2006 The Bobcat Banner (Nebraska) by Peru State College Library

CONTRIBUTORS Dr. Ben Johnson President, Peru State College Dr. Korinne Tande Vice President, Academic and Student Affairs Dr. Stephen Sylvester Dean, School ofArts and Sciences & Athletic Administrator Regan Anson Director, Marketing and Public Affairs Rebecca Johnson '04 Publications Technician, Marketing and Public Affairs Linda Moody Secretary to the President Dr. Dan Johnson Executive Director, PSC Foundation

BENEATH THE OAKS Nebraska's Fastest Growing State College PSC's Growth - Best of the Lot Twenty-First Century Graduate Cohorts Prestigious Ken Boxley Scholarship Graduate Degrees - A New Dawn PSC : National Best Buy Words of Wisdom from an Old Friend A College Rallies - Nebraska Excellence

BOBCAT ATHLETICS Meeting the Challenge 100 Years of Bobcat Football Scholar-Athletes: A View from the Top Women 's Volleyball - Fast and Furious Cross Country - Dazzling Footwork

Krystal Nolte '04 Alumni Relations Director, PSC Foundation Angie Balquier '04 Accountant, PSC Foundation

NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Class Notes

Stephanie Hoffman '09 Student Assistant, PSC Foundation

"60's Plus 2" Summer Reunion In Memoriam

Nebraska's Fastest II

State College A small public college many had consigned to the dustbin of Nebraska history comes roaring back to life in the new millennium and shows no signs of slowing down. "Peru State College is not only Nebraska's first college, we are now the fastest growing state college as well," said Dr. Ben E. Johnson, Peru State president. "Last fall we had a total of 1,904 students. That was up 19 .6 percent over the year before. And this spring our enrollment was also up 19 percent over a year ago." He said that Peru State's plan for growth is working so well the College is experiencing "challenges you

don't mind having" such as finding additional instructors to teach new classes, alleviating the rush on food service at noon and an increasingly crowded library. "We call our library the 'campus living room,' and there ' s a bit less elbow room there these days," Dr. Johnson said. "This is what a school, originally built to serve five to six hundred people, has to deal with when there are a thousand students on campus. We'll get through it, though. No doubt about it." The most dramatic area of growth is in online-only student enrollment with a 115 percent increase from the same time last year - 524 students in spring 2006 compared to 244 in spring 2005. PSC began offering online classes six years ago with 50 students. Currently, 70 percent of all students (on- and offcampus) take one or more classes online.

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Enro llment in the graduate program increased 20 percent, and undergraduate enrollment is up by 17 percent. Oncampu s enro llment is 3 percent ahead of last year. Dr. Johnson continued, "We are making a concerted effort to grow our off-campus and online enrollment rap idly to meet the needs of Nebraskans who cannot be here every da y for class, but want an education. The days of making students come to us are gone. "Eighty-nine percent of our students are Nebraska res idents, here because we offer a first-rate , cost-effecti ve ed ucation that works with their busy li ves. Many are working people, stay-at-home mothers and military personnel who cannot otherwi se make their dream of earning a coll ege degree come true. "Everyone deserves the opportunity to get an educati on, and we are in the business of e liminatin g obstac les that hinder them from do ing so. We are their partner, not their problem. "We ' re thrilled that on-campus enrollment has increased by 3 percent. This slow rate of on-ca mpu s growth is part of our plan. We want to make sure that our growth doesn't negatively impact the campus by overstressing buildings, facu lty, hous ing and other resources. If our on-campus enrollment were to increase at the rate of our on line enro llment, we wouldn ' t have room fo r everyo ne. We are striking a balance between serving those who want to get an education and providing access in vari ous ways." Dr. Johnson attri buted PSC's success to : ../ Its des ignation as a " Best Buy" college by Get Educated.corn. PSC was selected as fou rth "Best Buy" co ll ege in th e nation. (See the accompanyin g article.) ../ Implementing a fl exibl e "2+2+2" class schedul e. Most classes meet just two days a week. Three-hour classes, labs and stud y groups meet once a week on Friday. T hi s sched ul e benefits working students, athletes who must travel to competitions and those who commute long di stances.

BOBCAT BANNER Spring 2006

../ Renovating and repairing campus fac iliti es. During the past six years, the State of Nebraska and PSC alumni and friends have invested more than $25 million in renovating and repairing campus fac iliti es . ../ Enhanci ng classroom techno logy. Online students have access to the same resources and services avai lable to on-ca mpus students, including on line tutoring, advising, and a library where students can access more than 200,000 full-text book titles and 20,000 full-text academi c journa l titles. Additionally, more than 50,000 e lectroni c book titles are access ibl e th rough the library's online cata log. ../ Pi oneering online learning in Nebraska. PSC is the onl y public higher education instituti on in the state that offers six fully-accredited online undergraduate degrees. PSC

also has a fully-accredited online masters degree. Dr. Johnson sa id, " Peru State Co llege has made asto unding strides to become Nebraska ' s fastest growing state co ll ege. We've worked hard to make this a progress ive, service-oriented schoo l that integrates our renowned academi c reputation with a twenty-first century approach to learning. Peru State Co ll ege continually increases its va lue to the peopl e of thi s great state." "I li ve 300 miles from Peru 's main campus so on line co urses are the perfect option for me," sa id Indi ano la, NE education student Katie Foster. "I can stay at ho me and take care of ob ligations while compl eting the coursework I need." Students in th e U.S. military are pa1ticul arl y fo nd of PSC's online programs. Continued on page 15

PSC's Growth

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By Angela Balquier

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During the period between 2002 and 2005 , Peru State Co llege's headcount enrollment was up by 16.12 percent. This topped the average growth rate for the University of Nebraska, the other two Nebraska state co ll eges, Nebraska's community colleges and the state's independent co ll eges. (See the accompanyi ng graph .) On a co ld February day at the Bob Inn, PSC's crowded luncheon grill , this reporter visited with President Johnson and Dr. Korinne Tande, V ice President for Academi c and Student Affairs. We discussed the Co llege's phenomenal growth. President Jo hnson sa id, "Our enro llment numbers over the last few years are no accident. In fact, for the last seven years we have been redes igning Peru State Co ll ege to thrive in the twenty-first century. And our work has on ly just begun. "If there is one theme underl ying our expansion , it is 'access ibility. ' We work very hard to make Peru State Co ll ege user friendly. Not on ly are we constantly lookin g for ways to better serve CLllTent and future student markets, we are also aggressive abo ut e liminati ng obstacles to student success."

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Concern ing user friendliness, look no futiher than the Co llege's unique way of scheduling c lasses. Dr. Tande said that, "One of our most important changes is how we schedul e classes. The 'two plus two plus two' schedu le a ll ows tremendous choices fo r students. Instead of be ing forced to take classes in the old Monday-WednesdayFriday and Tuesday-Thursday sequences, PSC students take their courses in two day sequences, Monday-Wednesday, Tuesday-Thursday or Wednesday-Friday. We even have courses that meet onl y once a week on Friday. This is a tremendous asset for our hundreds of non-traditional students who must juggle co ll ege, fa mil y and work responsibi Iities. " "A centra l part of our enro llment story," Dr. Johnson continued, "is distance learni ng. When I came to Peru State seven years ago, we offered Continued on page 15

President Johnson, Vice President Tande and reporter, Angela Balquier discuss new developments at the College while waiting for lunch at the Bob-Inn.

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Twenty-First Century Graduate Cohorts The School of Education and Graduate Studies has expanded its outreach by offering a Master of Science (MSED) in an accelerated coh01t format. Students major in Curriculum and Instruction and can enroll in one of two emphasis areas: Instructional Technology or Teaching and Learning. Cohort students complete the program as a community of learners, taking all courses together. This gives them the benefits of networking and establishing lasting relationships with colleagues. The accredited 36-credit program is designed particularly for practicing P-12 teachers who want to earn a degree emphasizing classroom application.

"Students complete their masters degree in a 15 month timeframe . Courses meet once a month with remaining coursework done online," said Dr. Tande, Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. "Cohort groups are known for the camaraderie and suppoti system that develops as students move through the program together. " Peru State College officials are excited about this program, which fills a critical niche. "There are many professional educators ready to expand their knowledge and get ahead , but concerns about schedules, costs and lengthy graduate programs keep them from considering a masters degree," Dr. Tande continued. "Our program is a hybrid: you attend class both in person and online. It is tailored for people with challenging personal schedules, who have a difficult time affording the skyrocketing costs at other institutions." Coh01t students are eligible for PSC 's online graduate tuition, just $ 143 per credit hour. This tuition, the same for Nebraska and out-ofstate students, is among the least expensive in the nation. Prospective students may apply for admission online. A link to the "Cohort Masters Degree" webpage is situated prominently on the Peru State College homepage, located at www.peru.edu. The Masters program webpage provides detailed information on tuition, scholarships, curricula, as well as an online application.

Prestigious Ken Boxley Scholarship Teachers wishing to enhance their education with a masters degree now have an unprecedented opportunity at PSC in the form of a full-tuition scholarship, thanks to the generosity of an alumnus . Mr. Ken Boxley of Beverly Hills, CA, a prominent businessman and advocate of higher education, funded the scholarships with the instruction that the awards go to professional educators seeking to increase their knowledge and skills. A California native, Mr. Boxley attended PSC during the Second World War through a U.S . Navy-established officer training program. He was a quarterback on the Bobcat football team, and though he did not return to PSC after the war, he maintained a love for the Campus of a Thousand Oaks. Mr. Boxley is now the Chairman of the Board of the American Asian Association, Inc., a long distance telephone company linking the continental U.S. with several countries in Asia. In the '70s and ' 80s Mr. Boxley developed and sold a highly successful west coast yellow pages company. For more information, please visit the Co llege's website, www.peru .edu .

PSC: National Best Buy

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PSC has been named fourth in the nation for affordable accredited distancel earning graduate degrees by GetEducated.com.

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Graduate Degrees - A New Dawn The Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education (CCPE) has approved PSC's request to offer an online Master of Science degree in Organizational Management with a concentration in Entrepreneurial and Economic Development. "The Commission's decision has farreaching implications not only for the future of PSC, but for the entire state as our leaders work to enhance Nebraska's economic landscape. The benefits this online degree will bring to our students and Nebraska's economy are immeasurable," said President Johnson . The PSC Foundation has pledged to fund l 0 full-tuition scholarships for community leaders who have the ability to directly facilitate entrepreneurial activities and economic development in their areas. The process of how those individuals will be identified and selected is still being developed. In order to proceed with the new offering, PSC must get legislative approval to expand its mission. Up until now, PSC has been limited by statute to offer only a masters degree in education. Dr. Johnson said, "I don't think it will be difficult to convince legislators that this program is a win-win situation for both Peru State College and the State of Nebraska. "Any time there is an oppmtunity to spur economic growth in this state we must take it. No one recognizes the impact a program like this will have better than the men and women in the Unicameral."

Dean of Professional Studies Todd Drew developed the entrepreneurial and economic development option after considering feedback from a variety of sources: current and former students, faculty, local businesses, community leaders and officials in the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. Drew said, "The online masters degree in organizational management is unique. It affords Nebraskans already functioning in leadership roles, or those who have been determined to have leadership potential, the opportunity to further their education. And it puts them in a better position to encourage more entrepreneurship and economic growth. It will also be of significant help to those wanting to enhance the cultural orientation toward entrepreneurship in organizational settings. "Offering this degree is the next logical step in PSC's continuing renaissance. It represents an opportunity to further leverage the resources invested in the college and dramatically enhance the educational environment for all of our students.

The company recently completed its biannual survey of 101 accredited distance-learning graduate degrees in education and education allied fields in the United States. PSC ' s distance masters program has been awarded a "Best Buy" designation by GetEducated.com's independent editorial team. GetEducated.com was cited in an April 2005 edition of Newsweek as the "source for weeding out phony degrees. " The organization only includes accredited colleges and universities in its listings. PSC is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, as well as by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. In a letter to PSC officials, Vicky Phillips, CEO and Founder of GetEducated.com, LLC, said, "A Best Buy designation indicates that Peru State's program has been found to offer a high-quality accredited distance degree at a cost well below the national average. You should be proud of your program's success at making higher education more accessible to working adults through the double merits of distance learning and affordable pricing." Peru State was listed ahead of all other Nebraska colleges and univers1t1es, including the University of NebraskaKeamey (ranked 5th) and the University of Nebraska- Lincoln (ranked 9th) .

"Institutions with vigorous graduate programs benefit undergraduate students by attracting faculty with more diverse backgrounds. Also, undergraduates can participate in more research and outreach programs. All students and alumni benefit from the added prestige that comes with graduating from a school with a more comprehensive graduate program."

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A College Ral I ies

Reprinted with permission fro m the Omaha World-H erald.

Peru State's comeback offers lessons to state about how to overcome big challenges Peru State's comeback offers lessons to the state abo ut how to overcome big chall enges. Many Nebraska institutions have experience with stress. Financial pinches, adm inistrative missteps, infrastructure maintenance headaches, inadequate longrange planning - such worries can trip up organi zations from hospitals to community nonprofits, from libraries to local governments. Institutions of higher learning are, of course, hardly immune. During the 1990s, all those types of pressures burdened Peru State Coll ege - and came close to destroying it.

The recipe for Peru State's turnaround has involved four key ingredients: • Stab ili zation - Construction work totaling about $27 million since 1999 has addressed key bui lding needs. The science building has been expanded, for example. A forme r gym building has been remodeled into an attractive library. Enrollment is up to a record 1,900 students. About 1,000 li ve on campus, and the rest use satellite faci lities or, increasingly, subscribe to online courses. The retention rate is up. The school added telecommunications links to classrooms.

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achi eving ones who might be bored. --i I Every study carrel in the building was m custom-built to be two-seated so that every student works with a fellow sn1dent ~ or mentor. (Johnson's academ ic ;:s;: specialization is the study of successfu l (fJ instructional methods.) The Lincoln architectura l office of Clark Enerson Partners did an exqu isite job of designin g the library. Ceiling windows allow natural light to flow in; the ceiling boasts an attractive copper treatment; students can be seen lounging aro und a large, welcoming fireplace. Such a faci lity surely boosts pride on the Peru State campus. • Amb iti ous plans - (I) Peru State has adopted the junior classes at three sma ll , rural high schools (Shickley, Rising City· and Prague). Each student is offered a four-year tuition scholarship . In exchange, Peru State does an academic assessment for each of the 4 7 students, who participate in a goa l-setting program and activities involving career planning and job shadowing. Some students have begun to expand their horizons in terms of their career choices. Johnson doesn't exaggerate when he calls this "a life changing gift."

