ANNOUNCING
17 in ’17
Waldorf Scholarship Campaign Please join our efforts to establish 17 new named scholarships to be awarded at
Honors Day 2017! Scholarships make it possible for students to experience a quality education and carry less debt load upon graduation. If you received a scholarship while attending Waldorf, you understand the importance of financial assistance in securing an education. For some students, it makes a difference on whether or not they can attend Waldorf. Your gift could make that difference. Annually-funded scholarships can be established for as little as $500 a year. The cut-off date for annually-funded scholarships is Dec. 31, 2016 in order to be awarded at Honors Day 2017. Gift payment options are available. Endowed scholarships begin at a minimum of $20,000, and we allow up to 5 years to become fully funded. Interest earned will be used to award scholarships each year. Donors of scholarships are invited to Honors Day (held in April) to meet their scholarship recipient and present their scholarship in person. It offers them an opportunity to share the significance of their scholarship and why it was established and also learn more about their scholarship recipient. It is one of our favorite events of the year. To learn more about this new scholarship campaign, please contact Nancy Olson at 641-585-8147, olsonn@waldorf.edu or Amy Thorson at 641-585-8148, amy.thorson@waldorf.edu. 2
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CAMPUS NEWS 4 From the President's Desk 5 Foundation Notes 6 Commencement 2016 8 Fine Arts Preview 8 Communications Reunion 10 Faculty & Staff Update 15 Campus Events Recap 16 Europe Trip 19 Campus Ministry
ATHLETIC UPDATE 20 NSAA Outdoor Championships 22 Athletic Teams Recap: Wrestling, Hockey, Golf, Track & Field, Basketball 25 Lions Club Sportsmanship Award Recipients 26 Honor Athlete Award Recipients 27 Athletic Teams Recap: Baseball, Softball, Men's Bowling 28 Athletico Comeback Athlete Award 28 NAIA Honors 12 Athletic Teams
ALUMNI NEWS 29 My Best Years
by VIVIEN (AASLAND) HANSEN '59
32 Upcoming Alumni Gatherings 32 Alumni on the Move: Erskinte Henderson 33 The Healing Power of Change
STAY IN TOUCH As faithful stewards of our resources and in an effort to go green, please let the Alumni Office know if you prefer not to receive a printed copy of the Waldorf Magazine. A digital copy is available online at waldorf.edu/magazine. The Waldorf Magazine, published each spring and fall, is largely funded by donations to the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation. We thank you for your continued support and welcome your input for future articles. Please contact the Alumni Office at (641) 585-8148 or by emailing alumni@waldorf.edu with your ideas. Want to stay connected to the Waldorf alumni? If you do not currently receive the Waldorf monthly e-newsletter and would like to sign up, please email the Alumni Office at alumni@waldorf.edu.
by KATHRYN THAYER '17
35 Class Updates 38 Paying it Forward in Gratitude
by RITA ULLESTAD GILBERTSON ’79
40 Come and See
by ANTOINE CUMMINS '15
41 The Paddler's Tap 42 In Memoriam
FOUNDATION NEWS VOLUME 113, ISSUE 1
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MANAGING EDITOR
FALL 2016
WEB
ADMISSIONS OFFICE
waldorf.edu waldorffoundation.org waldorf.edu/magazine
admissions@waldorf.edu 641.585.8112 800.292.1903
Amy Thorson ’03 EDITORS
Janet Berhow Brittany Gibson
On the cover: Milan Cathedral. Photo by Audrey Sparks ’16, taken during the summer honors/communications trip to Europe.
46 A Letter from the Foundation Chair 47 Honor's Day 50 Donor Honor Roll 54 Honor and Memorial Gifts 54 A Message from the Alumni Board President
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S DESK
An alumnae and former student of mine recently dropped by my office. We had a nice conversation, and then she remarked she was off to see financial aid director, Duane Polsdofer. “He’s just next door, right?” she asked. “No,” I responded, “he’s across from the bookstore.” “What?” she exclaimed in surprise, “in the basement of the campus center?” “No, down the hall from
The Hanson Family Fine Arts Center will be located to east of the Hanson Fieldhouse across John K. Hanson Drive. It will host a 600+ seat auditorium with a proscenium stage and orchestra pit. In addition, there will be an art gallery on the first floor and a banquet space on the second floor. The facility will allow for the proper layout, acoustics and amenities for today’s students, performers and audiences. This facility is not just about Waldorf. It is about Forest City and the North Iowa
acoustics and plenty of seating. The Hanson Family Fine Arts Center will also enhance the learning experience for our students. This is just to name a few of the uses for this new facility. This is great progress for Waldorf and Forest City! The Hanson Family Fine Arts Center will also bring prominence to one of the most important elements of Waldorf’s history and tradition: the fine arts. As many of you know, Waldorf has the second oldest acapella choir in the nation, our theatre program has received
artist rendering
the theatre,” I replied. “But that’s the library!” “The library is the new building next to Rasmusson Hall. Admissions, financial aid and the bookstore are all now located where the library was located when you were a student.” Clearly, it had been some time since she had been on campus. Things had changed and become unfamiliar, but exciting. Changes in the physical plant usually have that effect. At homecoming I frequently run into alumni who are stopped outside a faculty office that used to be their dorm room or others who are looking up at the vaulted ceiling in the Atrium that used to be open air. While changes in the physical plant can disrupt our nostalgia, they can also represent progress. In the best of all possible worlds, changes to the campus can be a touchstone to tradition while bringing those traditions into the future. That is why I am so excited about our newest project: The Hanson Family Fine Arts Center. The facility represents both progress and tradition.
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region. It is through our partnership with the Forest City School District, the City of Forest City and the generosity of the Hanson Foundation that this project is possible. The ownership of the facility will be through a 28E agreement between the city and the school district. Waldorf will manage the facility. All three entities will be equal partners in the use of the facility. Waldorf’s relationship with the city and the school district has become very strong over the last few years. All three entities understand that by working together we can provide amazing venues and experiences for our students and citizens. With the Hanson Family Fine Arts Center, the school’s bands and choirs will be able to move from performing in a gym to a venue designed for musical performances. The community theatre will have a place to call home. We will also be able to host regional and national acts as they make their way from Des Moines to Minneapolis or Omaha to Chicago. The Waldorf Homecoming Concert, musicals and Christmas with Waldorf will have a spectacular venue with amazing
national recognition and the band is experiencing a renaissance. Without a doubt, the fine arts mean a tremendous amount to our alumni. A highlight of any homecoming for me is the alumni sing-along. I don’t think it is possible to watch former choir director, Adrian Johnson, conduct Beautiful Savior and not have a tear in your eye. This is Waldorf tradition at its best! Moreover, the arts are essential to Waldorf’s mission to educate the whole person. At Waldorf we value not only the appreciation of the arts, but also how art reveals truth. We should break ground on the facility in the spring of 2017 with a completion date of August 2018. Be assured that we will still make use of the of the recital hall in the Odvin Hagen Music Center and the Smith Theatre both during construction and after. So when you come back to campus you too can have one foot in tradition and another in progress. Sincerely, Robert Alsop, Ph. D. Waldorf University President
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FOUNDATION NOTES
LAZY, HAZY DAYS OF SUMMER A few months ago, I lamented to a co-worker, “Whatever happened to the lazy, hazy days of summer?” At that moment, I coveted the tranquil American culture often depicted in Norman Rockwell’s art work. My life had been anything but tranquil. Not long after making that statement, Steve and I drove to Davenport to help our son’s family move to a new home. When we arrived, the moving van was finishing packing but, unfortunately, didn’t have quite enough room for everything. It would require two more loads in our truck to complete the move. We decided it would make sense to drop off the first load at their new home and I would stay and guard it until my son brought the house keys. I plopped a blanket under a shade tree and began my wait. I have to admit I felt a bit strange sitting there surrounded by boxes and household items and wondering what the neighbors were thinking. But then something stranger happened…I experienced a Norman Rockwell moment. As I reclined on the lawn, I ran my fingers through the plush blades of grass and listened to the birds sing-
ing. In the hustle and bustle of life, I had forgotten what it felt like to slow down and savor my surroundings. I thoroughly enjoyed that brief idyllic moment. As I parallel that moment with Waldorf’s academic year, it underscores the importance of summer breaks. Our administration, faculty, staff and students all need time to slow down, take a breath, and rejuvenate so they can fully recharge. Now, as we begin our new academic year, I can feel the energy, excitement, and momentum building on campus. It is good. In these pages, you will find you have much to be proud about regarding your alma mater. In addition to all the campus and foundation news, you will enjoy reading news and stories about other alums. I encourage you to read it cover to cover.
Amy Thorson Director of Alumni Relations Waldorf University/Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation
Janet Berhow Database and Gift Processing Manager Waldorf University/Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation
Better yet, why not grab a blanket, find a shade tree, and relax as you read each article. Enjoy! Sincerely,
Nancy Olson, CFRE Director of Institutional Relations
Nancy Olson, CFRE Director of Institutional Relations
Waldorf University/Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation
The Waldorf Magazine—a combined effort of the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation and Waldorf University—is published for alumni and friends of Waldorf University. Please help us keep our records up-to-date by notifying the Foundation if you have moved, changed your name or updated your email address. Contact Janet Berhow at berhowj@waldorf.edu or 641.585.8140. Waldorf University, 106 South 6th Street, Forest City, IA 50436 // 641.585.2450 // 800.292.1903
CAMPUS NEWS
C O M M E N C E M E N T Commencement ceremonies for the 112th, and last, graduating class of Waldorf College were held Saturday, May 7, 2016, in the John K. and Luise V. Hanson Fieldhouse in Forest City. The ceremony began with the Waldorf Wind Ensemble, directed by C. David Rutt, performing Fantasy on a Japanese Folk Song. The Wind Ensemble also played Sine Nomine for the processional, led by crucifer Kaitlyn Monck ‘18, college marshal Professor Julienne Friday ‘68, and faculty marshals Dr. Missy Reynolds, Dr. Kristi Leonard, Professor David Damm ‘73 and Professor John Robinson. The Rev. Steve Smith, assistant professor and chair of religion and philosophy, gave the invocation. Dr. Robert Alsop, president, then welcomed the class of 2016 and their family and friends to the graduation ceremony. President Alsop acknowledged the class of 2016 as the last graduating class to receive a Waldorf College diploma, stating they are the only class that will be able to claim both a tie to Waldorf College and Waldorf University. “Today we recognize the accomplishments of 446 outstanding women and men, making you the largest graduating class in Waldorf history,” said President Alsop. President Alsop also took a moment to acknowledge Zach Gueller ‘17, a junior at Waldorf who was killed on April 25 in an automobile accident. His sister, Kennika Gueller ‘16, was a member of this year’s graduating class. The graduates also heard from Dr. Rebecca Hill ‘73 who brought
greetings on behalf of the faculty and Dr. Buford Lipscomb, chairman of the Board of Trustees. President Alsop came back to the podium to recognize the recipient of the President’s Award. “The President’s Award recognizes a senior student whose record reflects outstanding academic achievement, brilliant leadership, outstanding character, high integrity and service beyond self. The students who were nominated reflect, with great precision, the highest ideals of the mission of Waldorf University,” said President Alsop. The selection process starts with the seniors who nominate members of their class, followed by input from faculty and staff members. President Alsop makes the final decision. This year’s nominees were Emily Anderson ‘16, Abby Buehler ‘16, Cody Clark ‘16, Austin Heeren ‘16 and Shaye Sutherland ‘16. The President’s Award recipient for the class of 2016 was Emily Anderson ‘16 from Rosemount, Minnesota. In the citation read for Emily, she was referred to as “an energetic, bright spark” and someone who has a “good and kind heart and a quick and clever mind.” While at Waldorf, Emily was in a number of activities including band, choir and theatre. She was also a teaching assistant for Professor Friday, led Holden Morning Prayer, did research projects in the biology lab and was a business major. “Emily has shown outstanding achievement, leadership, good character and
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service that reflects the highest ideals of Waldorf,” said Emily’s professors. “She has excelled academically and has been heavily involved in leadership roles outside the classroom. I have no doubt she’ll make a huge impact in the organizations and communities of which she will join.” The keynote commencement speaker was Kar Woo ‘74, founder and director of Artists Helping the Homeless, based in Kansas City. Woo came to the United States from Hong Kong with $100 in his pocket when he arrived at Waldorf. He worked his way through school by working in the campus dining center and at Winnebago Industries. After earning his associate degree in three semesters, Woo continued his studies at the University of Kansas, earning a Bachelor of Science in psychology and started on his master’s degree. After his family immigrated to the United States, Woo set aside his studies to support them, starting his own business that he has operated for more than 30 years. When Woo moved his business to downtown Kansas City in 2006, he first encountered homeless people when he walked his dog in a nearby park. Some stopped in his shop at quiet times to warm up, grab a bite and talk. Wanting to help, he began by serving them dinner on Sunday evenings and providing them clothes. He started to expand his assistance, enlisting area churches to help. His passion to serve this population and his desire to target the aid led to his decision to form the non-profit organization, Artists Helping the Homeless.
"Go make a difference... Be the change you want to be in the world.” Kar Woo ’74, Featured Commencement Speaker
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CAMPUS NEWS Aided by the organization’s board and staff, Woo has built the program into an indispensable resource for the homeless and the organizations and agencies that deal with the homeless every day, such as hospitals, police and shelters. With Woo’s leadership over the last decade, he has saved the city an estimated $10 million. From early in the morning until after midnight, Woo spends his days helping others. Woo, a humble man and a Waldorf Distinguished Service Award Honoree
Kar Woo ’74, Featured Commencement Speaker
graduates, Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Dean David Behling read the names of each graduate as they walked across the stage to receive their diploma. Degrees were awarded for Associate of Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts. Following the choir’s performance of Nyon, Nyon, under the direction of Dr. Brett Robison, Andy Buffington ‘90, alumni board president, addressed the graduates and officially welcomed them into the Waldorf
"Sitting among you...is a Warrior who will go out into the world and make it a great place.” Andy Buffington '90, Alumni Board President in 2014, spoke to the graduates about his Waldorf experience and his gratitude for the people at Waldorf and in Forest City who helped him along the way, answering his questions and always willing to help. Woo said his experience at Waldorf built his foundation, principles, empathy and his understanding of people.
Andy Buffington ’90, Alumni Board President
Woo offered encouragement and advice to the graduates. “Change is good. Listen to your heart. God will work through you.” He also said he was ready and willing to answer his calling. He challenged the class to work hard on what they like and money will follow. “Great leaders don’t set out to be great leaders. They set out to make a difference,” Woo said to the class of 2016. “Go make a difference and be a leader. Be the change you want to be in the world.” Following Woo’s address to the
Alumni Association. Andy encouraged the newest alums to tell their Waldorf story and show the world what the Warrior nation is made of. “Sitting among you today, I imagine there is a Warrior who will be leading nations. Sitting among you today is a Warrior who has the ability to unlock the secrets of disease like Alzheimer’s and cure cancer,” said Buffington. “Among you today, a Warrior who has the dedication, drive, devotion and grace to feed the homeless. To end world hunger. To end poverty. But I know everywhere around you are Warriors who will go out into the world and make it a great, great place.” The ceremony concluded with the singing of the alma mater and The Waldorf Choir’s performance of Beautiful Savior. Baccalaureate services were held at 10:30 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church.
WATCH A FULL RECAP OF THE GRADUATION CEREMONY. waldorf.edu/gradvideo Emily Anderson ‘16 received the President’s Award for the class of 2016.
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FINE ARTS PREVIEW
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
WIND ENSEMBLE
Christmas With Waldorf
Thrives Under New Direction
Waldorf University will ring in the 2016 holiday season with its annual Christmas with Waldorf concert event December 3 and 4. The Waldorf Choir will perform under the direction of Joel Everist and the Waldorf Wind Symphony will perform under the direction of C. David Rutt. The Waldorf Choir is the second oldest collegiate a cappella choir in the United States and is the premier choral ensemble at Waldorf University. Founded in 1916 by Oscar Lyders, and strengthened under the long tenure of Odvin Hagen, the choir has maintained the standard of excellence of the Lutheran choral tradition throughout its history. The Waldorf Wind Symphony, established as the Waldorf Band after the end of World War II, has a reputation for excellence, especially in recent years. The wind symphony performs literature typical of top collegiate wind groups, from British band classics to the works of newer American, African and Asian composers. Ensemble members also rally as a pep band for football, basketball and hockey games. To reserve your meal and/or concert tickets, please contact Tora Buffington in the Music Office at 641-585-8177.
Under the direction of C. David Rutt, the Waldorf Wind Ensemble continues to thrive as they head into the 2016–17 school year, building upon the program’s recent revitalization. Since coming to Waldorf in April 2015 after a 35-year career directing instrumental music ensembles in Iowa—24 of which he spent as director of bands at Forest City High School—Rutt continues to do great things. He established an outreach program where the Wind Ensemble travels to area schools including Belmond, Lake Mills and Parkersburg to connect with and make an impact on students and directors in those districts. In addition to the Wind Ensemble, students have the opportunity to be involved with a variety of groups including the
Waldorf Jazz Band, Warrior Pep Band and the Warrior Drumline. The drumline held auditions in early September and had 14 people audition, a significant increase from the four percussionists they had last year. “All of these new and exciting uprisings in the department are more impressive than most realize,” said Austin Lich ‘18, Wind Ensemble president. “If this rise in interest and quality of the Wind Ensemble is any indication of the future of this program, then I cannot wait to see where this wave of music will take us. We aren’t only Warriors, we’re family.” You can catch the Wind Ensemble in concert at the annual Homecoming concert on Oct. 8, 2016, in the fieldhouse at 7 p.m. You can also see the ensemble at Christmas With Waldorf on Dec. 3, 2016 at 7 p.m., and Dec. 4, 2016 at 3 p.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church.
BAND BandFest 2016 Waldorf University participated in BandFest in Mason City during Memorial Day weekend. Based on the infamous movie The Music Man, from which Mason City is renowned for, BandFest attracts a significant amount of high school bands from North Iowa that participate in the parade. This event gives Waldorf an opportunity to show its support and appreciation of music along with greeting many families, friends, students and alumni along the parade route.
COMMUNICATIONS REUNION Join us for the first-ever, all-class communications reunion, CommBack KickBack, in honor of the department’s 20-year anniversary! The 90s-themed party will feature a seated dinner, cash bar and lots of fun and games. Reconnect, relax and enjoy a trip down memory lane with your Waldorf Warriors. Register for the event at www.waldorfcommunications.com/comm-back WHEN Homecoming Weekend Friday, Oct. 7, 2016 TIME 6-8 p.m. WHERE The Lodge Hotel and Resort 945 Hwy 69 S Forest City, Iowa 50436
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FINE ARTS PREVIEW
COMMUNITY ARTIST SERIES
THEATRE
Schedule of Events
Season Details
SEPTEMBER 8 Marc Schreiner, tenor, Odvin Hagen Recital Hall
OCTOBER 20 Lorraine Klaasen, folk singer from South Africa, sponsored by Arts Midwest, Immanuel Lutheran Church
NOVEMBER 3 American Boy Choir, Immanuel Lutheran Church
FEBRUARY 23 Anda Union, Mongolian throat singers, sponsored by Arts Midwest, Immanuel Lutheran Church
MARCH 16 Paul Schrage, classical & jazz pianist, Odvin Hagen Recital Hall
APRIL 11 Ronn McFarlane & Ayreheart, renaissance music, Odvin Hagen Recital Hall
The Waldorf University Community Artist Series provides outstanding performances to the city of Forest City. Singers, musicians and other performers travel to Forest City from across the nation. Tickets can be purchased by calling the Waldorf University Music Department at (641) 585-8177, from the Forest City Chamber of Commerce or at the door of any of the artist series event.
INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 Waldorf Students. . . . . . . . $5
SEASON TICKETS Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . $30 Senior Citizens . . . . . . . . . $25 Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . $70 Waldorf Community Artist Series members may also attend the concerts for the Kossuth County Association in Algona and the Clear Lake Concert Association at no additional charge. Please be sure to bring your ticket to these related concerts.
THE 39 STEPS original novel by JOHN BUCHAN adapted for the stage by PATRICK BARLOW
The Waldorf Theatre Department is gearing up for a great 2016–17 season after completing major summer projects. During the summer, theater shops were thoroughly cleaned and painted and a new sound system was installed in Smith Theatre, thanks to the assistance of the communications department. The 2016–17 season is the year of the classics, beginning with a Kaufman and Hart classic, The Man Who Came To Dinner. It is followed by the Greek tragedy, Antigone, and ends with a nod to classic Hitchcock in The 39 Steps. The iconic musical, Rent, closes the season. Theatre goers will also have the opportunity to enjoy the department’s annual Musical Theatre Showcase during Homecoming weekend, along with the return of the Alpha Psi Omega haunted house at Halloween. There’s something for everybody, and we look forward to sharing it with you! SEASON DETAILS:
THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER
FEBRUARY 15–18 Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre! This two-time Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, more than 150 zany characters, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good old-fashioned romance.
RENT APRIL 5–8 Based on Puccini's beloved opera La Bohème, Rent follows the ups and downs of a year in the life of a group of impoverished, artistic friends living in Manhattan's East Village. The group's dreams, losses and love stories weave through the musical's narration to paint a stunningly raw and emotional portrait of the gritty bohemian world of New York City in the late 1980s, under the shadow of HIV/ AIDS. Contains adult content. All performances will be held in the Smith Theatre beginning at 7:30 p.m. nightly, unless otherwise noted.
by KAUFMAN AND HART
CHOIR Spring Tour 2016 The Waldorf Choir, directed by Dr. Brett Robison, sang their way around the Midwest during their 2016 spring tour. The tour made stops in Iowa and Illinois, including Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Radcliffe, the Congregational United Church of Christ in Iowa City and Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Elk Grove Village, Illinois. The Atlantic Piano Duo joined
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the tour in performances of Johannes Brahms’ Liebeslieder. The program also included a great variety of other choral works including Nancy Farndale’s own arrangement of Balm in Gilead. The students enjoyed some free time in Chicago where they visited the Field Museum of Natural History, the Art Institute of Chicago and a Chicago Cubs baseball game at Wrigley Field. Read more about the successes of Waldorf’s recent music graduates in the Class Updates section beginning on page 35.
INDIVIDUAL TICKET PRICES
SEPTEMBER 21–24 Sheridan Whiteside, having dined at the home of the Stanley’s, slips on their doorstep, breaking his hip. A tumultuous six weeks of confinement follow.
ANTIGONE by SOPHOCLES adapted by MARLA BRITTON-JOHNSON
NOVEMBER 16–19
Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . $10 Seniors & Students (non-Waldorf). . $8 Waldorf Students. . . . . . . . $2
SEASON TICKETS Adults . . . . . . . . . . . . . $35 Seniors & Students. . . . . . . $27 Tickets are available by contacting 641-585-8585 or theatre@waldorf.edu.
Antigone, a strong and determined woman in Thebes, fights for humanity over King Creon's laws and, in doing so, risks her life.
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CAMPUS NEWS
FACULTY & STAFF
14 ROBERT E. AUFRANCE, PH.D., director of theatre/ director of fine arts administration and assistant dean of fine arts recruiting, was inducted into the Paulding Exempted Village Schools’ Academic Hall of Fame on May 29, 2016. Dr. AuFrance also served as a guest speaker for the Class of 2016’s graduation ceremony. He was recognized and honored for his continued service in fine arts higher education and administration, achievements in playwriting and for promoting excellence in theatrical and academic performance. Dr. AuFrance also had his most current play, Camping with Women, presented as a mainstage production for Waldorf’s 2015–16 theatrical season.
68 JULIENNE FRIDAY ’68, professor of psychology and sociology, entered and exhibited at the Iowa Crafts: 42 competition at the MacNider Museum in Mason City last fall. Her Aztec box consisting of maple, walnut and turquoise Corian was selected for consideration. Friday received the Juror’s Special Mention Award (the equivalent of second) in the woods and metals category.
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JASON RAMAKER, dean of students, attended the National Coalition Academy in Sacramento, California. Ramaker represented the Winnebago County Task Force and the Waldorf Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse (AODA) Committee. The two prevention groups focus on education and prevention of substance abuse of youth at the University and in Winnebago County. In August Ramaker began serving as Waldorf University’s representative on the Forest City Chamber of Commerce. He succeeds departing faculty member and longstanding Waldorf champion, Kristi Leonard.
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DAVID DAMM ‘73, MATT DETTMAN ‘98 and TIFFANY (BLOME) OLSON ‘98 led 17 Waldorf University students on a three-week study abroad trip to Europe May 11– June 1. The trip combined honors and communications students. See the full feature article on page 16.
