Outlook Magazine - Spring 2016

St. Cloud State OUTLOOK MAGAZINE SPRING 2016

The WINNING PATTERN How Bob Truax ’81 helped create the Zubaz phenomenon

FACILITIES PLAN LOOKS TO THE FUTURE Renovations & demolitions PG 4

PATTI GARTLAND ’80 Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation Q+A PG 6

HOLES HALL Finding life as a training ground before demolition PG 22

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DANCER CRYSTAL STEMPSON PARTICIPATES IN THE 22ND ANNUAL POW-WOW grand entry on April 9 at

Halenbeck Hall hosted by St. Cloud State’s American Indian Center.

The pow-wow is a traditional celebration of life for Native Americans.

Photo by Adam Hammer ’05 Photo gallery: http://scsu.mn/1qUBzpi

St. Cloud State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, status with regards to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or status as a U.S. veteran. The Title IX coordinator at SCSU is Dr. Ellyn Bartges. For additional information, contact the Office for Institutional Equity & Access, (320) 308-5123, Admin. Services Bldg. Rm 102.

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THIS ISSUE

8

The winning pattern

Bob Truax ’81 and the Zubaz phenomenon

12

A Muslim warrior princess in Paris Peggy Kriha Dye ’91 and her leading roles

16

Huskies swimmers dive into matrimony Coach Hegle ’93 officiated the Rotramels’ wedding

4 / News 18 / Class Notes 23 / Earl H. Potter III EDITOR Loren J. Boone MANAGING EDITOR Adam Hammer ’05 CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Wood ’81 ’87 ’95 Anna Kurth Nick Lenz ’11 John M. Brown Tom Nelson DESIGN Marie Novak Madgwick ’91 CONTACT US: University Communications Alumni Relations St. Cloud State University St. Cloud State University 207 Administrative Services Bldg.

720 Fourth Ave. S. 720 Fourth Ave. S. St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498 St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498 alumni@stcloudstate.edu ucomm@stcloudstate.edu 320-308-3177 320-308-3152 toll free 866-464-8759 stcloudstate.edu/ucomm stcloudstate.edu/alumni

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NEWS

BY THE NUMBERS

NAMED FOR

WILBUR W. HOLES HOUSED STUDENTS

1965-2014

St. Cloud State part of effort to re-design 1st-year experience St. Cloud State University is part of a nationwide effort to reimagine the first-year student experience. The effort is aimed at ensuring success for all students, particularly those who have historically been underserved by higher education.

The university is one of 44 institutions participating in the Re-Imagining the First Year of College initiative launched in February by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

$1.2 MILLION TO BUILD HOLES HALL OPENED IN

1965

400 BEDS 9 FLOORS

FACILITIES PLAN LOOKS TO THE FUTURE St. Cloud State University is planning for the future needs of students, faculty and staff with its 2015 Comprehensive Facilities Plan.

DANCE TEAM DELIVERED A NATIONAL TITLE with a pom pom performance Jan. 17 at the College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship in Orlando, Florida.

Learn more: http://scsu.mn/1S7jGg

Major elements of the plan include the remodel and renovation of some buildings and demolition and replacement of others.

GOV. MARK DAYTON poses for a selfie with a community member at the April 2 Somali Night at St. Cloud State.

Photo by Nick Lenz ’11

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This plan is designed to meet the evolving expectations of students and changes in technology and teaching methods. It takes into consideration the physical condition of campus buildings and usage, said Tammy McGee, vice president for Finance and Administration.

In the short-term, the plan includes the demolition of Holes Hall and the South Office Building by fall 2016.

The next five years will call for a remodel of Garvey Commons, the renovation of Eastman Hall into a new health sciences facility and Herb Brooks National Hockey Center ice rink replacement.

Planetarium names a planet

Learn more: stcloudstate.edu/facilities/planning

Dust and debris spreads out as the remainder of Holes Hall collapses during demolition. Photo by Anna Kurth

Long-term plans include the decommissioning of under-used facilities and renovations to Halenbeck Hall, the Engineering and Computing Center and Husky Stadium.

On the residential side, long-term plans include the removal and replacement of Mitchell Hall, remodel of Sherburne Hall, renovations to Lawrence Hall and demolition of Stearns and Benton halls and Stateview Apartments.

This is the most comprehensive plan for facilities the university has ever developed. It is a forward-thinking document that helps university leaders understand the changing needs of students. The document’s highest priority is a look inside classrooms to renovate these spaces to best suit the academic needs of students, McGee said.

St. Cloud State University Planetarium has made its name among the stars.

Or, more accurately, planets.

The Planetarium’s proposal to name exoworld Fomalhaut b, Dagon, was chosen by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in December. An exoworld is a planet located outside of our solar system.

Dagon is the name of a Syrian fish god. The star Dagon orbits is Fomalhaut, a bright star in the constellation Piscis Australis, the Southern Fish.

The name garnered the most votes in IAU’s online naming contest for Fomalhaut b. Designed to increase public interest in astronomy, the contest selected names for 19 exoworlds with proposals coming in from across the globe.

In her commitment to community outreach, Planetarium Director Annette Lee designed the St. Cloud State Exoplanet Naming Contest event in conjunction with the IAU contest to invite anyone from the community to send in a proposal.

Learn more: http://scsu.mn/1WqwQYt

First online MBA class begins in fall St. Cloud State University is launching a 100 percent online version of its AACSB-accredited Master of Business Administration (MBA) program in fall 2016.

“The fact that our students can choose to pursue their MBA in Plymouth, St. Cloud or online allows us to reach a broader population, including working parents and veterans,” said Gretchen Huwe, interim MBA director.

Students who enroll in the online program will follow St. Cloud State’s highly-successful cohort model, completing each course along with their classmates for a personalized online experience. The program will use high impact, interactive course activities that foster engagement with faculty and peers.

Learn more: http://scsu.mn/1onOnUs

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NEWS Q+A

PATTI GARTLAND ’80 President, Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation Q. What are you and the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation (GSDC) looking for when bringing business to town?