By 1998, Peru State, whose roots go back to the late 1800s when it began as a "normal school" to train teachers, was being pummeled by a hai lstorm of woes. Falling enro llment. A droopy student retention rate. A whopping backlog of deferred maintenance. Financial problems. Insensitive remarks by a senior administrator and mishandling of the fa llout by the uni vers ity president. Faculty discontent. An idea surfaced to move the co llege to Nebraska C ity. The Legislature considered proposals to end all state funding to the school. Those effo1ts were beaten back, and Peru State was given a chance to set itself on a new course. In the years since, the schoo l has made an undeniable comeback. The course of events at the co ll ege offers a lesson for any Nebraska institution abo ut how skill ed leadership can help an organization weather a storm and emerge with new confidence.

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President Ben Johnson, who took the reins as Peru State's CEO in 1999, cannot take sole credit for the turnaround. Plans for some of the building renovations of recent years, fo r examp le, were in the works before his hiring.

• Professionalism - A crucial step was Johnson's move to professionalize the Peru State foundation. An experienced fundraiser was placed in charge of the operation. Successful alumni from around the country agreed to serve on the board. Charitabl e giving has since boosted the endowment considerabl y. In a sharp break from the past, the foundation each year now provides Peru State with at least $250,000 and often considerab ly more.

But Johnson's energetic leadership style and clarity of vision have culti vated a cu lture of high standards that has produced encouraging results . (Nebraska's other two state co lleges, at Wayne and Chadron, have their own interesting success stories to tell , too.)

• Vision - Severa l projects stretch the envelope and communicate a sense of high standards to facu lty and students. For example, the Academic Resource Center, a new, modern-looking building, provides mentoring and other help to low-achievi ng students - and to high-

(2) The outreach to those high school students is part of a broader, long-range effort to involve Peru State in rural development issues. Some Peru State students already are invo lved in developing business plans for small-town Nebraska . One possibility under consideration is for 20 rural communities to select someone who wou ld take online courses at Peru State to study community-building or business development. (3) To provide an incentive to energetic teaching, the co ll ege provides "honor chairs" that give an instructor $10,000 a year for two years upon being selected for outstanding work by his facu lty co lleagues. Peru State isn't unique in using such tools. But the schoo l's turnaround does illustrate the benefits that any institution can achieve through leadership, a clear vis ion and dedication. Whatever the future holds for the school , Peru State has taken impressive strides that offer positive lessons for Nebraska. WWW.BOBCATALUMNl.COM

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Bobcat Athletics: Meeting the Challenge

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the whole picture clearly reveals signifi cant progress . Last fa ll we fielded better student athletes and displayed a higher level of competitiveness than in recent years . Also, we had more team members remain in school, developed a comprehensive approach to athletic recruiting and laid the foundation for a stronger program.

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Dean of Arts and Sciences and Athletic Administrator, Dr. Stephen Sylvester.

The fall semester provided a wellrounded test for Peru State's new ath letic mission and restructured sports program. When all was said and done, PS C Ath letics faced the challenges, made important decisions, and as a result, the future of Bobcat sports is brighter than ever. Dr. Stephen Sylvester, Athletic Administrator, explained, "While in some respects it was a challenging semester,

"For example, PSC's cross-country and women's volleyball teams did very well and the coaches have promi sing talent lined up for next year. (Seep. 10 and 11.) These two teams will just get better and better. Furthermore, the women 's vo lleyball team earned NAIA allacademic status so that we have more Academic All-Conference honorees than ever before. "Not surprisingly, football received the most attention . We had a very difficult season, winning but one game of ten overall; we were 0 and 6 in the Central States Football League (CSFL). We lost a

co uple of ga mes in the second half, and in several games we were right there until the final minutes. "During this tough season we learn ed some key things and made important decisions, particularly about coaching and recruiting. My ad mi ration for Coach Terry Clark, already strong, grew as the season progressed. His players refused to quit, and at the end of the season they were looki ng forwa rd to next year - in fact, all of our key pl ayers are returning next year. " Sylvester went on to explain that in recent years the level of competiti veness in the CSFL has dramatically risen. "When we joined several years ago, the League included mostly small schools like PSC. Everyone was pretty competitive and it was the right place for us. In recent years, however, all that has changed. Most of the schools our size, patticularly the state-supported schoo ls, have either dropped out of the confe rence or dramatically beefed up their programs. In the end, it comes down to the fact that the conference has outgrown us. As a consequence, 2006 wi ll be our final season in the CSFL. "Dropping out of the Central States Footba ll League won't affect any of our other sports because foot ball is the only team that is a member. We considered leaving the CSFL sooner than 2007, but Coach Clark and I were convinced by the remaining schools that we should stay one more year. Northwest Oklahoma at Alva will trave l to Peru next Fa ll , adding a home game for us and saving considerable travel money. We also negotiated a share of the gate in Oklahoma City. Dollars are an imp01tant consideration. Once we leave CSFL we may not be in a footba ll conference until 2008, but we shouldn't have a problem scheduling ga mes. We need to take our time and find a conference in whi ch we fee l at home."

100 Years

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Football "Tho we did not have a championship team last season, it was a successful season from other points of view. We had a team that played clean honest, hard foot ball; a team of manly young men that could represent the school without apology." 1906 Oak Leaf, Nebraska State Normal School Yearbook

The Athl eti c Admini strator we nt on to exp lain that we are lookin g for a confe rence that not only has teams competiti ve with ours, but is located in the Midwest. "PSC is still reeling from the budget cuts of 200 1 through 2003. We not onl y need to find a conference in w hi ch we are competiti ve, but one that does not entail a lot of travel expense. "Our budget situation is made worse by the fact that in the last three years the Co llege's enrollment has gone through th e roof. Since 2003 we have grown by more than three hundred students, but Peru State is expected to continue to offer its athl etic and academi c programs on a budget that was restri ctive severa l yea rs ago. It's not an easy task.

"I have every confidence, however, that the athletic program, football in particular, is on the ri ght track" Sylvester concluded . "Sometimes fa ns don't understa nd the fi sca l, inter-coll egiate, and in stituti onal compl ex iti es of coaching co ll ege football in times like these.

efforts. I am confident that Peru State athl eti cs will continue to grow, will attract the best kinds of student athletes, and will make our supporters proud next year and in the future. "

"ln my opinion, Peru State is very fortunate to ha ve Coach C lark. He is an excellent teac her and coach, hi s players ad mire and respect him and he has the guts and determinati on to sti ck with us thro ugh thi s ve ry difficult time. He's one of the people who make Peru State Co ll ege a great place fo r student athl etes. Hi s honesty and ski ll in presenting the program to recrui ts and their parents have been singul arl y effecti ve in thi s year's

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Scholar-Athletes: A View from the Top

Lindsey Baumgartn er is a senior acco unting and management major from Fort Morga n, Co lorado, where she attended Fort Morgan High Schoo l. Lindsey has played a variety of positions for th e vo ll eyba ll team, inc luding outside hitter, setter, and thi s year she was the libero, or defen sive spec ialist.

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Left to Right: Kristin Delaney, Lindsey Baumgartner, PSC Vice Pres id ent of Academic and Student Affairs Korinne Tande , Sam Carter, and Lindsay Scanlan.

In PSC's fall program , e ight student-athl etes were among those honored by the National Association ofinterco ll egiate Athl etics (NAIA) as 2005 Daktro nics-NA !A A ll-A merica Scho lar-Athletes. Student-at hletes on the women 's vo ll eyba ll team are Lindsey Baumgartner, Kristin Delaney, Lindsay Scanlan and Ev i Steffens. Studentathl etes on the footba ll team are Sam Carter, Ru sty Fuller, Jared Gerdes, and Lynn Meyer. To receive thi s honor, students must be juniors or above in academic standing and have a minimum cumulati ve GPA of3.50 on a 4.00 scale. In additi on, they must be contributing members of their teams and in good standing with their co llege or uni ve rsity. Dr. Korinne Tande, Vice President of Academ ic and Student Affa irs, commended these notable students, "Not only are they team leaders, but th ey are a lso outstanding in the c lassroom . Moreover, they are ca mpus leaders. Some serve as student ambassadors for the Admiss ions Office, one is the ed itor of the campus newspaper, and another is a mentor in the Academic Resource Center (ARC) . Many are active in other student organi zations and clubs, too."

Baumgartn er was exc ited to learn of her honor, "To be a scho lar-athl ete and campus leader takes a lot ofrespon sibility and great time manage ment skill s. You have to bal ance classes, homework, team practice and traveling, clubs and ac tiviti es, and sometimes a part-time job. I lea rned that yo u can fit a lot of acti viti es into twenty-fo ur hours . Be ing a scho lar athl ete has helped me become a respons ible yo ung ad ult." This is Kri stin Delaney's second year as a scho lar-athl ete. Kristin is from Fremont and graduated fro m Archb ishop Bergan Central Catho li c Hi gh School. She is a seni or acco unting and management major, and upon graduating, will j o in the Baird, Kurtz, and Dobson acco unting firm in Lincoln . Kristin was an outside hitter this yea r and earned all-confere nce second team Continued on page 19

Women's Volleyball - Fast and Furious The Peru State Women' s Vo ll eyba ll team had a mat uring season in 200S , go ing 9-9 in conference play and making the confere nce tournament. The team was led by five seni ors-- Liz E inspahr, Kristin Delaney, Ev i Steffen s, Lindsay Baumgartner and Lin dsay Scanlan . A lso return ing we re junior Kristen Schrad and sophomores Kehs ia Se iko , Afto n Burr and C hri stina Dewey. With the additi on of 6 freshmen--A lli son Slager, Sara Kenne, Ke lley Scanl an, Sara Zink, Jess ica Wetzler and Jerl yn Cummin s--th e team was a good mi x of old and new. U nfortu nate ly, injuries to key pl ayers hit the team in the middl e of September, ri ght at the beginning of conference play. The season, a mi x of ups and downs as most seasons are, was characterized by lots of great play and hard work. Hi ghli ghts included upset victories over conference ri va l Cardinal Newman Co ll ege and non-confere nce opponents Bethel Co ll ege and St. Ambrose Uni vers ity. Looking forward to the 2006 season, the future is bri ght. We have signed fo ur new fro nt row pl ayers. Joining the Bobcats next yea r will be S' 11 " JC transfer As hl e igh Ravnikar from Kansas, and three fres hmen; S' 9" Haley Rump from Fremont, S' 11 " Tracy Pennington from Omaha, and S' IO" Kaitlin Morrow from East Alton, Illinoi s. This will be a yo ung tea m that will play together fo r the next three years and cou ld deve lop into one of the best teams in the conference. Coach Eiche lberger is leavin g PSC to pursue other opportuni ties; a new coach wi ll join the team June 1.

Cross Country - Dazzling Footwork T he most interesting aspects of the season we re the accomplishments of PS C's front \ runners. Both Tasha Pri ce (a sophomore from Pierce, Ne braska) and Brittany Schaefer (a freshman from Omaha) led the team in fo ur out of e ight races. Tasha ran we ll enough in the Midland Co llegiate Athletic Confere nce meet to earn Honorable Mention for the second season in a row. Brittany recorded the fastest time this season, 20:S7 fo r SK or 3.1 2S mil es. Add iti onal highlights include the remarkab le progress of Moll y Belt (a junior transfer from Ulysses, Kan sas) and A lli son Stockstell (a freshman from Hamburg, Iowa). Each runner shaved three minutes off her SK time, a remarkable ac hi evement in a race th at is onl y a little over three miles long. PSC has two runners who did not compete last fa ll , but will join the tea m for competition next yea r. Lindsey Poole (a red shirt freshman from Omaha) ran unattached in a number of races . She promi ses to be a great asset to the team. T he other runner, Kasey Young (a sophomore from Aub urn), was our top runner in 2004, earning All -Conference Honors . She sat out las t fa ll for medi ca l reasons but is now ra ring to go. 2006 promi ses to be a stell ar year.

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Class Notes

Schoo l. Bill and hi s w ife Ann e (Oestm ann , ' 78) make their ho me in Fremont.

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Judy (Green) Grotrian, 1972

Jud y has been named Peru State Co ll ege ' s 2005 Teachin g Ex cellence Awa rd w inner. She is also th e 2006 - 2007 Pam and Fred Ro bertson Hono rs Chair in Business Admini stra ti on recipi ent. Judy ea rn ed a B. S. in Business Educati on fro m PSC in 1972 , an M. E. in Business Edu cati on from the Uni versity of Nebraska -Lincoln in 1985 , and a Ph .D. in Educati onal Admini strati o nCurri culum and Instructi o n at th e Uni versity of Nebras ka-Linco ln in 2003. She is th e first professo r in th e School of Profess ional Studi es to develop and teach business co urses onlin e. Judy is an Associate Professor of Business and heads the annual PSC Hi gh School Business Contest.

Larry Humphrey, 1972

"The May Fete King for 1957 was Robert Norton, senior business education major. Bonnie Rutz, senior physica l education major, was the May Fete Queen." 1957 Peruvian

1950s Gene and Mary (Sherrod) Leber, 1956 Gene and Mary o f Phoeni x, A ri zona are 1 cel ebrating their 50 " weddin g anniversary. They met on registrati o n day at Peru State College, dated a ll four years, and graduated in th e sam e class. They were marri ed the day after commencement in Co rtland , Gene's hometown. They have five children, Dan, Jeff, Tom, Ray, and Sue, and 13 grand children.

1960s Harvey and Maddie (Bleach) Fraser, 1965 Harvey and Maddi e are the proud gra ndparents of K yler James Seaman, born Jul y 25, 2005. He is th e Fraser's 11 '" grand child . Kyler we ighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. and was 2 1Yi inches lon g.

Ron Yates, 1968 Ron retired June I , 2005 , a fter teaching for 37 yea rs in th e Granite C ity, lllinois school system. He taught art, driver's educati on, hea lth, and ph ys ica l educati on. Ron also coached foo tball , trac k, w restling, and baseball.

1980s Connie (Sims) Edmond, 1987 As director of tax co mpli ance at Willi am R. Lewi s CPA, partner Connie Edmond deve loped the firm ' s niche in the private sector by ass istin g individuals and businesses . She previou sly worked with businesses creatin g business plans th at max imi ze profits, manage growth , and minimi ze th e impact of taxes. She was pres ident of the Parent Teachers Organi zati on for Hum ann Elementary and pres ident of her ne ighborhood assoc iat ion.

Matt and Stefani e li ve in north west Omaha. They are parents to 3 children, Madi son, 9, Moll y Grace, 4, and Jack, I. M att works fo r Fores t Pharmaceuti ca ls as di visio n manager; Stefa ni e is a stay-at-h o me mo m, substitute teaching in the O maha Ca th oli c School system.

Brett and Stacey (Ingersoll) Matteen, 1994 & 1996 Brett and Stacey are the pro ud parents of Ell a Kathryn, born September 27, 2004. Ella was we lcomed home by her older brother James, 3.

