FHSU ROAR Magazine | Spring / Summer 2022 by Fort Hays State University

ROAR

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE

Vol. 6 Issue 2 Spring/Summer 2022

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT Meet Megan LaRocque

Megan is a senior graphic design student from Cawker City, Kansas. She earned firstplace honors and a scholarship in the 28th Annual Pencil Project Portfolio review in May 2022. The Pencil Project is an annual competition sponsored by the advertising agency Leo Burnett, Chicago. Megan is spending this summer working as an intern for the agency. The work depicted on this page includes original designs from her portfolio.

TABLE OF CONTENTS ROAR MAGAZINE | Vol. 6 Issue 2 | SPRING/SUMMER 2022

02 03

14 18

FROM THE PRESIDENT CAMPUS NEWS

TIGER ATHLETICS

“MAGICAL”

A CLEAR ADVANTAGE

LIGHTS, CAMERA, COFFEE

CENTER STAGE

LIFE-CHANGING

FHSU alum partners with alma mater

The power of experiential learning

Alums bring Kansas values to hit TV show

20 26

Singers headline 80th Pearl Harbor Commemoration

Sisters find the land of opportunity at FHSU

SCHOLARSHIP, RESEARCH, CREATIVITY Heinrichs’ legacy lives on

30 34

FACULTY FORUM

120 YEARS OF FHSU

ALUMNI NEWS

A history of Russian aggression in Ukraine

From humble beginnings to global learning

38 41

TIGER NOTES

FROM THE PRESIDENT ON THE COVER: Fort Hays

Singers Katy Walters, Nathan Weis, and Sarah Wise at the USS Bowfin Submarine Museum and Park in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Dear Friends, June of this year marked the 120th anniversary of Fort Hays State University. The story of this university is the story of generations of persistent, innovative, and caring people who took ownership of the decaying remains of an old frontier cavalry fort and built a comprehensive public university on the high plains that forever changed the lives and fortunes of Kansans.

Photo by Luke D’Agostino

INTRODUCTIONS Editor in Chief Scott Cason Managing Editor Diane Gasper-O’Brien Senior Editor Boyce Durr Graphic Designer Meghan Oliver Writers Scott Cason Diane Gasper-O’Brien Dr. Boyce Durr Dr. Amber Nickell Brian Gribben Photographers Trever Rohn Meghan Oliver Bob Duffy Brecken Preitauer Contributors FHSU Alumni Association FHSU Athletics FHSU Foundation

CONNECT Fort Hays State University @FortHaysState @FortHaysState FortHaysState

In this issue of ROAR Magazine, Brian Gribben, the coordinator of government documents and special collections in Forsyth Library, shares the story of the university’s first two decades, with a particular focus on the visionary builders who left their mark on the arc of our institutional history. This university is blessed with accomplished and passionate faculty at FHSU who can bring extensive knowledge and lived experiences to thoughtful discussions about the opportunities and challenges we face as individuals and as a nation. In this issue of ROAR Magazine, we will introduce a new and recurring feature. The “Faculty Forum” will allow our experts to share their views on current issues and newsworthy topics. Dr. Amber Nickell, an associate professor of history in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences, has lived and studied extensively in Ukraine. Much of her research focuses on the history of the diverse religious, ethnic, and political groups who live in a region of eastern Europe that has known conflict and war for centuries. Dr. Nickell shares a historical perspective on this subject in this first Faculty Forum column. The stories in ROAR Magazine are written to engage and enthuse our readers. In this issue, you will read about remarkable people continuing the legacy that began here more than a century ago. This issue is rich with examples of Tigers living lives of distinction and purpose – the engaged global citizen-leaders who personify the mission of this university. Thank you for your belief in the power of this institution and its people to transform lives. Kind regards,

ROAR Magazine is published twice a year by the Office of University Communications at Fort Hays State University. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to the FHSU Alumni Association at One Tiger Place, Hays, KS 67601-3767

Tisa Mason, Ed.D., CAE President ROAR

| 02 |

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

CAMPUS NEWS FHSU welcomes new medical director In January 2022, Dr. Jeffery “Jeff” Curtis, MD, joined the Health and Wellness Services team at Fort Hays State University as its new medical director. He replaced Dr. Dallas Richards, who served as medical director for 30 years. As the medical director, Curtis oversees medical clinic operations and works closely with campus academic and student affairs partners to support student wellness, health, and safety. “We are honored that Dr. Curtis chose to come home to FHSU and continue his remarkable career in medicine at his alma mater,” FHSU President Tisa Mason said. “He is the epitome of the engaged global citizen that is the hallmark of so many of our graduates. For more than 20 years, he has provided invaluable leadership, generosity, and service as a FHSU Foundation executive board member.” Curtis’ ties to Fort Hays State are deep and span decades and generations in his family. His father and mother attended FHSU and were married on the same day they graduated in 1950. As a boy, Curtis grew up a block from the FHSU campus and spent many days playing football and basketball on the Tiger football practice field and in Sheridan Coliseum. After graduating from Fort Hays State in 1977, Curtis went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He then completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Very early in his medical career, Curtis was a 1987 recipient of the FHSU Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Award. In 1988, he and his wife, Connie, decided to return to Kansas. “We wanted to come home to a

FHSU Medical Director Dr. Jeffery Curtis (center) and family

place we are comfortable, a place where family comes first,” Curtis said. At the time, there was no opportunity for Curtis to practice cardiology in Hays, so the family settled in Topeka, where they spent the next 14 years. When an opportunity opened at Hays Medical Center in 2002, Curtis was able to bring his family to Hays. He worked as a cardiologist and director of cardiology services at HaysMed for the next 19 years and retired in August 2021. “It’s been a privilege to practice medicine for two decades in the town where I grew up,” he said. “I’ve never needed to attend any high school or homecoming events, because my job kept me connected to lifelong friends.” As he began to look for his next professional challenge after retirement, Curtis found FHSU’s new integrated Health and Wellness Services model particularly appealing. He plans to draw on the experience of nurse practitioners, nurses, and other clinical professionals as he learns more about

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 03 |

fhsu.edu/news

the new approach to wellness. He also looks forward to sharing his extensive medical knowledge as a teacher in the clinic and the university’s nursing program. A long-serving member of the FHSU Foundation’s executive committee, Curtis currently serves as the nominating committee chair for the Foundation. He is also a Wooster Society member, a 20-year donor, and a Leadership Circle member. Jeff and Connie Curtis are the parents of three, including son Christian, a graduate student at FHSU; and daughter Cathryn, a graduate of the FHSU BSN nursing program and a graduate in the first class of BSN to DNP doctorate of nursing practice program. She currently serves as a nurse practitioner at HaysMed’s Family Medicine Clinic. Son Carter passed away in 2020. Cathryn and her husband, A.J. Preisner, are the parents of Jeff’s and Connie’s four grandchildren.

CAMPUS NEWS Students and alumni honored with Kansas Horizon Education Award Thirty-two first-year educators from Kansas were recognized for their outstanding teaching skills through the 2022 Kansas Horizon Award program. Six of those are either current Fort Hays State University students or recent graduates of FHSU. The Kansas Horizon Award program is sponsored by the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE). All school districts across the state have the opportunity to nominate one elementary and one secondary teacher for the award. The program, in its 20th year, is divided into four regions corresponding to the state’s U.S. congressional districts. Four elementary and four secondary classroom teachers are selected from each region. FHSU was well represented in Region 1, with half of the winners having ties to Fort Hays State. That is especially impressive since that region corresponds with Kansas’ Big First District, which encompasses all or part of 63 counties in western and northern Kansas – more than half of the state. 2022 Horizon Award winners with FHSU connections: From Region 1: Lindsey Kepka, Hutchinson Virtual School; Christine Pianalto, McPherson High School; Katelyn Stoss, Plum Creek Elementary School; Jazzman Tolbert, Graber Elementary School From Region 2: Mellisa Wilson, Central Heights Elementary School

From Region 4: Kassie Campidilli, Goddard High School

FHSU Online among the best in the nation Fort Hays State University is celebrating its 111th anniversary of distance learning as one of the best online programs in the nation. FHSU Online continues as a national leader in providing highquality and affordable online education to students in Kansas and across the globe. Distance education at FHSU began in 1911 when the university delivered correspondence coursework to rural teachers through the mail. In their most recent rankings, U.S. News & World Report recognized FHSU as among the best in the nation in six different online education categories. Fort Hays State’s online programs were among more than 1,700 programs reviewed by U.S. News. Heading that list in 2022 was FHSU’s online master’s in nursing program, which was ranked in the top 30 – 29th among the top 179 schools ranked. The latest U.S. News ranking also placed Fort Hays State 31st for its online master’s in education programs for veterans. ROAR

| 04 |

FHSU’s online bachelor’s in business program ranked 61st among 228 programs. Three other online programs were also mentioned among the nation’s best: master’s in education, bachelor’s programs for veterans, and online bachelor’s programs.

Sky Sprayers business plan soars The Faulkner Challenge is an annual competition in the Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship for developing innovative business plans. One of this year’s competitors, Tyler Preisser, is the driving force behind the Sky Sprayers, a breakthrough agricultural drone concept that he hopes will revolutionize the crop-spraying process. Preisser leveraged his idea to recruit four other students to join him in preparing the business plan for competition. Preisser, along with teammates Chance Fuhrman, John GamezRamos, Wyatt Cyr, and Kole West, earned second-place honors and a check for $3,000 in this year’s contest,

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

but the team was not content to rest on it’s laurels. In April, the team entered the Sky Sprayers plan in the University of Missouri-Kansas City-sponsored Regnier Venture Creation Challenge. They took home the Outstanding Undergraduate Venture award and $2,500. Preisser, now the sole proprietor behind the initiative, has never stopped hustling. His Sky Sprayers plan recently won first place and $1,500 in the 2022 “Hot Pitches” competition. This competition was sponsored by Sigma Tau Nu, a national entrepreneurship honor society with 45 chapters on university campuses all across the United States, including Fort Hays State University. As part of the winner’s package, Sigma Nu Tau will also provide Preisser with a professional mentor.

FHSU recognized again as Military Friendly School Fort Hays State University was recently recognized for its investment in programs that improve the educational experience of its militaryconnected student community, earning the 2022-23 Military Friendly School designation from militaryfriendly.com. FHSU earned “Silver” recognition in this year’s survey, a significant advancement over last year’s survey placement on the 2021-22 list of 747 Military Friendly Schools. Institutions earning the Military Friendly School Award designation were evaluated using public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. Over 1,800 schools participated in the 2022-

23 survey, and 665 schools earned awards level designations in Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Erica Fisher, director of FHSU’s Transfer & Military Center, points to the university’s expanded investment in recent years to improve transition and academic experiences for service members, veterans, and their families. “In 2020, FHSU strengthened our commitment to supporting militaryconnected students and established the Transfer & Military Center,” Fisher said. “Since then, we’ve launched several initiatives aimed at improving the college experience for our military student populations, such as increasing military credit articulation and creating new scholarship opportunities. We are proud of this recognition and will continue our work to support our military-connected students.” Military-connected students at FHSU have access to a variety of benefits and resources to improve their student experience. These include unofficial transcript evaluations, transfer and military credit policies, and the ability to utilize their military tuition benefits at an accredited institution.

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 05 |

fhsu.edu/news

Student organization 3-peats as national champs Fort Hays State University’s chapter of the Technology and Engineering Education Collegiate Association (TEECA) continued its dominance in national competition this spring. At the annual International Technology and Engineering Education Association (ITEEA) conference in Orlando, Fla. in May, FHSU won three of the five nationally recognized individual events to claim co-championship all-around honors with Purdue University. With that performance, Fort Hays State became the ITEEA’s first three-peat national champion. Tiger Nation has placed in the top three in the all-around category every year (including four firsts) since the category was added to the competition in 2017. Fort Hays State has won 36 individual events in its 37 years of attending the national event. Fort Hays State placed first in live manufacturing, communications team video, teaching lesson, and STEM showcase this year. FHSU also placed third in the robotics competition but did not field a team in the problemsolving category. FHSU was also chosen for the Outstanding Chapter Award, and two Tigers were recognized with individual honors. President of Fort Hays State’s TEECA chapter, Micah Nuss,

CAMPUS NEWS was chosen for the Don Maley Spirit of Excellence Outstanding Undergraduate Student Citation. Eric Deneault, associate professor of applied technology, was honored as the Distinguished Technology and Engineering Professional.

FHSU announces rural teaching licensure grant The FHSU College of Education’s grant submission, “Science Teachers for Rural America - A Post-Baccalaureate STEM Teacher Licensure Project,” was awarded $1.2 million because of its innovative approach to creating a new and accelerated pathway to a teaching license for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree, and want to answer the call to serve as a teacher. “It is my view that the future of western Kansas – the future of much of rural Kansas – is determined by what happens at Fort Hays State University,” said U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran, who joined FHSU for an April news conference about the new grant. “This is one more example of this university stepping forward and making a difference across our region of Kansas.” Dr. Paul Adams, dean of the College of Education, described the

FHSU STEM licensure project as one that would focus on addressing the shortage of science teachers in rural Kansas by partnering with rural schools to respond to their unique needs. Candidates for the program are individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in a science content area (biology, geoscience, chemistry, or physics) who are looking to make a career change and enter the teaching profession. Candidates who enroll in the program will receive a stipend of approximately $23,000. The stipend covers the cost of completing the program band and offsets the financial burden for participants who may be relocating to the rural communities for field experiences. Program coursework will prepare future teachers for dealing with the unique circumstances of teaching math and science in rural schools. Many rural STEM teachers must teach multiple STEM disciplines and multiple grade levels. Courses within the program will also emphasize place-based teaching strategies to prepare participants to use their local environment and community as a resource in teaching across the STEM spectrum.

