Vol. 18, No. 1, Fall 2002
A Publication for Alumni & Friends of Bemidji State University
BSUHorizons
BSUCalendar September 13, 2002 Foundation Board Meeting October 3, 2002 40 Year Reunion of the Class of 1962 October 4, 2002 Presidential Inauguration
Promises Keeping Childhood Promises
October 4-6, 2002 Homecoming October 4, 2002 - 7:00 P.M BSU Alumni Choir Concerts, Heart of Mary Church in Minnetonka, Reception Immediately Following at church; Maternity of Mary of the Ascension Catholic Church in St. Paul October 5, 2002 - 3:00 P.M., October 18-19, 2002 Athletic Hall of Fame December 7, 2002 Alumni Association Board Meeting December 7, 2002 Foundation Board Meeting December 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14 BSU Madrigal Dinners
Ed Acosta set most BSU football
BSUHorizons
Bemidji State University Alumni Association 1500 Birchmont Drive NE, Box 17 Bemidji, MN 56601-2699 218-755-3989 / 1-877-BSU-ALUM alumni@bemidjistate.edu http://info.bemidjistate.edu/alumni
NON-PROFIT ORGAN. U.S. POSTAGE
P A I D
Bemidji, MN 56601-2699 PERMIT NO. 9
Penalt y for Private Use
single season rushing records as a halfback on the team in 1976. After finishing his playing career, he stayed in the Bemidji area, taking a job at Potlatch and raising his family. Those records stood for many years, until Al Wolden started toting the ball for the Beavers in the mid-1980s. Ed listened to Wolden’s feats on the radio and, once while working on a piece of furniture in the basement, muttered out loud about another of his records that was falling to the wayside. Ed’s young son came up to him, put his arms around his shoulders, and said, “Don’t worry dad. I’ll get your records back.” Boy did he ever. Eddie Acosta, a senior on the Bemidji State football team, holds virtually all of the Beaver rushing marks. He already is the school’s all-time leader in rushing yards (4,031) and has more rushing touchdowns (49) as well as total TDs (58) than any other player in school history – even though he has a full season left to play. He has averaged over 130 yards and scored one touchdown in every 14 carries during his career. He has 20 100-plus rushing games out of the last 24 and five times has ran for more than 200 yards, more than any other BSU player. If he doesn’t have the record by now, it probably is within his reach. On top of that, he needs just 516 yards and eight rushing touchdowns to become the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference career leader in both categories. Along the way, he was selected as the NSIC Offensive Player of the Year in 2001, named to two pre-season All-America teams, and became a leading contender for the Harlon Hill Trophy pre-
“
I’m
sented to the top player in the NCAA Division II ranks. “I’m really happy with the way Eddie’s taken this challenge and run with it, literally,” Ed said while remembering his son’s childhood promise. “I’m really proud of the person he’s become, even more than football.” Father-son comparisons will be common this fall when Eddie takes to the field. Both have speed. Eddie is much bigger, heading into the fall campaign around 200 pounds, or 30 pounds heavier than his father. Ed was a slasher in the hole while Eddie uses his size and strength for more yards. “It’s a great team here, and a great atmosphere,” Eddie said. “Breaking the records is just something that came along. It’s awesome being in the record books next to my dad. We’ll always have that.” While the younger Acosta may have planned to attend BSU ever since that childhood promise, the elder Acosta had a different perspective on the college choice. From New Jersey, football played a major role in shaping his life. “I kind of wanted him to go away just for the growing part, so football could do for him what it did for me as a person,” Ed remembered. “It got me out of North Jersey, and brought me to a won-
Eddie (left) and Ed Acosta
really happy with the way Eddie’s taken this challenge and run with it, literally,” Ed said while remembering his son’s childhood promise. “I’m really proud of the person he’s become, even more than football.” Ed Acosta
derful place to live and raise a family. But most of all, I wanted it to be the best place for him, and it just happened to be here.” Eddie considered several other schools when he was recruited as a halfback out of Bemidji High School. But his visit to campus made the difference. “It was like a huge family,” Eddie said. “All the players hung out with each other. At other schools, the seniors stayed with the seniors, and the younger players with the younger players. This has worked perfectly for me.” Ed feels the choice has worked for his son, even beyond the football field. “Head coach Jeff Tesch runs a good, tight ship,” he explained. “I really like the way he gets the kids to work in their classes. He makes sure the grades are there and helps them through the whole experience.” For Eddie, one thing would cap off his career: winning a conference championship. This is no certainty as the Beavers are one of
three NSIC teams ranked in the top 25 of the pre-season NCAA II polls. “For so long, no one really thought much about our conference,” Eddie commented. “But everyone noticed when last year’s champion Winona held their own for much of the game against the eventual national championship team.” After he’s done with football, Eddie will earn his degree in design technology and look for a job in advertising. Then he will join Ed, Sally and the rest of the family in watching another Acosta in the Beaver backfield. Younger brother Anthony is a red-shirt freshman on the BSU squad this year, and will start chasing his older brother’s records and bragging rights next fall. “Anthony is really fast, quick,” Eddie said. “I wish the best for him in everything he does. I hope he surpasses all of this.”
Horizons Page 2
Adding Value The Lake, The Learning, The Life
Outdoor Program Center Adding Value to Mark Morrissey headed outside
“
It
his office in the Lower Hobson Union, down the hall and out a back door. The sun blasted his eyes on a beautiful summer day in Bemidji. The wind whipped the waters of Lake Bemidji into waves. “What a great day for a sail!” he said. Within minutes, Morrissey pulled together a spontaneous “mock regatta” with several students, his co-workers at Bemidji State University’s Outdoor Program Center (OPC). Morrissey, the director of the program, used his lunch break to sail the water that is the key first ingredient in
became even more evident in the aftermath of 9/11. The lake, our surroundings, and the atmosphere of the Bemidji State campus have become more attractive.” Kevin Drexel
BSU’s marketing slogan: The Lake, The Learning, The Life. For students and faculty on the BSU campus, the lake offers more than a pretty view. It is a classroom, a playground, and, as the University has recognized, a magnet drawing students to campus. The OPC plays a role in all three. It utilizes the University’s setting to teach safe and responsible use of the outdoors; it schedules a wide range of enjoyable activities, from one-evening to one-week in duration; and it satisfies a strong desire by students to interact with
the natural world, whether it is climbing, hiking, biking, camping, sailing, kayaking, canoeing, or skiing. According to Kevin Drexel, assistant to the president whose primary responsibility is attracting new students, the University’s setting plays a pivotal role in BSU’s enrollment. Surveyed during this summer’s orientation programs, freshmen were asked what factors they considered when choosing a university, and the outdoor environment was cited more often than any other criteria. “It became even more evident in the aftermath of 9/11,” Drexel added. “The lake, our surroundings, and the atmosphere of the Bemidji State campus have become more attractive.” Now in its 30th year, the OPC is constantly changing to satisfy the increasing needs of the campus and broader community. “This program has been growing, especially over the past three or four years,” Morrissey said. “The public is being exposed more and more to such ‘exotic’ events as sea kayaking and rock climbing — and they want to try them.” The OPC was founded on the philosophy that neither ability nor
cost should prohibit anyone from trying something new. “We try to make it easy for people to enjoy the activities,” Morrissey added. “Our goal isn’t to make money but to maximize participation with good, safe equipment.” Attracting participants to the program’s events hasn’t been a problem: A year ago, over 2,000 people participated in OPC programs. The rock wall staffed by the OPC in the Gillett RecreationFitness Center attracted 3,000 climbers. Many others rented equipment — from backpacks and sleeping bags to snowshoes and sailboats — through the OPC. Non-students also utilize OPC programs, clinics and facilities. Each year individuals as well as groups from across the region visit the Hobson Forest, a 240-acre patch of land near Bemidji where the OPC maintains two rustic cabins and a team-building, lowropes course. “The program exposes people to experiences they may not otherwise have,” said Shannon Fischer, a junior who has been on the OPC staff for two years and went on her first trip several years earlier as a high school student. “We let people experience what the setting offers.”
