Moorhead Magazine Fall 2015

MOORHEAD minnesota state university moorhead

The magazine for alumni, friends and community.

magazine

Inside: COMING HOME DRAGON FAMILIES HEMINGWAY SCHOLAR LEAP OF FAITH FALL 2015 | Vol. 15, No. 2

TOGETHER: DRAGON BASKETBALL’S HISTORIC SEASON MSUM film production major Caleb Stumpfl created an hour-long documentary on the Dragon men’s basketball team’s historic run to the NCAA Elite 8. In the film, “TOGETHER: Dragon Basketball’s Historic Season,” Stumpfl followed the team all season, including traveling to the NSIC/Sanford Health Basketball Tournament, the NCAA Regional Tournament, and the NCAA Elite 8 in Evansville, Ind. He also interviewed each team member and coach to help tell the story of their historic season.

“It’s been an incredible ride,” Stumpfl said. “It was a great privilege for them to include me and to trust me to cover every moment, every setback, every celebration, and to put it all together. There’s a reason they made history and I think this film gives an insight into what made them so successful.”

Order the documentary at www.msumdragons.com.

MOORHEAD minnesota state university moorhead

ALUMNI FEATURES 10

Coming Home

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Generations

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Alumni move back to F-M area Dragon families through the decades

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The Most Interesting Man in the World World-renowned Hemingway scholar

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Leap of Faith Ropes course challenges fears

NEWS BRIEFS

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Anonymous Donor Gives $1.5 Million

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Advertising Students Place 8th in Nation

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Paseka School of Business Reaccredited

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What Happens When a Prof Becomes an Intern?

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Memphis Grizzlies Coach to Headline Clinic

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Class Notes

Administration

Staff

President: Anne Blackhurst president@mnstate.edu Provost/Senior VP, Academic Affairs: Joseph Bessie VP, Alumni Foundation: Laura Huth VP, Finance & Administration: Jean Hollaar ’90, ’92 VP, Enrollment Management/ Student Affairs: Yvette Underdue Murph Executive Director, Marketing & Communications: David Wahlberg ’81 Chief Information Officer: Daniel Heckaman Chief Diversity Officer: Donna Brown Chief Human Resources Officer: Ann Hiedeman Director of Athletics: Doug Peters

Executive Editor: David Wahlberg ’81 david.wahlberg@mnstate.edu Editor: Kristi Monson ’84, ’96 kristi.monson@mnstate.edu Art Director: Derek Lien liende@mnstate.edu Photographer: Dave Arntson ’96 Editorial Team: Meghan Feir ’13 Katie Faken ’12 Jennifer Donahue Nate Gilbraith

Minnesota State University Moorhead Magazine is published by the Marketing & Communications Office for the MSUM community of alumni, employees, students, supporters, friends and neighbors.

Contact us: magazine@mnstate.edu or 218.477.2110.

Minnesota State University Moorhead is an equal opportunity educator and employer and is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System.

PRESIDENT’S LETTER Dear Alumni and Friends, f it’s been awhile since you’ve been to Moorhead, you might be surprised to learn that it’s just been named the #1 small city in America by nerdwallet.com. You might also be surprised to know that FargoMoorhead was named the 6th-best college town in the nation by the American Institute for Economic Research. Every few weeks our community scores high on another “best of” list, thanks to our booming economy, thriving arts scene, excellent public schools, and, of course, the abundance of higher education opportunities.

Those of us who live here are not at all surprised. In fact, it’s hard for us to imagine why everyone doesn’t want to live in Moorhead. (Well, okay, there is the weather; we were also named the coldest campus in America last year.) And yet, I think our students often take for granted everything FargoMoorhead has to offer. As a result, many fail to seriously consider staying in our community after they graduate.

That’s why it’s so gratifying to read the stories of MSUM alumni who’ve returned to Fargo-Moorhead after time away. As you’ll see, despite the differences in their career goals and life paths, they all eventually realized that Fargo-Moorhead was “home.” In coming home, they have brought their skills and talents to a community desperately in need of both. Attracting and retaining talent is perhaps the biggest challenge facing Fargo-Moorhead at the moment—largely because our population growth can’t keep up with the potential growth in our economy.

MSUM is doing its part to attract and retain talent in the region by partnering with local businesses and organizations to more fully engage our students in the community. Our goal is to enrich our students’ educational experiences by providing real-world opportunities to apply their learning and, in the process, engage them so deeply in the community that they can’t even think about leaving when they graduate. This is just one way MSUM is making itself indispensible to the social, cultural, and economic advancement of Fargo-Moorhead.

Of course, many of our alumni already call Fargo-Moorhead “home.” More than 20,000 of our alumni live and work in the metro area and make important contributions to our quality of life. We’re highlighting the accomplishments of our local alumni on our website and in other media. You can view the latest alumni profiles at mnstate.edu/leaders.

If it’s been too long since you’ve come “home,” please consider joining us for Homecoming this year. We’d love the chance to show you around and brag about all that we’ve accomplished since you’ve been gone.

Best wishes,

Anne

Connect with President Anne facebook.com/PresidentAnne

twitter.com/PrezBlackhurst

NEWS BRIEFS

BostAnne

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EDITOR’S NOTE #DragonPride.

It’s a hashtag. It’s an ad campaign. It’s a banner! More importantly, it’s a feeling that is spreading like wildfire.

Alumni feel pride in the lifelong friendships, intellectual growth and career preparation they developed at their alma mater.

Students feel pride in the school that is preparing them for the real world. Employees feel pride in helping to transform the lives of young people. Donors feel pride in giving back to their university.

Dragon Pride is on display in this issue. You’ll meet families who have generations of proud Dragons. You’ll hear from people who proudly call Fargo-Moorhead home.

You’ll be surprised at how many alumni proudly work at their alma mater. You can experience Dragon Pride when you watch President Anne Blackhurst’s TEDx Fargo talk (check it out on YouTube). Dragon Pride will be unveiled when our new football field turf welcomes the class of 2015.

MSUM film production alumnus, Caleb Stumpfl ’14, accompanied President Anne Blackhurst to document her journey to the Boston Marathon in April.

Finally, you will feel Dragon Pride in journalism Professor Deneen Gilmour’s frankly written essay about her externship experience at Prairie Public as “the world’s oldest intern.” Or you’ll beam with pride when you watch film production student Dana Galeano Penagos’ wonderfully produced graphics animation and short film on our online magazine. You can watch the productions and read Gilmour’s essay in its entirety at mnstate.edu/magazine.

There’s much to be proud of when you think about Minnesota State University Moorhead. Tell us what makes you proud. I challenge you to share your pride by following us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube—@MSUMoorhead.

Enjoy.

Kristi (Storebo) Monson, ’84, ’96 Editor | kristi.monson@mnstate.edu

President Anne at TEDxFargo Stumpfl has worked on other projects for MSUM in the past, such as “Life of a Dragon” and the hour-long documentary on the MSUM men’s basketball team’s journey to the NCAA championship, “TOGETHER: Dragon Basketball’s Historic Season.”

To view “BostAnne,” visit our YouTube channel at youtube.com/MSUMoorhead.

Nearly 1,800 change-makers and their supporters attended TEDxFargo in July and were challenged to “wonder deeply, dream wildly, and make it happen.”

President Anne Blackhurst was announced as the first speaker in May. She spoke about the perceived value of a college education today, stating that few Americans believe college graduates are well prepared for the workplace.

She said, “We must teach and bolster skills that will stand the test of time, like creativity, innovation and problem solving. We need to create cultures of innovation in which passion, experimentation and risk-taking are prized more than knowing the right answers.”

Read her talk at mnstate.edu/president under News & Notes. The video of the presentation will be posted on YouTube in the near future.

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Anonymous Donor Gives

1.5 MILLION

An anonymous donor gave MSUM a gift of $1.5 million to be endowed for scholarships in the College of Business and Innovation. The scholarships will be awarded to junior- and senior-level students who are selected based on academic achievement and financial need.

The anonymous donor, who graduated from Moorhead State in the 1970s, said, “I just wanted to do something to help kids.”

“The endowment will make a lasting impact for generations to come,” said President Anne Blackhurst. “Our alumni and the business

community are seeing the great things we are doing at the university, and it’s an honor to be so recognized with this extremely generous gift by a donor who wants no fanfare whatsoever.

This exemplifies our core values of grit, humility and heart.”

“This gift is a combination of a current gift and a planned estate gift,” said Laura Huth, MSUM Alumni Foundation vice president. “It provides an endowment, with annual earnings supporting student scholarships into perpetuity. In the future more funding will be added to this endowment as a result of the donor’s estate planning.”

Advertising Students Place Eighth 2015 National Student Advertising Competition The team accepted an advertising challenge for Pizza Hut last year with the goal of increasing online ordering at pizzahut.com by 75 percent.

MSUM’s campaign slogan was, “Delivering Bold Ideas.”

MSUM advertising students in the capstone class, “Advertising Campaigns,” taught by Jody Mattern, traveled to Las Vegas for the American Advertising Federation District 8 National Student Advertising Competition held June 11.