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GUNSBY DEJOHNETT ’14 has been promoted
KEVIN MASON, M.A. ’16, instructor of
to head assistant coach of the men’s basketball program. DeJohnett, who served as a graduate assistant last season, begins his second year with the Warriors. The Milwaukee native completed the final three seasons of his athletic career at Waldorf and ranks seventh in school history in scoring with 619 points and third in assists with165. DeJohnett was a team captain and a Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) Scholar-Athlete during his final two seasons with the Warriors. His hard work, commitment and dedication to the program has continued during his time on Waldorf's coaching staff.
history, wrote an article that was published in the Summer 2016 edition of the University of Mary Press’s 360 Review. Mason’s work, entitled Winnebago & the Flying W(in): How to Build an Iconic Company and Save Rural America can be located at 360.umary. edu. The article focused on how Waldorf alum John K. Hanson’s ‘32 unique vision for economic development helped facilitate the creation of Winnebago Industries. Mason illustrates Hanson’s response to the threat of rural flight in Forest City and to Hanson’s significant contribution to the area.
The Atlantic Piano Duo, consisting of DR. KRISTÍN JÓNÍNA TAYLOR, associate professor of piano, and
DR. BRYAN STANLEY,
delivered several performances in Utah during the month of June. In addition, Dr. Taylor has been invited to the European Piano Teacher’s Association conference in Reykjavík, Iceland in September where she will deliver a presentation on the piano music of Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson. Photo courtesy of James Faulkner
MELISSA PHILLIPS, adjunct professor of piano, and her daughter, Victoria Knudtson, performed together in a recital at Waldorf in the Odvin Hagen Recital Hall on May 31, 2016. Victoria plays the French horn and is a French horn performance major at Indiana University. She will be studying abroad this fall semester in Vienna, Austria. The program, with Victoria on horn and Melissa on piano, included Horn Concerto No. 1 by Strauss, En Foret by Bozza, and Espana by Buyanovsky. Guest artist Wayne Lu from Eldora also performed. Many family and friends were in attendance. Waldorf.edu
CAMPUS NEWS
FACULTY & STAFF
MIKE GATLIN, PH.D., assistant professor of wellness, was named Professor of the Year by the Alpha Chi Honor Society at Honor’s Day on April 6, 2016. Alpha Chi is a national college honor society whose membership is limited to the top 10 percent of an institution’s juniors, seniors and graduate students. The professor of the year nominees are chosen by Alpha Chi members and the student body then votes for the winner. This year’s nominees were David Damm ‘73, Mike Gatlin, Tiffany (Blome) Olson ‘98 and Sheila Willms. Shaye Sutherland ‘16, president of Alpha Chi, presented the award at Honor’s Day. In her citation she noted, “This year’s winner has a true passion for Waldorf and for teaching. This professor maximizes student learning in the classroom and goes the extra mile to support students’ extra-curricula’s.” Dr. Gatlin recently completed his third year at Waldorf where he teaches the exercise science related courses within the wellness program. He also teaches classes outside of the department including physical education coaching anatomy, freshman seminar, critical inquiry and physical education weight training. Dr. Gatlin completed his Bachelor of Science at North Carolina State University in 2009 and his Master of Science at Western Michigan University in 2010. He worked and studied at Auburn University from 2010 to 2013 and obtained his Ph.D. from Auburn in 2014.
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“[Dr. Gatlin] has a true passion for Waldorf and for teaching." Shaye Sutherland ‘16 Alpha Chi President
VINCENT BEACH, PH.D., was inaugurated as vice president for academic affairs on June 24. Dr. Beach earned a Ph.D. and Masters of Philosophy in English literature from City University of New York. He has a Master of Arts in world and comparative literature and a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy from San Francisco State University. Dr. Beach served as vice president of academic affairs at Lincoln College of New England (Southington, Conneticut), vice president for academic affairs and provost at New Mexico State University Carlsbad (Community College Branch), and most recently as dean of the school of arts and sciences at Mountain State University (Beckley, W. Va.). Portions of Dr. Beach’s post-doctoral work were conducted at the Harvard Institute for Management and Leadership in Education, The Jepson School of Leadership Studies and the American Management Association. Dr. Beach and his wife, Cynthia, have four children. He is originally from Boulder, Colorado.
NATHAN CHRISTIANSON is the new head coach/ director of cross country and track and field. Christianson, who spent the past season coaching cross country and track and field at the University of Southern Indiana where he served as an assistant for NCAA Division II's Screaming Eagles, also possesses head coaching experience at National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) institutions. Waldorf's track and field programs enter the third season of competition during the 2016–17 academic year. With a strong work ethic, Christianson is ready to hit the ground running as he leads the Warriors. At Charles City High School, Christianson earned seven varsity letters in cross country, track and basketball. In 1997, he helped the Comets qualify for the Class 3A state meet for the first time in school history. As a senior, Christianson was a member of the 4x800 relay team that qualified for the 1998 state meet.
TIM BASCOM, M.F.A., director of creative writing, hosted the third annual Northern Iowa High School Creative Writing Contest and Festival on May 13, a week after Waldorf University’s graduation activities. Over 70 students attended from seven regional schools and cash awards were given to senior winners and undergraduate winners in two categories: prose and poetry. In addition, all senior and junior winners were offered a substantial Waldorf University scholarship. Bascom also presented as a guest author at two spring writing conferences, the Associated Writing Programs in Los Angeles and the Festival of Faith and Writing at Calvin College, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
DAVID RASK BEHLING, M.F.A., associate dean for accreditation and assessment, appeared in two shows at the Summerset Theatre Festival in Austin, Minnesota. He played the Big Bad Wolf in Shrek: The Musical, June 21–26, and Elwood in Harvey August 2–6. All performances were held at the Frank W. Bridges Theatre located on the Riverland Community College campus.
MATT OLIVER, assistant athletic director for media relations, was honored as the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Sports Information Director (SID) of the Year. The award, which is voted on by the conference’s SIDs, was presented to Oliver during the NSAA Summit on May 31, 2016, in Brookings, South Dakota. Oliver is entering his third year at Waldorf overseeing sports information for all 20 of the Warriors' intercollegiate programs. He currently serves as the NSAA's National Player of the Week voter for men's and women's cross country. Oliver is also a member of the conference's football oversight committee. A native of Coon Rapids, Oliver earned a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication with a minor in general business from Iowa State University in 2008. Before joining Waldorf's staff, Oliver worked as a reporter at the Boone News-Republican in Boone for six years. He spent the first two years of his journalism career as a news reporter and made the move to sports editor in 2010. As sports editor he reported on athletics at three local high schools and a junior college (covering 43 high school teams and eight junior college teams during an academic year). In 2011, Oliver was presented with the West District Media Award by the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Association (IHSBCA). Oliver is a member of College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). He and his wife, Kelsey, reside in Forest City.
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CAMPUS NEWS
FACULTY & STAFF
WELCOME JOEL EVERIST
Accomplished Director to Lead Waldorf Choir by AUDREY SPARKS ‘16
Accepting and adjusting to change can be difficult. But many times, with change comes growth and the opportunity for new inspiration. The Waldorf University Choir is hoping for just that as it welcomes Joel Everist as the new director of choral activities for the 2016–17 school year. Everist lives in northern Iowa with his wife of 26 years, Rachel, a professional pianist, and their two children, Jennaya, 12, and Jackson, 10. A long-time staple in the Mason City choir scene, Everist has conducted choirs appearing at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Kennedy Center, Orchestra Hall and the International Habeneras Festival in Spain. He has also conducted a command performance for the vice president with the prime minister of Japan at the State Department in Washington, D.C. Choral Director Magazine recognized Everist as a National Top 10 Conductor of Note in 2010. “It is a privilege to be part of the tradition of excellence and feeling of family associated with the Waldorf Choir,” Everist said. “I am honored and humbled to conduct the second oldest collegiate a cappella choir in the United States as they celebrate the centennial of their founding in 1916. It is exciting to build upon the renaissance currently taking place at
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Waldorf as we strengthen and expand for our next 100 years of the choir!” Everist earned a Bachelor of Arts from Gustavus Adolphus College in music and theatre and a Master of Music from Northwestern University. Recordings of his ensembles were presented as exemplars of excellence in the college textbook The School Choral Program from GIA Publications. Joel has directed choirs featured on public radio, CBS national television and was the subject of the documentary film Invisible Threads that aired on public television. His ensembles have consecutively earned multiple first place ratings at international competitions. He has also appeared as a vocal soloist with many ensembles, as an actor in various film and stage projects and directed numerous musical theatre productions. Everist views choral music not just as music, but a means of communication which “liberates and excites the human spirit.” “I look forward to increasing repertoire of the Waldorf Choir from around the world. Music education creates opportunities for students to examine the universal experience of being human. In a world where conformity is often socially paramount, teaching the value of diversity is critical. The study of ethnic music allows
us to celebrate both our differences and commonalities,” Everist said of the future of the Waldorf Choir. “Multicultural music facilitates student growth by developing an awareness and appreciation of our global society. The Waldorf Choir empowers us to grow together, connecting and creating community. We can’t wait to engage with audiences and enhance the legacy of the Waldorf Choir.” Everist also conducted the Iowa Choral Directors Association (ICDA) Opus Honor Choir, chaired the ICDA State Convention, was elected to two terms on the ICDA Board of Directors, and currently serves as the ICDA Ethnic & Multicultural Music Chair. His choirs have been selected for multiple appearances at American Choral Directors Association conventions, and performed numerous world premiere works by award winning composers. He worked as a church choir conductor and taught at all levels of public education including serving as director of choral activities for a Grammy Award-winning signature high school music program. The son of two Lutheran pastors, Everist said, “I was profoundly shaped by a sense of call in my vocation. It will be a joy to teach in a community of faith that prepares graduates to become servant leaders in their daily lives.”
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CAMPUS NEWS
FACULTY & STAFF
ONLINE FACULTY
DENNIS PHALEN, MA, BSPH, EMT, CHPP Professor Dennis (DJ) Phalen (aka Prof D) has been with Waldorf since 2013. He currently teaches at the undergraduate level in homeland security where he also serves as the program director. DJ has professional experience in many fields such as EMS/ special operations EMS, firefighting, healthcare and counterterrorism/ homeland security. DJ also boasts a number of professional associations including the International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, International Association of Emergency Managers, International Counterterrorism Officers Association, the Special Operations Medical Association and the International Association of Interviewers. Professor Phalen received his Master of Arts in homeland security, with honors, from American Military University. He is a lifetime member of many prestigious honor societies such as the Order of the Sword & Shield National Honor Society, Epsilon Pi Phi Emergency Management and Homeland Security Honor Society, Delta Epsilon Tau International Graduate Honor Society, Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology and Golden Key International Honor Society. Professor Phalen also served in the United States Navy during the First Gulf War. DJ lives in San Diego where he stays current in his field by serving as the sector chief of the Healthcare and Public Health Sector for San Diego InfraGard (an FBI affiliated organization). In addition, he serves as a subject matter expert for the Homeland Defense and Security Information Analysis Center and also regularly contributes to several peer-reviewed articles and journals in the terrorism/counterterrorism and emergency management communities. DJ is a great asset to Waldorf and students enjoy learning from his vast amount of knowledge and experience.
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Institute. Professor Zastrow has also served as a senior industrial hygienist for Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration as both an instructor and enforcement officer.
CINDY ZASTROW, MS, CSP, COSS
Professor Zastrow received her Master of Science in forensic toxicology from the University of Florida. She is currently working on her Ph.D. in epidemiology. Her expertise does not stop at safety and health as she has earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in broadcast and cinematic arts as well as a Bachelor of Science in instrumental performance, both from Central Michigan University. She is also a published murder-mystery novelist.
Professor Cindy Zastrow has been with Waldorf since 2014. She currently teaches at the undergraduate level in occupational safety and health where she also serves as the program director. Her interest in the field focuses on toxicology and epidemiology. She is also a safety/hazmat/forensic specialist for the National Disaster Medical System’s DMORT-WMD/All-Hazards Team. She has professional memberships with the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, International Association of Bloodstain Patter Analysts and the American College of Forensic Examiners
Professor Zastrow resides in Michigan where she is a health, safety and environmental learning and development specialist at Consumers Energy. She continues to stay current in her field by obtaining multiple certifications. Such certifications include certified safety professional, certified occupational safety specialist, prehospital trauma life support and hazmat technician. Her expertise in the occupational safety and health is a great way for students to prepare for a career in occupational safety and health. She is greatly valued by Waldorf students, staff and faculty alike.
ANNUAL MEETING TO BE HELD Waldorf Lutheran Association of Congregations The Waldorf Lutheran Association of Congregations will hold their annual meeting Thursday, Sept. 29, 2016, in the Salveson Ballroom. Registration and refreshments will begin at 9:30 a.m. followed by the call to order at 10 a.m.
Fjeldberg Lutheran—Huxley
The association continues to play a vital role in the prayer support of Waldorf University and the financial support of the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation. The following Lutheran congregations are currently members of the Association:
Immanuel Lutheran—Titonka
Bethany Lutheran—Kensett
St. John Lutheran—Cylinder
Bethany Lutheran—Thompson
St. John Lutheran—Pomeroy
Bethel Lutheran—Scarville Bethlehem Lutheran—Manly Bricelyn Lutheran—Bricelyn, Minnesota Central Freeborn—Albert Lea, Minnesota Elk Creek Lutheran—Kensett Faith Lutheran—Griswold First Lutheran—Britt First Lutheran—Clarion
Grace Lutheran—Hanlontown Immanuel Lutheran—Forest City Immanuel Lutheran—Story City
Our Savior’s Lutheran—Leland Our Savior’s Lutheran—Osage Salem Lutheran—Lake Mills
Trinity Lutheran—Mason City Trinity Lutheran—Thompson West Prairie Lutheran—Leland Zion Lutheran—Clear Lake If you are interested in learning more about the association or would like to propose your congregation for membership, please contact Nancy Olson at olsonn@waldorf.
First Lutheran—Northwood
edu or (641) 585-8147, or attend the
First Lutheran—West Okoboji
annual meeting as a guest. Please RSVP.
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CAMPUS NEWS
FACULTY & STAFF
FACULTY & STAFF ACHIEVEMENTS RECOGNIZED The annual faculty and staff recognition event was held on May 6, 2016. The theme was “Waldorf-opoly” and guests enjoyed a fun-filled evening in the Atrium, which was transformed into a giant Monopoly board. President Alsop played Mr. Moneybags while he emceed the event. Employees were recognized for their years of service, retirees were honored for their commitment to Waldorf and awards were presented to several employees. The following faculty and staff were honored at the event. Employees Recognized for Years of Service:
35 YEARS Paul Bartelt
25 YEARS Jim Amelsberg, Diane Korte and Becky Hill ‘73
20 YEARS Ann Fischer ‘81, Mary Mathiasen and Steve Smith
15 YEARS Natalie Alsop, Jodi Barkema, Mark Johnson, Kris Juenger, Duane Moe and Sheila Willms
10 YEARS Christine Atwell, Al Eggebraaten, Lydia Gray, Bonnie Lader, Laurin Lader, Anna Moklestad, Sabrina Parcher ‘10, Jason Ramaker and Glen Wegge
and physics courses offered at Waldorf and has provided institutional support by serving on numerous committees. A lifelong learner, Michael continued his education at Iowa State University taking classes in chemistry, physics, astronomy and mathematics. He is a member of the American Association of Physics Teachers and the Mathematical Association of America. Michael and his wife, Nancy, were recently honored as the grand marshals for the 2015 homecoming parade.
DR. JOY HEEBINK, 23 YEARS Dr. Joy Heebink arrived at Waldorf 23 years ago after working in Germany, Slovakia and Lithuania. She came as a Lutheran minister working in campus ministry. After three years, Joy moved into full-time teaching. Soon thereafter, she completed her doctorate in Biblical studies and art history. Joy is passionate about educating young people. She cares deeply about her students and wants them to succeed. But she only wants them to succeed by meeting high standards of academic excellence. Her other passion in life is her deep and abiding faith. It takes a person of honesty, integrity and courage to convert from a lifetime devoted to Lutheran ministry to Catholicism.
Joy continues to be a religious seeker which permeates her classes and relationships.
MARK JOHNSON, 15 YEARS After applying his computer expertise in the business world, Mark Johnson joined the Waldorf faculty in 2001 to create and teach computer information system courses. In addition to his teaching load, Mark became Waldorf’s director of institutional technologies for three years. Mark has also served the community by being elected to the Winnebago Cooperative Telecom Association Board of Directors in 1998. He is currently board president of the association.
AL EGGEBRAATEN, 10 YEARS Al Eggebraaten became Waldorf’s director of facilities services in 2006. As the director, he oversaw any project involved in Waldorf’s buildings and grounds. When Waldorf, the Forest City School District, the city of Forest City and the Hanson Foundation formed a partnership to improve athletic facilities, Al was a member of the shared services team. Among the improvements on the Waldorf campus were a new turf football and soccer field, installation of lights at Bolstorff Field, Beebe track and a concession stand. He also led the restoration of the Salveson Ballroom and lobby.
5 YEARS Samantha Beck ‘11, Justin Benjegerdes, Mark Clouse, Teresa Coombs, Brett Geelan, Jennifer Higgins, Nigel Jenkins, Brett Shelanski, Henry Stone, Joe Tautges ‘07, Kristi White ‘07 and Robert Zahn Employees Recognized for Excellence:
BOARD OF TRUSTEES’ OUTSTANDING PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR Dawn Johnson ’80
HOLMEN AWARD FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE Steve Smith
HOLMEN AWARD FOR PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE Linda Harms ‘09 VIKING AWARD FOR ONLINE PROFESSOR Sheana Mullen VIKING AWARD FOR
ONLINE SUPPORT STAFF Tony Wical ‘04 Recently Retired Faculty & Staff:
MICHAEL FARNDALE, 34 YEARS Michael Farndale retired this spring after 34 years of service. He came to Waldorf in the fall of 1982 after teaching mathematics for 13 years in Canada, England, Italy and Wales. Professor Farndale has taught almost all math
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STUDENT SENATE & ALUMNI BOARD GATHERS The Waldorf University Student Senate hosted a dinner on Wednesday, April 27, 2016 in the Salveson Ballroom and invited members of the Alumni Board to attend. The evening was an opportunity for students and alums to get to know each other and learn about what their respective groups have done throughout the year.
having over 30 members today.
Student Body President Austin Heeren '16 talked about the major strides the Senate has made in the past four years growing from single-digit numbers to
A wonderful time was had by all and you can be assured that your beloved alma mater is in great hands led by these incredible, intelligent and gifted students.
Andy Buffington '90, president of the alumni association, spoke to students about the alumni connection and how alums are so passionate about giving back to Waldorf and getting involved with the lives of students at Waldorf today.
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CAMPUS NEWS
WALDORF CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE
WALDORF GOES TO THE IOWA STATE FAIR
Waldorf University will hold its annual Christmas Open House on Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016. The open house is hosted by Waldorf employees and is open to the public. The event features a variety of Scandinavian food and treats, pictures with Santa, face painting for children and a festival of trees.
The State Fair, held in Des Moines every August, is Iowa’s largest event, annually attracting more than a million visitors from the Midwest, across the U.S. and many foreign countries. The largest attendance in fair history was set in 2015 at 1,117,398.
INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATION The longest consecutive running Fourth of July celebration in the state of Iowa is in Clear Lake. Thousands of people line the route in true Americana style waving and cheering at each passing parade participant. Waldorf University is proud to be a part of this iconic event every year.
The oldest and largest state fair in America, the Iowa State Fair is the only fair listed in the New York Times best-selling travel book “1,000 Places to See Before You Die.” Waldorf University takes part in this annual event, as it lends a unique opportunity for the university to feature residential and online opportunities to an exceptional amount of people, all while creating a space for current students, faculty, staff and alumni to stop by our booth and share their Waldorf stories.
WARRIORS "RELAY FOR LIFE"
SUNDAES TO STOP HUNGER
Proceeds Benefit American Cancer Society
Committee on Vocation and Service Fundraises
The Waldorf Warriors Relay for Life team participated in the Winnebago County Relay on June 25, 2016, at the courthouse square. They served root beer floats which went over especially well with the temperatures soaring into the 90s that day. The team also had a breakfast fundraiser on May 26 in the Salveson Ballroom. They were overwhelmed with the support from the Waldorf family and Forest City community who came out for pancakes, egg bake and other breakfast goodies. The event went so well that the team had to go out and buy more supplies halfway through the event.
On Friday, July 15, 2016, the Committee on Vocation and Service sold ice cream sundaes in front of the Winnebago County Courthouse as a fundraiser during Forest City’s annual Puckerbrush Days celebration. The team raised just under $900 and all proceeds went to the Stop Hunger food packaging event to be held in February 2017 in the Waldorf Atrium. At the 2016 Stop Hunger event, the committee raised $17,010 and packaged 68,040 meals. A total of 395 volunteers helped package food.
This year’s Relay for Life team was pleased to raise $1,167 to support cancer research. Next year they hope to get an earlier start and have more events throughout the year. The team is always looking for volunteers, fundraising ideas and any alumni who are interested in joining their fight against cancer. Please contact Natalie Alsop at alsopn@ waldorf.edu, or Cathy Stensland at stenslanc@waldorf.edu if you would like to join the Waldorf Warriors Relay for Life team! Waldorf Warriors Relay Team:
PUCKERBRUSH DAYS Waldorf Celebrates with Forest City Community Puckerbrush Days in Forest City is an opportunity for Waldorf University to say thank you to the citizens of Forest City and surrounding communities for their continued support of the university.
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On Saturday, June 16, a group of Waldorf faculty, staff, students and Warrick the Warrior participated in the Puckerbrush Days parade. While handing out candy, stress balls and Warrior horns, the group heard resounding crowd cheers of “Go Waldorf!” or “Go Warriors!” Many of the parade attendees were Waldorf employees, students, alumni and community members who take pride in Waldorf University.
// Natalie Alsop // Cameron Barnes // Nick Benesh // Mitchell Berger // David Damm // Traci Francis // Steve Smith // Cathy Stensland // AnneMarie Werthmann
The Committee on Vocation and Service is comprised of Waldorf University employees and members of Immanuel Lutheran Church. Photo above: Members of the Committee on Vocation and Service pictured here include: Back Row (L to R): Adam Brinkman ‘17, Nancy (Bergland) Olson ‘75, AnneMarie Werthmann and Steve Smith. Middle Row (L to R): Cindy Carter and Pøtt Van Auken Front Row: Sharese Hall and Amanda Aberle Photo below: L to R: Amanda Aberle, Adam Brinkman ‘17 and Cindy Carter
Photo above: Pictured left to right, President Bob Alsop, Dr. Natalie Alsop and Waldorf Professor Steve Smith.
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Florence, Italy
CAMPUS NEWS
by AUDREY SPARKS ‘16
is an adventure, that for some, would be a once in a lifetime experience. For others it would be an opportunity to return to memories from previous years. On May 11, 2016, two faculty members, one alumnus and 17 students set out on a three-week journey that would take them across Europe. Every two years, the Waldorf University Communications Department and Honors College host a study abroad trip. As a whole, the trip has been fairly consistent as far as the locations the group visits, with only a few variations from year to year. This year they began in Rome, Italy, and ended in London, England, with stops in Venice, Florence, Siena, Cinque Terre, Milan and Paris. Waldorf University Professor of Communications David Damm ‘73 and Waldorf Communications alumnus Matt Dettman ’98 have been advisors on every trip since its inception in 2003. The first trip occurred in 2004.