A. We’re focused on maintaining a diverse economic base, growing the number of jobs and increasing average wages in our community. A great place to grow a business must also be a great place to live and grow a family in order to attract the talent needed to keep businesses vibrant and growing.

Q. Besides manufacturing, what other areas of industry are you looking to bring to the area?

A. Our first priority is directed at retaining and growing our existing primary sector businesses. Our business attraction efforts are targeted in health and life sciences; financial, insurance and business services; innovation and technology; valued added ag products; logistics and fulfillment; and any other that contributes to the quality of life and prosperity in our region.

Mutua earns 2016 Hellervik Prize Eddah Mutua earned the Hellervik Prize for promoting global understanding in Minnesota classrooms.

A native of Kenya and a 10-year veteran of St. Cloud State, Mutua is an intercultural communication scholar who leads a project called “Embracing Intercultural Communication Pedagogies to Promote Intercultural and Global Understanding in Global Classrooms in Central Minnesota.”

Awarded annually, the $10,000 Hellervik Prize is St. Cloud State’s premier faculty research honor. It rewards the advance of knowledge on issues of importance to students, the University and society.

Mutua’s project examines how technology can connect cultures and promote understanding of cultural differences. The project also advocates changes in how intercultural communication is taught and how Minnesota’s teachers are trained to promote cultural understanding.

Learn more: http://scsu.mn/1VEZjta

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Q. Is there future growth in rail industry around St. Cloud?

A. Yes. Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway are primary freight carriers in the region providing the opportunity for connections to markets across the Midwest as well as deep sea ports on Lake Superior and the Mississippi River. Our recent experience with the surge of oil transport via rail from the Bakken Oil fields in western North Dakota certainly demonstrated the importance of the rail industry and its potential for growth. And, extension of Northstar passenger rail is an area our region continues to advocate.

Q. What are the plans for adding regional transportation?

A. We are leading efforts to secure funding to complete a comprehensive, market based air transport optimization planning study and strategy plan for growing utilization of the St. Cloud Regional Airport; we’ve joined and are partnering with the I-94 West Coalition in advocating for continued expansion of I-94 to St. Cloud; we’re supporting efforts to extend Northstar rail service to St. Cloud; and we’re supporting efforts to continue growing and expanding public and private transit and trails network in our region.

BY THE NUMBERS

27 YEARS GARTLAND HAS

WORKED IN COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, specifically in the cities of St. Cloud and Sartell.

200+ INVESTORS,

increased from 64 founding investors in only 5 years.

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STRATEGIC INITIATIVES: Transportation, talent attraction, work place well-being, downtown revitalization and innovation.

APRIL 2011

THE GREATER ST. CLOUD DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION was founded.

Q. How does strengthening our regional economic development bode well for the future for St. Cloud?

A. Business and economic development knows no boundaries. The work of the GSDC is done from a business centric approach that transcends political boundaries of any individual city or county. GSDC serves as a centralized point of contact and conduit for companies to navigate processes and vet their site location options amongst the various cities and counties. Regardless of which city a business chooses to locate in, the economic benefits are regional in scope.

As the largest and core city in the region, St. Cloud is also the cultural heart of the region and hosts the major regional amenities and attractions patronized by the entire region.

THE ST. CLOUD STATE WRESTLING TEAM IS THE 2016 NCAA DIVISION II NATIONAL CHAMPION FOR THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE SEASON. Huskies Wrestling defeated 30 teams March 11-12 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Each of the seven Huskies in the tournament earned All-American honors, led by freshman redshirt Brett Velasquez, who is the individual national champion at 125-pounds.

Learn more: http://scsu.mn/1SsY3Z6

70

BLOCKS MAKE UP GREATER DOWNTOWN. Through the course of the last year GSDC and the Downtown Council assisted St. Cloud in its efforts to develop a new vision and plan for downtown.

MEN’S HOCKEY WON THE NATIONAL COLLEGIATE HOCKEY CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP March 26. The 2015-16 team also won the Kendall Hockey Classic in Anchorage, Alaska, and the North Star College Cup in St. Paul.

Learn more: http://scsu.mn/1pUDsSl

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The WINNING PATTERN How Bob Truax ’81 helped create the Zubaz phenomenon Story and photos by Nick Lenz ’11 “ZUBAZ!” SHOUTED A FIRST-YEAR STUDENT TO HER FRIEND AFTER SPOTTING A PAIR OF THE ICONIC ZEBRA PRINT LEGGINGS branded

with St. Cloud State in the Husky Bookstore.

Little did they know, Zubaz cofounder Bob Truax ’81 was browsing the apparel racks a few feet away.

“Some people absolutely flip out and go nuts and love it, and some just hate it,” Truax said.

He just smiled as he continued his shopping because he knows there is still a love for the funky cultural phenomenon he helped create.

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“I loved my time at St. Cloud State and that’s why I support the university now.”

Bob Truax ’81

STARTING OUT Truax found his love for teaching at St. Cloud State, but later found an even deeper love for entrepreneurship.

Following his second year of teaching after graduation, Truax went into the health club business.

A competitive weight lifter at the time, Truax partnered with his friends Dan Stock and the Road Warriors Michael “Hawk” Hegstrand and Joseph “Animal” Laurinaitis of professional wrestling fame, and opened a hardcore weightlifting gym in 1988.

Hawk came into the gym one day wearing a blousy pair of pants for his workout routine. Being a hardcore weightlifter, regular pants or shorts were not sufficient for pumping iron.

“I looked at my partner Dan and I said, ‘We could make those things.’ And so we did,” Truax said. “We had a seamstress just join the gym. So we went to the local fabric store, bought some fabric, started making bigger, blousier pants like that and then went and bought different prints.”

They made the pants in the back room of the gym and as soon as they started to see how many sold — especially the crazy prints — they knew they had something.

Zubaz was born.

BOOMIN’ BUSINESS “It was nothing more than just a little bit more income for us at the gym initially,” Truax said.

Zubaz hit $10,000 in sales in December of 1988, and Truax went across the street to JCPenny to make their pitch.

The district manager had seen the product around, but nobody knew where it was coming from.

“I still remember when I came back to the office from JCPenny with that $27,000 purchase order. I just thought we were millionaires right there on the spot,” Truax said.

