Magazine of Southeast Missouri State University

A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

HOMECOMING 2008 “IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES”

SOUTHEAST STUDENTS LEARN FROM D.C.’S BRIGHTEST AT CSIS

GHOLSON’S SHIP COMES IN MEDICAL EXPERIENCE AT SEA OFFERING STUDENT GLOBAL HEALTHCARE PERSPEC TIVE

GLOBE-TROTTING

TWINS SOUTHEAST STUDENTS TRAVEL TO CHINA TO STUDY THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

FROM THE PRESIDENT THE MAGAZINE OF S O UTHE A S T MI S S O U R I S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y Fall 2008 The mission of The Magazine of Southeast Missouri State University is to bring the vitality that is Southeast Missouri State University into the lives of its alumni and friends… and to promote the cause of the University most effectively through its editorial focus on interesting people and interesting ideas…Experience Southeast…Experience Success.

The Magazine of Southeast Missouri State University is made possible by members of the Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association and donors to the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

MAGAZINE TEAM MANAGING EDITORS Karen Grebing Director of Marketing & University Relations kgrebing@semo.edu Diane Sides Assistant to the President dosides@semo.edu COPY AND ART EDITOR Shad Burner Director of Alumni Services sburner@semo.edu CONTRIBUTORS Adam Appleton Juan Crites Ann Hayes Kathleen Mulcrone Delain Stafford PHOTOGRAPHY Brad Chamness Mike Grace Nancy Kelley Thomas Marrone Matthew R. Miller ROWDY CARICATURE Thomas Marrone DESIGN Jamie Barnwell UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT Dr. Ken Dobbins VICE PRESIDENT FOR UNIVERSITY ADVANCEMENT/ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FOUNDATION Wayne Smith ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Joan Gohn, President Michael Price, Vice President

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e were pleased to once again set all-time new student enrollment and total enrollment records for fall 2008. However, it was especially rewarding to see our improved efforts in the recruitment of international students. Over 130 new international students, the largest class in our history, arrived this August. Consequently, almost 300 international students from 41 countries now reside in Cape Girardeau and attend classes on the Southeast campus. To succeed in an increasingly global environment, it is important that all students gain a full understanding and appreciation of different cultures and values.

Whether through hosting international students on our campus or giving our students the opportunity to travel and study abroad, all Southeast students benefit from a relevant, extensive and thorough general education with a global perspective.

To that end, as you will see in an article in this issue, our Kenneth W. Dobbins President Golden Eagles Marching Band traveled to Scotland in August where they performed in the world-reknown Edinburgh Military Tattoo, while several of our symphony students will soon travel to China to perform. Many of the Harrison College of Business students annually travel abroad to study business practices in other cultures, while art students visit fine galleries in France and Italy; foreign language students practice their languages in Spain and Mexico; anthropology students travel to Costa Rica; and, elementary education majors can do their student teaching in Ireland.

For those students who cannot travel abroad, the University sponsors or co-sponsors distinguished speakers, forums and other events that present cutting-edge thinking and discussion about critical international subjects. In this issue, you will read about 29 of our best and brightest students who spent their spring break at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. The four-day seminar at the CSIS offices provided our students with the opportunity to work with researchers, former ambassadors and consultants who advise national leaders in the top levels of government as they develop policies and strategies that affect the United States and the global community.

Our responsibility to provide students with a more global perspective of the world will continue as the new University mission statement and the goals and objectives of the new University strategic plan approved by the Board of Regents this past summer included the statement, “Students benefit from a relevant, extensive, and thorough general education with a global perspective; professional and liberal arts and sciences curricula; co-curricular opportunities; and real-world experiences.”

In the following pages, you will read more about the global opportunities available to Southeast students, whether through travel, service, conferences and forums, or friendships with international students. You also will find the 2008 Homecoming schedule, an annual event where students and alumni from around the world come together to celebrate Southeast. We hope to see you at this yyear’s Homecomingg celebration!

SOUTHEAST MISSOURI UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION Harry Rediger, Chairman Dick Davidson, Vice Chairman

Sincerely,

LETTERS POLICY The Magazine of Southeast Missouri State University welcomes submissions by alumni and friends. Class notes and letters may be edited for length and content.

SOUTHEAST STUDENTS LEARN FROM D.C.’S BRIGHTEST AT CSIS

“IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES”

Please send all correspondence to editor@semoalumni. com or to The Magazine of Southeast Missouri State University, One University Plaza MS7300, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.

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GHOLSON’S SHIP COMES IN MEDICAL EXPERIENCE AT SEA OFFERING STUDENT GLOBAL HEALTHCARE PERSPEC TIVE

O N T HE COV E R GLOBE-TROTTING

© 2008 Southeast Missouri State University.

Content may not be reprinted without written permission of the editors.

TWINS SOUTHEAST STUDENTS TRAVEL TO CHINA TO STUDY THE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

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Kenneth W. Dobbins President

A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

HOMECOMING 2008 PREVIEW

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I nternational business majors, twins and 4.0 students Jennifer and Jessica Miller traveled to China to learn about the language and culture this summer.

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CAMPUS CHRONICLES 5 ALUMNI ALMANAC 23 CLASS NOTES 26 ROWDY’S NEST 31

A Global Perspective

HOMECOMING 2008

S o u t h e a s t s t u d e n t s l e a r n f ro m D. C.’s br i g htes t a t CS IS

Globe-trotting twins

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Southeast students travel to China to stu dy t he la ng u a g e and cult u re

Gholson’s ship comes in

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The World of Business Southeast alum becomes a gl oba l b u s ines s l e a de r T H E

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Making music a world ld away S o u t h e a s t M i s s o u r i S y m p h o ny Orc hes tra to per fo r m i n Chi na M I S S O U R I

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FROM THE NEW ALUMNI DIRECTOR After spending nearly two years working with the Alumni Association and the Foundation as the coordinator of marketing, I am honored to have this opportunity to serve my fellow alums as director of Alumni Services Having been on the job since only mid-July, I thought this was a great chance to share with you my background and vision for the Alumni Association.

I grew up in the nearby southeast Missouri town of Bernie, where I spent a great deal of time working Shad Burner on the family farm.

Director of Upon graduating from high school, Alumni Services I headed off to college and soon found a home at Southeast. I settled in the Department of Communication, focusing my studies on public relations.

During my last semester, I took on a part-time position with the University Advancement marketing group. My primary tasks were to oversee the alumni e-newsletter and provide various resources and information for the first-ever edition of Southeast’s new magazine. My role with the marketing group soon turned into a graduate assistantship, and eventually into a full-time position as coordinator of marketing.

As coordinator of marketing I was responsible for launching the iAMsoutheast online community,

producing the Alumni Merit Award videos, overseeing the iAMsoutheast alumni e-newsletter and providing a variety of marketing services for the Alumni Association and the University Foundation. I also served as the copy and art editor of The Magazine of Southeast Missouri State University.

I have truly found my passion in working with alumni.

It is incredibly rewarding to not only be a part of enhancing the mission of my alma mater, but to also see the impact Southeast has made on the lives of so many. I am proud to be a member of the Southeast family! And in my new role with that family, I will do my best to enhance the alumni services and programming.

I will be in contact with many of you in the coming months to ask for your thoughts on the Alumni Association and how we can better meet your needs. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to call or e-mail any time.

I hope to see you all at Southeast Night at Busch on Friday, September 26, and at Homecoming on Saturday, October 25!

Sincerely,

Shad Burner Director of Alumni Services UPDATE: In the spring 2008 issue of The Magazine of Southeast Missouri State University, we included a story about two alumni receiving the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. We were later informed that there are actually eight alumni who have received this award in previous years. We are proud of all our alumni who have received this prestigious award and sincerely apologize for the oversight in our previous story.

Eight Alumni Recognized With Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching

2008 Women’s Walk a Great Success The first annual Women’s Walk successfully raised almost $25,000 for the women’s athletic scholarship fund.

The day included more than 250 walkers, several VIPs, and the Southeast coaches and athletes.

The second annual Women’s Walk will be held on April 25, 2009. Go to www.gosoutheast.com for more information.

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Honored with the High School Science Award are Nancy Fischer ’83, ’04 in 1999; Glenn Westover ’68 in 1992; and Paula Young ’90 in 2005. The High School Math Award was presented to Patricia Burkhart ’67 in 1997, Nancy Crisler ‘65 in 1987 and Sharon Schwarz ’80 in 1993. The Elementary Math Award recognized Martha Short ’66, ’83 in 1999. An Elementary Science Award was presented to Judith Gau ’65, ’74 in 1999.

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching are administered by the National Science Foundation and are given annually to select math and science teachers across the United States who make outstanding contributions to their students and schools.

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Harrison College of Business Team Places Third in International Competition

2008-2009 River Campus Schedule Highlights After a successful debut, the River Campus is set to present a second season of outstanding performances and entertainment.

“We have again striven to create a series with something that will appeal to everyone with musicals like ‘Sweeny Todd’ and ‘Hairspray’, a performance of ‘Cinderella’ by the Russian National Ballet, and the acrobatics of Cirque Eloize,” explains Amanda Thornberry, marketing manager of the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts.

There are three performance series: touring, symphony, and theatre and dance.

Here is a sampling of the entertainment scheduled for the upcoming season.

SYMPHONY SERIES Gala Season Opener: On October 14, the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra opens its concert season with the talented duo of David Halen, concertmaster, and Jonathan Vinocour, principle violist of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, in a performance of Mozart’s “Sinfonia Concertante.” Beethoven’s dramatic “Fifth Symphony” will also be performed at this event.

The University Choir and Choral Union will present Prokofiev’s “Peter and the Wolf” and Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s “Hiawatha’s Wedding Feast” December 9.

The Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra will make a trip back to campus in February for another powerful performance.

The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra will celebrate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth with a performance of “Lincoln Portrait” March 3. On May 5, they will present a preview of China Tour, their first international tour.

THEATRE AND DANCE SERIES The series will kick-off with October performances of “The 1940s Radio Hour,” a musical journey back to the golden age of radio.

Performances of William Shakespeare’s comedy “Twelfth Night” will be held December 3-6.

Other theatre and dance performances consist of the musical “Sweet Charity,” the Tony-Award-winning “Angels in America” and Dance-Apalooza, to name a few.

TOURING SERIES Founded in 2001 by Robert Battle as a platform for his choreography, Battleworks T H E

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Dance Company has a repertoire of brilliantly composed and executed dances.

They will be performing at the River Campus in October.

The musical featuring London’s demon barber, “Sweeny Todd,” will appear onstage in November. This Tony Award-winning play inspired the movie version directed by Tim Burton and staring Johnny Depp.

Travel back to the ‘60s with Baltimore’s big girl with big hair and even bigger heart.

Tracy Turnblad dances with passion in the musical “Hairspray.”

Performances are March 8.

Fight for your right to dance with the adaptation of the 1984 movie, “Footloose,” coming to the River Campus April 20.

The Russian National Ballet will close the touring season May 1 with a performance of the fairytale “Cinderella.”

SPECIAL EVENT “STOMP” is a unique combination of percussion, movement and visual comedy.

The young performers fill the stage with compelling, infectious rhythms as they create rhythm from anything that makes a sound. “STOMP” will take place Oct. 21 and Oct. 22.

Tickets for season and individual events are on sale through the River Campus Box Office, all MetroTix outlets, {www.metrotix. com}, or by calling MetroTix at (800) 2935949.

A printable version of the 2008-2009 River Campus schedule is available online at www. semo.edu/rivercampus/events.

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A team from Southeast Missouri State University’s Donald L. Harrison College of Business recently finished third in an international case competition at Coventry University in Coventry, England. This competition was sponsored by the Network of International Business Schools (NIBS), an association of 80 business schools from around the world.

For the second year in a row, Southeast’s team was the only team from the United States chosen to participate in the final round of competition and finished ahead of schools from Canada, Belgium, United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands.

“Last year, we made the finals, but did not place,” said Dr. Gerald McDougall, dean of the Harrison College of Business.

“This year, our second year, it is amazing what the students accomplished.”

The group consisted of four business students: Callie Carter, a senior accounting major from Jonesboro, Ill.; Nicole Gemoules, a senior accounting major from Perryville, Mo.; Jennifer Koenig, a senior accounting major from Perryville, Mo.; and Scott Price, a senior finance major from Sullivan, Mo. Gemoules said of the experience, “Participating in the 2008 NIBS Competition was the most valuable experience during my time at Southeast.

Traveling abroad for the first time, meeting individuals from all around the world, and using the knowledge and skills I learned at Southeast made this an event I will never forget.”

She believes the exceptional business education she is receiving at Southeast was a key asset in this successful experience.

“The quality of education is evident. The College provides a well-rounded education to all majors. Our team consisted of three accounting majors and one finance major, all of whom are knowledgeable in topics involving marketing, economics and business analysis.” Carter, agreed, “Southeast is providing key opportunities to develop the necessary skills for its students to be able to compete with schools from across the world.”

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Southeast Public Radio Wins Missouri Broadcasters Award Southeast Public Radio at Southeast Missouri State University won its first Missouri Broadcasters Association Award for its “Almost Yesterday” series. The award was presented June 7 in Kansas City, Mo. “Almost Yesterday” is a weekly series written and narrated by Dr. Frank Nickell, director of the Center for Regional History at Southeast Missouri State University. Each segment is a two minute condensed version of a glimpse into the history of different aspects of the station’s service region. The stories are drawn from a variety of topics and have included the 1943 fire that destroyed the Halliday Hotel in Cario, Ill., President William Howard Taft’s 1909 visit to Cape Girardeau, and the Golden Eagles Marching Band performing at Super Bowl V in Miami, Fla., in 1971.

“The segments reflect a human element. They

explore what it means to be human,” stated Nickell.

Nickell tries to connect each segment to the present. For example, a future segment about Cape Central High School’s first state championship basketball team is set to coincide with an upcoming reunion.

“There is no end to these stories because we’ll never run out of people,” he said. “Every person has a story.”

“Almost Yesterday” has been running on Southeast Public Radio for about a year, and 32 segments have been edited and produced by Jacob McCleland, Southeast Public Radio host and producer.

“Almost Yesterday” airs every Wednesday morning at 7:49 a.m. during “Morning Edition” on 90.9 FM KRCU and is broadcasted from the new studios in the Serena Building.

Student Involvement in Beautification Efforts The plaza between the Scully and Rhodes buildings is receiving a beautification transformation thanks to the efforts of some students.