ROAR

| 06 |

University icon honored with naming of registrar’s suite The registrar’s suite at Fort Hays State University now has a new name. Late this past semester, those offices on the third floor of Picken Hall were named the Standlee V. Dalton Registrar’s Suite after the university’s legendary first registrar. The late Standlee V. Dalton was an icon of Fort Hays State. He joined the university faculty in 1935 as a biology instructor, teaching botany, biology, and bacteriology. As the university grew, there became a need for a fulltime registrar. Dalton was named the first registrar of FHSU in 1937, and he served in that capacity until his retirement in 1971. Dalton served Fort Hays State as registrar through four presidents and made friends with faculty, staff, administration, and students along the way. While in the biology department, Dalton shared an office with Lyman Wooster and stood as his best man at his wedding. Wooster went on to become the fourth president of FHSU in 1941. Dalton was also friends with

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

Dr. Morton Albertson and was considered a regular when it came to attending fossil digs with George Sternberg or helping in the apple orchard and faculty garden behind Custer Hall. Dalton was among the group that traveled to Gove County with Sternberg 70 years ago to successfully collect and bring the world-famous fish-within-a-fish fossil back to campus. The fossil now hangs in a prominent place in the Sternberg Museum of Natural History in northeast Hays. Dalton passed away in 2004 at the age of 103. His love for Fort Hays State was immense and will live on through those who knew him and in the naming of the Standlee V. Dalton Registrar’s Suite.

Updating the Memorial Union memorial plaque Fort Hays State University’s Memorial Union was built in 1958. A dedication service was held in October of that year, where the building was named in honor of former students who lost their lives in the defense of their country. In commemoration of the event, a plaque bearing the names of those brave Americans was installed. Twenty-five years later, the memorial was updated to include former students who lost their lives in conflicts up to – and including – the Vietnam War. The time has come for yet another update. If you or someone you know is aware

of any former FHSU students who died while serving their country since the Vietnam War and would like their name to appear on the memorial, contact Kelsi Broadway, assistant director of FHSU’s Transfer & Military Center, at knbroadway@fhsu.edu.

FHSU faculty make news Dr. Grady Dixon, dean of the Peter Werth College of Science, Technology and Mathematics, was quoted in a December New York Times article titled, “Examining the role of climate change in a week of wild weather.” Dixon is an expert in meteorology and climatology, and tornado climatology is one of his key research areas.

“Officers fatally shoot man holding box cutter in standoff on Nashville highway, police say.” Lynn is the co-director and regional director of the Regional De-escalation Training Center at Fort Hays State University. She is an expert on the use of de-escalation strategies as a means of lessening potential violence in law enforcement operations.

Dr. Amber Nickell, associate professor of history, was featured in a KWCH TV story and a Hays Daily News interview about the conflict in Ukraine. Nickell has extensive scholarly and personal experience living and working in Ukraine. Her research focuses on migration, diaspora, deportation, ethnic cleansing, the Holocaust and genocide, human rights, and internationalism.

Dr. Todd Moore, chair of the Department of Geosciences, was quoted in a New Orleans TimesPicayune article titled, “New Orleans-area tornadoes are not unusual, but warnings are improving, experts say.” Moore is an expert in severe weather, climate change, and variability.

Dr. Andrew Feldstein, assistant provost for Teaching Innovation and Learning Technologies (TILT), was recognized as an “Icon In Education” by Ingram’s Magazine. Feldstein was recognized for shaping and maintaining the teaching and learning ecosystem at FHSU during the most challenging days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Tamara Lynn, chair of the Department of Criminal Justice, was quoted in a Washington Post article titled, FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

Dr. April Terry, associate professor of criminal justice, and Dr. Ziwei Qi, assistant professor of criminal justice, were quoted in a Kansas News Service story titled, “Isolation in places like rural Kansas can leave women more vulnerable to violence.” Terry’s research focuses on juvenile corrections, gender and crime, rural criminology, and gender-based violence. Qi’s research examines migration, crime, leftbehind children, and their associated problems through a cross-cultural perspective.

| 07 |

fhsu.edu/news

SCHMIDT-BICKLE ATHLETIC COMPLEX

We are thankful for two generous $1.5 million lead gifts from the Schmidt Foundation and Don and Chris Bickle. Don and Chris Bickle are longtime donors of FHSU, as were the late Bob and Pat Schmidt. The two local couples were never afraid to dream big when it came to supporting student-athletes at Fort Hays State. Please join us in continuing to dream big! Additional fundraising for the athletic complex is underway and we hope that many of you are interested in making this project a reality. To learn how you can contribute, please contact Jared Schiel with the FHSU Foundation at 785-628-5755 or jschiel@fhsu.edu or Curtis Hammeke with FHSU Athletics at 785-628-4050 or chammeke@fhsu.edu. For more information about the complex, visit https://foundation.fhsu.edu/athletic-complex ROAR

| 43 |

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

“

With the growth of our athletic department over the years, we have simply outgrown our current training facilities. A state-of-the-art building like this will better meet the physical needs and demands of Tiger Athletics. Our student-athletes make a commitment to Fort Hays State, and the new Schmidt-Bickle Athletic Complex will showcase the university’s commitment to keeping those students healthy while they compete.

- Nate Hepner, Head Athletic Trainer for FHSU Athletics

”

CONCEPT RENDERING FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 44 |

FHSU.EDU/roar

TIGER ATHLETICS

WINTER SPORTS

RECAP 3

ROAR

| 11 |

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

Tiger athletics enjoyed highly successful winter and spring seasons, featuring a national champion, national rankings, and many school records – both team and individual. The nationally-ranked women’s basketball team, which held the No. 1 ranking in NCAA Division II for a few weeks, recorded its third 30-win season in eight years. Coach Tony Hobson was named Women’s Four-Year College Coach of the Year by the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association. This honor is Hobson’s 19th coach-of-theyear award in his 30-year career as a collegiate head coach. While these four pages will provide a glimpse of the success of a few Tiger student-athletes, much more can be found about each team at https://fhsuathletics.com.

Men’s basketball

Nyjee Wright closed out a solid career with the Tigers by averaging 11.1 points his senior year. He provided valuable veteran leadership at guard for a team that turned in one of the most exciting seasons in several years. After moving into the starting lineup as a sophomore, the Wichita native missed the first 13 games of his junior year because of injury. He returned to the lineup for the final nine games that season to help FHSU go on a 6-1 run to finish the season at .500. The Tigers then carried that momentum into the 2021-22 season, where they finished 23-6 overall. They placed third in the MIAA standings and dropped a three-point heartbreaker in the semifinals of the MIAA Tournament to eventual national champion Northwest Missouri State. As a senior, Wright led the team in both free throws (.833 percentage) and 3-point shots (.417 percentage). He was also an All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection on the court and a standout in the classroom, earning MIAA scholarathlete honors.

Women’s basketball

Cydney Bergmann bounced back from a serious knee injury her junior year to make a big impact her senior season. One of the team’s top reserves as a sophomore, the 5-foot, 8-inch guard worked her way into the starting lineup her junior year and started 17 straight games before being sidelined with an injury that required surgery. An honor student, Bergmann earned numerous academic awards while maintaining a perfect 4.0 GPA, including MIAA scholarathlete recognition. She attributes her success on the court to competing in multiple sports from the time she was a youngster growing up in Concordia. Her first competitive sport was swimming, and she earned all-state honors in three sports (volleyball, basketball, and track) her senior year in high school. Bergmann was a twotime All-MIAA Honorable Mention selection and left FHSU as a member of one of the winningest classes in women’s basketball history (107-17 record).

Wrestling

A.J. Cooper was a member of both the Tiger football and wrestling teams his first two years at FHSU, then decided to concentrate on wrestling. It proved to be a good move for the southwestern Kansas product from Cimarron. He qualified for nationals his last two seasons in the 285-pound class, earning All-America honors both years with fifth- and seventh-place finishes. He compiled an impressive overall collegiate record of 119-50 at FHSU, including a 33-12 mark his senior season. Cooper cracked the top-10 NCAA D-II national rankings during his final season and earned MIAA Athlete-of-the-Week honors in December after winning FHSU’s Bob Smith Open with a 5-0 performance.

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 11 |

fhsuathletics.com

by DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN

Men’s indoor track

When Ryan Stanley won the 2021 NCAA Division II national outdoor championship in the pole vault with an outdoor school-record height of 17 feet, 2.75 inches, he couldn’t imagine at the time anything better for his athletic career. But it got even better this past winter. The Bennington junior cleared 179.25 at the 2022 indoor finals to win his second national title. That mark broke his own indoor school record and helped earn him USTFCCCA Central Region Indoor Field Athleteof-the-Year honors. He then went on to claim the sixth All-America finish of his decorated career three months later by finishing eighth (with a height of 16-8.75) at the outdoor national meet. Stanley also has numerous academic honors on his long list of accomplishments. He will have a busy senior year in 2022-23 when he serves as FHSU’s student body president and tries to push that All-America count to eight.

Women’s indoor track

A multi-event standout, Mattie Rossi finished fifth in the pentathlon at nationals to win AllAmerica status while breaking her own school mark with 3,766 points. She also placed ninth in the heptathlon at the outdoor national meet. Also, at indoor nationals, the junior from Oak Creek, Colo., claimed secondteam All-America recognition with her 12th-place finish in the 60-meter dash. During the outdoor season, she finished as national runner-up in the 400-meter hurdles, breaking her own school record in the process with a time of 58.11 seconds. She also placed ninth in the heptathlon at that meet. Like numerous Tiger athletes, Rossi also excels in the classroom and has a long list of academic awards to her credit.

TIGER ATHLETICS

SPRING SPORTS

RECAP 1 4

Softball

Sara Breckbill set many records and earned numerous honors during her five-year career at FHSU. The last one was really special for Breckbill. After gaining an extra year of eligibility because of COVID-19, she received the 2022 National Strength and Conditioning Association All-America Athlete Award. That news came after a super senior season where she led the team in RBIs with 31, tied for the team lead in home runs (7), and tied for the NCAA D-II lead in sacrifice flies (7). Breckbill – from Parker, Colo. – played in a school-record 226 games for the Tigers. Her name appears on numerous FHSU top-10 lists, including No. 1 for career sacrifice flies (11). A three-time All-MIAA pick, Breckbill earned honors on the field as both a catcher and a utility player. Academically she was on the MIAA honor roll five times and named scholar-athlete twice.

Men’s track & field

Nolan Churchman was one of many reasons the Tigers earned recognition in the national rankings throughout the season. The St. George sophomore closed out his second collegiate outdoor season with a fifth-place All-America finish in the decathlon, breaking his own school record in the process with a 7,192-point total. It was the first All-America performance for FHSU in that event during the NCAA D-II era, and it tied for the best-ever national finish for a Tiger multi-event athlete. That effort followed his seventh-place finish in the heptathlon during the national indoor meet. As a team, FHSU was ranked as high as 13th in the national poll during the season.

by DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN

Women’s track & field

Lyric Holman, the Tigers’ top sprinter, collected her sixth and seventh All-America honors at the outdoor national meet. The Junction City junior helped her team reach a top 10 ranking (ninth) during the season, then earned her way to the podium at nationals with her eighth-place finish in the 100-meter dash (11.96 seconds). She also was a second-time AllAmerican in the 200 meters (12th in the preliminaries with a 23.93-second time). It marked the conclusion to a very successful second semester for Holman, who also earned second-team AllAmerica recognition during the national indoor meet in both those races.

Women’s golf

Morgan Brasser completed a busy standout sophomore season by finishing seventh at the Central Regional Championships and just one shot out of qualifying for nationals. She was third among the 27 MIAA conference golfers at this year’s regional meet. She finished with a stroke average of 77.2 this year (fall and spring) and finished in the top 10 in five of the six spring tourneys, including a championship effort in a tournament at St. Joseph, Mo. A nursing major and a four-time state high school medalist from Andale, Brasser earned Honorable Mention All-MIAA honors for a second straight year in 2022. She also earned her second scholar-athlete recognition.

Men’s golf

Bryce Cowan graduated from FHSU with a degree in management this spring and was named to the all-MIAA honor roll four times. He will have one more year of college eligibility remaining, which he will use as he begins work on his master’s this fall. He led the Tigers in scoring for a second straight year in 2021-22 with

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 13 |

fhsuathletics.com

a stroke average of 76.81. Cowan’s season-low score came during the fall portion of the season with a 3-under 69 at the Tulsa Cup. A former threesport athlete at Topeka-Seaman High School, Cowan played well in the state of Oklahoma this year; he also finished in a tie for eighth at the Hillcat Classic in Owasso, Okla., this spring.

Baseball

The Tiger baseball team struggled through a long season, winning just a handful of games in 2022. Despite that, there were still some standout individual performances along the way. Grant Schmidt, a senior outfielder from Hastings, Neb., closed out his collegiate career with a bang, hitting three home runs in his series against No. 4 nationally-ranked Central Missouri. One of those came in his last at-bat, putting an exclamation mark on a solid two-year career after transferring to FHSU from Cloud County Community College. He led the team in several categories, including home runs (14) and RBIs (51). He tied for the team lead with 12 multi-hit games and drove in a career-best six RBIs in a game against Newman University. He earned AllMIAA honors his junior and senior year and scholar-athlete recognition by the MIAA both years.

