college students with an architecture degree have in their field and on the world that other architecture majors might not? The motto of the Benedictine order is “Ut in omnibus glorificetur Deus” (That in all things God may be glorified”). It gives a whole new meaning to professional success when you seriously attempt to live this motto. Our hope is that our architecture program can form architects committed to beauty as a sign of God’s presence, committed to developing cities and towns to foster true human community, and committed to developing their skills to the highest possible level to put them in service to the Church and the world. These things are not part of secular architecture programs focusing primarily on getting a job and developing technique, or perhaps, for the most talented, developing the ability to make “statements” by starting or copying trendy and faddish innovations in architecture.
Meet Our Architects John P. Haigh Education: University of Notre Dame; Institute of Classical Architecture, New York Awards: Excellence in Teaching 2004, Notre Dame Projects: Our Lady of the Annunciation of Clear Creek Abbey, Hulbert, Oklahoma Cedar Grove Cemetery Mausolea, Notre Dame Wyoming Catholic College Our Lady of Guadalupe Seminary Chapel, Denton, Neb.
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Classical Galleries, The American Wing, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
I see a new program in architecture as an opportunity to re-infuse the field with the spirit of St. John Paul II’s ‘Be not afraid.’ … Benedictine College will lead this charge in its architecture program.
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Carlos S. Lameiro Education: Lisbon Higher School of Fine Arts, D.Arch; Faculty of Architecture, Technical University of Lisbon, Ph.D Projects: High School A. L. Vieira Apartment Blocks, Aveiro New Aveiro Railway Station New Santarém Railway Station
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Each student is unique and has a distinct profile, and we have to encourage and give space to this creativity. … From the beginning, students need to be grounded in discipline and practice.
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Last Year Was Amazing
FIRST IN THEIR FIELDS Looking back on last year’s historic season in Raven Athletics
Women’s soccer team embraces after sealing their spot in the team’s first-ever NAIA National Semifinal slot.
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When you’ve been around as long as Benedictine College, its not easy to have very many firsts but the 2015-16 season marked many new firsts for the Raven Athletic Department. Ravens soared to new heights last year with the Women’s Soccer team earning a spot in the NAIA National Championship Semifinals, the Women’s 4x800 meter relay team earning the 2016 NAIA National championship, the Women’s Basketball team playing their way into the NAIA Basketball Championship Fab Four, and the first-year Women’s Lacrosse team earning one of eight spots in the first-ever NAIA Women’s Lacrosse National Invitational Tournament; and those were just a few firsts.
National Champion Team (L to R): Lauren Benzing, Hannah Wondra, Katherine Dillard, and Hannah Pinkerton
SOCCER Women’s Soccer showcases program on the beach In a season that started off with a rematch against a top-ranked opponent, the Raven Women’s Soccer season was one for the record books when the team qualified for their second straight trip to Orange Beach, Ala., and the NAIA Women’s Soccer National Championship. “We always want to get better and realize that it’s not going to be easy to win a fourth straight conference Championship,” said women’s soccer head coach Lincoln Roblee. “We are determined to make every season better than the previous season. Reaching the NAIA Quarterfinals in 2014 and then the NAIA Semifinals in 2015 has given us a target to go even farther. We have great players that continue to give great effort and we are very excited about 2016.” The team finished with an overall record of 22-2-1 and along the way their 8-1-1 mark in the Heart of America Athletic Conference gave them their third straight Heart Championship. Before making their second trip to Orange Beach, the team also earned the 2015 Heart Women’s Soccer Postseason Championship.
INDOOR TRACK Women’s 4x800 meter relay sets a new bar Benedictine had not brought home any kind of a NAIA Championship since legendary coach Ralph Nolan guided the St. Benedict’s Men’s Basketball program to a championship run in 1967. Weeks after
helping guide the program to its first-ever Heart Indoor Track Championship, that drought ended in March when the quartet of Lauren Benzing, Hannah Wondra, Katherine Dillard, and Hannah Pinkerton; brought up the track program’s first NAIA National Championship. “It was truly incredible to watch our foursome of Wondra, Benzing, Pinkerton, and Dillard rise to the challenge at the NAIA National stage. It was only weeks before that these women carried their team to the first-ever Heart Indoor Track title,” said head coach Henry Brun. “The months of physical and mental preparation had allowed them to compete with such poise. As a coach, I could feel the fire burning within each of them as they ran and I saw the look of fulfillment in their eyes as they came across the finish line as NAIA National Champions. Being the firstever women’s National Champions in Benedictine history and the first for the institution since 1967 will be something that these ladies will never forget.” They crossed the finish line in a time of 9:09.37, not only beating the competition by two seconds but also setting a new school record as well.
BASKETBALL Third time’s a charm for Women’s Basketball This past season marked the third time that a Women’s Basketball team led by head coach Chad Folsom earned a trip to the NAIA Div. I Women’s Basketball National Championship and it would prove to be a memorable trip. After earning an at-large berth into the tournament field, the team held their opponents to just 50.5 ppg, which included new season-low scoring totals for Our Lady of the Lake (Texas) and Campbellsville (Ky.) en route to a trip to the program’s first-ever NAIA Division I Fab Four. “It was a remarkable season for our women’s basketball program, not only did the team finish with one of the top records ever in the school’s history, but we were able to make it to the Fab 4 for the first time in our program’s history,” said head coach Chad Folsom. “The success was a direct result of this team’s hard work, dedication, determination, and willingness to play for each other.” The team finished the season with an overall record of 29-7 and a No. 8 ranking in the final NAIA Div. I Coaches’ Poll, marking the program’s highest final season ranking.