The team placed eighth out of 140 teams from around the country. Included in the top eight teams were MSUM, the University of Oregon, St. John's University, Johnson & Wales UniversityProvidence, the University of North Carolina, Louisiana State University, West Texas A&M, and Hawaii Pacific University.

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“We were confident going into the competition that our campaign would resonate with the judges,” student presenter Danielle Rebel said. “Each and every person on our team put a great deal of effort into this campaign. Attending the ADMERICA conference in Las Vegas was a great experience for all of us. We were able to network with major advertising agencies like Leo Burnett and interact with other schools attending the conference and competition. We learned what it takes to present a campaign to clients in the real world, and that while what you present may not be exactly what the client is looking for, the experience you gain is still highly useful in the future.”

Each finalist team pitched their campaign in front of a panel of judges, which included Pizza Hut senior marketing executives. Presenters from MSUM were Drew Olmen, Krista Tolstedt, Danielle Rebel, Sarah Knight and Alecia Hupperts.

MSUM Runs Away with Fargo Marathon College Challenge The MSUM Dragons scorched the competition by winning the 2015 Fargo Marathon College Challenge. The challenge was part of this year’s Tri-College theme where runners made their way through each campus in Fargo-Moorhead.

MSUM had more students, staff and faculty running in marathon events than any other university. President Anne Blackhurst and Professor Deb White both sponsored student runners. In addition, the school’s Dragon Pride was clearly evident as participants ran through the campus mall.

As the winner, MSUM received $5,000 for student scholarships.

DECA Team – National Champions MSUM’s student DECA team competed at the International Career Development Conference in Orlando, Fla., in May, where six of 14 students received honors.

They competed among hundreds of state and regional qualifiers from chapters around the country, Canada, Puerto Rico and China.

Gavin Doppler, a business administration and marketing major, founded the chapter in his freshman year and could not have been more pleased with the results.

“We are leagues ahead of where we thought we’d be at this point,” he said. “We went into the competition with a lot of confidence, but not in our wildest imagination did we think we’d bring so much hardware back to Moorhead.

This was a team effort going back to the start of the year and everyone has a sense of ownership and pride for what we’ve accomplished.“

What Happens When A Professor Becomes An Intern?

CONTRIBUTED BY DENEEN GILMOUR, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM My greatest fear as a professor is becoming a dinosaur.

As I remind students: Old news isn’t news at all. Who wants to be old news?

With graduate school punctuating the period between my 16-year newspaper career and my professorship, I glimpsed a few dinosaurs firsthand. Working on a doctorate in my 30s and 40s, I was young enough to spot the occasional dinosaur teaching a class, and old enough to understand how I could easily become one.

I decided then that if I was ever lucky enough to be granted a sabbatical I wanted to spend it working in media again. Who doesn’t want to be a reporter? Chase the story! Nail the facts!

Tell the world! It’s the coolest job in the universe.

Plus, in my mind, a one-year trip back to media was a prescription to ward off obsolescence.

As I write, I’m wrapping up an amazing sabbatical year. And, yes, I spent it working at a media outlet.

However, what I thought I needed to learn wasn’t what I actually needed to know. And my plan didn’t tumble easily into sequence, mostly because my fears got in the way for a time.

Gilmour’s full personal essay is humorous, honest and vulnerable. Read how she makes herself relevant in today’s classroom at mnstate.edu/magazine.

AACSB Business Accreditation Renewed The Paseka School of Business has maintained its business accreditation by AACSB International – The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB International is the hallmark of excellence in business education and has been earned by less than five percent of the world’s business programs.

The Paseka School of Business was first accredited by AACSB in 2010 and has maintained the high standards set forth by AACSB by demonstrating impact, innovation, and engagement through cutting-edge undergraduate and graduate curricula, faculty scholarship and engagement, and student success.

“We are honored to maintain our AACSB accreditation,” said Dean Marsha Weber, College of Business & Innovation. “Our faculty and staff provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to be successful when they leave MSUM. Our focus is on continuous improvement and meeting the needs of our business and community partners in the community and the region.”

“As we focus relentlessly on student achievement, AACSB accreditation affirms MSUM’s success in preparing graduates who are ready to be leaders in business and transform their communities,” said MSUM President Anne Blackhurst.

Learn more about the Paseka School of Business at mnstate.edu/schoolofbusiness and AACSB accreditation at aacsb.edu/accreditation.

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Walthall Named Top D2 Coach Clarence Gaines Coach of the Year

MSUM Dragon Sports Media was a finalist in the Sports Video Group College Sports Media Awards this summer for “DragonsLIVE from Evansville” in the Live Studio/Remote Hosted Production category.

After leading the men’s basketball team to a school record 35 wins this season, Head Coach Chad Walthall was presented with the Clarence “Big House” Gaines Coach of the Year Award. The award is given annually to the top Division II coach in the country and is voted on by a 20-member committee consisting of current or retired head coaches and collegeinsider.com staff members.

Walthall, who was one of 16 finalists for the award, recorded his 200th overall career victory and his 100th career victory as head coach of MSUM this season. The Dragons finished the regular season as NSIC co-champions with a record of 20-2, then advanced to the NCAA Elite 8 after being crowned central region champions, the first regional championship in school history.

Dragon Sports Media, GO! TEAM Earn National Honors

In five seasons at the helm of MSUM, Walthall is now 111-44 with a conference record of 73-37.

The 111 wins in five seasons are the most wins in any five-year period in school history. The 71.6 percent winning percentage is the best winning percentage among any head coach in school history (minimum 50 wins).

Other finalists vying for the SVG award were Notre Dame, Texas A&M, University of Arkansas, University of Buffalo, University of Wyoming, and the eventual winner, Liberty University.

MSUM was the only totally Division II school finalist in any category and in any group.

The GO! TEAM internship program took home two National Association of Collegiate Marketing Administrators ‘Best Of’ Awards in the Group III category that includes all Division II, III, NAIA, junior colleges, International, or non-Division I schools.

Start to Finish: Time-lapse Installation of Scheels Field The new field turf project at Scheels Field at Nemzek Stadium, along with new lighting, is complete. The project cost more than $1 million, with Scheels donating $1 million to MSUM as part of President Anne Blackhurst’s Laps for the Long Run fundraiser last fall.

“It’s a pretty prideful day,” said Tony Duerr ’01 (biology), who played quarterback for the Dragons from 1996-99 and now is an assistant manager at Scheels. “To see the program come to this point...to seeing this, the end product, it’s a pretty special experience.”

Check out the time-lapse videos and the best shots from the Valley Imports Hovercan to show just how Scheels Field was put together over the past few months at msumdragons.com.

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Silver New revenue-generating idea Valley Imports Slam Cam hoop sticker Silver Sales piece Partnership Playbook Read more at msumdragons.com.

WOMEN'S RUGBY ADVANCED TO NATIONALS

Memphis Grizzlies Coach to Headline MSUM Coaches Clinic

Teams were invited to participate in the tournament based on the success of their past season. MSUM finished third in this year’s Women’s 15s Championship. This was the first time MSUM competed in the National 7s tournament.

MSUM senior Breanna Bucklin was one of seven girls to make the All-Tournament team.

Photo Credit: Joe Murphy, NBAE, Getty Images.

The Women’s Rugby team played in the National 7s Championship in May held at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. Moorhead placed fifth, consolation champions, out of eight teams from around the United States.

MSUM men’s basketball will hold a Coaches Clinic Saturday, Sept. 12. The NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach Dave Joerger ’97 (mass communications) will headline the clinic, which is sponsored by Sanford Health.

“This is just another opportunity for MSU Moorhead to continue our momentum in Dragon Athletics,” MSUM head men's basketball Coach Chad Walthall said. “Dave is a good friend and alum who has always expressed how proud he is to be a part of the Dragon family. It is an opportunity for coaches in the region to listen and learn from one of the best basketball minds in the country.”

Joerger will be entering his third season as the Memphis head coach. In two seasons he has compiled a 105-59 record (.640) and led the Grizzlies to back-to-back playoff appearances, including a trip to the Western Conference semifinals this past season.

Joerger gained fame as one of the most successful minor league basketball coaches in history.

Eighteen of his players were called up to the NBA, and he’s just the sixth head coach in D-League history to join the NBA coaching ranks.

“Dave has a reputation as a team player. He’s smart, great with people and well liked,” Walthall

said. “I couldn’t be more proud to have him represent the Dragons as an NBA head coach.”

“I’m so excited to be coming home and reconnecting with old friends and seeing the growth of MSUM athletics,” Joerger said.

For more information on the Coaches Clinic, contact Justin Wieck at wieck@mnstate.edu.

Read more at msumdragons.com.