Tennis

Irina Alfonso joined a teammate from her own country for the most doubles victories for the Tigers this season. She and Maria Paz Diaz – who both hail from Asuncion, Paraguay – won five doubles matches, including the No. 1 position at the home season finale vs. Missouri Western. Alfonso, a freshman in her first season at FHSU, played No. 1 singles for the Tigers.

FEATURE STORIES

FHSU alum partners with alma mater by DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN

r. Lynn Lashbrook describes his time at Fort Hays State University as “magical.” Now the president of a global sports business, this Tiger alum hopes to make life magical for other FHSU students. Lashbrook’s company, Sports Management Worldwide (SMWW) out of Portland, Ore. – a global leader in sports business education – is partnering with FHSU to offer online sports management classes taught by leaders in the sports management industry. Students who complete SMWW classes can transfer up to six hours of academic credit to Fort Hays State through the Credit for Prior Learning program. Fort Hays State is the first university to join forces with SMWW in such a partnership, which

Photos submitted by DR. LYNN LASHBROOK

Lashbrook calls a “game-changer in a trillion-dollar sports business.” “This takes us to a new orbit, and what a great chance to get the word out about Fort Hays State around the world,” Lashbrook said. “It gives FHSU a chance to connect with sports worldwide.” SMWW works with the hiring staff of professional franchises and can offer a huge network for students who might want to pursue a career in any number of professional sports arenas, including baseball, football, basketball, hockey, car racing, rugby, Esports – and even cricket. A career in sports management was the farthest thing from Lashbrook’s mind when he graduated from Wyandotte High School in Kansas City, Kan., in 1966. He was a sports fanatic growing up but was small in stature. He didn’t see ROAR

| 14 |

much playing time on his high school football team. That didn’t deter his enthusiasm for sports, though, and he stayed on the team all four years. “I was the smallest kid in the largest high school in the state,” Lashbrook said. His determination didn’t wane even after breaking his leg his junior year at KC-Wyandotte. He got a break of another kind when a relative who lived in Hays leveraged his connections with a colleague of the FHSU football coach. That colleague, Standlee V. Dalton – the university’s registrar – told Tiger coach Wayne McConnell about a budding football player in the Kansas City area. Soon thereafter, Lashbrook received a recruitment letter in the mail from Fort Hays State. Lashbrook thought it looked like a form letter, but that didn’t faze the

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

“This takes us to a new orbit, and what a great chance to get the word out about Fort Hays State around the world.” DR. LYNN L ASHBROOK SMW W PRESIDENT

confident youngster. It was the chance he needed. He had never been west of Topeka but decided to check out Fort Hays State. “I was looking at the Tiger roster and saw that one of the D-backs weighed 138 pounds,” he said. “I weighed 139, so I calculated that I could play college football.” The walk-on who had no aspirations of attending college – let alone playing college football – was offered a scholarship after his second game. He went on to start all four years for the Tigers and never missed a game. After graduating from FHSU, Lashbrook went on to earn his master’s

from Springfield College in Lashbrook with ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter. in Massachusetts and then began working on his HPER classes, Lashbrook served as an doctorate at the University assistant track and field coach under of Northern Colorado in Greeley. the legendary Alex Francis. One weekend on his way home to He went on to teach at several other Kansas City, he stopped by Hays to universities through the years. say Hi to some folks in the athletic While teaching at Oregon State department. in the mid-1990s, he and his wife, Dr. Russell Bogue – chair of the Liz – then a sales executive with Health, Physical Education, and a fitness club – decided to start a Recreation Department (HPER) – sports management company. Today, offered Lashbrook a one-semester job SMWW has 30,000 alumni in 163 to fill in for a professor on sabbatical. countries, and soon many of those That professor never returned to could be FHSU alumni as well. campus, and Lashbrook stayed on at In addition to leading SMWW, FHSU for seven years. Lashbrook has also served as an NFL In addition to teaching several

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 15 |

fhsu.edu/roar

Lashbrook with Matt Moore, the back-up quarterback for the Super Bowl LIV champion Kansas City Chiefs.

agent for 25 years, representing more than 100 players ranging from free agents to first-round selections. In 2009, he received the Alumni Achievement Award, the highest recognition given annually by the FHSU Alumni Association. Lashbrook returned to Hays several times the past year while working with FHSU personnel on the online learning partnership and even spoke to a class during the spring semester. The seasoned college instructor still feels right at home in front of

the classroom and looks forward to teaching one of the first classes under the FHSU partnership. “I’ve been an educator my entire career, and I love teaching,” he said. “I can hardly wait.” Fort Hays State is looking forward to the partnership as well. “He is a former college professor who is well respected all across the country – and the world,” said Dr. Steve Sedbrook, chair of the Health and Human Performance Department. “This will be a high-quality learning

experience.” “We see a bright future and have high expectations with this partnership,” Sedbrook added. “His organization is very large, the largest online sports management in the country.” All the SMWW classes are online, making them accessible anywhere in the world. “The online component is huge in the challenging landscape of enrollment these days, and Fort Hays State is the best there is in online education,” Lashbrook said. “It’s a winwin situation for everyone involved.” Lashbrook is thrilled to be involved with Fort Hays State again. “Fort Hays State was a magical place back then,” Lashbrook said, “and it still is. Look what it did for someone who had no future. My whole career started with Fort Hays State, and it’s so special that 55 years later, I’m able to partner with my alma mater.”

We would like to hear what you think about the content in this issue of ROAR Magazine. Contact us at FHSUNews@fhsu.edu. ROAR

| 16 |

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

Homecoming October 6-8, 2022 Start making plans to attend www.FHSUhomecoming.com

Your FHSU Alumni Association can't wait to welcome you back to campus! Contact us at 785-628-4430 or alumni@fhsu.edu with any questions.

A Clear Advantage The power of experiential learning by SCOTT CASON

photography by BRECKEN PREITAUER

he term “experiential learning” means learning by doing. Thanks to the faculty of the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship, students at Fort Hays State University enjoy a wealth of opportunities to participate in hands-on and real-world relevant learning experiences outside the classroom.

The internship experience

The most easily recognizable form of experiential learning available to college students is an internship experience. Led by a strong faculty professional network, students in the Department of Applied Business Studies have long enjoyed access to a range of challenging and diverse internship experiences. As a tourism and hospitality major, and after completing an industry internship in the summer of 2020, FHSU senior Haley Reiter spent the summer of 2021 in the mountains of northern New Mexico. She interned at the Vermejo Park Ranch, a luxury resort dedicated to sustainability and creating memorable nature-inspired experiences, including hiking,

horseback riding, shooting sports, and mountain biking. Haley quickly became an instrumental member of the guest relations team, immersed in the continuous effort to create a superior guest experience. This past semester she served as an operations intern at a local day spa in Hays to further her knowledge of the industry. Dr. Stacey Smith, associate professor of tourism and hospitality and chair of the department, said, “These experiential opportunities allow students to put the content they learn in the classroom into context within in their desired industry. It allows them to apply their learning, grow their professional network, and be career ready when they leave FHSU.” Later this summer, Haley will head back to New Mexico and Vermejo Park Ranch, where she will begin her professional career, in a managerial role, as a ranch ambassador.

An entrepreneurship challenge

The Faulkner Challenge is a business plan competition designed to develop entrepreneurial imagination and fuel innovation among students, ROAR

| 18 |

regardless of major or interests. The challenge is open to any new venture in the conceptual, seed, or startup stages. Teams are evaluated on their ability to identify a market opportunity, create a value proposition, and craft a sustainable competitive advantage. FHSU alum Kevin Faulkner established an endowed fund for what was formerly the W.R. and Yvonne Robbins College of Business and Entrepreneurship Business Plan Challenge. The challenge now bears Faulkner’s name, and he supports it in many ways, including serving as a judge for the competition. “When I was a student, there was no competition like this, but I did participate in Model United Nations, debate, and forensics,” Faulkner said. “As a result, I learned that hands-on experience bridges education to the real world.” The Faulkner Challenge is executed in three stages: submission and evaluation of a written business plan, a 10-minute oral presentation semifinal round, and a “money” round comprised of the final three teams. Each team provides a more elaborate, 15-minute presentation for the finals and is subject

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

to more detailed questions and answers from a panel of expert judges. “Cow Fences,” an entrepreneurial business plan created by Ethan McPherson, won first place at the 2022 Faulkner Challenge. McPherson, a freshman from Manhattan, took home the $6,000 first-place cash award for his presentation. His business was built on the concept of a virtual farmer’s meat market that would connect beef and pork producers directly to consumers. McPherson’s plans include expanding into the digital market to offer a full range of food products available at a traditional farmer’s market. “There was a lot of work and sleepless nights,” McPherson said. “I think the thing I learned most was the importance of finding and working with experts. There was just so much I didn’t know, from finance to supply chain knowledge. Still, I think by working with the team I built, I not only put Cow Fences in a great position to win this challenge, but I also believe I am positioning myself to be the best founder and chief executive officer I can be.”

Real-world financial planning experiences

Thanks to two anonymous donations, accounting, finance, and economics students at FHSU have the tools and the capital to develop financial planning skills that most college graduates only gain after years on the job. New this spring in the Investment Analytics Lab on the first floor of McCartney Hall are 10 state-of-the-art Bloomberg Terminals. Each computer terminal provides real-time and historical data, market-moving news, and analytics to help lead business and financial professionals worldwide make better-informed investment decisions. The desktop terminals also feature electronic trading or trade negotiation tools for every asset class, research, and a global network to communicate securely and reliably. Dr. Tom Johansen, professor of finance, is working with an advisory board of FHSU alums to create a sequence of two investment fund management courses that will be offered during the 2022-23 academic year. Students will learn to manage

“Our program has unique benefits students cannot find anywhere else.” DR. CHRISTINA GLENN

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 19 |

fhsu.edu/roar

a portfolio, including stocks, bonds, mutual funds, exchange-traded funds, and other investments. Using realtime information available through the Bloomberg Terminals, students will research and analyze investment opportunities and prepare investment proposals. Those proposals will be reviewed by Johansen and members of the Tiger Investment Fund (TIF) Advisory Committee made up of FHSU faculty and successful alumni with experience in the field of financial management.

A financial planning competition dynasty

A student financial planning competition is held annually in conjunction with the Financial Planning Association’s annual conference. Teams of students from Fort Hays State have participated 14 times in the 21 years since the competition began, earned top-eight honors 13 times, and won three national competitions. The competition is comprised of three phases, and it usually takes close to a year for teams to complete all three steps. In just her second year as coach of the financial planning team, Dr. Christina Glenn, assistant professor of finance, acknowledges the impressive record of FHSU teams. She credits the financial planning program for helping prepare these teams for this competition – and beyond. “We hold our own against much larger programs in the nation; however, our program has unique benefits students cannot find anywhere else – affordable education, smaller class sizes, and more one-on-one faculty interaction,” Glenn said. “FHSU is a great place to earn a bachelor’s degree in finance while gaining the education and knowledge necessary to become a certified financial planner.”

LIGHTS, CAMERA, E E F F CO Alums bring Kansas values to hit TV show by SCOTT CASON

ROAR

| 20 |

FALL/WINTER 2021

photography by MEGHAN OLIVER

From left: Ward Schraeder, Tamara Day, and Kassidy Sell.

here is a buzz in the air on a crisp, sunny morning in late April in Old Town Lenexa, Kansas. A small, four-propellor drone hovers about 20 feet above the front of Maps coffee shop, the first site of the day for filming the hit home renovation show, Bargain Mansions. A simple sign on the front door asks those entering to be aware of a video shoot in progress. The production crew doesn’t want to shut down the store; this is, after all, a reality show. Crouching just inside the large front window of the shop is Kassidy Sell. Within seconds, it’s evident that this is Sell’s show. She is the field producer of Bargain Mansions. While the crew awaits the arrival of the show’s stars – Tamara Day and her father, Ward Schraeder – Sell is constantly on the move. She stays busy setting up camera angles, props, and background floral arrangements around the small table that Day and Schraeder will occupy for that morning’s production. In show business, time is money, and Sell wants to be ready to shoot as soon as her two stars arrive. Minutes later, the show’s principal characters are on set, and it’s quickly apparent why the show is such a hit with fans. While the flurry of

activity continues around them, Day and Schraeder take their places at the small table and start catching up on family business. The powerful dynamic between a proud father and his confident, intelligent daughter is on full display even when the camera isn’t rolling. “People will frequently ask me what the secret is to our show,” Schraeder said. “I think it’s mostly based on my daughter’s perseverance, confidence, and tremendous talent as a designer. But what has been expressed to us many times is the father-daughter relationship that endears our show to the public.”

Meet FHSU alum Ward Schraeder

Schraeder grew up on a small central Kansas farm. He credits a loving mom and dad for instilling the work ethic and character that helped him navigate an adult life rich with successes and setbacks. Schraeder’s father was also his high school math and science teacher. One of the most enduring things he took from his father, the teacher, and the parent was a firm belief that anything one can conceive can someday be accomplished.