LACROSSE Women’s Lacrosse exceeds first-year expectations Women’s and Men’s Lacrosse became the newest additions to the Raven Athletic Department last year and the Women’s team set the bar high for the future as they earned a share of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season championship and then earned the 2016 KCAC Women’s Lacrosse Postseason Tournament Championship. The tournament championship gave the program one of eight spots in the first-ever NAIA National Invitational Tournament and put the program on the NAIA Women’s Lacrosse map. “It was a very exciting first season for the women’s lacrosse program,” said head coach Amanda Magee. “The team is looking forward to continuing to build a powerhouse lacrosse program in the NAIA.” The team finished with an overall record of 9-5 while posting a 5-1 mark in the KCAC.
THAT’S A LOT OF FIRSTS. HERE ARE OTHERS. The Men’s and Women’s Cross Country team swept the 2015 Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship marking the first conference title for the men’s program and the second straight for the women’s program and gave each team an automatic berth to the 2015 NAIA Cross Country National Championships. On Sept. 12, the Raven Football team played its first televised football game in program history. In association with the Niles Media Group, the Heart of America Athletic Conference played a featured game on TV each week throughout the 2015 season in Kansas City and select markets around the Midwest. The broadcast was also carried on ESPN 3 to a national audience. In all, the football program was featured four times with two home games and two road games.
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For 2016-17 schedules, stats, and fan information visit:
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JUNE
FEBRUARY
JANUARY
MAY
a year in review
March for LIfe Commencement
Scholarship Ball
Alumni Weekend Kansas Monk /Offeramus
Fatima Centennial Daily Raven Rosary
Move-in Day
Waterfall blessing
Alumni Christmas Parties
Murphy Family
Convocation
Summer Camps
Lessons and Carols
Homecoming
Beanie Week BCYC
Family Weekend
Recreation Center Opening
ROC Week Mother Teresa Days
Westerman Groundbreaking Raven Memorial Park Sacred Heart of Jesus
SEPTEMBER
AUGUST
AUGUST
DECEMBER
Statue Enthronement
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NOTHING BUT THE BEST Benedictine College Named an All-Steinway School
“Let our communities be vibrant, let our minds be scholarly, let our hearts always be faithful, and let our pianos always be Steinways.”
The unique prayer that valedictorian Jerome Roehm ended his commencement remarks with was a long time in the making. It started when three moving vans
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rolled onto campus in May 2015. Their precious cargo: 17 brand new Steinway pianos. That was just one part of an overall plan by the college to enhance its Music Department and become an All-Steinway School. More pianos would be delivered through the summer, with the final three, including a beautiful concert grand, delivered July 20. Now every piano on the campus, from classrooms to rehearsal rooms to the recital hall and performance
venues, is a Steinway. “Steinway & Sons is the top piano manufacturer in the world,” said Stephen D. Minnis, president of Benedictine College. “Their pianos, made by hand in New York, define excellence. Being designated an All-Steinway School demonstrates a commitment to the arts and a commitment to excellence. We are pleased to provide our students and
faculty with the best equipment of music and especially the piano. possible for the study of music.” Now married to Rick Dalzell, former There are more than 2,500 colleges Chief Information Officer and Senior and universities in America and Vice President of Amazon.com, thousands more around the world, but Kathie has imparted her excitement only 172 have been designated as All- about the Benedictine College Music Steinway Schools. Now Benedictine Department to her husband, and the College joins that elite couple has taken a special list. Not only do these “The dream interest in the program. schools demonstrate a “As a graduate in piano of every music commitment to high performance, the music department in department at Benedictine quality music education, they also commit the world is College will always be a themselves to a specified special place with many to become an Steinway maintenance fond memories for me,” schedule that includes All-Steinway she said. “Recently, Rick temperature and humidity I took a walk through School and we and control as well as regular the practice rooms and are thrilled to were concerned about the tuning by Steinway & Sons technicians. be among the condition of the pianos. “I was thrilled and so There was no question excited when I heard the few institutions about the need for better that have this instruments! We are announcement,” music student Paul Murphy told thrilled to be able to make honor.” Benedictine’s student Benedictine College an newspaper. “I was so surprised because All-Steinway School.” it is very difficult to become an ‘AllThe Dalzells gave a donation Steinway school,’ so we are very of nearly $1 million that allowed fortunate.” Benedictine College to make the “The dream of every music move to an All-Steinway School. department in the world is to become Their gift funded the purchase of 21 an All-Steinway School and we new Steinway pianos, as well as the are thrilled to be among the few refurbishment of all the teaching institutions that have this honor,” studios and rehearsal rooms. The gift said Dr. Ruth Krusemark, chair of the also established an endowment that Music Department and the Mother will perpetually fund the SteinwayEvangelista Kremmeter Professor of approved maintenance program, Benedictine Traditions and Values. assuring the pianos are kept in “Our students will reap the greatest performance-quality condition. benefits of the pianos by practicing “As chair of the Benedictine and performing on the best the College Music Department and as industry has to offer. To make music a pianist, I am overwhelmed with on a Steinway increases your love gratitude to our donors who recognize for the wonderful sounds that the the importance of giving back to instrument provides and inspires Benedictine College and providing students to reach for their highest opportunities for our students,” performance potential.” Krusemark said. “Through their gift, But the arrival of pianos on campus the Dalzells have provided a legacy was the culmination of a story that that will benefit students for at least actually began in the 1970s when a the next half-century. We are deeply young music student, Kathie Weishar, indebted to them for their generosity came to Benedictine College. and love for the institution.” Her experience at the college and Krusemark and Dalzell traveled to her connection with S. Joachim Steinway’s production facility in New Holthaus, OSB, ’50, her favorite York City and tried several pianos. music professor, enriched her love They personally selected the Steinway
Model D, or concert grand piano, that will stay on the stage in O’MalleyMcAllister Auditorium. “Touring the Steinway factory was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” Dalzell said. “The selection process was exhilarating! Although the pianos are built the same, they each take on their own character. Ruth and I played several pianos and chose the ones we thought had the qualities in sound and action we were hoping for.” In addition to the concert grand, Dalzell and Krusemark chose two Steinway Model B pianos while in New York. Often referred to as the “Music Room Grand,” the Model B is designed for smaller recital halls, auditoriums, and broadcasting, recording, or professional studios. Krusemark and other members of the Music Department also chose three more Model B pianos through Schmitt Music, a Steinway dealer in the Kansas City area. A dozen upright Steinway Model 1098 pianos and two small Model A “parlor grand” pianos were also included in the purchase.