The program makes full use of its surroundings with weekend trips to explore state parks, national forests, challenging formations, and secluded waterways. During extended time periods, such as spring break, the OPC will lead treks to many locations. Last semester, students were able to chose between excursions to hike the Grand Canyon, canoe the San Juan River in Utah, sea kayak the Florida Panhandle or mountain bike and rock climb in Moab, UT. One-time clinics are offered throughout the year, addressing such topics as tuning a bike or learning basic back country skills like knot tying. For many students, the learning at the OPC goes beyond outdoor pursuits. Student staffers begin to understand how to get along with many types of people, organize their time, practice safety procedures . . . the list is lengthy. Jeff Spotts, another OPC staffer, feels this education through the OPC will be invaluable. “Through the program I’m learning both life skills and people skills,” he said. Spotts, a junior from Kansas, fell in love with the OPC during a visit to campus while he was trying to decide on a school. As the OPC starts its 30th year, the sense of history that the OPC brings to the campus isn’t lost on staffers, Morrissey said. “I still bump into people who learned rock climbing in 1982,” he said. “That’s what is really cool — there’s a lot of history in this program.”
Horizons Page 3
Alumni Making Author Hay
W
hether grown on a back forty or wild on a prairie meadow, by July, fields of green hay - clover, alfalfa, timothy grass - are ready to be cut, raked and gathered. When a field is ready, the horizon is usually hazy from the heat of the day and pollen thick in the air. It is early afternoon, just after the main meal of the day. The stubble crunches, bending stubbornly underfoot. Most days nothing of note happens; you cut, you stack, you bale. But every day the fate of the farm hangs in the balance, and every day you’re only one mistake away from disaster. You try not to think about it. Time to get to work. (Reprinted with permission from The Haymakers by Steven R. Hoffbeck, Minnesota Historical Society Press)
Hay meant many things to Dr. Steven Hoffbeck as a child growing up on a Minnesota farm. Certainly it meant work; most things on the farm did. It also led to play, where stacks of bales became castles and lofts became romper rooms. Uncut and windblown in the field, it was a place for dreaming. Hoffbeck’s dreams took him away from the farm, eventually to Bemidji State University to receive a degree in history. They took him to Vermont for a master’s degree, and to the University of North Dakota for a Ph.D. He landed on the faculty at Minnesota State University, Moorhead. Yet his dreams were never separated from his memories. Hoffbeck bound those memories with his historian training to produce The Haymakers, an uncommon book on a common subject that won a 2001 Minnesota Book Award in the history and biography category. “A person could write a book entitled ‘The Soybean Growers,’ Bemidji State University
BSUHorizons Vol. 18, No. 1, Fall 2002 Produced by the News and Publications Office and the Alumni Office at Bemidji State University, HORIZONS is published quarterly and distributed without charge to BSU alumni, students, faculty, staff and other friends of the University. BSU is an equal opportunity educator and employer. Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Al Nohner Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy Berglund Photographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Swartz President . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Jon Quistgaard Alumni Director . . . . . Marla Huss Patrias Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . Jody Grau, Colleen Burke Editorial Assistance . . . . . . . . Peggy Nohner Editorial Board: Dr. Jon Quistgaard, BSU president; Al Nohner, director of news services and publications; Carl Baer, vice president for university advancement; Dr. Jeff Totten, assistant professor of business administration; Dr. Gerald Morine, professor of chemistry; Marla Huss Patrias, director of alumni relations. A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system, Bemidji State University is an equal opportunity educator and employer.This document is available in alternative formats to individuals with disabilities by calling 1-800-475-2001 or 218-755-3883. 03-05
but it would not have the romance of making hay,” Hoffbeck said. “Clover hay smells so sweet that poets glorify it. Songs have been written about it. No one writes a song about ‘riding on a load of beans.’ It just doesn’t capture the imagination the way that hay does for farm kids of all generations. “Writing about haymaking was just a way to introduce the subject of change on the farm. Believe it or not, farmers have had to deal with swift changes in agricultural methods and means. The farm places may look unchanging to the passerby, but if a farmer does not keep pace with advances on the farm, he will be left behind by other farmers who will succeed.” Haymakers describes the changes in haymaking over 150 years by chronicling the lives of five farm families. In different regions of the state, across decades of time, they shared a love for the land, the danger of tilling the soil, and a respect for labor. Key to the enterprise was hay, which fed the livestock that produced the income to provide for their families. The book, which has gone into a second printing and is available in both hard cover and paperback editions, succeeds because it does not focus on the pure history of haymaking, filling the reader with facts and minutiae. Instead, it fills the reader with stories. “I came to realize that the only way to make haymaking history understandable was to write of an individual and his goals, dreams, and work,” Hoffbeck explained. “Readers can identify very well with an individual, rather than trying to understand the statistics of a composite farmer.” Framing history within the context of the common person and everyday life is a relatively recent phenomenon, starting in the 1960s when historians began scrutinizing women’s history, ethnic history, and the history of
laborers and families. Prior to that time, the focus was on great people or events. He learned the technique from Dr. Art Lee, now a retired professor at BSU who talked about aspects of everyday life during his lectures on American history. Lee’s use of simple elements, and his own reflections in such books as The Lutefisk Ghetto, showed Hoffbeck what it was like to be alive in the 19th and 20th centuries. “A deeper understanding of everyday life can come through social history, the history of the common people,” Hoffbeck said. “The book is about the larger cycles of work on the farm. Farmers make patterns on the land, cutting the hay into windrows and then stacking it into interlocking rows on a hayrack. Those in agriculture impose order and patterns.” Hoffbeck’s stories begin with Andrew Peterson, who harvested with the scythe in the mid-1800s, and ends with his brother, Larry Hoffbeck, who died in a 1984 farm accident. His lengthy journey to understand haying and its influence took him to countless county archives, found him interviewing hundreds of subjects, put him in libraries reading journals and books, and drove him to all corners of the state. After five years, The Haymakers was finished. “When people ask of my qualifications for writing the book, I tell them in my prime I could throw a hay bale 40 feet, stack a hayrack seven layers high, and withstand the heat in a sweatbox of haymow in mid-July’s 90 degree plus temperatures,” Hoffbeck said.
“Of course when I state I could throw a hay bale 40 feet, I include the bounces until it rolled to a stop. “But haymaking was one of my favorite jobs on the farm, partly because of the aroma of hay but also because of the sense of accomplishment a boy received from having a hayloft full of hay. You can see what your hands have done and the hay will sustain the cows through the upcoming winter. “The book provides a connection with one’s own heritage. Some people live their whole lives avoiding the past. This book may help these persons embrace the legacy given to them through their family farms. It is a way of life that is passing away now.” This is the first in a series of stories to appear in HORIZONS on books authored by BSU alumni. If you know of alumni authors to be considered in this series, contact the BSU News and Publications office at 1-888-234-7794 (bsunews@bemidjistate.edu).
Steve Hoffbeck
Horizons Page 4
Communiques from the alumni director Marla Huss Patrias
Inauguration
Inauguration Set October 4 1980; was named the dean of undergraduate admissions and graduate studies in 1988; served as acting vice president for academic and student affairs from 199394; and was the associate vice president for academic affairs and dean of academic services from 1994-1997. He is an active presenter on the national level in the areas of continuous quality improvement, challenges in higher education, planning, assessment models, and transforming higher education. Quistgaard received a doctorate in political science from the University of Arizona, where he also earned his master’s and bachelor’s degrees in government.
Alumni and friends of Bemidji State University are invited to the October 4 inauguration of Dr. Jon Quistgaard as the ninth president of the institution. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. in Memorial Hall with a reception to follow in the Beaux Arts Ballroom. Quistgaard became the ninth president of Bemidji State University in August of 2001. The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees named him to the position in late May of that year. A member of the BSU community for 23 years, he had served since 1997 as the vice president for academic and student affairs. Quistgaard began his association with BSU in 1979 as an admissions representative. He became the director of admissions and advising in
40-Year Reunion of the Class of 1962 The Class of 1962 will celebrate its 40-year reunion on Thursday, October 3, in conjunction with Homecoming 2002. In addition to many Homecoming events, there will be a reception for the reunion participants at the David Park House Thursday evening. Mark your calendars now, and plan to attend! Registration information will be sent to members of the Class of 1962, as well as the wrap around classes of 1961 and 1963.
