Green & Gold – Summer 2014

G

REEN &

G

OLD

The magazine of Rocky Mountain College

VOLUME2 ISSUE2/SUMMER2014

“Old soul” meets “new school” communication

finding the balance between old and new

My friends have been known to occasionally call me an “old soul.”

Normally it’s said light-heartedly after I’ve asked such questions as “What’s the point of Snapchat? Do you call it a ‘snap’ or a ‘chat?’ Why do people use hashtags?” Those questions aside, I’m constantly attached to my cell phone, and if I don’t have it in my hand, I’m either on my laptop or tablet.

Erica Wall

We live in an age of instant and constant communication, and Rocky Mountain College realizes that students communicate in different ways than they did 50, 25, or even 5 years ago. But regardless of the launch of the next iPhone or the newest social media craze, the College understands the value of having an “old soul” mentality.

RMC keeps up with the times – in this issue you’ll read about the updates to the Wi-Fi on campus and the upcoming launch of a new mobile phone app – but we also recognize the inherent value in “old communication.” Talking face-to-face may not be high speed, but it is high value, and value is something that RMC has always been about. And while we do provide value in monetary terms with our tuition and scholarships, I’m thinking about something more; I’m thinking about academic, social, and personal value.

I’ve experienced this myself during my time here at Rocky: I’ve felt valued as an individual. As a student, I formed relationships with professors that continue to this day. I still stop by Andrew Kirk’s office just to say “hi” and get his recommendation on books; Steve Germic and I meet for lunch, not to talk about work projects we need to collaborate on, but to catch up on a personal level and talk baseball. I recently was walking through a restaurant near campus and saw a professor, a current student, and a recent graduate enjoying a meal together – and these are just a few examples of how the “Rocky Family” manifests itself into real life.

Sure, Rocky’s keeping up with the technological times and strengthening how we communicate with our students, faculty/staff, donors, and alumni, but we also realize the importance of valuing the people with whom we come in contact.

With that in mind, the next time I’m called an “old soul” I’ll take it as a compliment – RMC has taught me the value of relationships and being able to communicate in a genuine and sincere way.

Erica Wall ’12

Contents Copy Editor Erica Wall (’12) Writer Jon Kohn Writer/Design & Layout Jillian Shoemaker Advisor Kelly Edwards, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Contact Want to see something featured?

Contact the RMC Media team at media@rocky.edu Alumni News alumni@rocky.edu 406.657.1104 Other College phone numbers Directory Assistance: 406.657.1000 Admissions: 406.657.1026 Advancement: 406.657.1006 Annual Giving: 406.657.1005 Media Team: 406.657.1105

FEATURES Two students find their perfect stride at RMC - p6 Take a closer look at RMC President’s Cup recipients: Caroline Jones and Toryn Rogers.

RMC wins first national title in women’s ski racing, and dominates Frontier Conference men’s basketball - p8 From Orientation to Graduation - p12 An up-close look at on-campus initiatives to improve the freshmen experience.

RMC embraces new aviation technology - p14 Unmanned aerial systems may be the future of aviation, and RMC is at the top of the field.

Wi-Fi access improvements above national standard - p27 Alumna Stephanie King finds success in new business - p31 Talented eFit gym owner King reflects on how Rocky got her stretching for success.

DEPARTMENTS Rocky Notables - p16 RMC professors Tim Lehman and Jenifer Parks shed light on teaching history.

Sound of Jazz - p18 The music scene is alive and well at RMC and in the Billings community.

Institute for Peace Studies - p21 Spotlight on how the Institute for Peace Studies integrates the international community, locally and globally.

Alumni News - p37

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE

ROCKYSpotlight Masters of Educational Leadership Program receives reaccreditation An Office of Public Instruction (OPI) Board of Review certification on May 9 heartily recommended and endorsed the RMC education program for reaccredation.

Over four days last winter, a sevenperson team coordinated by the Montana Office of Public Instruction visited the Rocky Mountain College education program to contemplate reaccreditation of RMC’s work in preparing future educators.

The review team report lauded the “rigorous and comprehensive” internship experience of each education department program, which emphasizes clinical practice of leadership and professional skills.

The RMC program is objectivesdriven, individually focused, and supportive, and teachers who mentor RMC students can count on strong student teachers.

Professors craft effective communication with all partners. “At the master’s level, our community advisors all come to meet with us for assessment work,” said Stevie Schmitz, director of Master of Educational Leadership and Distance Education programs at RMC. Schmitz’s program creates both new principals and new superintendents of school districts. “We studied three years before launching, so we could do these degrees right. We’re an accelerated program with added value, and our students show huge retention.”

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RMC Students explore Ireland and the history of Irish Protest In 12 days on one island in early May, 14 Rocky Mountain College students studied discord amidst shared history in an annual Irish Protest field course taught by Shelby Jo LongHammond, associate professor of communication studies at RMC. In her fourth year teaching the two-credit course, LongHammond has “added a couple of wrinkles” to her popular survey of 19th and 20th century conflict in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

“It’s important history, a brutal history,” she said, in which more than 3,500 people were killed since the 1960s. Cultural, ethnic, political, social, economic, and religious dimensions of Irish conflict and uprisings provided a rich fabric for her students’ one credit of spring classwork followed by one credit for their trip.

Long-Hammond has focused in past years on recent Irish troubles from the 1798 rebellion through those of the 20th century, visiting Kilmainham gaol and Glasnevin cemetery in Dublin. Riding with both Protestant and Catholic guides, students took a black cab tour of the Belfast murals’ social commentary in Loyalist and Republican areas of Belfast.

This year the group also explored prehistoric and early Christian antecedents of Irish culture, such as archeological sites at Douth and Newgrange and the beehive monasteries of the Dingle peninsula.

Long-Hammond and her husband, Tony Hammond, assistant professor of music at RMC, have chaperoned each of the Irish protest journeys.

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Jennifer Donaldson Internship in Thailand Jennifer Donaldson (’15) spent six weeks of an internship teaching basic English grammar, sentence structure, and pronunciation to students at the Prince of Songkla University in Thailand.

The motto of Prince of Songkla University is “Our Soul is for the Benefit of Mankind.” “The more I get to know my students, the more I see how this resonates in each and every one of them – the most selfless and respectful people I have met,” she said.

Donaldson said, “I have been able to learn about a beautiful country from people who have grown up here.”

“I am a tutor at Rocky and never quite realized just how much I enjoy teaching and being in an academic environment,” Donaldson said.

Bekah Thomson Rocky Mountain College’s first equestrian national championship The Rocky Mountain College equestrian program has its first national champion: freshman Bekah Thomson.

On Sunday, May 4, at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) national championships in Harrisburg, Pa., Thomson won RMC’s first-ever equestrian national championship. Thomson, from Santa Clarita, Calif., eased her way through regional and zone championships undefeated and continued her winning ways at the national championships.

Summer 2014

Thomson took her national championship in the category of Intermediate Western Horsemanship, coached by RMC equestrian coaches Allison Grow

and Chris Brown. The equestrian program has produced top ten finishers at the IHSA championships, but Thomson is RMC’s first national champion.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Joel Barndt 2013-2014 Basketball MVP Great basketball teams have great leadership, and Joel Barndt (’14) helped to lead his team to a Frontier Conference Championship, as well as to the national tournament.

Barndt, from Billings, was a four-year member of the basketball program at RMC and was named captain during his senior year. His senior year also included being named the MVP by his teammates, as well as earning the President’s Award.

Green & Gold: How has RMC basketball influenced your life?

Joel Barndt: The program that Coach Driekosen and Coach Keller have put together has made a huge impact on my life. In the four years I spent on the team, I grew as a player, but more importantly, I grew as a man. I learned the responsibility of leadership as well as the importance of self-discipline.

The culture at RMC taught me that character counts both on and off the court. The lessons I learned in

practice were easily translated to my life in the classroom. I learned to set goals and challenge myself to achieve the highest grade I could.

The RMC basketball program has made me a student in all aspects of my life and encouraged me to never stop learning.

G&G: What did it mean to you to be part of the team? And to be named the MVP this year by your teammates?

JB: This basketball team is a brotherhood. When you shed blood, sweat, and tears together, it forms a bond that can’t be broken. All the success we had can be directly linked to the friendship we formed over the year. I was extremely honored to receive the MVP award this season. My teammates showed they care about me just as much as I care about them. The highest honor you can receive is one that is given to you by your peers. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t have been in a position to succeed. My teammates and coaches deserve all the praise for the season we had.

TM

ROCKY Mountain College

G&G: What’s next for you? We heard there may be some professional tryouts in your future – are you looking to make a career out of basketball?

JB: I am exploring some options in Europe of possibly play-

ing professionally. Unless you play in the NBA (which I never will), basketball is never a career. I’ve always looked at basketball as an outlet for my competitive edge. Playing overseas would not only satisfy my competitive itch, but also allow me to travel and see another part of the world. I hope to make a living and see parts of Europe that I’ve never seen before. If I can play basketball for a few more years before I return to the States to start my career, that would be great. I would get to continue to play the game that I love and meet new people – that’s a win-win for me.

G&G: Anything else you would like to see included in the article or about you personally?