Sean McLaughlin, 1998 Sean has been named tea m manager of Marketin g and Ga me Presentati on with th e Na ti onal Bas ketball Development League (N BDL) in Albuqu erqu e, New Mex ico. Sean bega n hi s sports ca reer as an intern in 1997 fo r th e Des Moines Dragons, Intern ati ona l Basketball Associatio n (IBA). In th at positi on he he lped th e tea m to fo ur w innin g seasons, won th e IBA Pres ident 's Cup, broke num erous attend ance record s, and wo n the IBA O rgani za ti o n o f the Yea r award for three consecuti ve yea rs. Sean was a lso a general

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1970s

Michelle (Workman) Salberg, 1986 Mi chell e is a recipi ent o f th e Lincoln Journal Star' s A+ Educator of th e Week. She has been teaching Spani sh to Sterlin g Hi gh Sc hool students fo r the past 13 yea rs. Throug h th e di stance-l ea rnin g classroom she also teac hes

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1990s Matt and Stefanie (Wolfe) Grewe, 1995 & 1998

Mi chael has been named directo r of educati on at Durham Western Heritage Museum in Omaha. He has a bachelo rs degree in secondary educati on fro m PSC and a masters in second ary edu cati on from Co ncordi a University. Michael taught Am eri can Hi story at G lenwood, Iowa for the past 18 yea rs, and was head bas ketball coach and juni or hi gh athl eti c director. He served as chairm an o f Gl enwood 's hi story department, the di stri ct impro vement coun cil and was a presenter at th e Na ti onal Conference fo r Data Not Gu esswo rk rega rdin g c lassroom assessment. Prio r to teachin g at G lenwood, Mi chael taught at Omaha Cath edra l Hi g h Schoo l.

Bill Fitzgerald, 1978 After 24 yea rs as an instructo r, coach , and admini strator at Lo ui svill e Hi gh Schoo l, Bill took a new position as Assistant Principal and Acti viti es Coo rdinator at Fremont Hi gh

Larry, a fo rmer superintendent of Wymore South ern School Di stri ct, was elected chairman o f th e Barneston Vill age Board. He ea rned two Master' s degrees and a degree in Education Admini stration from the Uni versity of Ne braska-Kearney.

Jo hn son-Brock stud ents. Mi che ll e coaches Juni o r Hi gh and junio r va rsity g irl s basketball , is th e ass istant va rsit y girl s basketba ll coach, and th e eighth grade class sponsor.

"May Fete Queen Jan Beemer and King Vincent Sabatinelli. " 1967 Peruvian

Barbara (Heft) Simmons, 1990 Barbara received a new teacher salute when she joined the Library/Media Center staff at Nebraska City High School. Previously, she taught at Dawson-Verdon and Falls City Public Schools. Ryan Smidt, 1998 Ryan married Staci Wittenberg on April 16, 2005, at Danforth Chapel, in Lawrence, Kansas. Ryan is a conservation officer for the State of Kansas. Angelia (Rohwer) Steiner, 1990 Angelia and Jason were married on August 6, 2005, at the First Lutheran Church in Sabetha, Kansas. Angelia taught language arts at Centralia High School in Kansas for 12 years. She is now in her fourth year of teaching English III, newspaper, and public speaking at Sabetha High School.

"Queen Coleen deKoning and King Wayne Kelley dance after their coronation a the May Fete Ball." 1970 Peruvian manager in 2003 for the Cedar Rapids River Raiders in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Susan (Picray) McLaughlin, 1998 Susan teaches Head Sta1i at Presbyterian Medical Services, Sandoval County, in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. She teaches 3- and 4year-olds in a full day, year-round program. Jessica (Damrow) Moore, 1998 Christopher and Jessica were married on September 17, 2005, at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church. Jessica is an optometrist for the Mid America Vision Center. Rachel (Callahan) Morgan, 1999 Rachel is the executive director of the Tassel Center for the Performing Arts in Kearney. She was an elementary/secondary band and choir director at Stromsburg and Osceola schools, a publications assistant and children's choir director, and most recently a Children's Ministries secretary at New Life Assembly Church in Kearney. William and Cara (Marker) Morgan, 1996 & 1999 William and Cara were married on July 9, 2005 at Camp Catron in Nebraska City. Cara is an Area Manager for Tractor Supply Company in the Minnesota I Iowa market. William is a Security Shift Supervisor for the Nebraska Public Power District in Brownville. Rick Olsen, 1996 Rick married Joey Rhoads on July 23, 2005, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Lincoln. Rick is a chemist for MOS Pharma Services in Lincoln.

Sheri Stewart, 1999 Sheri received an award from the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation. Of 236 teachers nominated, only 15 were selected as winners. Sheri teaches computer science at King Elementary School in Omaha. She received her Bachelor's degree from University of Nebraska-Omaha and her Master's degree from Peru State College. Kory and Carin (Nannen) Troutman, 1998 & 2000 Kory and Carin are the proud parents of son, Micheal Kyle Ryan born on September 7, 2005, at Methodist Hospital in Omaha. Kory is a corporate insurance trainer at Omni um Worldwide while Carin is a Medical Assistant at Quality Living, Inc.

Mark Baden, 2002 An Air National Guard Airman l '' Class. Mark graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Joe Butt, 2000 Joe married Traci Neiman on September 17, 2005. at New Covenant Community Church in Lincoln. He is a claims manager at National Warranty Insurance Company. The couple resides in Lincoln.

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Corrie (Bassinger) Cook, 2002 Troy and Corrie were married October 8, 2005. Corrie earned a business degree from PSC and is employed by the state of Nebraska Workforce Development Center in Nebraska City. Christine DeSimone, 2003 Christine was honored as St. John the Baptist School's teacher of the month. From 19851991 she taught at St. John's School and from 1991-1995 at Plattsmouth Head Start. In 2001, she resumed teaching at St. John the Baptist School. Tiffany (Taylor) Easley, 2004 Tiffany is a new teacher at Humboldt, Table Rock, Steinauer consolidated school. She teaches special education (elementary and high school). Tiffany graduated from PSC with a Bachelor's degree and teaching certifications in elementary education and special education. Daniel and Brooke (Sunneberg) Fender, 2002 & 2004 Daniel and Brooke were married on September 24, 2005 at the United Methodist

Lori (Walton) Warner, 1997 Lori has been selected as Beatrice Chamber of Commerce's new executive. Lori worked as a substitute teacher and owner of a coffee and candy shop in Faribault, Minnesota. She completed a program at the Institute for Organizational Management in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and attended a small business management course at South Central Tech College in Faribault, a sales workshop at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Faribault's Future Leadership Program. As vice president of the Beatrice chamber, Lori will plan events and seminars as well as recruit and retain members. Jason Werner, 1996 Jason and wife Kelly are the proud parents of Reece Thomas, born on January 21, 2004.

2000s Jeffery Armstrong, 2004 Jeffery and Lori Heinrich were married on August 13, 2005. Jeffery earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from PSC. He is in Steel Fabrication and works part-time on the family farm. The couple will live in Coin, Iowa.

"Kim Vrtiska and Heather Waring were selected as the Sophomore (homecoming) candidates ... " 1989 Peruvian

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Class Notes

Amber (Meredith) Hower, 2004 Amber received a new teac her sa lu te last fa ll. She is a Kindergarten teacher ' s a id at Lourdes Schoo l. Amber beca me a teacher because s he wa nted to help st udents reach their goa ls in li fe . Her favo rite part of the job is be in g around students who wa nt to lea rn.

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Nicholas John son, 2003 Nicho las and Tyana Madden were marri ed on September 24, 2005 , at th e Ex ira Lutheran C hurch. He majored in mathematics educat ion at PSC. N icho las teaches and coac hes for the Armstrong-Ringsted School di strict. The coupl e res ides in Arm strong, Iowa. Brandi (Buck) Lambert, 2000 Brandi and Lance are the proud parents of Luke, born on Feb ru ary 12, 2005 .

"Valentine's Day King & Queen, Anthony Schmid and Randi Fisher. " 2005 Peruvian C hurch in Ta ble Rock. Brooke earn ed a degree in psycho logy at PSC and is empl oyed as a co mmunity suppo rt assoc iate w ith South east Nebraska Deve lopmental Services in A uburn . Dani e l earned a Bache lor of Science degree in psychology an d soc io logy from PSC and a master of soc ia l wo rk degree from the Uni vers ity of Nebraska-O maha. He is e mpl oyed as an inten sive fa mil y preservation therapi st w ith Omni Be hav ioral Hea lth.

Julie (Liberty) Frederick, 2001 Juli e is a sc ience teacher at Humbo lt-Table Rock-S tein er. Pri or to thi s, she taught at Fa ll s C ity and Dawson. She ea rn ed a degree in natural sc ience w ith a coachin g endorsement from PSC. Matthew & Lisa (Hermsmeier) Guenther, 2003 & 2004 Matthew a nd Li sa were marri ed October 22, 2005 . The co upl e exchan ged vows at Peace Luth eran C hurch in Pl ymo uth. Ja son Hippen,2000 Jason married Juli e Z imm erman on June 18, 2005, at Trinity Lutheran C hurch in DeWitt. Jason is a teacher at Eag le E lementary. Th e co upl e took a wedding trip to Punta Ca na, Dom inica n Re public, and res ides in Lin co ln . John Hodges, 2002 John and Katey Ostra nd er we re marri ed Jun e 25 , 2005. John is e mpl oyed by Nebraska City Utiliti es.

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Brian Ma her & Christy (Bulson) Maher, 2004 Bria n and C hri sty were marri ed on May 29 , 2005. C hri sty is a I st grade teacher at Hatton, Misso uri . Brian teaches at th e junior hi g h in Mex ico, Missouri, and pl ays se mi-pro foot ball fo r the Northeast Missouri Cyc lones of the MNFA. Kristopher Mathews, 2000 Kri stop her and Melissa Frake r were wed o n June 11 , 2005, at the United Methodist C hurch in Benkelman. He is empl oyed by A legent Hea lth at Imm anu e l Medical Center as a medi ca l techno logist. Elys ia (Smith) McG ill, 2003 E lys ia is the K-5 voca l mus ic director at the Sabetha, Kansas Schoo l Distri ct. She is wo rkin g on a Masters of Art in Edu cation deg ree from Baker Uni ve rs ity. Elysia and hu sband Matt have two daughte rs, Madyson Sue, 6, and P yper Katherin e, I . Derrick Niederklein, 2004 Derrick and Kristi Stierwa lt were married on Septe mber 24, 2005, at Messiah Lutheran Ch urch in Lincoln . Derr ick earned a business deg ree from PSC. He wo rks in a li a ison capac ity with th e Nebraska Department of Property Assess ment and Ta xati on. Ca rrie Nielsen, 2004 Carri e is a teac her at St. John th e Baptist School. She teaches PE, comp ute rs, a nd seventh grade pre-a lgebra. Ca rri e ho lds a deg ree in e lementary ed ucati on, an endo rse ment in middl e schoo l, a nd spec ia li zes in physica l education, sc ience, and lang uage. Tara (James) Roberts, 2002 C had a nd Tara were married on Jul y 16, 2005, at West Hill s Presbyte ri an C hurch in O maha. T ara is emplo yed at Securiti es A meri ca in Oma ha.

Clayton Seeba, 2003 C layton and Michelle Hain were ma rri ed on Jul y 23 , 2005. C layton earned a Bachelors degree in education from PSC and is a fifth grade teacher a nd coach w ith Elm woodMurdock Public Schoo l. Shelly Sorenson, 2002 Shel ly teaches s ixth g rade at Tri-Center. She taught third and fourt h grade for one yea r at St. P atrick 's in Missouri Va ll ey, Iowa and s ixth and eighth grade for nin e yea rs at Lewis Ce ntra l. She ll y received her Bache lo r of Science degree in education from the Uni vers ity of South Dakota and earned her Master of Science degree in instru cti ona l technology from P SC. Freedom (Robinson) Steele, 2000 Freedom is a member of the Sterlin g Publi c Schoo ls faculty. She is an Eng li sh instructo r for grades 8- 12 and ass ists w ith speech and theatre productions . Freedom grad uated fro m PSC wi th a Bachelor of Arts degree in Eng li sh in Secondary Education, Speech and Theater. She previous ly taug ht at Hershey Hi gh Schoo l in Nebraska C ity where she was Teac her of the Year durin g the 2000-200 I schoo l year. She is a member of the Nebraska State Education Assoc iati on.

Amy (Higa) Studts , 2004 Am y an d Adam were married on August 27, 2005, at Kountze Memorial Lutheran C hurch in Omaha. Amy graduated from PSC with a Masters degree in ed ucation. She is empl oyed at Papillion-La Vista Hi gh Sc hool.

If you have a Class Note you would like to share, please contact the PSC Foundation: P.O. Box 10 Peru, NE 68421 Phone: (402) 872-2304 Fax: (402) 872-2408 PSCFoundation@oakmail.peru.edu

You can also post your Class Notes on the alumni website by joining the online community at www.bobcatalumni.com.

Enrollment

Co ntinued from page 2

" As a member of the military I was unabl e to attend co llege until my twe nty-fo urth birthday due to deployments overseas," sa id Justin C learman of Philade lphi a, MS. " I prev iously had some co llege experi ence, but none as memorabl e as my time at Peru State." A participant in a PSC acce lerated business degree progra m, Clearman graduated in 2004 . Tecumseh student Jenn y Stinson likes the Peru State campus. " I chose Peru because of its bea utiful small ca mpus and tuiti on pri ce," she said . " I we nt to a larger co ll ege my first yea r and rea li zed it was not fo r me. It was hard to meet people and get to kn ow them. Peru is a great place to form fri endships that will last a li fe time."

"60's Plus 2" Alumni Reunion July 21 - 23, 2006 You're Invited to Join in the Fun!

And how do PSC graduates fa re in the j ob market? Dr. Jo hn son affirmed that PSC graduates fi nd j obs in their fie lds of stud y. "The vast maj ority of our teacher educati on graduates get a j ob within six month s of graduati on. " And , even before graduation man y of our sc ience students become publi shed researchers whil e still undergraduates. Students are able ac hieve these " bi g schoo l" goa ls within the fri endl y atmosphere of a small ca mpus. It rea lly is the best of both wo rlds. "Peru State's 13 8-year history is far from compl ete. In fact, Peru ' s greatest days li e ahead. " We full y expect to have th e same kind of enro llment ga in s next yea r," the Pres ident said . "As long as we are responsive to the needs of th e education market, we will continue to grow . It 's not rocket science; it 's simply a matter of offerin g something of va lue and e liminating th e obstacles to success."