Auction Items Needed at Homecoming It’s not true that the Alumni Association is always contacting you to ask for money. Sometimes we’re asking for auction items! The Alumni Association holds a silent auction every year during Homecoming, and we need your help in getting items for the auction. Since one purpose of Homecoming is to welcome home our alumni, we look to our alumni to help support this event. Some types of things that make great items for a silent auction include artwork, crafts, guided fishing trips, weekend stays at a lodge or hotel, golf outings, wild rice, gift baskets, bottles of wine, golf putters or drivers, regional artwork or crafts, regional food baskets, books, and so on. Individuals interested in donating items should send them to the BSU Alumni Association, 1500 Birchmont Drive NE #17, Bemidji, MN 56601. Items must be received no later than Tuesday, October 1.
Two Added to Founders’ Walk George W. Neilson and Katharine Neilson Cram were added to the Bemidji State University Founders’ Walk during a ceremony August 30 at the Alumni Arch in front of Deputy Hall. Established in 1993, the Founders’ Walk recognizes the efforts of individuals who have played a major role in the development and growth of the university. Both deceased, George and his daughter Katharine were long-time supporters of various activities in the Bemidji area and several programs at Bemidji State. They established foundations that have contributed to numerous scholarships benKatharine Neilson Cram George W. Neilson efiting students at the University as well as to such activities as the recent Guthrie Theater On Tour production of “Ah, Wilderness!” sponsored by the BSU Theatre. Funds were also designated to help construct the American Indian Resource Center at BSU and to establish the George W. Neilson Endowed Chair in Wetlands Ecology. George was born in Pocahontas, Virginia, in 1883 and lived in Philadelphia until moving to Minnesota in 1905 following graduation from Cornell University’s College of Engineering. His first job in Minnesota brought him to the Akeley area, where he developed an appreciation of nature, the outdoors, the people and the region. While he was a resident of the Twin Cities in 1921, he bought property on a lake south of Bemidji, which became the summer home of his wife and daughter Katharine. After he retired as a businessman and investor, George spent four or five months of each year at this lake home. During this time, he developed a concern for the welfare of the people in Beltrami and Hubbard Counties. The George W. Neilson Foundation was established following his death in 1962. Katharine, who was born in 1923, became a permanent resident of the Bemidji area following George’s death. She had strong interests in programs that helped young people, education, the environment, and the care of animals. The Katharine Neilson Cram Foundation was founded following her death in 1999. Katharine and George join six individuals and three Bemidji families honored with plaques along the Founders’ Walk. They are A.P. Ritchie, Lloyd Pendergast, Leonard Dickinson, A.P. White, Tams Bixby, William “Bill” Howe, the Baer family, the Naylor family, and the Welle family.
Where We Are ... What We’re Doing
ALL CITIES ARE LOCATED IN MINNESOTA UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
1940s Geneva Jacobson (’48) of Bemidji celebrated her 80th birthday recently at an open house attended by friends and family.
1950s Margaret (Leaders) Bugher (’54) of Ft. Wayne, IN, has retired from a 36-year career of teaching elementary music ... Dean Lalone (’52) lives in Sebeka and recently wrote a letter to the editor regarding Sebeka’s growth and vitality which appeared in the Sebeka-Menahga Review ... Roland Bromberg (’55) and Ilene (Johnson) Bromberg (’55) have lived in Cloquet since 1958. Roland is retired from a 33-year career as an educator with the Cloquet High School.
1960s Louis Witt (’62) and Elaine (Beiswenger) Witt (’62) live in Wyoming, MI, where Louis works as a church administrator and Elaine serves as an organist and piano teacher ... Jim Hallan (’68) and Carol Hallan (’69) retired this spring, each concluding 33-year teaching careers in Warroad schools ... Diane Lehse (’66), superintendent of Kelliher Public Schools, has been named an
Administrator of Excellence by the Minnesota Association of School Administrators. She was selected to receive the honor by other administrators in the state based on her leadership, student concern and active involvement in professional and community affairs. In July, Lehse accepted a new position as superintendent of the ClearbrookGonvick District ... Ken Baumann (’69) of Mahnomen is one of six Minnesota football coaches who, in April, became the newest additions to the Minnesota Football Hall of Fame. In the fall of 1969, he embarked on his 33-year multi-faceted coaching career at Mahnomen High School. In addition to 32 years as head football coach, he served at various times as either an assistant or head coach in wrestling, boys and girls track and as the school’s activity director. As head football coach, he directed the Indians to 15 state play-off appearances and a remarkable 68-20 record in post-season play from 1973 to 2000. He currently serves as dean of students at Mahnomen High School. He and his wife, Sue (’69) , have four children, Jennifer, Gina, Kay and Ben ... Emma Isaac (’68) lives in Walker, but for a few months each winter she teaches Navajo children in Bluff, Utah. Her career began in the late 1950s when she was involved in mission work with the
Native Americans in North and South Dakota. She then went on to teach in the Mille Lacs Lake area in Minnesota and later taught in Walker from many years ... Tom Mathews (’68) retired recently from his position as superintendent of schools at Blackduck, concluding a 34-year career in education. He taught English for seven years at Blackduck before moving into school administration, where he served as assistant high school principal for five years, principal for two decades and superintendent for two years ... Jeanne Thomas (’64) of Burnsville was inducted May 11 into the Minnesota DemocraticFarmer-Labor Party Women’s Hall of Fame, joining such DFL luminaries as former Secretary of State Joan Growe and Dee Long, Minnesota’s first female House Speaker, who were among the 45 women inducted since the Hall of Fame was begun three years ago. Thomas, a retired teachers’ union leader, was selected for, among other things, her efforts to bring teachers and young women into politics and the party. She taught in the Richmond School District for 28 years and is currently the associate chair of the 2nd Congressional District DFL and a member of the state party’s executive committee. She serves on the boards of the Minnesota PTA and United Nations Association-Minnesota and has served on the Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Steering Committee. Her husband, Charlie, shares her passion for politics … Vernon Johnson (’68) and his wife, Betty, are retired and live about three miles north of Roseau. They are avid bird watchers and have been active in organic farming and gardening. He remains an inventor and an engineer and built a motorized scooter that helps him to get around following his diagnosis with multiple sclerosis.