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 21 |

fhsu.edu/roar

Thus, from his earliest days, Schraeder has never accepted that there was something he couldn’t do if he set his mind to it. Schraeder didn’t really have a plan as he contemplated life after high school. When he finally decided he wanted to go to college, he picked his father’s alma mater, Fort Hays State University. The elder Schraeder once studied under the renowned paleontologist Dr. Charles Sternberg. Ward remembered his father’s stories about Sternberg, and the educational exploits his dad described intrigued him. “Looking back at my experience, I don’t think an education from any other institution would have provided me any greater opportunity to succeed in life and business than I received at FHSU,” Schraeder said. He graduated from FHSU in 1974 with a degree in chemistry and embarked on a career in corporate America. After 18 years and six relocations, Schraeder decided he’d had enough. He and his wife, Trish, realized what pursuing success on the corporate ladder had cost their family, especially their four children. Schraeder remembers the day he came home and told his family he’d rather dig ditches than keep working for a corporation. He and Trish decided that they needed to find another way to prosper as a family. The following steps would involve digging some ditches. Still, he would be in complete control of his professional life from that point forward. “Some wise man once said, ‘You’ll spend the first 20 years of your life building a reputation and the next 20 years living off your reputation.’ I am living proof that it is true,” Schraeder said. “Opportunities tend to come to me much easier than ever before because of the reputation I’ve built.”

“I don’t think an education from any other institution would have provided me any greater opportunity to succeed in life and business than I received at FHSU.” WARD SCHRAEDER Schraeder’s proficiency at building and fixing things – skills he learned as the son of generations of Kansas builders – would serve him well as he launched his second career. Working with bankrupt businesses would have quickly turned him into a quitter if resiliency wasn’t part of his DNA. During the decade of the 1990s, he purchased 35 different bankrupt businesses. He takes great pride in successfully saving close to one-third of the companies he bought and even more pride in the hundreds of jobs he was able to save. Today, Schraeder is a successful entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and philanthropist. He has invested in and built hospitals, banks, assisted living facilities, a dairy farm, a winery in Oregon, and several Freddy’s fast-food franchises. He also serves on the board of a company in Florida that develops rocket engines and delivery systems for moving payloads to space. Recognizing a critical need in the Kansas City area, Schraeder is also working to connect veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to vital mental health services.

Meet FHSU alum Kassidy Sell

Sell has always loved being in the spotlight or at the center of a storm. As a youngster, her first ambition was to become a TV game show host

– she thought maybe the next Bob Barker. Sell’s parents and teachers saw in her a born entertainer, and they supported her interests as a performer, including her involvement in the kind of high-energy pageants and theater productions that fueled her creative fire. Like Schraeder, Sell’s Tiger Nation roots were already deep as she began to consider where she would attend college. Her mom was a homecoming queen nominee and a Tiger Deb. Her dad serves as the rodeo team’s alumni director, and her stepdad was the quarterback for the Tiger football team. While she joined her friends in looking at other colleges in Kansas, Sell also knew she wanted to find a school that offered something akin to broadcast journalism. Several of her friends were pretty set on going to Kansas State University in Manhattan, but the only degree offered there that came close to what she wanted was mass communication. “That wasn’t really my thing,” she said. “I wanted to focus on television production, but I figured mass communications at K-State would probably work.” During orientation for new students ROAR

| 22 |

in Manhattan about a month before school started, she toured the campus and visited several departments. But it didn’t feel right. She was told that her first two years would focus on general education classes only and that she wouldn’t be able to study anything in her “field” until her junior year. She left feeling deflated. A couple of weeks later, about a week before school started, an article was published in her hometown paper, the Salina Journal, about the new FHSU Media Studies program and Professor Mel Hanks. She immediately thought the article described the perfect fit for her, an environment where she would be able to work at a news station doing live broadcasts. She asked her dad to drive her to

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

We would like to hear what you think about the content in this issue of ROAR Magazine. Contact us at FHSUNews@fhsu.edu.

FHSU the next day. They walked into the admissions office thinking they would be told it was too late to enroll for the semester. Instead, they were welcomed and taken on a private tour. On the drive back to Salina, Sell’s dad then asked her a question she says she will never forget. He asked if she would rather be a big fish in a small pond or a little fish in a big pond. While that might be a tough decision to make as an 18-year-old, it was a pretty easy decision for Sell. Fast-forward to the first week of the semester at FHSU, and Sell found herself in the last residence hall room available in Wiest Hall. By the end of that first week, Professor Hanks also gave Sell her first professional break when he selected her to work as a news

anchor on KFHS, the student TV station. While in college, Sell boldly took on another challenge when she decided to audition for American Idol. Through this experience, she saw firsthand what goes into making a reality TV show. She quickly caught on to the fact that good reality TV combines compelling personalities, the nature of their relationships, and great storytelling. This experience helped her consider stepping away from broadcast journalism. She began to think that her skills and passion as a performer and a storyteller might find a better outlet in reality TV. Nearing the end of her college career, she participated in an internship in New York City with a reality television production company. After graduating in 2012, Sell embarked on a career in reality TV production. Early in her career, she worked as a producer and director, creating several episodes of HGTV’s popular “House Hunters International” program. Sell likes to say that she was born and raised a Kansan but New Yorkgrown. The idea of living and working in New York City had been a dream, and she found all that she hoped for in the Big Apple, where she met and married her husband. But after a few years, the Sells found that the hectic pace and energy that makes NYC so attractive to highenergy people like her also can wear you down over time. While she and her

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 23 |

fhsu.edu/roar

husband were in the process of buying a house in New Jersey that would get them out of the city, he received a job offer in Kansas City. It was a great career move for him, and it opened the door for Sell to pursue a job back home. Her pursuit of that next opportunity would ultimately lead to producing the Bargain Mansions TV show.

Kansans and Tigers to the core

Nearly four decades of living and life experiences separate Kassidy Sell and Ward Schraeder, but the two actually share quite a bit in common. Schraeder sees parallels in Sell’s life experiences in many ways. Both grew up in farming families. They share a deep and abiding love for their native state and the distinctive Kansas values and culture that informed their upbringing. Both believe they gained immeasurably from hands-on learning experiences and personal mentorship they found at FHSU. “I wouldn’t be where I am today – and doing what I love to do – if it wasn’t for the opportunities that I had at FHSU,” Sell said. Schraeder and Sell both launched their careers with a move to a major city where they learned their trade. And both eventually found personal and professional success on their terms back home in Kansas.

Season Five

Later this summer or early this fall, Season Five of Bargain Mansions will premiere on the Magnolia TV Network. As in previous seasons, all of the home renovations will be done in the Kansas City area. Fans of the show can look forward to seeing more of Day’s busy life as the mother of four children, a small business owner, and a community leader.

HONORING THOSE WHO HAVE MADE AN IMPACT

Throughout our lives, we cross paths with one-of-a-kind individuals who leave a lasting impression. The nostalgia of your time spent together often lingers – regardless of how long ago those initial memories were made. These individuals possess certain qualities that you want to emulate. They’re kind, supportive, passionate about their work, and have inspired you in some way.

ROAR

| 36 |

FALL/WINTER 2021

THE STEHNO-SLATTERY EDUCATION LEADERSHIP SCHOLARSHIP

Ed Stehno and Mike Slattery have been those one-of-a-kind individuals for many past students who have stepped foot on our campus. The pair was recently surprised to learn that a group of former students had created a scholarship at Fort Hays State in their honor. Four FHSU alums, Sandy Almos, Marcy Aycock, Tiffany Boxum, and Kathleen Moorman, were greatly impacted by the two former Fort Hays State professors and could think of no better way to thank them. The Stehno-Slattery Education Leadership Scholarship is an annual scholarship that will be awarded to a student pursuing a major or concentration in FHSU’s College of Education Advanced Education program. Ed taught at FHSU from 1971 to 2014. Mike retired in 2011 after teaching at FHSU since 1989.

“I hope this scholarship speaks what words can't convey and will give these two a glimpse at the impact they've had on our lives, and the lives of countless others. Ed and Mike have already made an impact on so many students over the years. This gift will continue their legacy even further into the future. ” — Sandy Almos If Ed Stehno or Mike Slattery made a positive impact on your life, you can contribute to this scholarship fund and help support future educators: https://foundation.fhsu.edu/stehno-slattery-scholarship FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 37 |

FHSU.EDU/roar

CENTER STAGE Singers headline 80th Pearl Harbor Commemoration

by BOYCE DURR

ach year, on December 7, the people of the United States take time to remember the 2,403 American civilians and service members who lost their lives in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. This past year marked the 80th commemoration of what President Franklin Delano Roosevelt called “a date which will live in infamy” in his stirring address to Congress the day after the attack. December 7, 2021, will be

photography submitted by TERRY CRULL

remembered by 26 Fort Hays State University students as the experience of a lifetime. The Fort Hays Singers, the university’s premier choral student ensemble, were invited to perform a 30-minute concert at the opening of this year’s memorial events at Pearl Harbor. The group was given the singular honor of singing the StarSpangled Banner at the event. Dr. Terry Crull, associate professor of music and director of choral ROAR

| 26 |

activities at FHSU, is responsible for planning and coordinating choral group activities. He said the Fort Hays Singers group was chosen for this opportunity by the tour company Music Celebrations International, which had worked with him on a tour of Austria in 2018. Usually consisting of 16 to 24 members drawn from the larger Concert Choir, this select group goes on tour trips about once a year and performs at various regional events,

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

including tours, festivals, church services, and banquets. Over the last several years, the Singers have traveled to Estes Park, Colo.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Branson, Mo. While shorter, local tours are the norm, occasionally the group takes a more extensive trip. The first of these was in 2007 when the Fort Hays Singers traveled to Taiwan. Another was a trip to Austria in 2018, where they performed with the internationally renowned choral

conductor Eph Ehly. Both Crull and Rachelle Lumpkins, a recent music education graduate from Hays, credit the trip to Austria – and the conduct of the Fort Hays Singers on that trip – for helping establish a reputation as excellent performers and wonderful ambassadors both on and off the stage. Lumpkins had just finished her freshman year at FHSU when the Fort Hays Singers took the trip to Austria. She said the event organizers were impressed with the singers because of their vocal talent and because “they thought we represented Fort Hays State, Kansas, and the United States so well by being friendly and respectful.” In September 2020, Crull received an offer from the touring company to participate in the 80th anniversary Pearl Harbor Commemoration Concert Series and open it with the singing of the National Anthem. Even though he was unsure if the Hawaii trip would be possible because of COVID-19 restrictions, Crull began making plans and preparations nearly a year in advance after receiving the invitation to participate. “This was such a tremendous opportunity,” Crull said. “ Even with the uncertainty of what would happen

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 27 |

fhsu.edu/roar

with COVID-19, I knew we couldn’t pass it up.” He also knew significant fundraising would be an absolute necessity. So Pam McGowne, FHSU’s accompanist, contacted a local florist, Flowers by Frances, to have a large sunflower wreath made with red, white, and blue ribbons. People could have a military service member’s name – living or deceased – inscribed on one of the wreath’s petals for a voluntary donation. The group used money raised from the wreath bearing the names of more than 700 service members to help defer the cost of the trip for the students. The wreath was shipped to Hawaii before the trip and will hang on permanent display in the Kansas section of the Visitor’s Center at Pearl Harbor. The FHSU entourage of students, faculty, family, and friends totaled 96 because of the interest in visiting Pearl Harbor. “We had a lot of people, particularly veterans, who wanted to see the wreath and be a part of this trip,” Crull said. Hayden Sillmon, a music education

“This was such a tremendous opportunity. Even with the uncertainty of what would happen with COVID-19, I knew we couldn’t pass it up.” DR. TERRY CRULL

major from Hays, said that the weather was one of the first immediately noticeable differences upon arrival in Hawaii. “When we left, the temperatures around Hays were near freezing, and it was over 70 degrees when we arrived in Hawaii and really humid,” Sillmon said. “We were all dressed for winter, with sweatpants and hoodies, when we left Denver and immediately started sweating when we arrived on Saturday.” The group had its first singing engagement on Sunday at Kawaiahao Church – the oldest church on Oahu and one of the oldest standing Christian places of worship in Hawaii. “There were other groups that wanted to perform (at the church), but they picked us,” Crull said. “We were the only group that performed there.” Later that afternoon, they toured the battleship USS Missouri, the site of the official surrender of Japan, thus ending World War II. FHSU was honored to be invited to participate in a flag folding ceremony, but Crull said they got a little nervous when they learned his group wasn’t just there to observe but would have to perform the folding of the flag. Luckily, they happened to have several veterans traveling with them. Allen Schmidt, a member of the Kansas Board of Regents and a veteran who retired as a colonel in the Army Medical Service Corps, was one of the vets who stepped up to help.

Schmidt read the flag-folding script while two other veterans folded the flag under the battleship’s massive 16inch guns. “Over a dozen WWII vets were in attendance at that ceremony, and we had the opportunity to interact with them and hear their stories,” Crull said. For Lumpkins and many of the Fort Hays Singers, this was the first really impactful event of the trip. “It was surreal,” Lumpkins said. “All these World War II veterans were wheeled up for the flag-folding ceremony, and all of the other veterans were there, and after that event, there wasn’t a single dry eye. You realize that these are the people who have sacrificed for our freedom, and you think, how can I ever repay them?” That sentiment stayed with the FHSU students throughout the remainder of their trip as they participated in the anniversary ceremonies. ROAR

| 28 |

While the first day went well, mainly according to plan, with only some minor rain showers, the Kansas entourage learned that the weather could also change in a hurry in Hawaii. The Fort Hays Singers had a full itinerary going into the trip, with most events taking place outdoors. But on Tuesday, a storm rolled in. Torrential rains dropped a record-breaking 8 inches in one day. That was more than any previous day in December, with a two-day total of over 14 inches. While the weather caused the cancellation of several smaller events, like an outdoor performance in an open market near Waikiki Beach, most of the activities were moved into a convention center, where it was “nice, warm, quiet, and dry,” Crull said.