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virtually no courses over th e internet. Now Peru State is a national leader in internet education . We offer six bach elors and two Masters degrees entirely online. In fac t, our most dramati c area of gro wth is online-onl y students. T hi s sprin g we have a 11 5 percent increase over the same time last yea r - 524 students in spring 2006 compared to 244 in spring 2005. It may be hard to beli eve, but 70 percent of a ll students (on- and off-campus) take one or more classes online. " "We are a lways looking for new ways to make our progra ms wo rk fo r students," Dr. Tande expl ain ed. "We began offerin g our Masters in Educati on degree in a unique form at last fall , using the online cohort model. The students in the program, all c lass room teachers, begin the program together, meet peri odi call y at a single location , do much of their course work on line, and graduate together. Thi s is a great exa mpl e of thin king outside of the box. Every graduate cl ass in every course is tailored to meet those pa1ticular teachers' day-to-day c lassroom needs. "We started with two coh orts last fall , one in Omaha and one in Peru , th en in January we added a third cohort in Omaha. Ri ght now we are deve loping no fewer than six new cohorts to be located in va rious communiti es throu ghout Nebraska . Some will be launching in June with more starting next fall." Dr. Johnson concluded the interview by saying, "The story of Peru State's enrollment growth is just beginning to be told . We have many new student-centered progra ms on the dra wing board s. And some will be tomorrow's engines for gro wth. In fac t, Dr. Tande and I are off to a meeting now to ta lk with the Nebraska Coordinating Commi ss ion about Peru State's first Mas ters degree outside the fi e ld of teacher educati on. Want to come a long?"

Gloria (Bean) Adams , '70, Jim O'Donoghue, '68 , and Arlene (Borcher) Fell, '67 at the July 2005 Sixties reunion, Colebrook's Cove, Worcester , MA.

Please join me and fe llow Bobcats on the Campu s of a Thousand Oaks, the weekend of Jul y 2 1st. We are pl anning a once-in-a-li fe time reunion to celebrate the graduates of 1960197 1. Please visit our website at http ://www.bobcatalumni.com for a current registration li st. To date 11 5 peopl e have paid depos its and are committed to attend . Thi s number grows every day. A preliminary acti vities schedule, registrati on fo rm, and lodging informati on are included on the site. You'll hate yourse lf, if you mi ss thi s incredibl e oppo1tunity !

Paul Fell, '67 National Alumni Association Preside11t "'60s Plus 2" Reunion Commillee Chairman

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In Memoriam

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1920s Lucy Ann (Majors) Atkins, 1929 Lucy, 96, of Scottsbluff died August 4, 2005, at Heritage Health Care Center in Gerin g. On September 4, 1929, she married Louis. The co upl e li ved in Edga r for a short time but later returned to Peru where they farmed for 20 years . In 1946, they moved to Oga ll ala where they owned and operated a motel fo r four years . The coupl e then moved to Scottsbluff in 1950 . Lucy began playing bridge and continued playing until her 95th year.

1930s Betty F. (Zajicek) Menke, 1934 Elizabeth "Betty" Frances of Wilber passed away May 30, 2005 at the age of 9 1. After receiving a teaching certifi cate from Peru State Teacher' s College, Betty began teaching in a one-room school in District 29. She married Francis Menke. She traveled to both coasts and vo lunteered her time to help others. She was a member and frequent officer of Delta Kappa Gamma. Marvin Miller, 1936 Marvin, 90, died August 11 , 2005. He taught and coached at various schools throughout Nebraska. In 1943 , he entered th e U.S. Army and served during World War II. He was awa rded a Purple Heart in 1944. On October 12, 1946, Marvin married Mary " Coney" Go lden and they had three sons. Marvin taught hi gh school, coached, and was principal of O 'Neill Public School fo r 40 years. He was a president of the Nebraska State Ed ucation Association , District 3 and a Nebraska Coaches Association charter member. Ruby Blanche Miller, 1936 Ruby, 92, died September 30, 2005 , at Elm Heights Park Crest Center in Shenandoa h, Iowa. She grad uated from Peru State Co llege with a degree in teaching. Her teaching career span ned nearly 40 years, inc luding a yea r in the Shenandoah schoo l system and the . remainder in Rockford, Illinois. She received a Distinguished Service Award from Rockford Public Schools. James Leslie Oppenheimer, 1938 James passed away in Co un cil Bluffs on November 6, 2005. After attendin g Peru State College, James earned a Masters degree from Stanford University. He married Mildred Crocker on January 26, I 942, then served as a pilot during World War II. Afte r the war, James and his wife settl ed in Alameda, California, where he was a principal fo r several schools until hi s retirement.

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Ralph E. Scholl, 1938 Ralph, 9 1, died on March 12, 2005 in Columbus, Oh io. He graduated from Peru State Col lege with a Bachelor of Arts degree then worked as a budget officer. His as hes were buried in the Military Cemetery in Dayton, Ohi o. Daisy M. (Dahlstrom) Timmons, 1936 Da isy, a Peru nat ive, died on September 28, 2005. She graduated from Peru State College in 1936. Rosemary (Cloidt) Ulrich, 1936 Rosemary, 87, passed away on July 9, 2005 at Plattsmouth Manor in Plattsmouth. She earned a teaching ce11ificate from Peru State Coll ege, and taught in the Cass County school system until her maniage in I 938 to Albet1 " Bud" Ulrich . Rosemary was a member of Ch urch of the Holy Spirit, Catholi c Daughters of America, Cass County Democratic Women (founding member) and the Fairview Extensions Club .

1940s Helen Elenore (Heusmann) Brown, 1943 He len, 82, passed away Jul y 23, 2005 at th e Sutherland Care Center where she resided beginning in December, 2004. After receiving a teaching certificate from Peru State College, she taught at several country schools in Cass and Johnson counti es. Helen married Clarence "Charlie" A. Brown in Roswell , New Mexico on November 24, I 945. The couple settled in

Pine Bluffs, Wyoming where they farmed and ranc hed until 1969. Then they owned and operated a John Deere dealership in Oshkosh, Wyoming until 1988. Helen was a member of the Oshkosh United Methodist Church and United Methodist Women , past Matron of Pine Bluffs, Wyoming Chapter 46 Order of the Eastern Star, and served several appointed offices at the Wyoming O.E.S. Grand Chapter.

Wanda E. (Nicholas) Brown, 1947 Wanda, 79, died June 25, 2005, in Lincoln. She taught at various school s throughout Nebraska including Norfo lk, York, Malco lm, and Lincoln Northeast. She was a member of Capitol City Christian Church and PEO. Thorne P. Dillon, 1940 Thorne, 78, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, passed away October 7, 2005. He married June Suhr, a Peru State grad uate in 1949. Mary Kay (Sporer) Eastridge, 1946 Mary, 77, passed away October 16, 2005. She received a teaching certificate from Peru State College in 1946. On March 14, 1947, she married James Eastridge in Hiawatha, Kansas. Mary taught for three years then began to help Jim with the family busi ness, Way Side Ga rdens. As a member of the Murray Christi an Church, Mary earn ed the distinction of becoming the Church's first female deacon. Berniece Leona (Ackerman) Fisher, 1940 Berniece passed away July 18, 2005. After receiv ing her teaching certifi cate from Peru State College, she taught country school at White Rose School for five years. On February 24, 1942, she married Ernest Fisher and worked alongside him until his death in 1998 . Berniece was a member of the Virginia Chri stian Church, the Helping Hand Club, and American Legion Post 367 at Virginia. Rex Floyd, 1946 Lt. Col. Rex Floyd, 86, di ed August 24, 2005. He attended Peru State College before enlisting in the Army in 194 I. Prior to shipping overseas, Rex married Hope Cat1er ('42), in Arizona. This began a 63-year marriage whi ch lasted until Hope' s death in February, 2005. Rex's military career invo lved work in social services, the USO, and teach ing. In the late 1960s, th e Floyds moved to Fairfield, Ca li forn ia where Rex retired from the military. Here, he worked as a Junior ROTC instructor at Fairfield High School for 14 years. In add ition to his ro le with the Community Services Foundation, Rex was a leader in the campaign to create Rancho Solano and Paradise Valley golf courses.

October 29, 1950, Roy married Joann D. Janousek. He began hi s teaching ca reer at Lewi ston then worked as a coach, teacher, and admini strator at Arthur. Roy served as superintendent at Venango until 1967 th en at Harvard until hi s retirement in 1989. Roy was a member of the Un ited Church of Chri st in Harva rd and held vari ous offices .'' ' and positions with in the church . He served on the boards of Harvard Rest i Haven, Harvard Library and Harvard But days are here, Townhouses. Roy was also a member of Harvard Mason ic Lodge No. 44, Our hearts are rely glad, American Legion Post No. 185, Elks No. 159, and a member of Harvard Yet an untold somct ing, unexplained, Lions Club .

Wilma M. (Wellsandt) Folkerts, 1947 Wilma died May 25 , 2005, at th e age of80 . Prior to her marri age to Ken neth E. Fo lkerts in 1950, Wi lma tau ght school in Macedonia, Iowa. Wilma and Kenneth li ved and fa rmed in Talmage. Robert Geiger, 1948 Bob, 60, died September 30, 2005, at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney. In 1963, Bob entered the Navy and se rved during Vietnam. He was honorabl y di scharged in 1967 after earn ing the rank of AG-3. On August 18, 1972, Bob marri ed Judith A. Jeffri es. Bob had numerous jobs in radi o. He received several broadcasting award s and was a member of th e Church of Chri st.

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Gladys Marcelle (Redding) Goerke, 1940 Gladys di ed August 28, 2003, at her home in Medford , Oregon. She attend ed Peru State College where she met and later married Delton. She taught in schools near Syracuse durin g th e war years and then moved with Delton to San Franc isco, California where they ra ised two boys. Mona Ann (M ulder) Liesveld, 1942 Mona died May 15, 2005 , in Lincoln . She received a teaching certificate from Peru State College and worked as a teacher, grocery clerk, cashier, desk clerk, and bookkeeper. She also served as a member of the Presbyterian Church, an elder, choir member, Sunday School teacher, and officer of the Women's Circle. Inez (Longfellow) Lindley, 1941 Inez, 83, passed away November 14, 2005, in Seattle. She attended Peru State College and went on to teach at Nemaha and Burwe ll . In 1943, she moved to Seattle to start working at Boeing to help the war effort. After marrying her husband Charl es, she continued to work at Boeing as an executi ve secretary until her retirement in 1984.

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John 's Lutheran Church and taught Sunday school for many years.

Blanche Schaefer, 1942 Blanche, 84, died May 25, 2004, at the Hospice House in Omaha. She received a teaching certificate fro m Peru State College. After teaching in Leigh, Blair, and Omaha, she worked in the offices of Ashgrove Cement Co. in Omaha unti l her retirement in 1980.

Mary M. (Mannschreck) Mills, 1943 Mary, 81, of Littleton, Colorado, passed away on October 14, 2005. After graduatin g from Peru State Coll ege, Mary beca me a Kindergarten teacher in the Denver Public Schools System where she taught for 32 years .

Delpha May (Niemeyer) Stanley, 1944 Delpha, 78, di ed Nove mber 15, 2005 . After receiving a teaching certificate from Peru State College in 1944, Delpha tau ght at Windy Lonesome School from 1945 to 47. Fro m 1947- 1950 she taught in the Stell a grade school. On August 29, 1948, she wed Blaine at Coryell Park. In 1974, Delpha compl eted a Bachelors Degree in ed ucati on at Peru State and returned to teachin g at Southeast Conso lidated School, whe re she taught until her retirement in 1994. Her memberships include Pra irie Un ion Baptist Church, the Eastern Star, the Happy Hour Club, and the Retired Teachers Assoc iation.

Delores L. (Schreiner) Pedersen, 1946 Delores, 8 1, di ed October 4, 2005, at South view Manor Care Center in Cozad. Delores graduated from Peru State College w ith a degree in elementary educati on then moved to Cozad where she taught elementary school fo r two years. On June 25, 1949, she marri ed Harold. Delores was a member of St.

Roy F. Laue, 1950 Roy, 77, died August 15, 2005 , at Memori al Hos pital in Aurora . Roy served in the U.S. Navy and graduated fro m Peru State College in 1950. He earned Masters degrees at PSC and the Uni vers ity of Nebraska-Lincoln . On

1950s

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Eugene L. Larsen, 1953 Eugene, 78, passed away October 11 , 2005 . In 1945 he entered the Navy. He served in both World War II and the Korean Confli ct. On January 15, 1950, he marri ed Jayne Bedient. Eugene attended York Coll ege and graduated from Peru State College where he excelled in football, basketball , and track. Eugene was inducted into the Peru State Football Ha ll of Fame. For over 31 years he taught math and coached at Red Cloud, Hamp ton, and District 66 Middle School. His memberships inc lude St. Paul ' s Lutheran Church and the American Leg ion Post 374 in Millard. Dr. Gera ld Dean Trullinger, 1956 Jerry passed away September 30, 2005 , at Marshalltown Medical & Surgical Center in Marshalltown, Iowa. Jerry earned his pilot's license at the age of 17. He played footba ll and basketball at Peru State College and gradu ated in 1956. Jerry received hi s Masters Degree from the Uni vers ity of Missouri at Maryville in 1964 and earn ed his Ph.D. in Educational Administration from Iowa State Un ivers ity in 1974. Jerry tau ght graduate classes in Ed ucational Admini strati on at !SU. Richard T. Yelkin, 1959 Richard died June 22, 2005, at the St. Francis Medical Center in Grand Island. From July 195 1 to Jul y 1955, Richard served in th e United States Navy during the Ko rean War. On August 19, 1956, he marr ied Ruth Marlene Roe. Richard received a teaching degree from Peru State Coll ege in 1959 and tau ght in Sterling for two yea rs. He became a superin tendent at Sterlin g schools and later at Loup City Publi c Schools. Richard served as a teacher, principal , and superintendent of Friend, Alma, and Madison publ ic schools. He was a member of the Nebraska Education Associati on, National Edu cation Assoc iation, American Legion Post 48 , and VFW Post 7027 .

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In Memoriam

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1960s Leona Irene (Ebbers) Burd, 1967 Leona, 93 , passed awa y August 22 , 2005, at th e Beatrice Good Samaritan home. Leona marri ed Cec il on Jul y 16, 1939. The co upl e made th ei r ho me o n a fa rm near Fairbury. Leona tau ght at Pl ymo uth , DeWitt and TriCo unty schools, th en at Western until her retirement in 1975 . She was a member of the First Church of God in Fairbury, the University of Nebraska Co ll ege Women , and the Busy Fingers C lub. She was a 4-H member and leader, a member of the NSEA and Retired Teachers as we ll as a 48-year member of th e Order of Eastern Star Eastern 68 of Fairbury, servin g as Worth y Matron in 1976.

teachin g career including Happy Hollow, Ro hrs, Center, Cochran , Antioch Elementary School , and Brown ville. After retiring in 1988, she remain ed busy as a sub stitute teacher and vo lunteer mentor for the ABE class. Est her was a member of many clu bs such as the Auburn Women ' s C lub, the Go lden Rul e Extension C lub, and several square dance clubs.

Jessamine H. (Hinds) McMullen, 1973 Jessa min e passed away Jul y 20, 2005. She marri ed Richard on June 14, 1930, and the

Charles (Chuck) Lee Ryan, 1991 Chuck, 42 , of Las Vegas, Nevada, di ed January 4, 2006. He received degrees in M eteorology from the Air Force Community College and in Business Management from Peru State College.