1970s Dan Risnes (’72) and his wife, Claudia (’71), live in Vadnais Heights. Dan is principal attorney-editor at WEST Publishing and Claudia works for the Minnetonka School District as executive director of curriculum and assessment ... Nancy Bren Nuzzo (’77) is director of the Music Library at the State University of New York at Buffalo. She was the recipient of the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Librarianship in 2001 and lives in Williamsville, NY ... Cyril Pulczinski (’76) and his wife, Rosemary, of Bemidji celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary June 15 at Sacred Heart Parish in Wilton ... Patricia Sartell (’78) of Marysville, CA, has been teaching special education for the past five years. She has three children, Emily, 22, Eric, 19, and Elizabeth, 14, and two granddaughters, ages 4 and 2 ... Robin (Norgaard) Kelleher (’72) is working as a labor and employment law attorney with Seaton, Beck & Peters in Edina. She and her husband, Tom, live in Burnsville ... Scott Baird (’77) and Lynn Baird (’76) celebrated 25 years of marriage recently ... Nancy Johanneson (’74) and her husband Rich of Bemidji recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary ... Kathy Vesely (’77) is an airport development specialist with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, working with 40 airports in southern Minnesota. She oversees the process of developing and maintaining local publicly owned airports. She lives in Golden valley ... Pete Olson (’79) and his wife, Mitze (‘80), live in Becker with their two children, Andy, 19, and Kristi, 17. Pete is the middle school administrator in Princeton and Mitze teaches at Pine Meadow Elementary in Sartell
... Jane Josefson (’78) and her husband Paul Josefson (’75) of Bemidji announce the July 15 birth of a daughter ... Bill Erickson (’75) has been teaching in Warroad for 27 years and was selected as that district’s Teacher of the Year this spring. He runs the district’s work experience program as well as teaching carpentry and marketing. He lives in Roseau with his wife, Mary Ann, who is an RN and OB supervisor at the Roseau Area Hospital. They have two grown children, Tod, and Emily ... Gary Salmela (’71) works as a substitute teacher in Ely, Mesabi East, BabbittEmbarrass and Tower-Soudan schools, covering grades K-12. His wife, Kathy, is employed with Tower-Soudan Schools and the couple has two grown sons, Gary and Andy ... Jill Martell (’72) has retired from a 30 year teaching career, having spent 21 years of those teaching at Byron Elementary School. She and her husband, Terry, are moving from their current home in Rochester to Payson, AZ. He works for a medical software company and plans to do some consulting work in Arizona ... Bernard St. Peter (’71) teaches fifth-grade math, science and language at Wadena-Deer Creek Elementary. He’s been teaching in the district for 24 years. His wife, Betty, teaches in Menagha and the couple has two grown daughters, Suzette, Minneapolis, and Michelle, Babbitt ... Al (’70) and Peggy Nohner (’72) celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in June. Peggy recently accepted a new position in the Department of Residential Life at Bemidji State. They live in Bemidji. Both of their sons, Matt and Mike, are students at BSU. . . Ray Svatos (’71) of Iron is director of the IRRR Mineland Reclamation Division . He has worked in the division since 1980 and took over as director in 1995. He began his employment with the IRRRB in 1974 ...Mark
Horizons Page 5 Three Faculty Receive Emeriti Status Three retiring Bemidji State University faculty received professor emeriti status during commencement ceremonies last spring. Retiring with emeriti status as long-time faculty were Louis Churack, director of the Educational Development Center (EDC); Robert Scriba, assistant professor of theater; and Anita Vadis, academic coordinator for the Upward Bound Program. Emeriti status is granted to faculty with more than 20 years of service to Minnesota state universities. In addition to those receiving emeriti awards, the University recognized retiring faculty Loren Hoyum, director of the Arrowhead University Center; Dr. Doug Smith, associate professor of physical education; Dr. Leland Hayes, assistant professor of industrial technology, who retired in December; and Dr. John Annexstad, associate professor in biology and geology, who also retired in December. Churack received his undergraduate degree from BSU in 1962 and his master’s in 1968 before joining the University as an EDC counselor in 1970. The EDC director since 1972, he has been an active member of the Northwest Minnesota Counselors Association, receiving the organization’s Post Secondary Counselor of the Year Award in 1988. He also held the position of vice president for the post secondary counselors with the Minnesota School Counselors Association from 1992-96. Scriba joined BSU in 1987 as a faculty member in speech and theater as well as technical theater director. In 1985, he was named director of university theater and also served as department chair for eight years. During his tenure at BSU, he directed and designed more than 100 productions, including “The Good Woman of Setzuan” by Brecht, “King Lear” by Shakespeare, and “The Rez Sisters” by First Nations playwright Tomson Highway. Scriba also served as executive director of the Paul Bunyan Playhouse and has acted in many of its productions. Vadis became a graduate assistant in the Counseling Center at BSU in 1980 and the following year worked with career development, placement and student affairs. In 1981, she joined the staff of Upward Bound, a pre-college program to encourage high school students from area schools to pursue post-secondary education. She was also active in a variety of other endeavors, including Share the Future in Science and Mathematics conference and the Summer Teens Researching, Encouraging Attitude in Science program. Hoyum was an experienced educator when he joined the BSU staff as a programmer and advisor in the Center for Extended Learning in 1983. In 1991 he was named the director of the Arrowhead University Center, a cooperative venture operated by BSU to facilitate the delivery of upper division course work on the Iron Range leading to bachelor’s and master’s degrees. In this capacity, he worked closely with the community and technical colleges across northeast Minnesota as well as a variety of four-year colleges and universities. Smith joined the BSU faculty in 1987 as head baseball coach and as an associate professor of health, physical education and recreation. In 1993, he also became assistant men’s basketball coach before dropping both coaching positions in 1995 to devote his full attention to teaching. He retired with 20 years of experience as a head baseball coach and more than 300 wins, including a 1988 co-championship in the NSIC. A 1972 graduate of Bemidji State, Hayes served as a high school administrator, faculty member at technical colleges in Staples and Thief River Falls, and as an owner of a masonry business prior to joining the BSU faculty full-time in 1992. He had conducted a series of summer workshops during the 1970s through the University as well. At BSU he taught technology education, manufacturing and construction management courses. Annexstad came to BSU in 1986 via NASA, where he served as a scientist specializing in geology. He was also a well-known expert on Antarctica, which he explored several times in search of meteors from Mars and other planets, and has a mountain named after him on the continent. During his tenure at the university, he held positions in biology, geology and physics. He was also instrumental in starting and maintaining the Space Studies Program on campus.
Carlson (’75) and Nan Carlson (’76) live in Minneapolis. Mark was named Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year 2002 by the Twin West Regional Chamber of Commerce in May ... Cheryl Rusch (’77) of Sauk Centre recently spent nine weeks in Durban, South Africa, helping to set up a new training site for a Christian group called the Apostolic Working Company. She spent 30 years teaching kindergarten and special education in Grey Eagle and then moved to Sauk Centre where she was substitute teaching. She is planning a return trip to South Africa ... Jeff Baillon (’78) a reporter with KMSP-TV was recently recognized by the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists as a first-place winner in the 2001 Page One Contest. His investigative piece entitled “Mystery Car” won in its category. He and his wife, Sandra (‘78) live in St. Paul, MN.
1980s Paige Hamann (’88) and her husband, Mark Hamann (’85) announce the April 30 birth of a daughter in Oxford, MS ... Karol HendricksMcCracken (’86) was awarded a master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary of St. Paul during commencement ceremonies held May 26 in Minneapolis. An 18-year resident of Bemidji, she served local ministry as an intern at Our Redeemer and Trinity Lutheran Churches of Puposky and Debs under the guidance of Steve Peterson. She is a member of Calvary Lutheran Church of Bemidji. She’s also been an instructor of speech communications at BSU and was volunteer coordinator at North Country Regional Hospital. Her husband, Jim, is a professor of industrial technology at BSU and they
have three children, Mikka, 15, Ky, 13, and Keila, 11 ... Les Plasschaert (’84), a Bemidji police officer with 15 years on the force, recently received the American Legion Certificate of Commendation for his work with the community service officer position. He volunteered last summer to take over the animal control/community service officer position and has, since then, set new guidelines and directions for the department in animal control and devoted time to community service projects ... David Larson (’84) is completing his 18th year of employment at 3M. He and his wife, Kim, live in St. Paul with their children, Tari, 6, and Ben, 4 ... Julie (Gibbs) Fischer (’82) is teaching at a new Catholic school in Helena, MT, and her husband, Bryan, is a detective with the Helena Police Department. They live in east Helena, MT, with their children, Patrick, 8, Anna, 4, and Preston, 18-months ... Valentine Angell (’89) of Bemidji has written a science fiction novel entitled “The Last Holey Man,” now available from 1st Books Library. The story sends readers far into the future, when most men and women are mechanical beings, free of the physical burdens of pain, hunger and waste removal through orifices or ‘holeys’. Zachary Adams, the only man left with his ‘holeys’, is hunted for being a natural man and the story poses the question, “What defines a man?” Angell has also written a food column and weekly feature column and has had poems include in several anthologies ... Pat Reynolds (’88) is a teacher at Lincoln Elementary School in Bemidji and, along with her husband, Jack, was recently the subject of a feature story in The Pioneer newspaper of Bemidji. The couple hosts an annual party for friends at their home on Stump Lake featuring Pat’s decadently rich cheesecakes and Jack’s homemade wines ... Scott
In Memoriam Larry A. Crosby (’59) - Barrett, MN Cheryl Applegate (’95) - Lincoln, NE Glenn W. Witham (’58) - Hackensack, MN Rhonda (Syverson) Levinski (’89) - Bloomington, MN Inga E. Johnson (’30) - Fosston, MN Blance R. Murphy (’38) - Kalispell, MT Margaret M. Murphy (’40) - Spokane, WA Joanna D. Cairns (’72) - Bagley, MN Wayne Dally (’77) - St. Paul, MN Gregg J. Fokken (’87) - Oronoco, MN Richard Hobson (’60) - Lansing, MI Richard Downs (’86) - Faribault, MN Felix Spooner (retired faculty) - Bemidji, MN
25th Annual Skaar Tournament Winners The annual golf tournament named in memory of Gordy Skaar was a grand success as the tournament hit its 25th anniversary. With two flights of golfers out to support BSU Men’s Athletics, the competition was fierce. Winning team members (left to right) Kevin Erpelding, Father Mike Patnode, Ken Howe and Dave Hengel, took home the first place honors while shooting a 59 in the scramble format. After the tournament a silent auction and walleye dinner were held as the family of Gordy Skaar was honored. The tournament date for 2003 is June 20. Not pictured was the fifth team member, Kevin Krigbaum.