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

By Wednesday, December 8, the storms had passed. Everything was back on schedule, including a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial for a tour and a final concert in front of the USS Bowfin Submarine and Memorial Park. Thursday was a free day, and people could explore on their own before flying back on Friday. Like many of their fellow singers, both Sillmon and Lumpkins enjoyed the opportunity to commemorate the 80th anniversary of this pivotal event in U.S. history while also exploring a Hawaiian culture far different from anything they had experienced in Kansas. Sillmon said he liked the diversity of food. The singers attended a luau with Hawaiian foods like poi (a

traditional staple) and kalua pua’a (roast pork). They also had choices of an ube (a purple potato), dim sum (a Chinese dish), and Japanese hibachi. Lumpkins was particularly fascinated with the cultural diversity of the Hawaiian people and their unique traditions. One of the highlights for her was visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center in Waikiki. “We were able to learn about Polynesian wayfinding and the relationship of the people and the land,” she said. “We got to learn something about the culture behind Hawaii.” However, the captivating history,

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 29 |

fhsu.edu/roar

food, and culture were not the best parts of the trip for many of the Fort Hays Singers. What seemed to impact them most was the ability to share their experiences and bond through this adventure. “You don’t realize how much your friendships grow until you spend a lot of time with a group,” Sillmon said. “For five days, we did everything together, and we became so much closer. I think this is one of the big reasons we tour.”

ROAR

| 28 |

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

Life- ging n a h C Sisters find the land of opportunity at FHSU

by DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN

ike so many other graduates on commencement weekend at Fort Hays State University this spring, Yanoudji and Aminata Diarra smiled as they posed for photos, hugged, and helped steady each other’s caps. At first glance, these siblings from Mali – a predominantly underdeveloped desert nation in Africa and home to the fabled ancient city of Timbuktu – appeared to be ordinary graduates. However, their journey to cross that stage and receive their degrees differs distinctly from most college grads. It’s one they call “life-changing.” “Fort Hays State is a place where anybody from anywhere can come and find what they are looking for,” Yanoudji said. “This place gave us a chance.” The sisters were born in Mali. They moved to Denver with their dad, who called America “the land of opportunity,” when Yanoudji was just 11 years old, and Aminata was 6. The young girls called the move a “culture shock.”

photography by BOB DUFFY & DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN

They laughed while reminiscing about their captivation with comforts in America they could not have even imagined enjoying before their move. “We broke the vacuum cleaner because we tried to vacuum up everything,” Aminata said as Yanoudji nodded in agreement. The girls returned home to Mali after their first few years in America before Yanoudji came back to Denver for good in time for middle school. Aminata made several trips back and forth to Africa, making it difficult to get settled into a school routine while trying to master different native languages. But persistence paid off. Aminata also returned to Denver to live in 2016, then came to FHSU two years later. Yanoudji had aspirations of running track for the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley after a standout track season at Hinkley High in Aurora, Colo., but realized that wasn’t possible financially. Another student from her high school was attending Fort Hays State

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 31 |

fhsu.edu/roar

and told Yanoudji to contact Coach Dennis Weber, then the head coach for the Tiger track and field team. “I called Coach Weber and said I needed an opportunity,” Yanoudji said. Weber gave Yanoudji that opportunity – and a $500 scholarship. “By the time I left Fort Hays State, I was also getting room and board paid for,” Yanoudji said. “Looking back, Coach Weber is the reason we are here today.” Knowing she would have to find a job, Yanoudji applied at IHOP, where she worked for her entire collegiate career. She also said, “being on the track team kept me involved.” Although alone in new surroundings in Hays, Yanoudji said she felt as comfortable as in any place she had ever lived in the United States since leaving her home country as a youngster. “It was a smaller city than I was used to, and l loved how close-knit it was,” Yanoudji said. “Even as an 18-year-old on my own with no family

around, I felt safe here in Hays.” Yanoudji excelled for the Tigers as a sprinter. One of her relay teams (the 4x200-meter) still holds a school record today. Dr. Jason McCullough, who took over head coaching duties at FHSU in 2017, gave Yanoudji another opportunity. After using up her athletic eligibility, Yanoudji remained with the track and field program as a student assistant coach. On a whim, she started practicing the triple jump. After looking up the triple jump record for her country, she realized that event was one in which she could excel. She now hopes to represent Mali in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. “Coach McCullough gave me the opportunity to coach, which gave me the chance to work out on my own,” Yanoudji said. Yanoudji earned a psychology degree from FHSU in 2018, then decided to pursue an associate degree

in nursing at the North Central Kansas Technical College, a school across town with which FHSU has

several partnerships. She now serves as a registered nurse in the cardiac unit of Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver. Aminata decided to attend FHSU, too, partly because following in her sister’s footsteps was something to which she had become accustomed since her younger years. Aminata said that although her freshman year in college was challenging – adjusting to more changes and constantly trying to improve on her English language – she admits she learned a lot about herself. “Africa is so family-centered, so here I had to make my own family, get out of my comfort zone to meet people,” Aminata said. “I fell in love with Fort Hays State because I felt like I was part of something bigger than myself.” On Thursday, May 12, Yanoudji received her associate degree in nursing from NCK Tech at a ceremony held on the FHSU campus. The next day, Aminata joined her

We would like to hear what you think about the content in this issue of ROAR Magazine. Contact us at FHSUNews@fhsu.edu. ROAR

| 32 |

older sister as an FHSU graduate when she crossed the stage at Gross Memorial Coliseum and proudly changed her tassel to the left side of her cap. The sisters, with help from FHSU and NCK Tech, tried to bring their mother to Hays to attend their commencement ceremonies, but she wasn’t able to get her Visa in time. “It would have been nice having our mom here,” Yanoudji said, “especially for her to see the place that helped shape us into who we are today. One day we would like to get her here to see Fort Hays State. She will be so proud.” Amanita returned to Mali after her FHSU graduation to visit family in person for the first time in seven years. She plans to return to the United States to pursue a career in social work. The sisters were giddy as they posed for photos near the phrase “Tiger Family” etched in the concrete sidewalk next to the Fischli-Wills Center for Student Success. “I love this. I feel like FHSU is my family,” Amanita said. “This town gave me hope. This school, these professors, gave me hope.” Yanoudji smiled while explaining the message on her graduation cap: “She was unstoppable, not because she didn’t have failures but because she did it despite them.” “It’s been a long journey for us, one that I think is hard for some people to understand,” Yanoudji said. “Being able to stand on that stage despite everything we’ve been through is proof that there’s nothing you can’t accomplish if you set your mind to it and work hard. This place is amazing. It opened a lot of doors for us.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

AVAILABLE NOW!

SCHOLARSHIP

RESEARCH Heinrichs’ legacy lives on by BOYCE DURR

photography by TREVER ROHN

ROAR

| 34 |

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

f you have not had a chance to stroll across Fort Hays State University’s picturesque campus in a while, now is the time to do so. Unlike much of the school year, abustle with students and faculty, the campus is quite serene in the summer. Limestone and bronze statues, breathtaking works of art, and numerous plaques inscribed with heartfelt dedications can be found throughout the campus, surrounded by historic buildings, beautiful summer flowers, bushes, and tall shade trees. Taking time to explore these sites can lead to intriguing discoveries, like the 927-square-foot historic Plymouth Schoolhouse, originally built in 1874, or Tomanek Hall, completed in 1995, which incorporates a uniquely modern design that sets it apart from other campus structures. While the hall itself is a marvel, just out front, near the water sculpture, stands a lovely little Bradford pear tree dedicated to a former faculty member who used to teach in Tomanek. Dr. John Heinrichs, an internationally renowned Arctic researcher, a popular professor of geosciences, and former chair of the department, made a tremendous impact at Fort Hays State

University. His colleagues, university administration, and especially his students held him in such high esteem that numerous events and awards were renamed or created in his honor after his death in 2014. In addition to the beautiful tree, there is now the John Heinrichs SEIRA (Student Excellence in Research Award), the Heinrichs Research Group, the Heinrichs Outstanding Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, and the Dr. John Heinrichs Memorial Geography Scholarship. Of all the honors and events dedicated to Dr. Heinrichs, the John Heinrichs Scholarly and Creative Activities Day (SACAD) is the most salient. What started in 2005 with students from a few science departments exhibiting their research on tables in Tomanek Hall has grown into a campus-wide celebration showcasing the remarkable research and creativity of FHSU students and faculty. The SACAD event has grown into a forum for scholarly research and creative activity unique to FHSU. While there are some competitive elements to SACAD, the event is more of a collegial and celebratory

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 35 |

fhsu.edu/roar

gathering that allows participants to gain invaluable experience and make personal and intellectual connections in a friendly, low-stakes environment. This year’s 17th annual event broke new ground as the first hybrid (inperson and online) SACAD, following two years of online-only events due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Arvin Cruz, associate professor of physical and inorganic chemistry and chair of the Chemistry Department, had served on the SACAD committee for the last nine years and was co-chair of SACAD in 2020 when most in-person events around the country were canceled. He said that the move online worked so well they continued this format in 2021 before moving to a hybrid model in 2022. Cruz, who agreed to co-chair SACAD again this year, also said he was particularly pleased with the continued inclusion of an online component, as it allowed participation from many more students, especially online or remote students. One of several factors that makes SACAD distinct from other university presentation forums is inclusivity. Many universities have nothing like SACAD, and the few with internal research presentations generally focus on undergraduate or graduate research, scholarly or creative activities, and inperson events. SACAD planners continually strive to include as many participants as possible. Activities include empirical and non-empirical scholarly and scientific poster presentations, oral presentations, and creative works exhibitions covering a broad range such as ceramics, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, photography, and more. For Trinity Callis, a recent graduate in psychology, SACAD provided an outlet for her work that went far

beyond the classroom. She was the first-place winner in the undergraduate oral presentation category with her project entitled “Personality, DecisionMaking, and Apologies.” A Hays native, Trinity first became interested in psychology at Hays High while taking a course with Matt Brooks, who she describes as “a great teacher.” While most FHSU students pursuing degrees in psychology take a clinical path where they can begin working in the field upon graduation, Trinity found she was drawn more toward industrial/organizational psychology (I/O Psych) enough to research graduate programs in that field. She believes SACAD made a big difference in her applications to Missouri State University and Minnesota State University. “When people found out that I was already doing research as an undergrad and presenting it, they became really interested,” she said. “They asked questions about the project and SACAD, and everyone seemed really impressed with what I was doing.” Trinity was accepted and now plans to attend Minnesota State in the fall. Trinity was not the only member of her family to participate and find benefit in SACAD this year. Her older brother, Tanner Callis, gave an oral presentation as a graduate student working on his master’s in English. He had also participated in SACAD as an undergraduate in 2019 while working on his undergraduate degree in psychology. Tanner had not planned to participate this year, but discussing research with his sister motivated him to examine his work and find a way to become involved. He participated in the oral presentations at the graduate level. His study, “On the Road Towards

Maureen Duffy (the widow of John Heinrichs) presents award for best undergraduate oral presentation to Trinity Callis.

Better Things: The Evolution of Heart of Darkness’ Critical Readership,” examined the evolution of scholarly research on Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. Tanner explained how working on projects for SACAD from two different disciplines has allowed him to understand and develop research as a psychologist would and explore how scholars in the humanities would prepare and present their work. “I have been able to draw from all my experiences, not just from one class or even one discipline,” he explained. “SACAD has helped me build confidence in myself and my work. These are real-world applications that I will use in the future.” ROAR

| 36 |

These sentiments were echoed by Dr. Cruz. “The opportunity for students to display their work to a larger audience, get a sense of what it is like to engage in the types of scholarship one might see at an academic conference, and do so early on in their education is something that just doesn’t happen in many places,” Cruz said. “People are listening to presentations, stopping to examine a poster, and seeing the work that went into it with students from all programs and disciplines, at the graduate, undergraduate levels,” he continued. FHSU even has high school students from the Kansas Academy of Mathematics and Science (KAMS)

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

and the Academy of Mathematics and Science (AMS) who participate and do very well. Anniston Anderson, a 16-year-old KAMS student from LaCrosse, and her partner, Muyang Xu, an AMS student from China, presented an empirical research poster entitled, “Preparing a CRISPR Vector to

Mutate the ASYMMETRIC LEAVES2 (AS2) Gene in Arabidopsis.” Their work will help us better understand the function of genes involved in plant leaf development. Under the guidance of Dr. Tara Phelps-Durr, their faculty mentor and Biology Department chair, Anderson, a high school junior, conducted cutting-edge genetics research and publicly presented her findings thanks to a combination of programs only found at Fort Hays State University. “FHSU supports developing new areas of excellence in all disciplines as part of its mission to advance knowledge and further the economic growth of the state,” said Dr. Whitney Whitaker, associate professor of psychology and the other SACAD cochair this year. SACAD furthers this mission by encouraging critical thinking, innovation, collaboration, and leadership. Collaboration is key for all participants, even students who choose to work independently because they receive guidance from their faculty mentors. For some, SACAD is an

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 37 |

fhsu.edu/roar

opportunity to reach across disciplines and bring people with different skill sets together to create something that would not be possible individually. “I was really impressed with some of the interdisciplinary projects I saw,” Trinity said. She referred specifically to a research project entitled “Mechanics of Videogame Creation” by Jarom Ort, Secily Cruse, Katie Vaughn, Seth Szekula, and Harrison Stephens, working with faculty mentor Dr. Gordon Carlson from the Department of Communication Studies. “Students from my communications classes provided dialogue and voice work for a project,” she explained. “They partnered with art and design students for graphics work and applied technologies for computer programming, and they created a computer game. It was just really cool to see people from different fields working together on a project.” This type of collaboration will be expected of many students once they begin their professional careers, but it is often overlooked in traditional coursework, where students are focused on their specific discipline. “The interdisciplinary and collaborative nature of the event, along with the inclusivity of SACAD, is what makes SACAD so special,” Cruz said. The amount of collaborative behind-the-scenes work required for a successful event is an example of what SACAD promotes at FHSU. The tireless efforts, dedication, and passion shown by everyone are a testament to John Heinrichs’ vision and would not be possible without the continued commitment from faculty and staff leaders. For anyone wanting to experience SACAD, next year’s event is tentatively scheduled for April 26, 2023, in FHSU’s Memorial Union.