DAVE JOERGER’S COACHING HISTORY 1997-2000

Dakota Wizards (IBA) – Assistant

2000-2004

Dakota Wizards (IBA, CBA) – Head Coach

2004

Cedar Rapids Review Raiders (USBL) – Head Coach

2004-2006

Sioux Falls Skyforce (CBA) – Head Coach

2006-2007

Dakota Wizards (D-League) – Head Coach

2007-2013

Memphis Grizzlies – Assistant

2013

Memphis Grizzlies – Head Coach FALL 2015

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Coming Home Alumni move back to F-M area

s

BY DANIELLE REBEL AND MEGHAN FEIR ILLUSTRATIONS BY DANNA GALEANO PENAGOS

ince it was founded as Moorhead Normal School in 1888, Minnesota State University Moorhead has served thousands of students from across the nation and the globe.

Some stay in the area for only a short while, and some never leave. Others, however, set out to explore the world and find themselves drawn back to Fargo-Moorhead.

Although their reasons for returning vary, the alumni who “come home” recognize the potential of the community and take pride in the home of their alma mater.

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Moving Back Billi Jo Zielinski ’95 (political science) and her husband Marc Zielinski ’94 (history) have traveled the globe, pursuing colorful careers and adventures.

The couple served in the Peace Corps as business development volunteers beginning in September 2000. They served in Turkmenistan and were evacuated amidst the tragedy of 9/11.

“It was a challenge to re-enter the United States and figure out what we were going to do because we were intending to be ex-pats,” Billi Jo said. “We were planning on participating in Peace Corps and then trying to get non-governmental jobs afterwards.”

The Zielinskis lived in St. Paul, Minn., for a year following their return to the U.S. but struggled to make a place for themselves. They later moved to Washington, D.C., where Billi Jo worked with several lawmakers, including Congressman Jim Ramstad and Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Following the unexpected passing of Marc’s father in 2007, the couple decided they needed to be closer to their families. Along with their two small children who had been born in our nation’s capital, they moved back to St. Paul.

“I was recruited to work with the Pawlenty administration in a different capacity, working at the Department of Human Services as the assistant commissioner for healthcare administration,” Billi Jo said. “It was great because it got us closer to home and also gave me another challenge to work in government.”

Living in St. Paul for the second time, Billi Jo said the Twin Cities still didn’t feel like home to them, and after a few years there, she said. “I just had an epiphany that it was time for us to move and have the kids be part of grandma’s life and to be in Fargo-Moorhead.”

20,000 More than 20,000 alumni live in the Fargo-Moorhead metro area.

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Billi Jo Zielinski In the spring of 2012, the Zielinskis packed up once again and relocated back “home,” where they had both previously been heavily involved in community efforts.

“There has been an amazing transformation in this community, and I think, in large part, it is due to the leadership of those who took this vision and said we want to make our community a place that’s more than you expect,” Billi Jo said.

Safety First Whatever experiences alumni encounter after moving away may be, one thing is certain; a top incentive for moving back is the familyfriendly community.

After 25 years of working, starting a family and living in Arizona, Tammy Linn ‘81 (mass communications) and her husband Steve knew it was time to leave the Grand Canyon state.

Linn had started a marketing and consulting firm, traveled throughout the United States and Europe, helped start a bank as the vice president of marketing, and worked for the governor of Arizona before starting a foundation for character development and education. “I loved my career down there,” Linn said.

But after being the victims of criminal activity several times, the Linns knew they needed to leave. These incidents included threats, a car break-in, a ransacked office, her husband’s practice being burglarized, and Linn being stalked.

Linn’s car was even robbed after being bashed in when she parked for a short time on the side of a busy street.

Tammy Linn

“I just sobbed. I’m sitting there thinking how the police don’t even come out for this stuff because it happens so frequently. So I sat there for two hours wondering how I was going to get home.”

Only a year after that incident, yet another criminal act happened to the Linn family, and within a month, Linn resigned from her elected position as a city councilwoman. Two months later, they moved back to Fargo.

“God’s message to me was ‘Move back,’” Linn said. “It is a blessing we are back here. We wanted a place to raise our kids that had an excellent education system and great family community, and that’s what it is here. My kids absolutely adore it. They have never been happier, and we will never give it up.”

It is a blessing we are back here. We wanted a place to raise our kids that had an excellent education system and great family community, and that’s what it is here. My kids absolutely adore it. They have never been happier, and we will never give it up. –Tammy Linn

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Education Calling It is a testament to the hard work and impact of those bettering the community that many, like Vince Williams ’03 (secondary education), ’11 (MS, curriculum & instruction), chose to stay in the area following graduation.

A Chicago native and Detroit transplant, Williams came to Moorhead State to play football, only to experience a bit of a surprise when he arrived.

“When I first came to Moorhead I experienced major culture shock,” Williams said. “I had a lot of animosity and frustration built up.

Coach (Daniel) Lind saw that. He saw that attitude was leading down a destructive path. He intervened and kind of took me under his wing and helped me to see there was a different way; there were different choices I could make in life.”

Williams began attending an on-campus Bible study and his entire outlook changed. Coach Lind continued to make an impact in his life as he grew in his faith and overcame challenges.

“He stuck with me and intervened. He got me to see that we’re all people,” Williams said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re black or if you’re white. You judge people on the content of their character, not their color. That’s one of the reasons I’m still in Fargo.”

Williams, who has been nominated as Teacher of the Year in the Fargo Public School District, had originally planned to work in an inner city school, but his love for the area and the memories of his changed life were a few reasons he decided to stay.

“I believe that this is my calling in life. Were it not for Moorhead State University, I would not be where I am. I believe that this is where God wants me to be.”

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Vince Williams

Working Life

I think it’s ingrained in my brain that this community is just so pleasant that they would be willing to do anything for one another. –Ben Taylor

Ben Taylor ’11 (English education) came to MSUM fresh out of high school. Like many, he believed Moorhead to be the perfect, “small, big city.”

“I really wanted to stay in Minnesota because I love this place,” Taylor said. “It is a beautiful campus all around and I was really excited to be a part of it.”

At MSUM, Taylor experienced a sense of community unlike any he’d seen before, and the memory stuck with him.

“I went to college during the two years of the flood, so I’ve seen the best of those people gathering around and helping one another,” Taylor said.

“I think it’s ingrained in my brain that this community is just so pleasant that they would be willing to do anything for one another.”

After graduating, Taylor accepted a position near his hometown of Blackduck, Minn., where he has been teaching for the past several years.

While he values the experience he’s gained, his heart has always been set on coming back to teach in the Moorhead Public School system.

“I always respected what they did,” Taylor said. “I always thought what they were doing was well beyond what other schools were doing. For me it was a career choice in going to a school that was ahead of its time.”

Taylor recently accepted a position at Moorhead High School, where he will begin teaching 11th grade American literature this fall.

“It’s not like I’m an expert or anything, but Moorhead is one of the better places you can live. It’s just perfect,” Taylor said.

Tyler Hagen ’08 (chemistry) moved back to Fargo after experiencing life in Colorado and Washington. “I knew it was time to come home.”

Hagen, a chiropractor, saw the expanding area in Fargo-Moorhead as a place of opportunity and growth and decided to plant his business, WestEnd Spine and Rehab, which officially opened for business in April 2015.

“Washington was too far from friends and family. I was out there by myself,” Hagen said. “I moved back and was an associate in the Twin Cities for a little bit and thought it was time to start my own business, and what better place than back in the Fargo-Moorhead area where most of my family and some of my friends are.”

Along with support from family and friends, Hagen has seen the benefits of the F-M community as the area grows.

“Fargo-Moorhead is really growing, and it’s a great place to live,” Hagen said. “It’s just a good community. It’s the people that bring you back.” ■

Ben Taylor Tyler Hagen

Film production and animation major Danna Galeano Penagos’, Colombia, produced a lovely animated short to accompany the alumni “Coming Home” story. Watch it online at mnstate.edu/magazine.

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16 MAGAZINE FALL 2015John Jr. and Wayne. ▸ John andMOORHEAD Ada Ingersoll with two of their three sons,

BY KRISTI MONSON

Dragon Pride. It runs deep among our alumni and students. For many regional families, an MSUM education is a family tradition. These families have attended this eclectic institution at all stages of its life—Moorhead State Teachers College, Moorhead State College, Moorhead State University and Minnesota State University Moorhead. The name doesn’t matter; it’s the connection students make with their faculty members, the lifelong friendships they develop and the excellent preparation they receive to impact their world that matters. Here’s a look at some of our favorite Dragon families.

Families “There has never been an expectation that we would go to Moorhead State because our dad did, but we were all drawn there for its own merit,” said Marceia (Clark) Andreasen ’97 (social studies).

Marceia’s dad, Joe Clark ’71 & ’80 (BS & MS, speech language hearing science), started the Dragon tradition. He and his wife, Becky, lived in the Pierce trailer court in Moorhead with their children while he was a student. The family returned to Moorhead when Joe came back to get his master’s degree. It wasn’t a foregone conclusion that the boys would follow in his footsteps, but Matt ’94 (health and physical education) and Nathan ’97 (special education) came to MSU to wrestle under legendary coach John Sterner, and younger brother Jon (JT) ’95 (elementary education) followed.

“My dad thought MSU would be a good fit for me so I gave it a try,” Matt said. He wrestled with Nate and was team captain his senior year. “It was cool to wrestle together again because we were on the same team in high school.”