Greatness
awaits
BENEDICTINE COLLEGE CELEBRATES SCIENCE HISTORY — AND FUTURE
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enedictine College has launched a year-long celebration of a “Century of Science” at its Atchison, Kan., campus. In 1916, the college offered its first science degrees. Today, the college is looking to the next century of science with a planned new Science and Engineering building. “The best way to honor a century of science at Benedictine College is to prepare ourselves for the next century of science,” said the college’s president, Stephen D. Minnis. The $25 million Benedictine science and engineering building project will be the college’s largest capital project ever. The college worked with one of the nation’s leading science and technology architects to design the best science facilities possible for the needs of the college’s engineering, biology, chemistry and biochemistry, physics and astronomy departments. “This building is the product of more than 45 design meetings with science faculty for more than 170 total hours of faculty time, making this a building designed by our scientists, for our scientists,” said Dr. Kimberly Shankman, Dean of the College. “As a result, we
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have a high level of confidence that the building will serve our STEM departments well, now and into the future.” SCIENCE SUCCESSES One hundred years of science education has left its mark on Benedictine — and the world. Physics professor Dr. Doug Brothers, who has taught at Benedictine College since 1968, is in a position to know a good deal about the history of science at Benedictine. Named an “Icon of Education” in 2016 by Ingram’s magazine, Brothers is a past winner of the Educator of Year Award, has received numerous National Science Foundation grants, served as department chair for 45 years, and even served as Interim Dean of the College for 18 months. “We are most proud of the accomplishments of our students, and of the outstanding character and dedication to learning of our current students,” he said. “We are proud of the professional accomplishments of our alums.” THOSE ALUMNI INCLUDE: Wangari Maathai, ’64, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, who founded the Green Belt Movement in Kenya. Patrick Gallagher, ’85, who was the 14th director of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology, held one of the nation’s top science jobs. He is now Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh. Doctors. Benedictine College has a long and proud track
DID YOU KNOW? The Impact of Benedictine College Science Research Dr. Gail S. Blaustein, chemistry and biochemistry, is helping break new ground in our understanding of the release, fate, and toxicity of nanomaterials. Dr. Martha Carletti, biology, is doing important research into esophageal cancer. Dr. Ryan Maderak, physics and astronomy, is tracing the history of the galaxy through the oxygen in stars.
record of launching successful medical careers. Raven doctors in the 21st century have been physicians at Mayo Clinic, running rural health clinics, and teaching at KU Med. Health Care Professionals. The Mother Teresa Center for Nursing and Health Education at Benedictine College, in clinical cooperation with the Dooley Center, a U.S. News & World Report top nursing facility in Atchison, has seen its graduates join teams at major hospitals. Career Scientists. Raven chemistry and biochemstiry graduates are active in pharmaceuticals, medicinal chemistry, synthesis, environmental sciences, forensics, drug discovery, biotechnology, molecular biology, and research. Engineers. Benedictine College engineers are at work at a number of firms including Black & Veatch Corporation, Garmin, and Burns & McDonnell. Every graduate of the program has passed the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and has found success in his or her chosen career path. Dr. Dan Bowen said the program has seen decades of success. “What we have to do in the sciences is actually do science,” said the longtime Benedictine College professor and former chair of the Biology Department. “What the work in the Benedictine Bottoms has done is give our students the opportunity to talk with the governor of Kansas, meet with the Corps of Engineers, interact with scientist,s and have a genuine impact on society.” Engineering chair Dr. Darrin Muggli attributes the success to the college’s liberal arts mission. “No one else can do this the way we can. Benedictine College students can communicate effectively and they have a
Dr. Darrin Muggli, Engineering Chair, was recently named on a patent (his fourth) for a process in the creation of alternative fuels for aviation. Dr. Mark Schramp, biology, is studying the epithelial cells that are involved in 80% of malignant tumors. Dr. Georgiy Shcherbatyuk, physics and astronomy, is investigating high-level solar energy harvesting techniques. Dr. Paul Steinbach, Chemistry and Biochemistry Chair, is researching environmental testing and luminescence spectroscopy. Dr. Larry Sutton, chemistry and biochemistry, recently received significant capital funding for his project to battle antibiotic resistant “superbugs.” Dr. Virginia Winder, biology, is studying the effect of wind energy on prairie chickens as part of a team from several universities. 2016 Raven Review| 27
problems from many different angles and viewpoints.” Stephen Schaad, class of 2016, said the program provided great real-world preparation. “At Lennox International, I was interning with students from Texas A&M, University of Texas at Arlington, Iowa State, and Purdue. By far, I am not the best engineer at Benedictine, but compared to students from these other schools I was considered the best intern,” he said. “We are not just an engineering program. We are a top engineering program.” FAITH AND SCIENCE From the beginning in 1916, the college aimed for the highest possible standards in the sciences, sending monks to
the best universities to offer students the best opportunities. Mount Saint Scholastica College taught the hard sciences from the very beginning. Chemistry major Angela Poffenberger, ’16, said that she chose Benedictine College for its excellence in science — and the faith. “I knew I wanted to pursue science, but I also wanted a firm foundation in my faith, so when I came and visited Benedictine,” she said. “I knew that coming here I would get the science education I needed and I would also get a strong foundation in my faith.” President Minnis sees advancement in STEM disciplines as central to the college’s faith-based mission. “At Benedictine College, we believe faith, morality, and ethics are just as important in the sciences as in every other
A PROUD HISTORY Benedictine College Sciences Timeline 1964
1858
St. Benedict’s College founded.
