Spring 2017 - The Talon

TALON SPRING 2017

To alumni and friends of Central Methodist University The month of May prompts mixed emotions on the college campus. We celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates while being saddened by their departure from this place that they have called home for four years. We see a rebirth of the campus as it regains its vibrancy from its cold season of sleep. At the same time, we watch that campus empty of the truly important life that lives and grows here—the lives of our students.

Being the ninth child in a family of ten, I watched my mother demonstrate a very important skill—she was amazing at loving until separation. My siblings and I were loved and nurtured until the time came that we left to make our own way. Those lessons learned from my mother have become necessary as I watch our students go out into the world to make their difference. The college campus is the only “business” that celebrates the loss of its “customers.”

This has been an amazing year on many fronts. Our students have been recognized and rewarded in academic competitions, scholarships, internships, acceptance into graduate and professional schools, and employment opportunities. When our faculty and staff are asked about our success at Central, one often hears them describe the success that our students are experiencing. I often say that industry takes people and makes money—higher education takes money and makes people. That saying may never be truer than it is at Central Methodist University.

Beyond student success, we also must think about the economic success of the University. CMU is a not-for-profit institution, but we don’t intend to operate at a loss. Mr. Cal Turner Jr., former CEO of Dollar General, once told me, “You have to be doing well if you expect to do good.” This concept of institutional self-care is of tremendous importance to the future of the University. While student success is our mission, the economic health of the institution must also remain in our hearts and minds.

Enrollment remains strong at Central as we watch many institutions, both public and private, struggle. We read numerous articles about institutions announcing significant layoffs and budget reductions in the face of dwindling enrollment. To the contrary, Central is adding ten additional faculty and staff to its ranks.

For the third consecutive year, the retention of first-time, full-time freshmen increased significantly. We have invested a great deal of institutional effort and resources into moving this very important metric. It is an affirmation of our planning and execution to see retention continue to move in the right direction.

Early indicators of both enrollment and retention are promising. These measurements, compared to last year, give us great hope that our recent success in these important areas

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is likely to continue.

As you know, the last four years have seen a renewed and robust investment in the academic life of Central. In addition to the filling of several additional faculty positions, we built the first new academic building on this campus in 54 years (Thogmorton Center for Allied Health) and will soon begin the renovation of Stedman Hall. We also started new academic programs. We have seen the academic profile of our student body increase marginally. Early indicators of the academic preparedness of the fall ’17 class suggest that the trend will continue.

With all of these investments in academics, our Digital U initiative could have the greatest transformational power to influence the future direction and position of the University.

Conceived and inspired by Robert Courtney, Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee of the Board of Trustees, Digital U is a strategy to support technologically-enhanced learning on the CMU campus. When fully implemented in the fall of 2018, students across campus will be able to learn in an environment that meets the needs of today’s digitally native students.

The renovation of the Stedman Hall of Science will begin shortly, and students will be back in it fall of 2018. I find great comfort in knowing that our faculty will make the best of next year and meet the educational needs of their students.

The Campaign for the Heart of Central is in its final stretch. The legacy of Samuel Stedman continues to bless this institution through the amazing generosity of his daughter, Jessica Stedman Guff. Countless lives have been changed in this building thanks to Sam Stedman; many more years of transformational learning will occur because of his daughter’s leadership gift.

We look to receive a substantial challenge grant from the Mabee Foundation. We will have exactly one year to raise matching funds. If you have not yet given to the Campaign, I ask you to consider making your best gift. If you have already given, I beg you to consider if you have done all you can do for Central.

At Central, we hold our history in high regard, celebrate our present, and eagerly await what the future holds.We have much for which to be thankful, much to celebrate, and much more to accomplish. Whether one looks back to our recent past, down at our present state of affairs, or forward to our future, one can only be excited and proud of our service to our students and the hope we bring to their future.

Sincerely,

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TALON - Table of Contents President’s Address...............................................................................2 Transforming Central.............................................................................5 Commencement....................................................................................13 Founders Weekend................................................................................20 Chorale to D. C..................................................................................... 24 Extended Studies.................................................................................. 25 Life-Changing Class...............................................................................28 Ashby-Hodge: Art of Collecting............................................................30 CMU Advantage....................................................................................32 Campus News........................................................................................34 Students Make a Difference.................................................................38 All in for Central................................................................................... 39 Huston Smith........................................................................................40 Alumni News.........................................................................................42 Stained-Glass Windows.........................................................................49 SharedShelf...........................................................................................50 Veterans Dive into SCUBA...................................................................52 Hall of Sponsors Scholarships...............................................................54 Fine and Performing Arts......................................................................56 Howard County Bicentennial Book......................................................61 Janice Henson Retires...........................................................................62 Athletics................................................................................................ 64 Interdisciplinary Simulation..................................................................72 Holocaust Remembrance......................................................................74 Solar Eclipse Party Planned.................................................................. 76 CMU Lives Its Mission...........................................................................77 Paying It Forward..................................................................................78

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Senior Administration Dr. Roger D. Drake, President Dr. Rita Gulstad, Provost Chad Gaines, Vice President for Information Services Dr. Joshua Jacobs, Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations Ken Oliver, Vice President for Institutional Growth and Student Engagement Julee Sherman, Vice President for Finance and Administration

Talon Corrections The Talon apologizes to the family of James Patrick Dionne ’52. He was a member of the 1949 Central College football team that was inducted into the Hairston Hall of Fame last fall (Fall Talon 2016, p. 70). His wife, Barbara Thornton Dionne ’52, also graduated from Central. Mr. Dionne passed away in 1988. His name was omitted from the list, and we are sorry for the error.

Talon Editorial Staff and Contact Information

Talon managed to get photos confused and mislabled from the CGES last summers’ graduations, between St. Louis and Union in the Fall Talon 2016, p. 27). Please see the corrections below. We apologize to the graduates involved.

Cathy Thogmorton, Editor 660-248-6391 cthogmor@centralmethodist.edu Kent Propst, Executive Director for Marketing Communications 660-248-6238 kpropst@centralmethodist.edu Jenny Martin Anspach Assistant Director for Marketing Communications 660-248-6629 jmartin@centralmethodist.edu

Left, Shanea Johnson ’16 from the St. Louis campus of CMU with son Brandon. She graduated with a BSN degree.

Jessica Travlos Media and Content Coordinator 660-248-6865 jtravlos@centralmethodist.edu Maggie Gebhardt Media Content Specialist 660-248-6684 mgebhardt@centralmethodist.edu David Hutchison Executive Director of Advancement and Alumni Programs 660-248-6260 drhutchi@centralmethodist.edu

Right, Samantha Elbert ’16 from the Union graduation ceremony with her daughter Raena. Samantha graduated with a degree in criminal justice.

Photo by Dr. Jon Bauer

Jackie Jackson Director of Annual Giving and Operations 660-248-6239 jsjackson@centralmethodist.edu

Central Methodist University prepares students to make a difference in the world by emphasizing academic and professional excellence, ethical leadership, and social responsibility.

– Mission Statement

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The “other” side: Samantha Elbert ’16, left, and friend Breaunna Pearson ’16, who graduated with a degree in psychology, celebrate in Union.

Photo by Dr. Jon Bauer

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Transforming Central The Continued Legacy of Stedman Hall

Transforming the Future C

entral Methodist has transformed students’ lives since its founding in 1854. Over time, the campus has grown, changed, and evolved into the strong University we love and support today; but the mission remains the same: to prepare students to make a difference in the world.

The Campaign for the Heart of Central is in the process of transforming and shaping Central’s future. The vision outlined by President Drake and the Board of Trustees, stimulated by the generosity of our alumni and friends, is once again leading our community forward.

In the early 1960’s Samuel Stedman partnered with then-President Ralph Woodward and the Board of Curators to finance the construction of a new science hall. Stedman’s gift of $1 million sparked the growth of the sciences from the classrooms in the old Science Hall (now T. Berry Smith Hall), into the newly constructed Stedman Hall of Science, opened in 1964.

In “true Central style” the compelling story creates a rich tapestry of interwoven events and notable lineages of Central, including families with names like: Stedman, Puckett, Woodward, Bergsten, Jacobs, and Thogmorton.

The truth remains: once you become a part of the Central community you always remain a part of the connection. This story is only the beginning, a testament to the great things that come from this small college, and we hope you will join us in our quest to secure a brighter future for our students.

The Samuel Stedman Story

Central Forever.

S

amuel Stedman graduated from Central in 1935, but not before catching the attention of Dean Erastus P. Puckett and being issued a challenge. As legend goes, Dean Puckett recognized immense potential in Sam and let him know in clear language, and a twinkle in his eye, that Sam could keep the first million he made, but he needed to give the second million to Central. (One million dollars in 1935 is roughly equivalent to over $17 million today.)

Sam ventured to Wall Street and joined Bache & Co. in 1937, when the founder Jules Bache himself had the controlling interest. Stedman was at that time, in the words of an associate, “[Sam was] a pleasant, lighthearted young man, who although a sharp, alert analyst, really seemed to have little interest in making money.”

However, after World War II, things changed. Stedman came back from the army, and followed Clifford Michel, a Bache partner and in-law, to Loeb, Rhoades, where he went to work as a junior analyst and blossomed into “the” growth-stock

expert on Wall Street.

The legend continues and loops back to Central in a unique way.

Sam and his wife, Gerda, were expecting their first daughter, Vivian, and it is said that they were debating in which faith to have her

baptized. Enter Central graduate Carl Bergsten, a Methodist minister in New York, who counseled the couple and subsequently baptized Vivian in his Methodist church.

Carl formed a bond with Sam and reintroduced him to the leadership

Fortune Magazine - February 1960 "The ten men portrayed on the following pages are, by and large, unknown outside the Wall Street financial community. A few of them are not too well known inside the community, except to colleagues in their own specialized fields. But in the aggregate, these men may be the most powerful ten men on the Street.

Certainly better known than any of the ten are men like Robert Lehman, senior partner of Lehman Brothers, Henry Clay Alexander, chairman of the Morgan Guaranty Trust Co., or David Rockefeller, vice chairman of the Chase Manhattan Bank. But these men, chiefs of great institutions, are not exactly powers in themselves.

Their considerable influence depends to a great extent on the organizations they represent. Moreover, while their influence is spread over many fields, it cannot be said that they are preeminent in any single one, as is each of these ten men. Robert Lehman

exercises influence over his firm's vast underwriting activities, its huge investment advisory service, and two large investment companies that are associated with it - Lehman Corp. and the One William Street Fund. But up and down the Street, institutional investors listen more carefully to Samuel Stedman, for example, than they do even to Lehman, and Albert Gordon exercises a larger influence on underwriting. The operations of the men shown here are not unique, but most of the ten are individualists who exercise their power in a highly personal fashion; it is their personal opinion, not the collective wisdom of their firms that the Street waits to hear.

Curiously enough, much of the power of the ten derives from the decline of individualism on Wall Street-and the concurrent rise in the influence of the great funds and trusts, and of the federal government. Where once the Street reverberated with

Excerpt from Fortune Magazine, February 1960: “10 most powerful men on Wall Street” highlighting Central’s own Sam Stedman at the age of 44.

rumors about the latest doings of various lone wolves ("Baruch is selling!"), today the big news is apt to concern the investment decisions of the funds.

And in this institutionalized, closely regulated world, these ten, with their special kinds of expert ability, are strategically situated individuals."

Stedman Hall - First Floor

of Central and then-President Ralph Woodward.

President Woodward and Sam worked together to establish an anonymous $1 million dollar commitment to Central to construct a brand new science facility to be named Curators Hall. Tragically,

Sam died of aggressive stomach cancer before making the gift, leaving his wife Gerda and now two daughters, Vivian (7) and Jessica (1).

Gerda was faced with the prospect of raising two daughters on her own, but bravely followed through with the gift of $1 million dollars

and agreed to posthumously name the new building in honor of Sam. Stedman Hall of Science was dedicated in September of 1963, but the impact of the gift and the web of connection continues, serving as the inspiration for Jay Jacobs’ gift to the Thogmorton Center in 2014.

Lew “Jay� IV

Jennifer

Julie

Janet

Lew III Daisy (McKee)

Jenny (Wood)

Fred

Halkaline (Kirk)

Carl

1970 - Louann (Thogmorton) Shaner graduates

1970 - Lew W. Jacobs III serves on the Board of Curators

1964 - Lew W. Jacobs III writes Roundtable paper on Sam Stedman

1963 - Stedman Hall of Science dedicated

1961 - Sam and Gerda Stedman give $1 million gift anonymously to then President Woodward

1960 - Jessica (Stedman) Guff born

1959 - Margaret (Woodward) Drakesmith graduates

1958 - John Drakesmith graduates

1955 - Beulah Mae (Suter) Woodward and Ralph Lee Woodward, Jr., graduate

Robert Shaner

Louann

Catherine

Helen

1954 - Sam Stedman meets Carl Bergsten to baptize new daughter Vivian in NY 1955 - Jim Thogmorton begins as McMurry Hall Director & Dean of Men

James

Anna (Pryor)

Eastus (E.P.)

1954 - Vivian (Stedman) Vetere born

1935 - Sam Stedman graduates

1935 - $1 million Challenge issued by E.P. Pucket to Samuel Lee Stedman

1924 - Halkaline (Kirk) Bergsten graduates

1925 - Carl Bergsten graduates

1913 - E.P. Puckett becomes Dean of the College

1910 - Eastus P. Puckett becomes Professor of History & Economics

1905 - Anna (Pryor) Puckett graduates

John Drakesmith

2014 - Louann (Thogmorton) Shaner gift to the Thogmorton Center for Allied Health

Margaret (Woodward)

2018 - Dedication of the renovated Stedman Hall of Science

2016 - Jessica (Stedman) and Drew Guff gift to Stedman Hall renovation

2016 - Jay and Kelly Jacobs gift to Stedman Hall renovation

2015 - Thogmorton Center for Allied Health dedicated

2014 - Janet Jacobs gift to the Campaign for the Heart of Central

2014 - John and Margaret (Woodward) Drakesmith gift to the Campaign for the Heart of Central

2014 - Jay and Kelly Jacobs gift to the Thogmorton Center for Allied Health

2013 - Fred and Jenny (Wood) Bergsten gift to the Campaign for the Heart of Central

2013 - Janet Jacobs and John Drakesmith join Campaign the the Heart of Central Steering Committee

2010 - Louann (Thogmorton) Shaner joins the Board of Trustees

Ralph Lee

Beaulah Mae (Suter)

Ralph

Countless families have influenced Central since 1854, but some names show up again and again. For this story of the renovation of Stedman Hall of Science, the Puckett, Thogmorton, Stedman, Bergsten, Jacobs, and Woodward families demonstrate the interconnected nature of our beloved Eagle community from the early 1900’s to today.

Jessica

Vivian

Gerda

1992 - Lew W. "Jay" Jacobs, IV attends classes 1999 - Bob Shaner joins the Board of Trustees

Samuel

1988 - Jennifer (Jacobs) Moorehead graduates

1978 - Julie Jacobs Menees graduates

1977 - Janet Jacobs graduates

1971 - Catherine Thogmorton graduates

1970 - Robert Shaner graduates

Vision for the Sciences at Central

M

uch like in the 1960’s, when then President Woodward recognized a need to elevate the sciences, current President Roger Drake is committed to bringing state-of-the art learning spaces to our students and faculty.

The vision President Drake has outlined for Central is multifaceted, but is rooted in strengthening the academic

experience. The construction of the Thogmorton Center for Allied Health was the first step in this effort, and it allowed for the doubling of our nursing enrollment, as well as the addition of physical therapy assistant and occupational therapy assistant programs.

Since 2011, prospective student interest in the science has grown 89

percent at Central, but enrollment in those degrees has remained flat. In reviewing the data we were affirmed in our belief that our faculty are among the best, but we were scaring students off when they saw our facility. The renovation of Stedman Hall of Science will reassure prospective students of Central’s commitment to science and aid in retention.

Instead of desks for traditional lectures, student-centered classrooms foster student-faculty collaboration and active engagement in real-time problem solving, giving students the ability to standout in their professional fields and provide socially responsible leadership in their communities.

Overall improvements will demonstrate to prospective students and potential new faculty CMU’s commitment to and investment in the sciences, with a re-imagined Stedman that is more aligned with today’s teaching and learning methods, and with flexibility to adapt to new methods for the future.

Flexible Lecture/Lab spaces allow students to immediately practice concepts discussed in class, actively building their own knowledge base in a constructional learning environment, with no delay between discussion and application.

Improved labs and climate controlled research areas with new and improved instrumentation will allow CMU to better prepare students for graduate and professional school, allowing more students to engage in research earlier in their careers. CMU science students will begin to ask their own scientifically relevant questions and go on to answer those questions on their own, becoming true scientists.

Stedman Hall - Second Floor

The Stedman family, and others, continue to add to their legacy at Central. Join them in supporting our shared vision for the sciences. You could be helping to educate and support Central’s next Sam Stedman.

Contact the Advancement and Alumni Relations team to make your intention known.

Dr. Joshua Jacobs Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations 660-248-6214 jejacobs@centralmethodist.edu GivetoCentral.org

Stedman Hall - Third Floor

Stedman Hall - Fourth Floor

Celebrating Commencement and Baccalaureate Bright Futures Await

Nothing beats the smile of students making their way across the graduation stage. It is a defining moment when they realize all their hard work has finally paid off – a moment they have dreamt about for years.

More than 430 Central Methodist University students lived in that moment as the 2016-17 academic year came to a celebratory end. Graduates joined family and friends, and were honored for earning degrees on Saturday, May 13, during Commencement and Baccalaureate exercises on the Fayette campus.

dents before you – all of those who have lived and learned in this place,” Drake said. “Your speaker is truly a living legend of Central Methodist University.”

Just before Rethwisch took the stage, he was surprised

Commencement There were laughs, hugs, and even tears, as hundreds of soon-to-be graduates embraced their final moments as students, both excited and prepared to take a huge step toward their futures.

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, as family and friends filled CMU’s E.P. Puckett Field House to recognize 42 master’s degree recipients, 392 bachelor’s degree recipients, and three associate’s degree recipients, according to President Roger Drake.

As graduates marched into the building in front of their loved ones, Central’s Concert Band kicked off the ceremony with the prelude, “Fanfare and Processional.”

A welcome message delivered by Drake, Invocation by the Reverend David Hutchison ’07 and greeting by Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Tad Perry ‘65, led to the introduction of wellknown alumnus Braxton Rethwisch ’65, who delivered the Commencement Address, “What Do You Think?”

“Students, Dr. Tad Perry, chair of the Board of there are many Trustees, hoods Braxton Rethwisch with an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, stories about the while Braxton’s son, Carter, looks on. legends that have worked here, and that have touched the lives of stu-

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Braxton Rethwisch, left, is applauded by President Drake for his address to the Commencement students.

with the presentation of an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree for his Central-record 52 years of distinguished work.

A stroke victim, Rethwisch’s address focused on overcoming obstacles and never giving up. He spoke both of his personal experiences, as well as his son’s, Carter Rethwisch, who survived a horrific automobile accident years ago. Both men overcame the odds, and directly due to their perseverance and diligent spirits, were alive to tell their stories and inspire hundreds of graduates.

“If you have the right state of mind -- the belief that you can conquer whatever your challenge is, you will do so,” Braxton Rethwisch said as he concluded his ad-

Cynthia Dudenhoffer, director of information resources, receives the Kincaid Award from Dr. Drake.

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dress, an experience he described as the “highlight of my career.”

Rethwisch served CMU in a variety of roles, including Assistant to the President and Admissions Counselor.

Less than two years ago, the Fayette native was presented with CMU’s highest honor, the University Service Award – given to only 26 people in Central’s history.

In 2001, Rethwisch was the first recipient of the National Association of College Admissions Counselors’ Government Relations Award for his efforts to promote access to higher education, encourage counselor excellence, and further NACAC priorities. He also was honored by his Central fraternity, Alpha Phi Gamma (“Mokers”), with the Braxton Rethwisch Hall of Sponsors Scholarship.

More than $60,000 was donated to establish this endowed scholarship.

Rethwisch made such an impact during his time at CMU, most believe his name will forever be associated with the history and story of Central.

After Rethwisch’s address and after degrees were granted, the annual John F. Kincaid Award was presented to Cynthia “Cindy” Dudenhofer, Director of Information Resources in CMU’s Smiley Memorial Library and an associate professor. Established in 1985 by the late Dr. John F. Kincaid ‘34, the Kincaid Award recognizes outstanding achievement in the education and inspiration of CMU students.

The Rev. Molly Moore reads the scripture prior to the Baccalaureate address.

Baccalaureate The Baccalaureate tradition is still very much alive at CMU, as soon-to-be graduates lined up to applaud faculty, and in turn, faculty lined up to congratulate graduates, as the large group made their way across campus to Central’s annual Baccalaureate Ceremony.

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The event was on Saturday morning, May 13, before the Commencement ceremony, in the Paul H. Linn Memorial United Methodist Church on Fayette’s campus.

Guests were greeted with music by CMU’s Assistant Professor of music, Dr. Melissa Simons, on organ, and by the The Rev. Dr. Clayton Smith, execuBrass Ensemble tive pastor of generosity at The United and Chorale.

Methodist Church of the Resurrection, A welcome brought the Baccalaureate address: message was de“Loyal Hearts and Spirits Brave.” livered by CMU President Roger Drake, and an opening prayer by the Rev. David Hutchison led into scripture readings and various hymns.

Delivering the Baccalaureate message was the Rev. Dr. Clayton Smith, a 1970 Central alumnus originally from Chillicothe, with his message, “Loyal Hearts and Spirits Brave.” A resident of Stilwell, Kan., Smith is Executive Pastor of Generosity at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, with four church campuses in the Kansas City area.