Students from the Department of Agriculture and Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology are involved in the design and construction of a new common area in the science quadrangle. “This is a good experience for the students because it allows them to develop their business skills and gain real-world knowledge,” stated Dr. Michael Aide, chair of the Department

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of Agriculture.

The finished project is expected to include an ample seating area for students to gather before and after classes, additional landscaping and a waterfall, all designed by students. The project will also improve the safety of the area by making it more accessible for disabled students.

Dr. Aide sees this undertaking as advantageous to both the students and the University. “The University is in the business of promoting real-life experiences for students and we have dedicated the entire campus as a learning laboratory.”

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Faculty Member Receives Fulbright Award Dr. Marcus Bond, associate professor of chemistry at Southeast Missouri State University, was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholar Grant in the College of Technology at Copperbelt University in Kitwe, Zambia, for the 2007-2008 academic year.

The announcement was made by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.

The Fulbright Program is America’s flagship international educational exchange program, and is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Since its inception in 1946, there have been a total of 286,500 teachers, scholars and students exchanged between the United States and the 155 participating countries.

Bond taught chemistry, assisted in developing a new bachelor of education in science and mathematics degree program, conducted crystallographic research on copper (II) and halide compounds, and established a program of crystallography education and access to crystallographic services.

Fulbright award-winners are selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement, as well as demonstrated leadership potential in their fields.

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Regents Approve Conceptual Design, The Center for Location for Autism Center Entrepreneurial Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents has approved a conceptual design for the Studies Offers a New The future Southeast Missouri State University Autism Center for Diagnosis and Treatment and selected for the facility on the grounds of the former Washington School in Cape Girardeau. The Lewis Program for Students aandsiteClark Discovery Initiative, as approved by the Missouri General Assembly in 2007, included $2.6 million for an Autism Center at Southeast. and Teachers The property is located at Middle and Mill streets. The 11,000-plus-square-foot center will be The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies in the Harrison College of Business will offer a new program aimed at promoting entrepreneurship among elementary and secondary students and teachers.

The Missouri REAL (Rural Entrepreneurship through Action Learning) Entrepreneurship program, developed by Dr. James Stapleton, director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, will make it possible for elementary and secondary students in the region to study innovative and entrepreneurial concepts.

“Our regional and national economic future is dependent upon our young people. In order to be successful in the increasingly competitive global economy, the stakeholders of southeast Missouri must work together to create an entrepreneurial mindset in our young citizens. They need to understand that the new economy may not provide the same opportunities for them that the former economy did for their parents,” said Stapleton.

The REAL program is taught in 43 states and foreign countries and provides hands-on entrepreneurship education.

The program will enhance economic growth and global competitiveness in Missouri by offering teachers and students this education and consists of three primary elements: educating teachers through Missouri REAL Entrepreneurship Teacher institutes, providing handson curriculum, and linking students interested in entrepreneurship with their communities.

In addition to providing curriculum, support and training for teachers in the region, Southeast will play an active role in the evolution of the REAL program.

“As a member organization of the national REAL group, we will participate in future curriculum development and program enhancements,” stated Stapleton.

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located on a grassy area adjacent to the school building in an area formerly serving as a playground.

Kathy Mangels, vice president for finance and administration at Southeast, said the space allows for future expansion and does not have the traffic noise that other sites being considered posed.

She said construction materials and finishes for the building will be designed for serving the autistic population.

The new center will house numerous small and large diagnosis/therapy rooms with observation capabilities for family members, clinicians and students. Therapy rooms also will be developed for music therapy, occupational therapy and life skills training. The facility will include office space for each of four potential partnering institutions that will provide services at the center – Southeast, The Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the University of Missouri - Columbia, Judevine® Center for Autism-Southeast Project, and The Tailor Institute -- in addition to conference and training space to be used for parent education, staff meetings and University instruction.

A Year of Academic Success and Championships It was a year of academic success and championships in the athletics program at Southeast.

Student-athletes excelled in the classroom.

The gymnastics team repeated this year as the Academic National Champions with a nation’s-best 3.820 team grade point average (GPA) – a tie for the highest team gpa in the history of the award.

The women’s cross country team received an Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Team Academic Achievement Award – an award which is presented annually in each conferencesponsored sport to the member team with the greatest percentage of student-athletes named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Student athletes claimed 17 OVC Medals of Honor for the 2007-2008 school year. The Medal of Honor is given annually to the student-athlete who achieves the highest grade point average in a conference-sponsored sport and all 17 Southeast athletes had a 4.0gpa. The Redhawks had a school record 121 studentathletes named to the OVC Commissioner’s Honor Roll from an OVC total of 865. To be

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listed on the Honor Roll, recipients must have achieved at least a 3.25 grade point average.

The Redhawks claimed a league-high five team championships during the 2007-2008 school year. Southeast claimed titles in women’s volleyball, women’s soccer and OVC postseason soccer tournament, women’s basketball, and men’s outdoor track.

The soccer team advanced to the NCAA Tournament; the women’s basketball team advanced to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament; the men’s cross country team finished 15th at the NCAA Midwest Regional; the gymnastics team advanced to NCAA regional competition; and several track athletes advanced to the NCAA Mideast Regional championship while John Berry and Miles Smith advanced to the NCAA track national finals.

Smith finished sixth in the nation in the 400-meters and again won All-America honors.

Four coaches claimed six Coach of the Year awards including Joey Haines who was named the OVC Men’s Outdoor Track Coach of the Year, marking his 20th OVC Coach of the Year award. He was also named the Midwest Men’s Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

For schedules and updates on all the latest athletic successes, visit the Website at www. gosoutheast.com

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imagine the HOMECOMING 2008 [WEDNESDAY OCT. 22] 5 p.m.

Man and Woman of the Year Recognition Dinner Recognizing the 2008 Homecoming court. Parents are welcome to attend.

Location: Show Me Center meeting rooms For more info: Contact Gretchen Grojean at (573) 651-2877.

[FRIDAY OCT. 24] 5 p.m.

Delta Chi Fraternity Homecoming Celebration The brothers of the Southeast Missouri Chapter of Delta Chi Fraternity cordially invite all alumni, their families and friends to join them in celebrating Homecoming 2008.

Join us for the following events: • 5-7 p.m. Open house Friday evening • Breakfast followed by parade Saturday morning • 1 p.m. Barbecue in Capaha Park Saturday, followed by football in the park, weather permitting • 7 p.m. Dinner at Port Cape Saturday evening Contact: Travis Gaines at (314) 471-7054.

5:45 – 6:30 p.m.

Alumni Merit Award 50th Anniversary All former AMA recipients are invited back to campus to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Alumni Merit Award. A reception and group photo of all AMA recipients will be held before this year’s Awards Dinner.

Location: Show Me Center For more info: Contact the Alumni Association at (573) 651-2259 or alumni@semo.edu.

[ SATURDAY 1 PM ]

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6:30 p.m.

Copper Dome Society/Merit Award Recognition Dinner Copper Dome Society members, alumni and friends are invited to attend the dinner and program honoring the 2008 Merit Award recipients.

Location: Show Me Center Cost: $25 per person. Free for Copper Dome Society Members (Limit 2 free tickets per family).

For more info: contact the Southeast Missouri University Foundation at (573) 651-2332.

8 p.m.

Pi Kappa Alpha Alumni Cocktail Party Location: Pike Memorial Lodge For more info: Contact Robert Cox at (866)335-3460 or robert@ coxandassociates.biz S TAT E

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Join us for some classic tailgating fun!

11 a.m.

Athletic Tailgate Gathering Look for the giant tent for pre-game food and festivities.

Location: Outside Houck Stadium on Bellevue and Wehking Alumni Center parking area.

Cost: Free For More Info: Contact Bobby Brune at (573) 9866139 or rjbrune@semo.edu.

Noon Booster Club Tailgate Join the Boosters for their pre-game tailgate.

For more info: Contact Greg Brune at (573) 6512005 or gbrune@semo.edu

[SATURDAY OCT. 25]

7:30 a.m.

All Alumni Breakfast Alumni and friends are invited to attend a breakfast honoring this year’s Distinguished Service Award recipients.

Location: Wehking Alumni Center, 926 Broadway Cost: $10 per person For more info: Contact the Alumni Association at (573) 651-2259

11 a.m.

Alpha Phi Alpha Tailgate Party For more info: Contact Terry Allen at (901) 309-3752, (901) 219-2535 or tlavan06@ yahoo.com 11:30 a.m.

50-Year Reunion Lunch Members of the class of 1958 are invited to attend a luncheon and celebrate the 50-year reunion of their class.

Location: Wehking Alumni Center, 926 Broadway Cost: $15 per person For More info: Contact Dorothy Koenig at (573) 651-2259 or dkoenig@semo.edu

9:30 a.m.

Sigma Tau Gamma Homecoming Celebration Join us for breakfast at our parade site and an open house following the parade.

9:30 a.m.

Homecoming Parade Imagine the Possibilities: Southeast’s Homecoming Parade is recognized as one of the largest in the region. Come out and watch as we take over Broadway with music, floats and much more. This year’s parade marshal will be Jane Stacy, who was the director of alumni services at Southeast for the past 35 years.

For more info: Contact the Alumni Association at (573) 651-2259 or alumni@ semo.edu.

9:30 a.m.

Nursing 50th Anniversary Celebration Join your fellow nursing alumni as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the nursing program at Southeast with the following events.

• Homecoming Parade Watch– Meet on the west steps of the Wehking Alumni Center at 9:30 a.m. to watch the Homecoming Parade.

• Tours - Following the parade, join us for tours of the dome in Academic Hall; the Department of Nursing, Crisp Hall of Nursing; and the S.H.O.W. Mobile in the parking lot behind Crisp Hall.

• Luncheon on the Terraces – Join us at 11:30 a.m. for a luncheon on Academic Hall terraces. Please RSVP to (573) 6515154.

For more info: Contact Marcia Hobbs with questions at mhobbs@semo.edu or (573) 651-5154.

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1 p.m.

Redhawks vs. Tennessee State Football Game Be there for the action as the Southeast Redhawks take on Tennessee State in the annual homecoming football game.

Halftime: Crowning of the Man and Woman of the Year.

Location: Houck Stadium For Tickets: Call (888) SEMO-TIK or visit www.gosoutheast.com.

2:30 p.m.

Southeast Public Radio Grand Opening and Dedication of New Studios Join us as we celebrate the official grand opening and dedication of the Southeast Public Radio studios. Tours will be ongoing and light refreshments will be available.

Ribbon-cutting and remarks from Kenneth W. Dobbins, president of Southeast Missouri State University and Dan Woods, general manager, will begin at 3 p.m.

Location: Southeast Public Radio Studios For more info: Contact Dan Woods at (573) 651-5070 or djwoods@semo.edu.

3 p.m.

Diamond Club Reception Alumni 70 years of age or older are invited to join together for a time of fun and remembering. Appetizers and cash bar available.

Location: Marquette Tower, 338 Broadway Cost: $15 per person For more info: Contact Trudy Lee at (573) 651-5935 or tglee@semo.edu.

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Residence Life Reunion Tailgate Were you a former Residence Life staff member? If so, you won’t want to miss the Residence Life Reunion Tailgate. Join current Residence Life staff for food, fun and memories.

For more info: Contact Bruce Skinner at (573) 6512274 or bskinner@semo.edu.

College of Education 5th Annual Chili Cookoff Meet the new dean, and cast your vote for the best chili on campus during this fifth annual cook-off.

Entries from staff, faculty and students will vie for this year’s prize.

For more info: Contact Sherry Holder at (573) 6512556 or sholder@semo.edu.

4:30 p.m.

Reception for Jane Stacy All are welcome to this reception honoring Jane Stacy, who served as director of alumni services for 35 years at Southeast. She would love to see all of her many friends she has made throughout the years.

Location: Wehking Alumni Center, 926 Broadway Cost: Free For more info: Contact the Alumni Association at (573) 651-2259 or alumni@semo.edu.

5 p.m.

Vet Corps Pig Roast All former Vet Corps members are welcome to come out and join the fun at the annual Pig Roast. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Vet Corps at Southeast in 1968.

Location: The VFW Post 3838 at 1049 N. Kingshighway in Cape Girardeau, Mo. For more info: Contact Tom Meyer at tmmeyer@ tlmrealty.com or (573) 334-2875, or Walt Wildman at (573) 579-8626 or walterwildman@charter.net.

7 p.m.

Pi Kappa Alpha Dinner and Dance Location: Upper deck between Spanish and Main Streets For more info: Contact Robert Cox at (866) 335-3460 or robert@coxandassociates.biz

[SUNDAY OCT. 26] Noon Sigma Sigma Sigma Alumnae Brunch Location: Tri Sigma Lounge U N I V E R S I T Y

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a Global

PERSPECTIVE Southeast students learn from D.C.’s brightest at CSIS

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outheast is committed to providing many personal, professional and practical opportunities for students during their college experience.

University counselors and faculty advise students to learn about global issues such as the environment and politics. While many students are encouraged to travel to foreign countries for a more global view, some get their experience through the prestigious Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Alana Newell, a senior industrial technology major from Scott City, Mo., spent her last spring break with several of Washington, D.C.’s smartest people. She spent the week discussing global issues with Anthony Cordesman, a national security analyst for ABC news and former National Security Assistant to Sen. John McCain of the Senate Armed Services Committee; Ambassador Chaz Freeman, a career diplomat and chief interpreter during President Richard Nixon’s pathbreaking visit to China in 1972; and, Erik

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“This was a remarkable opportunity for Southeast students to learn from former ambassadors, researchers and consultants who advise national leaders in the top levels of government as they develop policies and strategies that affect the United States and the global community,” - Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbinss Peterson, director of the CSIS. Alana and 28 of her fellow Southeast students spent spring break researching and discussing significant issues such as water resource management, the energy crisis, human rights violations and international security, among other topics. She also participated in a mock OPEC meeting where she represented Saudi Arabia.

The students studied and discussed the political, social and economic issues facing the United States, met Washington area alumni from Southeast Missouri State University and toured Washington, D.C. According to Alana, it was an eye-opening experience.

“There is so much that I have learned from this experience. It has really changed a lot of how I perceived government, the

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economy, foreign policy and the future of the world.”

Alana’s experiences were part of a unique University-sponsored five-day seminar in Washington, D.C., where students learned about global issues in business, the environment and politics. This was Southeast’s second year to participate in the CSIS experience and the University is one of just four institutions nationally selected to partner in student seminars with CSIS.

CENTER FOR STRATEGIC INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

AND

The CSIS is a strategic think tank in Washington, D.C., whose scholars and board members advise officials in the federal government on significant global

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issues. The CSIS, located just two blocks from the White House, is staffed by expert scholars who research these issues.