1916
The renamed “St. Benedict’s College of Arts & Sciences” offers its first B.Sc. Degree.
28 | Raven Review 2016
1980s
First classes held in Westerman Hall, a building designed to maximize laboratory research opportunities.
1923
Mount St. Scholastica College (MSSC) is founded, offering Physical and Biological Science.
1950s
Future Benedictine president Father Gerard Senecal, OSB, ’51, begins postgraduate studies in a science career that will take him to Goddard Space Flight Center, the Atomic Energy Commission, and coauthorship of a paper with Nobel Laureate Luis W. Alvarez
Father Eugene Dehner, OSB, ’37, becomes legendary for graduating students into medical schools nationwide.
1970s
National competitions win Benedictine a rare four annual National Science Foundation “Student Originated Studies” grants.
1990s
Dan Bowen, Doug Brothers, Mike O’Hare, and Steve Schweizer launch the Discovery Program, giving students graduate-level research and presentation opportunities.
part of our lives. They cannot be separated,” he said. “That is why it is so important to train future doctors, engineers, and scientists at a place like Benedictine College that understands the essential role of faith, morality, and ethics in the sciences.” The college launched a prayer campaign in support of the new science and engineering capital project, called the Memorare Army for Benedictine Science Advancement (Benedictine.edu/memorare). WHAT’S NEXT? The future of Benedictine College science will be shaped by the new science and engineering building. Chemistry’s Dr. Larry Sutton said, “Upgraded chemistry
laboratories I think will help our students in that we can expand our research into areas like renewable fuels, molecular diagnostics, protein engineering, nanotechnology and computational chemistry.” Dan Bowen agreed. “I think that once you stick these really solid programs in really good facilities that the sciences will explode at Benedictine College.” Doug Brothers said: “The existence of student research, student-faculty research, and faculty research in Westerman Hall was a game changer. And we are looking for another game changer in this fundraising effort and effort to carry science and engineering activities to another level at Benedictine College. And so, that’s what I’m excited about, in terms of whatever we can build to make that happen.”
2009
The Engineering Department is established, offering Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical and Civic Engineering. Nursing program established.
2004
1993
Wangari Maathai, ’64, Benedictine biology graduate, is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Dan Bowen and Martin Simon initiated Biology student research projects on the Benedictine Bottoms.
2001
The Biology Department won the Heuer Award from the Council of Independent Colleges for “Outstanding Achievement in Undergraduate Science Education.”
20072009
Benedictine College biologists participate in the U.S. Corps of Engineers’ Cottonwood Project, which expands habitats for bald eagles.
2010-present
Today, the college: • Invests more in STEM faculty than any other academic area, hiring 15 STEM professors in the past 10 years. • Invests far more yearly operating dollars to STEM disciplines than any other area. • Invests more in attracting science majors than any other students: Science majors receive the largest academic scholarships of any majors on campus. • Benedictine College science students come with the highest average ACT scores and GPAs of any in the school. • The sciences produce the largest number of Discovery Day Projects, providing our students graduate-level science opportunities in experimentation and presentation. • Our science excellence helps Benedictine College become widely regarded as one of America’s best, rated a top-20 best college by U.S. News & World Report and the Newman Guide.
2016 Raven Review| 29
Kate Zackary Rugby Sevens July 26, 1989; Garden City, Kan., to Carol and Thomas Zackary. Salina (Kan.) South High School Benedictine College ’11, Mass Communications/Art. Career Highlights: Helped the Ravens to their first national championship appearance. Fivetime Grand Prix Series medalist (one gold, one silver, three bronzes); 2015 World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, 5th; 2015 IRB World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, Atlanta, 2nd; 2015 IRB World Rugby Women’s Sevens Series, Canada, 5th; 2015 NACRA Sevens Championship, 1st. “I wanted to be a part of something bigger than a college. Benedictine has made me a better friend, better daughter, and better educated. It gave me the opportunity to be a leader through soccer and intramurals.” “I played in front of some of the best fans here. It is the people around you who pick you up and keep you going.”