During his time as a student at Central, he started his ministry as a student local pastor. After seminary, he was associate pastor at Central United Methodist Church in Kansas City before serving for six years as a campus chaplain at the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Smith was senior pastor at Schweitzer UMC in Springfield, Manchester in St. Louis, and Centenary in Cape Girardeau. As a senior pastor at Schweitzer, he received the denomination’s top Circuit Rider Award for Church Growth.

He has served as Executive Pastor of Generosity since 2005.

Smith received his degree in psychology from Central, a Master of Theology from Southern Methodist University in 1973, and a Doctor of Ministry in Stewardship and Preaching from the McCormick School of Theology in 1995.

In 2015, Smith’s book, Propel: Good Stewardship–Great Generosity was published by Abingdon Press. A second small group workbook publication, At the CrossroadsSpiritual Lessons for the Second Half of Life, was published in 2016 by Abingdon.

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Faces of the Future Each May during Central Methodist University-Fayette Commencement ceremonies, a special day for graduating seniors is made even better when they are announced as recipients of the highest student honors CMU presents.

The E.P. Puckett Field House, filled to overflowing, rang with applause as Jennifer Long was presented the Selecman Award on its 60th anniversary, Jamie Gisburne received the Human Relations Award, and Parker Johnson was given the Victoria Award during CMU’s Commencement ceremonies.

Long, of Cave Creek, Ariz., graduated in December with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Gisburne graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees in both Communications and Computer Science, and is from Fort Myers, Fla. A Richmond, Mo,. resident, Parker Johnson was awarded a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science.

Identities of the recipients, nominated by CMU faculty and staff, remain top secret until announced by President Drake during Commencement.

Jennifer Long, Selecman Award The Selecman Award is regarded as the most prestigious award given to a CMU graduating senior. It was established in 1957 by the late United Methodist Church Bishop Charles C. Selecman, a former student at Central Methodist.

Bishop Selecman directed that the award go to the student who has displayed the highest levels of the following characteristics: good citizenship on the campus, scholarship, religious leadership, moral and spiritual qualities, and outstanding achievement.

In Jennifer Long, (photo upper left) the 2017 Selecman Award recipient fits the criteria and then some. An outstanding student in CMU’s rigorous biology program, her list of awards reads like a small novel. A perennial member of the Dean’s List, she is in Sigma Epsilon Pi honor society, limited to the top 10 percent of the senior class, and as a freshman was inducted into Alpha Lambda Delta for the top 10 percent of that class.

Memberships include Beta Beta Beta biology honor society, Alpha Epsilon Delta pre-med honor society, and Kappa Mu Epsilon math honor society. Long received a Spring Foundation Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Scholarship through the Missouri Colleges Fund. She also graduated from CMU’s Honors Program in December.

But Long doesn’t just shine in the classroom. Originally recruited to CMU to play volleyball, she has served the University as a tutor and as a teaching assistant. She has 16

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been a member of the campus Fellowship of Christian Athletes and the Navigators. Long also volunteered in the community, taking therapy dogs to the Fayette Caring Center and helping at Coyote Hill, a local foster home.

Long spent last summer on a student exchange internship in Warnemunde, Germany, doing scientific research on seals and sea lions.

Jamie Gisburne, Human Relations Award The CMU Human Relations Award was first given in 1953. It was established by Mrs. Martha Smith Luck to honor the student “showing the most promise in human relations and human adjustment.”

This prize is awarded annually to the student who “attempts to develop the ability to get along with others and work with others -- the ability to understand the other fellow, develop liaison techniques…in the area of human relations and understanding.”

Jaime Gisburne (photo upper middle) has done just about everything a student can do during her years at CMU. She was elected Student Government Association President in 2015, and re-elected the following spring. A member of the varsity golf team, she has been team captain the last two years. Gisburne served as editor-in-chief of the Ragout, CMU’s yearbook.

She also served the Admission office as a student ambassador for more than two years, was involved in campus ministry, was an orientation leader helping new students adjust to life at CMU, a disc jockey for KCMU Eagle Radio, and a member of the Collegian student newspaper staff. It’s been difficult to look around the Central campus and not

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see Gisburne.

With such a high level of involvement, one might think it came at a sacrifice in terms of academic performance. In Gisburne’s case, nothing could be further from the truth: she was a regular on the CMU Dean’s List, graduated with academic honors, and completed degrees in both Computer Science and Communications.

Parker Johnson, Victoria Award CMU’s Victoria Award is given annually to a graduating student who, in the opinion of the faculty and students, best exemplifies the ideals and purposes of Central.

The award is given in memory of Victoria Beecroft Cutter, and was established in 1979 by her late son, Dr. Walter

Cutter ’28.

Parker Johnson (photo upper right) completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science and was one of only eight graduates of the CMU Honors Program.

He also picked up a minor in Music at CMU. Many at the University know Johnson best not from the classroom or computer lab, but from the CMU stage. He was active in several music ensembles and made multiple appearances in the Little Theatre, starring in numerous dramatic and comedic roles and earning CMU theatre awards.

A regular on the Dean’s List, Johnson worked for the CMU Office of Admission, helping to bring new students to the University. He also was a recording engineer for CMU’s Music Ministry program.

Honor Program Graduates

From left: President Roger Drake, Mariah Zeiss, Katelyn Hanvey, Nidal Memic, Parker Johnson, Mackenzie Hustead, Danielle Franklin, Bethany Freel, and Dr. Richaard Bradley, director of the Honors Program and professor of history.

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Achievement Awards Accounting Excellence Award Zachary Andrews ACDA National Student Choral Award Dasean Stokes Alpha Epsilon Delta Anatomy Award Mackenzie Strother Alpha Epsilon Delta Harold L. Momberg Award for the Outstanding Pre-Med Student Addison McGuire Alpha Epsilon Delta Physiology Award Dillian McDonald Alumni Association Outstanding Senior Awards Bethany Freel Breilly Roy Katelyn Hanvey Rebecca Steele-Mackey Jennifer Long Denise Weigand American Nurses Association Award Bri Mitchem Banking and Finance Excellence Award Brendan Ross Dr. Robert Barker Award for Excellence in Sociology Kelsey Swearngin Noble Emmett Baskett Scholarship in Business Administration Clay Littrell Earl and Sunny Bates Prize Blakely Fuemmeler Beta Beta Beta Outstanding General Biology Students Christopher Marsh Mackenzie Strother Herman C. Byrd Award Josh Miller Clyde and Hazel Blattner Mathematics Award Zack Adams Dr. Richard T. Bond Mathematics Award Rebecca Steele-Mackey Mike Cavanah “True Eagle� Award Wes Davis CMU Biology Alumni Award Bethany Freel Communication Department Student Media Award Nicholas Foland Criminal Justice Excellence Award Brittany Winkler Mark and Kathy Dempsey Athletic Training Student Clinical Excellence Award Reece Carmichael R. Paul Drummond Memorial Award Emily Day ENACTUS Outstanding Senior Award Melanie Bryan ENACTUS Senior Leadership Award Melanie Bryan Estes Award for Outstanding Senior Male Athlete Doug Hutcherson 18

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Gentry Estill Award for Total Business Excellence Nidal Memic Susan Estill Award for Total Business Excellence Darcy Latham Gamma Sigma Epsilon Excellence Award in General Chemistry Kylie Limbac Gamma Sigma Epsilon Excellence Award in Organic Chemistry Skyler Hime Caitlyn Landewee Shannon Wells Dr. Joseph E. Geist Prize in Performing Arts Katie Roberts Lisa Powell Goessling Award Kaitlyn Rogers Chester E. Hanson Outstanding Computer Science Award Parker Johnson The Keith House Band Fellow-Tour Manager Katelyn Hanvey Martin C. Harral Memorial Music Award Hickman Award for Achievement in Music Katelyn Hanvey Inscape Poetry Award Catherine Barnard Inscape Fiction Award Dylan Lewis Inscape Ten-Minute Play Award Clarice Fels Inscape Photography & Art Award Catie Dovin

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Inscape Cover Art Award Violeta Sevillano Pires Nancy Thompson Jones Gem Award Susan Bishop Dr. Glenn R. Joyce Memorial Award Denise Weigand Kappa Mu Epsilon Mathematics Award Rebecca Steele-Mackey Martin E. Kooi Excellence in Communication Jamie Gisburne Martin E. Kooi Excellence in Theatre Arts Breilly Roy James M. Luetjen Scholar Athlete Award Allison Hines Mike Magyar Fine Arts-Leadership Award McKenna Nelson Management/General Business Excellence Award Melanie Bryan Marketing and Advertising Excellence Award Michaela Pomajzl Glenn McElroy Athletic Training Student Academic Excellence Award Mackenzie Cullifer The Missouri Federation of Music Clubs Kevin Helmerichs Professor Paul A. Montemurro Award Katelyn Hanvey MTNA Student Achievement Recognition Award Daniel Terry Outstanding Musician Award Parker Johnson Dane Nelson Memorial Award Ryan Lewis Dr. Niels C. Nielsen Outstanding Chemistry Student Award Ashley Litton Outstanding Nurse Clinician Award Mallory Haley Outstanding Nursing Scholar Award Meredith Van Maanen Outstanding Senior in Accounting Award Lauren Kramm Outstanding Senior in Business Award Emily Van Beek Outstanding Senior in Sports Management Jakob Junker Darla Pannier Award for Outstanding Senior Female Athlete Alyssa Lilly Dr. Larry J. Peery Award for Excellence in Physics Marlow Case Phi Mu Alpha Honor Award Ryan Lewis Phi Mu Alpha Scholastic Award Ryan Lewis

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Pi Gamma Mu Scholastic Award Nicholas Foland Excellence in Psychology Award Patricia Fleischmann Glenn C. Riegel Faculty Award Dr. Ashley Lough Glenn C. Riegel Student Science Award Christina Schatz Sarah Rutherford Prize Rebecca Steele-Mackey W. D. Settle Memorial Music Education Award Tiffany Hankins Shallenburger Award for Outstanding Performance In Accounting Principles Abigaile Knopf Sigma Alpha Iota Collegiate Honor Award Katelyn Hanvey Sigma Alpha Iota Scholastic Award Katelyn Hanvey Sigma Epsilon Pi Deryanne Hustead Madison Lester Katelyn Hanvey Emily Van Beek Kaitlyn Gebhardt Ashley Litton Haley Willis Garcia Portillo Hannah Willis Paula Fortune Jennifer Long Danielle Franklin Leah Scheer Breilly Roy Rebecca Steele-Mackey Meredith Van Maanen Nathaniel Lewis Lyndsey Phillips Megan Bremer Kelsey Swearngin Lauren Kramm Jamie Gisburne Shelby Joseph Luther T. Spayde Memorial Award Kevin Helmerichs Harold W. Sunoo History and Political Science Award Miranda Dahman Swinney Conservatory Outstanding Freshman Award Keaton Denney Josh Stettes Swinney Conservatory Outstanding Musician Award Parker Johnson Swinney Conservatory Super Hero Award Amy Keene Helen Puckett Thogmorton Award for Excellence in Music Kay Wilken Raney Winter NAfME-C Award Katelyn Hanvey Erwin and Hazel Wiedle Outstanding Nursing Graduate Molly Meneely Jeff Wilcox “Raising the Bar Award�

Jennifer Long Dr. Farris H. and Leona Woods Memorial Award in Biology Crystal Flagg

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Photo at left: Nickie Foland Receives his degree The Talon 19

Founders Weekend

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ounders Weekend May 5-7 was a festive one at Central Methodist University, with several days of activities for the many alumni and friends who came home to Central for the weekend. While students and faculty were gearing up for finals week, and the CMU Board of Trustees was holding its quarterly meeting on campus, Founders Weekend offered an opportunity for CMU Alumni to celebrate, with events commencing Friday afternoon with a showing in The Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art that included works from the collection of the late Col. Bill ’47 Holman and his wife Martha Rogers ’47 Holman.

Late that afternoon the newest addition to the Hall of Sponsors scholarship gallery in Brannock Hall featured an unveiling of a portrait of Dr. O.

A. “Berre” (a.k.a. Doc R) and Anne Robinson. The endowed scholarship was sponsored by Earl ’61 and Sunny Bates of Big Fork, Mont. Also present was Abby Addleman ’18, the first

Above: At the President’s Gala Friday evening. At top: Alumni compete in the trivia competition. Laura Blair ‘86 and Addie Layne ‘13 pose for the camera.

student to receive the newly endowed scholarship.

Friday evening featured The President’s Gala, a new event, held at the Isle of Capri in nearby Boonville, where alumni and friends were treated to presentations by current students on the difference Central has made in their lives.

J.W. Arnold ’90 of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. returned to his alma mater for a Saturday morning organ recital in Linn Memorial United Methodist Church on the CMU campus. Arnold was on campus to receive a CMU Distinguished Alumni Award that evening.

The weekend continued with a barbecue lunch on the Howard County courthouse lawn in downtown Fayette, followed by the second annual Alumni Trivia Challenge held

at Emmet’s Kitchen and Tap. A team representing the 1960s retained the championship and trophy for their knowledge of all things Central.

Highlighting Saturday evening was the 71st annual Alumni Awards Banquet in the Inman Student and Community Center, hosted by the

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CMU Alumni Association and with guest Emcee Donn Harrison ’89, a 2016 recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award. This year’s honorees included Dr. Nolyn Nyatanga (’05), recipient of the Young Alumni Award, and Distinguished Alumni Awards to Dr. George Schweitzer ’45, Franklin

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Wallis ’66, William “Bill” Gamble ’74, Lt. Col. David Smith ’87, and J.W. Arnold ‘90.

The celebration wrapped up Sunday with worship services in Linn Memorial, a brunch in the Bergsten Dining Hall, and an afternoon band concert.

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he significant achievements and exemplary careers of six graduates from Central Methodist University were celebrated at CMU’s 71st annual Alumni Awards banquet on Saturday, May 6.

Dr. George Schweitzer ’45 The lifetime achievements of CMU Distinguished Alumni Award recipient Dr. George Schweitzer of Knoxville, Tenn. abound, and continue to this day. A native of Poplar Bluff, Mo., he earned the first of his six degrees (not including the honorary Doctor of Science degree from Central in 1964), a bachelor of arts in chemistry, from then-Central College in 1945.

He began teaching chemistry at the University of Tennessee in 1948 and remains active in the department.

Dr. Schweitzer also served a faculty fellowship at Columbia University (New York, N.Y.). The author of more than 200 scholarly articles and publications, including many on the topic of genealogy, he has lectured to over 200 historical and genealogical societies in Europe and North America.

While his professional preparation has been in science, Dr. Schweitzer also taught university-level courses on the Civil War, the History of Religion, the History of Technology, and more. A man of many interests, he has done research on the environmental chemistry of radioactivity, and his memberships range from the American Chemical Society to the American Philsophic Association.

Franklin Wallis ’66 While his own body of work in the legal field stands out, Franklin Wallis’ service and activism are equally impressive, going back to his days as a Central Methodist College student, Class of 1966. The St. Louis resident will receive the Central Methodist University Distinguished Alumni Award.

Wallis graduated from Arcadia Valley High School 22

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in Ironton, Mo., then came to Central Methodist and established himself as both a scholar and a servant leader.

He was class president by his sophomore year, and was active in student government, yearbook, student newspaper, Greek life, intramural sports, the academic Honors Program and other clubs and organizations.

Wallis went on to obtain his law degree from the Duke University School of Law. He studied at The Hague Academy of International Law in the Netherlands, and obtained an LL.M. (Master of Laws) degree from The London School of Economics and Political Science.

He has practiced law in St. Louis since 1970, and is currently an attorney with Reilly McLaughlin LLC. Wallis also continues to be active in a variety of civic and service groups.

William “Bill” Gamble ’74 There are numerous ways an alumnus can serve his alma mater; William “Bill” Gamble of Jefferson City has been a staunch advocate for Central Methodist University, and for all of private higher education in Missouri, in one of the toughest places of all – the state capitol.

The Distinguished Alumni Award recipient hails from Greenfield, Mo. He got a close look at state government while a CMU student when he interned with then-State Representative Fred DeField in 1973. He took a position with the Missouri House of Representatives as a research analyst after graduating from Central.

His career in governmental affairs started in 1977 with John Britton and Associates, working for a variety of business and professional trade associations. In 1984 he founded what is now Gamble and Schlemeier Ltd., Missouri’s largest government relations firm.

One of the firm’s clients is the Independent Colleges and Universities of Missouri (ICUM), which acts on behalf of the state’s private, independent universities and colleges, including Central Methodist.

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Lt. Col. David Smith ’87 A noteworthy career that includes military service, education, and science makes Dr. David Smith a logical choice for the Central Methodist University Distinguished Alumni Award. The Overland, Mo., native graduated from Central

in 1987.

He is currently the director, Radiation Safety, and associate professor of radiology at Georgetown University Medical Center. Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Smith was the executive director, National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.

He served in the U.S. Air Force for more than 23 years, culminating with his selection as the chief of the U.S. Air Force Radioisotope Committee Secretariat and Health Physics Consultant to two U.S. Air Force Surgeons General. He has served as the director, Graduate Environmental Engineering and Sciences Program, and director, Graduate Combating Weapons of Mass Destruction Program, while assistant professor at the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Dr. Smith also has an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering (Health Physics) from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering Sciences (Medical Physics) from the University of Florida-Gainesville.

He earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from The Ohio State University.

J.W. Arnold ’90 J.W. Arnold has spent the last 20 years in Washington D.C., and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., heading up his PRDC public relations firm and developing relationships on Capitol Hill with national and regional trade associations, the business community, and the media.

The 1990 Central alumnus from Marceline is a onetime reporter for a regional chain of Missouri newspapers. He later became a press secretary to a former U.S. Congresswoman, where he gained firsthand experience in

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the legislative process and the effective communication of policy initiatives.

Arnold also served as public affairs specialist for “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, reflecting a lifelong interest in music that includes studying organ and harpsichord in a graduate program at the University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Since establishing PRDC in 1999, Arnold has developed successful public relations and marketing campaigns for high profile organizations, including the White House Visitor Center, National Academy of Education, Direct Marketing Association, Sustainable Energy Institute, and The Diversity Channel.

Dr. Nolyn Nyatanga ’05 Already a remarkable story, Nolyn Nyatanga left her native Zimbabwe at the age of 16 to enroll at Central Methodist in the fall of 2001. She immediately made her mark, earning the University’s Demaree Award for the freshman with

the highest GPA. After graduating with honors from Central, with a major in biology and minors in chemistry and mathematics, she was accepted into the Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience, where she earned the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree and graduated in the top 10 percent of her med school class.

Dr. Nyatanga is a medical oncologist and hematologist physician at Goldschmidt Cancer Center in Jefferson City, where she resides. She has done post-doctoral work at the Cleveland (Ohio) Clinic Foundation and the Hofstra-Northwell School of Medicine in New Hyde Park, N.Y. During her time at CMU Dr. Nyatanga received the Victoria Award, given to the senior who best exemplifies the goals and ideals of the University, and the E.E. Rich Award, given to the student who demonstrates the highest level of excellence in biology.

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Campus News

CMU Chorale sings in D. C. area The singers of Central Methodist University’s Chorale left right after Commencement for an exciting tour in the Washington D.C. area, with scheduled performances in historic and acclaimed places like the National Holocaust Museum, Arlington National Cemetery, and the National Cathedral.

They departed CMU on Sunday, May 14, and their seven-day performance schedule began that same day.

Last year, CMU alumnus Earl Bates ’61and his wife, Sunny, of Big Fork, Mont., sponsored the Chorale’s trip to the international United Methodist Church Convention in Portland, Ore. The Bateses were so excited about those performances, they provided funds to plan another trip, according to Claude Westfall, director of choral activities at CMU. “The gift by Sunny and Earl Bates is an amazing opportunity for our students,” Westfall says. “I believe any time we can enhance the learning of our music students by adding performances in new venues, we allow them more chances for musical growth, and instill in them a broader musical background.”

So, the search began to locate churches to host the group in the DC area. The Chorale was invited to sing with Pat Vaughn, director of Annadale UMC, two other choirs, and a professional orchestra at the National Cathedral. This led them to explore other performance venues to complete their tour schedule.

“This trip was not only be a chance to travel, but to perform and connect with people in the D.C. area that may not have previously heard of Central Methodist University, or have any idea of the marvelous caliber of our music program,” Westfall says.

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Joining the Chorale on the trip were the Bateses, Westfall and his wife, Diana; CMU President Roger Drake and his wife, Judy; and other CMU faculty, staff, and parents of some of the students.

Public performances Sunday, May 14 Mt. Vernon Place United Methodist Church, Baltimore, Md. Monday, May 15 National Holocaust Museum, Washington D.C. Annandale United Methodist Church, Annandale, Va. Tuesday, May 16 Senate Park, Capitol Hill, Washington D.C. Arlington National Cemetery Wreath Laying Ceremony Gettysburg United Methodist Church, Gettysburg, Pa. Wednesday, May 17 Gettysburg Battlefield National Park La Plata United Methodist Church, La Plata, Md. Thursday, May 18 Calloway United Methodist Church, Washington, D.C. Friday, May 19 Peterson Institute for International Economics, Washington, D.C. Saturday, May 20 The National Cathedral, Washington D.C.

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Extended Studies

Bubenheim number one in math When a person enrolls in a university that is more than 160 years old, it’s very difficult to be “the first” at anything.

However, Rebecca Bubenheim, a Bonne Terre resident, is about to become the first-ever recipient of a Master of Science in Mathematics degree from CMU. She completed her final coursework for the fully online degree this spring.

“I was surprised to learn I was the first graduate of the program. I’m very proud to get through it; I’ve been working hard,” says Bubenheim, who teaches high school math at North County High School in Bonne Terre.

Shortly after CMU announced the new graduate program in 2015, Bubenheim enrolled; she learned about it through the Central Methodist University program on the Mineral Area College campus in nearby Park Hills.