Because CSIS experts hold extensive credentials in the public and private sectors, they offer a unique perspective on global issues based on their firsthand experiences in the policy world.

A Board of Trustees and Counselors whose members have been influential national policy makers advises the Center.

Board members include former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, cochairman and chief executive officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative; Anne Armstrong, former U.S. ambassador to Great Britain; Zbigniew Brzezinski, counselor and trustee of CSIS and former U.S. National Security Advisor to President Carter; Henry Kissinger, chairman and chief executive officer of Kissinger Associates, Inc., and National Security Advisor and later Secretary of State to President Nixon; and Brent Scowcroft, president of the Forum for International Policy and U.S. National Security Advisor under Presidents Ford and George H.W. Bush.

CSIS COMES TO SOUTHEAST But Alana and the student’s experiences did not stop with the week-long trip.

Once they returned to campus, they presented their ideas, research and recommendations at a conference on campus entitled “The Next America.”

The “Next America” seminar brought to campus, from the CSIS staff, two of the nation’s leading futurists –Peterson and Frank Verrastro – and also gave students an opportunity to share with the faculty, staff, other students, and the broader community some of what they learned at this year’s seminar.

While Peterson had been to Southeast several times, it was a first-time visit for Verrastro, who is considered to be one of the nation’s leading experts on energy and was a co-author of two major national reports: the 2007 National Petroleum Council report “Hard Truths: Facing the Hard Truths About Energy;” and the 2006, Council on Foreign Relations report “National Security Consequences of U. S. Oil Dependency.”

Verrastro, director and senior fellow, CSIS Energy and National Security Program, outlined how the United States can address its current and future energy challenges with his keynote luncheon presentation, “Managing the Transformation to a Sustainable Energy Future”.

Verrastro’s energy-related experience includes more than 25 years in energy policy and project management positions in both the U.S. government and the private sector. He formerly held a White House Staff position with Energy Policy and Planning and was a senior vice president for Pennzoil.

“This was a remarkable opportunity for

Former Student Body President Adam Hanna at CSIS in Washington D.C.

Southeast students to learn from former ambassadors, researchers and consultants who advise national leaders in the top levels of government as they develop policies and strategies that affect the United States and the global community,” said Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins, president of the University.

“The several days spent studying global issues with renowned scholars at the CSIS in Washington, D.C., was an opportunity of a lifetime for Southeast students. We are very proud that Southeast joins Pennsylvania State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, and Chapman University as one of only four institutions that now are involved with the CSIS. The Southeast students who participated in the CSIS seminar are in an elite group of young people who have learned from some of the nation’s top policy advisors about global matters that will face the leaders of our country over the next several decades.”

Follow Alana Newell’s blog outlining her week-long activities in Washington, D.C. at http://www.semo.edu/csis/blogs/ newell.htm.

Left: Twenty-nine of Southeast’s brightest students spent their spring break learning about global issues in Washington D.C.

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream.

Discover.

- Mark Twain

J

oe Gholson and Mark Twain, while separated by centuries, could have been kindred spirits.

A Southeast Missouri State University senior from Harrisburg, Ill., Gholson is living by Twain’s mantra.

Never will Gholson be disappointed by the things he didn’t do.

This is the way he lives his life, sailing away from the safe harbor to explore the unknown. This Southeast biology major is in Southeast Asia aboard the USNS Mercy, a Military Sealift Command hospital ship which serves as an enabling platform to assist humanitarian operations ashore in collaboration with host nations and international relief organizations. The 894-foot ship comprises four operating rooms, an emergency room operating room, four intensive care unit beds and an isolation ward, 62 ward beds and 22 hotel beds.

Joe Gholson, far left, is getting practical experience aboard the USNS Mercy.

A NOBLE CAUSE

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The ship deployed from San Diego May 1, kicking off its “Pacific Partnership 2008.” A humanitarian civic assistance (HCA) mission, Pacific Partnership brings together host nation medical staff, partner nation military medical and construction staff, and nongovernmental organizations to provide medical, dental, construction and other HCA services ashore and afloat in Southeast Asia and Oceania. The five-month deployment is designed

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to strengthen the goodwill developed during previous HCA missions, such as the 2004 tsunami relief efforts, Mercy’s 2006 deployment and last year’s USS Peleliu (LHA 5) Pacific Partnership.

“I wanted to go on the trip because I feel the cause is noble,” said Gholson, who is pursuing an option in biomedical sciences at Southeast. “It’s not everyday that a person gets the chance to spend 21 weeks of their life serving others in Asia.”

Throughout the 2008 Pacific Partnership mission, Mercy is serving as an enabling platform through which military and non-governmental organizations coordinate and carry out humanitarian civic assistance efforts. Many non-governmental organizations are participating throughout the mission, including Aloha Medical Mission, Project Hope, Operation Smile, The University of California San Diego Pre-Dental Society, International Relief Teams,

performed on the ship including ophthalmic, general, gynecological, orthopaedic, and plastic surgery. The ship, which has an on-site pharmacy, also provides dentistry, optometry and primary care services. Each country the mission serves also has on-site medical civic action programs in which the mission offers optometry, dentistry and medical care.

“In each host nation there are multiple inland sites visited each day,” he said, adding surgery goes on continuously on the ship while other crew members serve at the sites.

Gholson said he does about half his work on the ship and the other half on shore.

Mercy’s crew includes staff from public health and preventive medicine; U.S. Navy, U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force medicine; U.S. Public Health Service; Military Sealift Command; and the U.S. Navy Seabees (construction battalions).

“My work is very broad,” Gholson

“I’m not sure what I hoped to get out of the experience when I left. I just knew that this was where I was supposed to be, and that it felt right.” - Joe Gholson

USAID, and others operating and working within the countries Mercy will visit. Partner nations participating in the mission include Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand.

Host nations Mercy is scheduled to visit are Republic of the Philippines, Vietnam, the Federated States of Micronesia, Timor-Leste and Papua New Guinea.

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said. “I have done everything from sweeping and mopping the floors to going to the on-site missions and doing optometry work to being scrubbed in on surgery holding a patient open while she is undergoing a hysterectomy.”

Off the ship, Gholson’s work primarily focuses on eye evaluations and eyeglasses. He spends his time making glasses and helping evaluate patients for cataract or pterygium surgery on the ship. Some days, his

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optometry group sees more than 400 patients. Gholson has seen 130 patients a day on his own.

“I think the experience is a beautiful taste of what being a physician is going to feel like,” Gholson said.

A NATURAL LEADER While on the ship, Gholson assists in surgery and soon expects to learn the role of an ophthalmology surgical technician so he can become more involved in surgeries. Gholson’s work is not without risk, though.

“It can be dangerous. I have to take a bulletproof vest and helmet with me to some of the sites,” he said. “I’ve never felt like I was in immediate danger, but there are members of the armed forces not associated with USNS Mercy who have died in the Philippines this summer.”

He also has been designated the ship’s student leader.

“I am the only student who is staying for the entire mission, and I have been given the role of taking charge of all of the students on the ship and getting them placed once they arrive so that they have a set job to do,” he said.

Gholson said he learned about this volunteer experience from a U.S. Navy recruiter. He then contacted Dr. Silverstein, a dentist in California who is responsible for placing civilian students on the ship through the University of California. While Gholson is a Southeast Missouri State student, he said he technically is serving on the ship under the auspices of the University of California-San Diego (UCSD) through their predental society. Most of the 65 student volunteers on the ship are from UCSD, he said, the majority of whom are predental students. The others are premed, pharmacy, medical school and dental school students.

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Joe Gholson, gives an eye exam to a local woman at one of the many stops made by the USNS.

Getting selected to serve as a USNS Mercy volunteer was competitive, and he says hundreds of students were turned down for the program, including a 4.0 student from Stanford.

Thus, he says, he is making the most of every minute he has with the program.

“I’m not sure what I hoped to get out of the experience when I left. I just knew that this was where I was supposed to be, and that it felt right,” he said. “I really wanted to go on the trip because I just wanted to help people in a hands-on medical way.

“That’s why I want to be a physician,” he said. “I want to give people the opportunity to wake up one day, come see me and go to bed at night feeling better than they had in the morning.”

BEYOND CULTURAL BARRIERS Gholson says he has gained an immense appreciation for what the United States has and how little half the world’s people have.

“I have learned about culture, religion and other ways of thinking,” said Gholson, who will be a Student Government senator and Student Issues Chair on Executive Board at Southeast next fall, representing students in the College of Science and Mathematics. “I have learned that cultural boundaries and religious differences can be overcome sometimes with a simple smile, a kind word and a little help. I’ve had Muslim ladies kiss my hand and thank Allah for my visit.”

The hardest lesson he has learned, thus far, with the mission is that he cannot help everyone. Gholson says

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he cried one day when a lady offered to sell one of her two cows so he could fix her cornea and restore her sight.

He says he could do nothing for the lady but give her artificial teardrops.

Had she been in the United States, she still wouldn’t have been guaranteed to have her vision restored, he said.

“There have been lots of ups and downs on the trip, and I have learned something new at each of them,” he said, calling his experiences, thus far, “amazing.”

“It has been extremely eye opening.

When I look at how little the people we are helping have and think of the lavish spending and wastefulness of many Americans, my heart breaks,” Gholson said. “I’ve had multiple people cry when I gave them a $2 pair of glasses. I really wanted to do the mission because I feel that, as an aspiring physician, it is my responsibility to understand the medical problems of the world. There is no way to truly understand the poverty and the sub-standard medical care of the people we are helping until you experience it.”

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Gholson returns from the trip shortly into the fall semester. He will complete his early semester assignments online aboard the ship as the USNS Mercy makes its way back to port in California.

ABOUT GHOLSON Gholson is one of the founders of the Missouri Delta chapter of the Alpha Epsilon Delta national honorary society for pre-health professionals.

Gholson, who is beginning his senior year at Southeast this fall, is active in Student Government and is the student representative to the Southeast Missouri University Foundation Board. He recently scored in the 97th percentile on the MCAT exam, placing his score among the top four scores to be achieved by Southeast students over the past 17 years. Only three percent of 20,000 students internationally who have taken the MCAT in the past five years have scored at the 97th percentile or higher. Gholson will be applying for admission to medical schools in the coming months.

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GLOBETROTTING TWINS Southeast students travel to China to study the language and culture

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nternational business majors, twins and 4.0 students Jennifer and Jessica Miller go with their gut and don’t let anything interfere with their ambitions.

As freshmen unsure of their major, they quickly took stock of their interests and what they wanted out of life. Once they both decided on an international business major with minors in Spanish and economics, they started looking for opportunities to enhance their experience and never looked back.

“Even though neither of us had really traveled, we liked the idea of it,” Jessica said. “It sounded exciting and interesting – being able to jump into an entirely different country and culture. We wanted to see the world and experience new things, and we really enjoyed learning a different language because it’s challenging and fun at the same time. Choosing international business was definitely a wise decision,” she said.

“We had never been out of the country when we chose our major,” Jennifer added.

“However, we knew we’d enjoy it, and when twins like us get together and agree on something, we usually go for it.”

Jennifer and Jessica had done their homework; they knew they would need skills to set them apart from their fellow students and soon-to-be competitors in the job market.

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We learned the value of improvising in different situations and communicating with people, many of whom became unforgettable friends.

- Jennifer Miller

Jessica Miller riding a small boat headed for an island on West Lake during her trip to China.

with was to learn Mandarin since China plays such a large role in many aspects of business,” Jessica said.

During their sophomore year, they commuted from their house in Dongola, Ill., to Southern Illinois University (SIU) in Carbondale for their Mandarin course (Southeast did not offer a Mandarin course at that time), then drove to Southeast Missouri State University for the rest of their classes before driving back home to Dongola.

“It was a rather long commute, but time flies when you’ve got a radio and your twin next to you,” Jessica said.

PUTTING EDUCATION TO PRACTICE The twins decided to put their education to the test by traveling to Shanghai, China, a city of more than 16 million people, for a month after their sophomore year to study Chinese language and culture. But first they took several preparatory steps.

“We took a temporary job at a small Chinese restaurant in Carbondale, Ill., where we practiced our language skills with the owner and learned about various Chinese dishes,” Jennifer said. “We also studied with a Chinese graduate student named Jue Zhang, or Violet, as we came to know her. We met her in the women’s locker room at the Student Recreation Center and quickly exchanged e-mails.

In addition to helping us study, Violet supplied us with important information about what to do and not to do while in

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China.”

Their preparation paid off with an unforgettable trip for the soon-to-be globe-trotters, but their adventure wasn’t without its challenges, they said.

“Our preparation for the trip definitely helped,” Jessica said. “We were able to read certain signs and communicate somewhat due to our language preparation, and Violet told us what to pack for the trip. She also introduced us to some of her friends in China. The information she gave us was the most helpful, like telling us to always carry water bottles with us and to wear our bags around our shoulders so they wouldn’t get stolen.”

“The trip was a truly life-changing experience for us, and it was wonderful that we got to do it together,” Jennifer said. “We made so many friends and learned so much about adapting to different surroundings. Even simple tasks like ordering food or trying to get to a destination can become quite difficult in a completely different culture, environment and language. However, there’s something truly remarkable and rewarding in the challenge. Obviously, language barriers can become quiet frustrating, but my sister and I enjoyed using our knowledge and skills to try to communicate with the Chinese and make our way through the city,” she said.

“We learned to order our food, make transactions at the bank and have conversations with locals on the street and in the grocery store all by ourselves,” Jessica added. “I’m sure our speaking was a little rough, but it was fun!”

UP TO THE CHALLENGE The communication and cultural challenges required some adjustment and perseverance on Jessica and Jennifer’s part,

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but they met each challenge with a positive attitude and a sense of humor, and they came away from it with many interesting stories to tell.

“We had so many memorable experiences,” Jennifer said.“When we tried to use the university’s swimming pool, the ladies at the front window to the swimming facility didn’t speak any English, and Jessica and I struggled to understand what they were saying. Luckily, a Chinese man helped us communicate with the ladies, who required us to get cards, a health examination (which mainly consisted of a woman at a desk looking at us), and swimming caps. We couldn’t believe all the hoops we had to jump through just to go swimming,” she said. “When we finally walked out of the women’s locker room in our matching swimming suits and caps, we realized that few other people were wearing the caps that the ladies insisted we wear, and we looked like we were representing the U.S. swim team. We had a good laugh at the whole experience, along with numerous other experiences during out trip,” Jennifer said.