30 | Raven Review 2016
K
ate Zackary’s Olympic story began when she left Benedictine College in June 2014 to play rugby. Zackary had graduated in 2011 with her Mass Communications and Art majors, then stayed on to work as the college Web Administrator while she pursued a second degree in computer science. Then everything changed. “I left my comfortable life in cozy Kansas, and moved cross-country to California to begin training full-time with the USA Women’s Sevens National Team,” she said. Since then she has been participating in Women’s Sevens Series Tournaments worldwide. Though in the end the squad would go without her, she qualified for the 2016 Olympics at The NACRA Championships, and earned the Silver Medal at the 2015 Pan-American Games — a first ever for women’s rugby. “Benedictine College made it possible,” she said. “It was at Benedictine that I truly discovered my talents, and received direct support from my coach and teammates,” she said. A smaller squad size was one huge advantage. “Our team was never larger than 26 players during my career, where you might find yourself up against 40-50 at a bigger school,” she said. “This is a huge benefit of a small program, as you can honestly get to know each individual on your team beyond surface level, and still maintain a competitive environment.” Her coach made a big difference too. “Our program consisted of just one coach,” she told the National Small College Rugby Organization. “Lincoln Roblee is a very dedicated man, who to this day sacrifices so much time and energy to ensure that he can help each and every one of his players, past or present.” She said Roblee provided something she could not have found elsewhere. “A coach like this is what any athlete needs to succeed, not necessarily a big college with a big name. It is the people you encounter throughout life that will help you become great — if you let them teach you, push you, and mold you.” She helped Coach Roblee bring Benedictine women’s soccer to their first-ever national tournament. It wasn’t easy. ”During my four years I had the pleasure of going head to head with Brazil Youth National Team players, and scored on a goalkeeper that would go on to play in the 2015 Women’s World Cup, for the Colombian National Team,” she said. “Those are pretty elite athletes in my book.” Roblee calls Zackary elite, too. “She is fearless, powerful, and very fast,” he said. “She always finds a way to use her skills, ability, and brain to help win a game. But as talented as Kate has always been as an individual, she has
always been team focused. Kate has always had a winner’s attitude.” How did a Raven soccer star become a rugby player? “After varsity soccer was over I found myself playing rugby with the Benedictine Saints club team,” she said. “Eight months after my rugby career began, I had the pleasure of meeting the very persistent Bryn Chivers. Bryn fell upon a YouTube video of a match versus Kansas State University, and went to bat for me when he contacted USA Women’s Sevens Coach Ric Suggit about attending a National Team camp in April. Following the five-day camp, I returned to Kansas, back to my job, my gym, and my normal life. Seven weeks later that would all change.” The organization no doubt saw her winning attitude, which Benedictine Soccer Head Coach Roblee described this way: “Kate was never afraid of hard work. She loved competition and becoming the best she could be. As talented as she is, I believe Kate’s mental drive has played a big role on her playing for the National Team. As a college soccer player, the bigger the challenge, the more excited Kate would get. I believe that her competitive attitude has helped her as a professional athlete.” That attitude is necessary to the grueling schedule Zackary keeps. “You have to work hard, day in and day out, on and off the field. Not only should you strive to master the fundamentals of your sport, but you must work even harder to understand your teammates,” she said. “We train between 4-6 hours a day, five days a week, and are typically pushed outside our comfort zones — it is in these moments that you need to trust your teammates, and your support system, as you all work toward the same goal: gold in Rio.” Zackary fully realizes that she is enjoying “a very unique experience.” She said, “I am lucky enough to train next to some of the best rugby players, not only in the United States, but in the world!” Through it all, Zackary said her Benedictine College experience grows more important with the passage of time. “Those experiences at Benedictine have never seemed more important before now,” she said. “There are days that can be grueling, and that are meant to break you, but I find comfort in trusting the process, the same process that got me to California.” Her advice to other young athletes sounds very Benedictine: “Find a team that will stand next to you in battle and push you to strive for greatness,” she said.
Forward, Always Forward Student data points to immense growth for Benedictine College* Increase in Enrollment in the last 15 years
890 1,922
{2001} {2016}
Average Freshman ACT Score
Six Year Graduation Rate
24.5
45%
Freshman Class Size
240 {2001}
{
517 {2016}
99%
{
of students are awarded scholarships**
Student Representation
Students Represent
72%
out-of-state
49 STATES 25%
{2001}
in-state
68% {2015}
Retention Rate
our 84% ofstudents live on campus**
77% {2001}
80% {2015}
For more facts visit: benedictine.edu/about/points-excellence
* All data from the 2015-16 school year unless noted ** 2014-15 school year
Introducing ‌The MURPHY Recreation Center
The Murph S
tudents love the new Murphy Recreation Center located southwest of Westerman Hall (on the old softball field). The 42,000-square-foot Benedictine College Student Recreation Center opened in 2016. The building is designed to support all students with all three aspects of the college’s mission: community, faith, and scholarship. 2016 Raven Review| 33
FANGMAN ATRIUM Enter through the Haverty-arch-shaped entryway and see the look of signature campus buildings echoed in the dormer windows above.
EAST OF THE ATRIUM A hallway takes you to a snack area, locker rooms, and the Napier Studio, and the Thompson & Becker Suites. These rooms allow for student use and or classes such as Aerobics, Spinning, or Zumba.
FANGMAN ATRIUM
EAST OF THE ATRIUM
UPSTAIRS: MORITZ TRACK The hanging track is 1/10 of a mile, with three lanes and views of campus and the courts. The flooring is specially designed for running. Corrugated walls mean less echo. 34 | Raven Review 2016
UPSTAIRS: MORITZ TRACK
GYM: BASKETBALL COURTS (GANGEL/NEWMAN COURTS) There are 12 hoops serving two side-by-side full-length basketball courts and four half-courts; intramural games can go in either direction, if needed. Metal discs in the courts fit volleyball nets that can be lowered to become tennis nets. Athletic teams, except in special GYM: BASKETBALL circumstances, use separate facilities. The gym’s COURTS Terra-Flex® flooring allows multiuse.
GYM: TURF (NEUHOFF COURT) The RealTurf® court is for general student use although will allow for some regular winter varsity training for some sports. Above the turf you will see three batting cages that can be lowered.
HUNT FITNESS ROOM Cardio area. The Recreation Center offers a fully functional fitness space with beautiful views of campus and features state-of-theart equipment. There are 38 machines in the cardio and weight room, including: eight treadmills, six ellipticals, four bikes, and two stair steppers. The machines feature LifeFitness® QR Scan codes to watch instructional videos and track strength training. Cardio exercise with an interactive experience allows you to jog “around the world” with automatic resistance that syncs to the terrain in your dream destination.