FACULTY FORUM

A history of Russian aggression in Ukraine by DR. AMBER N. NICKELL FHSU ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

n the late hours of the evening of February 24, 2022, news of Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine appeared on American television sets and Twitter feeds. The Russian military build-up along Ukraine’s eastern and northern borders had dominated international news for well over a month, as pundits, politicians, and historians alike tried to make sense of Putin’s military peacocking. Would he launch a full-scale invasion, or was this just another of the Kremlin’s military drills, meant to remind the West of Russia’s hard power? On the evening of the 24th, I received an answer earlier than most. Friends and colleagues from

throughout Ukraine sent me frantic messages about explosions and gunfire. First from Kharkiv, then steadily from almost every major city on Ukraine’s eastern and northern borders. In the days that followed, messages, videos, and pictures from the south and west poured in. These messages continue today, as my Ukrainian colleagues and friends document atrocities and beg for help. Violent war crimes – bombings of schools, hospitals, and civilian structures; mass murder; rapes of women, girls, and young boys – have become the norm. From a historical perspective, the Kremlin’s unprovoked full-scale invasion of an independent and sovereign Ukraine is neither a radically new nor an entirely unanticipated ROAR

| 38 |

development. After all, Putin started the current war in 2014, with the illegal occupation and annexation of Crimea. He has backed extremely violent separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk since. The Kremlin’s contemporary imperialism, which some attribute to the Soviet Union’s legacy, is actually rooted in centuries of Russian imperialism in Ukraine and a historical legacy of extremely violent Russian attempts at eradicating the Ukrainian people and Ukrainian culture. This complex history has been the topic of several popular books, including the works of Serhii Plokhii, Timothy Snyder, Marci Shore, and Anne Applebaum (to name a few).

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

Thus, this short article cannot be exhaustive. Rather, it briefly addresses five key historical developments in 20th- and 21st-century UkrainianRussian relations, giving some context for Russia’s contemporary war of aggression in Ukraine. Following the Russian Revolutions of 1917 and the accent of the Bolsheviks, the emerging Soviet Union signed the treaty of Brest-Litovsk with the Central Powers (Germany, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Ottoman Empire, and Bulgaria). Just prior, Ukraine – by then an independent state – signed its own peace treaty, the so-called “Bread Peace,” with Germany. As part of these treaties, the Bolsheviks ceded most of the territory that fell within Ukraine

and the Baltics. The international community simultaneously recognized Ukraine as an independent and sovereign state. In short, alongside the Russian Revolutions of 1917, the modern and independent state of Ukraine politically solidified. However, Ukraine as a cultural and social nation has roots dating back to the ninth century. The Ukrainian War for Independence (1917-1921) raged alongside the so-called Russian Civil War (1917-1923). During this period, the Ukrainian state took several different forms. Initially, Ukraine allied quite closely with the Kerenskyled Russian government; ultimately, Ukraine stood in stark opposition to the Bolshevik regime. The Ukrainian War for Independence was a profoundly violent anti-imperial war, one in which Ukrainians fought to break away from centuries of Russian imperialism to pursue their own cultural and political agendas. This moment proved formative for both Ukrainian national identity and Russian imperial policy. Vladimir Lenin, the first leader of the Soviet Union, initially pursued a policy of ethnonationalism, intended to promote national identity as a route to spreading communist ideals. Ultimately, this policy failed to produce the Soviet’s desired outcome – a communized Ukraine. Josef Stalin, who succeeded Lenin as the authoritarian leader of the Soviet Union in 1924, witnessed the Ukrainian War for Independence and the persistence of Ukrainian identity throughout the Soviet Union’s formative years. During the 1930s, many Ukrainian peasants protested Stalin’s policies, pushing back against agricultural collectivization, anti-religious campaigns, and Russification attempts. As a result, Stalin perceived the

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 39 |

fhsu.edu/roar

Ukrainian people as a threat to the Soviet Union and his power. In addition to mass arrests, deportations, disappearances, social and political ostracization, and antiUkrainian language policies, Stalin committed genocide against the Ukrainian people. He orchestrated a disastrous manmade famine, which Ukrainians call the Holodomor (19331934). During the Holodomor, Soviet officials violently requisitioned all foodstuffs from the Ukrainian people. They blacklisted entire villages and shot anyone caught hiding food or grain. At the same time, they exported copious amounts of grain overseas. Soviet officials prevented foreign aid from reaching the Ukrainian people, watching as they slowly languished from starvation. Around four million Ukrainians of various ethnicities died in Stalin’s orchestrated famine. Memories of Soviet violence, including the Holodomor, remained with Ukrainians throughout the Soviet period. This, coupled with Ukraine’s very long history as a cultural nation, fueled calls for independence. On August 24, 1991, as the Soviet Union collapsed, Ukraine officially declared its independence from the USSR and Russia. Ukrainians formalized this choice via a nationwide referendum. Well over 90 percent of Ukrainians voted in favor of independence. However, the transition to an independent and democratic county was onerous. After all, democracy is not a default. It takes effort, even more so after decades of communist rule. Independent Ukraine faced a series of obstacles, including the legacies of the Cold War and nuclear proliferation. Ukraine housed the third-largest nuclear arsenal in the world. They had physical, not operational, control of

these weapons. The international community feared the repercussions of an unmonitored nuclear arsenal in the hands of a fledgling democracy. After a series of internal and international debates, Ukraine met with leaders of Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. This meeting resulted in the Budapest Memorandum (1994). In exchange for transporting their entire nuclear arsenal to the Russian Federation, the United States, United Kingdom, and the Russian Federation assured Ukraine that they would never launch a military attack against them. Initially, it seemed Russia would make good on this promise, as the Russian Federation went through a period of openness in the early 1990s. However, the ascent of Putin, from a taxi driver to the director of the Federal Security Service to the “president” of Russia, signaled a shift in Russian domestic and international policy, particularly regarding Ukraine. Russia and Ukraine had maintained a relatively close relationship following Ukrainian independence; however, Ukraine had already begun breaking away from the Russian stranglehold. The 2004 Ukrainian presidential election revealed this shift. Two candidates emerged from the initial vote – Victor Yushchenko, a Ukrainian nationalist, and Viktor Yanukovych, an oligarch with Russian leanings. They both had strong followings; however, the Kremlin knew that Yushchenko would likely prevail. Putin orchestrated an assassination attempt on Yuschenko, which failed, and then proceeded to tamper with the runoff election. Ukrainians, outraged by the falsified outcome and widespread voter intimidation, poured into the streets donning the color of

Yushchenko’s campaign, orange. During the Orange Revolution (2004), Ukrainians demanded fair and transparent elections. They peacefully protested for democracy, and they won. Ukraine held a new election and Yushchenko won. Yanukovych became the Prime Minister. Due in large part to Russian interference, Yushchenko’s presidency was short and disappointing. Ukrainians opted for Yanukovych in the 2010 presidential election. During this entire period, Ukrainians had increasingly begun to look westward, expressing interest in joining the EU and NATO. In 2013, Ukraine had the opportunity to sign an EU agreement, which would have initiated the very long process of joining the EU. Yanukovych refused to sign, opting for increased financial ties to Russia. Ukrainians, once again, took to the streets to protest. They demanded closer ties to Europe and Yanukovych’s resignation. Yanukovych refused, instead siccing the Berkut police on the peaceful protestors. They beat thousands and murdered a little over one hundred Ukrainians in the streets, but Ukrainians refused to comply with Yanukovych’s demands to return home. In February 2014, after months of fighting, Yanukovych fled to Russia, where he resides today. The Ukrainians held democratic elections for the pro-EU and pro-Ukrainian candidate, Petro Poroshenko. We call this protest Euromaidan, named for the Kyivan square where much of the protest occurred and the calls of Ukrainians to join Europe. However, Ukrainians call this The Revolution of Dignity (2014) because they reclaimed their dignity

and demanded respect in the streets of Kyiv. In 2019, presidential power in Ukraine peacefully transferred from Poroshenko to Volodymyr Zelensky. Zelensky ran on a decidedly proEuropean platform that called for an end to the illegal Russian occupation of Crimea and the Donbas. Since 2014, during the presidencies of both Poroshenko and Zelensky, the Kremlin has orchestrated massive disinformation campaigns and waged war on Ukrainian soil. The timing of the recent escalation in violence, February 24, is profoundly symbolic for recent Ukrainian-Russian relations. Yanukovych fled Ukraine for Russia on February 22, 2014, signaling an end to Russia’s weakening grip on the Ukrainian state and the beginning of the current war of Russian aggression. Putin intended for this rapid escalation to immediately end the war and for Ukraine to capitulate within days. He had Yanukovych primed to take the reigns and penned a manifesto to Russify Ukraine. Once again, Ukraine refused to acquiesce to Russian imperial aggression, as it has for centuries. Fort Hays State University students will learn more about these topics and take up questions about Russian imperialism, past and present, in places like Ukraine, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan in my Soviet history course this fall. Community members and alumni are welcome to audit the course as well.

We would like to hear what you think about the content in this issue of ROAR Magazine. Contact us at FHSUNews@fhsu.edu. ROAR

| 40 |

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

From humble beginnings to global learning by BRIAN GRIBBEN photography by FHSU ARCHIVES

rom its earliest incarnation, established at the dawn of the 20th century to train the one-room schoolhouse teachers of central and western Kansas, to a state comprehensive university with a global presence, Fort Hays State University’s facilities and academic programs have changed dramatically. Yet, for even the most “experienced” Tiger alumnus, familiar landmarks like Gross Memorial Coliseum, Malloy Hall, and others (even off-campus haunts like the Brass Rail) still conjure memories and offer touchstones to the past. However, Fort Hays State’s earliest history, that which escapes living memory, proves less palpable. As the university nears its 120th anniversary, reflecting on its founding and importance to the community that supported it can bring FHSU’s formative years to light. In its first inception, the university’s precursor was located to the south of the present campus on part of the

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 41 |

fhsu.edu/roar

decommissioned military reservation that in 1867 had been home to the university’s namesake. By the 1880s, the subjugation of indigenous peoples had rendered Fort Hays, like many of the outposts that dotted the Great Plains, redundant. The War Department deactivated the installation on April 7, 1889. Officially abandoned by November, the reservation – which spanned 7,500 acres and bordered to the north by Big Creek – became the property of the Department of Interior. Almost a decade earlier, Hays City land developer Martin Allen envisioned that the reservation would one day be home to an agricultural school and experiment station, going so far as to secure passage of an 1881 resolution in the state legislature stating as much. At the time, Allen’s vision fell short, and plans for the land at the local, state, and federal levels never reached fruition. This changed in

1899 as congressional legislation was introduced to transfer the reservation to the state of Kansas for the purpose of establishing a western branch of the Kansas State Normal School, a public park, and an experiment station affiliated with the State Agricultural College (present-day Kansas State University). Signed into law by President William McKinley the following spring, the state was given five years to fulfill these objectives. Competing homesteading claims delayed the opening of the western branch for two years. Still, by March 1902, J.N. Wilkinson, president of the Kansas State Normal School, had selected William S. Picken to serve as the branch’s first principal. Because the fort’s existing buildings were in poor condition, renovation began immediately to prepare the future Normal School for its inaugural summer session. The former guardhouse, blockhouse, and hospital served as gymnasium, library, and classroom, respectively, while Picken, the few faculty, and their families made their homes in the former officer quarters. The community’s response to the school’s founding was generally favorable, as civic leaders viewed the introduction of the normal school to Hays City as a “civilizing” influence on a community whose colorful past was not entirely buried. According to local reports, the city council voted to “drive all of the bad women out of town,” and attempts were made to

close saloons and curb bootlegging as the presence of prostitution and alcohol were ironically thought unbecoming of a “college town.” When classes commenced on June 23, a student body of 34 (presumably) chaste and sober youth, accompanied by (presumably) chaste and sober community members, attended the first convocation. During its early years, the Western Branch offered a limited curriculum to ensure it wouldn’t draw prospective

students away from its parent institution. Coursework centered on grammar, arithmetic, reading, geography, and U.S. history fulfilled the requirements of a traditional high school’s last two years and first year of college, training future teachers, and prepared them for certification to teach public school for one year. Early in Picken’s tenure, he procured legislative authorization to offer students a full “normal course” of study, allowing them to obtain lifetime teaching certificates. In addition, this secured a measure of autonomy from Emporia, leading to the establishment of a four-year bachelor’s degree in education in 1910. It was also under Picken that the future FHSU moved to its present location as construction began on a

Gymnasium, 1912

ROAR

| 42 |

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

multi-use academic/administrative building in 1903. When classes resumed in fall 1904, the campus was comprised of the new building as well as a relocated portion of the fort’s former hospital known as the “Incubator.” During Picken’s 11-year tenure as principal, additional construction projects ensued, including a gymnasium (Martin Allen Hall), an agricultural hall (the original Rarick Hall), and the addition of wings to Sheridan Coliseum, 1918

Picken Hall. Upon Picken’s resignation in 1913, the Kansas Board of Educational Administration tabbed William A. Lewis to succeed him. Shortly thereafter, the state legislature severed the Hays branch from Emporia as part of a larger restructuring, and President Lewis oversaw the inauguration of the Fort Hays Kansas State Normal School on March 6, 1914. The institution would undergo subsequent reorganizations during the Lewis administration, first as the Kansas State Teachers College of Hays in 1923 and Fort Hays Kansas State College eight years later. As Fort Hays State matured during its first two decades, Lewis and Henry Malloy, whom Picken had initially hired to chair the school’s music department,

Incubator Building, 1902

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 43 |

fhsu.edu/roar

contributed to the culture of Hays. Malloy took charge of the Hays Community Chorus while Lewis advocated for the construction of Sheridan Coliseum (now Sheridan Hall), a facility he believed would serve as a lyceum for Hays’s cultural activities. Following the building’s completion in 1917, Lewis’ vision was realized as concerts, public lectures, and athletic events deepened the interdependence between “town and gown.” Today’s campus community is very different than any of our founders could have imagined in 1902, growing from a small normal school on the high plains of Kansas to a comprehensive public university with a global reach. What has not changed in 120 years is the symbiosis between Fort Hays State and the communities the institution serves. Time has not altered an enduring relationship predicated on the notion that all of society benefits from the cultivation of the individual. It is a powerful and noble idea rooted in Fort Hays State’s culture from its earliest years that still resonates today.