JB: I chose Rocky so that I could be close to my family. Family is very important to me, and it is very important to the College as well.

Rocky has developed a culture throughout the school that encourages involvement and togetherness.

Every morning when I arrived on campus I felt at home. That is what I will miss the most now that I have graduated.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE

Bears & Cubs pr gram mentoring children in the community

Rocky Mountain College students are embodying the school’s core themes of academic excellence and transformational learning – transforming the lives of children in the community through the Bears and Cubs mentoring program. Spearheaded by RMC’s Community Service Coordinator Jill Washburn, the program is a three-part initiative between Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Yellowstone County, Highland Elementary School, and Rocky Mountain College.

A small group of RMC students have committed at least one day a week for a minimum of six months to mentor a child at the neighboring Highland Elementary School. The “Bears” meet with their “Cub” on the elementary school campus; they could be helping a child learn to read, playing together during recess, or just be available as a friendly person to talk to.

“Children often improve in the areas of self-confidence, school performance, family relations, peer relations, ability to express feelings, ability to make decisions, respect for other cultures, ability to avoid delinquency, and sense of the future,” BBBS says.

The children are each unique and need something individual from the mentoring, said RMC junior Jennifer Murphy. The students come from a variety of backgrounds; they may have adverse home conditions, have difficulty in school, or just need a dependable role model in their lives.

Summer 2014

Jennifer Murphy (’15)

Murphy has been participating in Bears and Cubs for the past year and had previously worked as a peer instructor and work-study student at Highland as part of her elementary education major.

Murphy is specializing her degree with a minor in reading, and it’s already coming in handy with her “Cub” at Highland.

Murphy said she was drawn to the program after participating in RMC’s Campus Compass class, where new students are introduced to what Rocky Mountain College has to offer to students, as well as a get-to-know-you atmosphere.

Murphy now works each week to help a child with projects, reading, and even just to talk. The program has helped her to realize how much difference one person can make when they take the time to work with children, she said. And, “how important it is for [the kids] to have a friend even if [they are] a different age.”

The program is still in its infancy, having started in the fall, but the demand for Rocky students is increasing. “The only complaint is that we want more [Rocky] students!” said Highland Principal Jeri Heard, who is an RMC alumna from the Master of Educational Leadership program. There are six elementary school students currently on a waiting list for a “Bear” to help out at Highland.

“It’s such a win-win situation,” Heard said of the partnership; the elementary students get the mentoring and friendship that they need, and the college students get real-world experience and have an impact in their community.

Interested in participating? The program will match RMC students, staff, and even faculty with students at Highland Elementary; for more information, visit www.bbbsyc.org/ bears-cubs-program/.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

TWO STUDENTS FIND THEIR PERFECT STRIDE AT RMC

Jones & Rogers named President’s Cup recipients Every April at the Academic Awards Banquet, Rocky Mountain College students are recognized and honored for their academic achievements with departmental awards and the Dean’s Cup, which is awarded to the male and female student with the highest cumulative grade point average. But the crowning moment of the evening is the presentation of the prestigious President’s Cup; awarded by faculty vote to both a male and female student who exemplify scholarship, leadership, and contributions to RMC and the greater community, the President’s Cup is the highest award an RMC student can receive.

look at two of RMC’s finest.

This year, Caroline Jones and Toryn Rogers were selected as the President’s Cup recipients; here’s a

“

Caroline Jones, former president of ASRMC (Associated Students of Rocky Mountain College), was honored for her exemplary servant leadership and academic accomplishments.

From Roseville, Minn., Jones graduated manga cum laude with a degree in business management with a managerial accounting emphasis. Speaking of her award, Jones said it was “really an honor” and that although it was never on her “agenda,” it’s wonderful to know that she did have an impact on her campus community.

Caroline is one of the strongest servant leaders.

Leadership has been thrust upon her and she is someone who hasn’t gone out for recognition.

”

-Vice President for Student Life Brad Nason

She has been the “quiet steady motor” behind ASRMC and has been instrumental in ASRMC’s recent efforts to reinvigorate student publications and establish the upcoming U360 phone app, said Vice President for Student Life Brad Nason.

Caroline Jones (’14)

Jones spent her junior year as an ASRMC senator and took on the position of president at the beginning of her senior year. “I really like to be involved in everything,” Jones said, and ASRMC was one of the best ways to do that on campus.

“It’s been a really good growing experience to be a leader among my peers.”

She was also an active member of RMC’s InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and recently

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coached track at Billings Central Catholic High School.

Toryn Rogers (’14)

And Jones is continuing her path of success – she recently accepted a job at CTA Architects & Engineers in Billings as a member of their human resources department.

Toryn Rogers was awarded the President’s Cup to his “98 percent surprise” thanks to his prolific volunteerism, academic achievements, and drive to continuously improve.

“

Rogers is “the hardest working student I have ever had. He strives for perfection.

”

-Associate Professor of Communication Studies and Director of Debate Shelby Jo Long-Hammond A highly skilled debater, Rogers’ volunteer work has included mentoring the Laurel, Mont., debate team and working with Long-Hammond’s grant to create sustainable debate programs at three of Montana’s tribal colleges.

A member of the RMC cross country team, Rogers joined the team as a freshman walk-on, ran four years with Coach Alan King, and built his prowess to run marathons and improve his times year after year, winning a team “Most Improved” award.

In April 2014, Rogers, a communication studies major, won the prize for best undergraduate paper at the Northwest Communication Association annual conference in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in April for his 45-page study “Constructing a

fantastical body: Conceptions and presentations of masculinity in print, animation and flesh.”

Long-Hammond said, “I’ve had the opportunity to watch him grow and change for five years. He’s an excellent academic. I’m going to miss him.”

After graduation, Rogers joined Long-Hammond for a two-week Irish Protest field class in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. He expects to spend one more summer as a political field organizer, most likely for the Texas gubernatorial campaign of Wendy Davis.

Have you moved? We have a variety of outreach inititiatives happening across campus to update our databases and to keep you informed of what’s happening at RMC. If you have already filled out our postcard, THANK YOU. If you did not receive one, we may not have current contact information for you. Please email us at alumni@rocky.edu and we will get your information updated.

Summer 2014

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ROCKYBattlin’ Bears

Athletics

Lady Bears bring home first national championship The 2013-2014 season was a phenomenal year for Rocky Mountain College athletics, with major wins in men’s basketball and women’s skiing, again bringing the Battlin’ Bears to the forefront of the Frontier Conference and nation.

This year saw the women’s ski team bring home their first-ever national championship, and the men’s basketball won the Frontier Conference Championship for the first time in 20 years and appeared in the national tournament. Regular season conference titles were also achieved in women’s soccer, men’s basketball, as well as men’s and women’s golf. And for the colossal effort, Rocky has some serious trophies on display, including the 2013-2014 Bandy Memorial All-Sports Trophy.

Here’s a closer look at two sports that made history this year.

Women’s Ski Racing Thirty-six hours a week of training culminates in just over a minute of competition on the mountains of the western United States, and five women reached the pinnacle of collegiate ski success – the first-ever United States Collegiate Ski Association (USCSA) national team championship for women’s skiing at Rocky Mountain College.

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Led by coach Jerry Wolf, the women’s ski team has made it to nationals for the past 13 years, with secondplace finishes on four occasions, but this year was special – this year, the RMC women came out on top for the first time in RMC history. Wolf, who has coached the program for the past 13 years (see the correlation?), has been working toward this achievement since the beginning, and with their appearance at nationals this year, his program became the longest streak in RMC history to consecutively attend national competition. (The RMC

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women’s golf team had previously held the record with 12 national appearances RMC won the giant slalom (GS) and was sitting just behind Sierra Nevada from 1999-2010.)

College by 1.3 seconds overall in the slalom. To determine the overall winner, it moved to place points, where there was a tie with each team sitting with 3 Teammates Frida Svedberg (’17), Elo- points. The judges then looked at individual place points, a tie once again with ise Julliand (’16), Fredrika Hjelm (’16), 25 each. Then it went to race points, which is determined by how far off from Malin Eriksson (’16), Mallory Kelley the leader in the GS and slalom – and RMC’s Svedberg was sitting in first place (’18), and Mckenna Lowe (’17) took to in both events – “we killed them on the tiebreaker,” Wolf said, cementing these the slopes for the 2013-2014 season as ladies into the RMC skiing history books. a young team full of potential.

Svedberg came out on top at nationals, followed by Julliand in second and The Rocky women entered the Hjelm in 5th. Wolf remembered saying, “Ladies, we need to win this outright.” national competition sitting in third place out of 17 teams, coming off of “It was a big ask,” Wolf said. their fifth regional title in recent years.

With only five ladies on the slopes And the Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bear women came through with a for nationals, the women had tough resounding win. competition with reigning champion Sierra Nevada College, who brought nine women to the competition, Wolf said. Teams only get to start five women on each event, and of those five, the three fastest times are added together to create the team score.

More women on the team allow for colleges to select “specialists” for each event, Wolf explained. Rocky’s team was situated such that each skier had to succeed in her event, and it worked out spectacularly. The women beat out Sierra Nevada College during a nailbiting double tiebreaker to take home the USCSA national championship trophy.

It was “awesome,” said Wolf.