Team Grovum wins First National BSU Women’s Athletics Golf Classic The 19th annual First National BSU Women’s Athletics Golf Classic had a local flavor as Team Grovum led the field of golfers out to support the women’s athletic programs at Bemidji State University. Grovum’s team members included (left to right) Terri Forseth, Betsie Curb, Debbie Grovum, Mary Kobilka, and Donna Harmon. The tournament is made up of teams that play for a variety of reasons. Some include Bemidji State athletic alumni and their friends; others are members of the community that wish to support women’s athletics; and more who just like to golf. The winning team was a mixture of all three. “One of the reasons that we are so excited we won is that our team has been playing in the tournament for the past 14 years,” said Grovum. “I personally don’t play in a ton of tournaments, but we all like golf, we want to support the women’s athletic programs at BSU and it really is such a fun day.” With over 150 golfers, the tournament is the largest fund-raising events for BSU women’s athletics. The tournament is always the first Friday in August.
Jensen (’83) is working in industrial sales and marketing and coaching youth hockey. He received an MBA from the University of Minnesota and lives in Minneapolis with his wife, Hanie, and their son, Aaron, 2 ... Tom Klein (’80) has joined the staff of the Timberjay newspaper, Tower, as news editor in the Orr/Cook coverage area. He lives in Orr and previously had served as editor of The Daily Journal in International Falls for the past 16 years ... Tom Walker (’87) has been appointed to fill a vacancy on the Princeton City Council. He’s lived in Princeton since 1997 and is employed as a carpenter, working primarily in the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities. The appointed position extends through the end of this year ... Gladys Koski Holmes (’81) of Angora is this year’s recipient of the prestigious George Morrison Artist Award. The Arrowhead Regional Arts Council gives the annual award to individuals who have made important contributions to the arts in Northeastern Minnesota. Holmes is a painter and writer whose work is grounded in her experience growing up and living in northern Minnesota ... Roy Booth (’89) is directing the Grand Rapids Players fall production, slated for October. He lives in rural Bovey with his wife, Cynthia, and their son, Riordan ... Sarah AamotLundin (’89) is a founder and director of the Legacy Chorale of Greater Minnesota, which operates as a non-profit corporation with a Brainerd address. Its debut concert is scheduled for late October in Wadena, Brainerd and St. Cloud. The group will focus on traditional choral music from all periods and will highlight the works of Minnesota composers whenever possible. Aamot-Lundin is a Twin Cities freelance vocalist and choral director ... Mary Moen (’83) is director of the Central Minnesota Boys Choir.
She teaches at Staples Elementary School, where she has developed a strong choral program. Members of the boys choir range in age from eight to 13 and represent the following communities: Alexandria, Backus, Baxter, Bertha, Brainerd, Browerville, Motley, Park Rapids, Staples and Wadena ... Bruce Ponath (’88) has announced his candidacy for the office of Sibley County Sheriff. He’s served as Sibley County Chief Deputy since 1999 and has been employed by the Sibley County Sheriff’s Office since 1989. He’s been a life-long resident of Sibley County and lives in Faxon Township with his wife, Stephanie, and their three sons. She is employed with Carver County Court Services ... Ted Fiskevold (’80) is the field director for state Sen. Roger Moe’s gubernatorial campaign. He works as an aerial photographer and as a staff photographer with the Detroit Lakes Tribune during Spirit Fest and WE Fest in Detroit Lakes. He is currently the Becker County DFL chair, as well as chair of the new Minnesota Senate District 2. He and his wife Marysia, have two children, Gwenia and Hank ... Linda Lein (’86), author of several books and a former English teacher, was the featured speaker at the Take a Girl to Work Day luncheon held in April in Fergus Falls. She taught English at the Fergus Falls Middle School for 10 years before marrying Keith Lein. They live and farm near Carlisle. She has since become the mother of two sons, and the author of Country Reflections, Mother to Mother: Letters About Being a Mom, and Hannah Kempfer: An Immigrant Girl. ... Mitze Olson (’80) and her husband, Pete (‘79), live in Becker with their two children, Andy, 19, and Kristi, 17. Mitze teaches at Pine Meadow Elementary in Sartell and Pete is the
middle school administrator in Princeton ... Kevin Jackson (’85), producer of “Fishing Paul Bunyan Country,” received the Best Sports Award from Minnesota Broadcaster’s Association at the Media Best Awards banquet in Minneapolis recently. The program is heard on Paul Bunyan Broadcasting Co. stations KB101-FM and KBUN-AM ... Clinton Bruestle (’83), senior vice president of Kraus Anderson Construction Northern Division, recently presented the proceeds of the Kraus Anderson Walleye Classic and BYHA raffle to three Bemidji area nonprofit projects. Donations included $15,334 to support the Special Olympics, $10,268 to Bemidji Youth Hockey to be used for the ice hockey arena project and $3,178 to the Department of Natural Resources Fisheries for use in fish management efforts on Lake Bemidji ... Robert Siems (’83) was one of three finalists interviewed recently for the position of Ada’s police chief. He’s been in law enforcement since 1982 and has been working for the Greenbush Police Department ... Greg Nohner (’84) teaches at the Horizon Middle School, Bismarck, ND, one of 30 schools in the nation to recently receive the Program Excellence Award from the International Technology Education Association. The award is one of the highest honors presented to technology education programs at the elementary, middle or high school levels and is presented in recognition of outstanding programs which contribute to the profession and students ... Brian Peterson (’87), a photographer with the Star Tribune newspaper, Minneapolis, was recently recognized by the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists as a first-place winner in the 2001 Page One Contest. His (Continued on page 6)
Horizons Page 6
HALL OF FAME 2002 Athletic Hall of Fame - October 18-19, 2002
The 2002 Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony and banquet will be held on Saturday, October 19. Eight former BSU athletes will be honored: BLANE COMSTOCK ’71 – Hockey; MARK EAGLES ’77 - hockey; ELIZABETH (BETTY) HUGHES ’80 – volleyball and basketball; ANNE PAVLIK ’74 – track & field, field hockey, basketball and volleyball; DIANE PETTIS ’76 – volleyball, track & field and basketball; PATRICIA (PAT) SARTELL ’78 – volleyball and basketball; DONALD (DON) SCHMECKPEPER ’50 – track & field and football; and DAVID SJOBLAD ’64 – basketball.
Induction Weekend Schedule of Events Friday, October 18 11:30 A.M. – 1:00 P.M. – Beaver Pride Luncheon. Pizza Hut room in Walnut Hall. Open to the public. $6 per person. Program starts at noon. 5:00 P.M. – 7:00 P.M. – Reception for all Athletic Hall of Fame Members David Park House – 1501 Birchmont Drive NE 7:00 P.M. – BSU Women’s Volleyball Match vs. Southwest State BSU Gymnasium. Tickets available at the gate. 7:35 P.M. – BSU Men’s Hockey Game vs. Sacred Heart University (Division 1 MAAC Conference) John Glas Fieldhouse. Tickets available at the gate.