“The thing I liked best about the program was its flexibility,” Bubenheim says. “Online studies are good for people who work and have busy schedules.

“At the same time, it requires a lot of independent motivation; you have to be an independent learner.” Now that her studies are complete, Bubenheim plans to participate in a CMU Commencement ceremony when Central Methodist holds exercises on the Mineral Area College campus in Park Hills in May.

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Rebecca Bubenheim, left, and Dr. Jerry Priddy, CMU professor of mathematics.

Bubenheim has two undergraduate degrees from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, one in secondary education and another in math.

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Extended Studies

Master of Music Education additional accreditation The first cohort of graduate students earning the Master of Music Education (MME) at Central Methodist University graduated in May 2016. Following on the heels of that earmark comes full accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Music (NASM).

Although the program was already accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, the approval by NASM is very important, according to Dr. Dori Waggoner, associate professor of music and dean of the Swinney Conservatory of Music at CMU. “It is very important to become accredited by NASM,” Waggoner says. “Affiliation with the NASM association holds all its members to a high standard of educational quality.”

Although CMU could, and did, apply for accreditation early in the program, the final approval is not given until the graduation of the first students from the program. In May, Central’s initial class of nine graduated; and, therefore, the approval could be given.

In Central’s MME program, a cohort of students takes three or four classes per summer in a hybrid format, part online and part on campus. For each class the students take, they spend a total of nine or ten days on campus.

Waggoner calls them a Community of Scholars. During their times together, she says, they have homework, discussions, and a chance to become friends and colleagues.

Studies include history of music, music philosophy, theory, conducting, and pedagogy. Leading the classes are four CMU music professors—Dr. Dori Waggoner; Dr.

Claude Westfall, associate professor of music and director of choral activities; Dr. Ron Atteberry, adjunct professor of music; and Skip Vandelicht, associate professor of music and director of bands. Additional professors are worked in as needed.

“The four primary professors all have public school teaching experience. Altogether, it adds up to well over 100 years of service as music educators,” Waggoner points out. “It adds a level of practicality to the music program.”

During the year following the three summers, the students write a Master’s Report, which incorporates the practical application of all concepts to their teaching, from philosophy to daily lesson plans. Waggoner says, “In their report, they also do a weekly reflection of their lesson plans and musings on how applying these elements into their teaching in their own rooms works or doesn’t. They have the opportunity to demonstrate their mastery of all the concepts learned in the program.”

During that final year, students present one specific concert that incorporates all the elements studied, plus a self-analysis of the concert. When possible, their adviser attends the concert; otherwise, a video recording is used.

Central has completed four summers of study with more than 30 students thus far. Teachers work with both vocal and instrumental students and can accommodate students teaching throughout the grades K-12 spectrum.

“Our students are our best advertising,” Waggoner observes. “Their positive experience leads them to encourage others to go through the same program.”

CMU officials including (from left) Karen Lovette and Dr. Rita Gulstad took part in an April ribbon cutting ceremony for the remodeled and upgraded University Center on the campus of Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Mo. CMU has been offering coursework there since 2008, and has more recently added programming in conjunction with TRC in nearby Dexter, Kennett, and Sikeston. Lovette is Site Coordinator for CMU’s programs in the region, and Gulstad is CMU Provost.

Also pictured are (from left) Dr. Miles Mullin from Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO), Donna Pirc from Hannibal-LaGrange University (HLGU), Dr. Karl Kunkel and Pauletta Burns (SEMO); Dr. Wesley Payne, President, Three Rivers College (TRC); Will Cooper, TRC University Center director; and Dr. Mary Lou Brown (TRC). SEMO and HLGU also offer degree completion programming through Three Rivers College. (Photo courtesy Three Rivers College)

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Extended Studies

CMU signs RN-BSN agreement with Arkansas consortium In a time when nurses are in high demand, CMU has taken an additional step to help other colleges increase the number of students who can advance from a Registered Nurse to a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree.

Central has signed an agreement with a consortium of two-year colleges across Arkansas, the Arkansas Rural Nursing Education Consortium (ARNEC), to provide its eight member-colleges with an RN-BSN program designed specifically for them.

Thanks to an existing bond between CMU and Black River Technical College at Pocahontas, with whom Central signed a partnership earlier last year, the opportunity became available.

The consortium was searching for a feasible way to expand its advanced nursing degree opportunities for students. The two-year colleges were able to award their students to an RN degree, but no further.

Black River Technical College has been impressed with how Central integrates BRTC’s work into CMU’s last two years of study where their students can emerge with a bachelor degree from Central, notes CMU Provost Dr. Rita Gulstad. With BRTC’s support the consortium voted to set up the agreement.

All of CMU’s RN-BSN program is delivered to consortium students online. Beginning in January 2017 students were able to enroll every eight weeks for classes. Most will be able to finish their BSN in 18-24 months. Although they will have been in cohort classes during their first two years, their BSN study will be completed individually at their own pace.

“One of the distinctions of the ARNEC consortium is that it is designed to meet the needs of nursing students in rural areas,” Gulstad says. “CMU aligns well with this mission in that we also serve many students from rural areas.”

The ARNEC consortium comprises Arkansas State University at Newport, Black River Technical College, Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas at DeQueen, Ozarka College at Melbourne, Southern Arkansas Community College at El Dorado, University of Arkansas Community College in Morrilton, Rich Mountain Community College in Mena, and University of Arkansas Community College in Hope.

Once students have attained their BSN degrees, they can continue their studies online with Central to attain their MSN – Nurse Leader degree, or their MSN – Nurse Educator degree if they so choose, Gulstad adds.

Missouri residents can pursue education degrees online When school districts search for new teachers, they often look to Central Methodist University because of the reputation it holds for graduating excellent educators. After all, it’s something Central has done since it was founded more than 160 years ago.

That inclination will soon increase as CMU has now enabled Missouri students in elementary education and early childhood education to finish most of their education degree programs online. When successfully completed, the students will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Education from Central.

Missouri students who meet all of the normal requirements to enter the program are eligible to finish their coursework online, regardless of where in Missouri they live, notes CMU Provost Dr. Rita Gulstad.

“The program is exactly the same as the normal process at the campus in Fayette,” says Gulstad. “However, the delivery system is different.”

To enter the program, a student must have graduated from one of CMU’s partner colleges in Missouri with an Associate of Arts in Teaching, which is offered at all of Central’s partner colleges in the state. That degree typically takes a student two years to complete.

The delivery system of the online education program consists of multiple formats. It includes traditional

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asynchronous online classes, which can be taken at each student’s time discretion. It also includes synchronous instruction, known as electronic collaborative classrooms that occur at specific times and operate through interactive desktop video conferencing. In those classes, all students meet together.

The final method of delivery is live via a one-on-one interaction between a supervising teacher and a student in a methods class and practicum; and those two people plus the collaborative teacher during the final student teaching experience. Central’s instructor makes every effort for students to take their methods class and the practicum and student teaching experiences in a location close to their home towns.

Finishing the Bachelor of Science in Education with this specific program will take students an additional two or two-and-a-half years. Their degrees will enable them to teach early childhood or elementary education anywhere in the state of Missouri.

After successfully attaining their BSE degrees, Central students can begin their teaching careers or opt to go directly into CMU Master of Education degrees. The requirements for that degree include 50 percent online course work and 50 percent in classes at one of CMU’s partner colleges that offers the MSE degree.

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Life-changing class, life-saving lessons

By Maggie Gebhardt, media content specialist

It was a typical Wednesday on campus, with students shuffling from one class to the other. This particular class, like many Central Methodist University classes, was held in T. Berry Smith Hall. One by one, approximately 30 students entered the classroom.

It was just a typical day. Nothing out of the ordinary, right?

Wrong. What appeared to be a grenade situated on the window sill in the front of the classroom caught the attention of only a few students; for most, it went unnoticed. Is that another one? Up high, near the ceiling, planted on the projector, another grenade. What is going on here?

Before the students arrived, five mock grenades had

If it had been real, the casualties and injuries would have been truly unimaginable.

So, if it had been real, who would have noticed? Who would have said something in time? Would those students – innocent victims – in that typical classroom on that typical day have had the mindfulness and capabilities to save themselves?

That Wednesday was just one example of the awareness training being taught in CMU’s Criminal Justice program, as Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Keith Abernathy was teaching a relatively new, special topics course on homeland security and terrorism.

Abernathy has a varied and extensive background,

Keith Abernathy, assistant professor of criminal justice, calmly discusses threat indication. Ironically, he had placed five fake grenades around the room before class, including one on the projector (see photo inset), and no one had noticed.

been strategically placed around the classroom on that typical Wednesday, all situated perfectly so that if they had been real, maximum damage would have transpired.

If they had been real, five bombs would have detonated – exploding from above, and from the front, back, and sides of the room.

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with over 30 years of experience in law enforcement and as a criminal justice educator. Outside of CMU, he is a state certified instructor and teaches standardized awareness training, which offers certification through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

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Abernathy makes a forceful point during class.

Abernathy had the idea to offer this certification to CMU criminal justice students through a special topics course – a great value and time-saver for the students, as most criminal justice graduates seek out this same certification once they begin their career.

It took weeks of back-and-forth communication, but the Center for Domestic Preparedness gave approval for the CMU course and certification offering. Abernathy also acknowledges CMU Provost Rita Gulstad. “I have to tip my hat to Rita for allowing me to teach this course here,” he says.

To enroll, students had to apply for a FEMA identification number – which requires a background check. This process provided them with a lifetime number to be used for any future FEMA training.

The coursework is designed to instill preparedness and awareness for situations that could arise from international terrorism, domestic terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction. Prevention and deterrence, identification of hazardous materials, chemical and biological agents, radiological materials, nuclear weapons, and explosive devices make up the scope of the course.

“Let’s just take a look at the number of terrorist incidents recently,” Abernathy says. “We’re seeing that every time we adapt to terrorists, they change. For example, they have moved from using aircrafts and bombs to vehicular terrorism.”

While discussing the way terrorism has transformed, Abernathy touches upon terrorist recruitment conducted through the Internet. “They’re being encouraged to kill where they are,” he says of the individuals who are being

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radicalized without even having to leave their own country.

“Terrorism is happening here, in our home – that’s one of the most important things this class teaches,” says sophomore criminal justice major Jon Atherton.

“Situational awareness is important in every situation because, as we’ve learned, terrorism, or terrorist-like incidents, could happen anywhere, anytime.”

The odds of being on the scene during a terrorist attack are obviously slim, Abernathy says, but the life-changing skills from the course also will benefit students in everyday situations. His hope is for them to become more aware of their surroundings, and become prepared for the more-likely chance of encountering other forms of criminal activity.

Sophomore criminal justice major Destiny Stallo says she believes situational awareness is crucial in today’s society.

“Everyone looks at their phones and doesn’t pay attention to what’s going on around them,” she says. “I think my awareness is improving, but there is always room for improvement.”

Andrew Ide, a junior criminal justice major, says he wants to become a police officer. “I feel this class opened my eyes to the effects of losing your situational awareness, and now I do my best to never let that happen,” he says.

Ide, who graduated from the Law Enforcement Training Institute of Columbia (Mo.) in December, says the FEMA certification he is receiving through the course is helping him jumpstart his future. “I can add it to my resume, and it is preparing me for what I could encounter as a police officer,” he says.

Abernathy explaines it is important to note the course is designed to instill readiness skills – not fear or distrust.

“I always tell them, ‘I don’t want you to be paranoid; I want you to be prepared,’” he says.

He regularly tells the students the likelihood of them being a victim is very low, and that it’s not always about extreme violence. Sometimes, it’s about day-to-day awareness, and simply being alert to any kind of dangerous situation.

At the very least, Abernathy believes the course gives CMU criminal justice students a great academic foundation, and helps them get one step ahead of the rest when it comes to their future professions.

“That’s at the very least,” he says. “But this course could very well make all the difference for them, or for someone in their community. It could very well save a life.”

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The Art Of Collecting: Martha and Bill Holman

By Cathy Thogmorton, editor

The number of interesting and valuable paintings owned by people in Fayette is amazing. Even more so is the number of people willing to show those works at The Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art at Central Methodist University.

pleased to recount in later years that he sent a piece of equipment to stay on the moon. It was inscribed with “C” that stood for Callao, his home town; Carole, his daughter; and Central College, his alma mater.

Bill also was part of the team instrumental in developing the first artificial heart, which became known as the Jarvik heart. He retired from the Air Force in 1970 as a Lieutenant Colonel and went to work for the Department of Energy until 1979.

Martha followed her own path through the years. At Central she could be heard tickling the keys of the piano in Swinney Conservatory.

She was also a member of the A Cappella Choir and was the drum major for the Central Marching Band. She belonged to Pi Kappa Theta social sorority and Phi Beta Fraternity for the Creative and Performing Arts, later serving as the alumna adviser for Tau Chapter.

In addition, she belonged to the writing group for women, Scrawlers (later Scriblers and Scrawlers).

Left, “Home Port by Lionel Barrymore; right, “Main Street” by Selhorst; below, untitled by John Michael Holman

The newest collection on display in the Ashby-Hodge Gallery belongs to Martha Holman and her late husband, Bill. Titled “The Art of Collecting,” the exhibition includes many pieces that Bill and Martha bought while traveling the world after they got married.

The reception for the show will be Saturday, May 6, from 1-4 p.m. in the Gallery at Classic Hall. There is no charge and the public is encouraged to attend.

The Gallery will also be showing “4 x 17: 17 Artists, 68 Works from the Permanent Collection” in the other two galleries.

Bill Holman and Martha Rogers both graduated from Central College in 1947 but went in different directions until they met again in 1985. They married in 1986 and blended their family of eight adult children.

Bill joined the U.S. Air Force during World War II and spent many years in the service. He received his master’s degree in nuclear physics and was assigned as nuclear supervisor on the first Air Force Thermomuclear Weapon assembly team. Later he was assigned a safety console with Launch Control Headquarters at Cape Kennedy for the launch of Apollo 11, the first moon landing. He was

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Unlikely as it seems, Martha was not a music major.

She majored in mathematics, received the Demaree Prize as the highest academic student as a freshman, was recognized in Who’s Who Among College Students, and graduated cum laude.

After graduation she taught math and foreign languages. She moved to California to teach and there married her first husband, whom Bill kindly drove to the wedding. She also lived in Texas and Kansas as well as Missouri.

When she remet and married Bill, after both had divorced, the two travelled extensively, to visit family and just for fun. In their travels, both while Bill was in the service, and after he and Martha married, they had a penchant for picking up artwork. They have also had talented artists in their family, on both sides.

The Holman Collection presents a broad spectrum of artists’ work, dating back into the 1800s and up to current times. Artists on display include Selhorst, Peake, Calder, Miro, Captain, and Cocteau.

Prominently noted are a drawing by Edouard Manet of his brother’s wife, titled “Portrait of Berthe Morisot”; “El Cid,” a lithograph by Salvador Dali; “Hands Clasped,

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Fingers Touching Lips,” an etching by Henri Matisse; “De Dire Fandue,” an etching by Rembandt; “Home Port,” an etching by actor Lionel Barrymore; an untitled piece by John Michael Holman, Bill’s son; and an untitled piece by Sarah Rogers Borg, Martha’s sister.

The Holmans spent their last decades in Fayette, supporting to great extent Central Methodist University, especially in sports, community theatre, local organizations, and The Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art. They also sponsored three Hall of Sponsors Scholarships.

The Holman collection will be on display at The Ashby-Hodge Gallery until July 20. There are also 60 works from the permanent collection on display in the other two galleries.

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Campus News

While Central Methodist has much to be proud of, CMU has rarely been in the business of singing its own praises; its focus has been to deliver on its promises rather than brag about them.

With the increasingly challenging landscape of higher education facing small, rural, religiously affiliated liberal-arts institutions like Central, we

want to share just a few of our successes and provide context to why we believe we are no ordinary university.

In order to achieve our mission to prepare students “…to make a difference in the world by emphasizing academic and professional excellence, ethical leadership, and social responsibility” we must 1) be accessible, 2) retain them,

3) provide them excellent educational opportunities, and 4) assist them in finding a place where they can apply their talents.

It is our ability to complete this cycle with excellence for each student that makes CMU worth bragging about.

STUDENT ACCESS Central has a history of educating students from rural Missouri, many of them first generation students. We remain committed to being accessible to students with limited means, but unbounded potential.

Stats: www.thirdway.org/report/incomplete-the-quality-crisis-at-americas-private-non-profit-colleges

STUDENT RETENTION

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%

66.4%

.3

%

63.9

65%

57

Central is leading the way with an innovative first year retention strategy known as Eagle Connect. Research shows that more than 80% of a student’s decision to remain at a given institution is influenced by engagement outside the classroom. To positively influence student connection at Central, we instituted the Eagle Connect program that incentivizes students to attend cultural, academic, and socially responsible events throughout the year. First year freshmen, fall-to-fall retention results over the past 3 years have been very positive.

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EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE One example of hands-on learning that demonstrates Central’s commitment to community engagement and the development of servant leaders is the Adaptive Physical Education class led by Dr. Mozaffar Rahmatpanah; lovingly know as Coach Moz. For the past 15 years, CMU students have enjoyed the opportunity to work with the clients of Endless Options

(EO), a residential facility that provides rehabilitative services for developmentally disabled individuals ages 15 to 50. Students work with the EO clients to promote safe and appropriate physical activities that increase coordination, self-confidence, fitness, and teamwork. This example of the relationship between Central and another local non-profit is a win-win.

“I am better prepared to serve in the classroom when I graduate due to Central’s hands-on approach, and it was awesome to facilitate motor skill improvement with the EO clients. Honestly, the best part was being able to help someone else and make friends in the process.”

– Blake Hackman ’19

CAREER OPPORTUNITY There is a perception today is that a liberal arts education no longer promises a successful career. Every year, CMU continues to demonstrate that not only is this not the case, but that our brand of education provides exactly the academic expertise – and the problem solving and communication skills that enable our graduates to launch careers.

Mickayla Spaulding ’17 graduated this May and began a career in Major League Baseball’s Milwaukee Brewers farm system, a dream she would never have realized

Spring 2017

had it not been for a thoughtful professor and a well-timed crisis.

Halfway through her Marketing & Communications degree, Mickayla was in the midst of a marketing internship at an area bank, and realized that this was not her future.

Enter Professor Colin Brink.

“He asked me what I love, and I just blurted out ‘baseball!’ He asked what I love about it, and I said I love to talk about baseball,” says Spaulding. She began a two year journey in sports broadcasting, from Eagle Radio and the local

Fayette and Boonville stations, to a chance opportunity to attend Major League Baseball Winter Meetings in Washington D.C. She pitched the skills she had learned at Central and received an offer to work for the Brewers.

“If it wasn’t for CMU, I don’t think I would have figured out what I truly wanted to do in life. My professors helped me see what I wasn’t even seeing. I know it’s cliché, but here I wasn’t just a face and a name. The faculty invested in me, and I am super, super thankful for it.”

Thank you for being part of our Central Family.

Go EAGLES!

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Campus News

David Brockman discusses religion in Texas public schools How should religion be taught in public schools? Who should make such a decision, and why? They are questions that have created divides and caused heated debates for years. And while many policies have been put in place, a widely accepted plan is still out of reach in many states.

After all, there are many viewpoints from which one could examine such questions – from national tradition and its increasing religious diversity, to ethics and personal beliefs.

These areas were explored during Central Methodist University’s annual Gilbert and Ruth Fleer Lecture on Values-based Education, held Tuesday, April 4, in Linn Memorial United Methodist Church.

David Brockman, Ph.D. – a religious studies scholar and Christian theologian -- presented “Educating for Pluralism, or Against It? The Struggle over Religion Coverage in Texas Public Schools.” While his focus was on conflict in his home state of Texas, the discussion brought many big-picture questions to light.

“I’m honored to give the Fleer Lecture on Values-based Education,” Brockman said. “Education policy – especially policy that prepares today’s students for the increasing religious diversity of American society – has been my primary research focus in recent years.”

According to Brockman, teaching about the subject of religion in public schools faces major issues, further complicated by an increase in religious diversity throughout the country and religious imbalance that is common in curriculum. He noted the imbalance is often perceived as a struggle between liberals and conservatives, or science and religion – but said there is more going on and broader issues to consider.

Politics have played a big role in Texas during decision-making processes regarding the teaching of religion in public schools, according to Brockman.

He discussed how Texas’ State Board of Education (SBOE) has set curriculum standards that emphasize and favorably depict Christianity over other religions. History, political science, and religion scholars, like Brockman, have testified and advocated for a more balanced presentation of world religions, but have been unsuccessful.

“In most states, education board members are appointed by the government, as is the case in Missouri,” Brockman said. Missouri’s SBOE is more politically balanced, and there are requirements board members must meet. In Texas, members are elected by a partisan ballot.

“Texas SBOE members are not required to meet any qualifications, such as training in the areas they oversee,” he said.

“They just need to get elected.”

Religious balance that is fair, accurate and neutral needs to be brought to light, according to Brockman, who 34

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said an education should be provided without overemphasis in any one area.

He discussed two main positions held on how religion should be taught: Educating for pluralism, and educating against it. His use of “pluralism” means religious “diversity,” he said, so these positions could also translate to educating with diversity in mind, and educating without it.

Educating for pluralism is an approach favored by most scholars, educators, and major religious groups.

Educating against pluralism argues public schools should emphasize and favorably reflect Christian values, and that while other religions should be recognized, they are not reflective of American society, according to Brockman.

Religious illiteracy is also a problem for public school students as they take steps into the real world. Due to the absence of a more balanced education in religion, they may lack understanding of the various beliefs, cultures, and lifestyles surrounding them.

Brockman concluded he believes public schools should educate without an overemphasis in Christianity, and provide accurate and neutral accounts— neither positive nor negative—of other religion’s histories.