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Green & Gold

ATHLETICS

Frontier Conference Champions

Led by Bill Dreikosen, in his 14th season as head coach at RMC, the men’s basketball team had a tremendously successful season. The team went on to win the Frontier Conference in front of a packed house at the Fortin Education Center as well as the conference tournament title for the second year in a row, the fourth title since 2002, and also played in the NAIA National Championship Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. This was RMC men’s basketball first conference championship in 20 years. “It was special for this team to accomplish that – that’s a very good feat, proud of them for that effort and really, really sticking together as a team. This is a tough conference; you have a lot of good teams in this conference and in basketball, in all sports,” said Dreikosen.

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The championship was further defined by the 11 top-20 team rankings the team earned from the NAIA national rankings at the end of the year, including being third in the nation for free throw percentages at 75 percent as a team, as well as in defensive rebounds per game, and number 1 in the Frontier Conference for defensive rebounding and number 2 in scoring.

“This basketball team is a brotherhood,” said Billings native and team captain Joel Barndt (’14). “When you shed blood, sweat, and tears together it forms a bond that can’t be broken. All the success we had can be directly linked to the friendship we formed over the year.” And it was that hard work and friendship that earned Barndt the honor of being named MVP for the season.

“My teammates showed they care about me just as much as I care about them. The highest honor you can receive is one that is given to you by your peers. Without my teammates, I wouldn’t have been in a position to succeed. My teammates and coaches deserve all the praise for the season we had,” Barndt said.

Coach Dreikosen reiterated a similar sentiment, “Night in and night out you’re going to be challenged; [there were] a lot of close games, and for us to find a way to accomplish a championship was really, really exciting. Our program has been successful, but this was definitely one of those years that was very special, and to have the opportunity to have a special group like this was something that I will always remember. I think this group has a sense of really a closeness; as far as a

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family atmosphere, it’s something we really work hard in our program to do.”

The hard work on the team earned players both All-American and Academic All-Conference titles; three students were named All-American, First-Team, All-Conference players including Joel Barndt (’14), Jeremy Nicolas (’14), and Tyree Anderson (’15). Four students were also named Academic All-Conference Players, including Barndt, Nicolas, Ben Moerkerke (’16), and Rob Nyby (’16) for their successes both on and off the court.

“We use basketball as a vehicle to help teach our players about all parts of life … their academics, their basketball, their social [skills] – everything that can hopefully help prepare them for their future endeavors. I think this team is really going to grow from not only their successes, but also from the difficult times too,” said Dreikosen.

Barndt agreed that the RMC program was about more than basketball. “The program that Coach Driekosen and Coach [Wes] Keller have put together has made a huge impact on my life. In the four years I spent on the team, I grew as a player, but more importantly, I grew as a man. I learned the responsibility of leadership as well as the importance of self-discipline. The culture at RMC taught me that character counts both on and off the court. The lessons I learned in practice were easily translated to my life in the classroom. I learned to set goals and challenge myself to achieve the highest grade I could. The RMC basketball program has made me a student in all aspects of my life and encouraged me to never stop learning,” Barndt said.

RMC wins 20132014 Bandy Award

ing into next year … we are looking forward, we have a good junior class and guys that have played a lot of minutes and put in a lot of time in the program. We’re looking forward to their offseason growth,” Dreikosen said.

“We had a lot of good people here who supported us, not just the student body, which was incredible, [but] also ... the community. It was neat to see people come out and watch this team play,” Dreikosen said.

Here’s looking forward to another standout season.

The Bandy Award is awarded to the Frontier Conference school with the most points in football, men’s and women’s basketball, soccer, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s volleyball, and men’s and women’s golf. With 114.5 points, Rocky easily surpassed Lewis-Clark State (88 points), Carroll College (85.5), Westminster (74), University of Great Falls (60), MontanaState Northern (52.5), Montana Tech (43), Montana Western (28.5), Dickinson State (24.5), Southern Oregon (11), and Eastern Oregon (9). This is the sixth win for all-sports achievement RMC has received in 31 years and the first since the 2008-2009

With the graduation of his senior players, Dreikosen will now turn his attention to his rising stars. “We definitely have some leadership roles that some of our guys will have to step into movSummer 2014

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From ORIENTATION to GRADUATION RMC tackles freshmen retention Not all students who go to college graduate.

How’s that for a terrifying thought?

What if there was something more that could be done to increase retention and graduation rates?

Obstacles from health to finances to family pressures may get in the way for some students, and Rocky Mountain College seeks to change the dynamic.

First, RMC strives to ensure that all students accepted are academically prepared, show promise to prosper throughout the rigors of four years of study, and demonstrate a strong fit with the institution, said Austin Mapston, director of admissions.

Retention of students is a golden apple that every higher education institution tries to grasp. At RMC, a

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strong focus in 2014 from staff and faculty is reviewing the College’s many efforts to ensure that students progress to become RMC graduates.

Non-returning students typically report they do not fault RMC and wish they were remaining.

Before and while they are enrolled, students receive direction and encouragement to use various best practices for their success: a writing center, peer tutoring, peer mentors, various extracurricular activities, counseling services, federally funded academic support services, and even alternate degree options such as an associate’s degree or individualized programs of study. Also, academic advisors work with individuals throughout their courses of study.

For four-year private colleges nationwide, the 2012 average

student retention rate from freshman to sophomore year was 67 percent, close to the 68 percent of RMC freshmen who return as sophomores. The institution as a whole will evaluate establishing a healthier benchmark. While national experts argue over the most effective aids to retention, RMC staff and faculty are intensively collecting data to drive efforts to help more students to graduate.

Surveys are packing in new data, but clear-cut answers have not emerged.

Students and families respond to housing surveys, student and parent satisfaction surveys, and several other instruments, often with data going back for years. Mapston said, “It’s not only identifying issues and quantifying data points. On the staff side, every department touches students in a different way.”

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RMC President Bob Wilmouth said in a March all-staff meeting, “Is there any reason we can’t just call each freshman and see how they’re doing? If we each call, that would only be three or four students apiece.” Staff jumped on board his student call-back initiative; many enjoyed stretching themselves to communicate in a new role with freshmen. In a short phone call, they asked how students were progressing and what support students might appreciate. Staff reached 42 percent of 324 freshmen in a week of calls and continued to connect with the 124 with whom they had left phone and email messages. Mapston said, “We could do something like this every semester.”

Students reported eagerness to improve, for example, campus services, activities and programming, academic and program advising, and food and dining. Financial aid was not reported as a problem for freshmen.

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summer break. “With this new emphasis on gathering qualitative data, tools are in place to give us the analysis we need,” said Steve Germic, associate academic vice president. “We’re creating a functional cheat sheet” for academic administration to make effective changes, noted Wilmouth.

Academic advising helps students to graduate with as much value as possible in their coursework. Faculty will be planning to improve equity in advising assignments so that each student is guaranteed the most effective advising by an expert in “While our ultimate goal is to assist the student in returning to RMC and their major. completing their degree, we underChoosing further methods for stustand that there are often situations that keep a student from returning. dent support will follow from datadriven discussion. Potential methods In addition to determining if it is possible to assist them in staying at may include more early intervention for students with academic RMC,” Avery said, “we must help students transition to their next step struggles, support for student needs positively and with our full support.” on campus, work for non-freshmen to integrate college into the world Many students transfer in to RMC from other schools; many also return beyond, and other focuses to help RMC students stick with the best after a semester or two away. four years of their education.

Faculty are involved even during When students between semesters decide to not return, they often suddenly make no further communication with their college, sometimes from sorrow or busyness.

In March, Registrar Annalea Avery created an online form for staff to collect qualitative data from current students who say they are considering not returning after a semester. Staff took reasons from 15 students in a month. “It’s openended conversations,” said Avery, “that help to find out the ‘why.’”

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

RMC embraces new aviation technology Rocky students and longtime aviators study drone use “The class was a blast. I loved how we were to do the research and go acquire the UAS – to operate, to maintain, to certify.”

-Ryan Rojeski (’14)

RMC aviation students are flying high with a course focused on unmanned aerial systems (UAS) or, as they are more commonly known, drones.

“The students themselves truly made the course a success,” said Scott Wilson of his class.

“The burden’s on me to keep abreast [of rapid legal and technological changes for UAS],” said the RMC professor of aviation, “with the FAA struggling to balance

“

privacy rights and operational considerations against the demand rising from the commercial area.

We’re making the most of the day.

It’s really timely. In a month without study, we’d be behind the curve.”

Student Ryan Rojeski said, “We’ve developed a program, SOPs [standard operating procedures], and a flight syllabus, integrating this study with log book endorsement in hours of our experience flying these aircraft.”

Rogeski (’14), of Nine Mile Falls, Wash., reported June 29 to Officer Training School in Rhode Island to become a Navy fighter pilot. He acquired private, instrument rating, commercial, and multi-engine pilot certifications at RMC. UAS student Joseph Mutchler (’16), of Billings, Mont., flew 13 years over the Middle East and Afghanistan as an Air Force flight officer in charge of aircraft autopilot, navigation, and communication systems.

”

Understanding how to integrate [drone use] with FAA national airspace is a quantum leap.