When Marceia and her husband moved to Park Rapids, she commuted 90 miles one way to work on her MSU degree.

“When Moorhead State became an option I was really excited because that’s where you go if you want to be a teacher,” she said.

After a divorce, she moved to Moorhead and joined her brothers full time at the university. “It was fun to have my brothers there.

I had a social life without having to do any of the work!”

She met her husband, Joey Andreasen ’95 (elementary education) also a wrestler, through her brothers.

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We are definitely a Dragon family. Everybody found their own way there for their own reasons, and it ended up being a great fit for all of us. –Marceia (Clark) Andreasen “I had the privilege of wrestling for the incredible Coach John Sterner.

I had success individually and as a team, which makes a demanding sport fun,” Joey said. “My senior year my future brother-in-law Matt was my coach and I also had to wrestle off my other future brother-inlaw Nate every week to make the team. Plus, without Moorhead State wrestling I never would have met my beautiful wife!”

Marceia’s daughter, Kelly Falk ’14 (public relations), was a little Dragon at the campus daycare center while Marceia was in class, but she didn’t follow in her mother’s college footsteps. She attended a larger university before transferring to MSUM. “I never felt connected at my previous school,” Kelly said. “Moorhead was smaller, friendlier and more supportive.” She found camaraderie and stimulation in Public Relations Student Society of America. “I couldn't believe the opportunities I was presented with to travel and meet intelligent people from all over the country who were doing the same things I was interested in.”

“Kelly talks a lot about how supportive and helpful her MSUM professors were and how they really cared about her and her success,” Marceia said. “That's the exact same feeling I experienced at MSU.” The entire family felt connected at MSUM. Kelly’s sister, Taylor Falk ’11 (graphic communications), toured other top-notch schools but decided on MSUM. “I wanted to play softball so that was a big reason why I chose Moorhead. I have made lifelong friends through softball and attended the first alumni game last year.”

Her experience mirrored her family’s. “You won’t get overlooked at MSUM,” Taylor said. “Professors have your back and want you to succeed.”

“We are definitely a Dragon family,” Marceia said. “Everybody found their own way there for their own reasons, and it ended up being a great fit for all of us.”

eia (Clark) Andreasen, Nathan Clark, Kelly ▸ Back row left to right: Joey Andreasen, Marc as Clark (JT), Joe Clark, Matt Clark Thom Jon Falk, Taylor Falk. Front row left to right:

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Pride The Blackhawk Lounge, owned by Moorhead businessmen and natives John and Ted Ingersoll, was one of the hot spots for locals and college students in the late ’50s and early ’60s. Alumnus John Ingersoll ’32 (elementary education & political science) was also the first president of the Moorhead State Teacher’s College’s student commission, and he was a football and basketball athlete. His Moorhead roots run deep.

John married Ada Holmes ’67 (English) and raised their family in what is now the Alumni House on the MSUM campus. Their three sons— John ’66 (German), a retired teacher; Bruce, deceased; and Wayne ’67 (English & social studies), a retired Moorhead school teacher—all attended Moorhead State College.

“There was no pressure to come to school here, but I never thought of anything else because I lived across the street,” Wayne said. He lived at home while attending school. In fact, his mother attended school the same time he did and they walked across the stage together to receive their college diplomas!

Even though he lived at home, he still made strong connections at MSU, mostly through the Owls fraternity. He spearheaded the Owls 2001 centennial celebration, which attracted more than 300 attendees.

He made a lifetime connection with Jeanne Urbaniak ’65 (English), who lived across the street from the Ingersolls at Ma Jackson’s, the beloved mother Owl. “I remember buying a new dress and new shoes for the homecoming dance,” Jeanne said. “That was the first time Wayne came over and picked me up. He took me home to meet his mother and dad for the first time.”

▸ Wayne and Jeanne Ingersoll stand in front of the MSUM Alumni House, which is the home Wayne grew up in.

Kay ▸ Left to right at MSUM’s July 4th Celebration: Jeanne Ingersoll, Kris Gillett, Wayne Ingersoll, Grant Gillett (in stroller), Erin Gillett, Jo Stafford, Thad Stafford.

The retired English teachers have been married 46 years and live one block from MSUM’s Lommen Hall, the education building where their daughter Erin (Ingersoll) Gillett ’99 (curriculum & instruction) is an associate professor and chair of the School of Teaching and Learning.

“One of the strong childhood memories I have is walking through campus and people recognizing my mom or dad; they always knew who the Ingersolls were,” Erin said.

Wayne took the young teen to MSU’s centennial celebration and she vividly recalls him telling her that she was one of the only people in the entire room that will be at the 150th celebration.

Escape Contributed by Joy Crouch Nothing speaks Minnesota like a summer vacation at the lake. For 58 years, the popular Evergreen Lodge on Big Sand Lake near Park Rapids has been owned and operated by the Dyre family, chock-full of MSUM teaching graduates.

Kay (Kludt) Dyre ’55 (English) smiles as she reminisces about how she and husband Karl ’54 (social studies) purchased the resort in 1957. Kay and Karl met when both attended high school in Detroit Lakes. Years before, Karl worked for a high school principal who owned a resort in Detroit Lakes. He was bitten by “resort fever” and committed to owning a resort one day. The principal encouraged Karl to go into teaching, as he would need a real job with a real salary to pay for a resort.

Erin and her sister are third generation educators. Bonnie (Ingersoll) Stafford ’98 (history & social studies), teaches at Moorhead High School and is married to fellow Dragon Thad Stafford ’97 (criminal justice), an officer with the Moorhead Police Department.

Both Karl and Kay pursued their teaching degrees at MSUM. Kay always wanted to teach, so attending Moorhead State was a natural fit.

She and her two brothers, Gary Kludt ’60 (English) and Steven Kludt ’75 (English), all attended MSUM. Karl’s family was the same. His mother, Nelda ’57 (elementary education) and brother, Keith ’58 (business education) received their degrees from MSUM. Many of the third generation grandchildren also graduated with teaching degrees from the university.

Erin earned her undergraduate degree at another local school, but was part of the first cohort for MSUM’s new master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. She also holds a Ph.D. in teaching and learning from the University of North Dakota.

Kay enjoyed doing secretarial work for Professor Emeritus Soc Glasrud, a popular English professor. “I was impressed with how the faculty really got to know their students and watched out for them,” Kay said.

“All the professors were like that. It truly was like family.”

“I loved getting to know my professors really well. It was evident they were invested in our learning, cared about us and got to know us as individuals,” Erin said. “For the first time ever I felt empowered to explore, examine, analyze, synthesize conclusions and results—that was never part of my undergrad experience and I’m really grateful for that here.”

Kay continues to recommend MSUM to others. “It’s small enough to get acquainted, but it’s big enough to give you what you need and want out of an education. Obviously, they offer many more courses of study than education, but I think people see MSUM as a ‘teacher’s school.’”

“We don’t boast about it, but we are very proud to say we went to Moorhead State,” Wayne said.

The Ingersoll clan might not breathe Dragon fire, but Erin says, “There really is a deep sense of pride in my family for being Dragons.”

Karl Dyre passed away unexpectedly in 2011, but Kay and her son, Dan, continue to manage Evergreen Lodge. They enjoy their seasonal visitors and the many MSUM graduates who are their neighbors on Big Sand.

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Teachers Contributed by Harold Sorknes Harold Sorknes ’68 (health education and physical education) is a history buff, so documenting the teaching careers of his aunts and uncles, all of whom attended Moorhead State Teachers College (MSTC), was a heartfelt project. The Sorknes family touched innumerable lives throughout their teaching careers. Harold was a student manager for the Moorhead State football and basketball teams. He was the last of nine family members to graduate from Moorhead State. Most of the women started their teaching careers doing Normal School Training in Madison, Minn., and completed elementary degrees at MSTC. Marie Sorknes ’26 received a job offer to teach at the MSTC Campus School via Western Union telegram from Georgina Lommen, the namesake of the campus education building. It was the beginning of a long and fulfilling career.

Marie taught under five university presidents! She earned a master’s degree in education administration, was an assistant professor of education, and taught in the math department. In a June 1955 letter of recommendation, President Otto Snarr wrote, “I consider Miss Sorknes one of the best teachers on the staff of the Moorhead State Teachers College…She is well-liked by both her associates and the students who come under her instruction.”

Marie died suddenly on October 8, 1970 at age 66. Former President Roland Dille spoke of her at the distinguished alumni awards banquet two days later. He read “The County Clergy” by R.S. Thomas and said the poem “fits…the modesty, the accomplishments, and the life of Marie Sorknes.”

Louise (Sorknes) Engleson ’27 taught for several years but gave up teaching during the Depression because when she married, it was not considered fair to have two jobs in a family. She and her husband moved to England in 1952, where she taught courses for soldiers who hadn’t finished high school.

Marie

rold a H

Valborg (Sorknes) Ielmini ’35 accepted a teaching position at Clearview School southeast of Moorhead, where she also served as the supervising teacher for student teachers from MSTC. In 1944, Vallie married John Ielmini ’39 (physical sciences) another MSTC graduate, who was a math/science teacher at Sleepy Eye High School.