1970s

Peggy Jo Wheeler, J999

John L. Bristol, 1970 John , 60, died October 16, 2005 . He attended Peru State Coll ege w here he ea rn ed a degree in Ph ys ical Education. In 1965 , John j oined the Marine Corp s and served in Vietnam. On August 17, 1968 , he marri ed Winni e Turpin. For 32 yea rs Jo hn was a teacher and a coach for th e Fort Dodge Schoo l System. After retirin g in 2002, he beca me a fu ll tim e maintenan ce worker for th e C ity of Fort Dodge Parks and Forestry Department.

Peggy, 37 , passed away Nove mber 26, 2003. She taught English and Computer Tec hn ology at Central Hi g h Schoo l in Omaha from 1989-2003. Peggy graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Uni versity of Nebraska-Omaha with a Bachelor of Arts in Ed ucati on degree. She then earned a Masters degree in Instructional Technology from Peru State College . Her memberships include Kappa Kappa Iota Teac her ' s Sorority and Delta Conclave in Omaha.

Allen Leo Schnitzer, 1970

William L. Johnson, 2004

Allen di ed in the spring of2005. He attended Peru State College where he was a member of the bas ketball team for fo ur years and a member of th e footbal l team for o ne yea r. A llen marri ed Diane Larsen on May 28 , 1977 and th e couple had two sons. Al len tau ght for two years at Bishop O'Hara Hi gh School in Kansas C ity, Missouri , and four years at Truman Hi gh School in Ind ependence, Misso uri. He later returned to Nebraska C ity in 1976 and taught at Ne braska C ity Middl e School until hi s retirement in th e spring of2005 . Allen was a member of St. Benedict ' s Catholic C hurch and th e Knights of Columbus.

Esther (Vannoy) Gebers, 1971 Esth er, 79, passed away Nove mber 7, 2005 . She marri ed Raymond on Jun e 18, 195 0, at the Presbyte rian C hurch in Auburn . They were marri ed fo r 55 yea rs and had one daughter, Ramona. Esther received her teaching degree from Peru State in 197 1. She taught at many different sc hools durin g her

earned B. S. and M.A. degrees from th e Un iversity of Minnesota and an Ed.D. at the Uni versity of Co lorado . In th e fa ll of 1988, he joined the fac ulty of Peru State College as Dea n of Grad uate Stud ies and Ed ucation Di vision Chairman. From 1999-2000 he served as Interim Dean of Education . Jerry was a member of many profess ional organizations in Colorado, Nebraska, and Minnesota as we ll as the nat ional hi story hono rs fraternity. He was acti ve in th e First Presbyterian Church of Auburn .

BOBCAT BANNER Spring 2006

2000s William Johnson, 3 1, di ed December 9, 2005, in Fal ls C ity. He served in th e U.S . Navy and was employed w ith Nebraska Department of Co rrection in Tecumseh. William rece ived a degree in C rimin al Ju sti ce from Peru State Co llege in 2004.

Jerry D. Romines, Jr., 2003 couple had three children. Jessamine worked for yea rs with her hu sband in both the banking and insurance business. She received a Bachelors degree from Peru State Co llege in 1973. She was a li fe-long member of th e Stella Co mmunity Church, an active member of th e O.E.S. , D.A .R. and th e Stel la Resea rch Club . She supported the Brownvill e Concert Series, the Brow nville Village Theater, and man y mi ssionaries.

1990s Dr. Jerrold Hanson, 1994 Jerry di ed August 22, 2003 , at hi s home in Colorado. Jerry served in the Marines and

Jerry, 38, di ed Aug ust 2, 2003 , at Co mmunity Hospital in Fairfax, Missouri. At th e time of hi s dea th he was enroll ed at Peru State Coll ege and schedul ed to gradu ate in December. In 1985, Jerry j o ined the United States Army where he served hi s country with the Elite I 0'11 Mountain Infantry Di vision and received hi s honorabl e discharge in 1988. Jerry marri ed Jennifer Gay Lew is on Jul y 12, l 986. The co upl e had two children and made th eir home in Tarkio, Mi ssouri , where Jerry was em ployed as a youth counselor by the Y.S.I. Tarkio Academy. From 1996- 1998 Jerry coached footba ll at th e Academy. In 1999, he began coachin g footba ll at Peru State Co ll ege.

Scholars-Athletes Continued from page 1O

recognition following her sophomore and junior seasons. Commenting on her second scholar-athlete award, she said,"! am honored to be named a Scholar Athlete. It is nice to be recognized for hard work on, as well as of( the court. I strive to set a good example for underclassmen, encouraging them to excel in the classroom." Following in her older sister Meghan's footsteps, Lindsay Scanlan became the second in her family to not only play volleyball for the Bobcats, but also to earn scholar-athlete recognition. Lindsay played for the Plattsmouth High School Blue Devils before coming to PSC. Lindsay said, "Being a student athlete at PSC has been both challenging and rewarding. It has taught me to balance my life, creating schedules and deadlines that must be met. It's important to note that PSC's Women's Volleyball scholar-athlete recognition didn't start with us; it is a tradition passed along for years. "We have always worked as a unit, helping each other in areas of difficulty. Volleyball team trips tend to be small tutoring sessions on van rides to and from games. I credit much of this award to my fellow players and to players of the past. Their dedication and leadership has shown me what it takes to succeed on and off the court." Scanlan is a senior management and marketing major and will be graduating this May. She was an outside hitter for the team. Another two-time scholar-athlete, Evi Steffens, will graduate with a degree in Language Arts education. This year she is the editor of the Peru State Times, the student newspaper on campus. Evi student taught in the Auburn Public Schools and played a variety of positions for the Bobcats. This year she was a middle blocker. Evi also won the conference and Region 4 Walker Outstanding Athlete A ward. She graduated from JohnsonBrock High School. Upon hearing that she received the award Evi said. "It is exciting to receive this honor with my teammates because we have been Bobcats for four years, and are close friends. Not only have we put in many hours on the court, but also budgeted time so that we could succeed in the classroom. Along with athletics and academics there are many leadership roles available to students at PSC.

"! am glad that we took the time to get involved with campus activities. The

experience gained outside the classroom has been very rewarding, and will benefit us greatly in the years to come." With the addition of these four students, there have been thirty-two scholar-athletes on the women's volleyball team since 1988. Sam Carter, an offensive lineman, is a senior Business Administration Management major from LeRoy. Kansas. He transferred to PSC after playing at Highland (KS) Community College. Sam played high school football at Burlington (KS) High School. Pleased to learn of his honor, Sam commented, "Peru State College has given me the opportunity to play sports. as well as receive a quality education. I am very excited and honored to receive this award. I appreciate all that the coaches and this school do fr1r me." A senior K-12 Physical Education and Coaching major, Rusty Fuller played on both sides of the ball for the Bobcats this past fall. After starting the season on the defensive side, Fuller ended up playing offense and defense due to a rash of injuries in the offensive backfield. A transfer from Hastings College and UNL, Fuller was a stand-out at Cambridge High School. Rusty noted, "In order to be a good studentathlete, you must have great organizational and time management skills. The professors at PSC create a very effective learning environment that helps students succeed. So a 'thank you' should be extended to all the teachers at Peru State College." Fuller intends to be a high school teacher and coach. Auburn, Nebraska native and high school graduate Jared Gerdes stated, "It takes a lot of hard work and time to be a student-athlete. You must stay focused and keep yourself motivated to achieve your goals. When you do, it is well worth the effort." Gerdes is a junior Technology - Management major. He started the season as a wide receiver, but was sidelined due to an injury. Following a successful high school academic and athletic career at Johnson-Brock High School, Lynn Meyer continues to excel as a Bobcat. Meyer is a senior K-12 Physical Education, Coaching, and Sports Management 1m~or. Meyer said, "The coaching staff stresses academic success as well as athletic prowess. The academic support and resources offered at PSC have made my accomplishments possible both in the classroom and on the field." Meyer is considering teaching, coaching or seeking employment in the sports management field following graduation. Lynn

is a running back, but like Jared, spent part of the season on the sideline due to an i1~ury. PSC Head Football Coach Terry Clark noted, "We are extremely proud of these young men. They not only excel in the classroom. but are leaders on the field. We are very fortunate to have all of these players returning for the 2006 season." The addition of these four students brings to twenty-six the total number of scholar-athletes in the football program since 1997.

2005 Senior Football Players from p. 9: Front Row: 97 Lukas Burki, Papillion 34 John Achord, Lincoln 5 Rusty Fuller, Cambridge 52 Drew Donscheski, Lincoln 11 Ben Fehringer, Pierce 55 Matt Gulizia, Auburn Back Row: 33 Luke Page, Parker (KS) 12 Dan Burns, Omaha 62 Cole Brockmoller, Lexington 72 Scott Flurry, Bellevue 2 Mike Robinson, Reno (NV) 25 Michael King Jr., Omaha 3 AJ Mertens, Hastings 2005 Volleyball Team from p. 10: Front Row: 6 Evi Steffens, Johnson 1 Lindsey Baugartner, Fort Morgan (CO) 3 Kristin Delaney, Freemont 24 Afton Burr, Bellevue 14 Lindsay Scanlan, Plattsmouth 12 Elizabeth Einspahr, Hildreth 9 Kristen Schrad, Omaha Back Row: 2 Keshia Seiko, Mead 1O Jessika Wetzler, Las Vegas ( NV) 11 Christina Dewey, Virginia Beach (VA) 15 Jerlyn Cummins, Dawson 4 Kelsi Witt, Falls City 8 Allison Slager, Papillion 7 Kelly Scanlan, Plattsmouth 13 Sara Kenne, Papillion 5 Sarah Zink, Omaha 2005 Cross Country Team from p. 11: Front Row: Allison Stockstell, Hamburg (IA) Middle Row: Lindsey Poole, Omaha Molly Belt, Ulysses (KS) Brittany Schaefer, Omaha Natasha Price, Pierce Back Row: James Cole, Asst. Coach, Papillion Dr. Johann Murray, Head Coach

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Building Community Peru State College President Ben Johnson, driving force behind the renaissance of the College and a booster of Southeast Nebraska, was presented the Community Builder's Award by the City of Auburn. "Based on your achievements in transforming Peru State College into a premier learning center of higher education, and in recognition of your successful efforts to improve the quality of life in Southeast Nebraska, you have been selected to receive this award," said Auburn Mayor Bob Engles. Dr. Johnson expressed his thanks to the people of Auburn and Southeast Nebraska, saying, "I am truly humbled to receive this award. I accept it with the gratitude of the students and staff of Peru State College for the continued support of the entire community."

To begin receiving regular issues of The Bobcat Banner, please return this completed form together with $25.00 to Peru State College Foundation, P.O. Box JO, Peru, NE 68421.

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BoBcA~ PERU STATE COLLEGE FOUNDATION AND NATIONAL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

Â· A Promising Future for PSC's NAA

PSC Foundation Dr. Dan Johnson, Executive Director Constance Walter, Assistant Director Krystal Nolte ('04). Alumni Relations Director Angie Balquier ('04), Accountant Chelsea Allgood ('07) , Student Assistant Stephanie Hoffman, ('09), Student Assistant Laura Stark, ('10). Student Assistant PSC Administration Dr. Ben Johnson , President Linda Jacobsen , Vice President fo r Administration & Finance Dr. Korrine Tande, Vice President for Academic & Student Affairs Regan Anson, Director of Marketing & Public Affairs Linda Moody, Secretary to the Presiden t Connie Kearney, Secretary to th e Vice President fo r Academic & Student Affairs Bobcat Banner Graphics/ Page Design Krystal Nolte Rebecca Oetjen Johnson ('04), PSC Graphic Design Artist, Marketing & Public Affairs Chelsea Allgood

Please send address changes and comments or suggestions to: Peru State College Foundation 600 Hoyt Street P.O. Box 10 Peru, NE 68421-0010 Phone: (402) 872-2304 Fax: (402) 872-2408 Email: PSCFoundation@oa kmail.peru.edu Web: www.bobcatalumni.com

Bobcat Banner Writers: Dr. Dan Johnson Constance Walter Dr. Stephen Sylvester, Former Dean, School of Arts & Sciences and Former Athletic Administrator Photography: PSC Marketing and Public Affairs PSC Foundation and National Alumni Association The Bobcat Banner is published three times a year by the Peru State College Foundation and National Alumni Association. Subscriptions may be purchased by filling out the enclosed subscription form and mailing it with your check for $25 to the PSC Foundation.

National Alumni Association: A Jewel in PSC's Crown

Beneath the Oaks Windows Tell of Building's Past, Illuminate the Educational Experience

Bobcat Athletics Athletics vs. Academics: A Focus on the Whole Athlete

Alumni Association Class Notes and In Memoriam

Upon entering the newl~ renovated librar~ , the e~e is immediate!~ drawn toward the windows, which serve as tra mes tor eight beautiful stained glass works ot art. The vibrant colors capture the light, the whimsical lines, the imagination. The~ speak ot the past and the tuturei ~journe~s taken and those ~et to come. I he~ proclaim inevitable change and retlect what college should be: a 9uest tor knowledge that is at once exciting a nd challenging. The windows are a recent addition to the newly renovated library and fulfill the One Percent for Art requirement set down by the Nebraska Legislature in 1979. Dr. Ben Johnson, president of Peru Sate College, was the force behind the project, said Steve Sylvester, former Dean of Arts and Sciences and chair of the One Percent for Art Committee. "He wanted something that was innovative;' Sylvester said. "He thought stained glass was the best way to do that and that it would be permanent but not invasive:' That was quite a challenge, Johnson said. "We wanted the artwork to be captivating, unique and educational. We also wanted it to reflect the history of this building and our campus. We struck the perfect balance with these truly stunning stained glass windows:' The windows were designed by Cindy Kessler. In addition 2

BENEATH THE O AKS

to meeting the president's goal, Kessler wanted to create a true artistic experience for visitors to the library. "I wanted to humanize the built environment; to make it feel good to the human spirit so that people would respond on that level first;' she said. "The architectural setting gave me a lot of freedom to do that:' Kessler calls her work "abstract symbology" because it is abstract, yet is interwoven with stories. Created in her Loveland, Ohio, studio, the windows tell two tales: the history of the building and the college experience. The five windows on the west side portray the many uses of the building-chapel, roller rink, art department, science building and gymnasium- while the three large windows at the south end, titled "The Journey;' represent a student's educational experience. When people first see the windows, they are drawn to the colors and lines, Kessler said. Each piece is accompanied by a brief description of the work, which allows viewers to experience another level of appreciation. "I like that each piece has something woven within. Then when they read the description, they say, 'Oh, so that's what that is:" Johnson, who has a keen appreciation for art, has always been drawn to glass. Several beautiful glass pieces adorn his office, including two that are more than 2,000 years old. It was his love for the medium that inspired him to choose stained glass for the library project. He was also inspired by the history of the building, which at one time was a chapel filled with stained glass windows. "We couldn't return the windows from the chapel;' he said. "But we could do something to bring the stained glass back into the building:' When beginning the search for an artist, Sylvester's committee had a specific goal. "We wanted an interpretive project that would appeal to a variety of perspectives:'