Alumni Relative Scholarship
2003 Application Deadline
The deadline for submitting an application for the 2003-2004 Alumni Relative Scholarship is December 31 for returning BSU students and January 31 for students who will be entering BSU as freshman in the fall of 2003. Applications are available on the Alumni website at http:/ /info.bemidjistate.edu/Alumni/scholarship/index.html. Individuals may also have an application faxed or mailed by calling the alumni office at 755-3989 (local) or 1-877-278-2586 (toll free). In addition, applications can be picked up at the alumni office located in the David Park House at 1501 Birchmont Drive NE.
2002 Scholarship Winners During the 2002-2003 academic year, the Bemidji State University Alumni Association will be providing 61 $600 Alumni Relative Scholarships to BSU students. These scholarships are made possible by the generous annual contributions from our alumni to the BSU Foundation. Individuals interested in making a gift to this scholarship may contact the Alumni Association at 1-877-278-2586 (toll free).
The 2002-2003 recipients of Alumni Relative Scholarships include: Incoming Freshman
Saturday, October 19 NOON – 1:30 P.M. – Pre-game Party. Diamond Point Park. $5 per person. Open to the public. 1:30 P.M. – BSU Football vs. Southwest State. Chet Anderson Stadium. Tickets available at the gate. 4:30 P.M. – Football alumni reception. Beaver Pride room of John Glas Fieldhouse. All football alumni invited to join the football team and their families for this post-game event. 4:30 P.M. – Hockey alumni reception. David Park House. All hockey alumni invited. 6:30 P.M. – Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Banquet. Beaux Arts Ballroom. Open to the public. $18 per person. Advance reservations required. Call the BSU Alumni Office at 1-877-278-2586 (toll free) or 755-3989 (local) by Wednesday, October 9. 7:00 P.M. – BSU Women’s Volleyball Match vs. Wayne State BSU Gymnasium. Tickets available at the gate. 7:05 P.M. – BSU Men’s Hockey Game vs. Sacred Heart University (Division 1 MAAC Conference). John Glas Fieldhouse. Tickets available at the gate.
Matthew Bischof, Fergus Falls Christopher Conway, Bemidji Tara Erickson, Bemidji Jillian Hodorff, Inver Grove Heights Sarah Hultgren, Thief River Falls Benjamin Koski, Fridley Ryan Lake, Aitkin Michael Lynch, Sartell Michael Mestemacher, Sandstone Anthony Rohloff, Brainerd Beth Saufferer, Morristown Jesse Taylor, Laporte Erica Wisehart, Bemidji
Returning or Transfer Students Julie Albrecht, Bemidji Carissa Anselmo, Bigfork Layne Backer, Bemidji Sarah Balstad, Bemidji Alison Blessing, Bemidji Meagen Borgman, Sauk Centre Leah Bowen, Hermantown Candace Buhl, Browerville Amy Christenson, Thief River Falls Kristine Clark, Bemidji Paul Colligan, Bemidji Londa Dahl, Bemidji Betsy Danielson, Bemidji Kristine Engman, Virginia Owen Gaard, Anchorage John Gerulli, Roseau
Gina Glidden, Bemidji Sheila Gravdahl, Park Rapids Erin Greenwaldt, Aldrich Anna Haugstad, Bemidji Nicolas Heisserer, Detroit Lakes Gina Houdek, Mahnomen Hayley Hurd, Bemidji Katherine Jedlicka, Hines Jessica Johnson, Grand Rapids Monica Kemper, Mahnomen Shauna Lake, Bemidji Stephen Lindgren, Park Rapids James Mack, Bemidji Kimberly Mattison, Bemidji Melinda McCannell-Unger, Bemidji Emily Mullranin, Bemidji Matthew Niedzielski, Hoyt Lakes Michael Nohner, Bemidji Amy Olson, Frazee Angie Olson, Frazee Jessica Otte, Cloquet Joshua Peterson, Bemidji Cassie Piechowski, Browns Valley Steven Rader, Pequot Lakes Ryan Riley, Fargo Gina Strong, Bemidji Mary Sweeney, Minnetonka Kayla Thompson, Pelican Rapids Eva Trueblood, Bemidji Matthew Voeltz, Bertha Nathan Wisehart, Bemidji Jennie Witty, Mt. Iron
Where We Are ... What We’re Doing (Continued from page 3) photo, “Watching Terror,” won in the spot news photojournalism category for newspapers with circulation over 50,000 and his feature photo, “Ice Fishing,” won in the feature photo category
1990s Roger Pogorelc (’98) of Salt Lake City is president and CEO of Roger Pogorelc, Inc., a diversified company comprised of two main operations, Vertical Investor’s AMSOIL Group, Ltd. and Inside Signs Indoor Advertising ... Jeanette Granger (’92) recently received top honors from her peers by being named teacher of the year at Roseau where she’s been teaching fifth grade for the past 10 years. She and her husband, Peter, moved to Warroad in the fall of 1988 after spending 21 years as an Air Force family. They have three grown children, two daughters, Kim and Dawn, and a son, Steve, and four grandchildren ... Jeff Swanson (’93) and his wife, Heather (Engstrom) Swanson (’95) announce the December 28 birth of a daughter, Elli Marie. They live in Stillwater where they own Autumn Cottage, a home furnishings store ... Vickie Fink (’93) was elected president of the Bemidji Education Association in April. She’s an English teacher and has served as the vice president of the local 400-member bargaining unit of Education Minnesota since 2000. She’s been teaching full time at Bemidji High School since 1989 and prior to that spent four years teaching part time at the Area Learning Center . . .Scott Leindecker (’93) and Renee Haug were married March 29 at the Flamingo Garden Chapel in Las Vegas, NV. They live in Cass
Lake and are both employed with the Bemidji School District, Scott as a swimming coach and aquatics coordinator and Renee as a teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing ... Krista Klinke (’94) and her husband, John Klinke (’93), of Bemidji announce the May 13 birth of a son ... Rob Koresky (’92) and his wife, Jennifer, live in Morrice, MI, with their son, Samuel, 2. John is employed as a business unit manager/Sikorsky program manager in an aerospace company, UTC. The product line he’s responsible for is military helicopters. Jennifer works as a physical therapist at Clinton Memorial Hospital ... Chris Mahoney (’94) and Jill (Saulsbury) Mahoney (’94) live with their daughter, Halsey, 3, in Jamestown, ND. Chris is a coach and teacher at Jamestown College and Jill is a director and teacher at St. John’s Academy ... Tammy Hovland (’90) of Marion, AR, has been promoted to academic coordinator, administrator of the developmental math program “I Can Learn” at Mid South Community College in West Memphis, AR. She also received the Outstanding Faculty Award for 2002 ... Paul Nelson (’95) and his wife, Rachel, of Clearbrook announce the May 1 birth of a son ... Danae Lund (’91) is in private practice as a clinical psychologist. She and her husband, Eric, live in Bemidji with their children, Ethan, 4, and Anna, 2 ... Paul Nynas (’98) received the master of divinity degree with an emphasis in youth and family ministry from Luther Seminary. As part of his degree requirements, he served as an intern at Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte, NC, and before entering Luther Seminary, he worked as a youth director at Bethel Lutheran Church and as youth director at Farmington Lutheran Church. He
now plans to serve a congregation in the South Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ... Brook Mallak (’99) was awarded a juris doctor degree from William Mitchell College of Law on May 19 ... Jaci Forsberg (’97) of Park Rapids and her business partner, Amy Streeper, recently started a new business, Beds & Borders Landscaping, based in Osage. They provide landscaping services in the Frazee, Perham, Detroit Lakes, Osage and Nevis areas ... Norm Gallant (’99) is a sixth-grade teacher in Deer Creek for Wadena-Deer Creek Schools and has been teaching in the district since 1999 after interning for a year there. His wife, Mandy (‘99) is a junior kindergarten teacher in the same district ... Heather (Flannery) Giese (’95) and her husband, Jason, announce the May 28 birth of a daughter, Madeline Noelle. Heather works as a social worker for Lac qui Parle County Family Services in Madison and lives with her family in Appleton ... Diane Sullivan (’93) and Dan Huberty (‘99) of Bemidji were married June 14 in Richmond. Diane is employed by the Red Lake School District and Dan works with NSR Land Management ... Curtis Johnson (’96) was hired this spring as a loan officer with First National Bank, Bagley. He came to his new position from Northern State Bank, Gonvick, where he had worked as a consumer loan officer since 1999. Prior to that he’d managed a group home for mentally handicapped persons in the Twin Cities. He lives in McIntosh with his wife, Krista, and their children, Katlyn, 4, and six-month-old Connor ... Duane Biehn (’99) and his wife, Jill, of Shevlin announce the July 1 birth of a son . . .Wayne Maish (’99) and his wife, Cassie, of Bemidji announce the July 3