Only then will accuracy, fairness and balance be present.

Brockman currently serves as nonresident scholar at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy. He teaches religious studies courses at Southern Methodist University and Texas Christian University, and courses in interreligious dialogue, religion, and politics at Brite Divinity School.

He frequently covers religion and state politics for the Texas Observer and is the author of both No Longer the Same: Religious Others and the Liberation of Christian Theology, and Dialectical Democracy through Christian Thought: Individualism, Relationalism, and American Politics.

Gilbert and Ruth Fleer, Bentonville, Ark., are the founders of the Fleer Lecture Series. Both are CMU alumni, and Gilbert was assistant professor of religion at Central from 1959 to 1965. It was co-sponsored by CMU’s English, Foreign Languages, Philosophy and Religion division, and

by CMU Advancement and Alumni Relations department.

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Campus News

Alumni encourage students to network, focus on future

As college students become buried in studies, it’s easy “Everyone here will be out in the real world, and you never know what could happen through your networking.” to get trapped in their own world and close themselves Cantwell explained that he has never filled out a job off to people around them. This is a mistake, according to application; opportunities simply kept presenting themthree successful Central Methodist University alumni. selves because he had met someone who knew someone.

Kevin Cantwell, David Gamache, and Gary Wideman Without stepping outside his comfort zone to build his visited CMU to lead a panel discussion with CMU stunetwork, his professional path would have been different. dents about the do’s and don’ts while pursuing a career.

“It’s all about meeting people, telling them what you’re The event was sponsored by CMU’s Advancement and interested in, what you want to do,” he says.

Alumni Relations, and Office of Student Development.

The men said The three students must alumni formed a train themselves friendship while to be unafraid at CMU, and of the word ‘no,’ went on to find saying everyone much success in receives rejection their professions. in their life.

“We’ve had this Wideman lifelong friendsaid that he, too, ship,” Cantwell has never filled says. “We still out a job applitalk to each other cation. His job and use each othexperiences were er for services.” made possible Cantwell is through relationthe president ships he built of Big River over the years.

Communications, (from left) Gary Wideman ’77, Kevin Cantwell ’80, and David Gamache ’75 spoke to a “People that provider of standing-room only crowd of students about networking. can communicate managed IP and and build reladigital telephone tionships are successful,” he says. “Networking is absoservice to cable companies, electric co-ops, fiber, and broadband providers in the North America and Caribbean lutely incredible.”

“How many of you actually write hand-written thank markets. He has 30-plus years’ experience in the informayou notes?” he asked the students. “Take time and write tion and communications industry. that note. The little stuff you do can make the difference.”

Gamache serves as executive vice president and Gamache describes himself as a Central student who general counsel at The Business Bank of Saint Louis. He didn’t have a clue. It took him going down various paths has more than 30 years of experience in the areas of intelthrough rejections before he gained clarity. lectual property, real estate, banking and finance, and “I’m the example of someone who wasted all their time corporate law. here. I just wanted to play basketball,” he said. “I felt like I Wideman is the executive director-branch manager of the UBS Financial Services Inc. office in Clayton, Mo., and was way behind everyone else.”

After college, he attempted to join the FBI, and rehas been in the financial industry for 31 years. He works ceived his first rejection. A few years later he tried law with high net worth clients of the firm and manages the school, unsure if he’d even be accepted. Connections he Clayton office. made at Central not only helped him get accepted into law According to the men, speaking to a full lecture hall, school, but then got his foot in the door for employment. networking played a vital role in their success stories.

“You have to build relationships with everyone around Often asked to speak with seniors at universities, Cantwell you,” Gamache advises. “Use the time here, enjoy it -- it’s says it is the freshmen he should be speaking with, as the greatest years for you to network with people. putting off this discussion until their senior year could “It’s a small world,” he points out. “Sometimes you’re waste three years of networking and future opportunities. only one or two questions away from meeting the person “You have opportunities that are important to you who can open that important door for you.” at this level -- to reach out and meet people,” he said.

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Campus News

Spring 2017 semester with the Career Development Center Blakeley Fuemmeler, junior

The James C. Deneny Jr. Career Development Center (CDC) has had an eventful 2017 Spring Semester. This year, we have had many promotional events and are excited to continue sponsoring new events to help students further their career goals. We are celebrating the success of the Career EXPO, which is our biggest event each year. The CDC provided students a successful semester of events and opportunities..

This year, we prepared for the Career EXPO differently than in years past. To prepare each student for the Career EXPO, the Career Development Center developed a “Countdown to the Career EXPO” for which we hosted a number of mini-sessions, such as Creating a Resumé that Stands Out and Interviewing Skills, to help students feel confident when interacting with potential future employers. With the “Countdown to the Career EXPO,” we hoped to develop students’ professional skills in a way that would aide them in all future career endeavors.

Our Career EXPO took place on March 2, and we were

Above, a Rockhurst representative visits with Brooke Emmerich, a sophomore accounting student at CMU.

by Ann Taylor LOFT. At the Women’s Dress to Impress, women of Central Methodist were privileged to hear from alumna Natasha Grayson ’05 and alumus Joe Jefferies ’15. Being employeed in their chosen careers, they are knowledgeable in hiring practices and the importance of professional dress. They spoke about the importance of dressing to leave a lasting, positive impression on potential employers.

The women in attendance learned about all levels of professional presentation from appropriate hair styles and nail color to professional dress and accessorizing for situations ranging from formal to casual.

As the semester moved by quickly, we continued to offer assistance from the Career Development Center. We offered many opportunities for students to practice their interviewing skills with our Mock Interview Series. After that, we started winding down the year with the Senior Fair which led up to graduation. Thank you to the CMU community, and especially alunmi for helping to make our 2017 spring semester so successful.

really excited by the turnout we received from employers and Central students alike. We had more than 50 employers and recruiters in attendance and more than 180 students. We were impressed by the number of students who came ready, in professional dress with copies of their resumés already printed. We love being able to give students the chance to meet with employers and continue to further their career opportunities.

Along with our Career EXPO, the Career Development Center has hosted an array of other successful events, such as the Women’s Dress to Impress, which was hosted Right, CMU alumnus Collin Teal (left) and Brandon Keene from Springfield speak with senior criminal justice major Kamryn Johnson at the EXPO. Center photo, senior communications and computer science major Jamie Gisburne talks with representatives from LEAF.

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Campus News

HELP US RECONNECT! Some of our Alumni move around faster than we can keep tabs on them! Helping us update contact info for the below Alumni is just one more way in which you can contribute to keeping the Central community strong: CLASS YEAR

NAME

LAST SEEN

The 2010's

CLASS YEAR

NAME

LAST SEEN

The 60's

2010

Mr. Peter Anthony Muldoon

Ormond Beach, FL

1964

Mr. Timothy John Herbert

2011

Mr. Kyler Robert Crawford

Hopland, CA

1966

Mr. W. Wayne Lohman

2011

Mrs. Esther Macias Guzan,

Kansas City, MO

1967

Ms. Susan Linter James

Tampa, FL

2011

Ms. Lindsey Rose Keeling

Sedalia, MO

1967

Mr. Edward D. Watkins III

Saint Peters, MO

2011

Ms. Hannah Joy Lilienkamp

Columbia, MO

1968

Mr. Ronald Oliver Bolm

Kansas City, MO

2000

Ms. Sherry Butts

Steelville, MO

1957

Mr. R. Robert Hulse

Golden, CO

2006

Mrs. Rebecca C. Fisher Laird

Saint Peters, MO

1957

Mrs. Joyce Proffitt Nixon

Saint Joseph, MO

2007

Mrs. Elizabeth Platt Reinert

Kansas City, MO

1958

Mr. William J. Taylor

Beersheba, Israel

2007

Mr. Theron Lee Seckington

Saint Louis, MO

1959

Dr. Richard E. Gayle

Patterson, MO

2008

Mr. Raul Ricardo Smith

Dixon, MO

1959

Dr. Ronald A. Higgins

Kansas City, MO

1992

Mr. Keith Daniel Petty

Farmington, MO

1945

Dr. John Lewis Cannon

East Falmouth, MA

1995

Mrs. Laura Anne Ellsworth

Kansas City, MO

1945

Dr. James K. DeVore

Nichols Hills, OK

1995

Ms. Vivian A. Hamilton

Lone Jack, MO

1945

Dr. Charles L. Smith

Palm Springs, CA

1996

Mr. William Harrison Stagina

Marthasville, MO

1946

Mrs. Marjorie Williamson Brandes

Santa Monica, CA

1997

Mr. Joseph Lloyd Hickman

Raytown, MO

1947

Mr. Lawrence A. Hamre

Lakeville, MN

1984

Mr. Alvin H. Hudson

Geneva, IL

1930

Mrs. Hattie E. Ditmars Carter

Sapulpa, OK

1985

Mr. Rodney Woods

Maryland Heights, MO

1933

Mrs. Amelia Elizabeth Peal Spencer

1986

Mrs. Shiela Johnmeyer LaTurno

Tulsa, OK

1935

Mr. Robert B. Jones

Parkville, MO

1987

Mr. Craig R. Luter

Imperial, MO

1937

Mrs. Sara Dunn Duncan

Grapevine, TX

1987

Mr. Scott S. Surgener

Saint Louis, MO

1939

Mrs. Bess Ellen Odom Neal

Crestwood, MO

The 2000's

Lake Oswego, OR

The 50's

The 90's

The 40's

The 80's

The 30's

The 70's

The 20's

1972

Mr. M. E. Bartholomees

Overland Park, KS

1920

Mrs. A Lee Jenkins

Gallatin, MO

1973

Mrs. Betty Dungan McKinzie

Overland Park, KS

1921

Mrs. Fred Mcmahon

Fairfax, MO

1974

Mrs. Patti Stiegmeyer Skinner

Columbia, MO

1922

Mrs. Helen Cary Lusby

Hamburg, IA

1975

Ms. Sally Louise Gerhardt

Sarasota, FL

1926

Mrs. Lillian Robertson Beattie

1979

Mr. David Roy James

Leawood, KS

1929

Mrs. Frances Davies Powell Miller

Claremont, CA

Have contact info for a classmate? Great! Updates can be sent to the Alumni office: Central Methodist University Advancement and Alumni Relations 411 Central Methodist Square Fayette, MO 65248 Phone: 660-248-6232 Email: advance@centralmethodist.edu

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Campus News

Students making a difference in the world

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While most Central Methodist University students spent the end of their Christmas break enjoying time at home with family and friends, 23 students experienced something much different, and perhaps life-changing.

From January 7-14, they were in Hollywood, Calif., for a mission trip, which was made possible through CMU’s Center for Faith and Service (CFS), and by Next Generation Ministries of the Missouri Conference of the United Methodist Church.

Mission trips are usually scheduled once or twice per year through CMU’s CFS, allowing for students to travel in the U.S. and abroad typically to help with agencies serving the homeless, food banks and pantries, local church

the homeless, as they were given one dollar and told to find food for their evening meal. They worked in teams to locate resources so they could eat, but also focused on taking in the moment -- experiencing what it may feel like to be homeless with limited means.

“It was a real eye-opener. It displayed the side of Hollywood that is masked by celebrities, movies, and other mainstream media we see today,” says Elijah Gale, a CMU freshman physics major from Wichita, Kan. “Being exposed to the homeless population Los Angeles harbors, and seeing how God works through different organizations to combat homelessness – it was a great experience from my Midwestern point of view.”

outreach programs, and gang prevention programs.

The Hollywood mission projects were conducted through Door Network, which set the students up to work with various L.A. County agencies that service the homeless population, according to the Rev. Molly Moore, CFS director. Moore said L.A. County has the largest number of homeless people in the U.S. – with numbers estimated at nearly 47,000.

Students experienced an evening of solidarity with

The CMU students joined other students from around the state of Missouri to serve in a variety of settings as they rotated between working with different agencies.

One of the several places that kept them busy was The Center of the Blessed Sacrament – a facility that welcomes homeless individuals to attend life-skills classes – turning no one away. “It’s a zero-entry barrier,” Moore said. “No one is turned away for being drunk or on drugs.”

Students primarily interacted with homeless individu-

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als who were clients there, but they also sat in on classes, helped prepare mid-day snacks, and cleaned the kitchen and storage areas.

Additionally, students spent time helping prepare food at the L.A. Food Bank – a large organization dedicated to providing healthy food to those in need. They also volunteered at Habitat ReStore – which benefits Habitat for Humanity, where they cleaned the shop, prepared building materials for re-purposing, and arranged materials to sell.

Project Angel Food is a professional kitchen made up of volunteers who pack meals to be delivered to lowincome or terminally ill clients, according to Moore, who said there, students worked alongside other volunteers to prepare individually packaged meals.

They also experienced a tour of Homeboy Industries –

Some might call the recent “All In for Central” fund drive a friendly $100,000 wager that the Central Methodist University governing board was happy to lose.

“All In for Central” was a special campaign focused primarily on increasing donor participation, rather than an emphasis on dollars, according to Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Relations Dr. Josh Jacobs.

If successful, the dollars would come, though—in the form of a $100,000 challenge by CMU’s Board of Trustees.

By the end of the week-long drive, if CMU could record 1,854 donors, Trustees collectively pledged to donate $100,000 to the Central Annual

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Campus News

an agency that helps former or current gang members find a meaningful life outside of gangs. Students learned about the organization’s history, job placement program, social services, and tattoo removal.

Moore says she is a big believer in mission trips, and that students sometimes need to step outside of their comfort zones to see the reality of many of life’s conditions – helping those in need along the way.

“It is my experience that students go on mission trips looking for a fun and memorable time, but they come back changed in how they view the world and their own privilege,” Moore says. “A person’s mission trip is rarely their last – they usually continue looking for a way to make a difference, as it creates a life-long hunger to reach out and serve.”

Scholarship Fund. “1854” was set as the goal, both because it is the year in which CMU was founded and because the figure represented a healthy increase in the number of donors as compared to the same time a year earlier.

That challenge was reached at 10:28 a.m. on Monday, April 3, a full day ahead of the deadline. Even after the goal was met, CMU supporters continued to show they were all in by making more gifts. In total, 1,961 unique donors stepped up to support CMU for the “All in for Central” Trustees’ Challenge.

“What I loved about this challenge being called ‘All In for Central’ is that it effectively communicated that it takes a community to achieve great things,” says Jackie Jackson, director of annual giving and operations for the CMU Advancement department.

“I am humbled by the generosity shown through the week and excited about the opportunities this kind of support will afford our students,” she adds.

While the $100,000 challenge from the Board is specifically earmarked for student scholarships, individual donors to the “All In for Central” campaign were able to target their gifts for the CMU program or department of their choice, Jacobs notes. That “donors choice” flexibility likely contributed to the success of “All In for Central..”

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“We are born in mystery, we live in mystery, and we die in mystery.”

“It would be good if we bore one another’s burdens. And in all my globe circling, I still haven’t come upon anything that tops that.”

“Beware of the differences that blind “To try to extinguish the drive for riches with money is like trying to quench a fire us to the unity that binds us. ” by pouring butter over it.”

“Science can prove

“We all carry it within us: supreme “The only thing that is unqualifiedly good is extended nothing about God, because God lies outside its province.” strength, the fullness of wisdom, vision, the enlargement of one’s understanding of the unquenchable joy. It is never thwarted, and cannot be destroyed.”

ultimate nature of things.”

Dr. Huston Smith lives on in our lives and souls

by Cathy Thogmorton, editor

“If we take the world’s enduring religions at their best, we discover the distilled wisdom of the human race.”—Dr. Huston Smith Dr. Huston Cummings Smith, May 31, 1919-Dec. 30, 2016, born of Methodist missionaries in Suzhou, China, believed completely the philosophy he espoused. He spent his life studying the major religions of the world and looking at the similarities in their beliefs. He adopted elements from them into his daily life from Sufi dancing to yoga to praying five times a day facing Mecca.

He believed all religions, in their purest forms, were merely separate pathways to the same goal. When he died he left the world diverse ways to follow his steps to learning, believing, and loving.

Dr. Smith came to Central College with plans to be a missionary and graduated in 1940. He did become a Methodist minister; however, he soon realized he had no desire to “Christianize the world.” He preferred to teach.

He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1945, where he met, Kendra, whom he married in 1943.

Smith taught at the University of Denver, then Washington University in St. Louis. As a scholar, he was advised to look up Swami Satprakashananda at the local Vedanta Society. On his first visit, he purchased a copy of the Katha Upanishad. “I was overwhelmed in just two pages,” he stated, “astonished by how much truth could be compressed into so few words. I was hooked.”

He studied Vedanta Hindu for 12 years (1947-1959) under the swami, which set a pattern of studying religions at the feet of a masters in each tradition. It was the beginning of the immersion into spirituality he would follow for the rest of his life.

In 1955, Smith turned his popular lectures into a series of programs on world religions for the National Educational Television network, the precursor to the Public Broadcasting System.

In 1958 while at M.I.T., he released his textbook, The Religions of Man (revised and expanded into the 1991 edition with the gender-neutral name, The World’s Religions).

Together, the two versions have sold more than three million copies and are a top text of college religion courses.

The book examines the world’s major faiths and those of indigenous peoples, observing that all express the Absolute, which is indescribable, and concluding with Smith’s golden rule for mutual understanding and coexistence: “If, then, we are to be true to our own faith, we must attend to others when they speak, as deeply and as alertly as we hope they will attend to us.”

During the early 1960’s, Dr. Smith joined Harvard’s Dr. Timothy Leary in his mind-altering experiments, using

psilocybin mushrooms. Smith received the then-legal drug and reported that he was certain he had had a personal experience with God. In a 2010 account in The Harvard Psychedelic Club, author Don Lattin wrote “From that moment on, [Smith] knew that life is a miracle, every moment of it, and that the only appropriate way to respond and be mindful of the gift of God’s love was to share it with the rest of the world.”

Dr. Smith reached his widest audience in 1996 when Bill Moyers featured him as the center of his five-part PBS series The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith. In addition to religions, watchers of the series learned much about the man and his personal philosophies. He became well-loved for his warmth, wit, decency and joy of life. He plunged into traditions other than his own, not just as a scholar, but as a seeker of spiritual illumination.

He emphasized that “whatever pathway one might follow, if it is taken to its highest level, it leads one to the same mountaintop as travelers on other paths.”

His last teaching post was at the University of California, Berkeley. His last of many books was The Soul of Christianity: Restoring the Great tradition, a memoir. He continued his joyful pursuit of enlightenment—to “turn our flashes of insight into abiding light,” as he put it.

In his life Smith had meditated with Tibetan Buddhist monks, practiced yoga with Hindu holy men, whirled with Sufi Islamic dervishes, chewed peyote with Mexican Indians, and celebrated the Jewish Sabbath with a daughter who had converted to Judaism.

Smith never stopped advocating. He was a sane voice against fundamentalism and extremism and for pluralism.

He explained, “I have a body and I have a soul. And my body belongs to the faith - in fact, the church - into which it was born, the Methodist Church. Meanwhile, I have a soul. And my soul cannot be confined to any human institution.”

Smith fought for civil rights in the 1960s and for more tolerant understanding of Islam in the 2000s. He brought the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to lecture at a segregated Washington University in the mid-1950s. He helped get the Dalai Lama to the U. S. and the Native American Church get legal status for their sacred peyote rites.

His favorite prayer from all traditions was written by a nine-year-old boy, whose mother found it scribbled on a piece of paper beside his bed.

“Dear God,” it said, “I’m doing the best I can.”

It reflects what Huston Smith did during his entire life, a life well-lived and best emulated.

Dr. Smith is survived by his wife Kendra, daughters Gael and Kimberly, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Alumni News

Greetings from the Alumni Board Central Methodist University recently honored six alumni who have made an exceptionally positive difference in the world: Dr. George Schweitzer ’45, Franklin Wallis ’66, William Gamble ’74, Lt. Col. David Smith ’87, J.W. Arnold ’90, and Dr. Nolyn Nyatanga ’05. The honors remind me of Romans 12:10 “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.”

When we came to CMU, we had three classes ahead of us. For me, it is a joy thinking of those classes. Several of those students became my heroes and role models. After much hard work and exciting experiences, I eventually became a senior myself. I can quickly think of many admirable people from seven classes during my time at CMU who, since graduation, have gone on to do great things in their chosen fields. Probably the same is true for you.

I challenge you to “Outdo one another in showing honor” and nominate one of those people to receive The Distinguished Alumni Award, The Young Alumni Award, or The University Service Award for next year. Go online and do a search for Central Methodist University Alumni and scroll down to the Alumni Awards link and fill out the application. Your reward will be great by doing honor to another.

Let me also encourage you to join our Alumni Association Board of Directors. What are the qualifications needed for membership? Beyond your alumni status the next qualification is a grateful heart and a willingness to give back. It’s that simple!

So what is it that the Alumni Association Board of Directors does for CMU? We help to plan and execute four events every year.

During Homecoming Board members volunteer to assist the Alumni Office during the various events that take place. We help register attendees, we have assisted with the 5K Run and the pancake breakfast on the square as well as setting up and manning a tent near the football field to hand out water and swag from CMU. Every year we solicit nominations for the Distinguished Alumni, Young Alumni, and University Service Awards. After the nominations have been received, we have the honor to select the individuals to receive these prestigious awards.

Founders Weekend is our next event. Founders Weekend has grown into an amazing event. Someone once commented to me that it is homecoming without the football game! Most activities take place on campus with just a minimum of walking required. This prestigious event has grown larger every year. Events this year included a BBQ on the square, a new Ashby-Hodge Art Gallery show, a CMU trivia challenge (great fun), an organ recital, 42

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and a concert by the great CMU Concert Band, just to name a few. The highlight of Founders Weekend was the 71st Alumni Awards Banquet where the Distinguished Alumni and Young Alumni Awards were presented.

It is a celebration of all things good at Central Methodist University.