From there the company went “kaboom.” In 1989, the first full year, the company had $20 million in sales and the cultural phenomenon quickly grew.

With Zubaz overshadowing, the gym was sold.

ZUBAZ IN THE PROS Exploding onto the scene, Zubaz had about 30 different prints across the NFL. “We’d do something different for the Bears and the Bengals. We had many different prints, but the zebra was always the number one — the iconic one,” Truax said.

Truax and his partners helped the company peak in ’91 with $48 million in sales.

Zubaz had licenses with the NFL, NCAA, NBA, NHL and MLB, among others.

“It was a very visible product. You can see somebody wearing them from a block away. So what we did always from day one was to get them on famous people,” Truax said. “The Chicago Bulls would come in and John Madden would stop by... it was nuts.”

One of the biggest strategies for Zubaz as a company was going through team equipment managers to get the product on injured players on the sidelines.

“So if (John) Offerdahl for the (Miami) Dolphins was hurt, we would go through the equipment managers and all of a sudden, national TV is panning the sidelines and there are three guys wearing Zubaz pants.”

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GO HUSKIES:

RED & BLACK – spirit combo since ’92 SECOND TIME AROUND Truax and his partners sold Zubaz to a company out of New York in 1996. Two years later the company went belly up.

The trademark was collateral for a loan to that company.

“When they went under, the trademark went to a friend of ours who had the loan. I immediately hooked up with him and we did a worldwide exclusive license,” Truax said.

Truax controlled the trademark from 1998-2008 when they started the company again.

In November 2008 Truax and Stock launched Zubaz.com.

“I was still in the sports apparel business in 2008 and knew that the Starter name brand was coming back and some of that old retro look,” he said.

CNN and ESPN picked up the news and Zubaz was back. In six weeks the company reached $160,000 in sales.

“Fortunately for us, now that we’re in our second time around it’s really college kids and high school kids who love them,” Truax said.

Until 2016, the pant remained the number one item in their product line.

This year it will be the legging.

“We are starting to expand in the ladies line, which we’ve never really done before. It’s always been kind of unisex,” Truax said.

Almost 50 percent of the company’s sales are to women, compared to 10 percent at the start of the company in the ’90s.

“My (campus) bookstore experience was great because the young women recognized the brand and they obviously liked them,” Truax said. “It was equally as telling when their mom came up and didn’t seem to like them as much.”

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99% OF SALES are from the U.S.

ALMOST 50% OF SALES are women

PREDICTION:

#1 FOR 2016 – the legging

HISTORIC:

ZEBRA – the favorite pattern

LICENSED with NFL, MLB, Major Colleges and Universities, Realtree, Mossy Oak

75 COLOR COMBINATIONS in zebra print THE ROAD WARRIORS, Pro Wrestlers Hawk & Animal, are investing partners since ’88

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A MUSLIM WARRIOR PRINCESS IN PARIS

By Adam Hammer ’05

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ON NOV. 13, 2015, PEGGY KRIHA DYE ’91 WAS BOARDING A PLANE TO PARIS TO REPRISE HER LEAD ROLE OF ARMIDE in the

opera by the same name.

“I’ve been to Paris a few times and it’s my favorite city in the world,” she said.

While on an Air France jet that was delayed for takeoff at the airport in Newark, New Jersey, Dye and the rest of the passengers became aware of the terrorist attack playing out in the French capital.

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RAVE REVIEW

“Opera Atelier couldn’t have done better, for the title role, than soprano Peggy Kriha Dye. Her phrases were well shaped, intonation was excellent in all registers and her sheer stamina was impressive. (She’s on stage, singing, for most of this opera’s five acts.) Adding to all this was her dramatic mastery of this complex role. Her Armide was wary yet trusting, impervious yet vulnerable, and fearsome yet pitiable – all at the same time.”

- The Globe and Mail, Toronto

She was not expecting to leave the airport after receiving the news, but a couple hours later the flight took off. She landed in Paris a week before she and others from the Toronto, Canada, opera companies Opera Atelier and Tafelmusik were set to perform at the historic Palace of Versailles.

“The tension was palpable,” she recalled.

Dye had played the part of Armide before, in 2012 with Opera Atelier.

But this time was different and it was especially poignant, she said.

“In Paris, I was singing a Muslim princess to an audience that was grieving, and in the end my character is conquered by love,” Dye said. “So I approached the role with a whole different context.”

The 17th Century masterpiece “Armide” illustrates the clash between Christian and Muslim worlds, through the story of the invincible knight Renaud and the Muslim warrior-princess Armide.

“As a performer, I felt my job wasn’t just to entertain, it was to help people grieve. It was to help people be defiant by showing up to the opera theater regardless of what was going on and the dangers that came with that,” she said.

The maid Adele (Valeri Miller ’91) is disappointed when Rosalinda (Peggy Kriha Dye ’91), right, will not let her leave during the 1991 production of “Die Fledermaus” at Stewart Hall’s Ritsche Auditorium. Photo by Brady Kreger ’91 for the University Chronicle courtesy of University Archives

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UP TO THE CHALLENGE Dye has stepped up to many challenges throughout her career in opera, especially recently. The Brainerd, Minnesota, native has been a performer for the majority of her career, but in 2014 she took on an administrative role as the artistic director at Opera Columbus in Columbus, Ohio.

“The learning curve has been like drinking from a fire hose,” she said.

Opera Columbus existed for about 30 years before being disolved in 2012 for financial reasons. It was absorbed by the Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA). Dye performed in an opera as part of CAPAs first season and got to know people within the organization. They asked her to come to Columbus and help rebuild Opera Columbus.

“I’ve had to learn things I didn’t even know existed,” she said.

“The thing that I have going for me is that I’m passionate about opera and about helping emerging talent, young singers and creating great art, and that is all unteachable.”

Dye is one of only a few female opera artistic directors in the country.

She also is younger than many of her peers, which gives her an inherent advantage in helping opera remain relevent among modern performing arts.

“When people say, ‘You’re being so innovative,’ I think anyone my age in this position would have a similar point of view. I think it’s a natural progression that is happening,” Dye said.