“While eating at most of the actual Chinese restaurants (rather than the American fast-food restaurants), we often didn’t know what we were ordering,” Jessica added. “On one occasion, we accidentally ordered some sort of pig hoof soup, and we didn’t realize it until we couldn’t chew the hoof.”

In addition to the communication challenges, the twins had to adjust to a totally different environment and way of doing things, Jennifer said.

“In China, having a lighter complexion is considered beautiful,” she said. “Many of the ladies walked around Shanghai with umbrellas to shield themselves from the

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sun, which made my sister and I look quite ridiculous as we tried desperately to salvage our tans.”

Despite the challenges and a few surprises, the twins embraced all the opportunities offered by their first experience traveling abroad.

“One of the great aspects of living in another country is getting to experience another culture first-hand, Jennifer said.

“We learned the value of improvising in different situations and communicating with people, many of whom became unforgettable friends. I think our time in China gave us a taste for the adventure of living in another country,” she said.

“Studying abroad makes you become more independent, patient and open to new ideas,” Jessica added. “It’s a blast.”

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES Shanghai was just the beginning of the adventure for Jessica and Jennifer. The sisters recently embarked on two additional study-abroad adventures. They gained a different perspective on Chinese culture and history by spending three weeks in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, this summer studying Mandarin and Taiwanese culture.

“We enjoyed the opportunity to enhance our Mandarin language skills and to experience Taiwan,” Jennifer said. “We learned a lot on this trip, too, and had a great time doing it.”

Jennifer and Jessica are now spending a semester in Valencia, Spain, studying at the Universidad Politecnica de Valencia.

“We’re enrolled in a program called the European Project Semester,” Jessica said.

“Along with a Spanish language course, we are working with a team of students from various countries on a project designated by the Valencia Polytechnic University.

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careers,” she said.

“We’re very excited about this experience,” Jennifer added. “Besides the academic benefits of the program, the experience is a great opportunity to be engulfed in the Spanish culture and improve our language skills. We’re having a ton of fun.”

Jennifer and Jessica’s adventures thus far haven’t only been reserved to foreign countries. They were chosen, along with several other students from Southeast, to participate in a unique spring break seminar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a nonpartisan and nonprofit think tank based in Washington D.C. “We listened to and spoke with numerous scholars from CSIS who use their knowledge, insight and experiences to advise our government on various global issues,” Jennifer said.

“Many of them were fluent in several different languages, which really impressed me,” Jessica noted. “The seminar was focused on problems the United States and the world will face in the coming years and how we can improve the situation.

We discussed a variety of social, political, environmental and economic issues, and we both learned a lot.”

Jennifer, left and Jessica, right, on the Bund in modern Shanghai. The twins went to China to learn about the culture.

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ADVENTURE AROUND EVERY CORNER Jessica and Jennifer weren’t content with waiting until their trip to Taiwan for their next adventure. Before they left, they went skydiving for the first time in St. Louis.

“We were both extremely excited,” they said. “It’s something we had been wanting to do for several years.”

They both also enjoy running and are planning to enter a half marathon this fall, which, along with their skydiving and traveling experiences, can be added to their list of adventures.

“We also really enjoy horseback riding, camping, swimming, rock climbing and other outdoor activities,” Jessica said.

“We also enjoy singing karaoke, although we aren’t very good,” Jennifer added.

“Luckily, people rarely throw things in real life!”

“We like trying new activities and having new experiences,” Jessica said. “We’ll try almost anything once. That’s our philosophy.”

A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITY “Students should keep challenging themselves and have an open mind about different experiences,” Jennifer said. “Jessica and I consider ourselves opportunists. When we see opportunities, we generally take them.”

“I would encourage students, and people in general, to keep reaching further,” Jessica agreed. “Many people have goals and dreams, and they don’t pursue them because they think it will be too difficult or impossible. They become content where they’re at because it’s comfortable and safe. However, the world and life have so much to offer, so why be content with staying in the same place or doing the same thing every day? If you do, you’ll never know what’s out there,” she said. “Mix it up! Sure, some decisions may be bad ideas, but you learn from your mistakes and keep going. If life isn’t a challenge, it’s not fun!”

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MAKING MUSIC A WORLD AWAY Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra to perform in China

T International student, Yan Lu, is a violin performance major on Southeast’s exchange program with Hunan Normal University.

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he torch has been extinguished at the Summer 2008 Olympics in Beijing but its theme – “One World One Dream” – lives on.

Dr. Sara Edgerton, Dr. Brandon Christensen and Jennifer Lin Judd are riding that wave of enthusiasm, following their belief that music, like athletics, is a universal language without borders that binds all cultures. And in an effort to broaden the perspective of Southeast Missouri State University students, the three are planning a spring 2009 tour in China by the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra.

The orchestra, under the direction of Edgerton, has been invited to perform a series of concerts in late spring 2009 in Beijing and Shanghai, China, as part of

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the 2009 American Celebration of Music in China.

“To share the language of music with a culture halfway around the world is thrilling,” Edgerton said.

She said this will be the orchestra’s first international tour.

“Our level of professionalism and ability has improved so much because of the River Campus” (home of the Earl and Margie Holland School of Visual and Performing Arts which opened last fall), she said. “This will only keep us building on that range of experiences. The time has come for us to do this.”

SOUTHEAST IN CHINA The symphony orchestra will travel to China in late May, where they will

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DeRon Wilson practices violin with Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra at the new River Campus.

perform at major venues in Beijing and Shanghai, China, over a 10-day period. The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra will perform at the Concert Hall of the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China’s premiere music conservatory; at Shanghai’s large urban university, the Shanghai Normal University; and at near-by Hangzhou, one of China’s foremost cultural and historic sites. Weather permitting, the symphony orchestra will also give an outdoor concert on the Great Wall of China.

The opportunity for the orchestra to perform in China is the result of recent faculty exchanges between Shanghai Normal University (SNU) in China and Southeast Missouri State University. Southeast faculty members Edgerton, Christensen, associate professor of music, and Judd, adjunct faculty member at Southeast, performed and presented master classes at Shanghai Normal University in China this past summer.

“Having a connection is very central to moving forward with educational institutions like this. We are trying to develop an official relationship with Shanghai Normal University,” Edgerton said. “It’s a very similar institution. It’s a teaching institution. It’s going to be a very, very good fit for us.”

As a result of their work in China this summer, SNU invited the Southeast professors to return to Shanghai in May 2009 with the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra. Additional invitations for the orchestra to perform in Beijing and elsewhere in Shanghai soon followed.

“We are very excited about the level of interest,” Edgerton said, adding the orchestra’s trip to China is serving as an excellent tool for the recruitment of music students. “The next step is for the students to see that enthusiasm.”

Plans are now in place for the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra to depart from St. Louis on May 23 and arrive in Beijing, China, the next day for an nine-night, 10-day tour.

Edgerton said she plans to take a 40-piece orchestra – primarily strings, two flutes, bassoons, clarinets, French horns and oboes.

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contributions and fund-raising activities.

The orchestra will perform two concerts in Beijing and then will travel to Shanghai. While in Shanghai, the orchestra will rehearse with the Shanghai Normal University Orchestra for a shared concert in SNU’s main concert hall. The orchestra will travel to nearby Hangzhou on the final full day of their stay in China, performing at the municipal auditorium in Hangzhou.

The Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra will perform a varied repertoire while on tour in China. Concert programs will include Ralph Vaughan William’s ethereal “The Lark Ascending,” with Christensen as the featured soloist; Mozart’s famous, lyrical “Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488,” with guest artist Judd as piano soloist; and a world premiere work by Southeast composition professor, Dr. Robert Fruehwald, featuring Paul Thompson, flute professor at Southeast, as flute soloist. Additional orchestral works

by Aaron Copland and Joseph Haydn will be performed on tour.

GETTING THE TOUR EXPERIENCE “The experience of performing on tour is very different than performing on campus,” Edgerton said. “You learn so much by traveling and playing the same program on multiple occasions.

“It’s very valuable for students to have this experience as part of their education,” she said. “It’s one of the great learning experiences of one’s life.”

She added, “We are very pleased to be able to represent this University and this region as we perform in China, which is emerging as a very important presence in the world today. I am also thrilled that we will be able to directly collaborate with our sister institutions in China. It will be very rewarding to perform on stage with the impressive Shanghai Normal University Orchestra. We are also looking forward to performing on the Great Wall of China.

I hope we will have good weather for that concert.”

Edgerton said that with the orchestra’s upcoming tour in China, Southeast is poised to lay the foundation for strong collaborative working relationships overseas.

“Southeast can be pretty proud that we are ahead of the game,” she said. “We’ve got a foot in the door ahead of many other institutions.”

As its final concert of the 2008-2009 symphony concert series, the Southeast Missouri Symphony Orchestra will perform its China Tour Program on Tuesday, May 5, in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall on Southeast’s River Campus. This preview concert will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Dr. Robert Fruehwald, Southeast professor of music, has been invited to write a world premiere composition, which will be performed during this program.

To purchase tickets for this performance, or for more information about the concert, please contact the River Campus Box Office at (573) 651-2265.

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STRIKE UP THE BAND Golden Eagles Marching Band Shines at Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Scotland The Golden Eagles Marching Band returned to Southeast Missouri State University after performing as the featured group in August at the prestigious Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, Scotland.

“For these kids, this may be the biggest thing they have ever done in their lives,” said Barry Bernhardt, director of bands at Southeast. “So many of these kids have never been out of the state of Missouri.

This was truly a life-changing experience for them.”

The Golden Eagles were only the fourth U.S. university marching band ever to perform at this typically British military event in its 69-year history, Bernhardt said. The Golden Eagles received a return invitation after previously performing at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in 1999.

The Golden Eagles departed for London, England, on July 21 after five days of summer rehearsals and a free Cape Girardeau community concert on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. After two days of sight-seeing in London, the band traveled to York, England, for a special July 25 performance for the Lord Mayor of York. From there, it was on to Edinburgh, Scotland, where on July 26 they began a week of rehearsals with an international cast of nearly 1,000 musicians in preparation for 26 performances at the historic Edinburgh Castle during the entire month of August.

The Studio Jazz Ensemble was featured in the opening concert of the Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival July 27 at Ross Theatre in Princess Street Gardens followed by a performance of the Golden Eagles. Both concerts were performed to an estimated audience of nearly 12,000 people, Bernhardt said. In addition to their 26 Edinburgh Military Tattoo performances, the Golden Eagles

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performed in four parades and two minitattoos while in Scotland.

“The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is the oldest and largest event of its kind in the world,” Bernhardt said.

The Golden Eagles were seen live by an international audience of more than 260,000 spectators and worldwide via the BBC by more than 100 million viewers, he said. U.S. university marching bands have only been featured four times in the 69-year history of this event. They are California State University-Long Beach in 1980, The Western States University Marching Band in 1987 and The Golden Eagles Marching Band in 1999 and 2008.

Bernhardt has led the last three U.S. university marching bands to this event.

“They got to experience all this culture,” Bernhardt said. “ To be able to take 18-, 19, 20- and 21-year olds students and turn them into professional musicians for a month … for these students to rise to that occasion and perform at a professional level speaks volumes about them.”

Members of The Golden Eagles Marching Band returned to the Southeast campus Aug. 25, just in time for a performance at the first home Southeast Redhawks football game of the season

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on Aug. 28.

The Golden Eagles annually perform at all Southeast Redhawks home football games as well as selected away games. In addition, the band is in constant demand for special guest performances at many area high school marching band festivals.

Last year, the band was the featured university marching band at the Greater St. Louis Marching Band Festival at the Edward Jones Dome on Oct. 27. The band performed for 48 of the finest high school marching bands in Missouri and Illinois with an estimated audience of more than 15,000.

Celebrating 51 years of musical excellence at Southeast, The Golden Eagles have maintained a level of high visibility throughout the United States, having been one of the most televised university marching bands in the country in the 1960s and 1970s with performances at an NFL Pro Bowl and NFL Super Bowl, and at the Foley’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in Houston, Texas, in 1990.

“It was a great trip,” Bernhardt said of the band’s summer performances in Scotland. “For what it did for these kids … that was really important. It was a big deal for us to be involved in this. It speaks very highly of our band program.”

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The World of

the medical device industry,” said Hahs.

The career move quickly began paying off

BUSINESS W

for Hahs. He was named the company’s Sales Representative of the Year in 1978. With such success, he was soon promoted to district sales manager, leading a district that encompassed Ohio and Michigan. Hahs found a passion in his new leadership position that quickly spread throughout his entire team. In 1980, his district

Southeast alum becomes a global business leader

was named the company’s District of the Year.

Hahs’ success in his leadership role opened the door to a whole new world for the young and

walked

professor, E. Victor Williams, who got me

rising star.

onto the campus of Southeast

involved in sales and marketing,” said Hahs.

RISE TO THE TOP

Missouri State University in

“That really sparked my interest in a career in

hen

Dwain

Hahs

1970, he had no idea where

business, more specifically sales.”

In 1981, Hahs made a move from sales into the International Marketing division at Bausch

life would take him. He had

Hahs, who decided to major in marketing

& Lomb’s headquarters in Rochester, N.Y. The

grown up in Jackson, Mo., and chose Southeast

management, was soon involved in the campus

move appealed to him because he would be able

because of its location and affordability, not

student marketing organization, and well on

to use his marketing degree, but he was mostly

because of its programs. But it wasn’t long

his way to a business career. He graduated

excited about the opportunity to be involved

until Hahs began to find his way.

magna cum laude in 1974, and embarked on an

in the international element of the business. In

incredible career journey that took Hahs to all

his new position, Hahs also gained experience

“Southeast was a very good school for me,” said Hahs. “Not only was it an economical school to go to, it really gave me a lot of insights

parts of the world.

working with a variety of different Bausch &

Upon graduation, Hahs took an account

Lomb products.

executive sales position with Chesebrough

After four years in international marketing,

The son of a local businessman, Hahs got

– Ponds, Inc., in St. Louis, Mo., and later

Hahs made his first move that would locate him

a taste for the business world working at his

Columbus, Ohio. In 1977, Hahs made a career

outside of the United States. In 1985, he took

into business.”

father’s Shell service station in Jackson. This

decision that would affect the rest of his life.

over as president of Bausch & Lomb Canada. In

experience, coupled with the guidance of one

He left the organization to begin working as

this position he was charged with overseeing the

of his Southeast professors, helped him narrow

an account executive for Bausch & Lomb, Inc.,

subsidiary’s sales, marketing and distribution

his career options.

in Columbus.

functions.