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He has returned to RMC to complete his undergraduate degree.

“Everybody was so intrigued by this that we were all staying on top of it,” Mutchler said.

“The class was a blast.” Rojeski added, “I loved how we were to do the research and go acquire the UAS – to operate, to maintain, to certify. We started from scratch.”

Their textbook offered what “1 percent of hobby pilots are aware of – the classifications,” legal foundations of FAA regulation, and legal ambiguities of UAS use.

“Understanding how to integrate [drone use] with FAA national airspace is a quantum leap,” Mutchler said. FAA regulation remains unclear and a political hot topic.

With more than 1,000 hours as a flight instructor and 10,000 hours as a ground instructor, Wilson certifies students’ UAS achievement in their Pilot Log Books, which they carry for a lifetime. With the UAS coursework, “we can give [students] a little bit of an edge, get them in the door for an interview. Even our future airline pilots can have their UAS certification.”

Rojeski and Mutchler received funding from RMC, including ASRMC student government. Wilson’s course purchased controllers, monitors, six vehicles, and replacement parts, as well as two accurate flight

Mutchler (left) and Rojeski (right) with two of RMC’s UASs or “drones.”

simulators called RealFlight 7 that plug into controllers for hands-on practice before using real UAS. “Everything I do at Rocky is to try to get [students] good jobs,” said Wilson.

An aviation attorney, Wilson retired as a Captain in the U.S. Navy, where his missions included supervision of longrange planning [J35] for all NATO air operations in Saudi Arabia at the height of Middle East conflict.

“The industry is so hungry for operators,” said Wilson.

“Students can come to RMC and get a degree that means a lot. With their liberal arts background, these grads could slide right into a junior managerial UAS position for a contractor.”

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ROCKYNotables

Outstanding student, faculty, alumni profiles

History has little to do with memorizing dates

or names. Competence with facts and research skills are only prerequisites to the real study of history. Rocky Mountain College history classes help students go the next step, to recognize their own and others’ subjectivity by critically comparing varied explanations of our heritage.

Professor of History and Political Science Tim Lehman says students of history learn the depth and context that give meaning to artistic and political endeavors. The study of history, he points out, creates the infrastructure for informed citizenship. He says, “History is a step toward civil discourse.”

To teach the second semester of American history, for example, he schedules student debates on whether our leadership could justify dropping the atomic bomb on Japan and whether non-violence or violence was a more effective strategy for the civil rights movement. His debates are not “who’s right” contests, but forums to examine our judgments. Lehman reminds students of John Locke’s dictum:

“

You’ve not begun to debate until you can state your opponent’s point of view in terms acceptable to your opponent.

”

-John Locke

He admires his students who have focused on place, who come to Montana for the mountains and stay for the people. “There’s an openness and unpretentiousness about our students, different from those on the supposedly more sophisticated East or West Coast.”

Beyond the yearlong American History class many RMC students take, Lehman has taught courses in environmental history, environmental politics, and 16

Montana and western history and has written books on the Battle of the Little Bighorn as well as on American farmland preservation policy.

Lehman gave an “extreme history” talk in April to 200 guests at the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman, Mont. Discussing the Battle of the Little Bighorn, he treats the experience of the Native participants, using primary sources from right after the 1876 battle and from the 50th anniversary commemorations in 1926. He reads from transcripts of Northern Cheyenne’s Wooden Leg and John Stands in Timber and especially a Lakota woman named Moving Robe.

“I was a woman, but I was not afraid,” her story goes. Lehman’s riveted audience hears as she paints her face and gets on her pony and soon is crawling up the hill and meeting the soldiers. In Bozeman, “it was well-received,” he admitted. “They laughed at all the right times.”

Lehman has spoken similarly for years at celebrations and forums such as the Plenty Coups Day of Honor in Pryor, Mont.

Assistant Professor Jenifer Parks’ field is 20th century Russia, “but I teach the dawn of time to the present, in two semesters” in her History of Civilization class taken by many RMC students. “I do learn something every time, covering tens of thousands of years,” she grants.

Parks appreciates how history as a discipline has changed. In the 19th century, writers focused on national histories, she said. In the ’40s and ’50s, the emphasis moved to western histories, to selfidentification as a conscious exercise. In the ’60s and ’70s, historians emphasized decolonization using

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range of students.

“We decided as a department that all classes except the 400-level can fulfill the core curriculum requirement. Some [students] bite off more than they can chew, but most are genuinely interested.”

Her courses in Early Modern Europe and the first half of Russian history “went over really well.”

The early Soviet Union, she points out, was against colonialism. The Soviet post-revolutionary policy of “core-ization” celebrated local ethnic cultures and friendship of nations until the Russianization of the ’20s and gulags for native peoples after World War II. Marxist interpretations.

The Cold War has helped American historians engage with the global stage in a way they hadn’t before, Parks points out.

Most recently, professionals try to use a bottom-up approach of citing marginal voices so that neither the winners nor leading losers of conflict write the books.

“I try to bring as much social and cultural history as I can,” Parks said. Her text has sections on labor, leisure, and online primary sources.

To jumpstart critical inquiry, she requires

Summer 2014

discussion days and presentations.

“I want to get them to move far past the surface,” she said, so she asks students to prepare analytical questions to help guide discussion. “I can study anything if I can make it relevant,” she said.

Parks looks forward to teaching her Russian history sequence in 2014-15. She reads well in Russian for her research into how Soviet Olympic sports administrators navigated politics during the Cold War. “Battles in Slavic studies can be quite intense. I taught Eastern European history and called the course ‘Blood, Race, Nation.’” Her students looked at how groups’ prejudices rose from taking turns as victims of ethnic nationalism.

Parks notes parallels between the Russian colonization of Siberia and central Asia and the Anglo colonization of the American west. Commentators in each colonizer turned natives into objects, alternately into either noble or ferocious savages. Yet Americans’ perceived self-interest was to defend our potential allies and excoriate our obstacles.

Though a few of Parks’ students want a grade with the least effort, she said, many are fascinated by these new perspectives.

The history professors recognize how students thrive when new theoretical constructs and frames of reference help explain our chaotic world.

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Good jazz sounds eternally inspired but instantly fresh. Tony Hammond, though, keeps the Jazz Ensemble at RMC a formal class in which student-musicians develop strengths in performance, reading charts, composition, and improvisation, usually over several years. “We teach jazz professionals’ expectations of a reading band,” he said, “and learn the conventions of musicianship in the jazz style.”

His jazz ensemble engages the Billings live music scene as students join and are mentored by the swirl of jazz expertise that Hammond, assistant professor of music and director of bands, connects in the community.

Hammond notes a difference between his instruction of concert band and jazz band. “Concert band is part of music educators’ curriculum, so I model a positive classroom … and pedagogy that’ll fly in front of a principal. Jazz band is less high school curriculum, so we instead model professionalism from the jazz professionals’ perspective.”

“The art of improvisation is a lifelong pursuit. Over four years, I’ve seen tremendous growth in individuals. Every five years, the ensemble is all new. Different people step up as leaders at different times.

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The students I have returning in [Fall] 2014 are learning and applying themselves better and better.”

Parker Brown (’15) of Billings, for example, is a fixture of local live music. Brown said, “My dad played music so I grew up watching and listening to his bands perform … great American music, mostly rooted in blues … lots of Frank Zappa. I don’t feel like I ever really started practicing until I enrolled at RMC, but I have always practiced and had a desire to express myself more on my instruments.”

Brown practiced guitar through high school then moved to upright bass. “A few years ago, Alex Nauman moved to town, and I felt a strong urge to become a competent upright bass player in jazz, and that led to a deeper desire to learn ‘classical’ music/ technique. All my teachers have affected me in big ways since I have been at RMC,” he said.

“In a bittersweet way [because he moved on from RMC this summer], Sam Hamm’s influence in my classes and as a friend has changed a lot of my gestalts from the inside out and helped me become a better performer, listener, musician, and thinker.

Steve Germic’s English classes helped me mentally, and I became a much better writer/reader,” Brown Summer 2014

said. “Steven Hart’s conducting class helped me understand music, performance, and the way I was using or not using my body on a deeper level, and Anthony Hammond has encouraged me along the way and taught me how to become a better teacher and all-around musician during his instrumental methods class (and we have become friends as well and play in groups together!).”

A public speaking class taught by Hammond’s wife, Shelby Jo Long-Hammond, lessened Brown’s performance anxiety “tenfold.” He said, “The list goes on. It really does; I could name off every teacher and class that I have taken at RMC and honestly say that I was affected in some way by the teacher/course. My experience has helped me become a better thinker and performer; each piece is imperative to complete the puzzle.”

Daniel Garneau of Atlanta, Ga., and Brendan Fox of Helena, Mont., are two jazz composers learning from Hammond’s classes. “For me, jazz band is a place to become a better leader in a band. It also helps my writing because I can observe things that composers do that work or don’t work. And hey – getting credit for playing with great people … twice a week is pretty awesome,” Fox said.

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Garneau said, “I joined jazz band as a trumpet player and also took a Jazz Improv class as a French horn player, both of which really helped me to dive in and get great experience as a jazz player. A goal of mine as I attempt to write jazz tunes in the future is to write as many exciting French horn parts as I can … I think we would make a great addition!”