Another ongoing project for willing volunteers is to provide warm greetings to the graduating classes at the non-Fayette campus locations, including Sedalia, Park Hills, St. Louis, and Union. The words of greeting are brief and provided for you in advance. Everyone agrees that it is a truly uplifting and inspiring experience.

Our Alumni Board of Directors meets four times a year.

University President Dr. Roger Drake often pays us a visit and brings us up to date on the many exciting things that are happening at CMU. We also bring in vice presidents and professors for special programs. To keep us in touch and updated with the facilities and atmosphere on campus, we meet in different locations around campus. In addition, we get early tours of new construction and remodeling projects such as the new Thogmorton Center and the amazing Classic Hall renovation.

So there you have it! I have served on the Board of Directors for seven years. The experience has been stimulating, nurturing, and rewarding. I find myself surrounded by unselfish people with big hearts focused on doing good things for Central Methodist University. Want to know more? Send me an email chearyjr@gmail.com. Coming back to Central Methodist is like coming home. We hope to see you soon.

John Cheary ’70 President Alumni Association of CMU

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Alumni News

CLASS NOTES

made history as the first transgender person to testify before the U.S. Senate.

Michael Humphrey ’82 wishes to share the loss of his mother, Mary Lee Humphrey, who died on Nov. 15, 2016, at age 94.

Kevin Freeman ’88 will be the new director for the School Improvement Program for Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

90s Van Vanatta ’99 was hired to be the new head football coach for the Rock Bridge High School football team in Columbia.

2000s Chris McGowan ’01 and wife Stacy announce the birth of son Duncan Cole, born Jan. 4, 2017

“Illinois Stories” host Mark McDonald interviews Western Illinois University Prof. Emeritus of Art George Potter ’63 near the art sculpture “Commemoration 75” on the Macomb campus in 2013. Potter created the sculpture for WIU’s 75th anniversary in 1974. He retired from there in 1999.

60s Leslie Anne Devaney Perry ’67 has written another book about her youth. This one, Anne at Nine, details her life at that pivotal time when her father died at age 37 and its impact on her. She and her husband, Tim, currently live in the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina.

Dr. Don Armitage ’64 was recently presented the James V. Salwedel Award for Excellence in Church Music by The Moravian Music Foundation in Winston-Salem, N.C. Don received the Bachelor of Music degree from CMU, the Master of Sacred Music degree from the School of Sacred Music at Union Theological Seminary in New York Ciity, and the Ph.D. in Applied Music, Theory and Literature from Michigan State University.

The award was presented during a concert at Advent Moravian Church in Winston-Salem in February. In part, the citation reads, “For your excellence in music; your dedicated service; your joyful sharing of the gift of music in and beyond worship; and your contribution to the

Spring 2017

Proud father Bill Powell ’65 announces that his son, Brent, has been named to the Missouri Supreme Court.

80s Kylar Broadus ’85 is featured in an HBO documentary that premiered recently called The Trans List. He is a D.C.-based lawyer who

preservation, celebration, and cultivation of the musical life of the Moravians; the Board of Trustees of the Moravian Music Foundation takes great delight in presenting to you this award.”

Allison Allgood ’09 will be teaching 8th grade science at Wright City Middle School for the 2017-18 school year.

Nick Schroer ’08 won the 107th District State House Race.

Knial Piper ’08 joined the military after graduating from the UMKC School of Law. He finished his military obligations and now lives in Vero Beach, Fla. He has published his first book Freedom Blues and American Soul, which

Dr. Mark Briesacher ’88 was named the new Senior Vice Prsident for Intermountain Medical Group and Medical Staff in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Feb. 3, 2017. He will lead and work with all Medical Group and Medical Staff physicians and advanced practice clinicians, continuing to advance Intermountain’s strategies to be a national and international leader in providing safe, high quality care with industry-leading patient and customer experience and access.

Among many other roles, he was Chief Resident for the Department of Pediatrics at Primary Children’s Hospital and practiced general pediatrics for 15 years. He received his bachelor degree in Chemistry at CMU in 1988 and his medical degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. His wife, Lori, also attended Central for two years.

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Alumni News

Lori Roberts Smith ’89 proudly displays a CMU flag at the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. The physicist climbed the mountain this spring and is considering adding Everest to her future conquests.

is set to come out in June.

Wendy (Dickey) Cole ’09 and husband Robert announce the birth of son Mathias Jeffrey, born April 7, 2017.

Jeff Kremer ’06 and wife Megan announce the birth of daughter Adelyn Elizabeth, born April 18, 2017.

10s Collin Teal ’15 was on the show “Cops” on Dec. 17. It was the television show’s third visit to film in Springfield where Teal is a police officer.

Charles Sudduth ’16 and Jacquelyn Hoffman’16 announce the birth of daughter Harper Elyse, born March 9, 2017.

Anna Esser ’15 is the first Addison Geofrey Bilabaye ’15, who is finishing his second Biological Labs Quarterly Achievement year of law school, is clearly doing well in his Award winner for 2017. Anna is a laboraefforts. tory technician for the Fayette lab, mainly working in quality control and diagnostics but who also assists with vaccine production.

Tristan Asbury ’13 has accepted a position with a marketing agency in St. Louis where he will be doing public relations within the ag industry for several large agricultural entities.

Kristin Zumwalt ’15 and Blaise Parker will be married June 10 in Estes Park, Colo. She is using her BSN in the neuroscience department at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs.

Pat Sly, left, executive vice president at Emerson, presents award to CMU alumnus Dr. Terry Kite ’97.

Honorees were selected by their schools’ administration to honor their accomplishments and steadfast dedication to the teaching profession. Emerson is a global technology and engineering leader headquartered in St. Louis. Kite is in post-secondary education at Jefferson Community College in Hillsboro.

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Faculty and Staff Head Women’s Basketball Coach Mike Davis and wife Susan proudly announce the birth of their new granddaughter, Milena Jennell Ashton.

Head Baseball Coach Nate Breland and wife Brenda are proud parents of son Raven Steve Breland, born on Nov. 14, 2016.

The Office of Financial Assistance happily introduces Mikel Andrew Colvin, born on Nov. 17, 2016, to parents Amanda Colvin, who works in CGES Financial Assistance, and husband Matt Colvin.

Kyle Oberweather, CMU head strength and conditioning coach for athletics, and wife Laurie announce the birth of daughter Evie Gene, born Jan. 21, 2017.

Maile M. Pihana, MEd ’12, current communications specialist for CMU’s CGES division, announces her engagement to Eric Rhorer. The wedding is set for Sept. 23, 2017.

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In Memoriam Mary Louise Johnson Forbes ’39 died in Fayette on Nov. 20, 2016, at the age of 99. She was born in Howard County in 1917 and attended Dudgeon School and Fayette High School, where she graduated as Valedictorian. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Central College (CMU) in 1939 in English with a minor in math.

She taught in the one-room Bawker School in Howard County, then went on to be principal in Cairo, Mo. She married Charles T. “Ted” Forbes ’38. As both were proficient in chemistry, they moved to St. Louis to work at the TNT plant at Weldon Spring during World War II. After the war they moved to Joliet, Ill., where she taught in Romeoville and became chair of the school’s math department.

They retired to Fayette in 1988 and Ted passed away in 1990. Mary continued with a multitude of creative outlets, especially cooking, writing children’s stories, and painting. She began studying acrylic landscapes in her 50s. In 2007, The Ashby-Hodge Gallery featured her artwork in their summer show.

Central recently started an annual “Mary Louise and Ted Forbes Math and Science Competition” for junior high students to reflect their high regard for the value of education.

Forbes is survived by four daughters and three grandsons. Memorials are suggested to The Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art or the CMU Math/Science Competition Fund.

40s

30s

Huston C. Smith ’40 of Berkeley, Calif., died Dec. 30, 2016. (see pp. 40-41)

Ruth Stenton Wilson ’33 of Springfield, Mo., died Oct. 9, 2016.

William A. Markland ’41 of Glasgow, Mo., died Nov. 1, 2016. (see box)

Elbridge W. Bartley Jr. ’37 of Cape Girardeau, Mo., died Apr. 10, 2017.

Mary Ruth Moore Gould ’44 of Brentwood, Tenn., died Jan. 10, 2017.

Leon Hackley ’44 of Fayette, Mo., died Feb. 1, 2017.

Robert E. Littrell ’44 of Kansas City, Mo., died Jan. 7, 2016.

Theodore M. Meiners ’45 of Saint Louis, Mo., died Mar. 1, 2017.

Eldred Marion Childs ’46 of Lee’s Summit, Mo., died Oct. 28, 2016.

Mary A. Leopard McDonald ’46 of Sebring, Ohio, died July 24, 2016.

Saraella Bealmear Calles ’47 of Leawood, Kan., died Mar. 27, 2017.

George F. Pitts Jr. ’47 of Moberly, Mo., died Feb. 4, 2016.

Willett C. Kubec ’48 of Carmel, Ind., died Oct. 10, 2016.

LaVena Jones Starkey ’48 of Saint Charles, Mo., died Oct. 29, 2016.

The Talon has received notice of the death of Helen C. Linneman Beckemeier ’42.

Judge Leon A. McAnally ’37 of Kennett, Mo., died March 28, 2017.

The Talon has received notice of the death of Emily E. Withers ’37.

Mary Louise Johnson Forbes ’39 of Fayette, Mo., died Nov. 20, 2016. (see box)

Edgar L. Brown ’42 of Springfield, Mo., died Feb. 28, 2017.

Folste Fischbeck Horton ’42 of Peachtree City, Ga., died Feb. 11, 2017.

The Talon has received notice of the death of Martha M. Seay Hamblin ’42.

Anna M. Bowers Zamuda ’42 of Melbourne, Fla., died Aug. 31, 2016.

William Asa “Bill” Markland of Armstrong died Nov. 1, 2016, at the age of 96. He graduated from Central College (CMU) in 1941 with a bachelor’s degree in education. He married his sweetheart Earline in 1942.

After gaining a master’s degree in education from the University of Missouri-Columbia, he began a 37-year career in public education as teacher, principal, and superintendent of a number of Missouri schools.

When he retired from teaching, Markland began down two paths. He entered into politics and served seven terms as Missouri State Representative of the 27th District. He and his wife also opened an antique business in Armstrong from 1963-2000, where he became a vital resource for both antique dealers and seekers in the area.

Markland is survived by three daughters and one son, Linda Frink, Susan Donnelly ’70, Mary Jarboe ’75, and John Markland and their families. His wife predeceased him, as did sonin-law Mike Donnelly. He was a good friend of both Howard County and CMU.

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Zetta Craig Harrison ’43 of Pittsfield, Ill., died Dec. 6, 2016.

Evelyn Arlene Winter Smith ’41 of Salisbury, Mo., died Apr. 20, 2017.

Lt. Col. Percy M. Floyd Jr. ’37 of Potomac Falls, Va., died Jan. 19, 2016.

Olive E. Bess Ricketts ’39 of Greensboro, N.C., died Jan 5, 2017.

Alumni News

Jack Edward Bradley ’49 of Raymore, Mo., died Jan 19, 2017.

William A. Caine ’49 of Versailles, Mo., died Dec. 30, 2016.

Bertha Mae Guenther Scrivner ’49 of Versailles, Mo., died Dec. 29, 2016.

50s Alva C. Edwards ’50 of Kansas City, Mo., died Feb. 26, 2017.

Ruth V. Kirby Fridley ’50 of Bedford, Texas, died Jan. 18, 2017.

Alpha Louise Johnson Kimes ’50 of Victoria, Texas, died Oct. 1, 2016.

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Alumni News Dr. Frank A. Leet ’50 of Jackson, Mo., died May 24, 2016.

Gerald L. McCollum ’52 of Boonville, Mo., died Nov. 4, 2016.

The Rev. Robert B. McCoy ’52 of St. Louis, Mo., died Jan. 17, 2017.

Mary Eugenia Blanton Rice ’52 of Independence, Mo., died Dec. 30, 2016.

Walter L. Chandler ’53 of Hannibal, Mo., died June 20, 2016.

Edward Diller Munson ’53 of Hoover, Ala., died Oct. 12, 2016.

Walter Thomas Atkin ’54 of Kansas City, Mo., died Oct. 29, 2016.

The Talon has received notice of the death of Gene C. Bockelman ’54.

The Talon has received notice of the death of Glenn F. Bowman ’54.

George Thomas Poe ’68, died Nov. 21, 2016, in Kansas City at the age of 70. He earned a bachelor’s degree at Central Methodist in 1968, followed by a master of divinity from Emory University in Atlanta, a master’s in English from Northwest Missouri State University and one in communications from UMKC. He earned his Ph.D. in Film and Media Arts, with distinction, from UMKC in 1994.

He taught mass communications, cultural theory, film history, writing, and other classes.

He won the Missouri Governor’s Award for Outstanding Teaching in 2004, the national Opera America award for Outstanding Arts Education in 2003, and the Arts and Sciences Award for Outstanding Teaching in 1991. He was department chair from 2002-2008. He was instrumental in building a new degree at UMKC in film and media arts and in creating The Film Society of Kansas City and the Kansas City Filmmakers Jubilee/Kansas City FilmFest.

Poe also was a pillar of Trinity United Methodist Church and a force of moral authority for decades in the area’s LGBT-rights movement. He was an active contributor to KCUR’s “Walt Bodine Show” and “Central Standard.” He served as president of Kansas City’s Four Freedoms Democratic Club and on the National Board of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

He left this advice to his students: “Try not to do things because they can be done expeditiously, but do them because they are right. This way, you will be able to live with yourself, and when the time comes, you will be at peace.”

Peace to you, Dr. Tom Poe.

Robert A. Kountz ’57 of Fayette, Mo., died Feb. 19, 2017.

John L. Phillips Jr. ’58 of Lenexa, Kan., died Jan. 30, 2017.

W. Darrell Meyer ’59 of Hot Springs, Ark., died Feb. 18, 2017.

Doris F. Fridley Schneider ’59 of Jefferson City, Mo., died May 5, 2017.

60s The Talon has received notice of the death of Nancy Green Michaels ’60.

John H. Johnson Jr. ’61 of Memphis, Mo., died Oct 25, 2016.

Charles H. Kemper Jr. ’61 of Troy, Mo., died Mar. 26, 2017.

Gailya Tucker Johnson ’63 of Dallas, Texas, died Sept. 17, 2016.

Hollis Herbert Brower Jr. ’64 of Springfield, Mo., died Feb. 5, 2017.

Robert L. Kepner ’64 of Cumming, Ga., died June 22, 2016.

Thomas Alan Bullock ’65 of Saint Louis, Mo., died Jan. 24, 2017.

Judith Anson Friesz ’65 of Brunswick, Mo., died Mar. 28, 2017.

Thomas G. Drewer ’68 of Highland, Ill., died Oct. 4, 2016.

Barbara Louise Dugan Nivert ’68 of Armstrong, Mo., died Feb. 17, 2017.

George Thomas Poe ’68 of Kansas City, Mo., died Nov. 21, 2016. (see box) Thomas W. Niedermeyer ’69 of Mount Juliet, Tenn., died Jan. 16, 2017.

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Alumni News FRIENDS, FACULTY, AND STAFF Former Dean of Central Methodist College (University), Dr. Rondal Edward Bell died on March 5, 2017, at age 83.

Dr. Bell was born near Kennett and graduated from its high school in 1951. He attended William Jewell where he married the love of his life, Phyllis, and graduated with a B.A. in biology. Bell spent two years in the U.S. Army in Germany where he served as a radio operator with the 29th Tank Battalion, 2nd Armored Division.

In 1960, he received his M.S. in biology with a focus on physiology and microbiology at the University of New Mexico, and became a professor at Millsaps College in Mississippi. In 1967, he took a leave of absence to enroll at the University of Mississippi in Oxford where he earned his Ph.D. in biology.

Bell joined the ranks of Central Methodist in 1978 as Dean of the College and Professor of Biology. He spent 14 years at Central before moving to Phillips University in Enid, Okla. He finished his career as the program coordinator of the Omniplex Science Museum in Edmond, Okla.

During his career, he authored and co-authored nearly a dozen publications and received multiple National Science Foundation fellowship awards and grants.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, two siblings, two children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

70s

2010s

Harold L. Nance ’70 of O’Fallon, Ill., died Aug. 2, 2016.

Sandra D. Phillips ’12 of Poplar Bluff, Mo., died Oct 1, 2016.

Judith Gayle Asbury ’72 of Columbia, Mo., died Oct. 30, 2016.

Herman C. Byrd Jr. ’74 of West Plains, Mo., died Nov. 12, 2016.

Chuck McCutcheon ’74 of Fayette, Mo., died Apr. 24, 2017.

Guy C. Sturdevant III ’74 of Humble, Texas, died March 25, 2016.

Nicholas Paxton Keeley ’75 of Fayette, Mo., died Nov. 3, 2016.

The Talon has received notice of the death of Melvin H. Mathis ’79.

80s Nellie Hill ’83 of Fayette, Mo., died Jan. 17, 2017.

90s Deborah Rose Young ’94 of Cathedral City, Calif., died Oct. 26, 2016.

Linda Ragene Miller ’99 of Fayette, Mo., died Jan. 2, 2017.

Fred English Arnold, age 77, died Oct. 5, 2015 in St. Louis. He was born on May 10, 1938 in Mexico, Mo. In 1956 he traveled to Cambridge, Mass., where he graduated from Harvard College in 1960 with a bachelor’s degree, cum laude. While in college he was an editor for The Harvard Crimson and served as the Harvard stringer for The New York Times. He continued on to Harvard Law School where he earned an LI.B. in 1963.

Following a stint in the U.S. Army, he joined the law firm of Thompson Mitchell Douglas and Neill in 1964. He was made a partner in 1971 and served in that capacity for 35 years. At the time of his death, he was senior counsel with the firm, now known as Thompson Coburn LLP. He was widely respected as a brilliant and creative counselor and a trusted colleague and mentor. He was included in the Best Lawyers in America since the publication’s inception.

Arnold was also devoted to community service. He served as trustee for a number of institutions. He was on the Board of Central Methodist University from 1998 – 2006.

He was predeceased by his wife, JoAnn, who died in January of 2015, and by a sister. He is survived by his three children and a step-child, and ten grandchildren.

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Judy F. Wood of Hallsville, Mo., died May 1, 2017. She was CMU’s campus nurse practitoner from 2002-2009. The photo above shows her on one of her many trips to Nicaragua to bring health care to residents there. She usually took students with her who were schooled in takiing care of third world health issues.

She has left many friends behind at CMU. Photo by Annie Dick ’08, a nursing student on this trip.

Bobbie R. Johnson of Fayette, Mo., died Jan. 17, 2017, at the age of 61. He worked as a carpenter in CMU’s Plant Operations from 1992-1999, following a number of years driving all the athletic teams to their away games in the famous CMU “big green bus.” He will be fondly remembered by many.

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COACH BILL HOLMES William Joseph Holmes, “Coach” Holmes, as he was known to everyone, died Jan. 27, 2017, at the age of 87. Born in St. Louis in 1929, he graduated from Northeast Missouri State University where he earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education.He served in the Navy during the Korean War. His athletic career included soccer, boxing, and football.

He became the head football coach at Central Methodist College (University) in 1965. His teams led the nation in passing and became conference champions. He taught at CMU for 11 years. He was inducted into the Hairston Hall of Fame at CMU as well as the Herculaneum Hall of Fame, where he had taught high school.

According to his family, “Coach believed what you know is important; who you know is more important; and providing a service to those you know is most important.” He is survived by five children, nine grandchildren, and 16 great grandchildren.

Memorials are suggested to the CMU Athletic Department.

Comments from some of “Coach’s guys”

“I went to the University of Colorado on a football scholarship and was told I could play other varsity sports if iImade the teams. It became clear that that was not the case. I told my parents I was not going back for the spring semester. My high school football coach, Ed Bender, asked if he could get me in a school that would allow me to participate in three sports, would I consider going. I said sure.

“He called his college football teammate Bill Holmes at CMC and convinced Coach Holmes not only to get me in CMC but live at his house with two other athletes, Dale Riebold and Roger Peters. I transferred to CMC in the spring of 1966 and lived at his home for a semester before I got married and moved into an apartment with my wife of 51 years, Kay Eckhardt. I played three sports at Central and am a member of the Hairston Hall of Fame. I graduated in 1969 and owe it all to Coach Holmes. I could never repay Coach Holmes for his kindness and guidance while I was in at CMC. He will always have a place in my heart.”

Augie Eckhardt ’69 “Coach Bill Holmes began his coaching career at Herculaneum HS south of St. Louis. There he put together the second longest consecutive game winning streak. It was obvious that Coach Holmes was a driving force in attracting boys to want to be a part of something successful. He allowed them to do that and consequently learn “how” to play that part. An intended consequence was keeping some in school and graduating.

“I have heard many such stories from these fellows who declared if it wasn’t for football they would have left school. I personally was given a second chance with a semester at Central to right my academic ship. I was able to Coach at Central with him and scout for game prep with Dale Riebold. Bill Holmes dedicated his life to building a program and developing boys to men to be successful.

He will not only be remembered as successful coach but also as an

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educator who worked to get young men an education. He had the exterior of the Golden Gloves fighter and a heart that made him successful.”

Bill Dierks ’71 “Everyone has their favorite accounts of Coach Holmes on the sports fields, but some great stories don’t originate there. One of my favorites is about the time when Coach introduced me to rappelling.

“One beautiful spring day in 1967, Coach Holmes invited me, and a few teammates, to join his family rappelling off of the cliffs overlooking the Missouri River near Rocheport. Being an avid climber of trees, buildings, power poles, etc., it sounded like great fun.