“I do get kick back from a lot of traditionalists, but it doesn’t scare me because I am so respectful of the music.

I don’t alter the music and I don’t alter the standard of quality of the performances. I’m very adamant about that.”

It’s about storytelling, she said, and she wants the stories to be understood — to be relevant in today’s environment.

“That’s why these stories last hundreds and hundreds of years because they are so incredibly relateable,” she said. “The human condition never changes; we get our feelings hurt or there’s tragedy, there’s love. … When you have a story that focuses on that, it’s going to win every time.”

“I have nothing but great memories from St. Cloud State and I’m very appreciative of it,” Dye said. “It’s equal to the training I’ve had everywhere in the sense that it’s shaped what I’ve done in my career.”

SCSU OPERA Dye developed her passion for opera’s storytelling at St. Cloud State during her senior year.

She credits music professor Hugh Givens with introducing her to opera performance and ecouraging her to pursue a career.

She learned to sing under the direction of professor emeritus Maybeth Gyllstrom who taught voice at St. Cloud State from 1968-98. Gyllstrom’s impact continues at St. Cloud State through an endowed scholarship for voice students in her name.

“Every time I go into a rehearsal I think of her and the scales she made me do,” Dye said. “She was pretty strict about it and I have been appreciative of that over the years.”

Givens cast Dye in her first lead opera role in “Die Fledermaus,” an opera she later performed in a professional capacity. It was the first opera Givens directed and produced with St. Cloud State and was a major production staged in Ritsche Auditorium with a live orchestra.

“That was the experience I needed,” she said.

Dye was the total package, Givens recalled. She was a standout singer and actor who had the drive and the will — all of the intagibles needed to succeed.

“She’s one of those very rare voices that comes along just stands out,” Givens said. “She was always bigger than the stage.”

Dye went on to receive her master’s degree from at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City. She also received training through the Julliard Opera Center.

PEGGY KRIHA DYE’S FAVORITE OPERA

“Mozart is my favorite. I love all different kinds of opera, but for me personally Mozart is my favorite and I love his comedies. It seems like it wouldn’t go together — opera and comedy — but it’s the perfect fit and Mozart did it better than anyone. ‘Don Giovanni’ is my favorite.”

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“Hegle is more than a coach to his swimmers.

He becomes a friend and mentor. … He’s just a person we wanted to be a part of our special day.”

Amber Rotramel ’12

Huskies Swimming Coach Jeff Hegle officiates the marriage of two of his former players.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Sampson Photography

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By Anna Kurth

HUSKIES SWIMMERS DIVE INTO MATRIMONY Former Huskies swimmers Robb Rotramel ’13 and Amber (Alexander) Rotramel ’12 got used to taking orders and advice from Coach Jeff Hegle ’93 in their four years at St. Cloud State.

They didn’t hesitate this September when he told them to love one another and promise to stick together in good times and bad.

The couple stood before Hegle as he officiated their wedding in Spearfish, South Dakota.

“He’s just a person we wanted to be a part of our special day,” Amber said.

While the choice of officiant was obvious to Robb and Amber, it was a surprise to the wedding guests.

Hegle was sitting among the guests when he walked up to lead the wedding.

He talked about how his grandparents have been married for more than 50 years and how Robb and Amber remind him of that long-lived couple.

“He did so good throughout the whole thing,” Amber said. “He made it personal.”

Robb and Amber met in 2008 as freshmen on the swim team. They both lived in Shoemaker Hall and swam together. They began dating in 2009.

“He’s just been a big part of our lives through being our coach,” Amber said. “He grew into being our friend.”

The coach has an open-door policy where students can come in and take a seat in his red chair and just talk to him.

TWO DOZEN SWIMMERS CAUGHT UP WITH ONE ANOTHER AND COACH JEFF HEGLE AT THE WEDDING OF ROBB AND AMBER ROTRAMEL in September. Besides the bride and groom, the reunion included three couples — Michael and Jackie Wood, Ryan and Alise Rotramel and Christian Nasset and Allison Tracy, who will wed in August. Front row: Matt Youngers ’11, left, Victoria Martinez ’13, Melissa Funke ’13, Murphy Hebbard ’14, Chandler Keating ’15 and Mike Miller ’14. Middle row: Kellyn Craig ’15, left, Abby Rasmussen ’15, Napoleon Howell ’14, bride Amber Rotramel ’12, Coach Jeff Hegle ’93, groom Robb Rotramel ’13, Alise Rotramel ’06, Ryan Rotramel ’05, Kelsey Noah ’12, Allison Tracy ’12 and April Green ’12. Back row: Joe Burns ’14, left, Alisha Blaydes ’09, Jake Hausauer ’14, Kyle Cordry ’10, Michael Wood ’04, Christian Nasset, Jackie Wood ’07 and Erin Walter ’12. Photo courtesy of Jeff Sampson Photography

Hegle is more than a coach to his swimmers. He becomes a friend and mentor.

He supports them and watches them fall in love, Amber said.

College is a time when people are moving into adulthood and need that mentor, and Hegle takes care of his swimmers through that transition, Robb said.

“Jeff brought us into our adult phase and got us ready for the adult portion of our lives,” he said.

Hegle cares about his swimmers as people. He supports them through their ups and downs and in their academics, Amber said.

Hegle said he was honored by the request.

“Not many people can share a moment like that with two people,” he said.

Hegle is invited to half a dozen weddings of his former swimmers each summer.

He’s never received an invitation like the one from Robb and Amber.

He wasn’t the only former swimmer with a role in the wedding. More than half the couple’s wedding party were former Huskies swimmers who also stood up with the bride and groom.

“It felt like our family was there,” Amber said. “When you swim together for so many years, you become like a family. It was great to have all of us together again.”

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CLASS NOTES SHARE WITH US your milestones, experiences, changes or recent additions to your family. Visit stcloudstate.edu/alumni to update your profile.

CLASS NOTES KEY: Births and adoptions Marriages and commitments Unless otherwise noted, cities are in Minnesota

’60s

’68 ’88 Joseph and ’67 ’88 John Gindele, Crystal, recently

published an interactive eBook, “Yorkville Twins: Growing Up in New York City in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.” Their awardwinning print edition has been adopted as required reading for freshmen on numerous NYC college campuses.