GYM: TURF
HUNT FITNESS ROOM
Weights area. There are 14 nautilus benches, three freeweight cages, and two rowing machines in the weights area. Machines include a QR code that you can scan with your phone to watch a demonstration video showing instructions for HUNT each machine. FITNESS ROOM | 36 Raven Review 2016
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Star Students 2016 45th Annual Scholarship Ball Celebrated Ravens
James Nistler delivers his heartfelt speech at the apex of the evening’s program.
Julia Reinhart takes the stage during the President’s speech.
ames Nistler told the Scholarship Ball
audience that his childhood dream came true. He was the student chosen to tell his story to the Feb. 27 black-tie event that raises the money that makes it possible for many students to attend Benedictine College. Nistler said he always dreamed of going to a school with more than a century and a half of history in the Midwest. A school with a winning football tradition and a memorable fight song. A school known for its grotto and for preparing students to succeed at the very highest levels. His dream came true, but in an unexpected way. He wanted to go to Notre Dame — but he’s grateful that he went to Benedictine College “Every day, I prayed through the intercession of Mary to Jesus that I would choose the right college, assuming she knew I meant Notre Dame,” he said. “Little did I know that while I was praying to Mary that I would choose the right school, President Minnis was praying to Mary that I would make the right choice. And you know what? If I knew what I know now, Benedictine College would have always been my first choice.” From the red carpet walkway to the spectacular Broadway-caliber performance, the record crowd of more than 800 attendees enjoyed a special night at the 45th Annual Benedictine College Scholarship Ball. But the real stars were the students. Annually one of the largest and most
successful fundraising events in the Kansas City metropolitan area, the Scholarship Ball again raised over $550,000. Co-chaired by Lené Westerman and John and Leslie Humphrey and emceed by John Holt, news anchor at Fox 4 television, the night was dedicated to Byron Thompson, Benedictine alumnus and former board member who passed away last summer. The evening also featured entertainment by alumnus and Broadway star Kingsley Leggs (Miss Saigon, The Color Purple, Sister Act), with piano accompaniment by alumna Kathie Dalzell. Leggs and Rick and Kathie Dalzell were honored with the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict during the evening’s program. James was just one of several students whose stories showcased Benedictine College’s mission of community, faith and scholarship are working. President Stephen D. Minnis featured four students in his remarks.
Julia Reinhart
On her way to becoming a summa cum laude graduate with a 3.9 GPA, Senior Julia Reinhart volunteered at the Atchison free clinic and is a member of the Student Nurses Association. She volunteered for Fall Break Atchison and was a FOCUS Bible study leader. She alsp led a nursing medical mission trip to the Philippines. President Minnis introduced her and then said, “Thank you for making Benedictine College a better place Julia.” 2016 Raven Review| 39
Darren Handy to Washington for the March for Life and
The Phoenix native braved Kansas winters to come to Darren Benedictine Handy College. Here he played football, was a Resident Hall Assistant, an elected member of the Student Government Association and even Vice-President of the Chess Club. He was an intramural champion and was active in Varsity Catholic as a Bible study leader. He also led an initiative to donate water bottles to Flint, Michigan. He graduated cum laude and as a Discovery scholar, recognized as an academic all-American. “Darren plans to go to law school or into politics,” said President Minnis. “Although, age-wise he is not eligible to run for President yet, unfortunately.“
Ally Garrett
Omaha native Ally Garrett graduated cum laude in mechanical engineering and physics. She has won numerous intramural titles as an outstanding athlete and has a real heart for service, leading the mission trip to Haiti for three years in a row. Ally has traveled
Ally Garrett
she has been a Regnum Christi Bible study leader. Last summer she interned at Coleman cooler company and even designed a new cooler for them. Her dream is to be an athletic equipment designer to create a safer helmet for football players. “She is part of the fastest growing Engineering program in the country,” said President Minnis, “and it is because of the success of students like her that Benedictine College received ABET accreditation in Mechanical Engineering in record time.”
Jerome Roehm
The Junction City, Kansas, native is a tight end and captain of the football team. After graduating as valedictorian with a perfect 4.0 this May with a major in Math and Secondary Education, Jerome is back playing football and studying for a masters in school leadership. President Minnis said Jerome was legendary as a math student. “In fact,” he said, “he is so smart the math department implemented the “Jerome Rule,” which means he’s not allowed to answer questions in class, so others can try to figure out the answers.” “These four students, the students you met tonight, and 1,800 back in Atchison — all of our students — are on some sort of financial aid, made possible by people like you,” said President Minnis. “Our students appreciate the sacrifices you all are making to be here and to support the college.”
Nistler echoed the president’s remarks. “It was no accident that Benedictine College was able to provide scholarships that
allowed me to afford this amazing place,” he said. Nistler was involved in the school as a resident assistant, a competitor in the Kansas City Tough Mudder 13-mile obstacle course, an intramural basketball champion, and a member of the inaugural Benedictine Lacrosse team. He participated in the first Benedictine Engineering Mission trip to Guatemala and led a Benedictine Engineering Mission trip to Ghana. He also discovered Eucharistic adoration thanks to the mentorship of Engineering Chair Dr. Darrin Muggli.
“But not only are my professors great mentors, they have also prepared me well for a career as an engineer,” Nistler said. “They helped me reach my goal of graduating from Benedictine’s 5year engineering program in only four years, and they never cease from challenging me to reach my full potential.” At one summer internship, Nistler worked alongside engineers from some of the nation’s top petroleum engineering schools. “My proudest moment was when the Vice President of my division called me in and commended me by saying,
‘I have been Jerome trying to get Roehm this map finished for five years, and it is amazing that an intern got all the pieces together in three weeks!’ All I could think to myself was ‘You should hire more Benedictine engineers.’” In short, the community, faith and scholarship at Benedictine College did what it was meant to do in his life.