“We hiked up to a cliff overhanging railroad tracks that ran alongside the river as it made a bend. As Coach was checking all of the ropes and harnesses and tying off ropes, I eased up to the edge of the cliff, and peered over. I found myself wondering if there was any excuse I could use to bow out of this crazy experience without looking like some big chicken! That question was answered for me when Coach’s youngest daughter yelled, “Daddy, can I go first?”

Oh well, guess I’d be the next one going over the edge. Coach Holmes’ big grin seemed to indicate that he knew I had been thinking about bowing out!

“It turned out to be a great thrill, and I backed off that ledge several times that day. However, on my last free-fall, I heard people top-side yelling. I stopped my descent, and looked. Yep, there came a big ole freight train around the bend. My first thought, while dangling there like a spider, was if I was high enough to allow the train to pass UNDER me! Some very quick, and somewhat desperate, geometric reckoning reassured me, UNTIL I saw the ends of my rope and safety line draped across the rails and cross ties below. That view quickly provided a mental image of that big diesel engine slamming into me like I was a tether-ball! I pulled up my knees, and began to use one hand to pull the loose ends of the ropes into a pile of coils in my lap. With whistle blowing loudly, that freight train roared past probably 20 feet below my dangling legs.

“After the train passed, I slid to the tracks below, and hiked back to the top of the cliffs to find Coach Holmes having a great laugh.

That day, Coach taught me to rappel, and the value of quick thinking when you’re OFF-TRACK!”

Bill Rudeseal ’69 “The man was a treasure. He gave us second chances. He overlooked the times we let him down or made him look bad by our behavior. He could see a spark in us that maybe we couldn’t see ourselves. He believed in us, even if we didn’t. I would like to think that there’s some of him in every single player I coached.

Not a bad legacy to pass on, huh?”

Bill Pentland ’76

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Campus News

Stained glass windows get a long-needed update Church. For many church is a building to gather in on Sunday morning. It’s useful and reliable. But there are some churches that are so much more. Linn Memorial United Methodist Church is one of those. It draws people inside to the beauty and intimacy that time has built.

Students attend their own chapel services there as well as emotional events such the Day of Remembrance, concerts, and Baccalaureate. Many of those students chose to return to Fayette to get married at Linn.

One of the draws of Linn is the beauty of its windows.

Built in the 1920s to replace Centenary Church, Linn retains all of the original windows created at that time, and the light that filters through the colors makes magic of the air inside.

The windows had not been refurbished in the last almostcentury until Doug Gammon from Gammon Glass Co. in Nevada arrived this spring to repair and protect the invaluable stained-glass windows.

In the course of doing so, he realized that he had most certainly apprenticed with the original builders of those stained-glass windows, a company called Hopcraft Stain Glass in Kansas City, which is no longer in operation.

“There’s no signature,” he says, “but every piece in those windows is hand-painted and fired. It looks like their work.”

He explains the process. “Each glass was made from colored glass, then the lines on the inside of each was painted or stenciled. They laid paint on the glass, put it into a 1100-1500-degree kiln and fired it. It’s a repetitive type window. The only thing that’s different is the medallion in the center, until you get to the big windows at the back.

“Every piece of this is hand-painted. That was very expensive, even back in the 20s. You’ve got some very good quality windows in this building. And they’re very unique for this style. The reds and blues give it that three-dimensional look. It looks like you could reach in and get hold of that glass and pull it out. It is very beautiful.”

Gammon apprenticed in 1967-69 with Hopcraft and has been doing mostly renovation work since then. He replicated the original work on the windows, step by step, for a lot less than it would take to replace them.

“If we had to reproduce these windows from scratch,”

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he says, “the cost would probably be around $500 a square foot. You have 800-1200 square feet for sure. With the ones on top, you’ve got a lot more.” Gammon’s estimate to build the lower levels of the windows in today’s market figures at more than $600,000.

He was surprised to find so little damage to the windows when he came. He says the windows bow a little bit due to the weight of the lead in them. He says there is a lot of weight and a lot of joints. Each piece has solder around it. “The weakest part of the church is the stained glass,” he says, “because the walls aren’t moving.

The only place that can move is that lead.” Nonetheless, he is not concerned. “They aren’t falling out. They’re not going to fall out,” He affirms.

When he finished with the window repair, Gammon covered all the windows with a safety laminated glass. He says it looks good, can be repaired or replaced locally, and adds another dimension of loveliness to the overall look of the stained glass.

Sadly, Gammon says that stained-glass artists like himself are disappearing, and only a few people know how to do it correctly. He does have a son who has apprenticed with him and who spent some time helping him on the church.

While he worked on the windows, he said he could hear the Praise Band practicing and performing inside the church. All in all, he says, “I can’t find a better job than that.”

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SharedShelf and Omeka.net move Smiley into future of archiving

By Jennifer Parsons, digital resources librarian

Never ones to sit on their laurels, the folks at Smiley Library have been busy figuring out how to share Central’s past with Central’s present--with scholars and students with an interest in Central’s rich history.

library of images supplied by member institutions, including Central Methodist University, the Kansas City Art Institute, and Harvard University; and museums such as the Seattle Art Museum and Walker Art Center.

To date, CMU library staff have uploaded media from three collections to SharedShelf Commons: the CMU archives, the CMU Jordan Coller Civil War Collection, and the CMU Life Story Project.

A single institution can have multiple collections on SharedShelf. What constitutes an “item” in a SharedShelf collection includes scanned text, such as a pamphlet or article, still image, video file, and audio file, with accompanying metadata to describe the item and make it searchable, allowing students, faculty, alumni, and researchers to locate the item.

The second program, Omeka.net, is a web-publishing platform run by the Corporation for Digital Scholarship.

It allows users to create digital exhibits from collctions of diffrent types of artifacts. It organizes SharedShelf items onto web pages to create an easily naviSmiley Library in Cupples Hall in the 1940s. The second floor formed a balcony around the first floor.

They have begun using two programs, which together, will allow access to selected digital collections. The programs are called SharedShelf and Omeka.net, and they are accessible via the Internet. The library is currently working on choosing and adding materials from CMU’s archives and special collections.

SharedShelf is a service provided

by ARTStor, a non-profit organization that allows institutional members to manage and publish digital collections online. SharedShelf is web-based so users can upload media such as images, video, or audio and manage data from any device with a functioning browser.

A segment of SharedShelf is SharedShelf Commons (http://www. sscommons.org), a free, open-access 50

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Classroom in Brannock Hall in the late 1800s. The plaques at the front can still be found on the first floor of the greatly changed building.

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gable, curated collection.

CMU’s Omeka.net account can be found at http://cmuspecialcollections.omeka.net. Currently featured is a digital exhibit on the history of Central’s Homecomings. Future exhibits will include Smiley Memorial Library and the Morrison Observatory.

In the spring of 2015 CMU was awarded a grant by the Consortium of Digital Resources for Teaching and Research, a group within the Council of Independent Colleges, to begin working with SharedShelf.

The University, both through the archives and special collections, as well as the Stephens Museum of Natural History, had worked with the Consortium on other projects, so when the grant became available, Provost Dr. Rita Gulstad and President Dr. Roger Drake encouraged the library to apply.

The four-year grant includes scholarships for University faculty and staff to attend workshops on using SharedShelf to build a digital repository, and on the use of

such digital repositories as an educational tool.

Although Central’s Archives and Special Collections are open to all of CMU’s students, staff, faculty, and alumni, as well as independent researchers, very few people are actually aware of what artifacts are included in the collection. With a digital collection, the library hopes not only to advertise the collection, but also to provide a touchstone for alumni, who now have access to materials from their time at Central.Furthermore, by making unique, historically significant materials available to researchers, the University can establish itself as an institution supporting historical research.

And, most importantly, a digital repository will allow students and faculty to use the collections as teaching tools. Materials available to read and use online can supplement curriculum and enhace projects created by students.

For more information regarding the collection, please contact Smiley Library at library@centralmethodist.edu.

100% of gifts to the Science Equipment Fund are dedicated to purchasing teaching instrumentation for hands-on learning. Help inspire the next generation.

“Our goal is to graduate professionals who are knowledgeable of, generate, and communicate good science.”

-Dr. Tiger Gordon

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Veterans dive into SCUBA experience

By Breilly Roy, senior marine biology major

Grady McCrary, one of seven U.S. military veterans who attended “Explore SCUBA Day,” makes his way to deeper water with the assitance of CMU Marine Biology students Joshua Clarke and Emma McQueen.

America was founded on the bloodshed of those who fought for our freedom. Some of our heroes left their earthly bodies behind on the battlefield, while others were able to return home. As citizens of this glorious country, it is our responsibility to take care of the veterans who sacrificed their all for our freedom. We need to show them that because of their bravery, and at times loss, their life is not yet over.

On March 4, 13 students from CMU’s Marine Biology Club, myself included, assisted local veterans in finding a new way to become mobile and adventurous. An “Explore SCUBA” class was held to teach those in attendance the wonders of SCUBA diving. The veterans came early that morning for a hearty breakfast catered by CMU’s Fresh Ideas. As we sipped our smoothies and munched on mini quiches, Greg Thurmon explained the do’s and don’ts of SCUBA diving. His most important lesson for the day: “Relax, have fun, and don’t forget to breathe.” After several Thurmon adventure stories, questions, and a delicious lunch of fried chicken, we headed to CMU’s pool to begin the exciting portion of the day: diving.

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veteran to assist. My job was to oversee the students to make sure they were covering all of the necessary details before the veterans took their first breaths underwater.

Compared to my friends, I had the easy job, but arguably the best job.

I was able to stand back and watch. Too often in life we get caught up in the constant motion revolving around us and we forget to stop and see what is happening in the world. But for a couple of hours I had the luxury of observing the scene painted before me. I was blown away by the courtesy and kindness emitted by my classmates. They treated each veteran with the utmost respect, from answering questions that might have seemed obvious to providing words of encouragement. I was so proud of the maturity my friends exhibited that day, especially since the majority of them were underclassmen. But what made the day even more extravagant was seeing the joy on the faces of the veterans. I was able to dive underwater and watch them tootle around with such freedom and liberty. When they would resurface, their faces would light up brighter than Christmas morning, and they couldn’t stop talking about what they had just done.

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Campus News SCUBA diving is quite miraculous by itself, but it’s a sport that gives hope. When diving you do the unthinkable, you breathe underwater; and when you get out of the water, even though you’re exhausted, you suddenly feel like you can do anything as long as you have the right mindset. That was our goal for the day—to give these American heroes the attitude they needed in order to know that they can still do anything, even with the minor hills they have to climb on a daily basis.

Jacques Cousteau, debatably one of the greatest explorers and conservationists this world has ever seen, once said, “When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.” As Marine Biology Club members, we have opportunities to explore a world that remains unknown to many. But what makes that world magical is when we can share it with others. That Saturday, we were able to offer just a glimpse of the life we live as SCUBA divers. More importantly though, we were able to offer a few valiant souls the hope they needed to continue to find adventure on a daily basis. Donating our time that Saturday was a very small price we were all willing to pay in order to give back to those who helped to ensure that our freedom remains free. And I guarantee, we would all do it again.

Associate Professor of Biology Greg Thurmon observes as a veteran explores the water with his SCUBA gear.

What participants said “You wouldn’t believe how long I’ve waited to do this,” Grady McCrary said as his eyes gazed at the water. “It was like a dream come true for me – it really was.”

“We offer the (Explore Scuba) program for our own students, and I thought it would be cool if we did it for our veterans,” said CMU Associate Professor of Biology Greg Thurmon.

“I’m like a fish in the water – I can swim, but there’s a lot more to this than that,” said Kevin Hackworth, a veteran who served in the United States Air Force in the late 80s and early 90s.

Matt Fugitt, who served in the Army during the first Gulf War, said, “It was challenging to get the grasp of it, but once I did, it was a lot of fun. I’d like to do it again, actually.”

McCrary, who served in the Army in the 70s, couldn’t say enough, “It was a dream come true. An adventure of a lifetime – and life is so rewarding. It’s good for the depressed mind.

“A lot of people suffer from mental illness, but if they would get involved in activities such Spring 2017

as this, it could really help,” he said. “If you enjoy something, you should pursue it. I’d love to do this again. It felt good. Who knows? I might take a class to further this experience. It could be something I could be really good at.”

“We are hoping that some of them are interested in SCUBA class,” said Wayne Morse, CMU assistant director of plant operations and safety coordinator. Morse is a retired Army veteran, and also volunteers at Truman Memorial.

He and Thurmon worked together to make “Explore Scuba Day” possible.

“This day means a lot to me,” Morse said.

“Sometimes you almost get forgotten. You don’t wear that uniform every day and you don’t wear something that identifies you as a veteran, so it’s nice to recognize them for what they’ve done, and help them work through any issues they may be having.”

“Explore Scuba Day” was all about the veterans and their experiences, but everyone who helped make it possible agreed it was an enlightening and rewarding event.

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Campus News

Class of 1959 proffers another Hall of Sponsors Scholarship Born in a two-room, upstairs apartment just south of Saint Louis in Crystal City, Mo., Dr. David Stewart’s story is one that will sound like a familiar refrain for many Central alumni over the years.

From a small town he came to Central Methodist and from there his journey took on a life of its own.

From ministry in the United Methodist Church and time spent in a monastery, Stewart moved to careers in hydrology, engineering, and seismology.

He became a college professor and earned a Ph.D. in geophysics. He also wrote a series of publications and books in the field of childbirth and essential oils, where Lee and David Stewart. He has been named the most recent recipient Stewart has made a name of the Central class of 1959’ Hall of Sponsorship. for himself as a national and international speaker.

But David is the first to tell you that, while he didn’t graduate from Central – he left after three years to, in his own words, find clarity for his future direction – he names Central as the beginning of it all.

“I am a member of the Class of 1959. I was at Central for three years with that class...and my love and loyalty is still with Central,” Stewart says.

David came to Central on a Methodist scholarship; it’s what paved the way for his education. And so it’s only appropriate that the most recent Hall of Sponsors Scholarship to be created by the Class of 1959 should be named in honor of Dr. David Stewart.

He was one of the original donors to the Class of ’59 Hall of Sponsors program – a sort of pre-runner to crowd-

funding. Alumni from that class give each year to a specific fund, with a new scholarship endowed every time the fund reaches the Hall of Sponsors level. He has also consistently made giving to his alma mater and supporting liberal arts education a commitment.

“From all of my formal education, the two most important, useful, and relevant college courses I ever took were during my freshman year at CMC, in 1955-56,” he admits.

“Expository writing and creative writing with Dr. Thomas Perry.

I wish he were alive for me to thank him.”

You have a lot of company on that wish, David.

Dr. Dori Waggoner, right, and Jake Heggie, composer of the opera Dead Man Walking. Nearly 50 CMU students were sponsored by Earl’61 and Sunny Bates to see the production at the Kansas City opera in March.

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Robert and Suzanne Kountz Hall of Sponsors Scholarship Providing a bright future for young men and women through access to education is one significant way in which many alumni have chosen to leave a lasting legacy.

Many people choose to make this a reality now, but often people make this a vital part of their estate or will, through planned giving, which is exactly how there came to be a new endowed Hall of Sponsors Scholarship this spring in memory of Mr. Robert and Mrs. Suzanne Kountz, which was created at CMU following Robert’s passing in February of this year, as directed in their estate.

“Bob,” as he was generally known, was a 1957 graduate of Central and the son of Willie Mae Kountz, in whose memory the Conservatory Recital Hall was named when it was renovated.

Bob had a keen passion for all things Central, moving

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back to Fayette after a distinguished career in finance, retiring as the State Auditor for Illinois in 1997.

His wife, Suzanne, passed away in 2007.

Bob was long-time supporter of The Ashby-Hodge Gallery of American Art, and an avid attendee of the Little Theater and CMU opera productions.

It was on the evening after attending the final performance of this Spring’s HMS Pinafore, singing along to the joyful strains of music with his twin brother Bill Kountz, that Bob joined his wife Suzanne in eternity.

At the request of the family, many alumni and community members also contributed to this new Hall of Sponsors Scholarship that will now stand as a permanent, lasting testament to Bob and Suzanne’s love for education, for the arts, and for Central Methodist University.

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Campus News

HMS Pinafore Top photo, the loyal crew of the HMS Pinafore Middle, the Captain and the Lord Admiralty decide on the fate of the Captain’s daughter with an arranged marriage Lower right, with typical Gilbert and Sullivan shenanigans, all gets turned upside down; and when it is righted again, all is well. The daughter is allowed to marry her sailor, who ends up as the Captain, and the Captain becomes a swabby, to everyone’s pleasure.

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Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, (served up in 1920’s New Orleans)

Above left, Duke Orsino sends young Viola, dressed as a young man and in love with Orsino, to woo Lady Olivia for him.

Above center, the couples finally get it straightened out and live happily ever after.

Above right, Viola’s brother Sebastian steps into the middle of the charade and inadvertantly ends up married to Olivia.

Lower right photos reflect the counter story where three carousing friends decide to make a fool out of stuffy and arrogant Malvolio who also thinks he can win Olivia.

Right photo: Sir Andrew Aguecheek, Sir Toby Belch, and Gertrude are delighted with their ensnarement of Malvolio.

Below, left, Malvolio prances proudly around in his yellow crossed garters to Olivia’s utter disgust.

Below right, only Feste the Fool advises everyone and ends up philosophizing about everything.

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Bill Chott ’91 (far left) visits again to produce “CMU Improv” with improvisational skits and spur of the moment comedy. On left, the parrot is the only survivor on a ship out for supper.

Left, part of an extended skit, a daughter thinks she’s dying of lack of a boyfriend while her mother calls for chocolate.

Right, a game called “Rhymes With” pulls out the quick thinking of the three people currently on stage.

The three week study in comedy was enjoyed by participants and audience alike. Chott does acting and comedy in L.A. A versatile actor, he is widely known for his role as Principal Laritate in “Wizards of Waverly.”

The CMU Concert Band had a successful tour to the east side of Missouri in March. Conductor Skip Vandelicht, associate professor of music and director of bands, led his 49-member band in morning, afternoon, and evening performances for six days on the road, as usual. They followed up with a home concert in April and a final concert in early May.

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Campus News Faculty/staff info and honors Jackie Jackson, director of annual giving and operations and the advisor for CMU’s chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, was asked to serve on the National Advisory Board for the organization through the 2017-2018 academic year.

Dr. John Perkins reports that his CMU Brass Quintet, comprised of Kody Bartel, Trumpet; Katelyn Hanvey, trumpet; Susan Bishop, horn; Kevin Helmerichs, trombone; and Gannon Craig, tuba took first place in the Missouri Music Teachers Association (MMTA) Collegiate Brass Ensemble – Upper Division Category this winter.

They also performed with the CMU Concert Band on tour in March and for high school counselors at CMU on April 12. Perkins coaches this chamber group.

At the MMTA competition, Perkins’ senior student Susan Bishop, playing the French horn, took Honorable Mention in Collegiate Brass Solo – Upper Division Category. Also busy in brass, Katelyn Hanvey, one of his senior trumpet students, worked for three nights with the Columbia Independent Schools during their annual instrument night when students choose and try out their instruments. She worked with 150 students making their first sounds on the trumpet.

In the MMTA Winter articles 2017 online, two CMU professors published individual articles. Dr. Susan QuigleyDuggan, professor of voice and opera, authored “Vocal Health: Mind, Body, and Voice,” and Dr. Laura Wiebe, assistant professor of music, authored “Using Facebook Pedagogically in the Applied Music Studio.”

Dr. Kristin Cherry, associate professor of communication and sponsor of the CMU Eagle Radio Station KCMU, announced that one of her students was listed as a finalist in the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS) competition this semester. Junior Abby Addleman, was listed as a finalist in the category of “Best Show Promotional Poster.” Other winners in her category hailed from massive schools including the University of Virginia, Arizona State University, Ashland University, SUNY Fredonia, and the University of Wisconsin.

The radio station also took first place against Missouri professional stations in the Missouri State Teachers Association competition for Educational Service Announcement Award.

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Dr. Melissa Loehnig Simons, assistant professor of music, was the guest performer for a Marshall Philharmonic Orchestra performance under the baton of conductor Kevin Lines ’86. She is active as a solo and collaborative pianist.

Dr. Claude Westfall, associate professor of music and director of choral activities, is leading CMU’s Chorale in a week-long tour in May to the Washington, D.C. area. (see page 24.)

Kasey Tanner from Cadiz, Ohio, has been named the new assistant professor of applied behavior analysis in CMU’s College of Graduate and Extended Studies. In her position, Tanner will teach behavior analysis courses in both Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA) and Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) course sequences for Central in online course settings.

Mike Rambo ’12 has become CMU’s first-ever Director of Greek Life and Student Activities. He will oversee the Greek system of 11 social fraternities and sororities at Central, which has more than doubled in participation in recent years, and student activities, which include dozens of clubs and student organizations. He will provide leadership and support for various orientation activities for new students as well.

CMU’s Advancement and Alumni Relations Office received the 2016 Sustained Excellence in Fundraising for Overall Improvement for years FY14-FY16 from CASE. Its Giving Tuesday got Grand Gold (1st place) in the single day events category, and Central Serves got Gold (2nd place) in alumni initiatives. In the department, Meagan Davis received a funded scholarship to attend the CASE Conference in Chicago.

Dr. John Porter was promoted to Professor of English, from Associate Professor. He has been on the Central faculty since 1998.

Dr. Susan Quigley-Duggan also advanced to full Professor of Voice and Opera, from Associate Professor. She has served CMU since 2006.

Dr. Travis Johnson, on the CMU faculty since 2011, was promoted to Associate Professor of English, from Assistant Professor and was also granted tenure.

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Campus News

African-American Student Union has diversity focus A new student organization is bringing renewed focus on diversity and minority issues for all students at Central Methodist University.

Just in time to help organize February’s Black History Month activities, the AfricanAmerican Student Union (AASU) was officially formed.

AASU assisted in coordinating one of CMU’s most active and best-attended Black History Month series.