“I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when

“The reason I joined Bausch & Lomb is

“It was a great job, where you really saw the

I first declared my major, but I had a great

because I had an interest to move my career to

success or failure of your actions take form

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quickly,” said Hahs.

After living in Toronto for four years, Hahs moved back to Rochester to work in the international marketing division. However, this time he would lead the team as the vice president.

In this position, Hahs oversaw the international marketing of contact lens and solutions, sunglasses, dental products, and binoculars.

He was also responsible for implementing an international MBA hiring and mentoring

soon, decided it was the perfect time to end his

As Hahs traveled the world, becoming a

30-year career with the company. He retired in

global business leader, he also had the chance

March 2008.

to truly gain a global perspective. Most recently

“I really enjoyed learning about the various cultures, the different ways of conducting business globally. I always found that very exciting and it kept me interested in the international arena.”

- Dwain Hahs spending two years in China, he is especially

LIVING INTERNATIONALLY “I really enjoyed all the opportunities I had over

program.

aware of their situation.

In 1992, Hahs once again left the United States

the years to do different things as I went through

“It was exciting to watch the Olympics and

and landed in London, England, as president of

my career,” said Hahs. “Having the opportunity

see the buildings that I saw being constructed

Bausch & Lomb Europe. In this position he was

to travel and live internationally kept me at

for the past two years in Beijing,” said Hahs.

responsible for consolidating all the logistics

Bausch & Lomb. They were always giving me

“China is such a booming country. There are 10

and warehousing functions in the Netherlands,

challenges and offering good career moves.”

which resulted in the consolidation of 18 warehouses.

In 1997, Hahs came back to the U.S. to take over Bausch & Lomb’s sunglass brands, including

cities with 10 million people or more in China,

Hahs said that the most enjoyable part

and I’m glad the Olympics has opened their

of his career was having the opportunity to

doors to the world. So often we only hear about

work internationally and experience building

the struggles China faces, but there are a lot of

leadership teams in many parts of the world.

positive things as well.”

Ray ban, Revo, Killer Loop and Arnette. He

“I really enjoyed learning about the various

was responsible for sales, marketing, finance,

cultures, the different ways of conducting

WHAT’S NEXT? Hahs

has made an incredible career journey,

subsidiary operations and manufacturing. In this

business globally. I always found that very

playing an integral role in the operations of

position, he implemented management changes

exciting and it kept me interested in the

a multi-billion dollar corporation that serves

and reorganized global operations to move the

international arena,” said Hahs. “It was good

more than 100 countries. Along the way he has

business from an operating loss to profitability.

for our family as well. Our children, Justin and

had opportunities to experience the world in

Just a few years after Hahs came back to

Jessica, experienced different countries, which

ways that many will never get. So where does

widened their perspectives.”

Dwain Hahs go from here? “I’ll definitely find

New York, Bausch & Lomb decided to sell

some things to keep me busy, but not too busy,”

the sunglass business. This led him to his next

Throughout the course of his career, Hahs

challenge as head of operations and engineering.

has been all around the world, spending almost

said Hahs. “My wife, Susan, and I want to do

In this position, Hahs was responsible for

10 years living outside of the U.S., and visiting

some traveling. One nice thing is that we have

bringing all of the operations together.

countless countries. He has been involved in a

friends all around the world – South Africa,

wide variety of cultures and would not change

Europe, Asia and other places. In addition, there

a second.

will be frequent trips to Rochester, N.Y., where

“Up to that point we had been product line specific. I was in charge of reorganizing into

our children and new granddaughter live.”

one global operation,” said Hahs. “I thought it

“If you have an opportunity to be involved in

was going to be a year or two and it ended up

anything internationally, take it! And then when

“I’m thankful for the support of my family.

being six. It was an area that was outside of my

you are there, get involved in the country,” said

While moving and traveling globally can be

expertise, but it was a good learning experience

Hahs. “Go to the local restaurants and make

exciting, it can be very challenging for your

late in my career.”

In 2006, Hahs took on his final assignment with Bausch & Lomb as president of the Asia Region.

friends with people who are native to the land.

family,” Hahs continued. “Without the support

Try to submerse yourself as much as possible in

and sacrifice of Susan and our children, my career

the culture.”

would not have been possible.”

He was asked to develop new management and

Hahs did more than just work when he lived

Hahs has two children in Rochester. His son,

a new culture in Asia, which came as a result of

internationally; he was sure to take advantage of

Justin, recently started his own restaurant. He

some issues of improper business management

the unique opportunities afforded to him and

and wife, Ashley, also just had their first child,

in the region. Hahs was tasked with appointing

his family.

Jordan. Hahs’ daughter, Jessica, has followed in

and training the management team that would

“One thing that as a family we fell in love with

her father’s footsteps by starting her career with

was Africa,” said Hahs. “We really enjoyed

Bausch & Lomb. Between his future business

Near the end of 2007, Bausch & Lomb

traveling in Africa and going on safaris. That is

ventures, international travel and visiting his

was sold to a private firm. With the change in

something that is very interesting to the entire

family, Hahs says that he hopes to also find some

ownership, Hahs, who was planning to retire

family and we’ve done that several times.”

time to play a round of golf now and again.

eventually succeed him.

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ALUMNI ALMANAC

2008 Alumni and Faculty Merit Awards Eight alumni and one faculty member will receive Merit Awards presented by the Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association at this year’s Copper Dome Society/Merit Recognition Program during the Homecoming celebration.

For 50 years, Alumni Merit Awards have been presented to Southeast graduates who have brought distinction to themselves and to the University. The Faculty Merit Award is presented for excellence in teaching. This year’s Alumni Merit Award recipients are: Judith Arnet ’70, Roberta Broeker ’80, Dr. Stephen W. Hefner ’70, Lawrence R. Kem ’56, Jane (Cooper) Stacy ’72 , John W. Ueleke ’68, Dr. Stephen L. Vaughn ’68 and Dr. Vance Watson ’64. The Faculty Merit Award winner is Dr. Allen Gathman, professor of biology.

A LU M N I M E R I T AWA R D Judith Arnet ’70, who majored in vocational home economics, is the clinical nutrition manager at Boone Hospital Center, guest lecturer in the nursing program at Columbia College and adjunct faculty at the University of Missouri.

After graduating, Arnet taught home economics for grades 7-12. In 1974, she left the classroom to operate a dress-making and tailoring business from her home.

Eventually Arnet decided to make a career shift that would require her to go back to college. She graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1991 with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and foods. Arnet then landed a job as a relief dietitian at Boone Hospital Center, and worked her way into her current position as clinical nutrition manager, while also undertaking various teaching jobs throughout the years. Arnet is a member of the American Dietetic Association, past president of the Missouri Dietetic Association and past president of the Central Missouri Dietetic Association. In 2006, she was named the outstanding dietitian of the year in Missouri. Arnet is an annual fundraising volunteer with the American Diabetes Association and the American Heart Association, and is also an active member of Newman Center Catholic Church.

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Roberta Broeker ’80, who majored in accounting, is the chief financial officer of the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT). After graduating from Southeast, Broeker began her career in the Missouri State Auditor’s office. Starting as an audit assistant, she worked her way up to the role of audit manager. In March 1998, Broeker went to work at MODOT as the internal audit manager. From here she advanced steadily, reaching her current position as CFO in August 2005. Broeker has been active in several professional accounting associations throughout her career, including the Missouri Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Association of Government Accountants, among others. She has held several elected positions in the Association of Government Accountants including chapter president and regional vicepresident for the mid-western region.

Broeker is also a music minister at Immaculate Conception Church and a member of the Jefferson City Cantorum Community Choir. Broeker is a native of Washington, Mo. Dr. Stephen W. Hefner ’70, who majored in English education, is superintendent of Richland County School District Two, Columbia, S.C. Hefner’s career in

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education began at Poplar Bluff High School in 1970 as an English teacher. He was at Poplar Bluff for only one year before becoming a U. S. Army chaplain assistant with his last place of duty being Fort Jackson, S.C. In 1973, Hefner became a graduate assistant in residence life at the University of South Carolina, where he also earned a master’s degree in counselor education.

Upon graduation from the program, he joined Richland County School District Two as a guidance counselor in 1974.

Hefner found a permanent home in the district, working his way into positions in administration with ever greater scopes of responsibility. Along the way, he earned his doctorate in educational administration from the University of South Carolina. He was named superintendent of the district in 1994. Under Hefner’s leadership, the district has won numerous state and national honors. Hefner, who is currently serving on the Board of the National Council for Learning and Citizenship, and who has served on the Board of Governors of the American Association of School Administrators and the governing board of International ASCD, has won three national individual recognitions for technology, including being named by e-School News as one of the “Top Ten Tech-Savvy School Superintendents” in the nation. In 2000,

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ALUMNI ALMANAC he was named a Fulbright Superintendent and studied the educational system on-site in Germany. His state-level recognitions included being named the South Carolina Superintendent of the Year by the S. C. Association of School Administrators (2002) and Outstanding Educator of the Year by the S. C. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (1997). He is active in many professional and service organizations including his church (North Trenholm Baptist), the Spring Valley Rotary Club, Junior Achievement of Central South Carolina, and the S. C. Council on Economic Education. His local recognitions of note include being named the 2003 Distinguished Citizen of the Year of the Boy Scouts of America - Conagree District, and the Palmetto Pillar Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Technology by the Greater Columbia, S. C., Chamber of Commerce.

Lawrence R. Kem ’56, who majored in accounting, retired from full-time business activity in 2003 after completing his second turnaround assignment in the computer Upon graduation from Southeast, Kem spent his obligatory military in the U.S. Navy. He then started his business career at Procter and Gamble, Inc., working in St. Louis and New York City.

He joined McKinsey and Company, Inc., an international management consulting principal in Cleveland, Ohio, and London, England. Between 1972 and 1982 Kem was group vice president of General Cable Corporation and CEO of American Appraisal Associates, the latter position taking him to Milwaukee which was his home for more than 20 years. In 1982 he started the entrepreneurial phase of his career. He

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and was regularly involved in its portfolio companies as director of executive/general manager. He continues that activity today in combination with partial retirement.

Along the way Kem has been involved in community service through United Way, YMCA, Rotary, the Young Presidents Organization, University School of Milwaukee and Marquette University.

Mo. She is the mother of three children, Dr. Mark A. Stacy, Sara Stacy Dyer, and James F.

Jane (Cooper) Stacy ’72, who majored

at First Tennessee Bank, where he worked until 1978.

After leaving the bank, he was self-employed for four years, selling insurance and investments. In 1982, Ueleke founded Legacy Wealth Management, a fee-

Southeast Missouri State University in l973 as director of alumni services. Later in her career, she left the position and became director of development at the University. After a positions were merged and she remained in the dual position until her retirement from the University in May, 2008. At that time she contracted with the University on working half-time as director of development for special projects. She has served alumni well by receiving the district award from Council for Advancement and Support Education (CASE) for her project of “Building a Metropolitan Chapter” and the national CASE award for her work in helping to develop community museums.

She has planned and implemented 35 homecomings, enhanced the Alumni Merit Award to include an award from each college, and created and developed the Young Alumni Merit Award program and the Faculty Merit Award program.

She also served as a major advisor to the Homecoming Steering Committee, which later became the Student Alumni Association. As director of development, she has personally solicited millions of at each of the regional campuses. Stacy, a native of Charleston, Mo., holds a Master’s of Religious Education Degree from Midwestern Baptist Seminary in Kansas City,

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John W. Ueleke ’68, who majored in physics and mathematics, is president of Legacy Wealth Management. After graduating from Indiana University with his MBA in Finance, Ueleke began a career

Tenn. He was named one of the top 100 Worth Magazine from 1997 to 2006. He also spent four years on Medical Economics’ list of the 150 best advisors for doctors, was named one of the Mutual Funds Magazine, and was listed in Barron’s 1996 article, “Nations Most Powerful Financial Memphis Business Journal’s Small Business of the Best Places to Work. He has also been a periodicals including the New York Times, USA Today, Medical Economics, Worth Magazine, Memphis Business Journal, and Memphis Commercial Appeal. Ueleke has been an active member of the Memphis community, serving as past president of Habitat for Humanity, chair of the Board of Governors for the Community Foundation of Memphis, member and past treasurer of the Balmoral Presbyterian Church, scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 364 and is currently on the board of the Chickasaw Council of Boy Scouts. Ueleke has also served in various and estate planning organizations. He and the former Margaret Ritter of Cape Girardeau

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Dr. Stephen L. Vaughn ‘68, who majored in history, is a professor in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Wisconsin. Upon graduating from Southeast, Vaughn embarked on a career journey that would lead him to a variety of positions, including service in the U.S. Army; instructor and/or professor at the University of Toronto, Indiana University and the University of Oregon; associate editor at the Journal of American History; and finally, in 1981, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin. In 1992 he was promoted to professor at the university. Vaughn has authored several books, including Ronald Reagan in Hollywood: Movies and Politics, New Communication Technologies: The Literature of Their History and Social Influence, and Freedom and Entertainment: Rating the Movies in an Age of New Media, among others. He is also the senior editor of the Encyclopedia of American Journalism (2008), as well as publishing approximately 40 articles in such scholarly publications as the Journal of American History, American Quarterly and Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly. Vaughn’s achievements have been recognized through several honors and awards.

In 1987 he won a Fulbright Award to teach in the former Soviet Union at Tashkent University in central Asia (now the nation of Uzbekistan). In 2001, he won another Fulbright, a Distinguished Chair to the University of Bologna, in Italy, but had to decline the position for family reasons. He

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has been named to the Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities, in the Midwest in America and the International Authors and Writers Who’s Who. Vaughn also received the 1984 Distinguished Alumnus Award from Southeast Missouri State University’s Department of History, the Hewlett Award and served as the 1988 commencement speaker at Southeast. Vaughn lettered four years in baseball at Southeast, played in the Cape Cod League (where current New Mexico governor Bill Richardson was his roommate), was drafted to play professionally, and during his senior year, made All-American. He has remained an avid amateur athlete winning three national handball tournaments and 15 state handball championships in both Wisconsin and Indiana.

international organization for genetic standards and certification of 3,500 varieties of crops produced in nine countries. Watson is a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America. He has also received several awards from Mississippi State, including two different selections as Professor of the Year.

Dr. Vance Watson ’64, who majored in agriculture, is currently serving as the Interim President at Mississippi State University, a position which has mostly taken him away from his duties as vice president for the Division of Agriculture, Forestry, and Veterinary Medicine. Shortly after graduating from Southeast, Watson began his career at Mississippi State as an assistant professor of agronomy.