Singing the Night Away
The Dalzell-Leggs duo performs “There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon” from Porgy and Bess.
The evening also featured entertainment by alumnus and Broadway star Kingsley Leggs (Miss Saigon, The Color Purple, Sister Act), with piano accompaniment by alumna Kathie Dalzell. Leggs and Rick and Kathie Dalzell were honored with the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict during the evening’s program. “We swell with pride when we watch Kingsley Leggs perform on Broadway,” said Benedictine College President Stephen D. Minnis. “And we have been bragging all year about being named an All-Steinway School thanks to board member Kathie Dalzell and her husband Rick.” Leggs and the Dalzells were honored with the Cross of the Order of St. Benedict during the program. 2016 Raven Review| 41
All Those Years Ago Celebrating a Reunion — 75 Years After Graduation
I
n May 1941 a car cost $850, a gallon of gas was 12 cents, Mount Rushmore was not quite finished, and Mary Ann Wallerstedt received her diploma from Mount St. Scholastica College. Returning to Atchison for her 75th class reunion, Mary Ann Schwab lit up the room during the annual Ice Cream Social at the Mount as she reflected on all she had seen in her life and at Benedictine College. “I came as a transfer student,” she said. “I was fortunate enough to get a wonderful scholarship to Mount St. Scholastica, so in 1939 I matriculated as a junior. But it seems as if I spent my entire college career here. It took hold of me right away.” She traveled to Atchison on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, which was how most students got to college in those days. And she was astounded by the level of academia at the Mount. In the year of her graduation the college was staging Murder in the Cathedral, Our Town, King Nutcracker and Maryland, My Maryland.
“This little tiny college in eastern Kansas had the most brilliant corps of women that you could probably find anywhere,” she said. “You had this real treasure of scholarly women right here at this small college of Mount St. Scholastica. They were wonderful educators and brilliant women.” Mary Ann’s sociology studies well prepared her to observe a changing world. As she graduated from college, Orson Welles’ film Citizen Kane about the newspaper-dominated media was
“So they had these beautiful down-to-earth qualities and that permeated through all of us.” premiering — and the FCC allowed fullfledged commercial television broadcasts for the first time that June. Although she pursued a sociology degree, she said she really received a broad liberal arts education with a minor in philosophy and a minor in French. Sister Mildred Knoebber, OSB, was the head of the sociology department at the time and suggested that Mary Ann pursue a graduate degree. Sister Mildred even arranged a scholarship for Mary Ann to St. Louis University. Mary Ann didn’t take advantage of it at first and took a job in Kansas City. But a year later, she felt like she had the maturity to take on the advanced degree. “That scholarship was waiting for me,” she said. After completing her Master’s degree in sociology, she had the opportunity to go to work for Catholic Charities in San Francisco, where she met her husband, Francis Schwab. It was a critical time in America. This was the year Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in for his third term, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor drew the United States into World War II. Schwab has lived in California ever since and has been active in the community and the church all her life. She worked in child welfare, was a post-abortion healing coordinator, and even served as president of the National Council of Catholic Women.
“The Benedictines were grounded in humanism, and common sense, and reason, and were very compassionate,” she said. “So they had these beautiful down-to-earth qualities and that permeated through all of us.” Mary Ann says she still sees that spirit in the younger alumni and current students she met on campus during her stay at the reunion. “Benedictine College has a spirit and it has a quality and it has a determination and a vision that should help it continue to expand and make a difference in the community,” she said. “I think it does now.”
In the News - 1937 -
Her Freshman Year
December 21 – Walt Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first feature-length traditionally animated film, premieres in selected theaters. January 20 – Franklin D. Roosevelt is sworn in for a second term as President of the United States. February 11 – A sit-down strike ends when General Motors recognizes the United Automobile Workers union. May 6 – Hindenburg disaster: In the United States, the German airship Hindenburg bursts into flame when mooring to a mast in Lakehurst, New Jersey. Of the 36 passengers and 61 crew on board, 13 passengers and 22 crew die, as well as one member of the ground crew. May 12 – The coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth takes place at Westminster Abbey, London. 2016 Raven Review| 43
For God and Ravens Meet the College’s New Chaplains: Our Interview
Where are you from? I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. I was there for 18 years. My parents are from India, and my brother was born there, so I was raised in Hinduism. My parents were going to move back to India but when I came along they decided to stay. What sparked your conversion? I went to Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. While I was there I had times of darkness. I came from 44 | Raven Review 2016
a sheltered home, and then I came on this college scene with drugs, sex, all of it. So I had this darkness and depression, even suicidal thoughts. I became close friends with a Catholic, Rob. We’re still friends, 25 years later. He had this great peace in his life, and I wanted it. He was a great witness of his faith. I realized the source of his peace was his faith life. So I went to Mass with him once. I had this great feeling of God’s love and mercy. I had been angry at God, and in that anger I had rejected him. I was a self-proclaimed atheist. But at that Mass, I realized that He exists and that
He loves me. And I realized that it was something about the Mass that had done that, because I’d never felt that way before. So I kept going to Mass, and I started talking to the priest. Nine months later I received baptism and communion at Easter Vigil in 1990. One month before my baptism, someone asked me if I’d thought about becoming a priest. I laughed in their face. But I thought about it every day after that. I met someone at college that you may have heard of, Ted Sri. He was a student there also, and he had grown up with Rob. He introduced me to