The AASU purpose is to foster a community for AfricanAmerican students at CMU through activities and events of common interest. Its mission is Above, the officers of the new AASU include (l-r) Quiz Falls, Victoria Coleman, President Kiona Sinks, and Lee Jimerson. to promote positive images of African-Americans, and man from Marshall, Mo., secretary; Lee Jimerson, a junior to stimulate the cultural, intellectual, and social growth of all CMU. By spring, mem- from St. Louis, treasurer; Larry Adams, a senior from Marin City, Calif., chair of cultural and social activities; bership had already grown to exceed 80 students. and De Vondre (Dre) Burris, a junior from Los Angeles, Kiona Sinks, a junior from Jonesboro, Ark., is the Calif., chair of community service. founder and inaugural AASU President. Eagle football While the focus is on African-American students, the Coach David Callaway and Lealure Tindall, administrative organization is open to all students regardless of race, genassistant for graduate studies in the College of Graduate der, religion or home country, Sinks said. and Extended Studies, serve as sponsors. Briana Greer ’15 Black History Month this past February featured a from St. Louis chairs the alumni committee. variety of activities, including many that were open to Other AASU officers include Victoria Coleman, a senior the campus community and public. Some of the highfrom Grandview, Mo., vice president; Quiz Falls, a freshlights included movies, including 12 Years A Slave, Selma, and Straight Outta Compton; a Black, White and Blue Community Form, spotlighting race on campus, in the community and in America and including students, faculty, staff, and law enforcement representatives; and Rev. Emanuel Cleaver III of Kansas City, who spoke in Linn Memorial United Methodist Church.

Sinks and her fellow AASU officers have high hopes for their fledgling organization. Its members, she said, see things from a different perspective. Diversity is important to them, both on and off of Central’s campus. The organization strives to bring together people who wouldn’t normally cross paths otherwise.

“I hope AASU flourishes for years to come, and I’m glad to have laid the foundation,” Sinks summarized.

Left, Tyrone Flowers from Kansas City celebrated Martin Luther King Day with the AASU students and spoke at lunch.

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Howard County bicentennial book has many Central Connections

By Jim Steele ’64

Central Methodist University has played a signifiThe year 2016 celebrated Howard County’s Bicentennial. cant role in making possible a major publication chroniIn addition to the three-part opening segment, the cling two centuries of Central Missouri history. Titled book includes 14 chapters and four side-bar articles. It Howard County: From Prairie Land to Promised Land - A was published by the Donning Co., a subsidiary of the Remembrance Across Two Centuries, the 176-page hardcov- Walsworth Co. in Marceline. More than 600 copies already er book rolled off the press early have been sold out of a 1,000this year and marks the culminacopy press-run. tion of more than two years of Howard County was formed planning, writing, and informaby the Missouri Territorial tion gathering. It’s the first comLegislature in 1816 and, as a prehensive history of the county result of the vast area it covered in more than 130 years. and the number of counties The coffee-table sized volformed from it, was dubbed “The ume was edited and compiled Mother of Counties.” Ultimately,

by Jim Steele ’64, retired editorall or parts of 36 counties in topublisher of the Democratday’s Missouri were formed from Leader and Fayette Advertiser. it, plus 10 more in southern Iowa.

Active in local community The book covers the entirety affairs, he is a past-president of of the area’s journey, including the CMU Alumni Association larger communities as well as and in 2016 received the unismaller towns which have a rich versity’s Distinguished Service legacy but are now just places on Award. He was Central’s public the map (and some that aren’t). It relations director from 1970 to is the first county-wide history 1975. Steele himself wrote or published since 1883. co-wrote several chapters in the In addition to historical acpublication, including the hiscounts of specific communities tory of Morrison Observatory. He and the history of higher educadedicated the publication to two tion, the various chapters take former Fayette newspaper editors the reader on an illustrated trip who were noted historians—the through historic homes, cenlate John Hert ’42 and the late H. tury farms, and the magnificent Denny Davis ’47. courthouse. Readers learn about Jim Steele and Dr. Roger Drake look over history.

More than two dozen local salt licks, trains, roadways, public historians contributed to the schools, the Missouri River, and volume, including several with the floods which still play a major CMU ties. These include retired public relations director role in Howard County. A lengthy chapter is devoted to the Don Cullimore, who wrote the three-part opening chapter history of Blacks in the county, plus accounts detailing the on the area’s early history; Dr. R. Lee Woodward Jr. ’55, development of agriculture, county fairs, and the coming of who wrote the section covering both CMU and Howardthe REA. Payne College; and J. Y. Miller ’66 who compiled the “This has been a work in progress since early 2016,” history of Glasgow, Mo. Some information has come from Steele says. “As the project evolved we came to recognize well-known deceased historians including longtime Central and eventually include several parts of our rich history faculty member Dr. B. I. Lawrence ’11, whose writings were which may have been previously overlooked, such as the utilized for the chapter on Fayette. role played by tobacco farming.”

Central has a long history of faculty members and administrators who in years past worked to compile local The book includes approximately 265 photos (32 pages historical accounts. These have included such campus icons in full color). For those wishing to procure a copy, contact as Dean E. P. Puckett and Dr. T. Berry Smith. the Fayette newspaper website (fayettenewspapers.com) or The publication was made possible under the auspices the Fayette Public Library website (http://www.hocopub.lib. of the Howard County Genealogical Society, with generous mo.us/). Local residents and visitors to Fayette may secure donations from local businesses, organizations, institutions, copies at the Fayette newspaper office, 203 N. Main St. and individuals, including Central Methodist University.

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Campus News

Janice Henson says farewell To CMU As if her 70th birthday and 50th wedding anniversary didn’t deliver enough excitement in 2017, Janice Henson also will be retiring from CMU. As she concludes her 13th year at Central, she’s been busy cleaning out her office space in CMU’s Center for Learning and Teaching, approaching her final moments as Associate Professor of Education.

“CMU will miss Janice,” says Maryann Rustemeyer, director of the Center for Learning and Teaching. “She is personally invested in the education of students, and has made such a difference in their lives.”

A Texas native from a background of farmers and ranchers, Henson said she was the first member of her family to attend college. She attended then-Harding College, now known as Harding University, in Searcy, Ark., from which she graduated with a degree in speech and drama.

In 1967, she married her husband, Bruce, and they moved to Missouri.

Henson says. “His parents were in Arkansas, mine were in Texas – it was nice to be within driving distance from both.”

Henson received her master’s degree in speech pathology before going on to earn a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in teaching and reading, so she could do more to help her students.

“I noticed many of the students who came to see me – their biggest problem wasn’t a speech issue, it was that they had trouble reading,” she said.

Before joining CMU in 2004, Henson spent years teaching special education reading, various classes at MU, Columbia College, and extension sites, and working at MU’s Learning Center.

When she arrived at CMU, she said the school was starting a special education program, and she helped design some of the classes.

Over the years, she has taught reading classes for CMU students pursuing their elementary or early childhood certification, as well as middle school reading, and secondary reading. She has also remained busy working in the Center for Learning and Teaching, instructing study skills classes, tutoring, and working with students who have learning disabilities.

She spoke about how her ultimate reward was found in watching students’ success unfold. She still holds 62

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on to all the “thank you” notes she’s received over the years, keeps up with former students, and runs into students she’s taught who have created bright futures for themselves.

“For the most part, when I taught, I taught students who were struggling,” Henson says. “So it’s just rewarding to watch them feel success, or feel pleasure in things like reading and writing.”

“I taught at the University of Missouri, and it’s very difficult, as a student, to go to a large state school, period – you just get swallowed up,” Henson says.

But at CMU, Henson says she immediately noticed a much different atmosphere – one that provided more access and possibilities for students. “Here, there is support and community and more opportunities for success for individuals,” she says. “I just think that’s a real benefit in our school.”

As she prepares to say goodbye, Henson shares a few things she has learned through her time in education.

She emphasizes the importance of remembering to teach individuals, not a curriculum, and to be engaging and help them feel like they can and will be successful in the classroom.

“Make sure to love your job, and love the people you work with,” Henson says. “If you’re miserable at your workplace, then go teach somewhere else – this job is too important.”

Henson says it’s crucial to be happy in your career because it is through that passion that you can truly make a difference in the lives of those you’re teaching.

One of Henson’s former students agrees. Samantha Carey, from Harrisburg, teaches the third grade at Centralia Intermediate School. “She was always passionate about sharing strategies for helping struggling students,” Carey says. “I think of things we discussed in class even now, six years later, as I teach in my own classroom.”

Henson says she and her husband plan to spend their retired years enjoying their seasonal business, The Mulberry Grill and Bakery, located on the Katy Trail in Rocheport. Volunteering at her church and other organizations is also on the agenda, as well as possibly tutoring, and trying to write a book on teaching and reading.

But most importantly, she and her husband will be focusing on family time with their children’s families.

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The cast of The Vagina Monologues, by Eve Ensler, poses prior to the first performance in February. This was Central’s second year of participating in the difficult, emotional, and sometimes funny play. This year’s group was directed by Dr. Annette Van, associate professor of English (far right).

All donations this year went to Safe Passage, a domestic violence and crisis intervention center in Moberly, Mo. Appearing in the show were Danielle Franklin, Sonia Addo, Myriah Araiza, Peyton Davis, Shelby Dodson, Clarice Fels, Brittany Lawson, Kaitlyn Roberts, Denise Weigand, Abby Wimberley, and faculty/staff members Jennifer Engle, Kavita Hatwalkar, Carrie Strodtman, Cathy Thogmorton, Jessica Travlos, and Annette Van.

THANKS FOR ANSWERING THE PHONE! Our phonathon callers loved connecting with alumni and friends of Central earlier this spring.

We look forward to speaking with you about the latest at Central and the Central Annual Scholarship Fund this fall!

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Martha Bradley, right, and Allison Jordahl take the reins for the Student Government Association for next year. President Bradley and Vice President Jordahl ran on a platform of student involvement, transparency, and communication. Bradley is a junior from Farmington with majors in criminal justice and political science. She participates in track and is editor of The Collegian. Jordahl is a sophomore elementary education major from Rantoul, Ill. She plays softball and is active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Navigators.

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Athletics

CMU softball coach Reardon surpasses 700-win mark A week before the 1992 fall classes were to begin at Central Methodist University, 22year old Pat Reardon received a phone call, in which he was asked to come to the president’s office for an 8 a.m. meeting the following morning. Little did he realize that the meeting would place in motion huge changes for him, his family, the CMU softball program and the University.

Nearly 25 years and 1,200 softball games later, Reardon would not only lead the program into national prominence, but he also became a member of the ‘700 Club’ when he directed the CMU Eagles to an 8-3 win over Morningside College on March 4th at the Gulf Shores Invitational. As of April 19, Reardon’s record stood at 712-504-2.

Reardon arrived at Central Methodist in 1986 on a soccer scholarship. Four years later he was a four-year letterman, all-conference and all-district performer and school recordholder in single-season scoring and career goals. In addition to those accomplishments, he played three years on the CMU baseball team.

In May 1990 he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business management. Later that summer he became engaged to his wife, Leslie, and planned on pursuing his master’s degree at University of Missouri in nearby Columbia.

Pat finished out the semester, but then elected to return to Central Methodist as a graduate assistant for the soccer programs.

While Leslie finished her last year at CMU, Pat embarked on what he thought was his soccer coaching career.

Reardon became taking the reins of the women’s soccer team in 1991-92, while coaching tennis in the spring.

Now married, Reardon received word from his wife that the president wanted him in his office at 8 a.m. the next morning. He said when he arrived the entire senior coaching staff was present and sitting around a table. He was asked if he wanted the job as head coach of the men’s and women’s soccer programs and told he had two hours to decide. He accepted.

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Pat Reardon, above, and his assistant coach, his dad Gene, photo right.

coaching both soccer teams and tennis in the spring.

Within those two years the softball coach had resigned.

Urged by the baseball coach to make a switch, Reardon became head softball coach for the 1993 season, while continuing to coach the soccer programs. He also received his master’s degree in sports management from Missouri University that year.

Two years later he gave up men’s soccer, leading the women’s soccer and softball programs simultaneously until 2003.

More pieces to the puzzle began falling into place for Reardon and his family in 2006 when his father, Gene Reardon, a former All-American baseball player at Washburn University, retired from his governmental positions and began helping the softball program.

“It was kind of a perfect storm because right about the time I took over just coaching softball, my dad retired and came to help me,” Pat states. “And if you notice, that is when we made the transition from being just a softball program to a recognized program across the country.”

Leslie had played softball at CMU and, while playing baseball, Pat followed the program, as did most of the baseball players. “We are kind of a brother-sister kinds of sports,” he explains. “The softball team would support the baseball team and we supported them. That’s how my interest in the sport grew.”

But it wasn’t exactly a smooth transition with Gene

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Athletics coming on the coaching staff as a volunteer assistant. But because of their different personalities, Pat says it was a challenge working with his father – at first.

“It was extremely challenging for the first couple of years, especially because he was coming off a position where he was in charge of whatever he was doing,” Pat says. “And our personalities are different. I’m more like my mom – laid back and plan last-minute. Dad is Type-A and plans four years in advance. But we’ve learned from each other.”

It’s transitioned to a great relationship on the field and off.

Pat looks back at a couple of years when the program topped the mountain, so to speak.

The first year was 2008 when the Eagles won their first Heart of America Athletic Conference Softball Championship.

“That year set the tone for us. We lost to Columbia College in a game that would have put us in the national tournament. But winning the conference was huge.”

Starting in 2007, Central Methodist began a run of nine straight years with 30 or more victories. The Eagles have captured six consecutive Heart of America Athletic Conference championships and 2016 was the sixth straight year Reardon was named Heart of America Athletic Conference Softball Coach of the Year. He’s won the award seven times overall.

The CMU softball coaching staff has been named

Save the Date! ΑΦΑ

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the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) NAIA Midwest Region Coaching Staff of the Year six times.

In 2015 the Eagles advanced to the World Series for the first time, finishing the season fifth in the nation, its best finish in the program’s history.

In over 30 years as a student and coach at Central Methodist, there have been nearly 1,200 games to get to the 700-win mark.

It was special to share the 700th win with his daughter, Addy, who is a sophomore leftfielder on the squad.

“I’m sure it’s hard for Addy playing for her dad and grandpa,” Pat admits. “I think in 20 years the memories of her playing here are going to be tremendous, but she has a similar personality to my dad and so they butt heads a little. I’m sure it’s a challenge for her because she’s playing for dad and grandpa. But she does a great job.”

Pat says he also gets tremendous support from his son Avery, who is a junior at Boonville High School.

90th Anniversary Celebration of Alpha at Central Homecoming 2017 • October 13-15 Spring 2017

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TEAM SUMMARIES per game. Senior forward Cole Adair was named second-team all-conference after averaging 14.6 points and a team-leading 7.1 boards per contest.

Senior forward Charles Harris III was honorable mention all-conference after scoring 9.7 points per game.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL – 24-10; 18-8 Heart

MEN’S BASKETBALL – 17-14 overall; 14-12 Heart

The Eagle women’s basketball team was ranked in the NAIA Division I Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 poll throughout the season, starting at No. 15 in the preseason poll and reaching as high as No. 13 in mid-January. In six of the eight polls they were ranked No. 20 or higher, as they finished with a 24-10 overall record and earned a spot in the NAIA Division I National Championship tournament, advancing to the Sweet 16

Two members of the squad were honored in Heart of America postseason accolades and one received national attention for his play on the court. Senior guard Ron Lee Jr. was named first-team all-conference and Third-Team NAIA All-American for his play, as he finished first in the conference and fourth in the nation in points per game average (21.7), seventh in total point (651). He hit 48.5 percent of his field goals on the year, while averaging 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists

round. The Eagle posted an 18-8 Heart of America record, which was good enough for third place. CMU received a first-round bye in the conference tournament and lost in the semifinals to Benedictine College, 61-46. The Eagles posted an 11-game winning streak from December 1 until mid-January and also had another winning streak of five games during the year.

The CMU men’s basketball team started the 2016-17 season ranked No. 23 in the nation among NAIA Division I programs and finished the year 17-14 and in seventh place in the 14-team Heart of America Athletic Conference race with a 14-12 record. The Eagles qualified for yet another Heart postseason tournament. CMU fell in the opening round to Missouri Valley College, 88-87, in Puckett Field House. The Eagles averaged 82.6 points a game on the season, connecting on 46.5% of their field goals.

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Athletics Two members of the squad earned NAIA All-American honors. Junior guard DaJonee Hale was named to the second team, while sophomore forward Lexie Moe was Honorable Mention All-American. Both players were also named First-Team Heart of America All-Conference, as well. Hale averaged 18.5 points, which ranked ninth in the nation, and 4.8 rebounds a game. Moe poured in 16.1 points and pulled down 6.9 boards. She ranked 15th in the nation in free throw percentage, converting 82.4 percent.

Junior guard Ana Borges received honorable mention all-conference.

along the way. He went on to the national meet and set two personal bests, in the pole vault and the 1,000 meter run. Senior Kiven Steitz won the pole vault at the Heart meet and qualified for the national indoor meet in the event. As a team, the Eagles placed eighth at the Heart Indoor Track & Field Meet.

Outdoor track highlights included: Gandy winning the 400 meters and placing second in the javelin at the CMU Invitational, along with Hutcherson winning the 5,000 meter race walk; Steitz winning the pole vault and clearing the national qualifying ‘A’ standard at the Gourley Open in Liberty, Mo.; sophomore Josh Broadus clearing the national ‘B’ standard in the pole vault at the Gourley Open; Gandy setting the CMU record for points in the decathlon when he scored 6,448 points at the Kansas Open. Five members of the men’s outdoor track team qualified for the NAIA Championships in May. Peyton Besand, Josh Broaddus and Kiven Steitz advanced in the pol vault; Drew Gandy moved on in the decathlon; and Doug Hutcherson made the trip in the 5,000 meters race walk.

WOMEN’S INDOOR/OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

The Eagles advanced at the national tournament when they defeated 14th-ranked Biola University, 52-49, in the opening round. CMU fell to Number four-ranked Lindsey Wilson College, 89-72, in the second round.

CMU freshman Pearl Morgan qualified for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships in the 400 meters when she won the Heart Indoor title in the event with a time of 58.62.

She ran a 59.19 at nationals and placed 16th.

MEN’S INDOOR/OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD

Several members of the Central Methodist men’s indoor track & field team qualified for the NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships in Johnson, Tennessee in 2016-17. Senior Doug Hutcherson captured his sixth overall All-American status and third in the 3,000 meter race walk when he set his season best at 13:48.34 at the national meet. He also captured the event at the Heart of America Track & Field Meet for the third time. Senior Drew Gandy won the Heart of America heptathlon, while setting two school records

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Athletics She also finished third at the conference meet in the 200 meters and as a part of the 4x400 meter relay. Sophomore Hannah Smith placed second with a person-best at the league meet. Hannah Smith finished second in the conference in the triple jump. As a team, the Eagles placed eighth at the Heart Indoor Track

COMPETITIVE DANCE

& Field Meet. Outdoor track highlights include: The Eagles senior Allyson Ng winning the 10,000 meter run at the Dewey Allgood Invitational. Ng also advanced to the NAIA Outdoor Track & Feld Championships in the half marathon.

Competing for the first time as a sanctioned NAIA sport, the CMU Dance team made the most of its opportunity and finished 10th at the first-ever NAIA Competitive Cheer & Dance National Championships in Oklahoma City in early March. The Eagles qualified for nationals by finishing fourth at the NAIA Qualifying Competition in Belleville, Ill. They finished fourth at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships in Fayette in early February.

Two members of the team, junior Savanna Nault and freshman Kadee Dempsey were named NAIA Honorable Mention All-Americans. Nault was also named as a Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete.

MEN’S & WOMEN’S GOLF

The CMU men’s and women’s golf teams battled through a tough non-conference schedule, with individuals boasting improved scores as the year went on. Freshman Kyle

CO-ED CHEER

The co-ed cheer team won the NAIA Regular Season Competition held at Grand View University and placed second at the Northwest Regional Preview the next week during the squad’s strong season. At the Heart Championships, the Eagles placed second out of nine teams to advance to the playoffs. CMU just missed qualifying for the nationals at the Southeast Regional Qualifier. The team had three DaktronicsNAIA Scholar Athletes. They include senior Emily Hodges, senior Mackenzie HusteadFranklin, and junior Christina Schatz.

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Athletics Sachs shot rounds of 76 and 79 at the CMU Eagle Open to place 30th in the event. Senior Jamie Gisburne played well at the tournament, placing eighth in the women’s medalist competition. Both teams were improving as they made their way toward their respective conference tournament, with the men hosting the Heart of America Athletic Conference tourney at the Hail Ridge Golf Course in Boonville, Mo.

BASEBALL – 37-13; 21-9

It was a season of firsts for the baseball team, as the team received its first-ever national ranking in the second poll of the season when it soared in at No. 14. CMU moved up to No. 10 by the next poll and reached a high of No. 5 and were sitting at the top of the Southern Division standings as the regular season wound down. In addition to the national recognition, CMU held the longest active winning streak during the regular season when it ran off 20 straight wins between February 19 and March 31. The team lost more than two straight games only three times during the year. The Eagles finished the regular season ranked ninth in the nation among NAIA teams in batting average (.347). Senior Dustyn Macaluso ranked third in total hits (81), eighth in batting average (.453) and 12th in hits per game (1.27) and 14 in runs scored per game (1.26). He led the team with 81 hits in the regular season, including 10 home runs, two triples, 15 doubles and 81 total hits. Senior Zach Beckner drove in a team-high 62 runs during the regular season

as the Eagles attempted to capture back-toback conference tournament titles. The Eagles advanced to the NAIA opening round in May for the consecutive season, traveling to Lawrenceville, Ga., for a chance to move on to the program’s first World Series trip.