Hammond said, “At the college level, I am not afraid to challenge students as long as they know I care about them; they are going to be better and feel better about things if they work hard for their

contribution, and the whole is improved.”

From Missoula, Hammond taught music grades 5-12 in Red Lodge, Mont., before coming to RMC in 2008. “I actually enjoy 70 hours a week” of music, he said; he is involved at least that much.

“I like to participate,” said Hammond, so he has become a cog in the Billings live music scene, helping to develop community talent.

He has played jazz, funk, and classical trombone around Montana.

For example, on commencement weekend in early May, Hammond

joined RMC-founded band Ellen and the Old School for an evening concert in Billings, along with Brown, Fox, RMC jazz student Tiffany Personett, Jamison Baken (son of RMC art professor Jim Baken), and local guitar legend Alex Nauman, who begins teaching guitar at RMC this fall.

Most recently, he regales occasional evening Jazz Jams that have sprouted in Billings. “I’m probably one of the people they count on to come in and bring something new” in jazz thinking, he said. The Jazz Jams have “gotten the jazz community together to play – the way it’s supposed to be.”

A band should be a mutually supportive learning environment, like school, but even more immediate.

“In New York, you have to have a certain expertise just to hang,” Hammond said. Here, “we’re going to encourage them to grow, to get better, to pass on to the next generation of players the best, most organic way to do it.”

Hammond keeps a tradition of open rehearsals. “People are always welcome” this fall, he said, to rehearsals in Losekamp Hall of Concert Band and Jazz Ensemble.

“I think it’s important for people to see the process,” he said. “I don’t think most people recognize the work that goes into creating any sort of art. My colleagues and people on campus are very supportive. I would love the larger world to view artists as people who work hard at their craft.”

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Institute for Peace Studies unites communities

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE

The Institute for Peace Studies on the Rocky Mountain College campus takes the view that the world’s problems can be solved by people seeking alternatives to violence through education.

As former RMC president Arthur DeRosier noted, “options to violence belong in a learning environment emphasizing the possibilities for good that can come from an educated mind seeking answers to thorny problems.”

Donors have supported and governed the Institute for Peace Studies since its founding in 1990 by former RMC president Lawrence Small, working with a circle of community leaders. Located in Alden Hall, the Institute is a part of RMC, committed to the school, yet independent in funding and in programs, with its own Board of Advisors that reports regularly to the RMC Board of Trustees.

DeRosier

and the RMC Board welcomed the Institute as “a full part of the College” in 2001.

Director of the Institute for Peace Studies Cindy Kunz has a strong history with RMC. A former registered nurse, Kunz put two children through RMC before she found employment at the Institute.

Former Institute intern Nikki Haratyk (’12) received her master’s of accountancy degree at RMC and now works half-time.

Since its inception, the Institute has established strong relationships with international students. The College has hosted international students since the early 1950s, when students from Nigeria (then British West Africa) and Japan joined the 130 students enrolled at the College.

“We hire international students as part-time employees rather than as work-study students,” Kunz explained, “because their visas do not permit off-campus work.”

Thus each year it becomes a close and supportive community for foreign students who may have common experiences of people seeing them as somehow exotic or unusual. te for u t i t s s Meanwhile, n m f the I nz for o u r K o y t c the students ’s Cind Dire h RMC udies t t i S w e e s s c p e maintain the i Pea tionsh dents. “[T]h a l e r Institute’s tu close onal s ” states Pam i t a n r , programs. inte ren r child e h e r a on.

Ericks

Alumni student-staffers are exceptional. Alums are working with the United Nations, the World Bank, General Electric, and in Germany and the former Soviet Union. “They know how to work, how to show up,” she smiles, “then they go out and make us proud.”

Pam Erickson, administrative assistant to the vice president for institutional advancement, says of Kunz, “She opens her doors, and these are her children.”

Summer 2014 staffers include Evan Connolly (’15) of Tramore, Republic of Ireland, and Ronaldo Teixeira (’17) of Divinópolis, Brazil, as well as recent graduates Judith Jeannot (’14) of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Noah Kiprono (’14) of Litein, Kenya.

In 14 years, 28 student employees have come from 18 countries.

Helping Montanans appreciate diversity, the Institute’s cultural diversity outreach goes to Stillwater, Carbon, and Yellowstone County schools. International students visit classrooms to talk about how they are both different from and the same as their audiences. “We visit mostly preschool and kindergarten, but we also visit Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch and St. Francis Intermediate School,” said Haratyk.

Programs have visited 36,000 students in 12 years, about 3,000 a year.

The Festival of Cultures, held annually in June on the RMC Green, draws about 5,000 people for a celebration not just of international culture, but of cultures from around Billings.

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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

“We’re not pacifists. Our board contains a Muslim, a Jew, an agnostic, two Roman Catholics, Quakers, retired military, people raised to maturity in India, Iceland, Hungary. We have active Democrats, dyed-in-the-wool Republicans, independents, and don’t-give-a-damns.” - Cindy Kunz, Director of the Institute for Peace Studies

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The Peace Village day camp hosts about 40 7- to 10-year-olds each August at RMC. The camp’s keystone theme is respect for social diversity. About half the campers are clients of Friendship House, Family Services, and other Billings social service agencies. “The fee to attend is a case of bottled water,” said Kunz, for the camp is grantfunded mostly by local donations.

In 2013, campers had a natural resource focus and planted a peace grove on campus. Counselors, aged 11 to 17, are alums of the camp. “We teach health and nutrition, impulse control, and non-violent conflict resolution,” said Haratyk. At the “end of the week, we lob candy and ribbons at counselors or campers and they sit, still and patient,” to demonstrate their new strengths in impulse control.

who exemplifies values of conflict resolution, understanding and unity among people of diverse backgrounds, and peacemaking on both a local and global level.

Recipients have included Mike Mansfield, The In George st are ex itute’s stud McGovern, and ceptio ent-st af nal: “ to wor Ben Pease, Jr. T hey kn fers k, how Kunz, o t “then o show up,” w how t m s h a ake u e The deadline s prou y go out a id nd d.” for the 2014 Gronhovd Peace Essay contest for high school or college students is Burt, October 17. Area teachers promote who also sits on this writing opportunity, for which the RMC Board. Burt said, “I have 2003 marked the first annual the late Edith Gronhovd funded worked with many different nonWomen’s Conference hosted on hundreds of dollars of prizes. “There profits, but none has impacted as Martin Luther King weekend at are a lot of remarkably mature high many people, nor given me as much RMC by the Institute. Dr. Linda school essays,” said Haratyk. personal satisfaction, as being a part Scott DeRosier was the first of of this Institute.” many speakers who have addressed A Spring Fling International Dinner issues specific to women. is a great success each year. Held in “We remain a marvelous partner, April in recent years at Mayflower never in competition for RMC The Institute’s Jeanette Rankin Congregational Church, the resources,” said Kunz. “If there is Award goes annually to a leader smorgasbord of international a conflict, we defer to RMC. Part with strong Montana treats gets cooked and served of my job description is to foster a ties by international students. good relationship with the rest of Each year pairs variously the College.” spiced noodles, cabbages, sausages, and dumplings “We’re not pacifists,” Kunz points with sauces and garnishes. out. “Our board contains a Muslim, a Jew, an agnostic, two Roman The Institute gets Catholics, Quakers, retired military, no dollars from the people raised to maturity in India, College. It is, Kunz is Iceland, Hungary. We have active clear, “a department Democrats, dyed-in-the-wool within our school, Republicans, independents, and committed to our don’t-give-a-damns.” As Arthur school, independent DeRosier wrote, “a major goal of in funding and civilized society is to seek peaceful ltures programs.”

Small was u C solutions to problems as individual f val o and i t s e the first Board chair.

F l s as family conflict and as global as itage e world nnua The current Board The a ses the her h t international disagreements.” a ns of re chair is Methodist showc l traditio atmosphe ra n ty. minister David cultu n and ope muni m u f o c a s g n i in e Bill

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Rocky Mountain College announces first App

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE

In a world where more people check their phones for the time rather than wear a watch, the need to develop digital communications for Rocky Mountain College continues to grow. And as the summer winds to a close, the College is preparing to unveil a new app for iPhone and Android users.

Meet the U360 app for Rocky Mountain College. A technological first for the College and the only official Rocky Mountain College app, it contains quick links to student tools (Moodle, email, and CampusPortal), admission information, a separate alumni section, an interactive campus map, local weather, athletic updates, and links to all RMC news and events around campus. Additional features include a full campus directory and course catalog.

“It feels to me that it is a technologically forward-thinking opportunity for the College,” said Vice President for Student Life Brad Nason. “The thing that peaked my interest and got me most enthused about it was that it came from students. It was ASRMC and two

students in particular that really felt Duley (’14), along with Associated strongly that this was something that Students of Rocky Mountain would serve the student population.” College (ASRMC) started the journey to app-dom.