The committee advertised internationally through the Nebraska Arts Council and received 70 proposals from stained glass artists around the world. The group then whittled the proposals down to five and invited those artists to create models for display in the library. Visitors filled out evaluation forms, as did invited guests, to help determine which project would be selected. Sylvester said the majority of people chose Kessler's design. When working on designs, Kessler begins by creating collages from colored paper. She puts on music then begins to move the paper around. "There is a certain spirituality to designing artwork;' she said. "It's a kind of meditative state of mind in which you allow the concept to flow through you and let the colors and forms be your guide in the process:' Once she has the basic design, Kessler chooses the glass that will be used in the work. In this case, she chose German Opak, a colored glass that is mouth blown sheet by sheet. The process causes undulations in the glass and creates variations in thickness and color intensity. This allows for richer hues of each color, giving each art piece greater depth. The five historical stained glass windows hang on the west side of the building, while the three that make up "The Journey" hang within the south windows. When initially hung, a decision was made to put one of the historical pieces on the east side, which broke up the flow. That window eventually was placed with the others on the west side; however, this 'mistake' led to a decision to expand the project. "I was thinking, 'We have four windows left;" Johnson said. "I want to keep with the theme and I thought four seasons would maintain the idea of time passing:' Kessler will begin work on four new windows this year. The first eight windows were dedicated in April and there seems

to be a consensus about the end result. 'Tm delighted;' Sylvester said. "It's beautiful and does what it's supposed to do. And people like it. The committee did a great job:' Kessler said, "I was very pleased with the end product. I like the way the windows hang within the other windows and the way they work in the space:' When starting the project, Johnson insisted on three things: that the project reflect the rich 139-year history of the college, that it emphasize PSC's educational goals and that it enhance the space. He believes that has been accomplished. "I love it;' Johnson said. "We ought to have art that means something and this certainly does. The windows add extra interest to an already beautiful building and are a surprise for everyone who comes into the library:'

"We wanted the artwork to be captivating, uni9ue and educational. We also wanted it to retlect the histor~ ot this building and our campus. We struck the pertect balance with these trul~ stunning stained glass windows." - Dr. {)en Johnson f SC f resident

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The Art of Stained Glass Stained glass comes in sheets that vary in size depending on the manufacturer. Cindy and Bob Kessler, who own Kessler Studios in Loveland, Ohio, use Lamberts glass (an opak glass) from Germany. The sheets are handmade but fairly consistent at 2' x 3' and about 1/8" thick. Because they are mouth blown, the sheets have variations in the lightness and darkness of the color and allow for greater richness in each stained glass piece. Cindy Kessler begins the process by creating collages on a white backdrop. Interspersed among the colored paper pieces she adds black lines, which will become cames (lead bars used to hold together the panes in the window), in the finished product. "Their grace and placement must work with the piece and enhance it;' Cindy Kessler said. "They're utilitarian, but they have to harmonize." Once Cindy has created the collage, they become scale drawings. Those are then enlarged to full scale, which are called "cartoons:' Exact duplicates of the cartoon are cut into individual pieces of paper for each piece of glass ("this requires careful marking to ensure that we keep track of which piece goes to which window;' Bob Kessler said). Those cut pieces are then laid out as patterns on the sheets of glass. Specialists then cut pieces of glass on each sheet and store them until the assembly process begins. For more information about the stained glass process, visit: www.kesslerstudios.com.

1. Before beginning to work with stained glass, the artist creates "cartoons" of the design. 2. Cindy Kessler creates a collage. 3. Bob Kessler puts together a stained glass piece. 4. The three windows that make up "The Journey" hang on the south side of the Library.

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n many large universities and colleges a chasm exists between athletics and academics. Coaches and athletic directors focus on producing athletes who can win games and championships, leaving academics to, well, the academicians. That doesn't mean these coaches don't care about the athlete's overall success. For the most part, however, as long as the athlete is meeting the minimum requirements, coaches stay out of the academic side of things. At Peru State College there's a very different mindset. In its place is a more holistic approach to educating student athletes. This approach puts greater emphasis on creating a positive experience in both the academic and athletic arena said Dr. Korinne Tande, vice president for academic and student affairs. "We've learned coaches are very important in student athletes' lives;' she said. "And if they also teach, they build stronger connections with students - as a coach, as a mentor and as a member of the PSC community. Students see more skills and talents in someone they already admire. In fact, they often aspire to be like that person:' Head football coach Terry Clark agrees, "Students see what we are trying to accomplish with athletics and they understand that academics is the main reason to be here:' That, he said, makes student athletes work harder to be successful in both arenas. Statistics prove it's more realistic to focus on the whole student. For example, millions of children play sports in high school but only a few thousand receive any kind of athletic or academic scholarship. Of those, less than 5 percent will sign any kind of professional contract upon leaving college, said Adrian Haymond, a sports writer at UCLA. Most of those contracts will be offered to athletes from larger institutions. That means that for more than 95 percent of students, graduating from college is essential if they are to compete in the real world. And that's the real reason parents send their children to college: they want them to get a degree and find a good job. But student athletes have the added pressure of participating in competitive sports, which can be worrisome for many parents. At Peru State, coaches are committed to helping student athletes succeed in

all areas, Tande said. "That's why many parents choose small colleges. They know coaches will be very involved in their child's education. It's like a safety valve - they know their child won't slip through the cracks:' That's not to say PSC doesn't want coaches and students to win . "I don't know any coaches who don't do everything they can to win;' said Richard Speas, PSC's new athletic director. "We're competitive people and people who are competitive on the field will also be competitive in other aspects of their lives. But our coaches work to produce good athletes and good students:' Following this philosophy will make the whole sports experience better for students, Speas said. "In some of the bigger schools there is such an intense focus on winning that the student doesn't enjoy the sport as much:' To illustrate that point, Speas points to his daughter's experience playing college softball at a university in Iowa. The team earned a berth in the NAIA championships and did very well. However, many team

members didn't enjoy their experience. "The coaches were constantly screaming, yelling and swearing;' Speas said. "And that sends a very negative message to student athletes:' Many people wear different hats at Peru State - including Speas. In addition to his athletic director duties, he teaches two classes each semester. That's a tall order when you consider the amount of time that goes into managing a sports department. "One of the challenges is trying to prepare for class because a significant amount of my time is spent meeting with coaches, sponsors and groups on campus;' he said. But it's a challenge he readily accepts. "I find that the teaching, while time consuming, fits into the job well, especially in a smaller institution. It keeps you connected with your colleagues on the faculty and gives you exposure to students outside of athletics. One of the nuances of small college life is that you have the opportunity to work with multiple departments. Fortunately, I enjoy that nuance:'

New AD Sets Sights High Integrating academics and athletics isn't just a relatively new idea, it's also a smart one. And at Peru State College, it's the core of the athletic program. It's also one of the main reasons Richard Speas came to PSC. "I was familiar with Peru State College and the positive changes it was experiencing;' the new athletic director said. "It sounded exciting. So when I learned the college was looking for a new director, I was very interested:' Speas believes that what is happening at PSC should be happening in most small colleges and is proud to help retool the athletic program to serve the big-picture needs of its athletes. "Parents don't send their children here to become professional athletes;' he said. "They want them to have a positive experience in sports. But more importantly, they want them to graduate from college. And that is the mission of this College and this athletic program - to prepare students for a productive life:' Speas has exciting plans for the future and feels fortunate to have the backing of President Ben Johnson and the Peru State College Foundation. With this support he wants to build a model athletic program and become proactive in generating financial support for both the College and athletics. Speas said that lots of alumni and friends are interested in Bobcat athletics. Some fans want to support the College's academic programs while others prefer to help the sports program. "I will work with the President and the Foundation to encourage Bobcats to support their alma mater in whatever way they are comfortable;' he said. This is an important area for future development. Although he is not sure exactly what the future holds as developing programs and furthering a vision take time, Speas is convinced the next few years will be exciting. "There are incredible opportunities here to serve students, alumni and this great College. Every morning I am excited to come to campus:' To build the new Bobcat future, Speas has rolled up his sleeves and is already hard at work with the coaches. Among his immediate concerns are finding a new football conference, continuing to implement the new program philosophy and developing a program committed to integrity.

Initially, PSC considered the Great Plains Athletic and the Heart of America Athletic conferences; however, their bylaws don't allow them to accept state institutions into the conference, Speas said. At this time, Speas is considering the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference as well as the Midwest Classic Conference, which is primarily in Iowa. "Of course, we have to be accepted into a conference and that depends on certain parameters;' Speas said. For example, PSC may be required to have a certain number of sports in that conference and adopt the conference philosophy. If an existing conference cannot be found that meets the needs and values of PSC, the College may form an independent conference with like-minded programs. The College wants to avoid being independent, because it creates scheduling difficulties and makes it more difficult to qualify for playoffs. But if the football program does end up being independent for a short time, Speas doesn't believe it will hurt recruitment. "It's nice to be in a conference and have the chance to win a conference championship;' Speas said. "However, our students have confidence in our program:'

A New Attitude Speas embraces Peru State's new philosophy, which focuses on the whole student, not just the athlete. "Student athletes' college experiences should help them build and refine the skills they need to succeed in life;' Speas said. "They should be educated people who are prepared to function as productive members of society and understand the importance of community service:' Speas believes the same philosophy should apply to coaches and athletic administrators. In many programs the focus is entirely on winning games. Coaches who don't win lose their jobs. The environment of fear that results actually perpetuates failure and destabilizes programs, he said. "Programs that are constantly replacing coaches are like a dysfunctional family. They suffer student recruitment and retention problems, declining student performance in the classroom and diminished athletic competitiveness;' Speas said. Conversely, "a coaching staff that operates in a positive environment serves student athletes through continuity and stability:'

Conference Call Last year, PSC athletics began evaluating the status of its membership in the Central States Football League (CFSL). "There are a couple of reasons for this;' Speas said. "First is the decreasing size of the CFSL. Second, the member schools are so geographically distant:' There is also the possibility that the conference may disband as there are only about five teams left. Speas' top priority in looking at other conferences is to find one that is "football only" so other PSC athletic programs can remain in the Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) . 8

BOBCAT ATHLETICS

Reaching High Ultimately, Speas wants to operate a program that is above reproach and committed to integrity. That's a lofty goal, but one that is well within reach, he said. When student athletes understand what is expected of them they behave accordingly, Speas said. And they look to coaches for inspiration. "We must set high expectations and live up to those expectations ourselves;' he said. "It's up to us to model the kind of character we want to instill in our athletes:'

pring was a time of emerging success for Peru State College's restructured athletic program. After a difficult fall, the spring term saw more competitive teams, including one that was outstanding by any benchmark. Before departing in June to assume the position of vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Hawaii West O'ahu, Dr. Stephen Sylvester, athletic administrator, made the following comments about the Bobcats spring sports . experience. "I am happy to note that, on the whole, this past semester was positive for Bobcat athletics. Admittedly, Bobcat baseball had a tough time as new head coach Jason Cronin assumed his position in August and did not have a chance to recruit. We finished our 2006 campaign with a 14-33 record, 9-18 in MCAC action. Unfortunately, we lost seven of those conference games in the final innings by only one or two runs. "There were, however, season highlights. Two of our players, Brian Briscoe and Justin Horbal, were named to the AllMCAC Honorable Mention squad. "Briscoe, a sophomore from North Vancouver, British Columbia, led the Bobcats in seven major offensive

categories. His team highs included a .341 batting average, 46 hits, 31 RBI's, 63 total bases, 31 walks, a .467 slugging percentage and a .477 on-base percentage. "Horbal, a junior from Auburn, N.Y., led the Bobcats pitching corps with a 5-2 record and a stingy 2.16 ERA. He recorded 40 strikeouts in 61.2 innings pitched. Justin was our top pitcher this year. "Coach Cronin is quite positive about the 2007 season. He is a good coach and a hard worker. Jason has recruited more than a dozen promising players, including community college transfers. I have met a number of them. They are energetic and enthusiastic about the opportunity to play for the Bobcats. I have no doubt that Coach Cronin and his team will show continuing progress. "The highlight of the entire 2005-06 athletic season was the performance of the women's softball team. Our Lady Bobcats finished a highly successful season with their first-ever MCAC regular season crown and accolades for several players and head coach Mark Mathews. We finished the season with an overall record of 33-21. "The team excelled on the field and in the classroom, winning awards in both areas. Academically, Bobcats Liz McGill, a

junior from Wahoo, and Kathleen Brown, a junior from Omaha, were named NAIA All-American Scholar-Athletes. "Both Liz and Kathleen are great examples of what we emphasize in our program: success on the field and in the classroom. Both young women work hard to be the best student athletes they can be. We are very proud of them and look forward to them leading our team next year on and off the field. "Our on-field honors were numerous. At the regional level, senior Karla Harpenau from Omaha and sophomore Marie Poole from Ashland were named to the AllRegion IV squad, while Coach Mathews was named Region IV Coach of the Year. "Harpenau, the Bobcats' pitching ace, was named Region IV Pitcher-of-the-Year. The team's lone senior finished with a 19-9 record and a 2.28 ERA. "Poole handled the catching duties and managed a .323 season batting average. She had a team-leading 60 hits during the season, 20 went for extra bases including five home runs. She also had 30 RBI's. "Mathews was honored by fellow coaches as Region IV Coach of the Year and MCAC Coach of the Year. A veteran of 13 seasons at the helm, Mathews led the Bobcats to a 334-300 record over WWWBOBCATALUMNl.COM

that period. "So there you have the highlights of our spring season. A couple of teams are struggling but showing improvement, others are well on their way and one team is simply outstanding. "I have no doubt that with the changes we have made over the last couple of years and the additional improvements in the works,

Peru State athletics will get stronger and stronger. During the next few years we will grow an increasing number of competitive teams that this school can look on with pride. We will also educate many student athletes with great career promise as successful Bobcat alumni. That's what this sports program is all about."