’70s

’72 Duane Stanley, Minneapolis,

is the executive director of the Hennepin County Bar Association (HCBA). Stanley has served as the HCBA’s assistant executive director since 1995 and communications director since 1989. / ’75 Jamie Kyllo, Albert Lea, was named best lawyer in Albert Lea by the Albert Lea Tribune’s annual Readers’ Poll. / ’78 David Griggs, Minneapolis, vice president at U.S. Bank, Minneapolis, is celebrating 25 years with the bank.

’80s

’80 Paul Hendrickson, Frazee,

retired after 25 years with Essentia Health in Frazee. / ’80 Lionel Kull, Rice, has co-founded AnswerUs.com. / ’80 Thomas McFarlane, Cloquet, has been named to the Minnesota High School Hockey Coaches Hall of Fame as boys hockey coach at Cloquet High School. / ’81 ’84 Teresa (Reed) Bohnen, St. Cloud, president of the St. Cloud Area Chamber of Commerce, will serve a one-year term as vice president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Executives. / ’81 Linda (Pieper) Wilson, Minnetonka, is editor for the feature film “Dragonfly,” released in fall 2015. / ’82 John McIntyre, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, retired after 30 years of service with the Eau Claire

Police Department. / ’84 Joseph Reger, Savage, is sales director at Parallel Technologies, Minneapolis. / ’85 Rebecca (Lee) and Dennis Mix, St. Cloud, daughter, Natasha Ann, 12/16/2014.

’90s

’91 ’02 Brian Baloun, Sartell, is assistant principal at Sartell High School. / ’92 James Korkowski, Conroe, Texas, was named Teacher of the Year for 2014-15 at Willis High School. / ’93 Brian Cruze, Litchfield, was elected sheriff of Meeker County. / ’93 Jarrod Peterson, Maple Grove, was named Super Real Estate Agent for the ninth time by Mpls/St. Paul Magazine and Twin Cities Business for the 2015 year. / ’96 Frank Rajkowski, St. Cloud, won the Mike Augustin Award presented by the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. / ’98 Samara Bilyeu-Anderson and Nicholas Anderson, Columbia Heights, daughter, Liviana, 10/11/2015. / ’98 ’01 Stephanie (Wellman) and Jason Marsh, Carlton, daughter, Annika Marie, 10/26/2013. / ’99 Alan Amdahl, Albany, earned the 3M Economic Educator Excellence Award at the annual EconFest. / ’99 Mary (Sandven) and Jason Blom, Savage, daughter, Charlotte, son, Nolan, 12/8/2015. / ’99 Amanda (Sween) Whiteside, Minnetonka, is director of marketing and community engagement at Three Rivers Park District in Plymouth.

’00s

’00 Kristin Perkins and Ryan Mills, St. Francis, son, Liam James, 3/7/2015. / ’01 Julie Carlson, Phoenix, Arizona, is co-founder for Vets for Vets’ Pets and received the American Hero Vet Tech Award from the

18 / outlook.stcloudstate.edu SPRING 2016

HAROLD WEBBER ’82 has been recognized for his 33-year dedication to refereeing volleyball. The referee for national professional and amateur volleyball earned the 2015 Phil Mazur Outstanding Official Award from the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) for embodying both the professionalism and enjoyment of the game. During his refereeing career Webber has judged games for USA volleyball, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), AAU and the National Intercollegiate Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA).

Read more: http://scsu.mn/1Lk00oV

Read more: http://scsu.mn/20UtKwM

JOHN STUMPF ’76 was named CEO of the Year by Morningstar, a Chicago-based independent research firm. Stumpf, CEO of Wells Fargo, the nation’s third-largest bank, edged out Amazon chief Jeff Bezos for the honor. “We named John Stumpf our 2015 CEO of the Year because we think he deserves credit for much of the success Wells Fargo has enjoyed in recent years,” Morningstar said in its announcement. “He guided the bank through a difficult period in the industry and shunned activities that put profits ahead of customers.”

Read more: http://scsu.mn/1TgBNCC

JAYLANI HUSSEIN ’11, executive director of the Minnesota chapter of the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations, called Feb. 9 for individuals and groups to create a more inclusive St. Cloud.

“Do not let St. Cloud be a victim of our negligence. Let St. Cloud be an opportunity for the world to see inclusion is possible,” said Hussein in his “Islamophobia in Minnesota” presentation to about 700 people in Ritsche Auditorium.

SEAN GRAMBART ’95 has been elected president of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, an association of more than 7,200 foot and ankle surgeons. Grambart practices at the Carle Physician Group and Foundation Hospital, Department of Surgery, in Champaign, Illinois, and holds a biomedical science degree from St. Cloud State.

Read more: http://scsu.mn/1L5KVSO

FOR MORE alumni news, visit outlook. stcloudstate.edu/category/alumni-features

American Humane Association at the Hero Dog Awards in Beverly Hill, California. / ’01 Raelyn (Soltis) and Chad Ransom, West Fargo, North Dakota, daughter, Reese, 7/27/15. / ’01 Michael Schock Jr., Simpsonville, South Carolina, is chief technology officer at GeneAlign. / ’02 Sara Duerr, Portland, Oregon, is chief fiscal officer of enrollment management and student affairs at Portland State University. / ’03 Maren (McConnell) and ’02 Teague Faulkner, Minneapolis, 7/18/2015. / ’03 Christopher Wayne, St. Cloud, is vice president and partner at Laraway Financial Advisors. / ’05 Brent Skaja, Mahtomedi, is the Military Program Coordinator at Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota. / ’05 Kasha Sobania, St. Cloud, son, Oliver Joseph, 11/10/2015. / ’06 Anne Abicht, Alexandria, received the National Girls and Women in Sports Day Kwame McDonald Media Award. Abicht retired from St. Cloud State as director of athletic media relations in 2015. / ’06 Meggan (Potocek) and ’06 Jeremy Larson, Blaine, daughter, Madelyn, 12/20/2014. / ’07 Kelly (Hanson) Fredrickson, St. Cloud, works at Capella University, Minneapolis, as an accounts receivable specialist. She and Eric Fredrickson were married 6/13/2014 and had a son, Maximus Ross, 10/17/2015. / ’07 Adam Lesar, Encino, California, has produced short horror movie “Night of the Slasher.” / ’08 Kathleen (Evert) and Joel Benbrooks, Wanamingo, were married 12/12/2009 and had a son, Oakley Alexander, 3/5/2015. / ’08 Anna (Gruhlke) and ’10 Nicholas Gruber, Sartell, son, Colsyn Thomas, 8/16/2015. / ’08 Christopher Hubbard, St. Paul, is the education director at American Indian Opportunities Industrialization Center — Takoda Prep