So how important is an app for RMC? Nason explained the app provides a platform where alumni, current Andrew Niemantsverdriet, part students, and prospective of RMC’s academic computing students can all stay connected department, explained, “According and increase communication to a 2012 Nielsen Mobile Usage between those groups and the Study, 55 percent of adults access RMC administration. And, with the the web via their mobile phone and added functionality of synchronized 31 percent use a mobile device as calendars, the app could even their primary platform. To put this generate a “higher understanding of in perspective, about one billion what’s [happening] on campus” and devices run the Windows Operating ultimately increase participation in System. Windows 1.0 was released campus events. in 1985. The first iPhone came out in 2007 and has 400 million users; The app is currently funded by Android was released in 2008 and ASRMC and was proposed as a has 480 million users. In five short two-year plan, after which time the years the mobile world has sold value will be assessed, and its future almost as many devices as Windows funding could potentially be picked has in 28 years. This year there are up by the College should it prove more mobile devices in use than to be a useful tool for the RMC traditional PCs,” Niemantsverdriet community. said.

The app has something for current And so it should come as no students, prospective students, surprise that RMC students were and alumni and is free to download the driving force behind the app. through the App Store and through Seth Livengood (’14) and Luke the Google Android store.

Features

Admissions New to RMC? You can find your counselor, check out upcoming events, schedule your next campus visit, and even apply for admission directly from the app.

Athletics Your new go-to page for RMC athletics updates, it includes links to all major news outlets that have featured RMC athletics. Quickly follow your favorite coach on Twitter, or add the RMC athletics Facebook page to your friends.

Campus Tour Take a walk around the RMC campus, and the app can automatically detect your location and provide information about the buildings on campus. Learn a bit about the history of RMC buildings and what each has to offer.

Student Tools Login to Moodle, your Rocky email account, and CampusPortal straight from your phone. Find out if the library is open. Check out what events are happening on campus from Student Activities.

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Early college enrollment gives hands-on experience online through the Montana State University Billings University Connections program. Some University Connections students transfer into RMC when they tire of online work, he said.

Fourteen high school-age students began taking college classes at RMC in Spring 2014. While several took college chemistry, biology, geology, calculus, or religion courses for college credit, nine participated in a computer science early enrollment program that offers dual credits at both RMC and their high schools.

High school enrollment is “a market that we can grow,” said Mapston, but public high school students have few chances to attend physical classes at RMC during their day. “We stay very popular with home schoolers,” he said.

Students go through the complete RMC application process, said Austin Mapston, director of admissions.

They must have junior or senior standing in high school; typically, they become full-time Rocky Mountain College undergraduates, where early enrollees “excel, graduate, and do great things,” Mapston said.

Each year, RMC’s computer science program welcomes talented high school juniors and seniors into its introductory programming courses. High school students are in the classroom with RMC’s first-year computer science majors, and they do exactly the same work. Last fall, nine students participated in the program, a record. The courses are offered at discounted tuition rates, and RMC currently provides up to seven scholarships for families with financial need.

“It’s a different market for us,” Mapston said. High school and college courses are not scheduled to align during the day. He said, “Our RMC experience is very personal and hands-on, a collegiate academic environment here in town,” compared to the dual credit classes taken by high schoolers enrolled

The computer science courses are also dual-enrollment and dual-credit; because both full-time computer science faculty hold Montana high school teaching licenses, the student is considered a member of both communities, earning high school and college credit for the coursework. “The important difference be-

tween AP classes and what we offer is that when students pass the class, they receive real college credit,” said Andy Wildenberg, associate professor of computer science.

And not surprisingly, the program continues to grow. “This is the first year we have students from Billings Central [Catholic High School],” he said. “Now we have drawn from every high school in the city including Billings Christian School and Skyview High School.”

“The high school program has been good to RMC over the years,” he said, because it develops stars. RMC boasted two computer science freshmen in 2013-14 with sophomore status, in the junior year of their computer science major. “That’s the mess you get, but it’s a good mess to have.”

Tucker Downs and Kobi Hudson took years of RMC computer science classes while attending Billings Senior High School. Hudson holds the record of the most college credits accumulated while in high school.

At 26 credits, Hudson was considered a sophomore when he entered college. Downs, with 15 credits, is a full semester ahead of his freshman peers. With two years of computer science and research experience under his belt, Downs was offered an internship this summer.

Jubal Rife (’14) and Michael Drake (’14) were home-schooled computer science majors who enjoyed early dual enrollment. Rife said, “My experiences within the department expanded my ability to tackle problems. To me, the … program was like a mysterious order that gives knowledge and skills to its acolytes that change how to view problem solving.”

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Campus improvements make connectivity and wifi access above national standard

Just like every other school and business in today’s fast-paced world, Rocky Mountain College is taking another step forward to keep up with the times. This summer, RMC will switch to a 1-gigabyte fiber optic cable installed by Century Link. The current 100-megabyte connection will see a tenfold increase in transmission potential.

“We will be far above the small liberal arts college standard,” said Andrew Niemantsverdriet about Rocky Mountain College Internet connectivity, “on par with big state schools.”

“Even our soccer field now has a wireless link. Klindt football stadium will have wireless connectivity by football season,” said Niemantsverdriet, Linux system administrator at RMC. “This summer, we will have WiFi in all dorms other than the family housing residence hall,” Niemantsverdriet said. Jorgenson Hall sometimes holds families for three or four years, and RMC waits for them to move before installing

Summer 2014

Wi-Fi in those apartments. One or two rooms in Anderson and Widenhouse Halls will remain with wired access because their cinderblock construction prohibits thorough Wi-Fi availability.

“We’ve doubled our bandwidth every five years,” said Dan Wolters, director of academic computing. When he started in 2004, the entire campus had 1.5 megabytes of bandwidth; over 10 years, there’s been a 66,667 percent increase.

IT keeps track of its hundreds of electronic components through an online wiki.

Software registers IP and mac addresses, which help define how networked devices interconnect.

The wireless nodes are monitored by use and signal level, but

not by ID of users.

“When I started in ’08, we had about 25 physical servers sitting in one room. That’s now virtualized. Our five beefy physical boxes contain 52 virtual machines that make better use of the CPU [brain of each of the five computers],” Niemantsverdriet

Andrew Niemantsverdriet

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explained.

Wolters explained virtual server use, “You don’t need all that power for a single application. We’re saving power by reducing our carbon footprint, heating and cooling, and physical maintenance.”

RMC is “moving forward really fast upgrading interconnectivity among buildings,” Niemantsverdriet said.

The College’s 1-gigabyte line is the same standard that Montana State University uses both in Billings and Bozeman. All campus terminals except in Aviation Hall will run on the 1-gigabyte line beginning in July.

Niemantsverdriet looks forward to removing a microwave antenna atop Eaton Hall, which has been the past funnel for RMC Internet.

The academic computing department also supports faculty use of technology and all classroom tech.

For example, Morledge-Kimball Hall uses a system called Pole Vault, which offers centralized control for laptops to access projectors. Many professors, though, still request traditional whiteboards to help with critical thinking. “Math professors had a whole room … painted in whiteboard paint,” he said.

In 2013, Wolters generated funding

for a four-year life cycle replacement plan for faculty computers, funded at the IT level rather than by departments. He is beginning to replace “every fourth year every faculty PC.” The academic computing department administers about 100 online-hybrid courses for faculty, where in 2011 there were only 25 to 30. Professors post course materials on Moodle, the secure student online learning platform used by RMC, including presentations and links to videos. The master of physician assistant studies program, for example, has its entire curriculum on Moodle.

Some mathematics course problem sets and exams are graded entirely online.

A few RMC faculty such as Melissa Holmes, assistant professor of computer science, are teaching “flipped” classrooms, in which lectures and materials make up online homework so that more class time gets devoted to discussion and assistance in problem solving.

“Students always want faster, and we

Dan Wolters

have met that,” Niemantsverdriet said. “We’re also doing unique things in the server world by decentralizing our storage, so we don’t have a single point of failure any more.”

In other words, updates now occur without any interruption to users, by migrating files back and forth between servers. The duplicating servers occupy two data rooms on campus, one in Eaton Hall and one in Morledge-Kimball Hall.

RMC also supports an administrative computing team comprised of Director of Administrative Computing Kellee Pierce and Application Specialist/ Programmer Dave Gulbrandson, who for decades have excelled managing the College’s suites of administrative databases, campus phones, and wiring.

People don’t understand what IT does, the team points out.

Niemantsverdriet said, “If we do our job right, our services are seamless.”

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Holmes works in usability research With an 8:1 malefemale ratio in computer science, “It’s a big deal to have a remarkable woman on the faculty.”

-Andy Wildenberg, associate professor of computer science

Assistant Professor Melissa Holmes joined the RMC computer science faculty in Fall 2013 as an experienced computer science professor whose professional interests include user interface design and education. “User interface design addresses the characteristics of software interfaces by looking at the way people interact with them. It’s extremely interdisciplinary, incorporating strenuous software development with the art of software design,” she said.

“In my CSC 380: Designing User Interaction class, we study some psychology because we need to understand aspects of cognition during interaction; and [we] design user interfaces and practice various ways to evaluate them. Designing the interface can be quite creative, while evaluation is incredibly analytical.”