The idea hatched on an airplane while the pair returned from a national media conference. “If we went on an international trip, where would you want to go?” Dettman asked Damm. “I’d love to see Rome, Paris and London,” Damm replied. Dettman suggested adding Florence, Venice and Cinque Terre—places he had visited on the Waldorf honors trip when he was a student. With that, the basic itinerary of a three-week communications department trip to Europe was set. This year, Waldorf University Associate Professor of Communications Tiffany (Blome) Olson ’99 joined as an advisor. But this wasn’t her first trip abroad with the university. Olson traveled to Europe as part of the Honors College when she was a student. “The first trip was two-part. I spent the first two weeks on the Honors College trip, traveling through Italy and France,” Olson said. “Two other Honors/Humanities students and I stayed in Paris for an
Apollo and Daphne is a life-sized Baroque marble sculpture by Italian artist Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Housed in the Galleria Borghese in Rome.
extra night (on our own). We took the EuroStar to London the next day to meet up with the Humanities group. I spent the next five weeks traveling through England, Scotland, Wales and France with the Humanities BA program where we studied art and Shakespearean theater.” Studying is a huge part of the journey. As a part of the course, each student is required to spend several weeks prior to leaving attending a Sunday evening course where they learn everything from how many steps are in the Florence Duomo to how many pairs of shorts to pack. Each student is required to write an essay on a historic site and artist which will be visited or viewed along the route. Beginning in Rome, each one of those essays is read aloud when the site or artistic piece is seen. This helps to reinforce what the students have learned over the months prior to visiting these historic locations. Some of the locations that were visited in Rome included Vatican City and museums, the Roman Coliseum, Forum and the Galleria Borghese. In Venice,
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students had the opportunity to take in Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Basilica, cruise the Grand Canal and check out glass blowing in Murano. Florence offered the opportunity to climb the 463 steps to the top of the Duomo, check out Ponte Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery. But one of the most memorable stops was to see Michelangelo’s “David” at Galleria dell’Accademia. “Wow, the David was breathtaking,” said Darien Walsh ‘17. “I cried. David is considered to be one of the...greatest sculptures in the world.” Cinque Terre was a welcome break after averaging 7-to-9 miles of walking each day. The group stayed in Riomaggiore where they were given plenty of time to explore the five seaside towns, enjoy free time hiking the coast, doing some shopping and enjoying the local food.
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“I loved Cinque Terre,” Olson said. “It was a great, relaxing break from the busier cities we had been in. I enjoyed kayaking in the Ligurian Sea, hiking from Monterosso to Vernazza, visiting the vineyard in Manarola and eating all the delicious food.”
van Gogh at Musee d’Orsay. The final stop in London provided a trip to the National Gallery, a ride on the London
Eye, a walk through Westminster Abbey and the British Museum. As a special surprise, each student was allowed to
Venice, Italy
On their way to Paris, a quick stop in Milan provided a special treat of being able to see Leonardo da Vinci’s painting “The Last Supper.” The group also took in the view of the surrounding area from the roof of the Basilica before jumping on a train for an overnight ride to France. Paris offered visits to Montmarte, a view of da Vinci’s “Mona Lisa” at the Louvre, a trip to the top of the Eiffel Tower, a morning in Versailles, some modern art at Pompidou, the breathtaking stained glass of Sainte-Chapelle, a peek at the gargoyles of Notre Dame and a wide range of art including several pieces by Vincent
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CAMPUS NEWS EUROPE TRIP
choose a theatrical production to go to. But the culmination has always been a final evening where everyone enjoys a pub meal and then attends the London production of “Wicked.” “London was one of my favorite cities,” said Jenna Quina ‘17. “I had so much fun at Momma Mia and seeing Wicked again was so awesome.” Each student maintains a journal with entries reflecting on specific locations and artworks which are graded throughout the journey. Upon arriving home, their final task is to complete a reflection essay involving a list of questions provided by the advisors.
The study abroad group rides the London Eye, a giant Ferris wheel in London, England.
Overall, the experience is eye opening. Without the added weeks of education prior to embarking on the trip, much information would be lost due to the speed at which the students take in each location. However, many students would agree that the blisters and sore muscles were worth it when they look back on the overall experience. “I’m sad our trip has come to an end,” Quina said. “I can’t wait until the next time I visit Europe.” For students who are interested, the next Europe trip will occur in the spring of 2018.
The group at Roman Forum in Rome, Italy.
The Pantheon in Rome, Italy
The Winged Victory of Samothrace displayed at the Louvre in Paris, France.
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CAMPUS NEWS
CAMPUS MINISTRY
NEW ORLEANS
SHARING GOD'S LOVE Campus Ministry Embarks on Mission Trip and Continues to Positively Impact Lives by ANNEMARIE WERTHMANN
The 2015–16 academic year ended with another amazing mission trip, this time to New Orleans. For many of us on the trip, it was our first time to the city and was not only a time to serve others, but to try new foods and see new sights. Our group was comprised of 21 students (12 first-years, two sophomores, three juniors, four seniors) and seven drivers. The group stayed at Camp Restore (camprestore.org) in New Orleans, a Lutheran camp in a former Lutheran church that opened after Hurricane Katrina to host people coming to the Waldorf.edu
city to volunteer. While in New Orleans, our group helped stock shelves at a food pantry, clean bathrooms, cook meals, organize closets, weed gardens, sort recycled Mardi Gras beads and speak with residents at a nursing home. Nights in New Orleans were spent exploring the city or relaxing after a day of serving. “It’s fun. I like the weather, I like the people, the environment is good and we can see happy faces, so it’s worth it,” said Asmita KC ‘19 about serving at Love in Action food bank.
The group also took a day off to go to Orange Beach, Alabama, where we toured the Columbia Southern University campus. The Waldorf Online staff graciously provided us with sack lunches that we took to the beach to eat. We then spent the rest of our day at the beach, which was a first for many in our group. Switching gears, Campus Ministry is looking forward to another exciting year and hoping to see growth in all of our groups on campus. With the addition of Antoine Cummins '15 as the student outreach coordinator and advisor to Like Fire, the student peer ministers have let their ideas and imaginations flow. Antoine continues to offer weekly service opportunities to students in the North Iowa area, a great way for students to connect with the local community. Antoine and his peer ministers were also able to find a space on campus to convert
into a prayer room. Beginning this fall, there will be a space for students, faculty and staff of all faiths to come and pray, meditate or reflect during the day. The Bridge (a college ministry at First Baptist Church) had an increase in numbers last year due to a change in format. The Bridge meets on Sundays after the church’s second service and travels to different homes for a meal and biblical conversation. The Archangels Catholic Cluster has hired a new coordinator of faith formation and they hope to bring back some social programs in addition to having the Rosary and Catholic Mass each week. For weekly chapel, I have four students helping me plan new ideas and speakers. We look forward to seeing what the year brings.
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ATHLETICS UPDATE
Waldorf Hosts The North Star Athletic Association
OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS Waldorf University’s Beebe Track took center stage when the campus and community welcomed the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Outdoor Track & Field Championships in May. The three-day meet resulted in six all-conference performances for the men’s team, while the women’s team delivered four all-conference finishes. This event marked the second home competition for the Warriors, who are in their second year as a program. “Competing at home is always a highlight of the season for the athletes,” said Kelsey Riggins, Waldorf director of cross country/track and field. “It’s great for them to compete with the support of their family, friends and community.” It was a record-breaking meet for the Warriors. The men’s team brought down eight outdoor school records en route to 86.5 points and a fourthplace finish in the team standings. Meanwhile, the women’s team turned in seven new outdoor school records to earn 47 points and place fifth. Approximately 300 athletes descended on Beebe Track during the meet, which featured men’s and women’s teams from Waldorf, Dakota State University in South Dakota, Dickinson State University in North Dakota, the University of Jamestown in North Dakota, Valley City State University in North Dakota and Viterbo University in Wisconsin. It was an all-hands-on-deck effort from the Waldorf community. Student housing and dining services provided dorm rooms and meals for the student-athletes. Waldorf’s athletics department also had coaches, community members and athletes from numerous programs involved to make the event go off without a hitch. “Hosting an event of this size is good for our athletic department in general,” Riggins said. “The amount of support the track program has gotten from all of the sports coaches, athletic training staff, weight staff, facilities, student housing and dining services has been really great.” The year was filled with steady progression by the Waldorf track and field programs. Isaiah Craig locked up second in the high jump, improving his outdoor school record with a height of 1.94 meters (6’4.5”) for all-conference honors. The freshman from Apple Valley, Minnesota, earned all-conference recognition in the triple jump, securing third behind a 13.2-meter (43’3.75”) leap.
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ATHLETICS UPDATE Nathan Meiners provided all-conference performances in the 5,000 and 10,000. The junior from Omaha, Nebraska, fought to second in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 16 minutes, 12.69 seconds. Meiners also chased down second (34:15.34) in the 10,000. Chasen Selsor battled to third (11:20.23) in the 3,000 steeplechase as the sophomore from Osceola claimed all-conference recognition. Waldorf's 4x400 relay team including Mark Ahlers, Isaiah Craig, Jonah Remker and Caleb Gilbertson raced to second (3:30.8) to grab all-conference honors. Abby Buehler capped the final meet of her career, winning the triple jump title at 10.89 meters (35’8.74”). The junior from Dodge Center, Minnesota, who was a senior academically, earned all-conference honors in the event while setting a new meet record and outdoor school record. Buehler also scored all-conference honors in the long jump, earning second behind a distance of 5.01 meters (16’5.24”). Erica Fee delivered an all-conference performance, pacing her way to second (5:12.48) in the 1,500 to break the previous school record by 4.13 seconds.
ference recognition for the Warriors in the javelin, capturing second with a 36.73-meter (120’6.06”) throw. “This season has been the first year we have had a full roster for the men, and the women are almost there as well,” Riggins said. “The conference meet was a great opportunity for the program, Waldorf athletics and the Forest City community to show off our beautiful facility and community to all the schools in our conference.” Competing in front of a home crowd in a conference meet was an energizing and rewarding experience for Waldorf’s teams. With the two teams graduating just four student-athletes and primarily true freshmen comprising both rosters, the Warriors are sure to have more success on the horizon. “Having a year under their belt, they know the importance of the offseason workouts and what needs to be done to be successful during the season,” Riggins said. “Quite a few of them finished right outside of scoring or all-conference honors, so they know they are capable. They just have to put in the work.”
Peyton Russell garnered all-con-
Waldorf’s Erica Fee (above, right) chased down all-conference honors in the 1,500-meter run as she battled to second in 5:12.48 to set an outdoor school record during the NSAA Outdoor Championships in May.
Waldorf’s Isaiah Craig (above) takes the baton from Mark Ahlers to anchor the 4x400-meter relay during the NSAA Outdoor Championships in May. Jonah Remker, Caleb Gilbertson, Ahlers and Craig earned allconference recognition in the event as they raced to second in 3:30.80.
Athletics Update by MATT OLIVER
Waldorf’s Abby Buehler (above) captured the triple jump title with a mark of 10.89 meters to set a new meet record and outdoor school record during the NSAA Outdoor Championships in May. Buehler earned allconference in the event and also the long jump, taking second at 5.01 meters.
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ATHLETICS UPDATE MEN’S WRESTLING Waldorf Battles Top-Notch Competition Facing tough opponents throughout the season was a common occurrence for the Waldorf University men’s wrestling team. The Warriors brought down the University of Jamestown in a 29–27 win during a dual meet in November. They also celebrated Senior Night with a 33–15 dualmet victory over NCAA Division III’s St. Olaf College, sending off seniors Ryan Dugger, Dario Gamino, Dirk McOmber and Jarred Becker with a memorable finish at Hanson Fieldhouse in January. Zach Milks turned in one of Waldorf’s top performances during the season. The freshman from Charles City claimed the 157pound title during the Sioux City Open in February, winning all three of his matches in the tournament.
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The Warriors closed out the year with a ninth-place finish in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Central National Qualifier. It was arguably one of the most challenging regional tournaments in the country, which featured top-ranked and eventual five-time national champions Grand View University and No. 2 Missouri Valley College
WOMEN'S WRESTLING Eight Warriors compete in WCWA National Championships Continuing to build as a program, the Waldorf University women’s wrestling team put together several strong individual showings during the 2015–16 season. The Warriors turned in a strong showing during the Waldorf Open in January, led by a runner-up
performance from Rachael Coleck at 130 pounds. Coleck won two of her three matches in the tournament while Justice Losee (143) and Hope Cordoviz (103) each claimed third. Bailey McLaughlin (136), Cherydan James (155) and Harmony Maitland (170) battled to fourth-place finishes in the home tournament. Waldorf showed fight, picking up a dual-meet win over Adrian College in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) National Duals in January at Fort Wayne, Indiana. Coleck and Losee posted 2–2 records in the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association (WCWA) National Championships, held in February at Oklahoma City. Rose Heurtelou (109), Marinna Vela (123), McLaughlin, James, Maitland and Cordoviz also represented the Warriors on the national stage. Returning to Oklahoma City in March for the USA Wrestling
(USAW) University Nationals, Coleck and Abigail Flores (152.1 pounds) went to work on the mat to record promising performances for the Warriors in their season finale.
HOCKEY Waldorf earns third straight regional tournament bid The Waldorf University hockey team made its third straight appearance in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division II Central Region Tournament during the 2015–16 campaign. Waldorf finished the season with a No. 8 regional ranking, which is the highest in school history. The Warriors put together a 20–15 record, which included six wins over regionally-ranked opponents. Waldorf earned a No. 3 seed in the Northern Collegiate Hockey
JEROME REASSUMES DUTIES
Warriors Welcome Back Denny Jerome as Waldorf ’s Director of Athletics by MATT OLIVER
Effective September 6, 2016, Waldorf University announced that Denny Jerome '70 will reassume duties as the university's director of athletics. Jerome, who served as associate athletic director the past five years, has guided Waldorf's athletic department in administrative leadership for 35 years, including a tenure as director of athletics that spanned three decades. "Denny's love for Waldorf and knowledge of the athletic department, along with his reputation in the conference, position him well to lead Waldorf athletics into the future," Waldorf President Dr. Bob Alsop said. "I am very grateful for
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his willingness to serve Waldorf in this capacity again." Following the 2013–14 academic year, Jerome retired from coaching after 42 seasons as head coach of the Waldorf women's basketball team with an overall record of 786-439. He was the first-ever coach of the program, which was established in 1972. During Jerome's coaching career, the Warriors averaged 19 wins per season. They earned seven National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) national tournament appearances. Under Jerome, Waldorf progressed when the college became a four-year institution and joined the ranks of
WALDORF MAGAZINE // FALL 2016
the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA.) The Warriors won the Midwest Collegiate Conference (MCC) title in 2004–2005 after finishing second in 2004. Jerome was named the 2004 MCC Coach of the Year. In 2015, he was inducted into the NJCAA Women's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Bart Gray, who was Waldorf's director of athletics for the past three years and led the Warriors to joining the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA), is stepping in to oversee the university's Title IX compliance and athletic eligibility requirements. "I would like to take this op-
portunity to thank Bart for his accomplishments as Waldorf's athletic director, including the completion of the Beebe Track and Field Complex, initiating the track and field teams, transitioning to a new athletic conference and managing the shared facilities project, among many others," Alsop said.
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League (NCHL) Tournament after going 9–5 in conference play. Opening the tournament strong, the Warriors blanked sixth-seeded St. Mary’s University in a 3–0 victory. Waldorf came up short in the tournament semifinals, falling to second-seeded and seventh-ranked Robert Morris University in a 2–1 loss. The Warriors were paired against No. 5 Lindenwood University in the regional tournament, but Waldorf was handed a 2–1 season-ending loss. Jeffrey Bartel and Artem Savelyev were selected to the NCHL AllConference Second Team. Bartel shared the team lead in goals with 16 on the season. Savelyev recorded 19 assists on the season, which ranked second on the team. Alex Fleming, Ronald Paulson, Drew Soderberg and Christian Weber garnered all-conference honorable mention recognition. Buddy Napier was named to the NCHL All-Rookie First Team. Robert Danyo, Rodney Engstrom and Ryan Veillet received all-rookie honorable mention status. Nicholas Carroll, Matthew Liggett, Bartel, Napier, Savelyev, Soderberg and Veillet represented the Warriors on the NCHL All-Academic Team.
MEN’S GOLF Warriors finish fifth in NSAA Championships The Waldorf University men’s golf team concluded the spring season with a fifthplace finish in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Championships during April. Turning in a team total of 1,284 strokes in the cumulative 72-hole conference tournament, the Warriors posted a 322 and 317 during the final two rounds of the tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska. The tournament’s first two rounds were held in September at Oxbow, N.D. Hugo Becerra led Waldorf, claiming fourth with a 305-stroke performance after firing a 78 and 77 during the final two rounds on the par-71 layout at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course. The junior from Ocotlan, Mexico
Athletics Update by MATT OLIVER
earned first-team all-conference honors with the finish. Rick Young secured second-team all-conference recognition for the Warriors. Young, a senior from Garner, tied for 14th with a 325-stroke total as he shot an 85 and 75 during the final two rounds of the tournament. Becerra and Young brought home all-conference honors for the second straight year. Kole Hallmark tied for 16th, carding a 326 with an 81 and 83 in the final two days. Austin Heeren placed 21st with a 338 behind rounds of 85 and 82. Thomas O’Rourke, who did not compete for Waldorf during the fall portion of the conference tournament, put together rounds of 78 and 85. Becerra won the Waldorf Invitational in October and recorded five top-five finishes during the year. Nick Boswell and Young provided two top-10 performances apiece. The Warriors also received top-10 outings from Zabdiel Flores, Hallmark, O’Rourke and Heeren. Heeren, O’Rourke and Young were honored as NAIA ScholarAthletes. Chad Hein, Heeren, O’Rourke and Young were named NSAA Scholar-Athletes.
WOMEN’S GOLF Waldorf wins four titles, takes fourth at NSAA Championships Consistency keyed the Waldorf University women’s golf team to claiming first-place finishes in four competitions during the spring. Waldorf captured titles in the Graceland Invitational, Iowa Wesleyan Tiger Classic and NIACC Spring Invitational. The Warriors also defeated Iowa Wesleyan University by 101 strokes in a dual-meet victory. Waldorf took fourth place in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Championships. The tournament consisted of two rounds played in September at Oxbow, N.D. and the final two rounds concluded in April at Lincoln, Nebraska. Fernanda Valdes placed sixth in the cumulative 72-hole conference
tournament with a 326-stroke total. She carded scores of 80 and 84 on the par-71 layout at Wilderness Ridge Golf Course during the final two rounds to earn first-team all-conference honors. Maggie Peters and Trinity Hill landed second-team all-conference recognition for the Warriors. Peters secured eighth behind a score of 337. The junior from Jewell shot rounds of 85 and 79 during the final two days of the tournament. Hill claimed 14th with a 373stroke total. The sophomore from Plainfield, Illinois, provided scores of 101 and 97 during the final two rounds. Kailee Ward placed 16th, turning in a 386 behind scores of 94 and 96 in the final two rounds. Hallie Hauer, who didn’t compete for Waldorf during the spring stage of the conference tournament, put together rounds of 83 and 87. Valdes won two tournaments during the year and locked up eight top-five performance. The sophomore from Morelia, Mexico has recorded top-10 finishes in all 22 competitions during the first two years of her collegiate career. Peters provided six top-five finishes during the year while Hauer finished in the top five on five occasions. Ward fired four top-10 performances, Hill placed in the top 10 three times and Haley Lawrence recorded two top-10 finishes. Waldorf also received top-10 performances from Haleigh Biernacki and Fahrni. Valdes, Peters, Hauer, Fahrni and Lawrence were named NSAA Scholar-Athletes.
MEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD Warriors secure fourth in NSAA Championships The Waldorf University men’s track and field team closed out the outdoor season with a fourth-place finish in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Outdoor Championships in May. During the season, the Warriors broke or established 24 outdoor school records in the program’s
second year of competition. Waldorf, which hosted the threeday NSAA Outdoor Championships at Beebe Track, put together six all-conference performances and brought down eight outdoor school records to score 86.5 points. The Warriors showed significant improving since the NSAA Indoor Championships in February, increasing its point-total by 21.5 points. Isaiah Craig secured second in the high jump, improving his outdoor school record with a height of 1.94 meters (6 feet, 4.5 inches) for all-conference honors. The freshman from Apple Valley, Minnesota, received all-conference recognition in the triple jump, earning third behind a 13.2meter (43-foot-3.75-inch) leap. Nathan Meiners provided an all-conference performance in the 5,000, fighting to second with a time of 16 minutes, 12.69 seconds. The junior from Omaha, Nebraska, also claimed second (34:15.34) in the 10,000 to claim all-conference honors. Chasen Selsor went the distance in the 3,000 steeplechase to lock up third (11:20.23) as the sophomore from Osceola earned all-conference recognition. Waldorf's 4x400 relay team of Mark Ahlers, Craig, Jonah Remker and Caleb Gilbertson raced to second (3:30.8) to lock up all-conference honors. Gilbertson claimed fourth in the decathlon with 5,237 points to set an outdoor school record. Justin Jacobi placed fifth in the event with 5,210 points. Gilbertson and Jacobi both hit the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national-qualifying standard of 4,950 points. Gilbertson's decathlon performance ranked 40th nationally while Jacobi's finish was 42nd. Cody Clark, Austin Anderson and Gilbertson were honored as National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Scholar-Athletes. Clark, Anderson, Gilbertson, Jimmy Blankenship, Adam Brinkman, Eithan Esensee, Justin Jacobi, Jesse Vega, Aaron Ward and Alden Zeller closed out the year with NSAA Scholar-Athlete recognition.
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ATHLETICS UPDATE MEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD Warriors place fourth in conference meet, capture 4x800 relay title The Waldorf University men’s track and field team claimed fourth place during the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Indoor Championships in February at Brookings, South Dakota. Waldorf’s 4x800-meter relay team of Justin Jacobi, Ovan Garcia, Chasen Selsor and Cody Clark captured the conference title as they clocked a time of 8 minutes, 38.17 seconds to break an indoor school record and earn all-conference honors. Mark Ahlers ran to second (2:04.08) in the 800 and took third (1:26.60) in the 600 at the conference meet. The freshman from Sheldon secured all-conference recognition and set indoor school records in both events. Nathan Meiners received allconference honors, racing to second in the 5,000 (16:43.93) at the conference meet with an indoor school record. Jacobi provided an all-conference performance in the heptathlon during the NSAA Indoor Championships & Multi after racking up 3,986 points for a third-place finish and an indoor school record. The freshman from Belle Plaine also hit a nationalqualifying standard in the event. During their second season of competition, the Warriors broke indoor school records in 20 events. Austin Anderson, Caleb Gilbertson and Clark were named National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Scholar-Athletes.
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University women’s track and field team during the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Outdoor Championships in May. The Warriors broke or established 17 records throughout the course of the season, which marked the program’s second year of competition. Seven of those records occurred in the three-day NSAA Outdoor Championships, which was hosted by Waldorf at Beebe Track. The Warriors scored 47 points to place fifth in the team standings during the conference meet, marking a 26-point improvement since the NSAA Indoor Championships in February. Abby Buehler capped the final meet of her career in dramatic fashion, capturing the triple jump title with a mark of 10.89 meters (35 feet, 8.74 inches). The junior from Dodge Center, Minnesota, who was a senior academically, earned all-conference honors in the event while setting a new meet record and outdoor school record. Buehler also scored all-conference honors in the long jump, securing second behind a distance of 5.01 meters (16 feet, 5.24 inches). She racked up 18 points, which tied for fourth among field athletes in the meet. Waldorf’s Erica Fee delivered an all-conference performance in the 1,500-meter run as she clocked a time of 5 minutes, 12.48 seconds to break the previous outdoor school record by 4.13 seconds. Peyton Russell garnered allconference recognition for the Warriors in the javelin, capturing second behind a distance of 36.73 meters (120 feet, 6.06 inches) to provide eight points.
to build during its second indoor season of competition, which ended with a fifth-place finish at the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Indoor Championships during February at Brookings, South Dakota. Abby Buehler locked up third at the conference meet in the long jump and triple jump. The junior from Dodge Center, Minnesota, recorded a mark of 4.95 meters (16 feet, 3 inches) in the long jump and leaped to a distance of 10.33 meters (33 feet, 10.75 inches) in the triple jump to earn all-conference recognition in both events. Waldorf set indoor school records in 11 events throughout the course of the season. Megan Perkins and Buehler were named National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic (NAIA) Scholar-Athletes. Erica Fee, Adriana Garber, Patricia Molina, Karissa Vetsch, Buehler and Perkins were honored as NSAA Scholar-Athletes.
MEN’S BASKETBALL Warriors match school record for wins in a season It was an exciting season for the Waldorf University men’s basketball team. The Warriors matched a school record for wins in a season since joining the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), closing out the 2015–16 campaign with a 16–14 record. Waldorf received a No. 15 ranking in the national poll during the season, which is the highest ranking in program history. Season highlights for the Warriors included knocking off three top-25 opponents as well as victories over an NCAA Division II program and two NCAA Division III teams.
Jimmy Blankenship, Adam Brinkman, Eithan Esensee, Jesse Vega, Aaron Ward, Alden Zeller, Anderson, Clark, Gilbertson and Jacobi were recognized as NSAA Scholar-Athletes.
Buehler and Megan Perkins were named National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Scholar-Athletes while Buehler, Fee, Perkins, Adriana Garber, Patricia Molina and Karissa Vetsch were honored as NSAA Scholar-Athletes.