the writings of Josemaria Escrivá, who was very good for me. He also introduced me to a lot of Catholics. So there was a need for community right from the beginning. And then we all went to graduate school together. How did you end up at St. Benedict's Abbey? While I was a priest in the Archdiocese of St. PaulMinneapolis, I became friends with [Benedictine graduate] Drew Cozzens, now the auxiliary
Before you decided you wanted to be a priest, what were you in college for? Math, physics, education, soccer, and girls. Math and physics were my undergraduates, and education was my Master’s. I went to Rockhurst University in Kansas City so I could play soccer, and as a guy I was all about girls, too. Was it difficult to discern your vocation? It starts with good parents. I was raised in the faith, so I’ve always been Catholic. I was wellinformed, but it took a while for me to be formed. It wasn’t until college, when I had some independence, and I was doing other things, like sports, and I had the opportunity to not practice the faith, that I had to ask myself whether it was important. I started asking that question of myself and seeking the answers in other people, especially my mom and my brother. My brother was a monk at the Abbey at the time. Man, he had all the answers. I’d visit him, and I really found peace in prayer. I realized that the Eucharist is everything we say it is,
bishop of that diocese. I visited Benedictine College with him when he visited as an alumnus. I fell in love with the place and the monks. I started coming down for retreats after my ordination in 2002. I started talking with my Archbishop about monastic life in 2007. After a few years he said, alright, you can go and live with them for six weeks. So I came down and spent the summer with the monks, and I went back to my diocese, and I said, “I love it!” And my Archbishop said, “Well, I’ve decided to move you to a new parish …” I was at that
and so I decided, that’s it. I wanted to be a priest for the Eucharist. Honestly, choosing where to go was harder than choosing between priesthood and marriage. Once I decided I wanted to be a priest, it was like the whole world opened up to me, and I had to pick somewhere! There are Benedictines, Franciscans, Trappists, Jesuits, Dominicans, all of these. My brother Luke said that if God wants you to be somewhere—and he does—he’ll get you there. And my connections were to the Abbey, so that’s where I went. You said you wanted to become a priest for the Eucharist. Is that what you love most about being a priest? The Eucharist, yes, but also confessions. That really does it for me. It’s so humbling, to see these people who are so sincere, and so humble about themselves, because they see themselves so honestly and as they really are. They aren’t coming to me because I’m me, but because of the sacrament, and I just get a front-row seat. What do you like most about Benedictine College? The students. The student body. I’m impressed with the caliber of character that they bring with them. Benedictine, viewed as a secular college, has everything — sports, community, all of it. Not that you can separate the
parish for a year. A lot of big things happened that year — my mom died suddenly from a heart attack, I had cataract surgery, I was moved to this parish with $1.7 million in debt, and the parish school was about to be closed. I was only there for a year, though, before the Archbishop let me go to the Abbey. So in 2013 I came to the Abbey, did my postulancy and my novitiate, and then took first vows on December 8, 2014. First vows are for three years, so December 2017, Godwilling, I will make solemn vows. I hope I do. I want to stay here!
school like that. If you’re looking at it just as a college, it’s great. But it doesn’t just have that. It’s a Catholic school, a Benedictine school, and that changes everything. There are some students who may just come for the typical college stuff, but there are so many students who come here because they want that Catholic part, and they want the Benedictine part. They are all great students even though the spectrum of interests and purposes for enrolling is wide. This dynamic is what makes Benedictine a unique and exciting ministry. Who’s your hero? My brother, Luke. He’s selfless. He’s given to all kinds of people in all kinds of ways, and it’s hard for me to emulate. I love that. He sacrifices for his family. He doesn’t do the things he wants to do, so he can do the things he knows he has to do. He’s the one who gave me the spark to be where I am today. I was in college, and 2 a.m. is no problem. But he was a monk, and when you’re a monk you have to get up for morning prayer. But he’d be up with me at 1:30 or 2:00 answering my questions. I asked all the questions like “What’s the meaning of life?” He never said, “Let’s talk about this in the morning.” He knew that if we talked later, it wouldn’t be the same as when I really wanted to know the answers. That’s heroic! 2016 Raven Review| 45
“ We go to her only as a way leading to the goal we seek — JESUS, her Son.” — Saint Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort
Help Keep Mary’s Grotto Glowing Bright... Please join our Grotto Candle Fund and have your intentions united to the daily 6:00 p.m. Fatima Rosary at Mary’s Grotto and to the Chapel Book of Prayer remembered at all campus Masses. For $500-level donors, we will keep a candle burning in Mary’s Grotto for a year, along with a plaque naming the person(s) for whom you are praying.
To make a gift online, go to: my.benedictine.edu/candles Donate by check to: Benedictine College Grotto Fund c/o Advancement Office 1020 North Second Street Atchison, KS 66002 For more information: sdurkin@benedictine.edu or (913) 360-7401
NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE PAID KCMO 6412 BENEDICTINE COLLEGE 1020 North Second Street Atchison, KS 66002 www.benedictine.edu
FO @
S: U W L LO
ctin i d e n be
eks
CYC
Benedictine College Youth Conferences
r e m m su 2017
BCYC immersion is your opportunity to experience a week at Benedictine College’s beautiful Atchison, Kan., campus. Community: Enjoy dodgeball, evening dance/social, scavenger hunts and ultimate Frisbee. Faith: Be inspired at daily Mass, Bible studies and more. Scholarship: Each afternoon, pursue your choice of Voice, Great Books, Leadership, Engineering or Chemistry.
Join us for a week you will never forget!
session 1:
session 2:
JUNE 18–23
JULY 16–21
Voice Great Books Leadership Engineering Chemistry
Voice Great Books Theology Digital Storytelling