Harold Sorknes earned an M.S. in education administration (Northern State University) and an Ed.D. (University of South Dakota). He enjoyed an illustrious career as a teacher, coach and administrator, including stints as athletic director and counselor. He touched the lives of middle school children through college students in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

He retired from full-time teaching at Dakota State University in Madison, S.D., in 2008.

Helen (Sorknes) Beck ’29 taught in various towns in the ’30s, ’40s and ’50s and earned a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at MSU in 1967. Harold took a history class with Helen during summer school in 1966. He writes: “Even though she beat me on every test, and earned an ‘A’, she was always gracious in ‘victory’ and always praised my test scores.”

Corinne (Sorknes) Plotnik ’32 taught until she married in 1936, but didn’t teach full time again until 1956. Harold writes: “In the fall of 1956 there was a late resignation and the (Faribault) superintendent came over to their house to see if she was interested in that position.

However, times were different then and the superintendent spoke to Len (Corinne’s husband) first to see if it would be okay if he offered her the position!” She taught in Faribault until her retirement.

Doris (Sorknes) Englund ’32 was the first of the sisters not to complete Normal Training. Her brother Herbert Hub hired her to teach first and second grade in Ruthton Public School. Harold couldn’t document much full-time teaching for her after 1937 but added, “two-income families were not encouraged by schools.”

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▸ The Sorknes teachers, front row left to right: Helen (Sorknes) Beck, Valborg (Sorknes) Ielmini, Corinne (Sorknes) Plotnik, Doris (Sorknes) Englund, Marie Sorknes, Ruth Sorknes; back row left to right: Harold Sorknes, Herbert Sorknes. Not pictured Louise (Sorknes) Engleson.

Creators First-generation college student Darlene (Reimers) Haak ’59 (elementary education) had career options after graduating from high school: nursing or teaching. Moorhead was the closest teachers college to her hometown of Alberta, so it was the obvious choice.

“I was to take whatever program I could get out of the quickest and get a job,” Darlene said. She completed the degree in two years and gained lifelong friends along the way. At age 81, she still keeps in touch with her college girlfriends, with their last get-together six years ago. She joined Beta Chi sorority, which she described as “kind of ordinary but leaning toward sports. The party girls lived in Comstock Hall. They would climb out the windows down the fire escape and go to town.

They were rowdy and more worldly than we cared to be!”

Daughter Janet Haak ’08 (MFA creative writing) followed in her mother’s footsteps to MSUM after she completed degrees at the other Tri-College schools—a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree, both in theatre arts. Janet also taught—theatre, public speaking and film—at Northland Community College before moving to the Fargo-Moorhead area.

She worked in MSUM’s Academic Affairs division before being named director of Study Abroad. The MFA degree was an ideal fit for Janet because of her background in theatre and interest in film and writing. “I had confidence about the faculty and what I would get out of the program.”

While MSUM wasn’t the right fit for Janet out of high school, she was well aware of the university’s famed Straw Hat Players. “There was always this notion that it was a little closer to a professional realm.”

Janet’s daughter and senior theatre arts major Kate Aarness has been dedicated to the MSUM Theatre Department since she started apprenticing with the Straw Hat Players at age 17.

▸ Darlene Reimers receives her three -year provisional certificate in 1954. She went on to earn her bach elor’s degree in 1959.

“I attended (MSUM) children’s shows throughout elementary school. I also saw Straw Hat shows quite a bit growing up, so in a lot of ways I knew I’d come to MSUM because the theatre program was high quality,” Kate said.

“Craig Ellingson (theatre professor) and I have known each other since before I hit puberty, so we have a unique working relationship. He’s been present for a lot of my growth and has been able to see how far I've come. I definitely appreciate it.”

While Kate is following her mother’s interest in theatre, son Daniel Aarness is a sophomore pursuing a computer science degree. There was no pressure to attend MSUM. “I chose MSUM because it was a perfect fit for me. It is big enough where you can meet loads of new people and get involved in many different things, but small enough where it isn’t intimidating,” Daniel said.

Three generations of this family found MSUM to be an ideal college choice. ■

Watch a beautifully designed film short on Generations, at mnstate.edu/magazine. It was filmed by Danna Galeano Penagos, a film production and animation major from Colombia.

▸ Janet Haak with her son Daniel and daughter Kate.

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the

MOST INTERESTING MAN in the WORLD WORLD-RENOWNED HEMINGWAY SCHOLAR LIVES OUT HIS OWN ADVENTURES

BY MEGHAN FEIR

hile speaking with Dr. James “Jim” Nagel ’62 (English and physical education), you begin to notice a striking resemblance to “The Most Interesting Man in the World.”

The viral Dos Equis ad-turned meme embodies the persona of a suave, collected, well-traveled, ambitiously educated man with an aristocratic air and a resumé that could make your boss cry.

In Nagel’s case, he could truthfully say lines, such as how he doesn’t always take vacations with Ernest Hemingway’s family, but when he does, they go to Spain for the bullfights.

Nagel is a world traveler, a respected scholar, and a close friend to celebrated families and figures. He has written and published 26 books and over 80 articles for scholarly journals and has lectured on American literature in 17 countries. He and his wife Gwen both Breckenridge, Minn., natives, reside in a ski chalet in New Hampshire. He is currently a visiting scholar at Dartmouth College – you know, that private Ivy League research university in Hanover.

Initially, he was going to be a high school English teacher with a gig as a basketball coach on the side, the cherry on top of a sweet career. That was his plan. However, life led him in a different direction – numerous directions, in fact.

While studying at Moorhead State College in the ‘60s, he played basketball for four years and was all-conference for three of them. His senior year, Nagel was the league scoring leader, named the most valuable player, and set the record for field goals in a season. He also had the school record for points in a season. He played in the first game ever held in Nemzek Fieldhouse and hit a jump shot with one second remaining to defeat Concordia.

When he wasn’t playing basketball, working, or participating in Greek life on campus, he did as any good English major would do; he read, wrote, and studied.

In a course on the modern American novel, Nagel wrote an essay comparing F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” to Ernest Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises.” It proverbially knocked the socks off then-professor Richard Browne who sent it to a colleague. His essay and the referral resulted in full-ride fellowships and assistantships for graduate school at Pennsylvania State University.

Nestled in between six years of graduate school, Nagel taught English courses at MSU for three years, which only strengthened his friendship with former professors, such as Clarence “Soc” Glasrud.

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There was a very close bond between faculty and students, not just for me, but for lots of students.

We’d often get invited to dinner in faculty homes. I knew the names of the dogs of all my faculty members, and there was a very close friendship with the faculty. –James Nagel

1

2

1 The cover of “Hemingway in Love and War”. The press chose to emphasize the diary that the nurse kept during her romance with Hemingway in 1918.

2 Cover of Jim’s recent book, published in England, that provides a history of the American short story.

3 Cover of Jim’s book about French law, religion, and customs in colonial Louisiana.

4 Gwen Nagel drew the sketch of Stephen Crane that Pennsylvania State University Press used for the cover of his book.

BUILDING A BOND It was not uncommon for Nagel’s era of students to know their professors beyond the confines of classroom walls. Students often knew their families personally and stayed connected far beyond their college days.

“There was a very close bond between faculty and students,” Nagel said, “not just for me, but for lots of students. We’d often get invited to dinner in faculty homes. I knew the names of the dogs of all my faculty members, and there was a very close friendship with the faculty.”

With the coming of the Vietnam War and the protest era of the 1960s, all of that changed. “One of the results of that was a permanent divide between faculty and students that’s never been repaired. It’s never been anything like the way it was before.”

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3

4

TEACHING IN THE LIBRARY Nagel was the only graduate student in the English program at Penn State to have published a book while still in school. The book was called “Vision and Value; a Thematic Introduction to the Short Story” and was quickly incorporated into their undergraduate curriculum.

Upon completion of his doctorate in English, Nagel taught at Northeastern University in Boston, traveled the world lecturing, became a member and president of several scholarly societies and a visiting scholar to renowned universities, and claimed the title of distinguished professor of English and visiting scholar at various institutions, like the University of Georgia and Dartmouth.

During Nagel’s 20 years teaching at Northeastern University, one of his classes became well-known among graduate students at other universities, such as Boston University and Harvard. It was taught where Hemingway’s innumerable manuscripts were placed for safekeeping – the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum.

Before these troves of papers were stored in the library, Mary Hemingway traveled all over the world to collect boxes of texts Hemingway stored in the basements of hotels he frequented. There were more than one million manuscripts and 10,000 photographs to organize, a task not fit for the faint of heart, hoarders or those who easily feel overwhelmed.

MSUM English professor emeritus Clarence “Soc” Glasrud was an important influence for Nagel. “He had a Ph.D. from Harvard and he liked a lot of the same writers that I was interested in – the American novelists of the 19th and 20th centuries.”

After a few years of intense sorting, a dinner was served in honor of the accomplishment, a dinner at which Jackie Kennedy graced the guest list.