birth of a son ... Gordon Beighley (’97) and his wife, Amy, of Bemidji announce the July 6 birth of a son ... Linda Newby (’99) and her husband, Troy, of Bemidji announce the July 17 birth of a son ... Dave Pelowski (’94) and Jennie (Mans) Pelowski (’92) live in Baxter with their children, Maren, 3, and Abby 1. Dave is employed as an optometrist in Brainerd and Jennie teaches music at Baxter Elementary School ... Suzy Langhout (’93) and Jon Langhout (’91), owners of Bemidji’s Top of the River Dance Studios, completed the Dance Vision International Dance Association Professional Teachers Certification Training Camp June 21 in Las Vegas. The 32-hour workshop included the rumba, cha-cha, East Coast swing, waltz, foxtrot and tango ... Kari (Liapis) Erickson (’99) of Bemidji has been named among the U.S. Curling Association’s top athletes for the 20012002 season. She skipped Team USA to fourth place at the Olympic Games and helped her team dominate the Olympic Team Trials in December, finishing 9-1. She was also the 1993 USCA Female Athlete of the Year. She plans to team with her sister Stacie, Teresa Bahr of Bemidji, and Amy Wright of Duluth for the coming season ... Melissa (Wilkowski) Vukoroski (’98) of Aitken received her doctor of optometry degree from Southern College of Optometry on May 24 ... Craig Smith (’97) has been promoted to an officer position in the real estate loan department of First Federal Bank, Bemidji. He will oversee all aspects of real estate financing, from mortgages to home equity loans ... Jennifer Drotts (’96) and her husband, Dan, of Bemidji announce the July 29 birth of a daughter ... Tom Robertson (’92), a reporter with KCRB/
KNBJ radio affiliates in Bemidji, was recently recognized by the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists as a first-place winner in the 2001 Page One Contest. He contributed to an indepth piece entitled “Our Town” on Minnesota Public Radio which won first place in its category.
2000s Nikki Watland (’00) and her mother, Terri, opened It Figures, a fitness center for women, in Baxter last fall. The center has about 400 members and features a 30minute workout on an adjustable hydraulic fitness circuit ... Jamie Bailey (’01) and his wife, Tracy, work for R.P. Broadcasting, Bemidji. Jamie is in sales and also does on-air work under the name of Johnny Lee Walker. They have a one- and-a-half-year-old son named Ty Maverick and live in Bemidji ... Jessica Hansen (’00) and her husband, Jason, of Bemidji announce the June 13 birth of a daughter ... Heather (Tardy) Pogorelc (’00) of Salt Lake City, UT, is vice president of Roger Pogorelc, Inc., a diversified company comprised of two main operations, Vertical Investor’s AMSOIL Group, Ltd. and Inside Signs Indoor Advertising, and is also director of lease operations for Inside Signs. She’d taught kindergarten for the previous two years on Minnesota’s Iron Range ... Sara Wallin (’01) of Bullhead City, AZ, is teaching fifth grade ... Thomas Downs (’01) and his wife, Chantal, of Plymouth announce the July 15 birth of a son ... Courtney Lenz (’01) of Delano plans to move to Mendota Heights where she has accepted a position with a non-profit organization ... Erica Haynes (’01) joined the staff at Le Center schools in December and is teaching seventh- and ninth-grade English.
Horizons Page 7
Legacy Builders Rhonda Syverson Levinski (1964-2002) Throughout her brief lifetime, Rhonda Syverson Levinski touched a lot of lives in very profound ways. In June of 2002 she passed away after a four-year battle with cancer. Levinski was a 1989 BSU graduate majoring in life science. As a student, she served as a curatorial assistant in mammalogy and Rhonda Syverson Levinski ornithology to Dr. Evan Hazard, now a professor emeritus of biology who retired in 1994. During the services for Levinski, a statement written by Hazard was shared and included: “Mrs. Levinski was special. When Rhonda Syverson arrived at Bemidji State in the mid ’80s, it was soon obvious to us that she was a blessing. She was a good student, but there are lots of good students. Rhonda was also a good teacher. We profs often learn as much from some students as we teach them. I learned from Rhonda the value of a positive attitude about life, and how neat it is to have a student who loves her work, and not just her schoolwork. You see, I was particularly blessed because Rhonda was my student worker. She helped me manage BSU’s collection of mammal and bird specimens, and in addition helped me in a writing course for biology majors, a course which she also took. In assigned weekly journal entries, Rhonda chose to reveal a lot about Rhonda. I learned how badly she felt when her mother died when Rhonda was a kid, and also how good she felt about a guy named Keith. Mostly my wife and I learned how loving a person Rhonda was, and she, like some other students over the years, became one of our close friends. It’s students like Rhonda, and students like a lot of her junior high students, that make teaching such a rewarding profession. This is a sad day, but you can go from here knowing that, as Mrs. Levinski was a blessing to you, you helped make her short life a blessing.” In honor of Levinski, Evan and Elaine Hazard established The Rhonda Syverson Levinski Memorial Endowment, which will provide an annual scholarship to one or more undergraduate students with declared majors in biology or life science and who have achieved either junior or senior status with a minimum GPA of 3.5. In addition to the $5,000 the Hazards contributed to establish the endowment, they are inviting others to make further donations to: The BSU Foundation, Rhonda Syverson Levinski Memorial Endowment, 1500 Birchmont Drive NE, Box 17, Bemidji, MN 56601-2699 or contact the Foundation Offices by calling 1-888-234-5718 (toll free) or 751-2762 (local).
New Alumna Gives Back to BSU Therese Olejniczak was at a crossroad. An older than average student, she was re-entering the educational system after a lengthy absence by enrolling at Bemidji State. A change in marital status had placed her into that Therese Olejniczak and her painting in the emerging demographic, single mom. Professsional Educaion Department office. It’s fair to say that it was a stressful time, and her self-esteem needed a boost. It didn’t take long for that to happen, thanks to the support she received from the faculty, staff and, as importantly, donors to Bemidji State University. As Olejniczak began receiving scholarships, she benefited not only financially, but also emotionally. For her, the scholarships represented a belief in her ability to succeed. This recognition gave Olejniczak the strength to again believe in herself. She graduated this past spring with a double major in elementary education and art education. When the Professional Education Department asked her a year earlier to paint a picture to complete their newly remodeled offices, Olejniczak didn’t hesitate in accepting the assignment. It was her way to thank the faculty and staff that had given her so much. She chose to paint a picture of children in a classroom depicting a variety of learning experiences and styles. It also represents the diversity of the children in the classroom. However, the expression of her appreciation didn’t stop there. After discussions with Dr. Jack Reynolds, chair of the department, Olejniczak decided to have prints made of this painting and sell them to raise scholarship money benefiting education students. The signed and numbered prints may be purchased by contacting the Alumni Office at 218-755-3989 or 1-877-278-2586 (toll free). Payment can be with personal check, MasterCard or VISA.
The LegacySociety
Kathryn Hamm “My basic interest is getting kids educated and interested in reading,” Kathryn Hamm said recently. Hamm’s devotion to and support of education is apparent. In 1995 she established the Fred and Mabel Hamm Scholarship in honor of her parents, which is awarded annually to BSU students who demonstrate high levels of reading and writing competence and who are eligible for financial aid. “My Mom and Dad never had a college Kathryn Hamm education, but they supported me,” Hamm remembered. “I’ve created the memorial scholarship to provide hardworking college students the opportunity to go to school and to fulfill their dreams—just as I have fulfilled mine.” Additionally, Hamm has included a bequest to the BSU Foundation in her will with those dollars to eventually be directed to the Bemidji State University visual arts and music departments. As a result of her planned gift, Hamm is a member of the Bemidji State University Legacy Society. Hamm came to BSU from Grand Rapids and graduated in 1929. She retired in 1973 after a long, successful career with Hoechst Celanses Corporation where she worked promoting the use of fabrics made out of fibers. Her work allowed her to travel across the continent. “Kathryn has a lust and love for life that is hard to match,” says Sue Kringen of the BSU Foundation. “She exemplifies all those wonderful qualities that one would aspire to. She is a true friend to Bemidji State University.”