SOFTBALL – 26-20; 17-13 Heart

After capturing their sixth consecutive Heart of America Athletic Conference championship in 2016, the CMU softball team had an upand-down spring as they battled the weather as much as anything. The Eagles, who started the season ranked No. 20 in the nation, headed into the conference tournament with a 26-20 record, finishing the regular season in third place in the Southern Division with a 17-13 league mark. CMU was just three games out of

first at the end of the regular season.

Freshman Hannah Steeby finished the regular season ranked 11th nationally in triples (5) and 31st in total bases (102), while junior Erin Enke ranked 22nd in innings pitched per game (5.99), and 33rd in lowest opposing batting average (.205). Sophomore Sydnie Harmon had the highest batting average, hitting .381. Steeby and senior Alyssa Lilly both drove in team-high 43 runs. Steeby connected with nine home runs to lead the team, and also pounded out 14 doubles.

CMU had winning streaks of seven and five during the regular season.

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Athletics

INDIVIDUAL / TEAM AWARDS FOOTBALL

Adrian Gutierrez

Heart of America – All-Southern Division Players Keenan Honore – 2nd Team Offense Damien Stevens – 2nd Team Defense Adam Weiland – Honorable Mention Offense Dillon Britt – Honorable Mention Offense Caleb Bedford – Honorable Mention Offense Heart Players of the Week Caleb Bedford (Offensive POW)

MEN’S SOCCER

Heart of America All-Conference Adrian Gutierrez – 1st Team Ricardo Olaya – 2nd Team Jackson Darnell – 2nd Team Joseph Oswin – 3rd Team Heart Players of the Week Cameron Metcalfe

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Heart of America All-Conference Nicki Noreen – 1st Team Rebecca Steele-Mackey – 3rd Team Lady Tiriat – 3rd Team Judith Sainz – 3rd Team Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Megan Bremer Jenny Retzlaff Rebecca Steele-Mackey Lady Tiriat Heart Players of the Week Ashlynn Freeman (Defensive POW) - twice Nicki Noreen (Offensive POW) - twice Judith Sainz (Offensive POW)

VOLLEYBALL

AVCA All-Midwest Region / HM All-American Madison Bond Heart of America All-Conference Allison Jones-Olson (Coach of the Year) Madison Bond – 1st Team Erin Dodd – 1st Team Darcy Latham – 2nd Team Caitlin Petty – Honorable Mention Petra Schaffer – Honorable Mention Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Katelyn Waddell Miranda Dahman Melody Hanson Madison Bond Darcy Latham Erin Dodd Heart Players of the Week Erin Dodd (Defender of Week) - twice Caitlin Petty (Setter of Week)

MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Michael Neeley Heart Runner of the Week Elliott Knernshield

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INDIVIDUAL / TEAM AWARDS WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

Kiven Steitz

WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK

Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Rachel Howieson Veronica Hancock Allyson Ng Heart of America All-Conference Allyson Ng – Honorable Mention Heart Runner of the Week Allyson Ng Sarah Kurpjuweit

Heart of America Individual Champions Pearl Morgan – 400m Heart Athlete of Week Pearl Morgan

COMPETITIVE CHEER

MEN’S BASKETBALL NAIA Division I All-American Ron Lee, Jr. – 3rd Team Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Scott Stegeman Zach Adams Heart of America All-Conference Ron Lee, Jr. – 1st Team Cole Adair – 2nd Team Charles Harris III – Honorable Mention Heart Player of Week Ron Lee – twice Cole Adair

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NAIA Division I All-American DaJonee Hale – 2nd Team Lexie Moe – Honorable Mention Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Allison Hines Heart of America All-Conference DaJonee Hale – 1st Team Lexie Moe – 1st Team Ana Borges – Honorable Mention Heart Player of Week Lexie Moe - twice DaJonee Hale

Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Emily Hodges Mackenzie Hustead-Franklin Christina Schatz

COMPETITIVE DANCE NAIA All-Americans Savanna Nault – Honorable Mention Kadee Dempsey – Honorable Mention Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Savanna Nault

BASEBALL

Heart Player of Week C.J. Martin (Pitcher of Week) Zach Beckner (Player of Week) Dariel Checo (Pitcher of Week) Dustyn Macaluso (Player of Week)

SOFTBALL

Heart Athlete of Week Alyssa Lilly (Player of Week) Erin Enke (Pitcher of Week)

MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK Heart Athlete of Week Jarien Horton (Field Athlete of Week)

MEN’S INDOOR TRACK NAIA All-American Doug Hutcherson Heart of America Individual Champions Doug Hutcherson – 3,000m race walk Drew Gandy - Heptathlon Heart Athlete of Week Drew Gandy

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Campus News

WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK Heart Athlete of Week Theresa Zehnle (Track Athlete of Week)

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Interdisciplinary simulation delivers dramatic, real-life experiences

By Maggie Gebhardt, media content specialist

Their hearts were racing as they looked up, dropped everything, and quickly responded to an injured athlete lying very still -- flat on his back – near the goal line on Central Methodist University’s football field.

At least that was the delicate situation for several groups of CMU health professions students on Friday, March 10, as they played their part in an all-day interdisciplinary simulation. The experience was designed to put students’ education and training into action—providing a glimpse into real-life, critical circumstances they’ll soon likely encounter as professional health care providers.

Students from CMU’s four health care areas - athletic training, nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy - participated. They were completely on their own – providing treatment and doing their part in the process, as faculty carefully observed and critiqued their actions.

Each hour of the day focused around 15 students from the four areas undergoing a mock crisis situation. When they weren’t performing, they observed other groups, ab-

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sorbing the full circle in a way they never had before.

“Anytime someone is the recipient of health care, they are being treated by more than one discipline,” says Megan Hess, CMU associate professor of nursing and chair of its Health Professions division. “Disciplines are taught from different perspectives, so the more familiar they are with each other, the more coordinated, seamless, better care they can give.”

Each scene kicked off with athletic training majors responding to the report of an injury victim – played by a fellow CMU student. Utilizing their education and training, they swiftly moved in to analyze the situation and provide the first level of care.

“This is more realistic than some of our other scenarios because this is all us,” says CMU junior Madison Clark, an athletic training major from Independence. “We’re eventually going to be the ones who have to make these decisions, so I like that CMU puts us in these situations.”

As part of the procedure, the athletic training stu-

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CMU athletic training students (left) give medical treatment to a fellow student who played the part of an injured athlete during the simulation. Nursing students (above) rush their patient into the Simulation Lab for treatment.

dents even called 9-1-1. Fortunately, Fayette’s Emergency Medical Services were in on the performance. They took it seriously for the benefit of the students’ educational experience.

Blaring sirens and all, EMS arrived at the scene of the simulated injury, and later transported the victim by ambulance to CMU’s Thogmorton Center for Allied Health, where nursing students were prepared to step in and take over.

“We’re pretty lucky with our resources here,” says CMU junior Danielle Grucky, a nursing student from Phoenix, Ariz. “A real-life situation like this is so beneficial and it makes it easier for us when we’re in clinicals.”

After athletic training and nursing care had been provided for the victim, the scene jumped to two days after the initial injury. This is when the patient underwent either physical therapy or occupational therapy – often final steps in the treatment process.

Austin Horn, a sophomore Occupational Therapy Assistant major from Harrisburg, says he had a step-bystep procedure ready, but when it actually came time to act, nothing went according to plan – much like what could occur in real life. “We had to adjust,” he adds. “We came in and the patient was on the floor, so we had to

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work together to figure out how to get him in bed.”

Having already obtained his bachelor’s degree in Business, Tanner Fuemmeler, a junior from Slater, is currently pursuing an additional Physical Therapist Assistant degree. He spoke about the benefits of observing the other health care areas in action.

“Up until this point, we’ve mainly been working just with ourselves and never really had interaction with nurses or anything like that,” Fuemmeler says. “It’s good to see those sides; it really gives you some insight.”

The interdisciplinary simulation was a first for CMU, and it proved not only successful, but extremely beneficial.

As a college student, it’s easy to become consumed in one’s own area of study – sometimes forgetting other important pieces that may come into play when out in the real world.

This event granted an overall understanding of how health care focuses are undoubtedly linked – and why that link is so very crucial.

“This is the first time CMU has done an allied health interdisciplinary simulation, but we hope to see many more events like this,” says Hope Taylor, CMU nursing skills lab coordinator. “There has already been talk of one that will encompass six to eight CMU majors, and we’re very excited about that.”

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Holocaust Remembrance Day: remembering the unimaginable

By Maggie Gebhardt, Media Content Specialist

It’s been described as too horrific to imagine. The stories told by those who witnessed it cast chills down the spines of those who listen. The echoes of the screams, pain, and loss still awaken floods of tears. Gruesome devastation.

The Holocaust was a time of seizure, persecution, and destruction of the Jewish people during World War II. Grisly deaths were piloted by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, which resulted in millions of innocent lives lost through torture, mass killings, and starvation.

As part of a nationwide effort to honor those affected, CMU recently hosted “Holocaust Remembrance Day,” which featured informational displays, a living window (below), guest speakers, song, and dance in CMU’s Linn Memorial Church on the Fayette campus.

Catherine Shanahan, CMU executive assistant to the president, developed and coordinated Remembrance Day. She came up with the idea last year, and after a successful first run, made this year’s event bigger, bolder, and more expressive.

“I am a Christian, but I have a deep affection and in-

A living window reflects how Jewish people were captured and imprisoned in train cars or cattle trucks.

terest in Israel and the Jewish people,” Shanahan explains.

“The idea has been well-received with all that’s been going on in our state, the nation, and the world with antiSemitic behavior.”

Shanahan says looking back on events of the past, like the Holocaust, is not only necessary, but an obligation and social responsibility for the human race.

“It’s a humanity issue and we need to educate ourselves,” she says. “We really have to look at what’s happened in the past, or we’re subject to repeat those things.”

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outside of CMU, including Rabbi Schmu’el Wolkenfeld of Or Haolam Messianic Congregation in Overland Park, Kan., who led the Chapel service that took place before the event began.

A welcome message was given by CMU President Roger Drake, who introduced Mike Schmid, director of the Kansas City March of Remembrance. Schmid showed video footage and spoke of the importance of remembrance, silence, and reflection on events of the Holocaust.

Remembrance Day also featured guest speaker Kerstin Haack of Kansas City, a native of Germany, whose grandfather was a Nazi.

“I wish I didn’t have to stand here today representing the perpetrators – the ones responsible for all hell breaking loose on an entire continent,” she said. “Who could still like us Germans after all that has happened? It was just disgusting – the way we used our strengths, organization and leadership, to systematically eradicate the joyful and thriving culture of six million beautiful people, and many more.”

Haack shared an emotional story of her family, holding back tears as she apologized for what her grandfather and others had done.

“My grandfather was a very quiet man,” she says.

“My mother said he never talked about what he saw during those years – the veil of silence. His children believed he didn’t do anything wrong.”

She read aloud memories that her mother had written about those times, and spoke about how most of her family was unaware of, or tried to deny, the man her grandfather really was.

“To those affected by the Holocaust, I want to say thank you so much for being here today,” she said. “I’m aware of the fact that reconciliation cannot be forced, but I want to tell you from the bottom of my heart, I am so very sorry.”

Dramatic Truth, a Kanas City-area ballet theatre, then delivered a commemorative performance that left the audience in numbed silence. Six dancers – three representing Nazis, and three representing Jews – told the story of the Holocaust with only their body language, grace, and talent.

Their routine was an original, choreographed piece that depicted concentration camps, the Jewish life, Nazism, and liberation. Dramatic scenes included two of the Jews dragged into a gas chamber, screaming as they were murdered, and one Jew surviving, and being liberated by a British soldier.

Artistic director Liz Dimmel said after the routine was choreographed, the dancers were “never the same,” stating that designing such a dance was emotional and

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life-changing.

At the end of the performance, CMU’s Chorale joined the dancers, lining up in front of the church to sing “Avinu Malkeinu,” an ancient Jewish prayer typically recited during Jewish services and that was put to music.

“This is about education and getting people connected. It’s not only about the intellectual side – it’s about the heart,” Shanahan says. “That’s why I brought in music and sensory experiences, because I want them to connect in a lot of different ways.”

And connect they did. Stillness blanketed the audience and eyes filled with tears – an indication that the event was an undeniable success. In closing, everyone in attendance stood and applauded Shanahan, who held back tears, herself, as she thanked them for coming.

“I hope everyone walks away realizing this isn’t something just Jewish people care about,” she says. “We should all be concerned, and we should all be connected.”

Local WWII Vet shares Holocaust “It’s hard to talk about,” he says, as tears filled his eyes. “I’m okay, though. I’ll be okay in a minute.”

The 93-year-old World War II veteran steadily gripped his inner strength – the same strength that carried him through all he witnessed while at war and can never, ever forget.

Harry Reed of Glasgow surprised many when he arrived at CMU’s “Holocaust Remembrance Day.” Guests lined up to shake his hand, and look at photos and documentation of his time in war. They thanked him for his service, and intently listened as he shared memories of liberating slave laborers at Nordhausen – a German concentration camp that claimed thousands of innocent lives during the Holocaust.

Reed was in the Army’s “Spearhead,” Third Armored Division, 83rd Armored Reconnaissance Battalion. In 1945, when his group came upon the Nordhausen camp, they had no idea what to expect. Reed says he approached with his general, and several other generals, all who

Six dancers – three representing Nazis, and three representing Jews – told the story of the Holocaust through dance, presented

by Dramatic Truth, a Kansas City Ballet troupe.

couldn’t believe what their eyes were seeing.

“There were 3,000 dead bodies just lying there, and I was one of the first ones there to see it,” Reed says. “They were the slave laborers who worked there. They’d get three ounces of bread and a little cup of soup a day. They all starved to death.”

“How do I know? Because that’s me right there,” he says, pointing to a photo of the tragic scene, where he is visible walking through the piles of dead, decaying bodies.

“It gets to you,” he continues, as he recalls the experience. “You couldn’t imagine what the smell was.”

Reed says he remembers seeing the faces of those still barely alive, who were being held behind a fence.

“We were told not to feed them. They had been starving for so long, that if we fed them right then, we’d kill them,” he says. But approximately half of those still living – that they transported to nearby hospitals – died anyway, for it was too late.

The veteran recalls himself and his fellow soldiers noticing thick, black smoke nearby. “About five to 10 miles north of there, at camp Dora, we saw this big smoke coming up. We thought maybe there were airplanes bombing up there,” he says. “But we went up and saw big furnaces – they were burning all of them. They’d bring ‘em in truckloads, trainloads, everything, and just set them on fire. That was the black smoke.”

The memories, still so vivid in his mind, were branded there when he was only 19-years-old. “It’s still really hard for me, and I try not to think about it,” he says. “It’s something you can never really forget.”

World War II Veteran Harry Reed shared stories of his time in war – specifically, his memories of helping liberate the concentration camp, Nordhausen, where he discovered more than 3,000 dead bodies.

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Solar eclipse to be celebrated at CMU screen so you can watch and see the moon block out the light from the sun,” he adds.

It will be completely dark during the total eclipse time.

Central is planning music during the event, perhaps including live band and choir music.

The total eclipse itself will last two minutes and 31 seconds. Partial eclipse begins at 11:44:56 a.m., Fayette time. Total eclipse begins at 1:11:28 p.m. and ends at 1:13:59 p.m. The partial eclipse will then end at 2:29:19 p.m.

It’s nearly party time at Central!

Central is set to celebrate a once-in-a-lifetime event this summer, the total eclipse of the sun directly over Fayette, Missouri. Plans continue to develop as the event nears and the excitement builds.

The Eclipse Party will run from 11 a.m.–2 p.m., Aug. 21. Central’s fall classes will have begun by then, but they will be cancelled from 1-2 p.m. to allow all students, faculty, and staff to observe the moon fully engulfing the sun. Lunch will be served outside the Morrison Observatory, which will be open before, during, and after the eclipse. Activities will encompass President Drake’s yard and the city park as well.

Central has already ordered 2,000 special viewing glasses for the students and guests, including Fayette Public School children who will be coming to make the eclipse a collaborative learning event.

Dr. Kendal Clark, CMU assistant professor of physics and director of the Morrison Observatory, says the department will be having chemistry, biology, and physics demonstrations and displays for all who want to be involved. “We will have the observatory open with displays that will tell about the eclipse,” says Dr. Clark, “and possibly a video to explain more about it.”

Solar telescopes will be set up so people can view the sun before the total eclipse occurs.

“The image of the sun will also be projected on a

Central Methodist University donated 700 pieces of protective eyewear to the Fayette Public Schools, to be used Aug. 21 during the total solar eclipse. On hand for the presentation were (front from left) Kaleb Friebe, Kaleigh Sullivan, Kristian Pulliam, Tricia Blake, and Aven Bange, and (back row from left) CMU Assistant Dean of Student Engagement Mark Stone, FHS Superintendent Tamara Kimball, and CMU Vice President Ken Oliver.

Join Something Special!

The 1854 Society recognizes those who are committed to supporting the Central Annual Scholarship Fund by giving $1,000 or more in a fiscal year (July 1- June 30).

Members of the 1854 Society partner with Central to help provide a bright future for our students.

Join today!

Learn more by contacting Jackie Jackson at 660-248-6239 or at 1854society@centralmethodist.edu

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CMU lives its mission “Central Methodist University prepares students to make a difference in the world by emphasizing academic and professional excellence, ethical leadership, and social responsibility.”

Central Methodist University Mission Current and past Central Methodist University students, have a powerful mission statement to lead them forward. It doesn’t refer to making money or developing high-powered positions in life. Rather, it talks about making the world a better place.

This mission is seen in the interactions among faculty, students, and staff, reflecting a rich, cohesive group of supportive people who want the best for everyone from campus to the world. In addition to practicing support in the classroom, students and alumni have chances throughout the year to put their mission into practice in an equally practical manner. Three of those opportunities are Giving Tuesday, CMU Service Day, and Central Serves.

Ken Oliver, CMU vice president of institutional growth and student engagement. There were about 50 different projects going on, including 10 on Central’s campus.

Giving Tuesday

The last formal service activity of the year was Central Serves, this year corresponding with Earth Day on April 22. Central Serves encourages alumni, wherever they are, to take part or all of a Saturday to help their own community on behalf of Central Methodist University. More than 80 hardy alumni, students, and friends volunteered more than 100 man-hours to the program.

Volunteer projects were accomplished from Nevada to Pennsylvania to Florida, a total of 12 states. Central alumni in Guam and in Liberia also gave their time for service projects, including cleaning up beaches and communities, updating Sunday school rooms, helping neighbors, and working at thrift stores and food pantries.

“Central Methodist alumni and friends play a huge role in helping to shape the growth and development of this institution,” says Meagan Davis, assistant director of special projects and coordinator for Central Serves.

“Through Central Serves they continue to set great examples for current and prospective students by exemplifying Central’s mission of living lives of service and leadership.”

On the Tuesday following Thanksgiving is a day of charity created to offset the spending explosion known as Black Friday, which offers the chance for people to support non-profit groups and organizations. This was Central’s second year to embrace the day. This year a goal of $25,000 was set to be raised for the students of CMU. An anonymous donor offered to match that much IF Central could raise it.

When all was said and done, Central had secured gifts that well surpassed the minimum amount. The total raised was $68,220 in one day, money which will go toward helping students pay for college through CMU’s Central Annual Scholarship Fund.

CMU Service Day

In what has become an annual rite of spring for Central students, faculty, and staff, classes were cancelled on April 6 for the yearly excitement that is Service Day. Service Day is currently sponsored by CMU’s Center for Faith and Service. Student volunteers go out into the nearby towns to help individuals and organizations with non-profit needs. Jobs are many and varied, from cleaning out basements to raking leaves, from building playground equipment to working at assorted food pantries.

“Service Day models our mission and vision here at CMU,” points out Kiona Sinks, the current president of Central’s African-American Student Union. “It’s important to take a day not only to think about our academics, but also our values outside of CMU.” A record number of 820 volunteers donated an estimated 2,200 hours of service this spring, according to

Above, Mokers pull limbs out of a creek on Service Day. Right, Dave Bandy ’66 and Laura Blair ’86 volunteer at a thrift shop during Central Serves.

Central Serves

Paying it forward

Jay ’86 and Dee Dee ’88 Shelton, Jefferson City, Mo. “We both came from very supportive families, so we were very secure in our early years. We feel that the years 1822, the time we spent at Central, are the most formative and significant years of your life, or at least they were for us.

We left the security of our home, we were standing at the precipice of becoming self-sufficient adults, and there were four years in there we had to develop how we were going to do that. For us, Central gave us the mechanism to do that.

Central gave us enough security that we never felt alone, and yet we had the freedom to explore and develop into the people we eventually became. Plus, we met each other and decided to spend a life together!

So, because Central was so significant a player in the most significant, formative years of our lives, we don’t look at this as giving, or making a gift; to us it’s more like paying back. We owe Central something for being such an important part of our lives. And now, circumstances have given us the opportunity to repay. It’s a way for us to pay it forward and hopefully those people that come along behind us will have those same kinds of opportunities.”

Jay and Dee Dee have made Central a part of their plan. In 2016 they created a Hall of Sponsors Scholarship, in recognition of Dee Dee and her sister Susan ’86 Hart’s experiences as first generation students at Central Methodist. With their new fund at CMU, the Shelton and Hart families hope to make an impact on students now, and experience the joy of knowing the students whose lives they’ll be helping transform. edu.

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Questions about giving? Contact Advancement and Alumni Relations at 660.248.6232 or advance@centralmethodist.

Spring 2017

The Magazine of Central Methodist University

The Talon

Thank You!

Central is able to provide our students an education that prepares them to make a difference in the world because of your investment in our mission.

Thank you for your continued generousity!

Spring 2017

The Magazine of Central Methodist University

The Talon

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