During his 42-year career, he has held successively responsible positions, including a variety of leadership roles in the areas of agriculture, forestry and veterinary medicine. Watson is the author of more than 300 publications, including six textbook chapters.

Among his many service activities are a five-year appointment as executive vice president of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies, an

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FA C U LT Y M E R I T AWA R D Dr. Allen Gathman graduated from the University of Arizona with a bachelor’s degree in biology in 1977, and then again in 1983 with his Ph.D. in genetics. Upon graduation, he began work on grant-funded research at the institution.

In 1985 he made the move to Southeast and became an assistant professor in the Department of Biology. In 1990 he was promoted to associate professor and in 1994 to full professor.

Throughout the years, Gathman has published several articles, made numerous presentations, and been involved in significant grant projects, including the Coprinus cinereus genome project with the National Science Foundation, a grant that was funded at over $740,000. While at Southeast, Gathman collaborated with faculty from the Department of Philosophy and Religion to develop the UI 415 science and religion course, a course that has since won the Templeton Science and Religion Course Award. He has received several honors, including being named the Honors Professor Exempli Gratia, receiving the 2001 Southeast Missouri State University PRIDE award, and receiving the 2005 College of Science and Mathematics Research Award. Gathman has also been involved in several professional activities, including serving as a chair on the Faculty Senate at Southeast, chairing the Genome Analysis session at Genetics and Cell Biology of Basidiomycetes VI in Pamplona, Spain, 2005; serving as webmaster of the Coprinus Genome Project; and organizing the 2008 Genetics and Cell Biology of Basidiomycetes Conference VII in Cape Girardeau, Mo., 2008.

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ARE YOU IN THIS PHOTO?

If you are in this photo, or you know someone in this photo, please let us know by sending an e-mail to alumni@semo.edu, or by calling the Alumni Association at (573) 651-2259.

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CLASS NOTES 1940s Marion Weingaertner (Lake) ‘49 is enjoying all the activities and facilities of Friendship Village.

1950s Elden Selves ‘50 is a retired administrator for Barton County Memorial Hospital in Lamar, Mo. Elden was recently inducted into the Dunklin County Hall of Honor in Kennett, Mo. Elden was recognized for his outstanding personal achievement and contributions to the growth and development of Dunklin County, Mo. Hildegard (Buhning) McAllister ’53 retired from 15 years of recruiting for the University of Virginia sponsored Semesterat-Sea program. She and husband, Jim, recently moved to Laclede Oaks, a Lutheran retirement village in Webster Groves, Mo. Eugene “Gene” Munger, Jr. ‘56 recently finished a book entitled, “Momma, Don’t Ya Want Me to Learn Nothin.” It is a collection of stories covering Eugene’s “growin’ up” in southeast Missouri during the 1940s and 50s. All of the book’s proceeds will go to Eugene’s endowed scholarship at Southeast Missouri State University, in honor of his mother, Ruth H. Munger.

Richard Scatizzi ‘56 retired as St. Louis district sales manager of Lederle Laboratories, Division of American Cyadamid Company. He serves as a member of the board of directors of the Central West End Bank in St. Louis, Mo. William Stotts ‘56 is now retired and enjoys his days playing poker.

Rex Finnegan ‘62 retired as a psychologist with the Oklahoma State University Counseling Service after serving for 34 years. He continues on in semi-retirement as a police psychologist and reserve officer with the Stillwater Police Department.

Mary Ellen (Hesskamp) Dunn ‘63 was honored at the Top Producer’s Summit as one of the top ten producers of long-term care insurance in the United States for the year 2007. Mary Ellen and her husband own Dunn Insurance Services, LLC. William Howell ‘64 retired after 33 years with Hallmark Cards, Inc., in Kansas City, Mo. He made 11 corporate moves and spent five years at corporate headquarters in Kansas City. He has six grandchildren and is enjoying retirement.

James Vornberg ‘65 has returned to fulltime teaching as professor of education administration at Texas A&M UniversityCommerce after five years as department head and another year-and-a-half as interim dean of the College of Education & Human Services. The 11th edition of his edited textbook, Texas Public Schools Organization and Administration: 2008, came out in May. He is beginning his 35th year on the faculty at Texas A&MCommerce this fall. James resides in the Dallas Metroplex area with his wife, Caroline.

Clyde Miner ‘66 and his wife, Joyce, will be firmly ensconced in Texas for years to come.

William Gassaway ‘67 retired from the Mehlville School District in St. Louis, Mo., in 1999 after 30 years of teaching. He and wife, Judith, moved to Ft. Myers, Fla., in 2005.

Thomas Gilliam ’68 is the president of the Carillon Group in Chesterfield, Mo. Thomas and wife, Doreen, have six children, 11 grandchildren, and reside in Ballwin, Mo.

Bill Burlison ’53, ’59 recently moved back to southeast Missouri from Maryland.

He holds seven academic degrees and has spent 50 years working in politics, including six terms as a U.S. Congressman from Missouri.

1960s James McGhee ‘61 published his book Guide to Missouri Confederate Units, 18611865, in May 2008, as part of the Civil War in the West Series.

Marilyn (McGraw) Beiter ‘62 retired from St. Louis Community College-Forest Park.

She is enjoying retirement at Lake of the Ozarks and traveling whenever possible.

Fred Crecelius ‘69 is executive director for the U.S. Navy Mid-Atlantic Region.

He retired from active Navy service in 2001, having flown for 32 years. He is now serving in the Navy as a civilian-senior executive, responsible for the management of all Navy installations in the mid-Atlantic region.

Dale Michaelis ‘69 retired in 2000 after a long and rewarding career at Oakville High School in the Mehlville School District.

He continues as an adjunct at St. Louis Community College.

1970s Ruth (Lehmann) Hodges ‘70 is semiretired after 33 years of nursing. She now works as branch supervisor of the local public library, while continuing to do some weekend nursing work. She lives in the beautiful eastern edge of Oklahoma, where she spends a lot of time with her six grandchildren.

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Bertha (Hayward) Muenks ‘74 is the deputy director of Southern Hills Counseling Center in Jasper, Ind. She was also appointed by the governor to the Indiana Social Workers, Marriage and Family Therapist and Mental Health Counselor Board. Bertha and husband, Bill, have three children and two grandchildren.

John Wright ‘74 retired last September as inspector general for tax administration after more than 33 years with the U.S. Department of Treasury in Washington, D.C. Sharon (Helms) Hall ‘74 and her husband are excited about beginning ‘second’ careers in the Public School District in Jackson, Miss. Sharon is teaching second grade students.

Jeanette (Oge) Connell ‘75 is living in Ballwin, Mo. Her daughter, Heather, will graduate in December from Southeast and daughter, Kelsey, will be a senior at Parkway South. Jeanette is a kindergarten teacher at St. John, a private Lutheran school in Ellisville.

Douglas Smith ‘70 and Donna DeMayo exchanged wedding vows on Sept. 10, 2007, on the beach in Aruba. Doug is the deputy chief of staff for the Science and Technology Directorate in the Department of Homeland Security Colleen (Grasser) Harris ‘71 is a guidance counselor at Ruskin High School in Kansas City, Mo. Now that all three of her children have graduated from college, she can start thinking about retiring and enjoying time with her grandson, Shawn.

Dinah (Ross) Jones ‘71 recently spent a month in Portland, Ore., where their second grandchild, Vonnegut, was born on July 8, joining his big sister Zadie.

Vonnel “Frenchie” Johnson ’68 graduated in May 2008, with a master’s degree in quality systems management through the joint educational alliance between Boeing and the National Graduate School.

John Miller ‘68 is going to retire this year after working as a software programer for many years.

Benjamin Samel ‘68 retired from the University of Southern Mississippi as director of planned giving. He took another assignment to set up a planned giving program at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. Benjamin has four children: Ben, Missy, Leslie and Michael.

Barbara (Timm) Willis ‘72 recently completed her doctorate at the University of Missouri in Columbia. Barbara is the internship coordinator for the Office of Service-Learning at the University of Missouri.

Charlotte (Fiehler) Angotti ‘73 retired at the end of the 2007-08 school year from North Pemiscot R-1 Schools in Wardell, Mo. She was an elementary teacher for four years, a K-8 school counselor for one year and a K-12 school counselor for 30 years.

Susanna (Laird) Madden ‘73 is a realtor with ReMax.

Robert Weng ‘68 recently retired as

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school teacher, enjoying gardening, golfing, reading, entertaining and being a grandmother.

The couple has one daughter and resides in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Larry Lankheit ‘75 will be retiring from the U.S. Postal Service as the manager of post office operations after a 37-year career.

Kevin “Snake” Snavely ‘75 is the business director for PCC Chemax in Greenville S.C. Kevin and wife, Karen, have three children and six grandchildren.

Philip Svoboda ‘75 moved to the Baltimore, Md., area in August 2008.

Mary (Kippenberger) Wilcox ‘75 is a business/technology teacher at Ursuline Academy in St. Louis.

Linda Wells ‘72 returned to the Olympic Games for her second Olympiad in a row, serving as an assistant coach for the Netherlands softball team. Linda was the head coach of the Greek team in Athens in 2004.

Russell Rau ‘57 retired from Shell Oil Company of Houston, Texas. He and wife, Carol, have been married since 1955. They have three sons, one daughter and four grandchildren.

Paul Smith ‘59 retired from the Air Force.

He completed a master’s degree in logistic management and worked as a consultant until illness in June 2004.

supervisor of adult education and literacy for St. Louis Public Schools. He currently is president of the Commission of Adult Basic Education and serves as a Leadership Excellence Academy trainer for the National Adult Education Professional Development Consortium. Robert and wife, Judy, live in Webster Groves, Mo.

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Roger Tolliver ‘73 is the community bank president and the SEMO group manager for Commerce Bank. His wife, Kay (Stauffer) Tolliver ’73, is a retired

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Judith “Judy” (Schaab) Burnham ‘76 is a librarian for the Anheuser-Busch legal department in St. Louis, Mo. Phyllis (Saale) Emmel ‘76 has retired from the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Statistical Analysis Center after 26 years and is now teaching at Immaculate Conception in Jefferson City, Mo. Craig Boardman ‘77 is employed by Bodyguard Service as a limousine driver.

Michael Braun ‘77 and Kathleen have three children, a 23-year-old son, a 22 yearold-daughter and a 15-year-old son.

Robert Goddard ‘77 is the senior pastor of St. Paul United Church of Christ in Columbia, Ill. Michelle Brown-Hollin ‘78 is the coordinator of recruitment for Barrett, the Honors College, at Arizona State University.

David Bryant ‘78 is owner of Eastbank Group, LLC, and the Hillcrest Plaza Shopping Center in Doniphan, Mo., He also owns the Best Western Rustic Inn

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CLASS NOTES in Paragould, Ark.; the Mammoth Spring Lodge in Thayer, Mo.; and the Victorian Palace Hotel in Branson, Mo. Fernando Contreras ‘78 works in real estate and also does projects for a software company in Miami, Fla. Timothy Duffie ‘78 is senior partner of DPP Holdings Group USA, LLC, in Indinapolis, Ind., leading a team that specializes in tax resolution for individuals and businesses.

Charles Hutchings ‘78 will be seeking his third term in November as Bollinger County, Mo., coroner. He is a professional photographer at Hutchings Photography in Jackson, Mo. He and wife, Marian (Seiler) Hutchings ‘78, are licensed funeral directors with Hutchings Funeral Chapel in Marble Hill, Mo. Marian successfully completed the International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Board exam for embalming in 2007.

Beverlee Maschek (Kettler) ‘78 works for Lutheran Senior Services.

Gregory Stricker ‘78 is a 30-year veteran of AT&T. Carla (Thomason) Hill ‘79 is community sales manager for K. Hounanian Homes in Cary, N.C. She earned the Member Institute Residential Marketing, Certified Aging in Place Speclization, and Master Certified Sales Professional designations.

David Jolliff ‘79 recently retired as director of customer service with AT&T in Austin, Texas. He and his wife relocated to Hot Springs Village to relax and play some golf.

Louis “Lou” DesPres ‘81 has been a nurse anesthetist at Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau, Mo., for the past 21 years. Louis is also a retired commander in the Navy Reserves after 29 years of service.

Lisa Dry ‘81 recently accepted a position to join the public affairs department with the Monsanto Company in St. Louis, Mo. Therese (Schuberth) Hubble ‘81 is entering her 20th year with the Parent as Teachers program as a parent educator.

Bruce Keller ‘81 and his wife, Anne, recently celebrated their 27th anniversary.

Bruce has been at the same law firm in downtown St. Louis for fifteen years.

Kathy Lee ‘81 has been employed at the University of Missouri-St. Louis College of Nursing as an assistant professor for the past five years.

Tarrell (Cato) Portman ‘81 has been appointed as the director of the Office of Graduate Ethnic Inclusion in Graduate College at the University of Iowa. She is married to Dr. Gerald Portman ‘90.

Lisa (Richardson) Quick ‘81 is the development director for Safe House for Women, Inc., in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Lisa previously worked for the Department of Social Services for over 20 years.

Susan (McDonald) Ley ‘82 is an accountant with Boeuf & Berger Mutual Insurance Company in New Haven, Mo. James “Rick” Palen ’82 is currently a thirdyear resident in family medicine at Southern Illinois University – Carbondale, after 17 years in the computer software industry.

Norma (Huey) Leonard ‘79 is employed by the City of St. Charles, Mo., as director of economic development. She and her husband, Fraser, are very involved in the arts in the St. Louis region.

James Maurer ‘79 is vice president with AT&T in Madison, Wis. Deborah (Baldwin) McGrath ‘79 is employed as an adaptive P.E. teacher with the Special School District in St. Louis County. Deborah and husband, Pat, have two daughters.

Christopher Starr ‘79 is the band director and the “all around music guy” in Charleston. Recently, Chris was named Man of the Year in Charleston, Mo.

1980s Patricia (Lincecum) Miinch ‘80 has been an adjunct instructor in Southeast’s English department for several years, and recently joined the staff of the Center for Writing Excellence as a writing associate. She also enjoys her part-time job as an in-home spa provider throughout southeast Missouri.

Vickie (Crowell) Seiler ‘80 has been an elementary teacher at Leopold R-111 School District in Leopold, Mo., for 28 years, and is working also as a behavior therapist for Missouri First Steps.

Margaret (Burchfield) Wessel ‘80 is a geologist for Vertex Engineering Services, Inc., an engineering consulting company in Vashon Island, Wash.