ALUMNI NEWS

2022 Commencement award winners The three highly coveted awards given out at the end of each spring semester by the Fort Hays State University Alumni Association recognize the exceptional efforts and achievements of FHSU students and faculty. Alec Bevis, Wichita, received the Torch Award as the outstanding graduating senior of the class of 2022 at Fort Hays State University. The award was created in 1974. Alison Helget, Hays, and Mary Kathy Robb, Kansas City, Mo., were co-winners of the Lighthouse Award honoring the outstanding graduate student for the academic school year. This award was first given in 2018. Ken Windholz, instructor of psychology, was named the recipient of the Pilot Award as the outstanding faculty member for the academic school year. The Pilot Award was created in 1974 and is based upon nominations from the current graduating class. Torch Award recipient Bevis received a bachelor of science degree in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry and plans to pursue a graduate degree in biochemistry. Bevis, a standout for the Tiger men’s soccer team, has multiple Ph.D. program offers pending. Helget, co-winner of the Lighthouse Award, maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA while earning her bachelor’s degree in history from FHSU in three years. She also graduated summa cum laude with a master of arts in history this spring. She will begin work on a Ph.D. this fall at Texas Christian

From left, Ken Windholz, Mary Kathy Robb, Alec Bevis, and Alison Helget.

University. Mary Kathy Robb, co-winner of the Lighthouse Award, also graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA with a master of fine arts with an emphasis in ceramics. During her FHSU career, she earned three Graduate Scholarly Experience grants and put one to use in developing a unique blend of fired and unfired surfaces on one of her ceramic sculptures. Windholz, the Pilot Award recipient, is highly regarded for his teaching style and “keeping students engaged through the class.” Windholz was nominated by four separate students for this award.

Jones “pushed to be better” at FHSU Some of the most valuable lessons for Demetrias Jones as a Fort Hays State University studentathlete were learned out of the classroom. A member of the Tiger track and field team during his time at FHSU, Jones said he and his teammates “always pushed one another to be better.” When not pushing himself on the field, the Salina native was challenging himself to explore future career paths. His interest in technology and constantly wanting to try new things led him to pursue a degree in management information systems. Graduating in 2015, Jones was hired by one of the largest general aviation companies in the world, Textron Aviation, ROAR

as a software developer. Jones’ experience encouraging his FHSU teammates easily translated to supporting his new coworkers at Textron Aviation in Wichita. Jones is now taking on major initiatives as the Manager of IT Customer Experience for Textron. One such initiative was a COVID-19 Applications Suite that allows Textron employees to retrieve and input necessary information. Jones’ hard work and innovation are not going unnoticed. Earlier this year, he received the 2022 David L. Steward Legacy Award as Black Engineer of the Year. The award recognizes collaborative leaders and successful innovators in the tech sector. Jones’ challenging spirit motivates him to learn new things every day. “There are so many seasons in life and things are always changing,” he said, “so find what excites you and makes you feel fulfilled.” | 44 |

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

College of Education Alum wins Presidential Award Michelle Dillard is a firm believer in continuing to seek professional growth, and she is being rewarded for it. Dillard, a 2011 graduate of Fort Hays State University, has taught for 16 years, primarily in the Denver Metropolitan area. Earlier this year, she received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. This is the highest recognition for K-12 STEM/computer science teachers in the United States. Dillard now will help open a new school in Centennial Colo., the Dr. Justina Ford Elementary School, where she will teach fifth grade beginning the 2022-23 school year. “We as educators pursue excellence in our field on behalf of our students who deserve the very best every day,”

Dillard said. “To me, the Presidential Award represents a tremendous honor and wonderful opportunity to partner with great educators to learn how to be the best we can be for our students.” She took classes online, allowing her the flexibility to learn at home while teaching and taking care of her three children. She earned her master of science degree in education with a concentration in linguistically and culturally diverse education. As a certified classroom and English Language Development teacher, Dillard says that she uses daily what she learned at FHSU about culturally diverse learners to meet the needs of her students. “Every student deserves to be continually awed and humbled by all there is to learn about our world, and we as teachers should provide exceptional educational opportunities for all students to explore and grow,” Dillard said.

FHSU grad hired as Big 12 coach Jacie Hoyt, a native of Hoxie, was named head coach of Oklahoma State women’s basketball program in March. She said her successful coaching career was expedited by her experience at Fort Hays State University. After playing college basketball and graduating from Wichita State University, Hoyt came to Fort Hays State to complete her master’s, along with hopes to continue her college basketball career. An unfortunate injury quickly shifted her plans. Although she wasn’t able to compete on the court, Hoyt took on an important coaching role as a graduate assistant for the FHSU women’s basketball team. “Coach (Tony) Hobson included me, leaned on me, and made me feel like I was an important member of the team,” she said. While Hoyt says not being able to play was hard, the community she found at FHSU was very supportive. Hoyt graduated from FHSU in 2011 with a master of

science in communication. She set her sights on continuing her coaching career, following in the footsteps of her mother, Shelly Hoyt ‘01, a legendary Kansas high school coach. Shelly Hoyt coached the Hoxie girls to a staterecord 107 consecutive victories and four consecutive state championships. “I can’t really say I grew up wanting to be a coach; I just wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself,” Jacie Hoyt said. “But I can say that I was encouraged and inspired by watching my mom coach.” Hoyt’s competitive spirit and love for the game quickly landed her an assistant coach position at the University of Nevada before taking a similar position at Kansas State University. In 2017, Hoyt was hired as head coach for the University of Missouri-Kansas City, where she guided her team to the 2020 Western Athletic Conference regularseason championship. As the new head coach for Oklahoma State women’s basketball, Hoyt is looking forward to building and empowering her team as it competes in the Big 12 Conference.

Share your news

We want to hear from you, whether it’s new employment, honors, appointments, or births. Visit FHSUalumni.com/alumniupdate; send your news to FHSU Alumni Association, One Tiger Place, Hays, KS 67601; or email alumni@fhsu.edu. FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 45 |

fhsualumni.com

TIGER NOTES

SHARE YOUR NEWS We want to hear from you. Send us your news, updates, and information by visiting FHSUalumni.com/alumni-update or emailing alumni@fhsu.edu.

1970s

Brenda (Hake) Gilliland ’83, Concordia, was hired as the executive director of the Community Foundation for Cloud County.

Michael Folks ’97, Hutchinson, retired from his position as superintendent with USD 308 at the end of the 20212022 academic year.

James Casey ’73, Russell, published a nonfiction historical book with Amazon in 2021, entitled “We Shall Never Speak of This Again: The Plight of the Irish in the 19th Century.”

Roger Hrabe ’80, Plainville, received the Governor’s Tourism Award during the annual Kansas Tourism Conference in Liberal.

Scott Gross ’90, Hays, began his new position as art director with the University Marketing Department at FHSU in November 2021.

Jerry “Jay” Osborne ’87, Nixa, Mo., was chosen as a member of the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2022.

Dawn (Juenemann) Howard ’90, ’97, WaKeeney, was hired by USD 489 as the transition coordinator for the 1821 program at the new WeKan Center located in the Hadley Center.

Michael “Mike” Baughn ’76, Brewster, was elected to the Kansas Historical Foundation Board of Directors.

Jeffery Curtis ’77, Hays, joined the FHSU Health and Wellness Services team as the medical director. Gregory Issinghoff ’79, ’80, ’89, Lawrence, retired after 21 years as an engineering geologist for the Central Valley Region, California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Fresno, Calif. Robert “Bob” Wilhelm ’77, ’79, Hays, published his book, “Stones, Bullets and Blood,” in February. Connie Wittman ’78, Andover, retired from her position as director of oncology with Good Samaritan Health System.

1980s

Pamela (Harris) Allender ’86, ’86, Hutchinson, was inducted into the 2021 Class of the Kansas Teachers’ Hall of Fame. Jeff Crippen ’83, Miami Beach, Fla., retired from his position as chief executive officer with Omni Air International at the end of 2021. Joseph “Joe” Erdman ’85, Littleton, Colo., was promoted to responsible systems engineer for the Spacecraft Electronics Systems on NASA’s Artemis program.

Tamara Patterson ’88, ’90, ’92, Wichita, was named the 2021 Kansas School Psychologist of the Year. Barry Mellen ’89, Woodland Park, Colo., was selected for induction into the Kansas State High School Activities Association Hall of Fame Class of 2022. Melissa (Scheetz) Romme ’89, Hays, is the 2022 board of directors chair for the Chamber in Hays.

1990s

Jon Armstrong ’96, ’08, Hays, won the 2021 Kansas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (KACRAO) Diane Barnes Mentor Award. Grant Bannister ’93, Manhattan, was reappointed as chief judge in the 21st Judicial District, composed of Clay and Riley counties. Lori (Wellbrock) Flax ’90, Hays, and her husband, Eric, were selected as the recipients of the 2021 Wildlife Habitat Award by the Ellis County Conservation District. ROAR

| 46 |

Kevin Jenks ’95, Wichita, was named the president and CEO of the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission. Linda (Hagen) Mills ’95, Hays, received the eyeSMILE Vision + Dental Helping Hands Award at the 2022 Annual Chamber Awards Banquet. Robert Morgan ’93, Carbondale, Ill., joined Southern Illinois University Carbondale as dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. John Ross ’90, ’94, Ellis, was one of eight national recipients of Prosci’s Advanced Deployment Lead Certification and received leadership recognition from Sunflower Electric Power Corporation.

2000s

Nick Capo ’02, Overland Park, was promoted to vice president of event operations with the Kansas City Chiefs. Michael Collins ’01, Hutchinson, was promoted to captain with the Hutchinson Police Department.

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

Ashley (Dopita) Comeau ’08, Plainville, was named the 2021 North Central Kansas Regional Winner in the Retail Business category by the Kansas Department of Commerce.

Brian Younker ’09, Spearville, was elected to represent the central tier of the Kansas Grain Sorghum Producers Association.

Heather (Weeks) Porter ’17, Newton, was elected to the Central Kansas Community Foundation Board of Directors.

Scott Cook ’02, Dyersburg, Tenn., was chosen as the new president of Dyersburg State Community College.

2010s

Drew Bealby ’18, ’21, Woodland Park, Colo., was hired as an associate planner with the Queen Anne’s County Planning and Zoning Department in Centreville, Md.

Douglas Schroeder ’16, Hesston, was named executive director of the Kansas Commission on Peace Officers’ Standards and Training.

Amber (Saueressig) Jewell ’07, LeRoy, published a book entitled “Finding Hope: The 12 Keys to Healing Hardship, Hurt, & Sorrow.” Gina (Spilker) Johnson ’00, Hays, was named USD 489 Master Teacher of the Year and was chosen as a member of the 2022 class of Kansas Master Teachers. Jason Kennedy ’05, Hays, was hired as market president with Astra Bank. Chelsey (Gillogly) Ladd ’08, ’08, Hays, was appointed to the Downtown Hays Development Corporation Board of Directors. Nathan Legleiter ’07, Hays, received the Vyve Broadband Rising Star Award at the 2022 Annual Chamber Awards Banquet. Nathan Musick ’07, ’14, Wichita, was hired as an audit supervisor with Marcum LLP in October 2021. Eric Norris ’04, Lawrence, was named director of the Manhattan Public Library and North Central Kansas Libraries System. Skyler Rorabaugh ’02, ’05, Colorado Springs, Colo., was hired as the new manager of Pikes Peak-America’s Mountain. Bruce Rupp ’02, Hays, is now the assistant principal and athletic director at Hays Middle School. Betsy (Lisbona) Schwien ’05, ’07, Russell, joined Smoky Hills PBS as the new general manager. Christina “Chris” (Robben) Sramek ’02, ’03, ’04, Hays, was hired as principal of Roosevelt Elementary School USD 489. Tara (Towns) Vance ’04, Norton, was hired as the director of entrepreneurial ecosystems with Network Kansas.