(ABOVE) Trish Quistgaard presents Esther Instebo with a floral lei during the Legacy Luau. (LEFT) Myrtie Hunt enjoying the Legacy Luau banquet.
The BSU Legacy Society Celebrates Anniversary Charter members of the Bemidji State University Legacy Society participated in the first anniversary banquet during a Legacy Luau at the home of BSU President Jon Quistgaard and his wife, Trish. In the true spirit of an Hawaiian luau, real floral leis were presented to each member. The leis were ordered and shipped from Hawaii by Larry Yonemura, a 1960 BSU alumnus. The evening included traditional Hawaiian music, drinks and food. After a quick lesson from dance instructors John and Suzy Langhout, members danced the hula. Jim and Nancy Bensen, co-chairs of the Legacy Society advisory board, presented each charter member with a certificate and a lapel pin, which was especially designed for the Legacy Society and includes an emerald stone to symbolize Bemidji State University. According to Sue Kringen, BSU Foundation’s director of planned giving, since the beginning of the year, membership in the Legacy Society has grown from 44 to 74 members. “Those members include individuals who have left the ultimate gift to Bemidji State University as a result of a planned gift which might include a bequest in their will, real estate, a life insurance policy, a gift annuity or a charitable remainder trust. Members of the Legacy Society are truly caring individuals who are passionate about Bemidji State University, its future and the opportunities their future gifts will create for future BSU students.” For further information on becoming a member of the Legacy Society, contact Kringen by calling 1-888-234-5718 (toll free) or 755-3991 (local).
Horizons Page 8
BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 AND 26 Voting for King and Queen: 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Lower Hobson Union 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM Walnut Hall
ADDITIONAL EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE DURING HOMECOMING: UNIVERSITY BOOKSTORE HOURS:
Monday -Thursday: 7:45 AM - 4:30 PM Friday: 7:45 AM - 4:00 PM Saturday: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 30 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM Inflatable games outside Lower Union
HOMECOMING September 30 - October 6
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1 7:00 PM Coronation and Pep-fest, PE Gymnasium WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2 8:00 PM Outdoor Movie, “Animal House,” North side of Walnut Hall or in case of rain, in Maple Hall, 2nd Floor Lounge THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Beaver Pride Luncheon, Walnut Hall. Everyone welcome. Program begins at noon. $6 for lunch. 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM 40 Year Reunion of the Class of 1961, David Park House 8:10 PM Frederick Winters, Hypnotist, Hagg-Sauer 100 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 10:00 AM Presidential Inauguration, Memorial 100. This will be the official inauguration for Dr. Jon Quistgaard. Reception to follow in the Beaux Arts Ballroom. BSU alumni, faculty, staff, emeriti, and students are invited. 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM David Park House open house with tours and refreshments available.
CAMPUS TOURS:
Weekdays, 10:00 AM & 1:00 PM; BSU Admissions Office - 755-2040 (local calls) or 1-877-BEMIDJI (toll free) GILLETT RECREATION & FITNESS CENTER:
BSU Alumni Association Honors Banquet, Beaux Arts Ballroom. Join alumni, faculty and friends of Bemidji State University for the presentation of the 2002 BSU Outstanding Alumni Awards. 6:30 PMSocial Hour 7:00 PMBanquet 8:00 PMAwards Program $18.00 /person (RSVP required, use attached registration form). 7:35 PM Men’s Hockey vs. Manitoba, John Glas Fieldhouse 9:00 PM - Midnight Dance to Johnny Holm, Memorial 100. Tickets available at the door. Students $5 with BSU ID, non-students $7.
11:00 AM - 1:30 PM
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM Bemidji State University Homecoming Pre-game Party, Diamond Point Park. Music, entertainment, food and beverages. $5.00 entrance fee. Cosponsored by the BSU Alumni Association and Beaver Pride. 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM David Park House open house with tours and refreshments available.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 6 11:00 AM Holy Spirit Newman Center mass and brunch. Speaker and presentation of 2002-03 Cardinal Newman scholarship and service award winner, Sarah J. Zimmerman. All Welcome! RSVP: 444-4762 ncenter@paulbunyan.net 3:00 P.M Carl O. Thompson Memorial Concert, Beaux Arts Ballroom, BSU Campus. Tickets available at the door.
6:30 PM
Lutheran Campus Center open house, refreshments will be served. 1:30 PM 2002 Homecoming Football Game, Chet Anderson Stadium. The BSU Beavers will be taking on the Northern State Wolves. 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Fifth Quarter Alumni Reception and Silent Auction, Lower Lakeside Union. Co-sponsored by the BSU Alumni Association and KBUN/KB101/KZY/ Z99-FM Radio. Alumni, students, parents, emeriti, faculty, and friends of Bemidji State University are invited to attend this post-game celebration. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres provided. Cash bar. $3 entrance fee.
Open Friday 7:00 AM - 9:00 PM; Saturday 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM and Sunday 1:00 PM 9:00 PM. Come enjoy a great workout with family and friends at the Gillett Recreation and Fitness Center during Homecoming Weekend. Simply show your BSU Alumni membership card at the door and you and your family will be admitted free of charge, or stop by the Alumni Office to pick up a pass. KB101/KBUN CHAT-A-BOUT: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday,12:30 PM Locations across campus 2002 HOMECOMING COMMITTEES
Marla Huss Patrias, Director; BSU Alumni Association / Homecoming Co-Chair Linda Blanchard ’70/’75, Associate Director HMU / Homecoming Co-Chair HOMECOMING COORDINATING COMMITTEE
Marion Christianson, ’50/’71, Alumni Association Board of Directors; Peggy Prudhomme, HUPB, Jillian Winter, HUPB, Willis Stittsworth, BSU Professor Emeritus HOMECOMING ALUMNI EVENTS COMMITTEE
Jerry Abbott ’60, Sue Balstad ’74, Kermit Bensen ’60/ ’70, Marion Christianson ’50/’71, Joann Gardner ’93, Mary Godwin ’02, Dick Haugo ’61/’63, Delphine Jacobsen ’63, Bill Kirtland ’53, Suzy Langhout ’93, John Liapis ’52, Therese Olejniczak ’02, Willie Stittsworth ’53, Jessica Ward ’96
ADVANCE RESERVATION FORM
BSU HOMECOMING 2002 Name: ________________________________________________________ Years attended BSU: _____ to _____ Name of Spouse: __________________________________________________ Years attended BSU: _____ to _____ Address: _______________________________________________________ City: _________________________ State _______ Zip ___________________ Home Phone: ( _________ ) ________________________________________ E-mail Address ___________________________________________________ BSU Alumni Honors Banquet #______ @ $18.00 /person. = $ ______ Enclosed is a check made payable to the BSU Alumni Association. Please charge $________ to my credit card: ____ VISA ____MasterCard Account #: ________________________ Expiration Date: _____________ Signature ________________________________________________ Reservations must be received by Wednesday, September 25, 2002.
Mail reservation form and payment to: Bemidji State University Alumni Association 1500 Birchmont Drive NE #17 Bemidji MN 56601-2699 The Alumni Association Honors Banquet has limited seating available. Registrations will be accepted over the phone if payment is being made with a credit card. Call the BSU Alumni Association Office at: 755-3989 (local) or 1-877-BSU-ALUM (toll free). 2002 Outstanding Alumni Award winners are: JEFF BAUMGARTNER ‘77; BOYD BRADBURY‘88; LOWELL SCEARCY ‘67; CURTIS OLSON‘72; DENNIS SAUTER‘70; andJEFF WALLIN ’70.