WOMEN’S OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD
WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK & FIELD
Waldorf delivers four allconference performances
Waldorf continues to develop in second season of competition
The first year in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) proved to be highly competitive as Waldorf finished the season with a 5–7 conference record. Earning the No. 6 seed in the NSAA Tournament, the Warriors ended the year with a conference tournament quarterfinal loss to eventual tournament champion Dakota State University.
The Waldorf University women’s track and field team continued
Erik Brewer capped the season with second-team all-conference
Four all-conference performances highlighted a strong finish to the outdoor season for the Waldorf
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recognition, marking his fourth straight year earning all-conference honors. The 6-foot-6 senior from Las Vegas led Waldorf, averaging 18.9 points. Brewer pulled down 4.9 rebounds a game while shooting 45.8 percent (186-of-406) from the field, a team-best 40.4 percent (55-of-136) from 3-point range and 81.1 percent (55-of136) from the free-throw line. Michael Morgan was honored as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Morgan, Pavle Mihajlovic and Shay Motter were named NSAA Scholar-Athletes.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL Warriors fight tough competition in first NSAA season Battling tough competition, the Waldorf University women’s basketball team completed its first season in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA). After a tough start to the year, a young Warriors team began to find its chemistry and displayed competitiveness in eight contests that were decided by single digits. The Warriors received a No. 8 seed in the NSAA Tournament and fell to the University of Jamestown in the tournament quarterfinals. Jamestown, ranked No. 9 in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Division II poll, went on to win the tournament. Waldorf finished with a 2–24 overall record and a 0–11 mark in conference play. Samantha Birkes paced the Warriors, averaging 11.8 points. The freshman guard from Sioux City knocked down 115-of-303 (38.0 percent) shots from the field and went 37-of-116 (31.9 percent) from 3-point range. Ameh Ogbemudia posted 9.6 points a game for the Warriors. The 6-foot freshman center from St. Francis, Minnesota, pulled down 5.2 rebounds per game and contributed a team-high one block per game. Jenna Quina was selected as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. Kassidy Bunger, Elizabeth Carlton, Taylor Fricke, Taylor Kurtz, Haley Lawrence, Meriel Leavy and Quina were named NSAA Scholar-Athletes.
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ATHLETICS UPDATE
CLARK, EDEN HONORED
Waldorf Athletes Recognized with Lions Club Sportsmanship Award Waldorf University’s Cody Clark and Maggie Eden were honored with the Lions Club Sportsmanship Award during the annual Student-Athlete Recognition Ceremony held in April at Hanson Fieldhouse. Presented by Jon and Robin Bliesmer of the Forest City Lions Club, the annual award recognizes student-athletes who exemplify sportsmanship not only on and off the playing field but those who also meet the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Champions of Character core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and leadership.
Cody Clark Clark, a senior on the men’s cross country and track and field teams, is a student-athlete who is actively involved in the Waldorf community and maintains a commitment to athletics on a year-round basis. He has worked as a resident advisor for Residence Life, is a valued student worker for the sports information department and has served as the play-by-play caller while covering numerous Warrior athletic events on Waldorf’s own KZOW 91.9 FM.
Athletics Update by MATT OLIVER
The Lexington, South Carolina, native was a Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference (MCAC) Scholar-Athlete as a sophomore and junior, earned North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Scholar-Athlete honors as a senior and was named a NAIA Scholar-Athlete the past two years. Clark earned all-conference honorable mention recognition from the MCAC during his junior cross country season and was also honorable mention in the 5,000-meter run during the 2015 MCAC Outdoor Championships. He provided leadership as a team captain for the cross country program this past fall, claimed all-conference recognition during the NSAA Championships and raced for the 4x800 relay team that won a championship during the NSAA indoor meet in February. Clark owns the school record in the javelin and was a member of the 4x800 relay team that set an outdoor school record. Clark’s coach has described him as the type of student-athlete that Waldorf needed to establish its cross country and track programs. He sparked a culture shift and knows and appreciates what it means to be a Warrior.
Maggie Eden Eden is a student-athlete whose positive attitude lifts the spirits of her coaches and softball teammates. A Britt native and Forest City High School graduate, Eden has been an extremely hardworking player who goes above and beyond by putting in extra time on the field. Working equally as hard in the classroom, her 4.0 grade-point average speaks for itself. Even with a busy schedule that includes working at Forest City Ford, Eden has still managed to be named a two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete and a
three-time conference scholar-athlete. She is a selfless player who always puts the team first and has never hesitated to do what is best for the team. She easily transitioned from playing first base last year to moving to third base this season. Last season, Eden posted a 0.299 batting average with two home runs and 13 RBIs. This year, she posted a 0.279 batting average to go along with a homer, 11 doubles and 21 RBIs. She is the kind of player you would always find supporting her teammates and demonstrating the highest degree of sportsmanship.
Waldorf University men’s cross country and track and field athlete Cody Clark (left) and softball player Maggie Eden.
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ATHLETICS UPDATE
BREWER, BUEHLER RECOGNIZED Waldorf Athletes Earn Honor Athlete Award
Waldorf University’s Erik Brewer and Abby Buehler were recognized as honor athlete award winners during the annual Student-Athlete Recognition Ceremony in April. The award is presented to student-athletes who distinguish themselves athletically and in the classroom, exemplify leadership among their peers and carry themselves as a person of honor.
Erik Brewer Brewer, a senior men’s basketball player from Las Vegas, has been a key component for Waldorf’s program for four years. He has displayed great character on and off the court. Due to his hard work and dedication to being the best that he can be, his production and numbers increased every season while being a focal point for each Waldorf opponent. A four-time all-conference selection, Brewer averaged 16.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists as a four year-starter. The 6-foot-6-inch forward helped lead Waldorf to 16win seasons on two different occasions, a school record for victories within a season since Waldorf became a four-year program and joined the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).
acter. She puts everything she has into everything she does. Buehler has also been a great example of what it means to be an involved Waldorf student. She has remained active with many on-campus organizations throughout her career. Buehler has the respect of everyone, especially her teammates and would give anything for her team to succeed. As a three-year member of the volleyball team, the 6-foot2-inch middle hitter from Dodge Center, Minnesota, topped Waldorf’s school records books with 1,136 kills and 305 blocks. During Buehler’s volleyball career, she was a threetime all-conference selection with first-team honors the past two seasons and earned all-region honorable mention recognition from the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and NAIA as a senior.
She has been an exceptional track and field athlete the past two seasons. Buehler owns school indoor and outdoor records in the long jump, triple jump, 4x200meter relay and 4x400 relay. She earned all-conference honors in the long jump and triple jump during the 2016 North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) Indoor Championships. Representing the Warriors during their first-ever year of competition, she earned all-conference Brewer finished second honors in the long jump in school history with 90 and 100 during the 2015 blocked shots. With 1,803 Midlands Collegiate Athletic points and 614 rebounds, he Conference (MCAC) Outdoor Waldorf University volleyball player and track and field athlete concluded his career as WalAbby Buehler (left) and men’s basketball standout Erik Brewer. Championships. Buehler went dorf’s all-time leading scorer on to win the triple jump and rebounder. crown during the 2016 NSAA Outdoor Championships, Abby Buehler setting a meet record and outdoor school record. Buehler holds outdoor school records in the long jump, triple jump, Buehler, a member of Waldorf’s volleyball and track and field 100-meter dash, 200, 4x100 relay, 4x400 relay and 1,600 teams, exemplified the definition of a committed studentsprint medley relay. She is also a two-time NAIA Scholarathlete throughout her career both in the classroom and in Athlete and a three-time all-conference scholar-athlete, competition. She has been described by her coaches as the achieving all of her accolades while maintaining a 4.0 gradeultimate teammate and a coach’s dream. Humble, positive, point average. driven and polite are only a few words to describe her char-
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ATHLETICS UPDATE
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BASEBALL Warriors earn first postseason appearance since 2011 Continuous improvement has been the name of the game for the Waldorf University baseball team in recent years and the trend continued during the 2016 season. The Warriors finished the season with an 18–33 record and a 13–11 record in the North Star Athletic Association (NSAA), marking the program’s first year in the conference. Waldorf, which has increased its win total by 11 games in the past two seasons, received the No. 6 seed in the NSAA Tournament to earn its first postseason appearance since 2011. Opening the conference tournament strong, the Warriors rolled to an 8–3 victory over fifth-seeded Dickinson State University in May at Valley City, N.D. Waldorf saw its season come to a close following losses to top-seeded Bellevue University and eighth-seeded Valley City State University. Bellevue, which was ranked No. 2 in the final National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) poll, went on to capture the NSAA Tournament championship and an automatic national tournament berth. Michael Keeran, Mitchell Keeran, Trevor Bauer and Jimmy Quirk brought home all-conference honors for the Warriors following their performances during the season. Michael Keeran was tabbed a first-team all-conference selection, Mitchell Keeran was named the NSAA Freshman of the Year while Bauer and Quirk earned all-conference honorable mention recognition. Michael Keeran finished the year ranked 10th in the NAIA with a .444 batting average. The junior from Clear Lake went deep with three home runs and produced 31 RBIs. He ranked first on the team in total hits (71), slugging percentage (.650), on-base percentage (.536), triples (5), second in doubles (14), RBIs and runs scored (35). Mitchell Keeran powered to a .339 batting average, leading the
Athletics Update by MATT OLIVER
Warriors with nine homers and 33 RBIs. The former Clear Lake standout smacked a team-high 15 doubles, legged out two triples and topped the team with 44 runs scored. Mitchell Keeran finished the season with a .586 slugging percentage and a .413 on-base percentage. Bauer played a pivotal role, coming out of Waldorf's bullpen. The senior from Twentynine Palms, California, turned in a 3–0 record, notched a team-high 35 strikeouts and led the Warriors with four saves. Bauer recorded a team-best 2.28 earned run average (ERA), making 18 appearances and limiting opposing hitters to a .189 batting average in 27 and two-thirds innings. Quirk provided a .320 batting average, contributing four homers and 22 RBIs in his first collegiate season. The freshman third baseman from Woodbury, Minnesota, cranked out 39 hits, including eight doubles. Quirk recorded a .484 slugging percentage, .432 on-base percentage and scored 27 runs. Waldorf’s Dave Erickson was honored as an NAIA ScholarAthlete. Erickson, Quirk, Garrett Gillen, Michael Keeran, Mitchell Keeran, Adam Kovash, Jacob Tedesco and Ryan Villarreal were named NSAA Scholar-Athletes.
SOFTBALL Waldorf finishes season in NSAA Tournament The Waldorf University softball team made its presence known in its first year of North Star Athletic Association (NSAA) competition during the 2016 season. Closing out the year with their first postseason appearance since 2013, the Warriors improved by three games from the previous season as they posted an 18–29 record and a 10–14 mark in conference play. Waldorf earned the No. 6 seed in the NSAA Tournament. The Warriors bounced back from an opening-round conference tournament loss as they cruised to an 18–7 victory in five innings over seventh-seeded Mayville State University in May at Aberdeen,
South Dakota. Waldorf’s season ended following a hard-fought 2–0 loss to the University of Jamestown, which entered the tournament receiving votes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) poll. Hattie Hupke, Andrea Hartmann and Brittani Sanchez capped the season with all-conference honors. Hupke sported a .369 batting average and led the Warriors with 58 total hits while producing 13 RBIs. An all-conference selection for the second straight year, the sophomore shortstop from Carlisle collected four doubles, swiped a team-high nine stolen bases and led Waldorf with 34 runs scored. Hupke also topped the team with .438 on-base percentage and turned in a .395 slugging percentage. She finished the year with a .953 fielding percentage, recording 84 putouts and a team-high 117 assists. Hartmann was a force at the plate and in the pitcher's circle. She posted a .277 batting average as she cranked out four home runs and 31 RBIs. Hartmann ranked third on the team in total hits (44), second in homers, doubles (13), runs scored (32), fielding percentage (.988) and third in RBIs. She recorded a .447 slugging percentage and a .306 on-base percentage. Defensively, the senior first baseman and pitcher from Red Bud, Illinois, led the Warriors with 207 putouts and contributed 39 assists. Inside the pitcher's circle, Hartmann closed out the year with a 5–10 record, a team-best 3.66 earned run average (ERA) and notched 35 strikeouts. Sanchez made plays all season as Waldorf's starting center fielder. The junior from Mason City led the Warriors with a .989 fielding percentage, accounting for 77 putouts and nine assists. Sanchez also contributed at the plate down the season stretch, hitting .333 with nine total hits. She scored 13 runs on the year. Jessica Abrahamson, Maggie Eden, Tarah Hunt and Hartmann earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete recognition. Abrahamson, Eden, Hunt, Hartmann, Hupke, Kaylie Brindley, Maggie Hawley, Hailey
Kofron, Taylor Kurtz, Madison Murphy, Kaitlin Murphy and Briley Sullivan were honored as NSAA Scholar-Athletes.
MEN'S BOWLING Warriors clinch first postseason berth in school history The Waldorf University men’s bowling team put together a monumental season during the 2015–16 campaign. In October, the Warriors won the first-ever tournament championship in program history during the Stout State Open. Racking up a team score of 8,160, Waldorf averaged 181.33 through 45 games in the two-day tournament at Menomonie, Wisconson. The Warriors followed up the performance with another strong finish, capturing the Jayhawk Collegiate Challenge title in November. Waldorf finished seventh in qualifying with 8,026 total pins, recording a team total of 5,253 and a 2,773 baker score in the two-day competition at Lawrence, Kan. The Warriors advanced to match play and brought down the University of Kansas in a best-of-three game series that utilized a ladder format. Waldorf knocked off eighth-ranked Midland University in the semifinals, securing the win in a best-of-five series. Hastings College took the first game from Waldorf in the championship round, but the Warriors reeled off three straight wins to capture the tournament crown. The season schedule included two prestigious Las Vegas tournaments in December. Waldorf clinched a postseason berth for the first time in school history, placing 20th in the United States Bowling Congress (USBC) Team Sectionals in March at Addison, Illinois. The Warriors ended the season ranked 45th nationally out of approximately 200 teams, just one year after finishing 83rd nationally. Nicholas Heimerman, Damon Helgevold, Tanner Schmitz and Kyle Swiderski were honored as USBC Academic All-Americans.
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ATHLETICS UPDATE
NAIA HONORS 12 WALDORF ATHLETIC TEAMS
BAKER, PAYNE AWARDED
Waldorf Athletes Receive Athletico Comeback Athlete Award Waldorf University’s Demetrius Baker and Genie Payne were both honored with the Athletico Comeback Athlete Award during the annual Student-Athlete Recognition Ceremony in April. In its inaugural year, the award was presented by Athletico Physical Therapy Facility Manager Michelle Bamrick, Waldorf head athletic trainer Heidi Laube and members of the athletic training staff. The award is presented to a male and female student-athlete who have faced medical adversity and successfully returned to their respective teams. To be nominated, student-athletes must have been an active member of a team during the 2014–15 academic year, be in good academic standing, have a significant and impressive comeback from a serious injury or illness and remain compliant and dedicated to treatment in the physical therapy clinic and athletic training room, all while successfully returning to competition and demonstrating good sportsmanship on and off the field.
Demetrius Baker Baker, a member of the men’s track and field team, started his career at Waldorf with an unknown preexisting knee injury that was later diagnosed as a complete ACL rupture. He did not let the injury slow him down. In fact, it gave him motivation. Baker worked out both on and off the track while preparing his knee for surgery. Following surgery, he was driven and dedicated to his return as he worked independently and remained committed to visits to the athletic training room and physical therapy clinic. Baker was constantly looking for ways to stay involved in the weight room and practices, cheering on the team and being a good teammate when that is all he could do. Today, he continues to utilize the athletic training room as a means of injury prevention. Upon Baker’s return to the track, the Burlington native owns an indoor school record in the weight throw, along with outdoor school records in the shot put, discus and hammer throw.
Genie Payne Payne, a senior volleyball player from New Hampton, bounced back from a two-year back injury. She was barely able to walk the spring of her junior year and missed all of spring training. Throughout all of the discomfort, Payne strived to return to the volleyball court as she battled intense pain on a daily basis. She entered the 2015 fall season still not cleared for athletics, along with a surgeon’s recommendation of back surgery and bed rest. Payne was committed to daily therapy in the training room, physical therapy clinic and independent therapy. She always displayed a positive attitude and was a huge support as well as a leader to the team. Despite Payne’s grim prognosis, she was able to get a physician’s clearance and returned to the court pain-free in October for Senior Night and delivered a match-clinching kill that caused the crowd to erupt at Hanson Fieldhouse and lifted the Warriors to a victory over William Penn University. 28
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Waldorf University men’s track and field athlete Demetrius Baker (left) and volleyball player Genie Payne.
During the 2015–16 academic year, 12 Waldorf University athletic teams were honored as National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Scholar-Teams for displaying a commitment to academic excellence. The teams, which include 10 of Waldorf's 20 intercollegiate athletic programs included: // Baseball // Men’s Cross Country // Men’s Golf // Men’s Outdoor Track and Field // Softball // Women’s Indoor Track and Field // Women’s Basketball // Women’s Golf // Women’s Outdoor Track and Field // Women’s Soccer // Volleyball "We have 20 athletic teams with many challenges, including travel distance for contests, alternating practice times for facility use and the need for students to have part-time jobs," said Bart Gray, Waldorf director of athletics. "To have 10 programs out of that 20 appear on the NAIA Scholar-Teams list is impressive. It is a tribute to the commitment of our coaches, students and faculty to make all these challenges fit together to allow our student-athletes the level of academic success they have achieved." For a team to be considered for the NAIA Scholar-Team award, it must record a minimum 3.0 grade-point average on a 4.0 scale as defined by the academic institution. The team GPA includes all eligible varsity student-athletes. Waldorf.edu
ALUMNI NEWS
In 1959, chapel attendance was a requirement.
MY BEST YEARS
How Waldorf Became an Experience I'll Treasure Forever by VIVIEN (AASLAND) HANSEN ‘59
Greetings, Alums from the “Keeper of the Key!” I’ve been asked to share a time of reverie with you all. “We LOVE our Waldorf College, the school of Vikings bold.” How spending two years of my life at Waldorf became two of my best years is something I’ll treasure forever. We went our separate ways; most continued our educations, found our niche and constructed meaningful lives. There may have been gaps in our loyalty to our alma mater, but our love of the place will always be with us. “We love her royal colors, the purple and the gold.” So, what’s that “keeper of the key” thing all about!? Now, don’t you read the Waldorf Magazine cover to cover? See page 21 of the latest mag! The key for “Tillie"room 330 just happened to go home with me when we tearfully packed up that mournful day and had to leave in May, 1959, only to be returned fiftysix years later! That’s all I’ll say about that. Heavens! (Or should I say,”Wow Wee Wow Wow?”) I could have been campused for life! When I use the term “campused,” younger Warriors have no clue what I’m talking about! If we (girls!) committed a wrongful act, like leaving campus or even our dorms after 8:00 p.m. without permission on a week night, like slipping
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out to make a quick run to the Wigwam for pop, remembering to put a shoe in the door to get back in, OR! Heaven Forbid! (Or should I say, Golly Gee?) You actually risked a ride to Clear Lake and the SURF BALLROOM!, being “seen” by some “visiting” professors who “wrote you up!”—well, then, “campused” you were! This “girls only” rule resulted in having to come down on my fellow, much loved roomy, since I was a member of “Women’s Student Government,” the entity for meting out punishment for such devious and sinful acts! “She only went there to listen to the Four Lads!” was the talk around campus! The usual sentence for such transgressions would be two weeks of going to class or the library, going to meals, and going straight to your room! On the whole, we were very compliant and followed the rules. Choir members never took a chance! If Muggie asked you if you’d been there and you had, it was all over and you were
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ALUMNI NEWS
MY BEST YEARS
not in the choir anymore! We knew to “watch it” or risk “pestilence, wrath, temptations, backbiting, evil desires, temporal things, arrogance, wormwood or gall” over-taking us! You see, we did pay attention in Bible class! The boys? Hah! That’s all I’ll say! Hah! The saying around campus when asked to run uptown or go to a movie was, “Might As Well, Can’t Dance!” But don’t forget to sign out at the desk first. My close buds and I usually stayed around on the week-ends. Most being from very small hometowns, (like Joice), we knew Forest City was way more exciting—movies, a roller rink, suicide hill (in winter at Pilot Knob,) enjoying a Coke and laughs at the uptown “Palace of Sweets,” and just plain dorm life fun! As frisky freshwomen, we engaged in roller skating right there on Salveson 2nd, the girls’ dorm. The hallways were perfect, since it had been a hotel back in 1903 with wide passage ways and oak floors that were great for twirling and making the moves. (I still have my skates, but nobody dares anymore!) Were we ever “reined in?” Sometimes, with stern admonishments to go to bed, or with doors being slammed to shut out our “exuberance!” Our “mother superiors,” the sophomore dorm monitors, whose job it was to keep tabs on any unruly freshwomen, tried. We did not hurt anybody, aside from ourselves, with floor burns or crashing into each other. Plus, we slept quite well, having had some exercise. AND we had an ally! Miss Dorothy Bridley was Dean of Women and our dorm mom in Salveson when we were freshwomen. What a good sport! She would begin a lecture in the hall around 11:30 p.m. to some very serious faces on roller skates and end up first, cracking a smile, and then shaking her head and closing her door, gently! That’s all that should be revealed here, save for saying she would sometimes leave for a week-end and arrive back finding oranges floating in her bathtub, door pins delicately removed from their hinges, notes (of love, of course) all over! Rolling metal pails down the hall made quite a racket. Catching a pigeon and putting it in a friend’s room made quite a surprise. Pulling a reverse panty raid and streaking (running crazy fast, fully clothed!) through Thorson startled lots of boys and a supervisor or two! And no one was campused! If any of us ever had the reputation back home of being “little heathens,” we proved our old Sunday School teachers right! I’m done here!