Shanna (Schumacher) Carrillo ’18, Hays, received the Sr. Mary J. Mollison Nurse-of-the-Year Award. Darla (Brubaker) Deeds ’18, Bird City, was a featured author at the Los Angeles Festival of Books 2022. Susan Dreiling ’15, Minneapolis, Minn., was promoted to associate creative director with Shutterfly, Inc. in August 2021. Jena (Hayes) Dunham ’13, ’17, Lyndon, was promoted to director of behavioral health with Flint Hills Community Health Center. Jordon German ’18, ’20, Arlington, Va., joined Georgetown University as the intramural and recreational sport coordinator. Kristin (Hodges) Hines ’15, Cimarron, was promoted to state training coordinator with the Kansas CASA Association. Tuan Huynh ’14, Chicago, Ill., founded VietFive Coffee in September 2021. Dimitri Kricfalusi ’13, Ozark, Mo., was promoted to director of supply chain systems with Bass Pro Shops. Rachel Luedders ’19, Hays, was recently promoted to assistant banquet manager with Kansas City Marriott Downtown and nominated for Associate of the Quarter at Marriott’s Brilliant Host Reception. Darren Morawitz ’13, ’13, Salina, was hired as the director of education at the Salina Art Center. Nam Pham ’18, Newton, joined FlightSafety International as an information systems security officer.

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 47 |

fhsualumni.com

Douglas “Doug” Self ’10, ’12, Lawrence, joined KU Athletics as the assistant communications director in September 2021. Kyle Stacken ’11, ’13, Hays, won the 2021 Kansas Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (KACRAO) Beth Tedrow Outstanding New Professional Award. Tranda (Ihrig) Strnad ’13, Cuba, was named Outstanding Secondary Level Art Educator of the Year 2021-2022 by the Kansas Art Education Association. Matthew “Matt” Whitmore ’14, Arvada, Colo., joined DaVita Kidney Care as director of strategy in February.

2020s

Heather (Maxfield) Crump ’20, Andover, was hired as the community impact manager for education with United Way of the Plains. Caden Frank ’20, ’20, Omaha, Neb., received the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) Region IV-W “Rising Star Award,” the highest award offered in the graduate student category. Markie Hageman ’20, Hilmar, Calif., was selected as the 2021 Advocate of the Year by the Beef Checkoff-funded Masters of Beef Advocacy program. Jodi (Moran) Kaufman ’20, Kingman, was inducted into the Marquis Who’s Who Biographical Registry. Tracey (Brown) Pryce ’21, Crownsville, Md., was hired as an information systems program analyst at the Department of the Treasury. Patricia “Tricia” Reiser ’20, Great Bend, was promoted to assistant superintendent with USD 428.

TIGER NOTES Nickolas “Nick” Schulz ’20, Lenexa, was promoted to project manager-core engineering with Garmin. Karl Dawn (Hobbs) Stover ’20, Beloit, was recognized as the Kansas Association of Career and Technical Education (K-ACTE) Young Teacher-ofthe-Year award winner, the Carl Perkins Outstanding Service award winner, and the Kansas Association of Agricultural Educators (KAAE) Outstanding Agricultural Education Teacher.

James “Mick” McVey ’50, Lindsborg, Feb. 23, 2022 Zinowji Melnyk ’51, Wilder, Ky., Jan. 24, 2021 Thelma (Dixon) Morgan ’57, Topeka, March 12, 2022 Carl Paustian ’50, Arlington, Texas, Jan. 29, 2022 Kenneth Reinert ’56, ’62, Chandler, Ariz., Nov. 24, 2021

In Memoriam

Robert Samples ’58, O’Fallon, Ill., Oct. 22, 2021

Louise (Locker) Halfman ’40, Tulsa, Okla., Feb. 4, 2022

Harold Smith ’58, ’69, Lakin, May 10, 2021

1940’s

Clifford “Bill” Jones ’49, Quinter, March 22, 2022 Margaret “Maggi” (Lund) Watson ’44, Wichita, April 2, 2022 Orva (Scheuerman) Wolfe ’48, Hutchinson, April 23, 2022

1950’s

Kerry Bahl ’59, ’59, Pleasanton, Calif., March 27, 2022 Alice (Slagle) Barnard ’55, St. Joseph, Mo., Dec. 14, 2021 Melvin “Mack” Bollinger ’57, Lakewood, Colo., March 4, 2022 Kenneth “Ken” Braun ’56, Hays, March 6, 2022 Anita (Robben) Bril ’56, Arvada, Colo., May 25, 2021 James “Phil” Busenbark ’54, ’60, Larned, Nov. 26, 2021 Doyle Ekey ’55, Mesa, Ariz., Dec. 1, 2021 Francis “Fran” Frey ’52, ’52, Antioch, Calif., Oct. 27, 2021 Fr. Beryl Gibson ’54, Phillipsburg, Feb. 26, 2022 Dennis Lemon ’57, Salina, Oct. 1, 2021 Robert “Bob” McClellan ’51, Palco, March 6, 2022

Ernest “E.C.” Snook ’55, ’56, Kimberling City, Mo., Jan. 16, 2022 Doris (Meyer) Titsworth ’55, Golden City, Mo., July 9, 2021 Bruce Trible ’50, Lafayette, La., Jan 27, 2022 Loyal Vincent ’57, ’61, Omaha, Neb., Oct. 1, 2021 Marilyn (Behnke) Wilkens ’59, Shawnee, Dec. 19, 2021 David Woolery ’55, Branson, Mo., May 5, 2021

1960’s

Billy Beamgard ’61, ’71, Atwood, Nov. 23, 2021

Allaire Homburg ’67, ’71, Stockton, March 16, 2022 Gilbert Kobler ’64, Duncanville, Texas, Sept. 24, 2021 Francis “Ray” Lewis ’69, ’72, Auburn, Ala., Feb. 20, 2022 Frank Magana ’60, Kansas City, Nov. 7, 2021 Barbara Massey ’64, ’68, Portland, Ore., Feb. 22, 2022 Gaylene (Howard) McDowell ’63, ’91, Lebanon, Jan. 14, 2022 Richard Pahls ’66, ’67, Omaha, Neb., April 20, 2022 Robert Pavlicek ’62, Collierville, Tenn., Aug. 29, 2021 Marion (Feist) Rainbolt ’60, San Diego, Calif., Nov. 10, 2021 Carol (Walters) Rupp ’66, Winfield, April 5, 2022 Larry Soice ’67, ’68, Wichita, April 28, 2022 Rosa Lee (Hirt) Whitmer ’60, ’73, Wilson, July 3, 2021 Harvey Davidson ’71, Hays, Dec. 5, 2021 Johnny Ireland ’79, Hays, Oct. 12, 2021

Judith Bink ’69, Winfield, Dec. 22, 2021 Elsie (Hildebrand) Brandyberry ’61, ’67, Hill City, Sept. 23, 2021 Robert “Ed” Elliott ’65, Great Bend, Jan. 5, 2022 Audrey (Field) Gibson ’61, Smith Center, Feb. 5, 2022 Meryl Grosshans ’62, Minneapolis, Aug. 31, 2021 Ronald Haney ’60, Garden City, Dec. 21, 2021 | 48 |

Barbara (Palmer) Hoglund ’60, ’61, Spring, Texas, Oct. 11, 2021

1970’s

James “Jim” Befort ’68, Aurora, Ill., Feb. 7, 2022

ROAR

Kenneth Havner ’68, Overland Park, Feb. 13, 2022

Betty (Kemmerer) Koch ’79, Holyrood, Sept. 4, 2021 Paul Madden ’77, Topeka, Aug. 24, 2021 Twila (Baney) O’Brien ’74, ’79, Great Bend, Jan. 19, 2022 Rodney Ruder ’74, Austin, Texas, Nov. 20, 2021 Richard Schroder ’76, Lenexa, Nov. 19, 2021

SPRING/SUMMER 2022

2020’s

Glenn Tucker ’70, Denver, Colo., Feb. 8, 2022

Emmanuel ’20 and Heather (Albright) Adigun, Hugoton, a girl, Maliyah Mae, July 11, 2021

Ronald Underwood ’70, Everest, March 13, 2022

Kevin and Lauren ’21 (Dicellis) Del Rio, South Plainfield, N.J., a girl, Olivia Lou, Feb. 10, 2021

Marvin Zimmer ’70, Hays, Sept. 10, 2021

1980’s

Dorothy (Stover) Sprenkel ’89, Hill City, Oct. 15, 2021

Jeremiah and Jessica ’21 (Bauer) Fiscus, McPherson, a boy, Leonard Tripp, March 15, 2021

James “Jim” Williams ’85, Hays, July 16, 2021

Marriages 1990’s

William “Bill” Wright ’81, Garden City, Dec. 30, 2021

Victor Kaempfe ’91 and Susan Longoria, Aug. 24, 2021

1990’s Wendy (Legleiter) Nease ’95, Hays, April 12, 2022 Steven Wasinger ’94, ’05, Hays, Sept. 12, 2021 Friends of FHSU Alison (Hearne) Atkins, Wilmington. N.C., Nov. 3, 2021

2000’s

Tyler Beam and Nicholl Weigel ’09, Sept. 11, 2021 Travis Couture-Lovelady ’05 and Bekka Simpson (Belau) ’07, Nov. 13, 2021 Troy Haas ’01 and Brenda Lager ’04, Dec. 31, 2021

2010’s

Births

2000’s

Eric and Danielle ’05, ’21 (Clausen) Fox, Larned, a boy, Maverick, April 28, 2021 John and Melissa ’01 (Wasinger) Mayers, Hays, a boy, Mason Dominic, Dec. 6, 2021

2010’s

Junior and Marina ’14 (Neira) Cruz, Albuquerque, N.M., a girl, Catalina Esperanza, Feb. 7, 2022 Nolan ’11 and Jessica ’13 (Elsen) Hoffman, Hays, a boy, Mac William, April 21, 2022 Dustin ’12 and Heather ’12, ’17 (Sanders) McWhirter, Hays, a girl, Lakyn Leigh, March 17, 2021 Fausto Hernandez and Devani ’18, ’21 Prieto, Great Bend, a girl, Ellie Lizeth, March 14, 2021 Daniel ’12 and Stephanie ’13 (Schmeidler) Schneider, Olmitz, a boy, Levi Michael, Nov. 13, 2021

Mitchell Ackerman ’14 and Gentry Snyder ’19, Sept. 25, 2021 Dawson Augustine and Lindsey Hurford ’19, Nov. 6, 2021 Dane Basgall and Janae Kraus ’12, ’15, Oct. 9, 2021 Raile Blackburn ’17 and Kaitlyn Dinges ’15, ’17, Jan. 8, 2022 Lee Carpenter and Lacey Fischer ’11, ’11, ’13, Sept. 5, 2021 Matthew Cunningham ’15 and Jenna Lang ’16, ’18, May 22, 2021 Mauricio Etcheverry-Gamarra ’20 and Whitney Miller ’19, Sept. 19, 2021 Ian Finger and Sarah Henman ’19, July 31, 2021 Ryan Gengler ’21, ’21 and Andrea Nimz ’19, ’19, July 17, 2021 Brenden Ibarra ’19 and Alexis Summers ’19, Aug. 28, 2021

FORT HAYS STATE UNIVERSITY

| 49 |

fhsualumni.com

Jason Logan and Kailee Gibson ’19, Aug. 28, 2021 Kyler Meyers ’17 and Jamie Boeckman ’14, ’20, Oct. 2, 2021 Matthew Murrow and Emily Vollbracht ’17, Dec. 18, 2021 Dustin Potucek and Bailey Gaither ’19, July 3, 2021 Kenny Rounkles ’18 and Hailey Shaffer, Sept. 25, 2021 Joel Struckhoff ’18, ’21 and Heidi Gottschalk ’19, ’19, Aug. 21, 2021 Jared Strunk and Cassie Pralle ’17, ’21, Dec. 4, 2021

2020’s

Tristan Buchanan and Paeton Harms ’21, July 30, 2021 Isaac Calvert and Morgan Claassen ’21, Aug. 3, 2021 Tanner Cassity and Allie Frickey ’20, Sept. 18, 2021 Jordan Hartwell and Kori Birzer ’20, Oct. 2, 2021 Cody Kohler ’21 and Molly Hein, June 13, 2020 Andrew Makings and Morgan Westbrook ’21, Sept. 18, 2021 Nicholas Nowak ’21 and Karis Hilbert, Aug. 15, 2021 Zakary Romo and Adrianna Michaud ’20, Sept. 18, 2021 Caleb Rudy ’20 and Emma Austin ’20, Nov. 20, 2021 Mason Runyan and Jillian Harper ’21, July 3, 2021 Conrad Vajnar ’21 and Haley George ’21, July 31, 2021

OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY COMMUNICATIONS 600 Park Street Hays, KS 67601

DRIVE WITH TIGER PRIDE Show your Tiger pride on the road by purchasing an official state of Kansas Tiger Tag!

Visit www.FHSUalumni.com/drive or contact FHSU’s Alumni Association at 785-628-4430 or alumni@fhsu.edu

FHSU ROAR Magazine | Spring / Summer 2022

Articles inside

Artist Spotlight

The Stehno-Slattery Education Leadership Scholarship

Schmidt-Bickle Athletic Complex

Tiger Notes

Alumni News

120 Years of FHSU

A History of Russian Aggression in Ukraine

Scholarship, Research, Creativity

Life-changing

Center Stage

Lights, Camera, Coffee

A Clear Advantage

Magical

Tiger Athletics

Campus News