As a newcomer, Holmes was excited to learn about RMC’s undergraduate research grant program of Science Education Enhancement and Development (SEED) grants. Holmes wrote a successful proposal funded this spring to purchase Morae, an industry standard usability software product, for her Designing User Interaction course and to support the creation of “flipped” classrooms, an innovative way to address computer science education. A flipped classroom offers lectures and materials online, so Summer 2014

class time is used to advance problemsolving skills and homework success.

interested in doing usability research,” Holmes said. “I also look forward to partnering with businesses and institutions Before joining the RMC faculty, Holmes outside of the college. Partnerships like taught at three colleges in the Montana this give our students real-world projects University System. She likes the RMC to work on. They’re good for everyone difference: “My classes are small, and involved.” we do a lot of hands-on activities in the labs. I really know my students here – I A Montana native, Holmes taught partsee them work in the lab, and I see how time and worked in information technolthey’re doing, all the time.” ogy for 19 years. She designed and supported technology in a variety of fields, “RMC students are really dedicated,” including occupational safety and health, she said. “Some have economic hardbiological research, disability research, ships and have to work a lot of hours, or instructional design, online learning, and they have kids at home, or face a variety web development. “My computer sciof other life challenges. Still, they come ence education provided me an interestin every day and work hard and have a ing career with a lot of variety. I always tell great attitude. There’s no sense of entitle- my students ‘with a degree in computer ment.” science, you can do anything!’”

Holmes appreciates the computer science offices, classrooms, and facilities in historic Technology Hall. “At the larger schools, the labs and classrooms were shared with other departments and were sometimes blocks away from my office.

At RMC, I can walk around the corner and be in lab. The facilities help create camaraderie in the department. I see really good mentoring relationships forming between upperclassmen, freshmen, and even the high school students who take our classes.”

While working in online learning, Holmes became interested in the field of education. For her master’s thesis, she developed a software prototype used to perform outcomes-based assessment for programs in higher education. She is finishing her doctorate in educational leadership and is writing her dissertation on social media practices and perceptions among leaders in higher education.

“With a background in computer science and education,” she said, “I provide quality, innovative, real-world, interdisciplinary educational experiences for my “I’d like to develop the group of students students.”

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ALUMNI

Getting eFit with Rocky alum

Current RMC Enactus students: (front row) Mike Eggen, Samantha Cook, Suzanne Davis, Sam Walton Fellow, Dr. Karen Beiser; (back row) Zach Pietrocarlo, Mariah Gondeiro, Tessa Fraser, Kyle Breschini

Photos courtesy of Stephanie King 30

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Volume 2, number 2

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE

Stephanie [Loughney] King (’02) did not predict

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens canher change the path she would travel to own and operate eFit training in Portland, Mead Oregon, the world. Indeed, it is the only thing booming that ever has.” –gym Margaret but she senses that her Rocky Mountain College years brought out her best. King tells her story below.

What brought you to RMC, and who were you when you arrived?

Ironically enough, Rocky was the last place I thought I would be attending. Growing up in a small town 45 minutes away, I was ready to spread my wings. I decided to humor my parents by attending a scholarship competition followed by a private visit. I will always remember the amazing Dr. DeRosier randomly crossing paths with us during my campus tour, introducing himself, bringing me and my parents into his office, and spending 20 minutes just visiting and getting to know us. At that moment, I knew that my plans to leave Montana had changed and that I again was “home.” It was this first experience of the “Rocky family” that helped me step into my first college class with confidence and a sense of belonging rather than a fear of the unknown. I believe my experience played a part in my sister and brother following in my footsteps.

I started as a communications major but had a change of heart. I was not a standout athlete; looking back on it, my interest was in the science behind movement, how to fine-tune abilities, and reaching goals. I set up an advisory meeting with [Professor of Health and Human Performance] Clarece Lacey, and next thing I knew, I was signed up for 18 credits in the exercise science program!

What has been particularly satisfying or frustrating – either philosophically or concretely – from your RMC education?

I wasn’t too sure about the whole “liberal arts education” idea. However, Rocky got the better of me because I found myself embracing classes in criminology, psychology, photography, literature, and cross-country skiing. What this education instilled in me was the belief that it’s absolutely acceptable to feel uncomfortable and clueless about something, but it’s also absolutely necessary to tackle that something in order to

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is something to be said for the “Rocky Difference.”

Who were the most effective faculty or staff for you?

I believe I would not be where I am today, professionally, without my advisor Clarece Lacy. With her advisement, I was able to finish my degree in 3 1/2 years; it’s safe to say that I did what she told me to! Her advisement included completing the maximum number of internship credits. I experienced classroom teaching, serving as a floor trainer in the RMC fitness room, and being a physical therapy assistant. To wrap up my final six internship credits, she “forced” me again out of my comfort zone into an internship with an aquatics department in town, which I had zero desire to do. With that internship alone I discovered my true passion of helping others succeed, whether helping someone master a new swim stroke or helping a person with paralysis “walk” the length of the pool.

learn as much as possible before determining a verdict. I believed in RMC’s philosophy so much that after graduating, I spent nine months working as an admission representative while getting my CSCS [certified strength and conditioning specialist] certification.

Any memories of remarkable students you’d like to share?

Without one doubt, the best and greatest friends of my life I met in my time at “the Rock. From random mud football games (which may or may not have included a handful of people riding in the back of a truck through a 32

carwash to get cleaned up), to participating in the Powder Puff football games (the freshmen/ sophomores killed the juniors/ seniors my first two years … just sayin’), to Red Lodge ski trips, to traveling in awful snowstorms to cheer on the football and basketball teams (sorry, Mom and Dad, didn’t fill you in on those), the sense of that Rocky family was there from day one and is still present.

Many of us who shared time at the Rock have attended each other’s weddings, have had our own reunions, and have become honorary aunts and uncles to each other’s kiddos. There really

Name a few of the initiatives you have worked on since college and how they have led into your present successes.

If there is one thing that I try to practice daily, it is the “pay it forward” approach. I spent many years working for and learning from respected individuals in the fitness community. After exploring the many aspects of a gym setting, I realized that I wanted to create my own fitness vision. With the support of my amazing husband, Kevin, I founded eFit in September 2012 with a philosophy of creating a wellness community that improved not only the body but the mind and soul as well. What started as just my vision has led to four more trainers calling eFit “home.”

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Volume 2, number 2

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE

There really is something to be said for the “Rocky Difference”

- Stephanie King

Life can be way too serious, so we find it necessary to bring a playful and youthful approach for our clients to experience. There’s nothing more gratifying than watching everyone laugh, tease, and motivate each other and then watching them leave to grab coffee or lunch together to talk about kids or to seek business advice.

What has given you the most satisfaction recently?

Life is too short to not make time for the things that are important.

There really is something to be said about doing what you love and loving what you do. As crazy

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as it sounds, I find great satisfaction in getting up at 3:30 a.m. (I know, ridiculous), arriving at my studio at 4:30 a.m., and spending the next 10 hours surrounded by phenomenal people who have all taught me a life lesson or two while sweating and working their tails off.

The real icing on the cake (yes, I eat cake) is after living my daily eFit dream, I get to spend time with my hilarious and entertaining husband and two loving bonus kiddos, Hailey and Jonny. I go to bed at night with my heart full.

ally. I’ve been blessed to have my professional experiences include working as an on-site trainer for numerous Nike Women’s Marathons in San Francisco, being a running show wear-tester for Nike and Shape Magazine, and creating and hosting multiple “Sassy Broad Fitness Getaway Weekends” (bringing one to Montana in September). I’m really excited to be launching a more interactive dynamic in my business later this year. It’s safe to say that I will keep traveling the road less traveled by … stay tuned!

My Rocky experience helped me think outside the box profession-

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Congratulations

*Cum Laude (GPA 3.40-3.59) **Magna Cum Laude (GPA 3.60-3.79) ***Summa Cum Laude (GPA 3.80-4.00)

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS Crystal D. Voss * MASTER OF ACCOUNTANCY Kevin Michael Baldwin Noah Kirui Kiprono Andrew Robert Riordan ** MASTER OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP Diana Bosibori Bosire Lisa Kay Criswell Joshua Adam Cunningham Joseph Raymond Gaylord Peter J. Halloran Nicole Hanson Tammy Mattson Hurley David Dwight Jamison Heather Lynn Jarrett Leah Marie Kutschbach Dixie Seleg Margaret Kathleen Tallon MASTER OF PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT STUDIES Ryan Alberts 34

Tabitha J. Bayne Gabriel D. Blomquist Kristen Noel Bosworth John Michael Breneman Kyle Briggs Kiira Mikelle Christianson Kurt Steven Conner Holly Diane Ernst Reagan Dalton Fails Emily Laura Farnsworth Carolyn Hope Gonsky Meagan Griffin Kimberly A. Hoekman Chad J. Holgard Jonathan Christian Jennings Zhongfeng Liu Christel Witt Marshall Shane Adam McCullough Daniel Paul Mieler Shafia Naeem Kelsey Elizabeth Ogilvie John Richard Handry Orth Melissa L. Rider Laura Frances Roemmich Janelle Stevens Daniel Robert Svacha James Michael Wiesner Joshua Wilding Katherine Marie Willis Karyn Zwickey