Eight years ago, President Ben Johnson came to Peru State College with a vision fo r success and the desire to make it happen. Much of his vision has come to pass. Buildings have been renovated, programs have been added and enrollment has skyrocketed. In addition to all that, President Johnson wanted something more - a thriving and dynamic organization of Bobcat alumni. President Johnson reminisced recently about his fi rst few weeks on campus. Smiling, he said, "Eight years ago when I first came to Peru State, a heck of a lot needed doing. One thi ng I noticed right away was that there was no alumni organization. I knew that Peru State wouldn't have a futu re without one. "Alumni associations are diffic ult to initiate;' he continued. "They are expensive and, if you develop them in the traditional way, they are a long time coming. Back in 1999 Peru State didn't have much time. So, doing something about organizing PSC's loyal alumni became a large item on my 'To Do' list. "During the fi rst year or two of this administration we did a lot of work to jump-start the Peru State College Foundation. I saw it as the key to building an alumni association. We were very fo rtunate in those days to develop relationships with a number of very generous fr iends and alumni who not only made substantial gifts, but agreed to become Foundation Board members. "One day in 2001 , Foundation Board President Chuck Niemeyer ('65) and I were having lunch. We discussed the progress the Foundation had made in the short time since we became involved with Peru State. Chuck commented that we needed to get more alumni involved in order to facilitate continued growth. "I asked him if the Foundation would underwrite the cost of starting a National Alumni Association. We talked about it for a while and Chuck said that he would discuss it with the Board at its next meeting. "A few weeks later, Chuck called and said the Foundation Board was very supportive of initiating an alumni association and approved supporting one under the aegis of the Peru State College Foundation:' t a recent gathering, Peru State College's National Alumni Association (NAA) Board members reflected on the difficult

task they undertook and the success of their efforts. Co-Presidents Paul ('67) and Arlene Borcher ('67) Fell were excited about getting involved. Arlene said, "When we were first approached about helping the College and Foundation develop an alumni organization we were th rilled. Of course, at that time we did n't realize that we would wind up chairing the Alumni Board, but that is another storY:' Paul continued, "Arlene and I, along with many other loyal Bobcats, were active in the movement during the late '90s to reassure the state legislature of the ongoing value of Peru State College to the people of southeast Nebraska. We learned from that experience how important the alumni of any institution are to its health, well-being and preservation. So, when we were asked to help start an alumni organization we were gratifi ed to join with 18 others to get the ball rolling:' AA Co-Vice Presidents Fritz ('74) and Charlene Lutz ('74) Stehlik, looked at one another and smiled. "Frankly, we were delighted to hear that Peru State was moving in the direction of developing an alumni association;' Fritz said. "Being an attorney I knew how many benefits alumni associations offer to their membership. The professional connections and opportunities that alumni offer to one another are tremendous. What I saw was the possibility that lots and lots of benefits were going to become available to loyal Bobcat alums:' Charlene laughed and said, "I knew Fritz would focus on the professional advantages, but I had a different slant. I attended PSC fo r fo ur great years and formed some very meaningful relationships. Over time I have not been able to stay in touch with some people with whom I was close. I saw the alumni association as a way for people to reconnect socially. I knew that it would be great fun to get something like this going, and I'm delighted that things are working out so weU:' Carlos Harrison ('5 1) said, "Some of the best years of my life were spent at Peru State. I had great friendships, loved to be involved in student activities and learned quite a lot in the bargain. My career with United Airlines took me away from Nebraska fo r many years and I lost touch a bit with the College and some of the Bobcats who meant so much to me. "When I retired a few years ago, making my home in southwest

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Iowa, I wanted to re-establish those old ties. Working with my colleagues on the alumni board was an opportunity for me to help my alma mater do something important for itself and to do something important for me:' ike ('67) and Jan Remmers (attended '65-'66) Guilliatt recalled that it was not easy to get things started. "We began with a weekend workshop where we explored all the pros and cons of having an alumni association;' Mike said. "It was tedious at times to work through so many different ideas, but it soon became clear that we were all in agreement about the basics that it is very important for the people of southeast Nebraska to have this wonderful resource available. "We also had a consensus that the quality of a PSC education is second to none and that many of us would not be where we are today without the PSC experience. Finally, we agreed that the College needs an active alumni body and that Bobcat alumni need one another as well as a strong, permanent PSC. With those key ideas in mind, and hearts in hand, we moved forward:' Angelia Rohwer Steiner ('90) talked about how difficult it was to get started. "To be honest, we were stumped for a few months about how best to start a national alumni organization. Most colleges with successful alumni operations have been in the business a long time and have active chapters wherever there are large communities of alumni. How were we going to start chapters around the country? While most of our alumni live in Nebraska, there are thousands who don't. "Finally, someone came up with the idea of starting a virtual alumni organization on the Internet. We did some research and couldn't find that anyone had tried before. Surprisingly, that whetted our appetite because we felt that PSC alumni are a special breed. Bobcats love their College so much that they just might join an online community as a way to get an alumni association started:' Ed Ankrom ('91) laughed as he talked about the challenge of doing something that had never been attempted. "Angelia is right. Younger board members were already familiar with the concept of online communities. And while many people

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don't realize it, the Internet continues to grow in popularity with all age groups. In fact, people over 70 years of age are the fastest growing segment on the net. "So, the Foundation agreed to underwrite the costs oflaunching a Web site and online community. And, the Foundation staff did a great job of putting together an alumni Web site that keeps us up-to-date on PSC happenings, displays beautiful campus photographs and is quite useful in developing alumni activities, such as reunions. "We launched the site and community in July 2005 and its growth amazes even me. All told, the Foundation is in touch with about 11,000 Bobcats. I figured that in a year we might have 500 to 600 become online community members. I'm happy to say that I wasn't even close. The membership count is now more than 1,100 people: more than 10 percent of our total alumni body. I have a hard time believing that happened in less than one year:' im Desbein ('73) said that initial growth of Peru State College's NAA through membership in the online community did not surprise him. "Frankly, my wife Paula and I felt all along that an online community would be a natural catalyst for lots of alumni interaction and attraction. Why not? Here is a chance for Bobcats to meet and communicate as easily as if they were still living down the hall from one another in the dorm. "The Alumni Board wanted to make it easy for alumni to join the NAA. All alums have to do is go to Bobcatalumni.com and click on First Time Users. The directions from there are simple. And membership is free. It's a great way to re-affiliate with PSC and with classmates from years gone bY:' Elton ('88) and Connie Sims ('87) Edmond pointed out the close connection between the birth of PSC's NAA and the initiation of the new alumni magazine, the Bobcat Banner. "It was very unfortunate that the Peru Stater, the College's alumni magazine for many years, had to be cancelled in 2003 as a result of the terrible economic recession that was ravaging Nebraska and the entire country;' Connie said. Elton continued, "The Board knew that alumni missed the Stater. We felt that Peru State alumni should have the opportunity

to stay in touch with the College and with one another through some kind of publication. "Unfortunately, when the recession ended, the state did not return Peru State to its previous level of funding, so there still wasn't money available to support an alumni publication. So, after some discussion, we approached the Peru State Foundation again and asked for help:' Connie said, "As it turned out, the Foundation didn't have the funds to support a regularly published alumni newsletter either. They were using most of their disposable income to help the College deal with the ongoing effects of the budget cuts. After considerable discussion, the NAA Board decided to try an experiment:' ick ('87) and Laurel Smith ('87) Harling explained how the economic problems of restarting an alumni publication were broached. Nick said, "We decided if neither the College nor the Foundation could bear the entire cost of an alumni publication, we would work with the Foundation staff to put together a newsletter of some kind and ask alumni for subscriptions to defray part of the cost to the Foundation. "To initiate this experiment our generous Omaha Alumni Chapter joined with the Foundation to help fund the first issue of a new magazine, the Bobcat Banner. A free copy of the Banner was sent to all alumni in October 2005 and they were invited to take out an annual subscription of three issues for $25:' Laurel said, "We have been very pleased with the steady growth of Banner subscriptions. After the first free issue was sent out we received almost 400 subscriptions. The Foundation staff continued to market the magazine and upgraded the second issue from newsletter to magazine status. It was sent to subscribers in May. "Now Banner subscriptions are at the 500 level and growing. The next issue is almost ready to go to the printer as we speak, and it looks even better than its predecessor. The Foundation staff is getting much closer to developing a publication that looks every bit as good as any major university alumni magazine:'

Kim ('90) and Kris Kubert ('94) Vrtiska pointed out the importance of subscriber feedback to the development of the new magazine. "There is one final thing we should mention. We surveyed our readership after each issue was published. We received an amazingly high percentage of response with top marks for the new publication;' Kim said. Kris continued, "Our readers are great. They gave overwhelming approval to the new look and feel and content of the magazine and volunteered many insightful and useful suggestions for its continued improvement. I think that we have a winner with our Bobcat Banner. Together with the new alumni association, the Banner has taken us a long, long way toward realizing our hopes of energizing, activating and organizing Bobcat alumni:' o-Presidents Paul and Arlene Fell concluded the discussion. Paul said, "Kris is absolutely right. We are a long way from where we began. Although we talk about Peru State's National Alumni Association as if it were new, the online community has been available for a year and we have had major accomplishments during that year. "Not only have we had a wonderful response to association membership and subscriptions to the Banner, we had three fantastic alumni reunions in the past 12 months. At Homecoming in 2005, the classes of '84, '85 and '86 got together and had a wonderful time. Then, in May of this year, the SO-year reunion class came to campus for commencement and renewed old acquaintance. We had great feedback from both groups. "And in July, we had an incredible experience at the '60s Plus 2 Reunion' where we celebrated the classes of 1960-71. It was the biggest alumni reunion in the College's history. There were at least 150 people back for that:' Arlene agreed. "What Paul is saying is that Peru State's alumni association is new but it's also accomplished. We have nearly two years of successful operation under our belt and the plans we have for the future are, well, as unbelievable as what we have accomplished already. Just wait and see .. :'

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Class Notes Kimberly (Kuhlman) Oliver, 1983 Kimberly received a Technology Grant sponsored by the Nebraska Educational Technology Association (NETA). She currently teaches at North Elementary School in Falls City, Neb. Karen (Coover) Gay, 1984 After seven years of working as company manager of the Cirque du Soleil show Mystere at Treasure Island resort in Las Vegas, Karen has accepted a new job with the company. She will now be the Director of Public, Social, and Cultural Affairs for its shows in Las Vegas and Orlando, as well as upcoming programming in California.

"Kangaroo Court during Freshman initiation." (1956 Peruvian)

1940s

1970s

Bob Ashton, 1942 Bob published 17 new choral works in 2005. He has also recently published a new book, "For the Life of Me:'

Marilyn (Moody) Heins, 1971 Marilyn was honored as Nebraska's 2005 Arborist of the year. She was presented the award at the Nebraska Arborists Association Annual Conference in Omaha.

1960s

Melissa (Fulkerson) Jarecke, 1964 Melissa can be seen in "Out of Omaha;' a film shot in Omaha and produced by NoHo Films International, which was released for viewing in 2006. Other actors in the film include Lea Thompson, Dave Foley, Patricia Richardson, Ethan Phillips, and Vicki Lewis. This is Melissa's second film; she is seen regularly in stage productions in Omaha.

Galen Kronhofman, 1975 Galen has been coaching football in Alma, Neb., for 30 years. After discovering that he had large-cell lymphoma in 2004, he thought he would have to retire. Following a year of good health and no apparent signs of the cancer, Galen was asked to coach again. With almost 150 wins as head coach and two state titles, he's sure to have a good season.

William E. Rinne, 1967 William replaced John W. Keyes as Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation. He will serve in an acting capacity until President George W. Bush selects Keyes' successor. William has served as Deputy Commissioner, Director of Operations since June 2003, after previously serving as deputy regional director for Reclamation's Lower Colorado Region in Boulder City, Colo. He has more than 28 years of federal service.

Mary (Rademacher) Findeis, 1980 Mary, a teacher at Johnson-Brock High School, in Johnson, Neb., was recently named the Lincoln Journal Star's A+ Educator of the Week. She has been teaching for 19 years. Before moving to Johnson-Brock Public Schools, Mary spent five years teaching special education at Southeast Nebraska Consolidated Schools in Stella, Neb.

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1980s

Theresa Tietz, 1987 Theresa married Wade Raymond Waters in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Dec. 17, 2003. Theresa is a technician at the USDA's National Disease Center in Ames, Iowa. Ray is a veterinary immunologist at the NADC. Jennifer (Kleine) Perales, 1988 Jennifer married Robert Perales July 19, 2003, in Las Vegas. They are the proud parents of two boys. Xavier Christian was born in May 2003 and Mateo Lakota was born in June 2004.

1990s John Dewlen, 1992 John and wife Jennifer are the proud parents of a baby girl, Kaylee Justine Dewlen. She was welcomed home by her brother Jayme Kendall. Marcy (Grace) Hostetler, 1993 Marcy married Joseph Hostetler Jan. 29, 2005, at the Reef Club Beach Resort in Cozumel, Mexico. Marcy received a degree in management and she is an assessment director with Southeast Community College in Milford. Joseph is employed with Pfizer Animal Health. Jeffery M. Schawang, 1995 Jeffery has been named senior client service manager for Information Technology Incorporated's (ITI) Premier core banking operating unit. He has been with the company for nine years.

Class Notes Shanda (Hahn) Kinkade, 1997 Shanda and Joel Kinkade were married Oct. 8, 2005, in Kearney, Neb. Shanda received a degree in Language Arts. David Radke, 1997 David and Katie (Thimgan) Radke were married July 9, 2005. David received a degree in marketing. Shawn Gibbs, 1998 Shawn is currently coaching Doniphan High School's boys basketball team. The team is ranked No. One in southeast Missouri in all classes. Shawn was a twotime honorable mention basketball player at Auburn High School, team captain of the 97-98 Peru State College team, voted academic all-American, and helped his PSC team finish 16th in the nation. Chris Lade, 1998 Chris and Leanne (Basset) Lade married one year ago in Albion Park, N.S.W., Australia. Robert Jeffrey Curry, 1999 Jeff and Jennifer (Brock) Curry were married May 14, 2006, at Sandals Resort in Jamaica. Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from PSC and a master's degree in counseling from Doane College. He is a case manager with the Tecumseh State Correctional Facility. Jennifer is a speech pathologist with Munroe-Meyer Institute at the University of Nebraska Medical Center for project Best Case.

Christopher & Randi (Mayberry) Scott, 2000,2002 Christopher and Randi Scott of Omaha were married June 18, 2005. Randi is employed by Omaha Public Schools and Christopher is employed by Morgan Stanley. Rita (Martin) Becker, 2002 Rita and Tyron Becker were married at St. John's Catholic Church in Hanover, Kan., Dec. 10, 2005. She is employed as a seventh- and eighth-grade social studies teacher at Riley County Grade School. Tyron works a Andy's Hardware in Hanover, is a substitute teacher at Hanover High School, and coaches cross country. Sheri (Grotrian) Knippelmeyer, 2002 Sheri recently presented a scholarly paper at the 13th Institute of Behavioral and Applied Management Oct. 6-8 in Scottsdale, Ariz. She presented "Bridging the Leadership Gap: Examining the Glass Ceiling:' This paper is a result of research undertaken by Sheri in collaboration with Dr. Judy Grotrian, Associate Professor of Business at PSC. Sheri graduated summa cum laude from Peru State and is an Instructor of Business at the College. She earned a Master of Business Administration in Strategic Management

from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2004 and is enrolled in the Education Leadership Higher Education Ph.D. program at UNL. Jaclyn (Ideus) Bratton, 2003 Jaclyn and Samuel Bratton were married Feb. 5, 2005, at South Lake Tahoe, Calif. Jaclyn received a bachelor's degree in Wildlife Ecology and she works for a plant nursery in sales. Samuel is an operator and grade setter for Teichert Construction. Melissa (Osmera) Gruhlkey, 2003 Melissa and Adam Gruhlkey were married June 17, 2006, at St. John Vianney Catholic Church in Omaha. Melissa earned a bachelor's degree in Business Management and Marketing. They both work full-time in Omaha. Aimee (Nebelsick) Harker, 2003 Aimee and Shawn Harker were married June 4, 2005. Aimee received a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. She is a family development associate with Southeast Nebraska Community Action. Shawn works at Wurtele Distributors.