Nagel would even visit the Glasruds at their lake cottage in Detroit Lakes, Minn. “I’d go down and play tennis with Soc and we’d go swimming and have dinner out on their screened porch.”

“All the members of the Hemingway family came and I played host to them. Jackie Kennedy was there. She was very gracious – a good diplomat. She asked me about Hemingway.”

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> Jim taught 21 years at the University of Georgia as the Eidson Distinguished Professor of American Literature. He loved every day of it.

GETTING PERSONAL: STUDYING HEMINGWAY SECONDHAND Unlike the portrait painted of Hemingway by many, he was a man of discipline who never drank after his glass of wine with dinner. He arose every morning by 6 a.m. and went to bed by 9 p.m.

“People have this image of Hemingway drunk at midnight in a bar somewhere trying to write. That’s just total bologna. Never,” Nagel said. “There was a stage late in the 1950s when he drank too much, but it was a very complicated situation. But for most of his life, he drank in the late afternoons, and drinking quite a lot and behaving as a gentleman was thought to be an important social virtue. And during the prohibition, people drank like fish. The consumption of alcohol went way up, but Hemingway never drank after dinner.”

Telling the life stories of Hemingway turned personal when the interviewees became close friends. Nagel learned of these idiosyncrasies from none other than Hemingway’s family – Mary, his fourth and last wife, Jack, Gregory and Patrick, his sons, and Valerie, Hemingway’s secretary and the wife of Gregory.

“I knew Jack well,” Nagel said. “We went to Spain together and Italy another time. We’d play tennis every day and had a lot of fun together.

He knew I was working on Hemingway and had some stuff he needed help with, like the big pile of letters between his parents. I stayed at his house in Sun Valley and we went through all those papers and decided what should be burned, what should be donated to the Kennedy Library, and what he should just keep.” ■

Every morning, Hemingway would go to his desk and work until 11 a.m.

That was all the work he did for the day. He would read over what he had written, make changes, and then add a page or two.

“It was his theory that, as a writer, you want to take a regular amount of water out of the well every day,” Nagel said. “You don’t want to pump it dry one day and have to wait a week for it to fill up again. You want to keep taking a regular amount out every day.”

HEMINGWAY VISITS HOLLYWOOD Read about Nagel’s time in Hollywood and his current projects online at mnstate.edu/magazine.

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BY KRISTI MONSON

Climb 30 feet up a log pole. Pull yourself up. Stand on a 12”x12” platform. Reach your arms wide. Declare your personal and professional goals. Say, “I commit!” Jump toward the trapeze-like bar—all the while trusting that your colleagues, friends or family will support you (and not let you fall). It’s a leap of faith.

Every step of Sarah Coumbe-Guida’s ’97 (special education) life journey has been a leap of faith. It’s no wonder the climactic element described above at her family’s Character Challenge Course in Park Rapids, Minn., is titled just that—Leap of Faith.

BEACH FRONT SUMMERS I believe the camp and the ropes course are vessels for families and kids to change their behavior and build their confidence. I feel so blessed that we are able to do this. It is a gift to us.

–Sarah Coumbe-Guida

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Sarah’s father took a leap of faith 35 years ago by leaving the hustle and bustle of a Twin Cities corporate career for an idyllic and picturesque life as owners of Minnesota’s Eagle Beach Resort in Park Rapids.

“She was only five when we moved here,” said her mom Jan Coumbe. “We put her in charge of getting everybody acquainted because at five you can't do much more than that. She’d bring 15 or 20 kids to the house so I could meet them all!”

It was an early start to what Sarah does best— encouraging, teaching and leading. She initiated kids programming at the resort when she was 12 years old.

“It has really made our resort special because the people we bought from didn't have activities like that,” Jan said.

Early on, Sarah was drawn to kids with special needs, whether they were adopted, had behavior issues, or physical limitations. A feisty sense of humor made her a good teacher at directing craft projects, teaching water skiing or instilling life skills. A career in teaching seemed inevitable.

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Their attitudes, emotions, reactions, and dreams—you can help change those behaviors so they feel empowered to make positive changes in their lives. –Sarah Coumbe-Guida SPECIAL EDUCATION “MSUM was so good about participating in school practicums before declaring an education major to see if this is what you really want to do,” Sarah said. The psychology, sociology and behavior modification classes sealed the deal for a special education major with three licensures.

“I just love the fact that MSUM is a big enough college that you feel like there are options for everyone, and yet the professors are so good about taking the time to get to know you,” Sarah said. She embraced alternative teaching experiences, leadership positions, and volunteer service while a student, saying, “I had all sorts of amazing opportunities through college.

There is passion laid upon all of our hearts and you just don’t know where those doors are going to take you,” Sarah said.

Denny Ulmer ’81 (MS special education), a retired director of special education at Bemidji Regional Interdistrict Council, recruited Sarah out of college to teach EBD special education at Cass Lake-Bena Elementary.

Located on Leech Lake Indian Reservation, she worked with students in severe poverty who had never been off the reservation.

NEVER GIVE IN, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER –WINSTON CHURCHILL “She is probably one of the best teachers I ever hired,” he said.

He supported her interest in experiential learning and her desire to bring students to the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center to do the ropes course there.

“She made a tremendous impact on these kids by building strong parental relationships, primarily with families from the native community,” Ulmer said. “Many of her students owe a lot of their success to her and her teaching.”

Erica (Emilson) Johnsrud ’94 (elementary education) was a colleague of Sarah’s at Cass Lake-Bena. She describes Sarah as being equally supportive of staff and the children.

“She was so gifted at getting children to advocate and problem solve for themselves and helping them find their confidence and their voice instead of being dependent on other people,” Johnsrud said.

The simple act of putting kids 35 feet in the air to face their fears is an immense character builder.

“I love what the ropes course did. There are many things these kids can’t control, either their family situations or their disabilities. But there are many things you can teach them to control,” Sarah said. “Their attitudes, emotions, reactions, and dreams—you can help change those behaviors so they feel empowered to make positive changes in their lives.”

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FAMILY FOUNDATIONS MN The results were long lasting and impressive. She believed in it so much that she returned to Wolf Ridge and used the experiences to build on social skills lessons throughout the year.

Sarah and her husband, Travis Guida, who is also a teacher and a Bemidji State graduate, started dreaming about how they could integrate those experiences into a camp environment at their resort. Their passion for kids, teaching background, commitment to experiential learning, entrepreneurial spirit, strong faith, and the belief that God put this upon their hearts, inspired Family Foundations MN camp, founded in 2006. The camp is held at the family resort in early June and late August.

Johnsrud’s two adopted daughters have attended Family Foundations camp for the past four years. Her girls, ages 15 and 12, attended this year’s first-ever Camp of Champs, a two-week intensive experience that “really made a huge difference,” Johnsrud said. “They were there long enough to develop deeper relationships with other kids and to feel comfortable to let the walls and guards down and really hone in and help each kid as an individual with their specific needs. My girls have overcome fear, anxiety and the need to control. It’s been pretty amazing.”

It was originally developed for kids that were in the foster system or who were adopted. (Sarah and Travis adopted four children through the foster system; they are now 20, 16, 15 and 14, and they also have three birth children, a four-year-old and twin two-year-olds.) The character and social skills camp started with just eight kids and has expanded to serving more than 130 children with special needs ages seven to 18.

20,000+ More than 20,000 guests have participated in the ropes course since they opened.

CHALLENGING COURSE A few years after the camps were underway, they “began researching and praying about opening a ropes course next to the resort,” Sarah said.

Today, their Character Challenge Course features low and high ropes elements, a challenge course, and hundreds of teambuilding activities for the children’s camps, resort guests, families and thrill seekers, and school, corporate and athletic teams. This year’s theme, “Fear Not,” exemplifies their quest to combine adrenaline, teamwork and challenges to help each individual reach their potential.

Hannah Johnson, a senior at University of Wisconsin-Stout, has worked at the resort, camp and ropes course for the past nine years and has seen the camp and ropes course grow from the ground up. Just like the camp and ropes participants, she, too, has gained confidence, improved her communication skills and has been pushed outside her comfort zone.

She describes Sarah and Travis as the “dynamic duo. They’re out to change people’s lives at the camps and ropes course. At the camps, kids find a comfortable place where they are loved and realize they can be successful. Many kids come back every summer,” Johnson said.

A highlight for Johnson is seeing people challenge themselves on the ropes course to step outside their comfort zone. “At the end of the day they’ve accomplished so much,” she said.

“I never could have imagined we would own a ropes course that positively changes people’s lives,” Sarah said. “I am so thankful for this journey that started with an education degree at Moorhead State. I have stayed on the path of education, which has now become character education. I have the best classroom ever. I am very thankful.”

Cancer patients have completed the course to cross off an item on their bucket list, wheelchair bound people have conquered the course using their arms, and people who are afraid to trust and believe have conquered their fears. Stories of success are abundant. The Character Challenge Course is well on its way to being the top resource for team building and adventure in Minnesota Sarah gives credit to the people who come to learn and conquer.