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CLASS NOTES Fresh Success:

FINDING A NEW HOME IN NURSING Story by Anna Kurth

children adapt to a new home, acclimating to a new culture themselves and welcoming a new daughter in 2012.

in Minneapolis. / ’08 Chloe (Kruckenberg) Misner,

Minneapolis, is an event project manager at SPS Commerce.

She was married to Matthew Misner 8/7/2015. / ’08 Andrew Sandholm, Astoria, New York, is marketing director at Quontic Bank. / ’09 Amanda (Braun) and Kelly Drews, Eagan, were married 5/30/2015 and had a son, Calvin, 9/5/2015. / ’09 Matthew Rydberg, Bismarck, North Dakota, is bronze certified for lean standards for Con-way Inc.

Uchenna earned his licensed practical nurse (LPN) from St. Cloud Technical and Community College and is going back to earn his associate degree as a registered nurse. Nkeiruka transferred to St. Cloud State where she earned her bachelor’s degree with a gerontology minor.

’10s

’10 Katie (Opsal) and ’10 Brian Keepers, Overland Park, Kansas,

son, Henry Linden, 12/5/2015. / ’12 ValerieZahorski-Schmidt, Mason City, Iowa, is director of marketing and community relations at North Iowa Area Community College. / ’13 Crystal DeVries and ’15 Swana Wauna, Burnsville, 9/6/2015. / ’14 Eric Anderson, St. Paul, is sales executive at Maximum Solutions. / ’13 Brittany (Phillips) and ’14 Joshua Toliver, Rochester, 9/26/2015. / ’14 Lolade Bello, Troy, Ohio, is product development co op at Cargill. / ’15 Alex Kanable and Rebekah Mix, St. Cloud, daughter, Natasha Ann, 12/16/2014.

FOR THE LATEST alumni happenings, visit stcloudstate.edu/alumni or connect on Facebook at facebook.com/ scsualumni

Nkeiruka Ogbonna ’15 is a new nurse on the medical progressive unit at St. Cloud Hospital.

The December graduate was inspired to pursue nursing by her mother-in-law, who delivered Ogbonna’s children in a small hospital in Nigeria.

“She is a really great woman — very caring,” Ogbonna said.

She wasn’t able to pursue nursing while living in Nigeria, but decided to give it a try when she arrived in the United States six years ago with her husband, Uchenna, and their three children.

Healthcare was also Uchenna’s goal, and the couple wasted no time in pursuing an education. Both Nkeiruka and Uchenna began nursing classes at St. Cloud Technical and Community College. They pursued their degrees while helping their

20 / outlook.stcloudstate.edu SPRING 2016

Her goal is to work with older adults because she learned to respect the elderly while growing up in Nigeria, where the culture honors older people.

Nkeiruka did her internship with Pathstone Living in Mankato to learn more about older people in the United States. The experience has helped prepare her to work with aging individuals at the hospital.

“Taking care of older people reminds me of my dad, who is now a centenarian,” she said.

“Connecting with those people helps me connect back home.”

Through it all she was supported by faculty and staff from the nursing and gerontology departments, who offered advice, support and friendship.

WE REMEMBER Alumni we remember

’30s

’34 Pauline (Schrom) Lembeck,

101, St. Cloud / ’37 ’41 Mary Graham, 100, Grand Rapids, Michigan / ’39 Marguerite (Kasner) Hewitt, 100, St. Joseph

’40s

’41 ’63 ’68 Lila (Mattie) McIntyre, 94, St. Cloud / ’42 Jean (Hanson) Martinson, 91, Upsala / ’42 Theodora (Blommel) Skubic, 92, Virginia / ’42 ’72 Erma (Ring) Jude, 92, Buffalo / ’43 Judith (Koster) Sargeant, 91, Yucca Valley, California / ’44 Laverne (Steinke) Ginter, 92, Brooklyn Park / ’44 Jeanne (Carpenter) Houtz, 93, Chandler, Arizona / ’44 Theresa (Mattaini) Mestnik, 92, Negaunee, Michigan / ’44 Vivian (Jungclaus) Peske, 90, Minneapolis / ’45 Agnes (Krawczyk) Didricksen, 92, Tumwater, Washington / ’45 Beulah (Hahle) Hlastala, 90, Torrance, California / ’45 Lois (Nissen) Jacobson, 91, Fargo, North Dakota / ’46 James Warren, 92, Faribault / ’47 Lois (Wandersee) Conzet, 87, New London / ’47 ’68 Alton Miller, 93, Sunburg / ’47 M. (Larson) Myhro, 90, Golden Valley / ’47 Esther (Larson) Odland, 88, Sisseton, South Dakota / ’48 Phyllis (Scheneker) Humphrey, 87, Mora / ’48 ’72 Rita (Scholz) Enneking, 86, Sauk Centre

’50s

’50 Robert Dufresne, 94, Winona / ’50 John Hall, 92, Grand Rapids / ’50 Karl Tonnell, 94, Mesa, Arizona / ’51 John Bruning, 86, Rochester / ’51 Gene Erickson, 88, Bemidji / ’51 Arlys (Drager) Peterson, 84, Stillwater / ’51 Norbert Prechel,