Long dining area lines
Moving over to Tillie Rasmusson Hall as sophomores, got us out of her hair but probably into Miss Helen Asp’s. But by then, we had matured; most of us were preparing to be elementary teachers and these past experiences fit in with our goals—study hard, believe in yourself and (have fun!) Popping popcorn on a Saturday night, in the third floor kitchenette, dressed in our p.j.s, we very nearly caused a fire! We threw cold water on the hot flames erupting from our oil heating on the electric stove and, gee whiz!, IT WENT OUT!, instead of causing a huge conflagration! HEADLINES! “Tillie Rasmusson Hall Burned to the Ground!” (didn’t happen.) We mostly studied, munched and goofed around in our pajamas, since, gracious me! NO BOYS lived there! Performing the Mexican Hat Dance to loud, appropriate music and then settling down to study (after that exercise), kept us on task for our goals. We had the mantra—“To be a great teacher of children, one must at times, act like children.” We felt a special kinship with Tillie, our wonderful provider, who helped us attain our “freshman 15.” We called our dorm “Tillie.” We know you later girls have dubbed it otherwise, like Rass, Razz or variations of. You have your fun, we had ours. I almost hate to bring it up again, but I must! DANCING! “The iniquities of our fathers are visited onto the 3rd and 4th generation!” Not even square dancing was allowed! There was danger out there! It may leap out and snatch you at any time, just don’t get too close to the opposite sex and you’re safe-at-home (or in the dorm!) Playing cards and certainly, trips to Clear Lake could snare us! I’m thinking there were protests about ten years after we graduated, so in about 1969 and rules were relaxed, as well as “campusing” being abolished. But you know, now we have great stories to tell and laugh about, while you “young uns” stare at us as we tell them and exclaim—“REALLY?!” Every day at 9:30 a.m. we’d better hustle on over to Immanuel Church, plop into our assigned seat space and have a quiet time of meditation, plus receive announcements and directives for the day. If you thought to skip and crawl back into bed, trouble ensued! There were “counters” in the balcony, and if you were missing from your spot, it was duly noted. You would most likely find a note in your mailbox and there would be an appointment made for “counseling!” Some of my pals found it hard to make it on time, what with having to get out of bed so early on a late class day and not having breakfast yet. In winter a long coat over pajamas
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would suffice; just keep the front opening pinched tightly closed! And DON’T slip on the ice right in front of Thorson Hall! Boys could/would trip up a girl! Back home, most of us sat in our own pew, (ewww), so what’s the dif? It really was a time to slow down, listen up and stay on course. Did I EVER miss? NO! It would have been very embarrassing to campus myself! Speaking of breakfast and our dining experiences—we were SO fortunate to have several loving “aunty/grandma” types who heaped us with their own kind of love. Tillie’s rolls, real mashed potatoes, seconds anytime, desserts that helped put on “the freshman 15,” all so wonderfully prepared long before we even opened one eye in the morning! Our dining area was in the basement of Salveson Hall; take the steps along the southeast lobby wall, covered now so you’d never know, wait in long lines (a time to flirt a little), then be awarded with real, homemade, from scratch, scrumptious meals. I’ll try to tell, without really telling here—Boys (always boys) would maneuver their plates or trays so they could put one dessert on the tray and another under the tray! A dear watch-woman at the end of the line, carefully and sternly checked these boys and now and then they were busted! “One Dessert Tena” was on duty and you’d better not try anything! I wonder, when/if caught, did they have to get up early (5:00) and come down to the furnace room and peel potatoes for a stint? I could go on and on and then you’d understand better, the life of a freshman or sophomore kid at Waldorf in the late ‘50s. I can’t possibly “tell all!” I’m only letting you in on “our time,” some of the fun times, the close-knit friendships that have endured over time, the true and honest caring of Waldorf.edu
our teachers and all the staff, the grounding Waldorf gave to mostly young Lutheran kids, fresh off the farm or a small town. It was so carefully engineered and we didn’t even realize it! We DID grow into responsible, sensible adults who became parents and now grandparents. Our God is a caring God! One concept has stayed with me concerning the staff at Waldorf and the naming of dormitories then and after our
classes while working from that over-sized closet in Salveson Hall. She was also a teacher of Norwegian. Later, Ormseth Hall was named in her honor. Now on to O. J. Johnson, who was a very well informed and educated math instructor for whom part of Johnson-London Hall was named. The other man, Hans London, worked at Waldorf for 34 years as groundskeeper, maintenance man, painter, plumber, electrician, and carpenter! The son "One Dessert" Tena
remembers his profound statements after driving too fast and too dangerously to make his morning Bible class in time? “Tank God Ve Made It!” as he hit the curb! To actually know a man and have him as a teacher who was born the same year the Civil War ended is astounding to me! There are many others who touched our lives in our time—1957–59. I offer up these few examples to help us remember the dedication and spirit of love they had and tried to instill in us! Note that not ALL were esteemed, educated professors! A custodian and a cook were just as important to life at Waldorf College and there were no upper class distinctions. It was not their “station in life” or their “accident of birth” that propelled these folks! “Then hail, all hail to Waldorf, Our Alma Mater dear, may heaven’s richest blessings crown every passing year.” I love MY Waldorf College, (University!) Long may she prosper and live! And aren’t we the lucky ones?!
time. Salveson Hall, of course we know, was named after the founder, C. S. Salveson, who at one time was a Norwegian sailor. Thorson Hall came soon after to honor Thorwald Thorson, a teacher and faithful man, born in Norway and living out his days as a member of the first faculty. Rasmusson Hall was named to honor the magnificent “Queen of the Culinary Arts,” as Dr. Sidney Rand, one time president, called her—Tillie Rasmusson! There is a cookbook out with her recipes; find it in the bookstore. One little note—It took 150 pounds of real potatoes and 75 gallons of milk A DAY to keep us on the “freshman 15 diet!” Gladys Ormseth—We knew her as the “little book store lady” who helped us get up to speed and ready for
of immigrant Norwegian parents with the last name of Nelson, he was first a farmer, well educated, and engrossed in music, who became a key peg in Waldorf’s growth. There were so many Nelsons in his neighborhood in Wisconsin, so he changed his surname to London! Ahhh, the brilliance of the Norwegian mind! He is the other half of JohnsonLondon Hall. Odvin Hagen, our music man for 34 years and for whom Odvin Hagen Music Center is named, was our beloved choir director known for his prodding advice, “Keep a pluggin’, ______ “ (your last name!) Tanner Hall, named for Jacob Tanner, 1865-1964, who was a very well respected Bible scholar and author when he arrived at Waldorf, while in so-called retirement. Who
Have you realized? We have sung the 2nd verse of our Alma Mater song, line by line throughout, starting with “We love our Waldorf College" at the top! Vivien Aasland Hansen ’59, lives in Humboldt, Iowa. She was an elementary teacher and then a librarian at the public library for 30 years. She wrote stories for her hometown newsletter, “Think Joice,” for several years and is presently writing stories for the “Humboldt Independent’s” monthly magazine, “Humboldt NOW!” She and her late husband, Daryl, settled in Humboldt in 1966; a great place to raise a family of two daughters. Vivien is exploring putting those stories into a book for her five grandchildren. Future plans include a move to Ankeny, Iowa and into an apartment in a retirement cooperative. It rather looks like a dorm, so maybe she can keep the party going!
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ALUMNI NEWS UPCOMING ALUMNI GATHERINGS Join us for any of these upcoming alumni events. Keep an eye on the Alumni Facebook page and the monthly alumni e-newsletter for more information as all are subject to change. OCTOBER
JANUARY
OCTOBER 7–9
JANUARY 20
Homecoming Weekend
Waldorf Hockey vs. Northern Michigan University in Albert Lea, Minnesota @ 7:30 p.m. Postgame skate with the Warriors.
NOVEMBER
NOVEMBER 4 Waldorf Hockey vs. University of St. Thomas in Albert Lea, Minnesota @ 7:30 p.m.
NOVEMBER 5 Waldorf Hockey vs. University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota @ 7 p.m.
DECEMBER 1 Waldorf Christmas Community Open House
DECEMBER 3–4 Christmas with Waldorf
TBD DSM Area Alumni Event, Reclaimed Rails Brewing Company, Bondurant
FEBRUARY 22
TBD Paddler’s Tap, Forest City
Karla (Bellows) Weiss* ’97 AA; ’03 BA, Forest City
Vice President Annie (Furland) Olson ’90 Albert Lea, Minnesota
Keith Holtan* ’69 Minneapolis
Secretary Judy Brown* ’84 Rosemount, Minnesota
Anne (Bechtel) Bakke ’68 Forest City Amanda (Weiss) Irvine ’09 Albert Lea, Minnesota Braden Falline ’12 Spencer
Jan (Hetland) Hernes ’61 Forest City Jane (Ellwood) Askeland ’72 Mason City
APRIL
612 Brew, Minneapolis MAY
President Andy Buffington ’90 Forest City
Dean Safe ’12 Marcell, Minnesota
MARCH
TBD
STAY CONNECTED
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Andy Schryver ’06 Des Moines
FEBRUARY
Stop Hunger in the Atrium. DECEMBER
ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Jay Smith* ’04 Rochester, Minnesota Jeff Pierce* ’85 Chaska, Minnesota
WaldorfAlumni
MAY 6
Judy (Phalen) Delperdang ’78 Mason City
@waldorfalumni
Baccalaureate and Commencement
Karilyn (Naeve) Claude* ’72 Algona
Loren Marlette ’91 AA; ’13 BS Charles City Lori (Kenyon) Eekhoff ’08 Leland Ryan Workman ’06 Cedar Rapids Susan (Fitzgerald) Watson ’89 St. Paul, Minnesota *Denotes outgoing members
INCOMING BOARD MEMBERS Brian Chisholm ’02 Polk City Eric Bartleson ’64 Winona, Minnesota Jim Willmore ’89 Superior, Wis. Mike Cole ’03 Cedar Falls Thomas Faber ’02 Rosemount, Minnesota Tom Wicks ’88 Chickasha, Oklahoma
ALUMNI ON THE MOVE: ERSKINTE HENDERSON '10 Erskinte Henderson ‘10 was a standout football player in high school and received a scholarship to play football at Waldorf. It wasn’t until he got to Waldorf, Henderson says, that he started pursuing music. “Waldorf’s Communication Department had top-of-the-line studio equipment so I figured, ‘why not try to learn how to use the equipment?’ I started making music my freshman year at Waldorf and was actually pretty good at it.” Erskinte graduated in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in business management. Since then, he has continued to sharpen his skills as an artist and currently has songs on the radio, a few videos and a nice buzz around his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. You can listen to
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his music at www.soundcloud.com/skintay. Aside from his passion for music, Erskinte mentors at-risk boys through an organization called Operation Dream, Inc., in Milwaukee. “This job is much needed in my hometown. Milwaukee has one of the highest incarceration, poverty and murder rates in the country,” he said. “I am working diligently with at-risk boys to change their perception on life.” Operation Dream was founded in 2006 to serve boys unable to participate in organizations like the Boys and Girls Club and the YMCA due to poverty and lack of transportation. Their staff instills discipline, promotes education and engages children in the possibilities of their future. You can read more about the organization at www.operation-dream.org.
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ALUMNI NEWS
Kathryn Thayer with her husband, Will, pictured at Grand View University’s 2014 commencement ceremonies.
THE HEALING POWER OF CHANGE And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 (NIV) by KATHRYN THAYER ‘17
I sat in cap and gown behind President Henning at Grand View University’s 2014 commencement as he introduced me. It were as though I were listening to an introduction for someone else. “Our student speaker today is one of those students whose journey to this graduation stage was not direct from high school. She’s one of our adult learners, a graduate of our College for Professional and Adult Learning. Kathryn Thayer is a human services major. She also completed minors in psychology and management, along with human resources and art therapy certificates. She maintained nearly a 4.0 grade-point average and was inducted into Alpha Chi and Alpha Sigma Lambda honorary societies, as well as the Grand View Honor Society, which recognizes her for being named to the president’s list and dean’s list multiple semesters. When you hear more of Kathryn’s story, you’ll find out that she was living a busy life as a mother in her 50s, a grandmother, and a fully-employed paralegal in Warren County. A serious accident disrupted her normalcy and pointed her back to the classroom. Here she discovered that education not only teaches new skills, it has healing power.” And with that said, I made my
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way to the microphone to begin talking about an experience that I rarely shared with anyone. I would speak of a four-year journey that I had neither made sense of nor made peace with. I was still in the midst of fighting a fierce personal battle in an effort to return to my former self, to my normalcy. I took a deep breath and began. “On a raining April afternoon in 2010, a fully-loaded semi rear-ended a string of four cars stopped at an intersection in Des Moines. I was inside one of those cars. I remember the release of a long sigh as my head came to rest against my hands on the steering well. I was fully conscious, but I felt disconnected from all that was going on around me. There was a pressure in the front of my neck, as if I was being choked and pain radiated up the back of my head in cylinder-like patterns. As I stared at the accident scene in the rear-view mirror, I viewed God’s grace and His protection in the positioning of my car. I knew that if our tiny Honda Civic had been directly in front of the semi, the outcome of the impact would have been dramatically different. At that moment, I determined to focus only on gratefulness.” I concluded my speech that day with a realization that
I had gleaned since that rainy April day in 2010. “Change is certain. There will be intentional, and sometimes inevitable, re-direction along our life journeys. This re-direction, as harsh as it may seem at the time, moves us to where we need to be and this re-direction moves us to who we need to become. Change is often the lens that allows us to catch sight of our higher purpose and change illuminates realness in relationships. True friends step up and hold on to us tightly through the strong winds of change. They are there and will not let us fall.” In an instant, this accident took much from me and the subsequent road to healing would require much of me. There would be more 450 office appointments ahead, two-thirds of those visits would focus on head and neck pain relief and recovery of range of motion in my neck. I experienced continued healing in those areas. My memory loss and sense of total confusion were my greatest challenges. Eighteen months after the accident, my neurologist told me that I had persistent concussive syndrome. It was the first time that I had to face the reality that I may not fully recover from my head trauma. I couldn’t just work
hard and fix this. The floodgate of tears opened finally and I cried for days. Cognitive rehabilitation had provided me with tools and challenges, but I needed to force my brain to think in new ways.
I had never intended to go back to school, especially in my mid-50s. I had four years of college behind me and was fully satisfied in my position as a paralegal at the Warren County attorney’s office. My determination to reverse the effects of persistent concussive syndrome led me back to the classroom. Grand View University’s healing salve came in the form of a long-suffering advisor who charted my course of study (multiple times, as I added in additional minors and certificates), an academic support director who became my biggest encourager, adjunct professors and faculty who showed up each evening prepared and dedicated, and fellow classmates who ignored the age difference and embraced me in friendship.
I had never intended to go to grad school, especially in my late-50s. Within six months after my graduation from Grand View University, I realized that the inner fight to
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ALUMNI NEWS challenge my mind to organize and retain information was not over. I searched for a highly-recognized Iowa college that offered a completely online master’s program. Waldorf University was my stand-out choice, with its affordable tuition, amazingly generous book grant and fully online master’s program. In another year, I’ll be wearing a cap and gown at Waldorf’s graduation ceremony. I have been challenged and enriched by both the guidance of the professors and the meaningful curriculum the university has chosen.
THE HEALING POWER OF CHANGE
Recently, I have come to realize an additional truth of God’s blessings within adversity, the level of support received in the aftermath of a life-altering event will make a lifelong difference in the extent of healing and recovery. If I had not experienced the care of a determined medical, neurological and rehab team, I would feel disabled. If I had not had family and friends that clung to me tightly when I couldn’t cling back, I would be lonely. If I had not had an employer who kept me on and hired my intern to carry my workload for me while I re-learned the elements of my job, I would feel useless. If I had not experienced the healing power of Grand View University and Waldorf University, I would not have realized the wonder of my mind, just as it is now. The extent of this support has brought me to a place of peace and acceptance; it has provided healing power.
I never intended to get my doctorate, especially in my early 60s. To see Kathryn’s full 2014 commencement address at Grand View University, visit https://www.grandview.edu/aspx/ news/news.aspx?newsid=900 Kathryn Thayer ‘17 has been employed as a paralegal/case administrator at the Warren County attorney’s office for 12 years. She married Will, her junior high sweetheart, 38 years ago and they have two wonderful sons, Lane and Landan, two incredible “bonus” daughters, Angela and Kellie, and five amazing grandchildren, Troy, Wesley, Lincoln, Kinlee and Quinn.
In 2014, almost 5 years after her accident, Kathryn walked and completed the 2014 Des Moines half marathon.
Kathryn’s grandson Troy was with Kathryn during her accident, secured safely in his backward-facing car seat. Pictured are Kathryn’s son Lane, his wife Angela, and their sons Troy (6), Wesley (4) and Lincoln (2).
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Kathryn will be completing her Master of Arts in organizational leadership with a teacher leader concentration in July 2017.
Kathryn’s son Landan, his wife Kellie, and daughters Kinlee (2) and Quinn (5 months).
Liz (Sorensen) Smith ’97 (right), the Rotary Club of Forest City’s outgoing president, passed the gavel to incoming president, Jan (Shurson) Anderson ’72 (left), during the club’s annual recognition event on June 28, 2016.
Jen Campbell ‘03 married Wyatt Haas on October 16, 2015 in a ceremony officiated by Professor Julienne Friday ’68. Jen and Wyatt currently live on an acreage outside Eagle Grove with their adorable adopted dog, Harley Quinn. Jen works as the licensing and design manager for Team Effort, Incorporated. They design and manufacture licensed golf accessories and currently hold licenses with approximately 100 colleges and universities and are a licensee for Nike Golf. Jen also has a freelance design business, J. Campbell Creative. Wyatt works for Mojo Productions, an event DJ service.
There were many Waldorf alumni in attendance of the event. Back row from left, Justin Campbell ’98, Brian Gullikson ‘00, Carrie (Zhorne) Clausen ’03, Audrey Caseltine ’02. Front row from left, Mikkel Mortel ‘01, Wyatt Haas, Jen Campbell ‘03, Kristina (Lubahn) Stolp ’02 and Professor Julienne Friday ‘68.
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ALUMNI NEWS CLASS UPDATES: 1950s Dr. Ken Bauge ’51 and his wife, Jean, currently reside in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
plus graduations and birthdays! Marcus says they enjoy it all and thank God for His blessings.
Rev. Marcus Mork '51 is retired from the Lutheran ministry and living in Ramsey, Minnesota. He served 14 years in Japan, 10 years in Richfield, Minnesota, and 10 years in North Minneapolis. He and his wife, Marilyn, have five children and 12 grandchildren who keep them busy with T-ball, basketball, softball, gymnastics, soccer
Beverly (Schott) Twedt ’51 currently resides in Maumelle, Arkansas. Bonnie (Bjelland) Kuns '53 is retired after 37 years as a teacher at Forest City Elementary School and continues to live in Forest City. She was a piano teacher for 30 years and has three children, Rick Kuns ‘72, Becky
and Deb (Kuns) Perreira ‘76. Loren Berge ’56 and his wife, Barb, are currently retired and have five children, 16 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. They live on the family farm in Osage and spend winters in southern Missouri. Arlene Jorde '56 retired from Mercy Hospital in Mason City as a cancer research nurse in 2004. Throughout her career she held numerous positions from that of staff nurse to nursing administration.
She also did consulting for Mercy International Health which included three months in American Samoa. Arlene enjoys traveling throughout the world and has a great niece and great nephew. John Peterson '56 is retired and living in Spokane, Washington. He said he enjoyed his time and classmates while attending Waldorf and that the growth and accomplishments of Waldorf today is very commendable.
CLASS UPDATES: 1960s Marcella (Nuehring) Sharp '60 currently lives in Roscommon, Michigan. Karen (Hanna) Dyer '61 graduated from Dana College in 1963 and taught 2nd grade in Fort Morgan, Colorado, from 1963– 1968. She then taught 3rd grade in Mason City from 1968–1969 and 2nd grade in Ankeny from 1969–1999. She has been retired since 1999 and is loving it. She currently resides in Ankeny. Dave Gibson '61 and his wife, Karen, live in Reno, Nev. Sonja (Bergquist) Johnson '61 lives in Forest City and stays busy traveling and volunteering at her church and in the community. Her husband, Roger, passed away in 2013 of a rare cancer and she has two daughters. Daughter Colleen (Johnson) Lamping '87 works at the Winnebago Co. Courthouse in the Assessor's office and daughter Carla (Johnson) Jutting '87 is an accountant at
Iowa State University. Carla has twin girls, Grace and Hanna. The David and Marcia (Ott) Duncan '63 family was honored with the 2016 State Family Award from the Illinois Association of Home and Community Education for volunteer time given to their local church and missions in the states and foreign countries, schools, and the community. Larry Engebretson '65 is retired and living with his wife, Mary, in Liberty, Montana. Larry Englund '66 has a music blog, rhythmandgrooves. net, and revisits his youth by working as a deejay, spinning LPs and 45s in various venues around Saint Paul, Minnesota. Joyce (Larsen) Linn '66 recently retired from Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington. Joyce lost her husband, Allen, in 2007 after 40 years of marriage. She has two married sons, Eric and Earl, and a granddaughter
and grandson. Joyce is in the process of selling her home and moving back to Camano Island where she was raised. Doug Palmer '66 and his wife, Joy, have twin daughters, one of which is married and lives in Michigan. Her husband is a software engineer. Doug and Joy also have two grandsons, ages 1 1/2 and recently born. Their other daughter lives with them in Forest City. Dion ’66 and Nancy (Ehrich) Peterson ’66 live in Blue Earth, Minnesota, and winter in Mesa, Arizona. They are enjoying their retirement since 2002; Dion from Bristol Myers Squibb and Nancy as a pharmacy technician. They have been blessed with three sons and five grandchildren. Diane (Rauk) Rovang '66 retired in May 2016 after 30+ years teaching in the business/information technology department at Hennepin Technical College in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. Diane
loved singing in the Waldorf Concert Choir and has continued to sing in a women's choir and church choir in retirement. She plans to spend time with her two daughters and their families who live in Minneapolis. Gary Stiger '66 and his wife, Vicki, live in Fremont, Ohio. Marianne (Gigeay) Adelmann '69 is retired from the University of Minnesota and lives in Eagan, Minnesota. Ellen (Headington) Levernier '69 retired from the City of Hopkins/ Center for the Arts in November of 2011 and keeps busy with machine knitting and sewing/ quilting. Ellen and her husband, Joe, reside in Hopkins, Minnesota, and she would love to reconnect with her former classmates! Cathryn (Thompson) Rustebakke '69 lives in Cedar Rapids with her husband, Paul, who works in technical support.
CLASS UPDATES: 1970s Lynnae (Eckhardt) Nicholson '71 and her husband, Ken, have been married for 43 years and live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. They have two children and two grandchildren. Lynnae is a retired preschool teacher and currently volunteers through her county library system by bringing the joy of reading through book delivery to homebound residents and reading at a local preschool. She is also active in their church, Lutheran Church of the Holy
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Spirit, in Centennial, Colorado. Joan Blockhus-Morgan '76 received her Bachelor of Arts from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, her Master of Science from Iowa State University and taught elementary learning disabilities in Kansas City. After she married Bill Morgan, an Army officer, they lived in Panama, Olympia, Washington, Fredericksburg, Va., and have been in Sierra Vista, Arizona, for 16 years now. Joan retired from teaching
five years ago and has since been a co-coordinator of a tutoring program. Joan enjoys hiking, swimming in her pool and riding her bicycle in the Arizona climate.
on NBC. Dan is a sword swallower and not only swallowed swords on the show, but also swallowed a sword that he then used to pull a car in his audition.
Christine "Chris" (Olson) Phelps '76 is a teacher and lives with her husband, Steve, a design engineer, in Maplewood, Minnesota. They have two children and one granddaughter.
Darrel Posegate '78 earned a Master of Science in banking and financial services management from Boston University in May 2016. He resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, with his wife, Lorene, and is a banker at Heritage Bank.
Dan Meyer '77 appeared on Season 11 of America's Got Talent
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CLASS UPDATES: 1980s Stewart Ohrtman '80 and his wife, Kathie, currently reside in Ringsted. Holly (Field) Hoffart '81 lives in Cypress, Texas, with her husband, Jeff. She and Jeff are ambassadors for a global mission organization called OM Ships International: omships.org. George "Joe" Peters ‘81 and his wife, Beth, reside in Cedar Rapids as Joe teaches PE/Health at Mt. Vernon High School in Mt. Vernon. He is also the assistant track coach at Mt. Vernon and assistant football coach at Coe College in Cedar Rapids. Joe just finished his 15th year at Mt. Vernon and 32nd year of teaching and coaching.
Jeff Lewison ’84 was promoted to project engineer coordinator for Winnebago’s motorized division in Forest City. He has the responsibility for coordination of all technical activities required during the development of Class A gas motorhomes from concept development through production launch. A 28-year veteran of Winnebago, Lewison previously worked in various engineering positions, including drafter and designer.
Lonnie Fluck '86 is a senior resource director for a project consulting group and lives in Becker, Minnesota, with his wife, Katey, who is a daycare director. They have two children; Sammy is in grad school at Missouri State and Jax is looking to play golf in college. After 30 years in Forest City, Jenny (Schweikert) Gilbertson '86 moved to Des Moines to be closer to her daughters. She still works in travel as a senior travel advisor with Travel & Transport. Jenny enjoys traveling, golfing and spending time with her girls. Eric ’86 and Britt (Overlie) Steffy ’87 both work in management
and live in Overland Park, Kansas. Amy (Bartleson) Balcam '88 is a school psychologist in Bloomington, Indiana. Her husband, Drew, is a district sales manager for KIA Motors and they have one son, Andrew. Audra (Ahnemann) Forrest '89 does in-home daycare in Eau Claire, Wisconson. She's been married for 20 years and has three girls. Michael ’89 and Wendy (Russie) Harp '89 have four children—Emily, Steven, Shelby and Nathan. Wendy is a teacher at Hilltop Christian School and her husband is a testing engineer manager. They reside in Draper, Utah.
CLASS UPDATES: 1990s Jay Honsey '90 is a project manager at ACSDI and resides in Roseville, Minnesota. His wife, Lori, is a reintegration specialist. Janet Zarich '91 has been a toddler teacher at Kinderplatz Childcare Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, for over 21 years. She recently purchased a condo and is living in Edina, Minnesota.
Craig Volk ’96, a Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Advisor based in Minneapolis,
received the company’s Top Producer 2016 Award based on an outstanding year of helping clients achieve financial security. Northwestern Mutual recognized Volk in July at its 136th Annual Meeting held in Milwaukee. Volk joins an exclusive group of financial professionals across the country who have achieved this recognition. Craig and his wife, Nicky
(Veldhouse) Volk ’95, were inducted into the 2015 Waldorf Athletic Hall of Fame and have three children, Reece, Macklin and Sutton.
Laura (Platner) Moorhead ’02 and her husband, Joel, own Budget Blinds of Waterloo and live in Cedar Falls. They have two boys, Max (3) and Alex (1).
Jean, born June 7, 2016. He joins big brother, Walter, 3. Andy and Amanda reside in Altoona.