“I believe the camp and the ropes course are vessels for families and kids to change their behavior and build their confidence. I feel so blessed that we are able to do this. It is a gift to us.” ■

Read more about Family Foundations MN at mnstate.edu/magazine.

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ut of MSUM’s 791 employees, 31 percent of them are also MSUM alumni. They pass on their love for learning to the students and this university in innumerable ways. Their Dragon Pride is contagious, and their years of service to students, priceless.

We would like to thank all of our MSUM employees, Dragon alumni or not. Whether you’re keeping our classrooms clean, teaching, or helping students and parents in the business office, thank you for making our campus a safe, friendly and effective environment for learning!

6%

54%

40%

TOP FIVE MAJORS OF ALUMNI/ EMPLOYEES: 1 Elementary education (23) 2 Liberal arts (14)

Graduated from MSC (1957-1974)

Graduated from MSU (1975-1999)

Graduated from MSUM (2000 and on)

3 Mass communications (14) 4 Business administration (11)

12%

23%

77%

How many have master’s degrees

How many are faculty

How many are staff

5 Speech-language-hearing sciences (11)

2,765

TOTAL COMBINED YEARS OF SERVICE AT MSUM

EMAIL YOUR CLASS NOTES TO ALUMNI@MNSTATE.EDU

Class Notes Share your news here—new job, volunteer experience, interesting hobby, recent travel, move or addition to your family. If we don’t get it in this issue, we’ll save it for next time!

Outstanding Teacher Robert Boatz ’69 (mathematics) was honored by the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology with its outstanding teacher award earlier this year. The honor is given to instructors for improving science, technology, engineering, math or STEM education, and encouraging students toward careers in those areas.

Boatz began teaching AP courses at Technical High School in St. Cloud in 1994 and uses a unique method of instruction to instill knowledge and prepare kids for tests that potentially determine if they have earned college credit through the classes.

With a teaching career stretching back to 1969, Boatz spent one year at North Junior High School and has been at Tech ever since.

Boatz is passing along a lot of success with the Mathematics League program.

The Math League Hall of Fame inducted the longtime St. Cloud educator in 2010, and Tech has won its division every year since the early 1990s.

No matter how long he holds blackboard chalk in a classroom, his effects at Tech are bright and won’t burn out anytime soon.

All towns are in Minnesota unless otherwise noted. Fargo and West Fargo are in North Dakota.

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Roger Bailey ’67 (journalism) former publisher of the Turtle Mountain Star, has been honored by the North Dakota Newspaper Association for working for 50 years in the newspaper industry. Bailey was inducted last year into the NDNA Hall of Fame. He learned to operate a linotype and presses at a small letterpress newspaper his parents operated in Bertha. While attending MSUM, he was reporter, editor and student adviser of the student newspaper. After graduating, he held several jobs at KTHI-TV in Fargo and in 1973 became editor and publisher of the Turtle Mountain Star in Rolla.

Jay A Leitch '74 (political science, geography) received the Erik Severied award from River Keepers of Fargo-Moorhead for co-authoring “Relaxed Anglers Guide to Catfishing on the Red River of the North.” He is emeritus dean of the NDSU College of Business.

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MSUM English Professor Lin Enger ’79 (journalism, history, & mass communications) has a new book out, “The High Divide,” which came out in paperback May 2015 and was listed in Entertainment Weekly’s (May 29/ June 5, 2015), “Your Summer Must List” for “The Pick of the Paperbacks.”

Brad Barth ‘80 (business administration) is the president and chief executive officer of West Central Initiative in Fergus Falls, a community foundation serving the Minnesota counties of Becker, Clay, Douglas, Grant, Otter Tail, Pope, Stevens, Traverse and Wilkin. Prior to West Central, Barth was executive director of the North Dakota State College of Science Foundation in Wahpeton, N.D., where he helped the foundation to double its assets to more than $17 million.

Michael Patenaude ’82 (criminal justice) was recently hired as corporate security director, Information Assurance by OrbitalATK, a newly formed company from the merger of Orbital Sciences Corporation and Alliant Techsystems (ATK.) He will provide guidance and assistance on complying with government computer security regulations to the newly formed company’s programs that have U.S. government contracts. He was previously employed by ManTech International as a principal, information security engineer for 17 years serving on contract with U.S. Air Force.

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Ellen (Westling) Diederich ’83 (art & design) is a painter in both acrylic and watercolor and has been painting professionally since 1985. She is a signature member of the Red River Watercolor Society and the Transparent Watercolor Society of America. Diederich was the charter chairwoman of the RRWS national juried exhibition.

She also enjoys speaking on her creative process and often combines that with watercolor demonstrations.

Dan McGarvey ’84 (accounting) is the chief operating officer at The MEMIC Group, a worker’s compensation insurer. McGarvey joined MEMIC in 2009 as senior vice president of finance and chief financial officer. McGarvey oversees MEMIC’s financial accounting operation and the group’s claims department. McGarvey is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and is a member of the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) Society.

When Rob Jacobs ’85 (mass communications) took an extended trip to Italy, often wearing his Dragons alumni hat, it pegged him as somewhat of a celebrity.

Their Siena tour guide explained that each of the 17 neighborhoods of Siena has an identity, and one of the neighborhoods is called Drago or Dragons.

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CLASS NOTES

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Out of 17 Sundays a year, each neighborhood is responsible for putting on a parade. On the day Jacobs visited Siena, it was Dragon Day! The Drago (Dragon) neighborhood is situated to the northwest of the Piazza del Campo. Traditionally, its residents were bankers. Dragon’s symbol is a flying golden dragon carrying a banner with the letter ‘u.’

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Theresa (Kertz) Stahl ’89 (accounting) is the director of finance at Noridian Healthcare Solutions in Fargo. She started her Noridian career as an accountant in Finance and has received several promotions to accountant/ analyst, team leader and manager.

Shelly Stalpes ’89 (management/business administration) is director of the Customer Contact Center at Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota.

She has been with the organization for 27 years and has served as both manager and team leader of the Claims Service Units.

Robert Brakke ’90 (social studies) is the activities director at Alexandria Area High School. He has worked in the Alexandria school system since 2010, when he was hired as the assistant principal/ activities director at Discovery Middle School. He will continue to serve in some capacity as assistant principal, but his primary responsibilities will be in activities. Brakke earned his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, and an education specialist degree from the University of St. Thomas.

Brien Krank ’92 (American studies) has joined Raymond James Financial Services and will operate as an independent broker/dealer in Fargo. Krank was previously senior vice president with Morgan Stanley.

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Carlita (Trautman) Dietz ’95 (Spanish and social work) was the Home Builders Assistant President for 2014. She also received the North Dakota Home Builders of the Year award in January 2015 for Jay Dietz Construction, of which she is vice president. She is a realtor with Coldwell Realty, Fargo.

Robert Morast ’99 (English) is still trying to wrap his head around watching the screenplay he cowrote that is being filmed in British Columbia with help from the likes of horror legend Wes Craven and cinematographer Dean Cundey, known for his work on "Back to the Future" and "Halloween."

“I flew in there April 19 and it didn't really hit me that it was real until the 20th, that day, and I'm

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seeing it being acted out,” Morast said.

About five years ago, Morast was asked to help finish a script for "The Girl in the Photographs," which Nick Simon, a good friend of Morast’s, had already started with collaborator Oz Perkins before Perkins joined another project. We worked on it, did a few drafts, then Oz came back to the fold and we started writing as a trio,” he said.

Things are progressing on set, though the movie still has some hurdles to overcome. There’s no studio lined up yet for its eventual release, and Morast said the hope is to get it into a film festival in 2016. He’d like to shift his full-time focus to screenwriting, and this movie could be the opportunity to help make that career move.

Matthew Englund ’00 (business administration) is performing with Minneapolis Musical Theatre for his second time. He is excited about his current production, “Happy Days – The Musical” and hopes everyone enjoys it as much as he has. He recently released his first feature film, “If Memory Serves.” Previous roles include: Albert, American Midget and James in Eating Raoul.

Erin Prochnow ’01 (political science) is the executive director of the YWCA. He has taken its fundraising to new levels, which dramatically improved the organization’s effectiveness and allowed it to expand and improve programs for women. Prochnow was recently presented with the Star Award by the Dakota Medical Foundation.

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Micah Thureen ’02 (university studies), along with Leonard Floberg and Kelly Rott, have opened Archer Real Estate Services, Fargo. The business is licensed to sell and lease commercial and residential property in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota. Thureen worked for Congress/Republic National Distributing for 10 years and then ABC Seamless, and has worked in real estate in Fargo-Moorhead area for the past three years. He is a member of Great Plains Harmony.

Jamie (Knutson) Bonczyk ’03 (elementary education) is director of Health and Nutrition at PICA Head Start in Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs. Last fall, Exchange Magazine named her an Exceptional Emerging Leader. While working on her work-study assignment with Lee Grineski in the MSUM lab school, she was inspired to change her career path to early childhood education. Steve Grineski opened her eyes and heart to a world that needed her passion. Beth Anderson told her

Distinguished Professor Blair Johnson ’83 (philosophy & psychology) was named a University of Connecticut distinguished professor in March 2015 by the UConn Board of Trustees. The designation is the university’s highest academic honor and is given in recognition of exceptional distinction in scholarship, teaching and service at UConn.