86, Ocean Park, Washington / ’52 Robert Crockford, 84, Moorpark, California / ’52 ’74 ’80 Alan Theis, 85, Monticello / ’53 Rodney Borstad, 83, DeKalb, Illinois / ’53 Helen (Amundson) Garland, 82, Staples / ’53 Myron Ostlund, 85, Atlanta, Georgia / ’53 Lois (Eisenmenger) Williams, 82, Salmon, Idaho / ’54 Robert Kvas, 87, Mountain Iron / ’54 Dorothy (Edin) Sanders, 89, Little Falls / ’54 ’60 Eleanor (Anfinson) Berdahl, 97, Princeton / ’55

Laurel (Wall) Talberg, 91, Hillman / ’56 Floyd Kent, 80, Gibbon / ’56 Colleen Nilan, 81, Sartell / ’56 ’60 Robert Crose, 81, Andover / ’56 ’63 Lois Conzet, 87, New London / ’57 Robert Channer, 85, Maplewood / ’57 Francis Gohla, 82, Houlton, Wisconsin / ’58 Marlys (Lewereng) Hudson, 79, Northfield / ’58 Delmar Muckey, 81, Spencer, Iowa / ’58 ’71 Robert Frost, 82, St. Cloud / ’59 Marlene (Skeie) Kakaliouras, 77, Stillwater / ’59 ’52 Carol (Osterberg) Ritter, 83, Chokio / ’59 ’53 Alfred Athman, 86, Becker

’60s

’60 Michael Doe, 77, Stillwater / ’60 Berthold Dold, 81, Clearwater / ’60 Audrey (Kleven) Loehr, 77, Willmar / ’60 Carol (Barnum) Ring, 75, Frederick, Maryland / ’60 Victor Traut, 84, Sauk Centre / ’61 Richard Kuehn, 78, Alexandria / ’61 ’87 Howard Prushek, 76, Remer / ’61 ’66 Lyle Steffenson, 77, Nisswa / ’62 Lyle Schei, 85, Avon / ’62 Elard Tofteland, 80, Wascott, Wisconsin / ’62 ’71 HelenAnn (Peterson) Johnson, 76, St. Cloud / ’64 Robert Kammerer, 78, New Canaan, Connecticut / ’64 Patricia (Daubanton) Keeler, 75, Sparks, Nevada / ’64 Robert Manke, 74, Cambridge / ’64 LeRoy Schiller, 87, North Mankato / ’64 ’72 Valeria (Lind) Fredell, 100, Minneapolis / ’65 Louis Bokinskie, 80, St. Cloud / ’65 Jerome Esty, 80, Buffalo / ’65 ’71 Sharron Schlagel, 72, St. Cloud / ’65 ’74 Elizabeth (Bodle) McCoy, 93, Crosby / ’66 Steven Radjenovich, 74, Alexandria / ’67 John Grzeskowiak, 73, Brooklyn Park / ’67 Marilyn (Aga) Roesler, 71, Phoenix, Arizona / ’67 Martha (Milton) Usatine, 71, The Dalles, Oregon / ’67 ’74 David Fiedler, 71, Buffalo / ’68 Daniel Hanratty, 69, Ortonville / ’68 ’06 Douglas Gardner, 73, Aitkin / ’69 Janet (Honkomp) Fredell, 67, Park Rapids / ’69 Fern (Frame) Michalski, 94, St. Cloud / ’69 Sandra (Achartz) Molkenbur, 68, Northfield / ’69 Glenn Pilarski, 71, Delano / ’69 Ronald Zachow, 71, Charlotte, North Carolina / ’69 ’71 Dennis Nielsen, 76, St. Cloud

’70s

’70 Rod Cihlar, 70, Minneapolis / ’70 Linda (Pyka) Sobiech, 66, Bowlus / ’70 Charles Voeltz, 83, Brooklyn Center / ’70 George Wilkie, 75, St. Paul / ’71 Denley Larson, 66, Snohomish, Washington / ’71 Inez (Kollmann) Lintz, 67, Lubbock, Texas / ’71 Kathryn Wingate, 101, St. Paul / ’72 Warren Emmons, 77, Zimmerman / ’72 H. Robert Engle, 75, Willmar / ’72 Thomas Folland, 67, Minong, Wisconsin / ’72 Steven Mattson, 65, Cokato / ’72 Milfred (Underland) Moulton, 87, Rush City / ’72 Patricia (Gould) Palmer, 74, Royalton / ’73 Nancy (Nesbitt) Carrick, 64, Farmington / ’73 Vera (Nelson) Green, 101, Salt Lake City, Utah / ’73 Mark Miller, 64, Eagan / ’73 Eddy Nystrom, 73, Montevideo / ’73 James Severson, 62, Minneapolis / ’74 Lowell Smith, 65, Willmar / ’74 ’79 James Oraskovich, 73, Pequot Lakes / ’75 Loren Adamek, 62, Willmar / ’75 Janet Olson, 62, Litchfield / ’75 Cheryl (Woodhall) Orn, 62, North Canton, Ohio / ’75 Richard Otto, 61, Minnetonka / ’76 Roger Jacobson, 62, Sarasota, Florida / ’76 ’77 Joyce (Johnson) Barnes, 82, Minocqua, Wisconsin / ’77 Kevin Vance, 60, Hudson, Wisconsin / ’78 Donna (Etter) Bavery, 82, St. Cloud / ’78 John Frankson, 75, Side Lake / ’78 Pamela (deVaal) Fullem, 59, Oronoco / ’78 Nicholas Prom, 65, Sauk Rapids / ’79 Jayne (Tasler) Arvidson, 58, Parkers Prairie / ’79 Judith (Lindquist) Hemmerlin,

58, Parkers Prairie

’80s

’80 Bonnie (Mader) Lindberg, 57, Excelsior / ’80 Beverly (Bates) Schmitt, 67, Watkins / ’81 Arthur Windmeier, 57, Champlin / ’82 James Bretl, 57, Council Bluffs, Iowa / ’82 Kevin Senander, 59, St. Paul / ’84 Roger Thoennes, 58, Little Falls / ’84 Karen (Shortridge) Toman, 74, Brainerd / ’85 Deborah (Pauly) Bell, 54, Big Lake / ’85 Thomas Inman, 57, Andover / ’86 Joni (Judd) Giffin, 60, Waite Park / ’86 William Hill, 75, Rocky Point / ’86 ’89 ’98 John Binsfeld, 62, Holdingford / ’88 Thomas McGough, 53, Excelsior / ’89 Julie Hudalla, 49, Rice / ’89 Willard Lorette, 50, Clear Lake / ’89 Paul Reisinger, 50, Anoka