BACHELOR OF ARTS Caitlin Molly Alweis Adrien C. Barrett Megan Breeding Ashley Kay Briesmeister * Carmen Grace Capron Katherine Cecelia Cerda Heather Lee Connolly Ashlynn Ann Contreraz Trent Michael Dugger Alexandra Rae Emerson * Anna Gilligan Jerry Marlin Grandahl Anna Myfanwy Gregory * Kelsey Ann Hadley ** DeLaney Kay Hardy ** Laura Philotee Idzerda Kiffin Mark Irwin ** Melissa Jeanette Justice Stephanie Alisse Karklin Ashley Alyssa Nicole Kautzman * Catherine Suann Kenney Travis Wayne Kuehn Allanda Ann Lattin ** Judah Benjamin LoVato Whitney Elizabeth Mason Lela Danielle McCann *** Shane Patrick McClurg * Keli Rhea Mitchell Sarah Nicole Nitschke ***

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Volume 2, number 1

ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE

Katelyn Marie Peterson * Toryn Wilson Phillips Rogers ** Kimberly Anne Rowe *** Chelsea Janelle Scott *** Heather Ann Smith Jassica Sylver Dawn Sure Chief Kyler Mashan Yovetich BACHELOR OF SCIENCE Darin C. Allen Ellen Marie Anderson ** Peter James Anderson Danielle Nicole Babcock Kayla Sue Baisch ** Shainne Irene Barber * Jacob Keala Antemio Barit Joel Wayne Barndt Jonathon Richard Barnes Laura Belle Barsotti ** Luke Charles Bates * Alyoun John Bayo Lindsey Caitlin Belvis William Fredrick Bender VI Joseph Steven Benzel Jeffery Berst Joshua D. Berst Travis Wiley Bertelsen Jordan Mark Beyer Zachare David Bonhoff Riley Emerson Boyd *** Cole Rick Broadus Amanda Marie Brouwer Anna Victoria Browder *** Kynzie Lee Brown ** Jonathan Charles Brunn LaToya Marie Buck Elk Shelby Marie Burton * Michael Joseph Buyan * Kylie Elizabeth Carpenter ** Christopher Raymond Chapman ** Cody Lee Cole Muriel Ann Cole *** Samantha Drew Cook * Cortnee Marie Cox * Tyler Ross Cresswell Jonathon Walter Dean Veronica Jo DeSanti * Leah Elaine Diercks ** Michael JonAustin Drake Luke William Duley ** Janice Simone Durney * Kyla Jo Eike Alan James Elliston Breanna Marie Erdmann Casey Ryan Faught Austin Dean Feddersen Nile Christopher Finney Kira Flagstead Stina Suzanne Foiles Chelse Marie Forman ** Tyler Allen Fritz

Ridge Gregory Fuentes Sydney Galletti Christopher James Gartner ** Kelsey Annchella George ** Christopher Joseph Gilg Camille Gabrielle Gonzales Joshua Thomas Graham Brandon Joseph Haggard Marc Devon Halderman, Jr. *** Cody Douglas Halverson Shannon Colleen Hartmann ** Carl Owen Henning Ronald E Hermanet, Jr. Alicia Diane Herron * Sean William Hicks Jonathon Wesley William Hill ** Tricia Ann Hofeldt Clayton Verne Hollett Monica Diana Hollowell ** Kelsey Nicole Horton ** Jason Matthew Howell Kayla Hughes Katarina Barbara Isaksson Judith Jeannot Miranda M. Jellison * Christopher Jermy Malin Viktoria Johansson ** Cole R. Johnson *** Joshua Alan Johnson Caroline Marie Jones ** Erin Michelle Kirschenmann ** Logun Marie Koch Karl Bradford Kratt Keenan Nichole Kruger ** Adam Seth Kuchin Brittany Alyn Kumm ** Alec Michael Kuzukian Lars Anton Larsson Vincent Scott Leedham Seth Christian Livengood ** Dominic Marco Lloyd-Randolfi * Andrew Duane Loken Elizabeth Marklin Lukas Samuel Martinson Isaac Donald Mayes Robert Paul McCullough Nathan Edward McKenty Carrie Ann McMullen * Amber Michelle McNally *** Kelsey Rennell Merriam *** Nathan Robert Meunier * Forrest Richard Moore Christopher Walter Music

Brittany Ann Myers *** Samuel Ryan Myers * Casey Lee Naeseth *** Melinda Kay Obritschkewitsch ** Terren Mathew O’Neil Randi O’Shea Kayla June Page Doundrekyc Parham Newlan Russell Parker Elizabeth Grace Parkman Kallie Laine Parsons D’Jeane Tyler Peters * Erika Jane Peters Alejandro Portuondo Alexis Susann Pritchard Emily Jane Rapacz *** Tyler James Reed Elston Shea Bowen Richards Jubal Edward Rife *** Sarah Susanne Rittenhouse * Madonna Marie Robinson Ryan Scott Rojeski * Benjamin William Rose Margo Beth Salsbery ** Alicia Lee Sapa Allie Marie Sauvageau ** Erica Rose Schlomer Jason Charles Schuerman Rebecca Severson ** Thomas Jonathon Shepard Katherine Faith Sizemore *** Carl Joachim Soderstrom Jessica Kim Steinke LeeAnne Storey *** Matthew Ryan Strickland Jonathon Michael Sutton *** Hannah Augusta Swain JayTee C. Tarpley Joshua A. Tishman Andrea Kay Tomlinson *** Dane Isaac VandeBrake Victor Vega Nicholas W. Voss Robert Matthew Walker ** Tucker McKenzie William Walker * Emma Christine Weiss-Burns * Samantha Lyn Welker Gillian Elise Williams-Burden * Zachary William Witt Rebecca Rose Wolf Donald Winthrope Young ** Jenae LeAnne Ziegler Brennan Thomas Zotovich **

Class of 2014

Summer 2014

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ALUMNI

Why do YOU love RMC? Rocky’s newest alums chime in at graduation

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Volume 2, number 2

ROCKYAlumni Achievements

Bill Bowers (’81) returned in May from sold-out solo shows in Germany and the Netherlands. In 2014, he performed his award-winning oneman play It Goes Without Saying in Warsaw, Poland, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the MonoMafia Festival in Estonia, and the Thespis Festival in Kiel, Germany. In June, Bowers is performing in The Mystery of Irma Vep with the Berkshire Theatre Group, then working on two new plays while teaching mime and movement at NYU, Stella Adler Conservatory, and the Bill Esper Studios in New York City.

Bob Teters (’79) of North Platte, Neb., volunteers in a team of adults planning a community garden for a local elementary school.

His wife is Sara (Jones) Teters (’77). His team’s project received 11,928 community votes online and won a Troy Built Company national contest for a $12,000 community garden grant. In May, summer school kids had already eaten their own radishes Lucy K. Ednie, ASN, BA (’93), was recently appointed by Gov. Steve Bullock to the Healthier Montana Task Force and will serve through October 2015.

Ednie was also recently elected to a two-year term as the vice president of the Montana Nurses’ Association board of directors.

She works in the Surgical Services Department of St. James Healthcare in Butte, Mont.

Preston Stahley (’05, computer science) works on design and product development of the digital platforms for The Billings Gazette and its parent company, Lee Enterprises.

Stahley was programmer and lead designer for Billings Gazette Communications since 2007 and also has managed his own digital solutions company.

Justin Helvik (’06) becomes new principal of Three Forks, Mont., High School this autumn.

At RMC, Helvik played football and majored in biology education with a minor in chemistry. Helvik is working on a doctorate in educational leadership at MSU Summer 2014

Bozeman.

William Tantum (’09) graduated from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tenn., May 9 with a doctor of optometry degree. He played football at RMC in 2008 after transferring from Tennessee. His wife Kelly (Houston) is an RMC grad.

Alexandra Deshields (’10, environmental studies) is the new community development project manager at Big Sky Economic Development in Billings. She is completing her master’s of urban and regional planning from Eastern Washington University and was recently division director intern for the Spokane, Wash., Neighborhood Services and Code Enforcement Division. She will help the Billings community manage grant applications and renewal project planning.

Wade Holden (’10, MPAS) joined Rural Health Clinic Staff at Pondera, Mont., Medical Center February 3. Moving from Mineral

Community Hospital in Superior, Mont., Holden has experience in emergency medicine, family practice, hospital inpatient care, long-term care, and design of hospital protocols for quality improvement.

Tammy Hurley (’14, M.Ed. Leadership) has been chosen as the new principal of Fred Moodry Middle School in Anaconda, Mont.

She has a bachelor’s in elementary education from the University of Montana Western and a second master’s in technology from Walden University. Last fall, Hurley started the Backpack Program in Anaconda, which sends backpacks full of food home with children who might not otherwise get enough to eat on weekends.

Want to be featured? Email alumni@rocky.edu and be sure to include your name and year of graduation!

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ROCKY MOUNTAIN COLLEGE Office of Institutional Advancement 1511 Poly Drive Billings, Montana 59102

UNDER THE BRIGHT LIGHTS: The Rocky Mountain College ski teams celebrated an unprecedented season of success for RMC women’s ski racing. Lead by coach Jerry Wolf, the women’s ski team took home their first-ever national championship.

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An inside look at Jerry Wolf, RMC Men’s and Women’s Head Ski Coach