Cristina (Athen) Muehr '98 is a customer service representative for Casey's General Stores and resides in Ankeny with her husband, Benjamin, and their daughters, Allison and Cecilia.
CLASS UPDATES: 2000s Jessica (Swanson) Bruckhoff ’00 has been named the executive director of the Forest City Education Foundation. Ben Klipfel ’00 is the senior marketing officer for the City of Eugene’s Library, Recreation and Cultural Services in Oregon. Ryan Mills '00 was named head coach of the Umatilla High School football program in Florida. His last coaching position was as an offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at McPherson College in Kansas.
Jack Johnson ’01 and his wife, Jamie, welcomed son, Bremen Leo, on June 8, 2015. Jack is the general manager at Aspen Athletic Clubs and they live in West Des Moines. Wayne and Candice (Borts) Fedeler ’02 were married March 28, 2015 in Ames and welcomed son, Wyatt Douglas, on August 15, 2015. Candice is the assistant director of Metro West Learning Center in Clive. She traveled to Cuba at the end of July to present at an International Special Education Conference.
Adam and Katie (Tillman) Krug ’03 of Grimes welcomed son, Dawson Gregory, on April 22, 2016. He joins sisters Brooke and Kiera. Emmanuel Mbogela '03 lives in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and is an entrepreneur for Lime Africa. Andy ’04 and Amanda (Anderson) Braun ’04 announce the birth of Anderson
Brent and Hannah (Hermanson) Rivard ’04 were married July 31, 2015 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hannah is an ELL teacher for grades 4 and 5 at Hmong International Academy which is part of the Minneapolis Public Schools. Brent is a researcher at the University of Minnesota. Arin Niedert ’05 welcomed son, Mikhai David, on July 8, 2015. Arin works at Lululemon Athletica and resides in Los Angeles.
Class news and updates are also available on our blog at www.waldorffoundation.org/blog. Let the Alumni Office know of your newsworthy happenings by emailing alumni@waldorf.edu. Deadlines are the first of the month in February and August for the Spring and Fall publications respectively.
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CLASS UPDATES
Jill Minkel ’07 recently became engaged to B.J. McGinn. B.J. is the athletic director and head men’s basketball coach at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) in Boone where he is also on city council. Jill received her Bachelor of Arts in mass
communications with emphases in public relations and print journalism along with her coaching authorization in 2007. She received her Master of Science in organizational leadership from Columbia Southern University in 2015.
Master of Liberal Studies from the University of Minnesota Duluth in May 2016. Bryan Bjorklund ’09 and his wife, Bethany, were married November 29, 2014 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Mason City and they welcomed their first
Daisy Wallace '08 received her
child, Briella, on July 10, 2016. Bryan is a high school social studies teacher and football coach at Mason City High School. They are members of St. Paul Lutheran Church and reside in Mason City. Melissa (Oswald) Walders '09 is a stay at home mom in Las Vegas.
CLASS UPDATES: 2010s Matt '11 and Mamisoa "Sera" (Ranaivoson) Knutson '11 announce the birth of their first child, Gracelyn Nomena Knuston, on January 27, 2016. Sera is the director of communications at Bethel Lutheran Church and Matt is a communications and events director, both in Rochester, Minnesota, where they reside. Andrew Jermeland '13 and Tabitha Blaser were married April 9, 2016 in Forest City. Andrew is an admissions counselor at Waldorf and Tabitha works at First Baptist, also in Forest City. Akwasi Maru '13 is a firefighter with the Macon-Bibb Fire Department. He lives in
Milledgeville, Georgia.
doctoral program in clinical psychology for the fall of 2016.
Jason and Michelle (Dummett) Provenzano ’13 were married June 11, 2016 in the Los Angeles area. Michelle is a realtor.
Cody Clark ’16 accepted a position as a graduate assistant for the office of external relations/ athletic communications at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss. He will be working in collegiate athletics at the Division II level and continuing his broadcasting career.
Britt Banks '14 is currently pursuing her masters in vocal performance at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She resides in Omaha where she works as a voice teacher and accompanist with Arts for All, Inc., and as a residential coach for Crossroads of Western Iowa in Council Bluffs.
Philip Detrick ‘16 performed in Forever Plaid at the Brownville Village Theatre in Brownville, Nebraska, this summer. Phil was a musical theatre major at Waldorf University.
Sara Elliott '15 currently resides in Carmichael, California, and is a graduate student at Alliant International University where she was accepted into the
Haley Rubin ‘16 finished her summer studies at Musiktheater Bavaria in Oberaudorf, Germany
and will be beginning her Masters of Music in vocal performance at University of Iowa this fall. She will hold a graduate teaching assistantship in studio voice. Haley was a piano performance major at Waldorf University. Sarah Vlodek ‘16 spent her summer performing at the Red River Lyric Opera Summer Workshop in Wichita Falls, Texas. Sarah pursued both the vocal performance and musical theatre majors at Waldorf University. Junior Voice Performance major Matthew Sink ‘17 sang in the Opera Las Vegas chorus production of Bizet’s Carmen this summer.
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ALUMNI NEWS Andy Johnson ‘10 knew deep in his soul he wanted to pay it forward one day. After years of contemplation and weeks of research, it was finally time to move ahead with his plan to save the life of someone he had never met and perpetuate the ripples set in motion nine years ago.
decided to take it one step further.
If you were at the Waldorf Homecoming banquet in 2008, you heard Andy’s father, Craig Johnson ‘79, tell his story about receiving a liver transplant that saved his life. It came about as a result of what some might call several “coincidences” involving members of the Waldorf family. Others have even called it “divine intervention.” Because of the influence it had on Craig’s son Andy, even more lives have since been forever changed. But first, let’s recap how it all began.
PAYING it FORWARD in GRATITUDE
In 1999, Craig Johnson was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) which causes damage to liver cells. As his condition worsened, he was placed on the transplant list at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, to receive a new liver in 2007. By this time, his eyes and skin had a yellowish hue, he was becoming more and more fatigued, and he had no appetite. Yet, through it all, he kept his positive attitude and continued to work at Titonka Savings Bank in Forest City. At the time, his wife Dawn (Borgschatz) Johnson ‘80 was serving on the Waldorf faculty, his son Andy was a student at Waldorf and his youngest son, Alex, was in high school.
Shortly after Donor Night, Waldorf religion Professor Steve Smith told former Academic Dean, Dr. Dan Hanson ‘75 that his motherin-law, Janis Ball, had suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and the family was planning to donate her organs. Dan had attended Donor Night where he learned it is possible for someone to designate their organs to someone specific, although very seldom are the organs a match. Dan shared the news with Steve and in turn, Steve with his family. They decided they would offer Janis’s liver to Craig, even though chances of it being a match were slim.
Meanwhile, in March 2007, 24-year-old Jermiah Dosser ‘06, son of Rick Dosser ‘71 and former Waldorf head volleyball coach Jody Betten Dosser ‘71, was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident in Des Moines, Iowa. Jermiah was an organ donor and his corneas and other tissues were procured for transplant use, improving the lives of several grateful recipients and their families. Several months after Jermiah’s death, Jody enlisted the help of her volleyball team to hold a “Donor Night” at the Hanson Fieldhouse where many members of the faculty, staff, student body and community came to
“I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” Mother Teresa 38
WALDORF MAGAZINE // FALL 2016
by RITA ULLESTAD GILBERTSON ’79
learn about organ donation.
Defying incredible odds, it turned out she was a match and Craig headed to Mayo Clinic where he received a successful liver transplant. He felt better immediately and within hours, his levels returned to normal, he had energy and food actually tasted good again. The chaplain at Mayo Clinic said that in his 25 years of service, he had met a lot of people who wanted to designate an organ to someone, but this was only the second time he’d ever known the organs to be a match. Twice in 25 years. During the years Craig was sick and his family was waiting, hoping and praying that he would find a donor, his son Andy felt useless. “I wanted to do something to help,” he said. “But all I could do was bring him a glass of water. That’s when I knew that someday I wanted to help someone else and impact their life and family.” Andy had always been an organ donor in hopes that he could give someone else a second chance of life upon his death, but he
In April 2014, he started the process of becoming an altruistic donor, someone who donates an organ to an unknown recipient out of the goodness of their heart. He was single and working as a data analyst for Baseball Info Solutions in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at the time and thought to himself, “I am at the point in my life now where I can make a difference. There are more than 123,000 people who need an organ and I am healthy and able to donate one.” He researched high-ranking, reputable hospitals who performed altruistic organ transplants and decided on the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. He gave them a call explaining that he wanted to donate a kidney. They were a little surprised as only a few hundred altruistic donors come forward in the United States each year. His name was added to the National Kidney Registry and the process began. Altruistic donors are essential in moving the donor chain forward. A kidney donor chain starts with an altruistic donor, like Andy, and creates opportunities for endless recipientdonor pairings. That kidney is transplanted into a recipient who had a donor willing to give a kidney, but was not a match. To keep the chain going, the incompatible donor gives a kidney to a patient unknown to him or her who has been identified as a match. A specialized computer program matches donors and recipients across the country. Andy’s chain started 12 donations. Altruistic donors are the only sure way to decrease the waiting list. They can unlock numerous pairs and help many, many people. True to his humble character, Andy didn’t tell anyone about his decision to donate a kidney, including his parents, until he had gone through multiple consultations, tests and screenings. His dad was supportive right away. His mom, however, was scared for him at first and needed a day or so to wrap her head around it. After that, she was very supportive throughout the entire process. They continued to keep the news to themselves as Andy underwent more tests and met with doctors, social workers and transplant psychologists who wanted to make sure he was proceeding for the right reasons. The medical staff continually reminded him that he could back out at any time at no cost to him as all expenses were covered by insurance and the recipient. They explained it was a relatively safe surgery, but that of course there was always a risk. Waldorf.edu
“I never felt anxious or pressured in any way throughout the process,” Andy said. “I had faith the doctors would only proceed if it was safe, and I knew after going through the experience with my dad there would be another family on the other end that was going to receive a wonderful gift.” Finally, about a week before his surgery, he decided to tell the rest of his family and a few close friends who all confirmed his decision to move forward. Andy was never motivated by potential accolades or praise for his selflessness—only by doing what he felt was the right thing. Craig flew out to be with Andy during and after surgery. The tables had been turned, and now it was his opportunity to help a family member through the transplant process. At last, the day of surgery arrived, Sept. 30, 2014.
That kidney recipient was Justin Cowley from Charleston, West Virginia, who had been suffering from kidney disease for many years. He was about Andy’s age and had been on dialysis for four years. His future looked grim. There was only a 10 percent chance he would ever find a donor match. A 10 percent chance. “I thought I had a donor three different times and each time it fell through,” Justin said. “Finally, I quit telling people I was going to get a transplant because I didn’t want them to get excited and then let down.” At first, it was hard for Justin to believe this time would be any different. “Once they told me to come to Hopkins, I started to get excited,” he said. “When I found out the donor was Andy, a young man around my age, I was really shocked, but just thankful,” In gratitude for Craig Johnson’s ‘79 liver transplant eight years ago, his son Andy Johnson ’10 donated a kidney as an altruistic donor to someone he’s never met.
life forever,” Justin said. “I’ve gotten to do things I never would have been able to do it if wasn’t for him. I am forever grateful.” Justin is 27 years old. He shows horses competitively and owns an equine insurance agency in Charleston. He’s a cherished son, brother, friend and co-worker who now has a lot to look forward to. Andy’s life also continues to look up as he married Kari Jacobsen on Aug. 20. They live in Rochester, Minnesota, where Andy works as a data manager at Mayo Clinic and speaks to driver’s education classes about organ donor awareness. “I would do it all again 100 times if I could. The pain and process I went through to change someone’s life was minimal compared to the struggle many people face every day waiting for an organ,” Andy said. “As an organ donor you have the opportunity to impact not just one or two people, but hundreds including their family, friends and colleagues. It’s not something most people think about unless they’ve been there.” On average, 22 people die every day while waiting for an organ transplant in the United States and every 10 minutes a new name is added to the waiting list. You can help. No one is too old or too young to become a donor. A healthy person, like Andy, can become a living donor by donating a kidney, blood, bone marrow or part of the liver, lung, or intestine. Of course, you can also register to be an organ donor upon your death.
Justin Cowley received a kidney from Andy Johnson, giving him a new lease on life.
“I remember being in the pre-op area with lots of other patients—all getting prepped for surgery,” Craig said. “I hugged Andy and said I’d see him in a few hours. He told me later that the nurse had asked him, ‘Who are you donating this kidney to?’ and when he said he didn’t know who would be receiving it, the nurse just started to cry. I think that’s when you start to realize how life changing this is,” Craig continued, “a true gift given unselfishly, without remorse.” Andy had laparoscopic surgery in the morning at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital. Staff members immediately took his kidney to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore where they transplanted it into his recipient early that afternoon. When Andy woke up he was thrilled to hear everything went well, the organ recipient was fine, and the kidney was working properly. Waldorf.edu
he continued. “For a stranger to do this for me was a miracle.” Andy returned to work less than two weeks after the surgery and has no future health concerns regarding his one kidney, other than he needs to protect it—no tackle football or rigorous contact sports. “I don’t feel any different, physically,” he said. “The biggest thing that has changed is my perspective. Having seen my dad struggle before getting his transplant and later going to a lot of appointments in the transplant unit, I have a much better understanding of what some people deal with every day. I have nothing to complain about and much to be thankful for. I never really realized how lucky I am.” It’s hard for Justin to put into words how he feels about Andy. “He’s changed my
Jermiah Dosser was 24 years old when he donated his organs. As a result, his transplant recipients received a new lease on life. His mom started an organ donor awareness campaign which prompted Dan Hanson to tell Steve Smith about organ designation, leading to Craig Johnson receiving Janis Ball’s liver. This, in turn, led to overwhelming gratitude for Andy Johnson which led to a donor chain that resulted in 12 donations and a second chance at life for Justin Cowley. Let’s keep the ripples going. “The day I actually decided to start the process, I read an article about someone who had donated an organ and it brought the idea back to the forefront of my mind,” Andy said. Maybe this article will serve as a nudging for you as you consider paying it forward. If you would like to be a miracle for someone and their family, please consider becoming an organ donor and giving the gift of hope. To become a registered organ donor or for more information on organ donation, visit www.iowadonornetwork.org. FALL 2016 // WALDORF MAGAZINE
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Bethlehem market
COME SEE Waldorf Alumnus Journeys to the Holy Land by ANTOINE CUMMINS ’15
Last spring, my preparation for the Easter holidays took an interesting turn. Instead of deciding between appropriate spring colors for the wellattended Easter Sunday service at my church, I found myself packing a suitcase for a trip to the Middle East. In fact, I managed to finish packing my bags with just enough time to get to the airport where I was able to share a sigh of relief with Pastors Rod Hopp and Joy Gonnerman. They joked and reflected on the day, both having delivered Easter Sunday sermons just hours ago, while I contemplated if I even remembered to pack a toothbrush. We would rendezvous later that day with several other members from the Western Iowa Synod in Tel Aviv, Israel. What would a church group from Western Iowa be doing in the Middle East during these increasingly turbulent times, you ask? Well, when most people think about the Middle East and the ongoing Israeli military occupation of Palestine, opposing perspectives may arise. As for myself and many others born in the ‘90s, the unfortunate reality is the entire situation goes on seemingly unbeknownst and ultimately misunderstood. So when I received an email from Cindy Wells with an invitation from the Lutheran Church in the Holy
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Land to “come and see,” I was both intrigued and skeptical. However, after reading the following words I found myself moved beyond my limitations and preconceived fears to get involved: “The cruel circumstances in which the Palestinian Church has lived and continues to live have required the church to clarify her faith and to identify her vocation better. We have studied our vocation and have come to know it better in the midst of suffering and pain: today we bear the strength of love rather than of revenge, a culture of life rather than a culture of death. This is a hope for us, for the church and for the world. Your invitation from our Christian Palestinian brothers and sisters: “In order to understand our reality, we say to the churches: “Come and see.” We will fulfill our role to make known to you the truth of our reality, receiving you as pilgrims coming to us to pray, carrying a message of peace, love, and reconciliation. You will know the facts and the peoples of this land, Palestinians and Israelis alike.” (“Kairos Palestine Document” 11–15) These were the convicting words that moved a group from the ELCA Western Iowa Synod to come together to accept the invitation from our brothers and sisters in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy land to come and see for ourselves. So we went. On that Easter Sunday, our eager group of six departed the safety and comfort of our previous beliefs, en route to the Holy Land. Not just to see the birth place and home of our Lord Jesus, but to also see the current realities and struggles of the region through the voices and real experiences
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Antoine Cummins and Pastor Ashraf Tannous of the living stones. (The term “living stones” provides contrast between historic buildings versus people of immense courage and conviction, of warmest hospitality, and of great steadfastness.) One living stone that we met on our journey through the beautiful Palestinian lands spent the entire day informing us on the daily struggles of those living in a land under military occupation. As he spoke to us, his passion for justice and peace for a persecuted people almost rivaled his concern for keeping our cups filled with savory coffee and tea. His two daughters looked on in admiration and pride as their father informed yet another group of foreigners that, “no matter what your politicians or pastors may convince you, the reality is that people of Palestine exist! They are human! And they are suffering!” Story after story, he shared his amazing faith and commitment to ensuring the people of Palestine maintain hope in God and His ability to move the hearts of the world towards their suffering. The community leader, having been old enough to remember when Jew, Christian and Muslim alike lived in a single diverse melting pot, struggled to remain optimistic throughout the day, but eventually expressed his hopelessness and fatigue anytime he had to predict tomorrow. As the sun began to set, we could feel that pressure of an unknown tomorrow creep in. Would international intervention finally take a stand against human rights violations, or would he wake up to find that the Israeli military cut electricity to the neighbor for the fifth time that month?
Our group packed as much as we could into our notes and stuffed as much as we could into our hearts, never to be forgotten. We shared as much love as we could and promised to do our part once we returned home, a salutation that I’m sure he has heard too many times. We continued on our trip, seeking out various groups and voices, not only advocating for peace but actively taking risks and demanding measurable progress towards justice in the region. We witnessed firsthand many situations of oppression and conflict. We listened to many stories of resistance and fights for rights. We prayed with and for those, of both the oppressors and oppressed, as we watched how fear and pain permeates both sides of a military occupation, destroying hope and rendering the power of love useless. We worshiped with our brothers and sisters of the Lutheran church in the Holy Land, a church striving towards justice and the power of grace amid the struggles in the region.
Would the military check points and armed patrols finally cease to violate private property and holy locations, or would he be searched and detained as thousands of Palestinians funnel through a cattle shoot at one of a few security check points on their daily commute to work?
We learned the true meaning of vocation and service from various organizations such as the Lutheran World Federation, Augusta Victoria Hospital (providing vital aid to those who would otherwise suffer from discrimination or neglect) and the Lutheran School in Beit Sahour (providing feasible education while demanding excellence in order to promote self-sufficiency).
Would Israel finally acknowledge his documents that prove that his home was in his family for more than 500 years, or would he return from work to find his unaccompanied daughters standing in front of their demolished home?
We were awakened to the reality of the many ways we influence the struggles and tense climate in the region, but we were also inspired by the many life-giving ways in which we can facilitate change. I would encourage you; no, rather
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Jerusalem cuisine
ALUMNI NEWS encountered and learned much. We returned not only changed but burning with passion to share the world that we were fortunate to have experienced and blessed to have returned alive and well to now tell about!
Western Iowa Synod group visits Lutheran School in Beit Sahour
We share with you various memorable quotes that we heard while on the trip: “Occupation breaks the spirit of both the oppressor and the oppressed.” I challenge you, to do your own investigation. On our 10-day pilgrimage, we met and learned of many people seeking peace and justice, speaking truth to power and speaking truth in love. As you can imagine, we
“Everything outside of our physical body is being ‘temporarily’ used by each individual in this existence. Why fight for any of it?” “…One-state solution, two-state solution, it doesn’t matter, we need you guys [American citizens] to care…” “Every nation has its ugly past, but we pay with our lives and freedom…” “There’s too much ‘religion,’ too much ‘security,’ too many ‘excuses’ and not enough love…so we continue to suffer…” “It’s about the land.” Our group returned home emotionally exhausted and mentally fatigued, but our hearts were filled with memories of a loving people in a broken land. The daunting task of changing the policies of an entire nation lay before us but our minds were fixed on influencing change, starting with our families, workplaces and churches. Our lives forever changed.
A man from Bedouin
With that, we extend the invitation from the living stones in Palestine: Go and see!
A native of Brooklyn, N.Y., Antoine Cummins ’15 serves as the campus outreach coordinator at Waldorf University. The position is a joint venture of the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation, Immanuel Lutheran Church and Waldorf University. Antoine leads the group Like Fire which is a student-run organization aimed to encourage spirituality, service and fellowship on Waldorf’s campus. He also helps with the campus ministry program, assists with the annual mission trip and participates in regular ministry leadership activities.
The Paddler’s Tap TAPPING INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD by AUDREY SPARKS ‘16
Forest City has a new community meeting place, The Paddler’s Tap. A quaint river-themed pub, the idea was created by seven individuals with a heart for local wines and handcrafted beers who thought the neighborhood could use a spot to feature such products. Among the seven owners you may find some familiar faces from the Waldorf history books. Andy Buffington ‘90 and Jay Steffensen ‘93 are among the smiling faces that will greet you when you walk through the doors. “You have to drive more than 25 miles to get a decent craft beer,” Buffington said when asked what made him become a part of the whole endeavor. A unique environment where there
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are no televisions or loud music, Buffington and Steffensen hope that the Paddler’s Tap will become a casual hangout where people will want to spend time with friends.
favorites from Worth Brewing Co., as well as larger names like Surly.
“We believe people were looking for a place to relax. We don’t have the TVs and loud noise and people like that,” Steffensen said.
Although the taproom currently doesn’t offer food, customers are invited to bring in food from the surrounding restaurants while they enjoy a cold brew. There are also trivia nights and they have hosted cribbage tournaments.
zvWith 12 taps available and a number of local wines waiting to be tasted, there is definitely something for everyone. The Paddler’s Tap maintains a constant rotation of craft brewed beers from all over. There is even a board letting customers know what’s waiting in the back to be tapped as soon as one tap goes dry. Among the breweries on tap, individuals can find local
“It’s all about conversation and good beer,” Buffington said.
Currently, the seven owners rotate responsibilities within the business, which seems to work well. “We’re a team as much as we are a family,” Buffington said. The future seems bright for the taproom, which has been received
well by the community as well as out-of-town visitors. But the ultimate direction of the business is still a work in progress. “We’re trying to figure out what is Paddler’s Tap and what it is we are supposed to be doing here,” Buffington said. The Paddler’s Tap is open Thursday through Friday from 4–10-ish p.m. and Saturday from 2–10-ish p.m. They are also available to host special events. For more information, you can contact them via their Facebook page, The Paddler’s Tap, or through their website, thepaddlerstap.com. Their email address is paddlerstap@gmail.com.
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ALUMNI NEWS
IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM: 1930s Viva (Fischer) Hanna ’35 died September 27, 2015 in Decorah.
Selmer Norland ’36 died December 5, 2015 in Silver Spring, Maryland. A U.S. Army officer and cryptolinguist, Selmer was a recipient of the Waldorf College Alumni Distinguished Service Award in 1987.
Paul Emmons '39 died September 18, 2015. Paul proudly served in the Army Airforce in World War II, was an avid golfer and the beloved husband of Nina for 74 years. He is survived by his
daughter, two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
Ruth (Lerdal) Cummings '41 died July 3, 2010. She was a resident of Maple Plain, Minnesota.
Mills. Elaine and her husband, Orian, farmed west of Lake Mills for 40 years; 23 of which Elaine also spent working in the City Clerk's Office before retiring with her husband in 1990. She is survived by her two sons, five grandchildren, two greatgrandchildren and two sisters.
Choir and was a member of Waldorf’s first women’s basketball team. Anna Marie will be remembered for putting her family first, her devotion to her faith and her care for others are shown by 40 years of work as a special education teacher.
Marie Louise (Larson) Holtzman '39 died January 7, 2016 in Poway, California. Mary Louise was a stenographer and gifted musician.