Mark Zabel ‘80 is owner of Reconciliation Christian Bookstore in St. Louis, Mo.

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Richard Young ‘82 serves as director of Fort Caspar Museum in Casper, Wyo., and was elected president of the Mountain Plains Museum Association, a ten-state regional museum organization. Richard is the proud grandparent of Madison and Marcus..

Thomas Smouse ‘83 is human resource director with Anadarko Petroleum in The Woodlands, Texas.

Paula (Jones) Thomas ‘83 is an accountant at Midamerica Hotels Corporation in Cape Girardeau, Mo., where she has worked for 18 years. She has been married to Kenton for 29 years. Their oldest son, Adam, attends Southeast and is majoring in history. Their youngest son, Ivan, attends Notre Dame Regional High School in Cape Girardeau.

David Addison ‘84 continues to live and work in Ohio, where he has been based for the last 20 years. His wife, Margaret, passed away last year so he is rapidly learning how to be a single parent to three young children, an eight-year old and two fiveyear olds.

Gregory Hantak ‘84 is the owner of Jslogistics, a third party logistics provider specializing in expedited transpotation, scheduled route work, outsourced trucking, records management, and warehousing and distribution.

Stephen Lewis ‘84 won a silver medal

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at the Masters Nationals Powerlifting competition in Miami, Fla. Catherine (Florich) Villhard ‘84 is owner of Batter Up! Cookies in St. Louis, Mo. Keith Fronabarger ‘85 is a vice president with Cairo Grain Inspection Agency in Cairo, Ill. Greg Perry ‘85 is a certified trainer/cashier with Flying J Travel Plaza in Matthews, Mo. Deidre Sessoms ‘85 and her husband, David DeNuzzo, celebrated the birth of their second red-headed son, Jace, last year.

Deidre continues to work at Sacramento State University as a professor and director of teacher preparation.

Jack Spooner ‘85 has formed Spooner Law, LLC, a civil trial law firm in St. Louis, Mo., specializing in injury and business disputes..

Jawad Akhtar ‘86 is the co-founder of a new company called LifeAware that develops location-based mobile applications for the Google Android platform. LifeAware submitted their application to the Android Developer Challenge. Out of a total of 1,788 entries, the LifeAware application was selected as one of the top 50 applications in round one of the competition, which earned them a place in round two.

David Duncan ‘86 is a quality assurance specialist/public affairs with the U.S. ArmyMilan Army Ammunition Plant. He is retired from the U.S. Army, has been married 21 years and has three children.

Kathy (King) Hill ‘86 is a claims representative with Gallagher Bassett Services, Inc., in St. Louis. She and husband, Corey, were married on Sept. 23, 2006.

Mathew Joseph ‘86 has accepted a position as Emil C.E. Jurica Distinguished Professor of Marketing at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas.

Daniel Kelly ‘86 is the SVP, Business Development with OnSite Network in Chicago, Ill. Daniel and wife, Kathy, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Julia, in December 2007.

Alison (Chaney) Renz ‘86 has been teaching at Nipher Middle School in Kirkwood, Mo., for the last 22 years. She won a Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Great Teaching Idea award for a lesson plan on children of the Holocaust. Alison has been married for 16 years and has two daughters Lisa Cleary ‘87 and husband, John, will celebrate their 20th anniversary in October.

They have three children: John, 16, is a sophomore; Patrick, 11, is in the fifth grade; and Christopher, 6, is in kindergarten. Lisa has been blessed to be a stay-at-home mom for the last sixteen years.

Franklin Ellis ‘87 served in Cape Girardeau for 19 as teacher and principal. He is now in his second year serving as principal of Meridian Elementary Middle School, a pre-k through eighth grade public school in Illinois.

Charles Herbst ‘87 is a member of the Cape Girardeau City council, the mayor pro tempore, and vice president of sales at Innovative Idea Integration, LLC. He is

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married to Sydney (Train) ‘86 and they have five children. He is also a board member of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri and a member of the Cape Girardeau Noon Optimist Club.

Kristi (McDaniel) Lanfersieck ‘87 is a facilities manager with Maramec Lakes Golf Course in St. Clair, Mo..

Paul Maletich ‘87 is a captain with the St. Louis Fire Department.

Scott Williams ‘87 is the owner of Optimum Health & Wellness. He is married and has two children.

Dina Doolen ‘88 is now features editor of the Tucson Citizen newspaper. As food and drink editor, she won the Tucson Citizen’s employee of the year for 2007 for her editing, blogging and video work on its “Taste Plus” section.

Mary (Lowry) Gilman ‘88 is married to Jerry Gilman ‘76 and has one daughter, Karissa.

Jose Pineda ‘88 is the president and founder of the Universal Self Help Center in Phoneix, Az. Karie (Hall) Hollerbach ‘89 has been promoted to associate professor and tenured in the Department of Communication at Southeast. She is also the curriculum coordinator for the department’s advertising option.

Jill Pizzotti ‘89 is working at Nike, Inc., World Headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., serving as the manager of women’s college basketball.

1990s Melissa Dirr ‘90 is the architectural historian for the NSHS providing environmental clearances for Federal Highway and Department of Roads projects. She is married to Michael Gengler, an architect in Lincoln, and has with a five year old son, Henry.

Christopher “Chris” Giles ‘90 is a branch manager for the Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Company in Chesterfield, Mo. Kimberly (Austin) Madigan ’90 graduated in August from the University of Missouri with a doctorate in educational leadership.

Stacey Null ‘90 is a division on-premise manager with Pepsi Americas in Little Rock, Ark. This is a new division role, covering five states in the Southern Division of Pepsi America.

Mary (DeBlaze) Powers ‘90 and husband, Jim, had a son, John, on June 14, 2007.

Mary is currently a stay-at-home mom.

William Powers ‘90 is associate professor and chair of the Department of Theatre at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa. Christine Rohrbach ‘90 is a home health aide with Elder Helpers, Inc., in St. Louis, Mo. Regina (Haseltine) Warner ‘90 is a partner in Colleyville Heights, LLC. She developed a new subdivision with 14 buildable lots in Colleyville, Texas, assisted in financing one acquisition and served as a managing partner on site.

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CLASS NOTES Linda (Rogers) Kennedy ‘91 will be teaching next year at the American International School of Egypt in Cairo, Egypt. Kennedy has been teaching high school English and literature for 30 years, the past 11 of which were at Notre Dame High School in St. Louis, Mo. Linda is the mother of five sons and has five grandchildren.

David Leine ‘91 is director of Cardinal Health in St. Louis, Mo. Paul Cary ‘92 has been teaching and coaching at North Salem High School in Salem, Ore., for the last four years.

Gina Harper ‘92 was recently promoted to business incubator manager and training coordinator for the Southeast Innovation Center at Southeast Missouri State University.

Daniel Jensen ‘92 graduated this spring from Penn State University with a doctorate in education. He is a retired Army National Guard Colonel and is now an independent consultant in Carlisle, Pa. Shari (Budde) Newby ‘92 has joined Hallmark Stone in Fenton, Mo., as an account executive. For the past three years, Shari was a senior sales associate for St. Louis-based natural stone fabrication company, Graniterra.

Geoffrey Parker ‘92 graduated in May from the Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University.

Cheri Sides-Berry ‘92 has completed her master’s degree in economics at Texas A&M University.

Laurel Sterkel ‘92 received a master’s degree in clinical psychology from the University of Texas of the Permian Basin in December 2007. She is currently the career center coordinator for a college in Midland Texas while completing her LPC internship at a local parish.

Vicky Lankford ‘93 is an instructor of criminal justice and sociology at Southeast Missouri State University.

Rebecca (Clark) Wiseman ‘93 is vice president/branch manager with Progressive Farm Credit Services in Dexter, Mo. She is married to Terry Wiseman, Bollinger County Sheriff.

Jennifer (Woodsides) Harsy ‘94 is currently in her 14th year of teaching. She teaches third grade in Pinckneyville, Ill. Her husband, Steve Harsy ‘93, is farming with an operation that is around 9,000 acres. They have two daughters, Ashley and Hannah.

Mahalley Allen ‘95 received a J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1998 and a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Kansas in 2005. She now teaches political science at California State University, Chico and is coordinator of the university’s legal studies program.

Melissa Dowd-Krimmel ‘95 and Matt welcomed Morgan Leigh Krimmel on April 7, 2008. Morgan joins big sisters Clarissa and Richelle. Melissa teaches math at St. Clair High School in St. Clair, Mo. She recently finished her master’s degree in administration.

Robert Pool ‘95 moved to Geneva, N.Y., in August 2007 to serve as the director of student activities for Hobart and William Smith College.

Christina (Cobb) Quick ‘95 is the development director for Sacred Heart Catholic Church and School. She has two children Lane, 12, and Brennan, 5.

Victoria “Vicki” (Weissert) Thurman ‘95 is a learning specialist/school psychologist for MICDS in St. Louis, Mo. Victoria is active with the Missouri Association of School Psychologists and serves as the membership chair for the State Association.

Victoria and husband, Jason, reside in the Creve Coeur area and have two children, Madelyn and Logan.

Alissa (Holzum) Vandeven ‘95 is the assistant director of human resources at Southeast Missouri State University.

Jason Heisserer ‘96 recently received his doctor of education degree from Maryville University in St. Louis, Mo. He is involved in post-doctoral research at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, investigating normative environments in schools. Jason presents on a variety of social justice topics around the St. Louis area and works as an assistant principal at Parkway Northeast Middle School.

Billie (Fouts) Holshouser ‘96 is a financial analyst with Southern Illinois Power Cooperative in Marion, Ill. She married Blayne in May 2005. Their son, Drew, was born June 26, 2006. She also has a stepdaugher, Kaitlyn.

Ryan Kasten ‘96 graduated with a master of music degree in organ performance from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1998, a master of music degree in choral conducting from Florida State University in April 2007, and is currently working in his second year as a doctor of music student in organ performance at Florida State University.

Scott Jenkins ‘94 is vice president at General Oil Company in Sikeston, which is owned and operated by his family.

He also owns a commerical real estate development firm. He recently married Melissa Jackovic of Sikeston.

Jennifer (Ernst) Streiler ‘94 has been the principal at Perryville Elementary School in Perryville, Mo., for the last three years. She has been married to David for 22 years and they have two sons, Christopher, 19, and Caleb, 14.

Kelly (Prince) Zullig ‘94 has graduated from Miami University with a Ph.D. in Neuroendocrinology.

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local Trail of Tears Squadron of the Missouri Wing, Squadron NCR-MO-127.

Christopher Blair ‘97 recently partnered with three others in the music industry to form their own record label and publishing company. He is also in the middle of demolition for his new restaurant/bar/live music venue for songwriters in downtown Nashville, Tenn. Chris has his first cut for radio, which he co-wrote with Karin Paparelli called “Why Don’t You Fall.”

Keira (Rettig) Brem ‘97 has been married for six years and is teaching high school special education. She is also the cheerleading sponser.

Charlotte Daniel ‘97 is working for Pearson Education as a field services consultant, training teachers and administrators in the implentation of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol throughout the United States.

Sebrina “Seb” (Allen) Glenn ‘97 recently accepted a new position as assistant registrar with Missouri State University.

Aaron Bruening ‘98 is married to Cristie Logan ‘98. She is an anesthesiologist at St. Luke’s in Kansas City. Aaron coaches women’s basketball at Rockhurst University in Kansas City. He also teaches part-time at Longview Community College in Lee’s Summit, Mo. They have three children: Austyn in 2003, and Ainsley and Miles in 2007.

Gerald Geringer ‘98 is a regional account manager at Diagraph Marking and Coding, an ITW company. He is living in St. Charles, Mo., with wife, Greta, and their son.

Rodney Horrell ‘98 works for the Texas A&M University System as a senior accountant, responsible for system-wide annual financial reporting. Rodney and wife, Signe, along with their two sons, moved to College Station, Texas.

William Lucas ‘98 and his wife welcomed their first child, a baby boy, on July 17, 2008.

Christie (Johnson) Nardozzi ‘98 is a senior manager with Accenture, a global management and technology consulting firm. Christie and husband, Thomas, were married in May 2008. They reside in Atlanta, Ga. Eric Clements ‘99 is a senior network administrator with the Bank of Missouri in Perryville, Mo. He has two children, Eli and Lydia, and is building a new home in the area.

Kelly (Burton) Gray ‘99 works for Charter Communications in Town and Country, Mo., as a day of install specialist.

Darryl “Doc” Spurlock ’96 is the customer service coordinator for FedEx/Kinko’s in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Darryl is also a captain in the U.S. Air Force Auxiliary, Civil Air Patrol. He recently took command of the

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Nancy (Muegge) Phillips ‘99 is the physician services manager for SSM St. Joseph Hospital West in Lake St. Louis, Mo. She was married in 2003 and currently resides in Wentzville, Mo. Nancy has two sons, Evan, 2 ½, and Mason, three months.

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Leigha (Kirk) Rohlfing ‘99 is a substance abuse counselor. Leigha and husband, Jade, were

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Marianne Lumsden ‘ 89 With multiple tours of duty under her belt, Air Force Maj. Marianne Lumsden knows the challenges troops face communicating in the field.

Army units traditionally have set up computers and routers and networks differently than, say, Air Force, Navy and Marines. And that can slow the process, especially in combat.

Lumsden is working on a joint project at Quantico Marine Base in Quantico, Va., to develop a standardized communications system.

The Joint Mobile Network Operations project is the latest example of various branches of the military working together, rather than in-house, to solve problems that units encounter in the field.

“We’re writing a standard procedure so that they know it exists and to encourage them to incorporate it into their operating procedures,” Lumsden said.

“This is so we don’t have to make agreements on the fly and we’re working with agencies to get this into [Department of Defense] policy so it would be working at every level.”

The $15 million, three-year initiative began in February 2006. It’s the first Marine Corps-led joint test and evaluation project; 28 people are working on it.

Lumsden, 42, hadn’t planned on doing this kind of work when she joined the Air Force in 1989.

Born and raised in Missouri, she attended Southeast Missouri State University on a Reserve Officers Training Corps scholarship.

“My idea was to go through ROTC, do four years” in the military, “and that would give me job experience so I could go work for IBM,” she said.

But her priorities changed. Soon after graduation, she went on active duty, “I loved it--even the hard times and the bad times.”

She served in Kosovo in the Balkans in 1999, then in Bahrain, an island kingdom in the Persian Gulf, in 2003, and two tours in Iraq in 2006 and 2007.