Throughout his career as a psychology professor, Johnson has been an international leader on the “big data” approach called meta-analysis, which pools the results of independent studies focused on a particular topic.

His scholarly program on improving methods of meta-analysis has helped to make meta-analysis conventional and better performed across the sciences.

Johnson is also a substantive expert on social influence, health promotion, and HIV prevention, including psychosocial strategies to reduce risk for HIV. He has published more than 150 scientific articles and reviews, and his work has been continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health since 1995, along with other funding organizations such as the National Science Foundation and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

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DRAGON BABIES

James Carmen (Zimmerman) ’96 and John Devney

Myles Melissa and Monte Helm ‘95

Connor Karen (Mattison) ’08 and Mitch Gabrielson

Jackson Kayla (Jackson) ’02 and Jeff Erickson ‘01

Jabbar Allen Casey Mercil ‘14

Madison Marie Angie (Klosner) ’08 and Blake Strouth ’08

Knox and Nolan JoDee (Pepple) ’06 and Hans Anderson ‘05

Selma Tessa (Frieze) ’07 and Adam Rasmussen ‘06

Emma Grace Shari (Oslos) ’01 and Adam Vossen ‘01

Aubrie Ann Megan (Wessel) ’09 and Douglas Margerum ‘08

Lydia Eleanor Amy (Meindl) ’07 and Matt Borgen ‘08

Daniel Leroy Amanda (Dvorscak) ’09 and Chandler Ellingson ‘08

View weddings online: mnstate.edu/magazine

Alum Joins NASA Mission Craig Kutz ’09 (biology), who grew up in a farming family on the outskirts of Sheboygan, Wisc., has achieved his lifelong dream of becoming an astronaut.

Kutz, who is earning a medical degree and a Ph.D. at the Medical University of South Carolina through the Medical Scientist Training Program, was thrilled to be chosen as one of four crewmembers for a NASA Human Exploration Research Analog mission. The crew spent two weeks in a hangar at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, on a simulated trip to an asteroid, while researchers monitored behavioral and biological responses to everything from sleep deprivation to communication problems.

Kutz would like to become a NASA flight surgeon, so the mission was a chance to see what that might be like and put what he’s learned so far at MUSC to good use. “Because

of my role as an M.D.-Ph.D. student, I’m trained in biomedical research. My main task on the mission was scientific operations.”

Kutz hopes to land an aerospace medicine residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch and a fourth-year aerospace medicine clerkship at NASA. “Every scientist at one point dreams of being an astronaut,” he said.

she needed to go to graduate school. She credits MSUM and the many caring professors with giving her a solid foundation from which to build a career.

manager in Moorhead before being promoted to the South University location.

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Erin Zellers ’08 (art & design) is a production artist at Super Studio, a division of Flint Group, Fargo.

Zellers has eight years of design experience.

Gregory Boose ’06 (English) has published his newest book, “The Red Bishop.” This novel is a young adult fantasy starring Lake Price, a teenage girl who, like her fellow Cape Cod high schoolers, enjoys going out to Chatham Manor, which the kids have nicknamed “Hell” for its scary setting. Unlike her peers, it’s more than a thrill-seeking game for Price—the fear and danger she finds there are the only things she can feel since her brother disappeared four years ago. But Price finds more than she expects on her latest visit to Chatham Manor. Boose, a native of Ohio, now lives in Santa Monica, Calif.

Deidra Dick ’07 (mass communication) is the sales and service manager at U.S. Bank, Fargo branch. Dick started her financial service career as a teller for American Bank of St. Paul and at Wells Fargo as a personal banker. She continued her career at U.S. Bank as a sales and service

Robert Hass ’09 (economics) is a senior financial analyst at U.S. Bank in Minneapolis. In April 2015, Hass presented to over 50 alumni, current students and faculty members of the MSUM economics program who gathered in the Twin Cities.

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Patrick Amberson ’10 (business administration) is a sales and service manager at U.S. Bank in Fargo. He previously was a personal banker, mortgage originator, and credit analyst for the company.

Brandon Heimer ’10 (communication studies) is a development coordinator at Discovery Benefits.

Heimer started as a benefits implementation manager and later moved into a learning and development role.

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IN MEMORIAM

›› Women’s rights advocate Eileen Lyons Hume, 94, Seattle, Wash., died Feb. 15, 2015. During her over 20 years working in student services at Moorhead State, she was a campus and community leader for women’s rights. She had been dean of women and was also the campus administrator and advisor for international students. Eileen had a deep commitment to helping young people, particularly women going through difficulties. Long before women’s studies, she was the spokesperson for women students and women’s issues. Returning to Seattle upon retirement, Eileen engaged with intensity in skiing, rowing, tennis, sailing, and hiking into her eighties. She bicycled through Ireland and summited Mt. Rainier.

“Eileen was a force to be reckoned with on campus and made a great contribution to the university. I loved her perspective on the world and always enjoyed her zest for life,” said former colleague Nancy Parlin.

Donations in Eileen’s memory may be sent to the Eileen Lyons Hume Women's and Gender Studies Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o MSUM Alumni Foundation, 1104 7th Avenue S., Moorhead, MN 56563.

Allan E. Holmes Allan E. Holmes, 82, Moorhead, passed away February 16, 2015. Allan entered the Air Force after graduating from Moorhead High School. Following his service, he enrolled at Moorhead State College where he earned a degree in physical education in 1957. As a Dragon, he excelled in sports and was captain of both the football and wrestling teams. He taught and started the wrestling program in Frazee. He also taught and coached multiple sports at colleges, including Michigan Tech, Moorhead State University, Mayville (N.D.) State, and Central Lakes Community College. Allan received numerous awards for his athletics and coaching, including a Lifetime Service Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum and was enshrined in the Central Lakes College Hall of Fame. His biggest accomplishments were the impacts he had on family, friends, and the college students he helped and mentored.

Donations in Allan’s memory may be sent to the Allan E. Holmes Scholarship Fund, c/o MSUM Alumni Foundation, 1104 7th Avenue S., Moorhead, MN 56563.

Kvalvog Scholarship Staff and friends have established a scholarship fund in tribute to Moorhead brothers Zachary and Connor Kvalvog, who were tragically killed in a car accident this summer. They were the only children of alumni Ray ’84 (business administration) and Kathie ’98 (political science) Kvalvog. Zachary, a senior at Park Christian High School, was interested in continuing in his parents footsteps as Dragons.

Memorial gifts may be directed to the Kvalvog Scholarship, c/o the Alumni Foundation, 1104 7th Avenue S., Moorhead, MN 56563.

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In Memoriam

Alumni & Friends

Eileen Hume

Alumni, Faculty & Friends

Nancy Beeson ’79 Holly Bergo ’94 Marlys (Bartz) Charron ’64 Diann (Wawers) Clementich ’70 Daniel Dougherty Steven Eastvold ’69 Sandra Fearing Carmen Ford Martha (Olson) Haaland ’51 Robert Hellem ’58 Mary Hennessy Allan Holmes ’57 Eileen Hume Dennis Kaatz ’69 Thomas Kavanaugh ’70 John Knowles ’60 Roberta (Strock) Krim ’52 Julie (Schon) Langseth ’73 Randall Lemar ’89 Gerald Lovell ’67 John Majors ’71 Russell Marshall ’68 Mabel (Buchholz) Morse ’47 Dale Nygard ’85 Joyce (Nohre) Olson ’66 Donna (Noyes) Olson ’52 Charles Onstine ’65 Terry Otto ’87 Amy Parrow Dorothy (Gallagher) Petterson ’45 Elizabeth Pezalla ’61 Margery (Johnson) Possehl ’52 Adelaine (Ness) Rasmus ’37 Robert Rich ’50 Monica (Langer) Schloesser ’89 David Schneider ’14 Harold Smith Cheryl Demesy Steffes ‘90 Mary (Ekberg) Teigen ‘60 Susan (McEvers)Thompson ‘72 Gloria (Pucket) Votapka ‘51 Franciska (Ramstad) Wahlin ‘51 Esther Wallum Sharol Weaver ‘70 Terry Wilm ‘94 Donovan Witham Eunice (Boe) Wyland ‘48 Dorothy (Olesberg) Zuehlsdorff ‘44

Olivia Bain (studio art) Porcelain 3 inches

To read more about Olivia, the recipient of High Plains Reader's Best Emerging Young Visual Artist, and her art work visit mnstate.edu/magazine.

Olivia Bain, MSUM senior, experiments with different clay bodies and vessel shapes to create a large array of cups, bowls and gardening pots. She illustrates on the surface of her work to spark the viewer's imagination and creativity.

If you’d like to have your creative work considered for inclusion in a future issue, please send a highresolution (300 dpi) digital image and short description to Editor Kristi Monson at kristi.monson@mnstate.edu.

1104 7th Avenue South Moorhead, Minnesota 56563

THEN AND NOW

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Weld Hall circa 1930s and today.

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