Lynn Jurgens, 1999 Lynn is a physical education teacher at Wilber-Clatonia Elementary, Middle, and High schools. He currently works part time teaching kindergarten through fourth grade and seventh through ninth grade. Eric & Dawna (Peter) Perkins, 2000, 1999 Eric and Dawna recently had their first child, Brianna.

2000s Candy (Kasi) Campbell, 2000 Candy and James Campbell were married Oct. 22, 2005, at United Methodist Church in Seward, Neb. Candy is employed at the Community Thrift Store in Omaha.

"John Bohaty administers the traditional goober juice." (1966 Peruvian) WWWBOBCATALUMNl.COM

Class Notes made the All Star team. Brian is teaching at Mexico Junior High in Mexico, Mo. Christy is a first grade teacher in Hatton, Mo. Travis Ramer, 2004 Travis and Lindsey (Dietze) Ramer were married April 29, 2006, at Eastridge Presbyterian Church in Lincoln, Neb. Travis earned an associate degree in electrical technology from Southeast Community College and a bachelor's degree in business from Peru State College. He is an electrician with Wolfe Electric. Lindsey is pursuing a degree in business from Doane College in Lincoln.

"Part of Freshman Orientation was the riverboat excursion on the Belle of Brownville." (1974 Peruvian)

Anniversary Cruise Paul and Arlene Fell, '67, PSC National Alumni Association copresidents, will be celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary on the Celebrity Cruise Lines ship, Constellation, which visits the timeless city of St. Petersburg! To make this celebration more special, the Fells invite you to join them and other PSC friends on a 14-night cruise, May 19June 2, 2007. This trip-of-a-lifetime sets sail from Dover, England , with ports of call in Poland, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, Germany and Denmark. The highlight is a two-night stay in beautiful and historic St. Petersburg, Russia. Prices start at $2,349 per person (cruise only) which includes incredible dining, first-class service and outstanding entertainment. For brochures and information, call Paul and Arlene at (402) 421- 7595 or email them at paulfellcartoons@alltel.net. Slots for the cruise are filling, with final payment due February 19.

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Shawn & Samantha (Robinson) Wehenkel, 2003 Shawn and Samantha Wehenkel were married July 2, 2005, at St. Stephen the Martyr Catholic Church in Omaha. Sam antha earned a Bachelor of Science in Special Education , Pre-School Handicap, and Elementary Education. She is teaching in the special education department in the Papillion-La Vista School District. Shawn earned a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education and is teaching PE in the Auburn School System and coaching high school girls basketball. Allison (Sailors) Glathar, 2004 Allison and Kris Glathar were married June 23, 2006, in Falls City, Neb. Allison earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education; she is an elementary special education teacher in Hiawatha, Kan. Kris is a farmer in Dawson, Neb. Brian & Christine (Bulson) Maher, 2004, 2005 Brian and Christine Maher were married May 29, 2005. Brian is playing semipro football for the NorthEast Missouri Cyclones of the MNFA. Last year he

Lacey (Balke) Reed, 2004 Lacey and Scott Reed were married July 9, 2005, at Good News Assembly of God Church in Falls City, Neb. Lacey is a kindergarten teacher at Hiawatha Elementary School in Hiawatha, Kan. Scott is an electrician fo r Golden Star in Atchison, Kan . Philip Stueve, 2004 Philip and Stacey (Heckethorn) Stueve were married in November 2005. Philip graduated with a bachelor's degree in business. He is an inside sales representative for Hartfiel Company in Urbandale, Iowa. Kristie Wemhoff, 2004 Kristie is the new juvenile diversion program specialist for Johnson and Pawnee counties. This program is a pretrial program that helps keep youth out of the formal justice system and provides them with an alternate route to help prevent recidivism. Michael & Hilary (Koso) Wiese, 2004 Michael and H ilary Wiese were married June 10, 2006. Hilary ran cross-country for Peru State College. She teaches math at Irving Middle School and is an acco unt manager for FocalPoint Publishing and Leadership Resources in Lincoln, Neb. Michael played men's volleyball for Peru State College. He is the operation manager at Foca!Point Publishing and coaches volleyball at Lincoln East High School.

Class Notes Ariel Bartling, 2005 Ariel has accepted a position at the new Treynor State Bank location at Hy-Vee Mall of the Bluffs in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Mark & Lindsey (Culp) Brown, 2005 Mark and Lindsey Brown were married June 18, 2005. Lindsey has a degree in psychology and will be attending Doane College in the fall to earn a master's degree. Currently, she is employed by the Lincoln Regional Center. Mark has a degree in education and is employed with Quality Concrete of Lincoln. Shannon Cole, 2005 Shannon began her teaching career as a third grade instructor at Tri-Center. She also is an assistant coach for softball and basketball. Julie Cook, 2005 Julie Cook is a new teacher at St. John the Baptist School. Previously, she worked as a substitute teacher in Papillion, Neb. Julie lives in Papillion with her son Brent, 7, and her daughter Rachel, 11.

Language Arts. She is a sales and solutions specialist at Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company. Christopher is an assistant warehouse manager with Midwest Turf and Irrigation in Omaha. Kimberly (Norton) Hubbard, 2005 Kimberly and Leslie Hubbard were married Sept. 3, 2005, at American Lutheran Church in Filley, Neb. Kimberly is employed with the State of Nebraska . Leslie is employed by Heimes Corporation as a drill rig operator. Anthony Johnson, 2005 Anthony is an assistant editor and reporter with the Auburn Newspapers in Auburn, Neb. Angela (Albert) Klepper, 2005 Angela and Eric Klepper were married Aug. 6, 2005, at First Christian Church in Beatrice, Neb. Angela earned a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Management. She is a legal secretary at the John W. Carlson Law Firm in Beatrice. Eric earned an associate's degree in Architectural Engineering from SCC in Lincoln and currently is employed with Binder Irrigation.

Chris Linder, 2005 Chris is an accountant at BKD LLP's Nebraska office. Chris has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. His majors include accounting, marketing, and management. Jeremy Schroeder, 2005 Jeremy is the full-time PE teacher at Wilber-Clatonia Elementary, Middle and High schools. He teaches fifth through ninth grade and is head football coach for grades 10-12. Renee (Hobscheidt) Osborn, 2006 Renee and Evan Osborn were married in August 2005. Renee currently tutors at the Omaha Montessori Education Centers. Evan is a Corporate Systems Technology Manager at West Corporation. Share your Class Notes online at www.bobcatalumni.com or by contacting the PSC Foundation: P.O. Box 10 Peru , NE 68421 Phone: (402) 872-2304 Fax: (402) 872-2408 PSCFoundation@oakmail.peru.edu

Chris Cullison, 2005 Chris is teaching subjects in third through fifth grades at St. Joseph's Catholic School in Beatrice. Neb. Chris received an associate degree from Southeast Community College and his bachelor's degree from Peru State College. He previously worked for Beatrice Iron and Metal Company. Dustin & Jessica (Scott) Fricke, 2005,2007 Dustin and Jessica Fricke were married May 20, 2006, at the American Lutheran Church in Adams. Jessica is working for Carson National Bank in Auburn. Dustin plans to graduate from PSC in 2007. He is currently working for Auburn Consolidated Industries. Sara (Fischer) Howard, 2005 Sara and Christopher Howard were wed Nov. 19, 2005, at First Lutheran Church, North Branch, near Avoca, Neb. Sara has a Bachelor of Science in English and

"New students test the banana slide (during New Student Weekend)." (2005 Peruvian)

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In Memoriam 1930s Edna L. Murphy, 1931 Edna, 97, of Sioux City, Iowa, passed away Aug. 21, 2006, in Sioux City. A graveside service was held at Elmwood Cemetary in Coin, Iowa. Edna attended and graduated from the Nebraska Teachers College in 1931. She taught business classes at Coin High School from 1931-35 and at East High School in Sioux City from 1935-73.

Dorothy Anna (Howard) Maher, 1934 Dorothy passed away March 7, 2006, at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak, Iowa, following a brief illness. She received her Normal Teacher Training Certificate and taught in Mills County country schools around Silver City

Vivian Lucille (Whitehill) Simmons, 1931 Vivian, 93, passed away April 25, 2005, at Garden View Care Center in Shenandoah, Iowa. She graduated from Farragut High School and later attended Peru State College where she received her teaching certificate. On June 27, 1937, she married Sterling Simmons; they lived in the Summit area.

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Inez Marie (Stephenson) Havick, 1937 Inez, 93, passed away May 6, 2005, in Mapleton, Iowa. She attended Peru College and taught country school. On Aug. 17, 1941, Inez married Claude Franklin Havick, Sr. in Omaha. The couple farmed in the Harlan and Denison, Iowa, vicinity then moved to a farm near Mapleton in 1954. Inez taught art at the Galva and Holstein Schools from the late 1950's through the l 960's. They moved to Mapleton in 1987. Claude died June 15, 1995.

1940s Betty (Brunt) Tackett, 1944 Betty, 86, died Feb. 24, 2006, at Tabor Manor Care Center in Tabor, Iowa, following an extended illness. On Aug. 10, 1945, Betty married Paul Tackett. After receiving her teacher's training at Peru State College in 1944, she taught in a one-room country school house.

Virginia Maxine (Forney) Malcom, 1933 Maxine, 92, of Thurman, Iowa, passed away May 14, 2006, at Tabor Manor Care Center in Tabor, Iowa, following an extended illness. On June 10, 1938, she married Paul Malcom. Maxine graduated from Peru State College with a degree in education and continued to further her education over the years. She taught elementary school in many communities including Bartlett, Randolph, Tabor and Thurman. Maxine (Pierce) Hauptman, 1934 Maxine, 89, died of a stroke in September 2005. She is buried in Custer, S.D. She always had a special fondness for PSC.

Elinor M. (Majors) McGee, 1936 Elinor, 90, passed away Jan. 27, 2006, peacefully and comfortably. She lived a very enjoyable life and will be missed.

and north oflmogene. On June 30, 1942, Dorothy married Gerald J. Maher at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Imogene. Together the couple had two children, Gary and Genene.

Roger Dean Freet, 1949 Roger, 81, passed away Nov. 21, 2005, in Yuma, Ariz. On Nov. 11, 1942, he married Patricia McCown. They had two daughters and a foster son. Many of his years were spent in the civil service, the navy, or as teacher and superintendent. After the death of his first wife, Roger married Helen Gride. They traveled to many parts of the world, making a summer home in Reedley, Calif. and a winter home in Yuma. For the past seven years, he underwent numerous

In Memoriam surgeries, overcoming both cancer and heart problems. It was a three-year struggle with lung disease that ended Roger's life. Jessie F. (Rhoten) Johnson, 1949 Jessie, 78, passed away April 15, 2006, at Hospice House in Omaha. She died of a heart attack. In 1945, she graduated from Unadilla High School and went on to Peru State College. Later, she received her master's degree in counseling from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She taught for a total of 40 years in Dunbar, Murdock, and Technical High School in Omaha. She also taught in Individualize Instruction Centers. Jessie married Ervin Johnson in 1999. He preceded her in death.

taught at Primrose, Neb., Omaha Technical High School, and Woodrow Wilson Junior High in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1992, he opened Dirty Harry's restaurant and bar in Council Bluffs.

William Earl Scott, 1965 Bill, 63, of Randolph, Iowa passed away March 7, 2005, after a lengthy illness. Funeral services were held in Malvern, Iowa. After earning a teaching degree from Peru State College, he taught math in the Villisca Community School District. He later accepted a teaching position at Westside (Ar-We-Va). He coached girls basketball in both school districts. On Aug. 3, 1968, he married Carol Gayle Brand. They had two daughters, Danna Marie and Nicole Allison, and one son, Andrew Earl.

Charles Keith McGinnis, 1949 Keith, 75, of Glenwood, Iowa, passed away on July 20, 2006, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He attended Peru State College and Graceland College in Lamoni and spent two summers playing baseball with the New York Yankee organization.

2000s Laura Renee (Pickett) Hare, 2001 Laura, 43, of Blair, passed away July 22, 2006. She is survived by her husband David and children Mathew, Abbi, Michael and Jeremy.

Share your Class Notes online at www.bobcatalumni.com or by contacting the PSC Foundation:

1960s William D. Lawlor, 1963 William, 63, passed away Sept. 15, 2005. After graduating from high school, William attended Peru State College where he met Linda Risley, whom he later married. In 1967, he earned a master's degree from Northeast Missouri State. William then worked as an insurance agent and owner-operator of Keenan Insurance Co. Harry W. Whitney, 1963 Harry, 69, passed away Feb. 25, 2006. He

Lincoln, Neb., before retiring from May Morley Elementary. She was a member of various groups such as the First Christian Church Disciples of Christ and Eastern Star.

Ingeborg E. (Jennings) McMaster, 1965 Ingeborg, 93, passed away Feb. 21, 2006. After graduating from Peru State College, she taught in many places including Roxbury, Kan., Brock, Talmage, and

P.O. Box 10 Peru, NE 68421 Phone: (402) 872-2304 Fax: (402) 872-2408 PSCFoundation@oakmail.peru.edu

WWW.BOBCATALUMNl. COM

c:f'L was a glorious weekend. The sun was out, temperatures hovered just above 80 degrees f_.,/C and the campus was filled with Bobcats - alumni, that is. It was the "60s Plus 2 Reunion" and more than 150 alumni from 1960-71 gathered on campus to renew friendships and become reacquainted with their Alma Mater. Alumni sang along with the Ethnic Singers at the banquet, traveled memory lane on campus tours, spoke with pride about their Alma Mater's astounding progress and were caught up in stories of the vanishing west as told by Theodore Roosevelt. It was a time for fun and laughter, a time to remember and create new memories, a time for reflection. The reunion took place July 21-23, 2006. To read more about the reunion, see additional photographs and watch the video presentation by Andy Anderson ('67), go to http://www.bobcatalumni.com.

OAK LEAVES

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To become a Bobcat anner subscriber, or to renew your subscription, return this com leted form together with $25 to Peru State College F0undation, PO Box 10, Peru, NE 68421. First name: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Last name: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Name while attending PSC: - - - - - - - " - - - - - - - - - - - - - = - - - - - - C l a s s year: _ _ __ _ _ Address: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Zip: Cicy: -----.,-~~~~~~~-:;p=----=-...:=Â Home phone: ( I have enclosed: $25.00 for a 1-year subscription $50.00 for a - year subscription I very much support the changes at Peru State College in recent years. In addition to my subscription payment, I am enclosing a gift of$ _ _ _ to be used at President Johnson's discretion.