IN MEMORIAM: 1940s Dwayne Rasmussen '40 died April 29, 2016 in Clear Lake. Dwayne was born on a farm just north of Garner and attended Forest City Schools and Waldorf College. He eventually fell in love with the girl next door and they were married at the Little Brown Church in Nashua in 1958. He is survived by his wife, Vivian; two sons, two daughters, five grandchildren and two sisters, June (Rasmussen) Porter '52 and Joy Moore. Ada (Hammersland) Boyce '41 died March 15, 2015 in Waverly. She is survived by a son, daughter, five grandsons; four sisters, Clarice (Hammersland) Larson '45, Alice Hansen, Norma (Hammersland) Springer '51 and A. Marie (Franklin) Reyner; and a sister-in-law.
Eula (Olson) Hansen '41 died March 20, 2014 in Chehalis, Washington. Jeanette (Hansen) Olson ’41 of Albert Lea died January 24, 2015 in Minneapolis. Donald Trustem '41 died August 27, 2011 in Minnesota. LaVonne (Peterson) Volz ’41 died August 14, 2015 in Blue Earth, Minnesota. Proud of her Norwegian heritage, LaVonne met King Harald when he visited Minneapolis in 1995. Returning home that evening, she informed her husband, Bob, that she couldn’t make supper for him after lunching with the King! Elaine (Thompson) Aamodt '45 died June 19, 2016 in Lake
Bernice 'Bee' (Eike) Brinkmeyer '45 died March 28, 2012 in Hubbard. Ilene (Tegland) Kalkwarf '46 died May 29, 2016 in Belmond. Ilene and her husband, Bob, had a son and a daughter and enjoyed playing cards, golfing and traveling. Anna Marie (Danielson) LeMaster '46 died June 5, 2016 in Norwalk. Anna graduated from Waldorf in 1946 having been active in the Waldorf
Edison Meland '46 of Lake Mills died May 15, 2016. Marjorie (Bergland) Trelstad '48 of Emmetsburg died June 19, 2016. Inspired by music, Marge shared her gift throughout the community in many ways. As an 8th grade student she began her career as a church organist in her home town of Lake Mills and continued as a church musician for over 50 years. She is survived by her husband, Allen Trelstad '48, three children, 10 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.
IN MEMORIAM: ALICE (ONERHEIM) SIMONSON ’40 Alice (Onerheim) Simonson McClean ’40 died August 15, 2013. She was born on May 12, 1919 in Big Timber, Montana, to the family of Lars Olai Onerheim, a Lutheran minister. Alice was the youngest of six siblings, and the last surviving member of her family. Alice attended Waldorf College where she was Homecoming Queen. She met and fell in love with Jerry Simonson, the son of a Lutheran minister, in Brookings, South Dakota, and they were married in 1942. Alice and Jerry had a wonderful marriage of 31 years. Five years after the passing of Jerry, Alice was introduced to Eddie McClean. Within
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six months they were married and it was the blending of two great families. Eddie and Alice traveled the world, collecting wonderful memories and friends along the way. They had a rich and fulfilling life together. They were married 30 wonderful years. Alice is survived by her son Jack Simonson, daughters Lou Lincoln and Lynn Simonson, step-daughter Peggy Anderson, and step-son John McClean. She is the proud grandmother of eight grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Alice will live on in the hearts of all those who were blessed to know her. As her son, Jack, has said, “heaven has a new angel.”
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ALUMNI NEWS
IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM: 1950s Dorothy "Dotti" (Skarpness) Mueller '50 died June 19, 2015 in Michigan Center, Michigan. Dotti's family said she lived her life overcoming everything in her path with a quiet determination, relying on God's strength, while never losing the heart of a servant. She is survived by her husband, Norbert, four children, three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Rodney Johnson ’51 died July 10, 2016 after a long battle with Parkinson’s. Rod grew up on a dairy farm where his interest in agriculture led him into the egg production business following his graduation from Waldorf and Wisconsin-River Falls. He served in the US Army with the occupation forces in Japan and continued to explore his love of traveling throughout his life. He is survived by his wife, Carol; four children; three stepchildren; one sister, Marguerite Johnson
’53; two brothers and eight grandchildren. Dr. Daryl Ostercamp '51 died September 6, 2015 in Fargo, N.D. Daryl joined the chemistry department at Concordia College, Moorhead, in 1960 retiring as Professor Emeritus in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Janet; two sons, four grandchildren and one brother. Agnes (Sorensen) Berger '52 died August 31, 2015 in Crystal, Minnesota. She is survived by her husband, Dale, three children, seven grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren. Agnes taught for 30+ years in the Robbinsdale Schools in Minnesota. Ilene (Picht) Jennings '52 died June 1, 2016 in Nevada, Iowa. Ilene enjoyed quilting and sewing, reading and was an avid Iowa State Cyclones fan. She is survived by her four children, 11 grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and three siblings. Dolores (Jordan) Sandifer '53 of Fertile died May 5, 2016 in Britt. She was a long-time editor of the Fertile
Reminder newspaper, an avid rook card player and enjoyed playing the piano. JoAnn (Hanna) Butcher '56 died May 5, 2016 in Thousand Oaks, California. Originally from Lake Mills, she resided in Thousand Oaks for over 50 years and is survived by her two children, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandson. Don L. Hall '59, of Sheffield died April 21, 2016 in Mason City. Don is survived by his wife, son and two grandchildren. Sharon (Keast) Stavnheim ’59 died June 7, 2016. On August 6, 1960, she was married to Arlan Stavnheim '59 and together they had three children. Sharon and Arlan traveled extensively visiting Norway eight times, including a trip to her ancestors’ farm in Telemark, Norway. She is survived by her husband, three children and eight grandchildren.
IN MEMORIAM: DAVID M. ANDERSON ’50 David M. Anderson ’50 died April 22, 2016 in Forest City. David M. Anderson, the son of C. Tim and Thea
(Mandt) Anderson, was born July 6, 1927 in Forest City. He graduated from Forest City High School in 1945. After high school, at the age of seventeen, Dave enlisted in the U.S. Navy serving his country from 1945 until 1948. Following his honorable discharge, he returned to Forest City and continued his education at Waldorf College where he graduated from in 1950 and met his future wife, LaVonne J. Nelson ’50. On June 3, 1951 they were married in Forest City. The couple lived in Forest City where they raised their two children, Mark and Joni. Dave worked in insurance and real estate until 1964 when he became the postmaster in Forest City. He continued in this position until
his retirement in December of 1988. Dave enjoyed golfing, playing cards, shooting pool at the Senior Center and most of all, his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church and Forest City American Legion where he served as past commander, county commissioner, district vice-commander and was a service officer for over twenty years. He also was a past president of the Greater Waldorf Association, member of Centennial Fund Raising Committee, past member and president of Forest City Lions Club, president of the Forest City Chamber of Commerce, and served on the Forest City Economic Development, Forest
City Hospital Foundation and the City of Forest City Planning and Zoning Committee. Dave is survived by his two children, Mark (Kristin) Anderson of Forest City and Joni (Bert) Maharas of Forest City; five grandchildren, Matt (Michelle) Anderson, Emily (Matt) Schaumburg, Jenny (Dustin) Jensen, Tony (Val) Waage and Cassy (Nate) Gambell; eleven great-grandchildren; a brother, Jim (Eileen) Anderson ‘58 of Mesa, Ariz.; a sister, Mary (Anderson) Herrlinger ‘51 of Mesa, Ariz.; a brother-in-law, Bob Phelps of Northfield, Minnesota; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents; wife, LaVonne, Sept. 3, 1969; and a sister, Thora Phelps.
To report a death, please email alumni@waldorf.edu with the name of the deceased, the class year, date of death and your relationship to the deceased. When possible, please include a news clipping of a death notice. Deadlines are the first of the month in February and August for the Spring and Fall publications respectively.
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ALUMNI NEWS
IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM: TODD "T.O." OAKES ’81 Todd “T.O.” Oakes ‘81, of Jordan, Minnesota, passed away peacefully in his home on Thursday, May 26, 2016 at the age of 55. Todd held his cross in his hands and was surrounded by his family as he went home to be with the Lord. Harold and Virginia (Moen) Oakes celebrated the birth of their son, Todd Michael Oakes, on September 3, 1960. Todd was the sixth of seven children, and he loved growing up in Spring Grove, Minnesota. As a teenager, Todd had three main interests: academics, athletics and faith. Todd excelled in each of these areas. He was confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church, and was very active in their youth programs. Todd was named Salutatorian for his graduating class. He also was a dedicated athlete. Todd lettered in football, basketball and baseball, but baseball was always his favorite. T.O. made the varsity team when he was only a 7th grader. His love and dedication for the game shaped Todd’s life. During his senior year of high school, Todd began dating a classmate, Terri Sherburne. Todd and Terri shared many of the same values, and their love quickly blossomed. They dated throughout college and exchanged wedding vows at Trinity Lutheran Church in Spring Grove on June 5, 1982. Todd and Terri were blessed with a happy marriage and three wonderful sons, Tyler, TJ and Tanner. T.O. passed on his strong values, unwavering faith, love for the outdoors and passion for baseball to each of his boys. After graduating from high school, Todd received a baseball scholarship to attend Waldorf College in Iowa. He later transferred to the University of Nebraska where he finished out his collegiate career as a Cornhusker.
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Todd earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Education which helped him later as a coach. After college, Todd was drafted as a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. He played in the minor leagues for four years before pursuing his passion for coaching. Todd spent 12 years coaching for the Giant’s organization. During the off-season, Todd, Terri and the boys would always head back home to spend time with family in Minnesota. So when Todd was offered the job of Assistant Coach for the University of Minnesota’s baseball team in 1998, he jumped at the opportunity. Todd coached many talented players throughout the years, and he cherished the friendships he made. Todd has a profound impact on his players’ lives both on and off the field. T.O. led by example and was a wonderful mentor and coach to many. Todd loved being back in Minnesota with his family. They settled in Jordan, and the Oakes family quickly became part of the small town community. Todd helped develop Legion Baseball when his boys were on the team. He was also an active member at Hope Lutheran Church. Todd loved spending time outdoors and being amongst nature. He enjoyed camping trips to Lanesboro with his family. He taught his boys how to hunt and fish, and they took many memorable hunting trips together over the years. Todd had many hobbies, but the biggest passions in life were faith, family and friends. When Todd was diagnosed with leukemia four years ago he needed his faith, family and friends more than ever. Todd always said “Never Give Up. Never Give In.” and this was his motto throughout
his battle with cancer. Even during his own struggles, Todd was always thinking of others and following his servant’s heart. Todd was on the Board of Directors for LLS and raised funds that were used for cancer research. Todd’s caring bridge entries were so inspirational that he decided to publish a book based on them. Todd’s courage, patience, determination and humble outlook was an inspiration to all. Todd will be deeply missed and remembered always by his wife, Terri; sons, Tyler, TJ and Tanner; siblings, DuWayne (Julie) Oakes, Jerald (Pat) Oakes, Darlene Oakes, Gloria (Jon) Speltz; sister-in-law, Donna Oakes; mother-inlaw, Joan Sherburne; brothers-in-law, Mike (Carol) Sherburne and Kim (Doris) Sherburne; doctor and guardian angel, Erica Warlick; other loving relatives, many wonderful friends and countless players who were inspired by T.O. There to greet Todd in Heaven are his parents, Harold and Virginia; siblings, Karen Oakes and Russell Oakes; father-in-law, Don Sherburne.
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ALUMNI NEWS
IN MEMORIAM
IN MEMORIAM: 1960s Faith (Utecht) Borchardt '62 died June 20, 2016 in Wausau, Wisconson. Her working career was spent at General Telephone and Electronics (GTE) Company and she retired in 1993 after almost 32 years of service. Faith will be deeply missed but she leaves us with this message that was displayed for years in her mother's flower garden: "If God hath made the world so fair, where sin and death abound, how beautiful beyond compare, will paradise be found." Author: James Montgomery. Stephen Fisher '62 died May 6, 2016 in Bellflower, California. He worked for over 30 years at McDonald Douglas/ Boeing and was an avid photographer, fisherman and bridge player. Larry Vernon '65 died April 1, 2012 in Rice, Minnesota. He is survived by his wife, Linda, two children and two grandchildren. Paul Johanson ’66 died July 3, 2016 at his home in Leland. He dedicated many years of service as a manufacturing engineer at Winnebago Industries and loved farming, woodworking, fishing, gardening, driving for the Lake Mills City Transit and sitting on his deck with his bride of 42 years. Paul is survived by his wife, Melissa (McCullough) Johanson ’71; daughter Sarah (Johanson) Boblenz ’95, son Matthew and four grandchildren.
Stuart Miller ’66 of Waseca, Minnesota, died April 14, 2016. He is survived by his wife, Mary, four children and 10 grandchildren. He will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. Mike Harms ’68 of Forest City died July 29, 2016 after a very brief but mighty battle with a very aggressive lung cancer. Mike and his wife, Mary, have resided in Forest City since 1970 and Mike was a prominent and contributing member of the Forest City community. Mike loved and enjoyed his family, friends, dancing, traveling and work. He is survived by his wife, Mary; four children, Matthew, Mason (vice president of business affairs at Waldorf), Melissa, Melanie and eight grandchildren.
Billie (Smith) Sweeney ’96 died June 5, 2016 in Winterset. Billie was an All-State basketball player in high school and played at Waldorf under Denny Jerome. Billie was a teacher and coach but, more than that, a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister and aunt. She is survived by her husband, Zach, son, Jaden, her parents, three siblings, in-laws and 11 nieces and nephews.
IN MEMORIAM: 2010s Geoff Mann ’13 died May 24, 2016 in London, Ontario. Geoff attended Waldorf from 2009-2010 and was a member of the Warrior baseball team.
IN MEMORIAM: 1970s Robin Schoolcraft ’74 passed away unexpectedly of natural causes on June 12, 2016 in Martinsville, Indiana. He attended Waldorf from 1972-1973 and played football. Robin retired in February 2016 after 42 years at Indianapolis Power and Light where he was a board operator. He is survived by his three children, sister, five grandchildren and two step-granddaughters. Susan (Brown) Breiner '76 of McCordsville, Indiana. died May 7, 2016 after a ten year battle with breast cancer. She is survived by her husband of nearly 35 years, Jeff Breiner '76; sons Charles and Michael, daughter Erin and sisters Peggy and Sharon (Brown) Gustafson '75.
PUBLIC COMMENT Waldorf University is seeking comments from the public about the university in preparation for its periodic evaluation by its regional accrediting agency. Waldorf will host a visit Feb. 27–28, 2017, with a team representing the Higher Learning Commission. Waldorf University has been accredited by the HLC since 1948. The team will review the institution’s ongoing ability to meet the HLC’s Criteria for Accreditation (https://www. hlcommission.org/Criteria-Eligibility-and-Candidacy/ criteria-and-core-components.html). The public is invited to submit comments regarding
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IN MEMORIAM: 1990s
Zach Gueller ’17 died April 25, 2016 following a motor vehicle accident. Zach was a junior criminal justice major at Waldorf and wanted to join the US Air Force following graduation. Zach is survived by his parents; infant daughter, Serrina; fiancée Courtney Swessinger ’17; four siblings, Jerome Hollingsworth, Kennika Gueller ’16, Serrina Santiago and Donovan Kuhns; maternal grandparents and seven nieces and nephews.
Waldorf University to the following address: Public Comment on Waldorf University Higher Learning Commission 230 S. LaSalle St., Suite 7-500 Chicago, IL 60604-1411 The public may also submit comments on HLC’s website at www.hlcommission.org/comment. Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of the institution or its academic programs. Comments must be in writing. All comments must be received by January 27, 2017.
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FOUNDATION NEWS Dear Friends, I am going to deviate from the normal content of this letter because I believe 2016 has truly been a “milestone year” for Waldorf University and I want to share with you why I believe this. I think we can agree that the “signature event” occurred early in the year when, on February 10, President Bob Alsop told an audience of faculty, staff, alumni, students and community leaders that as of March 17, Waldorf College would officially become Waldorf University. I am not sure of the precise requirements for a college to become a university but I believe having a graduate program and a wide array of academic offerings are essential components. We cannot overstate the importance of the change from a college to a university but let me be so bold to suggest there is much more to the story! Waldorf University is a private college that is showing significant growth (contrary to what is happening at a good number of Iowa’s private colleges), setting new enrollment records in both the residential and online categories, continuing to be one of the “best buys” in Iowa private education and, most important of all, allowing more and more young men and women to have that life-changing “Waldorf experience.” I will have more to say about the “Waldorf experience” a little later. But first I think this is a good time to think back about what got Waldorf to this point. I think it was a few years before the “Great Recession” of 2008–09 that then-Waldorf President Dick Hanson asked me to serve on the Board of the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation. I have never really mastered the word “no” so I ended up on that board in spite of the fact that I was not a Waldorf graduate and 46
A LETTER FROM THE FOUNDATION CHAIR
theretofore had very little direct involvement with the college. (That would dramatically change over the next 10 years!) During that period things looked very bleak at Waldorf College, which seemed to be on an irreversible path to insolvency and extinction. But Dick Hanson established contact with the Mayes family and Columbia Southern University and, to make a long story short, the Waldorf leadership team convinced major Waldorf College creditors to compromise their debts, freeing the way for the sale of the college to the Mayes family. Initially this made Waldorf and Forest City nervous because many thought Waldorf College would never be the same and its historical mission and values would soon be forgotten. I wrote an Ed/Op for the Forest City Summit at that time entitled “Forest City, Iowa, vs. Blair, Nebraska,” in which I compared the history of Waldorf College to that of Dana College in Blair. I noted that both were about the same age (over 100 years old), that Dana had been started by Danes while Waldorf had been founded by Norwegians, both were affiliated with the Lutheran Church and that both ran into financial troubles at about the same time. But I said the similarity of the stories ended at that point as Dana in fact did “go broke” and the Dana campus in Blair had become a “ghost town.” Of course, I was making the point that we were all extremely fortunate to still have Waldorf College and instead of complaining about all the changes they should be thankful the college had leaders who refused to give up and that tenaciousness (and perhaps some divine intervention!) had led them to the Mayes family, and that thanks to them Waldorf College would have a second
WALDORF MAGAZINE // FALL 2016
chance and we should support them and the college in any way we could. At about the time the Mayes Family purchased Waldorf, forprofit colleges were receiving a lot of bad publicity and it was truly unfortunate that Waldorf was often painted with the same broad brush of the mega for-profits that were often accused of being much more concerned about getting the student’s money than helping the student achieve his or her educational goals. That was totally unfair as clearly Waldorf was maintaining the same proud values and traditions as had always existed and the college was still very much concerned with creating a positive experience for each student. I want to get back to the “Waldorf experience.” What does it mean? I am fortunate that my position with the Waldorf Foundation has allowed be to become acquainted with many Waldorf students. Each student has his or her “Waldorf experience’” but common themes emerge. Students view Waldorf as their home away from home. They are made to feel welcome from Day 1 and they think of the Waldorf community as a “close-knit family.” They talk about the one-on-one attention they receive. They feel that the faculty and staff are dedicated to giving each student a quality education, but beyond that, they care about each student from a personal standpoint and take the time to really get to know you. They are very appreciative of the fact they are able to participate in so many activities.
new family here. I have been challenged mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually and have become a stronger, better version of myself.” While Waldorf University is now a “for-profit,” we need to understand that until recently the Mayes family has been subsidizing the university. How thankful we should be for their patience, perseverance and commitment. Also, how fortunate we are to have had the leadership of Bob Alsop during these challenging times. Bob has the respect of the Waldorf faculty, staff, students, the overall Forest City community and the Mayes family. His “can do” attitude” created optimism throughout the Waldorf community at a time when it was direly needed. So let us always remember the importance of 2016 in the storied 113-year history of this wonderful institution. As we approach the end of the year let’s celebrate that Waldorf University is prospering and it will be changing the lives of future generations just as it has done for past generations! This is truly wonderful news! Sincerely,
Raymond M. Beebe Chair, Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation Retired Vice President, General Counsel Secretary Winnebago Industries, Inc. 1974–2012
But most important of all, most students tell me that Waldorf has been a life-changing experience. One student stated: “I came here not knowing what to expect and I have found a Waldorf.edu
FOUNDATION NEWS
H O N O R' S D AY On April 6, 2016, 225 scholarships were awarded to deserving students during Waldorf’s annual Honors Day. This event offers donors an opportunity to share why their scholarships were established and provide more details about the scholarship. In return, students have an opportunity to thank their donors for making their dreams of a Waldorf education a reality. Following President Alsop’s opening remarks, Student Body President Austin Heeren '16 spoke on behalf of all the scholarship recipients and thanked the donors for their generosity. In addition to the scholarships awarded at the event, over 100 additional scholarships will be awarded
to incoming freshmen. Special recognition was given to the following scholarships which were awarded for the first time:
Gerald and Mary Jo Boman Scholarship The Gerald and Mary Jo Boman Scholarship was established in 2015 by Gerald ‘55 and Mary Jo Hanson Boman ‘57 and is awarded to an incoming Forest City High School graduate attending Waldorf University and majoring in either music or business.
Dustin and Laila Buck Scholarship The Dustin and Laila Buck Scholarship was
established in 2015 by Dustin and Laila. This scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior majoring or minoring in criminal justice with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The student must be a full-time residential student, preferably from the North Iowa area.
Howard and Verna Thoresen Scholarship The Howard and Verna Thoresen Scholarship was established in 2015 by David ‘77 and Mary Nelson Thoresen ‘77. This scholarship is awarded to a junior or senior who is either a music major or is preparing for service in the church or a Christian ministry. The recipient should have significant financial need.
Andy Buffington '90 and Mikaela Vega '17; Alumni Board Scholarship
Bob and Andrea Wrage, Adam Brinkman '17; Ethel Marie Hanson Saltou and Celia Ramsay Scholarship
Sheila Willms, Becky Hill '73 and Brook Beal '18; Outstanding Future Educator Fund
Norma and James Adams, Brook Beal '18, Brooke Hagen '18; Maevis Adams Memorial Scholarship
Amos Francis '17, Esther Rasmussen '53; Rasmussen Encouragement Award
Ken and Joan Hansen, Toney Wise '18; Ken and Joan Hansen Scholarship
Waldorf.edu
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FOUNDATION NEWS
HONOR'S DAY
Roberta Shaw '70, Carlton Shaw '61; Anna Johanns '18, Shaw Family Scholarship
Ann McKinney and Luke Zacharias '16; Howard and Verna Thoresen Scholarship
Ray and Joan Beebe, Jimmy Blankenship '19; Raymond M. and Joan P. Beebe Scholarship
Kevin Scharper '78, Jeffrey Bartel; Class of 1978 Scholarship
JoAnne Helland '67, Tarah Hunt '16, Shyanne Siems '19, Colin Owusu-Koranteng '19; Otto and Margaret Tonneson Scholarship
Paul '70 and Kathy Nelson, Daniel Hernandez-Lopez '18; The Everett and Clara Nelson Endowed Scholarship
Jan and Beverly Kotzian, Ashley Carmichael '16, Lea Lenning; Trygve Lenning Family Endowed Scholarship for Elementary Education
Lea Lenning, Eno Lomo-Mainoo '18; Larry Lenning Memorial Scholarship
Tammy Larson, Ruth Hermanson, Nancy Olson '75, Kaitlin Murphy '17; Walter and Evelyn Bergland Memorial Scholarship
Bob '54 and Ruth Johnson '55, Tina Somchit '18; O. J. Johnson Scholarship
Hailey Kofron '17, Paul '63 and Linda Hagen '65, Courtney Swessinger '16; Margaret (Muggie) Hagen Scholarship
Carol Edwards '55, Jacqueline Grayson '17; Stella L. Peterson Memorial Scholarship
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WALDORF MAGAZINE // FALL 2016
Waldorf.edu
FOUNDATION NEWS
HONOR'S DAY
Warren '59 and BJ Overlie '60, Moises Jauregui '19; Osnes Family Scholarship
Suzanne Falck-Yi, Ryan Hensley '18
Jacquelyn Imsande '17, Jane Sansgaard-Ward '71; Alan Sansgaard Memorial Scholarship
Suzanne Falck-Yi, Chloe Schmaltz '19
Leah Eckenrode '18, Talon Welk '18, J. Gordon Christianson (not present); Helmer and Ruth Peterson Scholarship
Suzanne Falck-Yi, Marlene Nickerson '19; English Department Scholarship
Harvey and Connie Nyhus '58, Jenna Quina '17; M. O. Nilssen Scholarship Fund
Jenna Quina '17, Bill Hamm; Bill Hamm Scholarship
Karl Wooldridge '96, Rochelle Dirks '17, Mary Beth Wooldridge '65 and Melanie Olson; The Seth Wooldridge Endowed Memorial Scholarship
Megan Perkins '17, Owen Solomonson '59, Karsen Houck '17; John and Opal Solomonson Memorial Scholarship and Carol Solomonson Palm Memorial Scholarship
Wayne Johns, Karsen Houck '17, Madison Stenersen '19, Karen Johns '68; Karen and Wayne Johns Mathematics Scholarship
Brooke Hagen '18, Tina Wixom; The Business and Economics Department Scholarship
Miriam Pedersen '68, Stacie Meinders '18, Ruth Wold '45, Philip Wold; Pastor Palmer and Ruth Wold Scholarship
Waldorf.edu
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FOUNDATION NEWS
DONOR HONOR ROLL
The following annual donors are recognized in six distinct club levels for their gifts made during the last fiscal year, June 1, 2015–May 31, 2016.