’90s

’90 Douglas Fossell, 52, Virginia / ’90 Ronald Hensley, 73, Rochester / ’91 Joann (Drinkwitz) Anderson, 73, St. Cloud / ’91 John Goering, 56, Sauk Rapids / ’93 Christopher Marier, 46, Minneapolis / ’93 Daniel Nienaber, 49, Mankato / ’94 James Beatty, 79, Elk River / ’95 Robert Gfrerer, 45, New Brighton / ’96 Neil Andersen, 64,

St. Cloud

’00s

’02 Sally Hegg, 35, Randall / ’02 Benjiman Thompson, 36, St. Cloud / ’03 ’04 Katherine Zika, 34, Bloomington

Faculty and staff we remember Rita (Argiros) Argiros, 58, Starlight, Pennsylvania / Dorothy (Jacks) Berry, 92, Weslaco, Texas / Marjorie (Ostberg) Bidinger, 88, St. Cloud / Charles Boltuck, 92, St. Cloud / Ronald Carlson, Annandale / Donna Conrad,

66, Rock Hill, South Carolina / Armand Falk, 82, St. Cloud / Albert Grottel, 82, Minneapolis / Muriel (Morton) Grunerud, 93, St. Cloud / Richard Hyde, 74, Rice / Tommie Jackson, 64, St. Cloud / Charles Rehwaldt, 90, Casa Grande, Arizona / Bayliss Swanson, 92, Pine City / Rita (Sonnen) Thorne, 101, St. Cloud / Pauline (Henning) Warner, 73, Mound / Edward Weiskopf, 78, Hackensack / ’42 ’67 Lorraine (Andrews) Perkins, 95, Apple Valley / ’56 ’63 Kathleen Farrell, 87, St. Cloud

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Earl H. Potter III Oct. 4, 1946 - June 13, 2016

ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT JULY 2007 - JUNE 2016 http://scsu.mn/EHP

A commemoration of his legacy will be featured in the fall 2016 edition of Outlook magazine.

“We are not the ivory tower or a separate town.

We are a university community that educates students by example, to engage in an active life that is part of this community.”

– President Earl H. Potter III, inauguration speech Sept. 19, 2008

22 / outlook.stcloudstate.edu SPRING 2016

Holes Hall gives final service to alumni, community When Sgt. Dan McClure ’03 ’14 stepped into Holes Hall this spring he took in the furniture, the photos on the walls and the chirp of the fire alarm.

It was the same sights and sounds he experienced as a student living in the residence hall.

“It’s a flood of memories really. It brings back a lot of memories and some good stories I’ve got in this building.

I developed a lot of friendships living here and working here,” McClure said.

McClure lived in Holes Hall as a student, community adviser and hall director. He returned to Holes as a St. Cloud Police officer during SWAT training.

Holes Hall was closed for student living in 2014, but the building did not sit idle in the time it was empty of students, The building found new life as a training ground for law enforcement and emergency personnel.

St. Cloud Police Department, the St. Cloud Fire Department, Sherburne and Stearns county sheriff’s offices and the Minnesota State Patrol conducted training within the building.

Knowing the building was slated to be demolished gave the trainees a chance to practice skills without worrying about the damage they were doing.

Though as a former resident, McClure said he’s sad to see the building demolished, he values the importance its use for training has had for his colleagues.

“Training for us in law enforcement is absolutely key,” he said. “Just to have access to that space I think is an invaluable aspect of our relationship between the university, police department and the city. The university is an integral part of the city, and to have that training space is fantastic.”

K-9 officer Jery sniffed through rooms and scratched on drawers in Holes Hall as he made his way through a training exercise for the Minnesota State Patrol during spring break.

Jery’s human partner, Trooper Patric Ignaszewski ’11 and K-9 officers from across the state participated in a training exercise in the residence hall in March as he practiced for a certification.

“It was interesting being back in a different role,” he said. “Last time I was in the dorms was when I was going to school.”

‘‘

I developed a lot of friendships living here and working here. … We were a close group. We still keep in touch

’’

SGT. DAN MCCLURE, FORMER HOLES HALL RESIDENT AND HALL DIRECTOR

Read more: http://scsu.mn/1PeHrQ7

ST. CLOUD FIREFIGHTERS USED HOLES HALL FOR TRAINING breaching techniques on steel-framed doors and breaking through walls. Photo by Adam Hammer ’05

Ignaszewski never lived in Holes, but visited friends there.

While nostalgia hit briefly, Ignaszewski said Holes offered a fantastic setting for K-9 training.

“When the dogs are training, they start scratching,” he said. “We didn’t have to worry about damaging property. We didn’t have to worry about the consequences.”

Opened in 1965, the nine-story residence hall for men and women was last used during the 2013-14 school year after it was deemed by students as the “least desirable” housing option in student surveys.

Demolition of the building began in June and will be completed during the summer. The University will then open up the vacant space to make it available for outdoor recreation in the north end of campus, a need identified by students during the planning process for the Comprehensive Facilities Plan.

St. Cloud State is planning alumni events to celebrate past residents of Holes Hall in fall.

23

SCSU FOUNDATION St. Cloud State University 720 Fourth Avenue South St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

PARTING LOOK

A PLACE IN HISTORY A St. Cloud State University building received a mark with its place in history

By Nick Lenz ’11 A National Register of Historic Places building plaque April 13 at Riverview building.

Emeritus professor Bill Morgan spoke about the history of the building. Morgan was instrumental in getting Riverview on the Historic Register. It is the only building on campus to be honored with the historic mark. In 1989, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places, the nation’s official list of historic and archaeological resources deemed worthy of preservation.

Morgan says the building will finally be “complete.”

CONTRIBUTE a photo or 500-word column for consideration to managing editor Adam Hammer at aehammer@stcloudstate.edu for “Parting Look.”

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID BOLINGBROOK, IL PERMIT NO. 1733