There she worked on information technology programs and served as an advisor to the Iraqi Air Force and Army, on setting up their communications systems. Following that, she settled in Fredericksburg, Va., to begin her current assignment.

Lumsden has received numerous awards and citations including two Defense Meritorious Service Medals, three Air Force Commendation Medals, two Air Force Organizational Excellence Awards and a Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, among many others. *Story originally published by the Freelance Star in Fredericksburg, Va.

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CLASS NOTES married in July 2006.

Broc Sabinson ‘99 is a senior information technology auditor with Express Scripts in St. Louis, Mo. He and wife, Sara, have one son, Patrick Roy. Broc recently obtained the Certified Information Systems Auditor certification.

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Gitte Amstrup ‘04 How far would you travel to pursue your education? 100, 200 miles?

How about a distance of almost 4,500 miles through several countries and across the Atlantic Ocean? That is what Gitte Amstrup faced when she left her native Denmark to complete her Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) at Southeast.

Amstrup heard about Southeast from another student who was visiting her university in Denmark.

She was impressed by his description and decided to see Cape Girardeau for herself. “One of the selling points was the fact that the MBA program had many international students and great opportunities for working as a graduate assistant.”

Amstrup worked as a graduate assistant in both the Learning Enrichment Center and in the School of Graduate Studies. In the Learning Enrichment Center, she helped students who were on academic probation. In the School of Graduate Studies, she prepared market plans, attended the Marketing Board meetings, and wrote news articles and case stories about faculty and students in the graduate program.

Amstrup feels this preparation was beneficial, “I appreciated this experience as it was highly relevant to my studies, and today I also work in marketing.”

After graduation, Amstrup returned to Denmark. She got a job at TARGIT, Denmark’s largest developer of business intelligent software and serves as a marketing manager. She is responsible for shaping the image of the company through communication, marketing, public relations and generating new leads. While at Southeast, Amstrup made sure she was prepared for this type of work. “Marketing has always been my passion, and I chose to take extra marketing classes.”

The transition for a student to leave a native country to attend school in the United States can be difficult, but Amstrup thinks the experience has been an asset. “I have achieved a greater understanding of different cultures and life outside of Denmark. This is very valuable for me today, working with marketing and communications in an international company.”

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Stephen Bauer ‘00 is the director for the Initiative for Nonprofit Sector Careers at the American Humanics National Headquarters in Kansas City, Mo. Wayne Dunker ‘00 just started the M.B.A. program at Webster University in St. Louis.

Wayne and his wife just had their first baby, a boy.

Lisa (Arnson) Eckert ‘00 moved from Sikeston, Mo., to Austin, Texas last summer.

Sarah (Hubbard) Guckes ’00 and husband, Ryan, welcomed son, Cole, on May 18, 2008.

He joins big sister, Evie, who turns 5 in May. They currently reside in O’Fallon, Mo. Joseph Poole ‘00 graduated from the University of New Mexico in December 2007 with an MSN in Nursing Education. He is currently a faculty member at Central New Mexico Community College.

Christopher Prost ‘00 is controller with Cornerstone Mortgage, Inc., in St. Louis, Mo. He married Jenny Anderson in 2001, and they have two daughters, Sophia, 4, and Annabelle, who was born April 2007.

Sara Rodriguez ‘02 is working on her Ph.D. at the University of Mississippi majoring in exercise science. Her dissertation topic is how the Wii Fit effects fitness level, balance and coordination among ederly participants.

Laura Schuessler ‘02 recently accepted a position with the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Jill Tobben-Vanco ‘02 has recently moved to Santa Fe, N.M., after living in Europe for three and a half years. Jill is a restaurant manager at a mid-size hotel.

Lindsay Miller ‘01 is employed with MERS/Goodwill as a job developer. She and husband, Zac, reside with their daughter, Mackenzie, in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Lona Skaggs ‘01 works as a youth specialist for the department of social services and has her certificate to teach in business education.

Lindsey (Best) Wulfing ‘01 is a regional manager for HelmsBriscoe. She and William had their first child, Chase William, on March 25, 2008.

Lee Dugan ’02 was recently promoted to associate as a member of the marketing team in the St. Louis, Mo., office of HOK. In 2007, she received the International Association of Business Communicators Bronze Quill Excellence Award.

Christopher Adams ‘02 was promoted to senior web designer for Kansas.gov, the official web site of the State of Kansas.

Todd Reich ‘02 is a senior accountant with MPP&W, PC in St. Louis, Mo. He married Katherine Konneman in June 2007. He recently passed the CPA exam.

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Rebecca (Fields) Hester ‘04 is a high school business teacher.

Katherine “Kathy” (Kutscher) Myer ’04 is teaching preschool at Oak Ridge Early Childhood Center in Oak Ridge, Mo. Katherine has one son.

Ryan Parker ’04 is in his third year of the Doctor of Pharmacy program at the University of Tennessee in Memphis. Ryan and wife, Erin, reside in Memphis.

Jeremy Wells ’02 recently accepted a position in Charleston, S.C., where he will be teaching in the joint Clemson/College of Charleston historic preservation program.

Andrea Braun ‘03 is senior internal auditor with Centene Corporation in St. Louis, Mo. Upon graduation, she worked for KPMG, LLP, as an audit associate before accepting a position with Centene. She married Christopher Braun in May 2007.

Jeannine Cinco ‘03 volunteered with Catholic Relief Services in Nairobi, Kenya, for the last year-and-a-half. She is currently going back to school at Eastern Mennonite University to get a master’s degree in peace and conflict transformation.

Derek Dickerson ‘03 works at KFVS12 as the 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. director and has been there since 1999. He married Heather in 2001 and they had their first child, Ellie, July 11, 2008.

Jennifer (Samson) Doering ‘03 is a new associate at Danna McKitrick, P.C., focusing her practice in bankruptcy, civil and commercial litigation.

Julie Aycock ‘01 is the regional director of development for the American Cancer Society for the Sikeston and Cape Girardeau areas.

Lacey Hiatte ‘01 welcomed a second child, Landon Michael, on March 28, 2008.

Care Resource and Referral agency as the quality rating system specialist in February 2008 to provide consulting for a new state initiative to improve quality in child care programs. Stephanie was married on July 12, 2008.

Shane Fulbright ‘03 was a systems integration consultant with Dell in Round Rock, Texas. He recently relocated to the Denver area to continue in his role with Dell.

Mindy Hoffman ‘03 is currently working in human resources for Vail Resorts in Vail, Colo.

Kelly (Beahon) Keller ‘03 is the general manager of the new Which Wich? Superior Sandwiches Restaurant in Columbia, Mo. Merideth (McDowell) Pobst ‘03 is a realtor with Realty Executives of Cape County and district manager of Junior Achievement of Southeast Missouri. Merideth and hustband, Justin Pobst ’02, live in Jackson, Mo., with their daughters Lydia Grace, 4, and Layla Reese, 1. Justin is a project manager for Element 74 in Cape Girardeau.

Laura (Hollenbeck) Schemel ‘03 and husband, Michael, had a baby boy, Colton Michael, on July 21, 2008. Laura is a marketing research analyst with ALSAC/St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

Erin (Corkery) Risk ’04 works in the HR Department for Maritz in St. Louis, Mo. Husband, Jake Risk ’05, is a dietician at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Belleville, Ill. Erin and Jake were married in March 2008.

Jennifer Smith ‘04 is an administrative assistant at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Sandra Tooley ‘04 is working as a pharmacy tech at Walgreens and was recently married.

Matt Feldt ’05 is the coordinator of annual fund for the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

Matt and wife, Kim (Townsend) ’05, were married in November 2007, and reside in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Daniel Frierdich ‘05 is an event specialist and coordinator at Saint Louis University.

Cassie Harriman ‘05 is accounts manager with Maxim Healthcare in Springfield, Mo. She was promoted in April 2007 to accounts manager for the St. Louis Pediatric office and again in August 2007 to the Springfield office.

Jessica Knox ‘05 works at Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., in the NICU as a unit secretary/unit assistant.

Cassadena (Eaker) Koenig ‘05 and Shawn had their first child, Jacob Tyler, on July 15, 2008.

Larry Littrell ‘05 is loving his job as program coordinator, where he helps improve the life of those with mental and physical diabilitites.

Lacinda Moit ‘05 is an eligibility specialist with the Stoddard County Family Support Division in Bloomfield, Mo. She was married on June 30, 2007.

Crystal (Forsythe) O’Day ’05 is a registered nurse at Cardinal Glennon Hospital in the NICU. Crystal and husband, Jeremiah, were married in September 2007 and reside in

Leslie Benne ‘04 is teaching third grade and loving it.

Kay Bieber ‘04 married L. Steve at Savior Lutheran Church in Fenton, Mo on March 1, 2008.

Stephanie Eddy ‘04 received her master’s of science in applied family and child studies in December 2007. She was hired at a Child

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Imperial, Mo. Erin Sides ‘05 is a financial advisor with Edward Jones in University City, Mo. After

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Benjamin Sterne ‘05 is assistant manager of Citi Financial in Cape Girardeau, Mo. He is married to April Cousins.

Shad Burner ’06 and wife, Layne (Strattman) Burner ’06, are both celebrating new jobs. Shad is the director of alumni services at Southeast Missouri State University and Layne is a kindergarten teacher at St. Mary Cathedral School in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Shad also recently completed his master’s degree in higher education administration at Southeast.

Ashley (Gremminger) Douglas ‘06 is an English and drama teacher at North County High School in Bonne Terre, Mo. Ashley and husband, Mike, were married in June 2008. They reside in Park Hills, Mo., with their golden labrador, Lola.

Amanda (Buchheit) Eftink ‘06 is an administative assistant with Advanced Placement and Dual Credit at Southeast Missouri State University.

Colleen Hiles ‘06 recently graduated from Saint Louis University with a postbachelor’s degree in cytotechnology and is now employed with Washington University School of Medicine.

the International Assessment and Retention Conference and the Association on Higher Education and Disability International Conference.

Mary “Beth” (Poe) Thornburgh ‘06 is the director of nursing at Puxico Nursing & Rehab in Puxico, Mo. Kodi West ‘06 is currently working as a clinical dietitian at Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis, Mo. Meredith Ashe ‘07 is the youngest business owner in Marion, Ill., with the opening of her women’s clothing store in November 2007. She recently purchased a historic hotel to renovate and move her business into.

Whitney Chasteen ‘07 began her first year of teaching in August 2007, as an art teacher at New Madrid County Central High School in New Madrid, Mo. Matthew Ciolek ‘07 is a ticket sales associate for the Colorado Rockies in Denver, Colo.

Caitlin Murphy ‘07 was hired by Colliers, Turley, Martin, Tucker in December 2007, as a leasing administrator for their corporate solutions client, Siemens Real Estate.

Gregory Soutiea ‘07 currently works for View High Lake Apartments in Kansas City, Mo. Stephanie Tracy ’07 is in her second year in the Doctorate of Audiology program at the University of South Florida.

Christopher Hinkle ‘06 recently started his master’s in educational technology.

Kerry Holtmeier ‘06 is an English teacher at Jefferson City High School in Jefferson City, Mo.

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Aaron Wright ‘07 is pursuing his master’s degree in educational administration at the University of Missouri.

Dane Huxel ’06 currently works for AT&T Advertising & Publishing. Dane and wife, Sarah (Martin) ’06, were married in June 2008. Dane and Sarah reside in St. Charles, Mo.

Claudia Favre ‘08 graduated in December 2007. After graduating, she accepted a teaching position in Cofradia, Honduras, at Cofradia Billingual School, which is a volunteer-run school for underprivileged children. She taught kindergarten from January-June of 2008.

Crystal (Hillis) Jones ‘06 is a donor recruitment represenative with the American Red Cross Biomedical Services.

Deanna Heuring ‘08 was recently employed by Orchard Farm School District in St. Charles, Mo., as a high school special education teacher.

Emily Paulus ‘06 is now utilizing both her English and mass communication degrees as the director of communications for the Archdiocese of Chicago. Emily is taking comedy writing classes at Second City.

Emily Sikes ‘06 is the account services coordinator in the Saint Francis Marketing and Public Relations department at Saint Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Stacey Thatch ‘06 passed the FNP boards in 2007. She is working as a family nurse practitioner at a rural health Internal Medicine/Pediatric Clinics.

Melanie Thompson ‘06 is the director of learning assistance programs and disability support services at Southeast Missouri State University. She recently made presentations at two conferences:

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Christopher Hummel ‘08, moved to Sikeston, Mo., and accepted a position with the Bootheel Counseling Services in June.

Twilia (Patrick) Mason ’08 is currently working on her Ph.D. in biomedical science at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn.

Amy Meyer ‘08 recently joined Purcell & Amen, LLC, an estate planning law firm, as a client services coordinator.

Chad Pennington ‘08, having taught English in China in 2006-07, is now in graduate school at the University of Colorado at Boulder in pursuit of an M.A. in linguistics and a certificate of proficiency in Chinese.

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Hey everyone! Well the time is approaching for us birds to begin our migrating, and, as you know, the early bird gets the worm, so I’m getting a head start! That’s right, the Olympics weren’t the only cause for an excursion to China. Just ask a couple of our own Redhawks, the Miller twins, who made the long flight to the Far East (and boy, are their wings tired)! Inspired by their study abroad, I thought maybe I would head that way to help spread the Redhawk fame. But don’t think that the international reach of us ‘Hawks stops there! Our own Golden Eagles Marching Band, a beautiful-sounding bunch of birds, performed at the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in Edinburgh, Scotland. The Golden Eagles are one of just three U.S. university bands to ever perform at this event, and the only one to ever be invited back! Now that is a reason to puff out your feathers with pride if I ever heard one…and that’s not all! A team of business birds from the Donald L. Harrison College of Business recently finished third in an international case competition in Coventry, England.

For the second year in the row a Redhawk team was the only team from the United States chosen to compete in the final round of competition! It’s kind of nice to know that when you wear your Redhawk colors you can be sure that they are being noticed all over the world!

Now with all the buzz outside of the country we don’t need to forget all the excitement right here in our own fair city! Exciting changes are coming to Kent Library with a renovation bringing great new technology to assist in research!

And keep an eye out for some beautiful changes to the plaza between Rhodes and Scully. Thanks to the efforts of our very own students, expect to see a great new place for us birds of red feathers to flock together!

Now it’s going to be tough being away from all my feathered friends for awhile, but don’t worry because there is quite a big event this fall that I will definitely be flying home for. Keep an eye out and come tailgating with me at Homecoming this semester!

Until then, this Redhawk is going to see the world!

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