The Never-Ending Cycle of Central Icons

The timeline of band directors at Central Methodist University has seen more than a few eras led by icons of the craft. Starting with Keith Anderson for almost four decades, to Ken and Nancy Seward, to legends like Paul Montemurro and Keith House, Central has never been short on talent at that position, and the identity of our great institution comes from the reputation of the Swinney Conservatory as much as anything else.

This spring we said farewell to the latest in this line of iconic contributors to the band with the retirement of director Roy “Skip” Vandelicht. A Central Methodist alumnus himself in his own right, Skip was obviously the right man for the job when he started in 2007, thirty years after graduating.

Since then, Skip has led hundreds of students, in countless concerts, parades, and performances that have earned awards and recognition for himself, the band, and for Central. Skip is now a Hall of Famer twice over and has more than earned his reputation as one of the best music educators in the state of Missouri.

The students he has taught and mentored have gone on to become successful teachers and directors in their own right, continuing the legacy from Keith House, to Skip Vandelicht, to the next generation and beyond.

Skip isn’t the only longtime member of the Central faculty to say goodbye this year, though. Dr. Mozaffar Rahmatpanah, also known as “Coach Moz,” received professor emeritus status after serving for decades as a soccer coach and professor of physical education.

Coach Moz’s love of and dedication to Central were nothing short of impressive. He loved this place so much that he lived here, away from his wife and children in Irvine, California, for most of the year before making a mad dash back to his family during breaks in the academic calendar.

His dedication and efforts were not for naught, either. Coach Moz deserves a lot of credit for running an excellent soccer program, even back before the college was in a position to invest as much in sports as we do now. I think the fact that people still call him “Coach” years after he managed the team really says something. It puts him in the Central athletics pantheon.

And whether it’s true or whether it’s lore, there are great stories about his athletic ability as a soccer player, sniping water bottles off the top of the goalposts like Wyatt

Earp at the O.K. Corral and other impressive feats. I always meant to ask him if that was a true story; sometimes legends like that just sort of grow.

There’s no doubt that Skip and Coach Moz are retiring as two of the most recent icons of the Central faculty and that they will be missed, but when people retire from CMU with the contributions these men have made, with the lives they’ve changed, it isn’t a time to be remorseful about their departures. It’s a time to celebrate.

At the same time that these wonderful people are retiring, there are perhaps new legends being born. There are opportunities for the next impactful people to step in, and while their replacements may not have yet been chosen at the time of this writing, a new chapter in Central’s story is already beginning with the addition of Dr. Melissa Mace as the new vice president for enrollment management.

I wouldn’t be surprised if 30 years from now, people are writing about her in the same way. We’re always rebirthing legends at Central. There’s no way we will ever run out of them.

CMU Senior Staff

Dr. Roger D. Drake, President

Dr. Rita Gulstad, Provost

Brad Dixon ’07, Vice President for Student Life

Chad Gaines, Vice President for Technology and Planning

Dr. Melissa Mace, Vice President for Enrollment Management

Dr. Bill Sheehan Jr., ’84, Executive Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations

Julee Sherman, Vice President for Finance and Administration

Talon Staff

Joe Waner, Director of Marketing and Communications 660-248-6629 | jwaner@centralmethodist.edu

Emily Kesel, Editor Assistant Director for Marketing and Communications 660-248-6684 | ekesel@centralmethodist.edu

Katie Bedsaul

Media Content Coordinator 660-248-6391 | kbedsaul@centralmethodist.edu

Rachel Moore

Assistant Athletic Director / Director of Athletic Communication 660-248-6358 | rmoore@centralmethodist.edu

Deanna Cooper ’15 Director of Development 660-248-6397 | dcooper@centralmethodist.edu

Stasia Sherman Director of Alumni Engagement 660-248-6239 | ssherman@centralmethodist.edu

Alissa Watkins Director of Annual Giving 660-248-6683 | awatkins@centralmethodist.edu

Contributing Writers:

Rev. Bill O’Neal II, Keagan O’Riley ’23, Scott Queen, and Andrea Waner