REGENT’S CLUB // $5,000+ Anonymous
Hans & Grace Olson Trust
Anonymous
Hermanson, Janet & Peter
John K. & Luise V. Hanson Foundation
General Mills Foundation
Johannesen, Lawrence & Jane
Swenson, Lester & Darlene
Unknown Donor
PRESIDENT’S CLUB // $2,500+ Coppeler, Duane & Cheryl
Horner, Harry & Cecilia
Moore, Walter & Virginia
Finstad, Travis & Madaly
Lois J. Knutson Estate
Strand, Theodore & Sherryl
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
DEAN’S CLUB // $1,000+ Alsop, June
Day, Marilyn
Johns, Karen & Wayne
Robert L. Haycraft Estate
Anderson, Clark & Betty
Dunkelberg, Leone
Johnson, William & Mary
Rosdail-Aegerter, Jan & Roger
Beard, Ella & Paul
Evans, Jodene
Juhl, Lynn & Rosalie
Ruth A. Nuetzel Estate
Beebe, Raymond & Joan
First Lutheran Church, Milford
Juhl, Randy & Renee
Sam Koehnk Memorial
Bergland, Thomas & Olga
Fjeldberg Lutheran Church, Huxley
Larson, Delores
Shaw, Carlton
Larson, Jeanette
Stensland, Michael & Molly
Lee, Phillip & Jane
Sylvia E. Bratrud Estate
Buck, Dustin & Laila Budyonny, Leonid Churness, Paul & Margit Clark, Gary & Diane Damm, David & Sandra Davis, Deborah & Jeffrey Gruber
Galvin, Kathryn & Dean Hall, Irving & Lois Hamm, William Holmen, Kenneth & Linda Holtan, Steven & Donna Immanuel Lutheran Church, Forest City
Lee, Ruth Lenning, Oscar & Lorene Mork, Paul & Delores
Thompson, Mimi & Pete Thoresen, David & Mary
Olson, Steven & Nancy
Trinity Lutheran Church, Mason City
Rasmussen, Esther
Weber, David & Susan
Monsanto Fund
Shaw, Carmen
Ness, Paul & Lori
Simonsen, Marvin
Nyhus, Constance & Harvey
Snieder, Carrie & Kelly
Oppedahl, Phillip & Karen
Solomonson, Owen Solomonson, Sonia
WARRIOR’S CLUB // $500+ Arndt, David & Arlene Asper, Timothy & Ruth
Grace Lutheran Church, Hanlontown Hansen, Vivien
Aubey, Linda & Michael
Haugen, Justin & Kimberly
Bohn, Fay & David
Hernes, Janet & Selmer
Brown, Marian & Phillip
Hill, Erwin & Iva
Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Osage
Carson, Caroll & Janell
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Story City
Peterson, John
InFaith Community Foundation
Pierce, Scott & Shawn
Ingvoldstad, Helen
Ploegstra, Adrian & Shirley
Jorde, Arlene
Poole, Cynthia
Western Iowa Synod ELCA, Storm Lake
Central Freeborn Lutheran Church, Albert Lea, Minnesota Classen, Mark & Debra Frisk, Michael & Melanie
Stegen, Dean & Mary Ann Twedt, Solvay & Loren Valle, Georgette
Kingland, David & Sue
Rain and Hail Ace American
Waldorf University
Gimberline, Donald & Karen
Lenning, David & Dianne
Rockwell Collins
Wambolt, Lori & Chad
Gopher Sport
Luepke, Michael & Gwen
Rosdail, Mildred
Wells Fargo Foundation
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WALDORF MAGAZINE // FALL 2016
Waldorf.edu
FOUNDATION NEWS
DONOR HONOR ROLL
WITH DEEP APPRECIATION The Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation is extremely grateful for the gifts received during the fiscal year which ended May 31, 2015. We had another successful year, and we are deeply appreciative of your help in reaching our financial goals. Included in this magazine is an Honor Roll of donors comprised of anyone who gave an annual gift of $100 or more or who reached a significant level in their lifetime giving.
BUILDER’S CLUB // $250+ Alsop, Robert & Natalie
Humlie, Erik
Anderson, Gerald & Judith
Jolivette, Thomas & Julie
Anonymous
Jorgensen, Carmen
Appelhons, Dennis & Lois
Klinsing, Helen
Bank of America Foundation
Koltvet, Eugene & Carleen
Banwart, Debra & Brian
Kostka, Dori & James
The Waldorf Foundation affirms the mission of Waldorf College and is committed to providing financial resources to enrich learning and spiritual opportunities for current and future generations of Waldorf College students. Your partnership and generosity of resources are key factors in helping educate students on the importance of their faith and service to others. Thank you!
Bartels, Ruth
Lenning, Leota
Bartleson, Eric
Lewer, Craig & LuAnn
Becks Corporation
Lewis, Riley & Kristine
Beenken, Leroy
Mehl, Raymond
Behling, David & Karen
Meyer, Donald & Kristine
Bethany Lutheran Church, Thompson
Nash, LeAnn
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, all gifts to the Foundation are tax-deductible, and as a reminder, we fund three priorities: student scholarships, campus ministry, and alumni relations. We invite you to consider a gift to the Foundation this fiscal year.
Bolstad, H. Lowell
Olson, Bradley & Graciela
Brennan, Jean & Jon
Opdahl, Violet
Brosdahl, Dennis & Donna
Orban, Alejandra
Buffington, Andrew James
Please keep us informed of any contact information changes or newsworthy updates to share with others. For additional information, please contact Nancy Olson at 641.585.8147 or olsonn@waldorf.edu.
Carlson, Solveig & George
Osthus, Barbara & Michael Drager
Newcom, Mark & Joy
Dahl, David & Janet
Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Leland
Egemo, Carroll
Patchin, George & Mary Jane
Elim Lutheran Church, Randall
Paul Groebner Masonry, LLC
Elk Creek Evangelical Lutheran Church, Kensett
Ramsey, Philip & Joann
Personnel Power
Erickson, Marion & Richard
Roufs, Frederick
Financial Decision Group
Rovang, Diane
First Lutheran Church, Northwood
Safe, Dean
To make a gift by mail, please send a check to:
Fredriksen, Arnold
Schenck, Aaron
Gangestad, Joan & Charles
Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation 106 South 6th Street Forest City, IA 50436
Seifert, Aaron & Jamie
Gertenrich, John Jr.
Sweetman, Nancy & Charles
Gilmore-Stensrud Post No. 552
Syverson, Henry & Marlene
HOW TO DONATE
To make a gift by credit card, please call 641.585.8140, or give online at waldorffoundation.org. When making a gift to the Foundation, please designate on your check or online form if you would like to apply it to a certain priority. You may even want to consider funding your own scholarship. If interested in funding a scholarship, please contact Nancy Olson at 641.585.8147, olsonn@waldorf.edu for more details. Waldorf.edu
Sansgaard, Richard & Ann
Hagen, Paul & Linda
Trefz, Rocky Daniels & Deborah
Halverson, Craig & Louise
Urevig, Thomas & Katherine
Hanson, Rhys
USG Foundation, Inc.
Hauge, Robert
Willms, Sheila & Robert
Henrichs, Dennis & Teresa
Wonsmos, Dorothy
Hill, Dennis & Linda
Woo, Kar
Hinds, Ardis
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FOUNDATION NEWS
DONOR HONOR ROLL
The Waldorf Society was established in 1988 and honors donors providing annual and longterm support to the university and to the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation. The Waldorf Society encompasses several groups. Members of the Cumulative Giving and Founder’s Circle are listed in this publication. Members of the Heritage Club and Endowment Society are listed on the Foundation’s website at waldorffoundation.org/waldorf-society/.
CENTURY CLUB // $100+ Aamodt, Donald & Faye
Boyken, Allan & Joy
Falline, Braden
Hoeg, Kenneth & Marjean
Aase, Helen
Braun, James & Barbara
Farndale, Michael & Nancy
Hoeg, Robert & Muriel
Abele, Brian & Barbara
Bricelyn Insurance Agency
Hoeg, Thomas & Beth
American Office Systems Minnesota
Bricelyn Lutheran Church, Bricelyn, Minnesota
First Lutheran Church Women, Clarion
Andersen, Dean & Marlys
Brodland, Gene & Evie
Forest City Rotary Club
Anderson, David
Bromeland, Duane & Alice
Foslien, Juanita & Timothy
Holmes Evangelical Lutheran Church Home Circle, Clarion
Anderson, Dean & Daphne
Bruland, Marjorie
Fretham, David & Darlene
Holtan, Boyd
Anderson, Marvin & Elaine
Bruns, Velida
Fretham, John & Stephanie
Holtan, Keith & Jacalyn
Anderson, Peter
Burnham, Francis
Garcia, Loretta
Holte, Esther
Anonymous
Campbell, Mark & Sarah
Gatlin, Beth & Morris
Honstad, Leslie & Sonja
Anonymous
Carter, Cynthia
Hormel Foods Corporation, Inc.
Askeland, Gerald & Jane
Christensen, Sharon & Roger
Geiselhart, Matthew & Shawnda
Babington, Marlys & Sam
Cibula, Brian & Jen
Bang, Harlan & Ardis
Clabaugh, Karen & Larry
Barth, Helen & Gerald
Claude, Karilyn & Tom
Beckermann, Peter
Cooper, LeRoy & Nancy
Beenken, Jean & Orville
Dahl, Stevin
Benson, Edward & Judy
Davis, Daniel & Sheila
Hall, Kent & Cynthia Smoldt-Hall
Benson, Steven & Nancy
Dickerman, John & Kimberley
Hansen, Robert
Jespersen, Don & Pam
Bergeson, LaDonna
Dosen, Ruth
Hansen, Thomas & Robyn
Johnson, DeWayne & Donna
Berhow, Janet & Douglas
Dulas Excavating Inc.
Hansen, Wayne & Lois
Johnson, Richard
Berkland, Violet
Duncan, Marcia & David
Hanson, Danny
Jones, Alice
Bethany Lutheran Church, Kensett
Dyer, Karen
Hanson, Robert & Vickie
Jones, Ruth
Bethany Lutheran Church, Windom, Minnesota
Edge, Elain
Happel, Ronald & Kristen
Kellenberger, Marie
Egertson, Kenneth & Gloria
Harms, Mason & Kelli
Kendrick, Fred
Beulke, Mary
Eide, Ronald A.
Hash, Orlando & Herdis
Kiihn, Audrey & Rollo
Bigler Financial Services Inc.
Eisch, Daniel & Connie
Hemberger, James & Rozamond
Kim, Martha May & Robert
Blevins, Jill & Casey
English, Michelle & Mark
Hendrikson, Merle
Kjesbu, Marcia & Erik
Boettcher, Edith
Erdahl, Elton & Orpha
Herre, Kathryn & Patrick
Kropf, Carol & Duane
Bollard, Betty & Jeff
Erickson, Richard & Mavis
Herrlinger, Mary
Kuphal, Robert & Grace
Borgschatz, Lyle & Jean
Erickson, Ronald & Janis
Hill, Larry & Rebecca
Lande, Mary
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WALDORF MAGAZINE // FALL 2016
First Lutheran Church, Britt
Gilbertson, Mark & Rita Gillespie, Heidi & Jared Ginder, Ruth & Clarence Gollnik, Betty Grothe, Leslie
Holm, Gerald & Orpha Holm, Richard & Ramona
Huff, Virginia & Galen Husbyn, Roger & Judy Hyde, Robin & Robert Ingebritson, Steven Iverson, Bruce & Judy Jefson, Julie & Kirk Jerome, Dennis & Kathy
Waldorf.edu
FOUNDATION NEWS
DONOR HONOR ROLL
Langehaug, Dennis
Naeve, Randall & Linda
Pierson, Dwight & Karen
Schuck, Helen
Tantow, Larry & Janet
Lee, Cynthia & Myron II
Nelson, Amanda & Chris
Piller, Linda & Keith
Schutte, Christopher
Taylor, Tegwin
Lee, Gladys & Howard
Newgord, Noel & Donna
Pitcher, Kathy
Score, Beatrice
Teig, Mons & Shirley
Priem, Donald
Sears, Joyce & Dale
Noren, Carol
Ranheim, Donald & Mary Lee
Shaw, Roberta
Texas Instruments Foundation
Norland, Selmer
Rasmussen, Craig
Lewison, Alice
Norris, Merlin & Marietta
Reimers, Glennyce & Paul
Lilienthal, Brad & Heather
Ofstedal, Paul
Reitz, Miriam & Armin
Loonan Insurance Agency, Inc.
Olson, Arlie & Joan
Lee, Wayne & Ann Leimbach, Marion Lemme, Kurt Lemme, Rita
Loyer, Linda & E.C. Lura, Charles & Mary Mack, Linda & Edward Marlette, Loren Martinson, Dale & Adoline McKean, John & Marcia McKean, Richard & Diane Melby, Jeanette Metro Brush & Supply Company Meyer, Nickolas & Blanche Miller, Charles & Lesley Musich, Joan & Rodney
Nielsen, Donald
Sigurdson, Elaine Singelstad, Robert & DeLoris
Thorson, Amy & Seth Titman, David & Shirley Torvik, Lois
Skaar, Donald & Elaine
Toutges, Joanne
Rendall, Timothy & Terri
Skogerboe, Charles & Susie
Truong, Phuoc & Nga
Olson, Mark
Richter, Beverly & Paul
Smeby, Waldo
Oppegard, Milo & Betty Lou
Rittgers, Brian & Patricia
Smith, David & Margaret
Ouverson, Jerry & Donna
Rosdail, Jon & Kelli
Overlie, Warren & Barbara Paulsen, Corlyn & Janice Pedersen, Henry & Pamela Pedersen, Keith & Miriam Perry, James & Diane
Rogers, Patrick Ross, Vincent & Armon Rstom, Michael Rustvold-Ihle, Rowena & Nilus Ihle Ryan, Patricia & Lawrence Rygh, Thomas
Peters, Marilyn & Philip
Sanderson, Kenneth & Velma
Peterson, Ray
Satre, Marlene & Gene
Phelps, Robert
Savre, Avis & Robert
Pick, Jodie & Marc
Schmalle, Bonnie & Verdell
Pierce, Neil & Candace
Ulring, Rhoda Urio, Richard Vallevand, Hildegarde
Smith, Mary Jo
Vik, Janice & H. Allen
Smith, Steven
Wacholz, Dale
St. John Lutheran Church, Pomeroy
Walkinshaw, Linda & James
St. Olaf Evangelical Lutheran Church Women, Bode
Walters, Dean
State Farm Companies Foundation
Wensinger, Catherine
Stavnheim, Arlan
Willig, Denise
Stensland, W. Bradley & Carolyn
Workman, Ryan
Stucky, Kendall & Mary Svaren, Helen
Wemark, Amy Wensinger, Neal & Joan
Worthington, Sharon Yahnke, Jean & Harold
Swenson, Lee & Judy
PLANNED GIVING We invite you to consider joining other Heritage Club members who have established a planned gift for Waldorf. The Heritage Club recognizes donors who have established planned gifts such as a will, insurance policy, gift annuity, trust or other vehicle, and the Waldorf Endowment Society recognizes donors who have established an endowed scholarship and/or contributed significant gifts to Waldorf’s endowment. If you have already provided a future gift for the foundation and haven’t informed us yet, please do. We would like to personally thank you and include you in our Heritage Club listing. Waldorf.edu
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FOUNDATION NEWS
HONOR AND MEMORIAL GIFTS
The following gifts were given in memory of those listed in bold by the donors listed below from June 1, 2015–May 31, 2016:
IN MEMORY OF: Alberta Miller Hendrikson, Merle
Charles Bascom Hill, Larry & Rebecca
Allen Edwards Bolz, Corrine Helland, Kay & Clifford Huff, Virginia & Galen Kitzler, Julie Page, Beverly Peterson, Joel & Pamela Peterson, Kenneth & Lucille Peterson, Virgil & Sharon
David Anderson Hahn, J. Victor & Margaret Johns, Karen & Wayne Nyhus, Constance & Harvey
Ben Carter Eide, Ronald A. Farndale, Michael & Nancy Gilbertson, Mark & Rita Hamm, William Hill, Larry & Rebecca Kingland, David & Sue Olson, Steven & Nancy Bill Flugum Schuck, Helen Billie Mallow Merle Hendrikson
David M. Anderson Anderson, Adam Anderson, Marjorie Anonymous Beebe, Raymond & Joan Bothwell, Carole Carter, Joyce Dant, Roger & Beverly Davis, Daniel & Sheila Eide, Ronald A. Etzen, Dorothy Gruhn, Sanford & Joyce Johnson, DeWayne & Donna Johnson, Scott Keough, Ronald & Jeanette Kudej, Keith & Charla Lackore, Duane Lewison, Alice Lichtsinn, Ron & Ruth
Lindflott, George & Lavon Miller, Diane Nelson, Florence Olson, Elizabeth Olson, Phillp & Donna Phelps, Ruth Pletcher, Monica & Keith Rauk, Ruby Schaefer, Mary Schmidt, Virginia Sesker, Wayne & Sharon Sorensen, Paul & Kathryn Swanson, Joan Swingen, Arlys Unknown Donor Willert, Stacy & Anita David Rasmussen Farndale, Michael & Nancy Gilbertson, Mark & Rita Hadley, Roger & Susan Hamm, William Lenning, Oscar & Lorene Mork, Paul & Delores Nyhus, Constance & Harvey Olson, Steven & Nancy
Dean Farland Hendrikson, Merle Dennis Opdahl Opdahl, Violet Don Luff Hermanson, Roger & Ruth Dorcas Dorow Dosen, Ruth Dorothea Ofstedal Ofstedal, Paul Duane Milke Henrikson, Merle Elaine Hallstrom Boock, Paul & Gail Carter, Cynthia Dant, Roger & Beverly Davis, Daniel & Sheila Farndale, Michael & Nancy Gilbertson, Mark & Rita Hansen, Kenneth & Joan Hanson, Daniel & Elaine Harms, Mason & Kelli Hermanson, Roger & Ruth
A MESSAGE FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
GREETINGS, WARRIOR NATION! As you read this, our campus is bustling with life as Warriors from near and far have started fall classes, athletic practices and vocal and instrumental rehearsals. It’s always a special time of year to welcome students back to campus and watch it come alive as it’s done for more than a century. It seems like only yesterday that
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we held commencement exercises for the largest graduating class in Waldorf’s history. There is a lot of excitement in Forest City. I’m looking forward to connecting with students that went home for the summer that I’ve grown to know during their time here at Waldorf and I’m also anxious to meet some of our new Warriors. As Alumni Association president and a resident of Forest City, I have been placed in the unique situation to really get to know some of our students personally. Spending a bit of time with these young people and watching them grow and learn is one of the blessings that I’ve been granted living here. As alumni, it can be easy to find ways that today’s students might be different from our classes. Let me assure you that the students, faculty and staff that make up
WALDORF MAGAZINE // FALL 2016
Waldorf today have the exact same spirit and feel of all of our Waldorf days. I’ve had so many wonderful opportunities in the last few years serving on the Alumni Association Board of Directors and I treasure them all. It’s now that I encourage you to come home to Waldorf and find those moments for yourself. I’ve stated time and time again that Waldorf has changed so dramatically and drastically that we, as alums, may find it hard to imagine that a single shred of our old campus might be left intact. I cannot tell you how false that assumption actually is. The reality is that Waldorf, the place, is brick, mortar, paint, plaster, concrete and grass. Those things are the tangible reality of our college. However, I challenge any of you to recall fond memories of any of those things. Waldorf is
about the intangibles. Waldorf was, is and will always be the people that we grew to know and love in one, two or four years. Those people and those lifelong relationships we formed is part of the “hardto-describe” experiences we each had a Waldorf. It is those connections that make this place so special to so many of us and the quality of people we encountered. Come back and see for yourself that those individuals are still wandering around campus in the form of faculty, staff and students. The spirit and culture of Waldorf University is alive and well and virtually unchanged through time, but don’t take my word for it. Come see for yourself. Andy Buffington ‘90 President, Waldorf University Alumni Association
Waldorf.edu
FOUNDATION NEWS
HONOR AND MEMORIAL GIFTS
Ingebritson, Elaine Ingebritson, Steven Laaveg, Gina Meyer, Donald & Kristine Olson, Arlie & Joan Olson, Kevin & Kathleen Unknown Donor Elaine Holte Melby, Jeanette Elsie Mechem Farndale, Michael & Nancy Eugene Smith Smith, Marcene Eva Olson Farndale, Michael & Nancy Evelyn Murray Henrikson, Merle Gwendolyn Sandven Farndale, Michael & Nancy Lee, Ruth
John Sorenson Hamm, William
Olson, Steven & Nancy Unknown Donor
June Rutt Farndale, Michael & Nancy
Robert Calgaard Solomonson, Owen Solomonson, Sonia
Kenneth Beenken Beenken, Jean & Orville Gilbertson, Mark & Rita Lane W. Noren Noren, Carol
Roger Holtan Wakeley, Norma & Tendon
Larry Huegli Henrikson, Merle
Ron Langerud Gilbertson, Mark & Rita
Larry Lenning Lenning, David & Dianne Lenning, Leota
Ronald Moritz Agar, Robert & Deanna Moritz, Robert & Carol Teig, David & Dixie
LaVonne Braaten Anderson, David Lois Holtan Wakeley, Norma & Tendon Lorraine Nyhus Farndale, Michael & Nancy
Harvey Johnson Gilbertson, Mark & Rita Ingebritson, Steven Mork, Paul & Delores Olson, Steven & Nancy
Lucille Olson Singelstad, Robert & DeLoris
Helen Bolty Farndale, Michael & Nancy
Marian Borcherding Hendrikson, Merle
Helen Senne Engels, John Jr. & Barbara Smith, Mary Jo Irene Christensen Melby, Jeanette Varnes, Louise
Marcia Ide Miller, Timothy & Barbara
Markley Ennen Hill, Larry & Rebecca Melvin Berkland Berkland, Violet Michael Despenas Henrikson, Merle
Iva Dell Wright Hermanson, Janet & Peter
Murial Eliason Teig, David & Dixie
Jack Zook Hendrikson, Merle
N. Christine Veeder Dosen, Ruth
James O’Connor Hill, Larry & Rebecca
P. Marian Njus Richter, Beverly & Paul Sanderson, Kenneth & Velma
Janice Vetter Farndale, Michael & Nancy Jerome Sheldon Solomonson, Owen Jo Walker Page, Beverly Joel Laaveg Churness, Paul & Margit Waldorf.edu
Robert Cates Henrikson, Merle
Reuben Hanna Solomonson, Owen Robert Alsop Alsop, June Anonymous Farndale, Michael & Nancy Hansen, Kenneth & Joan Harms, Mason & Kelli Hill, Larry & Rebecca
Mork, Paul & Delores Nagy, Paul & Jane Newcom, Mark & Joy Nyhus, Constance & Harvey Olson, Steven & Nancy Pedersen, Keith & Miriam Rasmussen, Esther Spencer, Jennifer & William Teig, Mons & Shirley Thorson, Amy & Seth Tweeten, Carol & Doug Van Auken, Michael & Inghild Ruth Tweeten Solomonson, Owen Sherman Coltvet Engels, John Jr. & Barbara Solomonson, Owen
Rudolph Nelson Solomonson, Owen
Shirley Shurson Hansen, Kenneth & Joan
Russ and Jerry Naeve Claude, Karilyn & Tom Naeve, Randall & Linda
Wayne Dodge Hendrikson, Merle
Ruth Holtan Holmen, Grace Holtan, Ronald & Pamela Kuntz, Michael P. Ruth Johnson Alsop, Robert & Natalie Anonymous Bang, Marilyn & Darrell Beebe, Raymond & Joan Berhow, Janet & Douglas Bohn, Fay & David Carter, Joyce Davis, Daniel & Sheila Egertson, Kenneth & Gloria Ellwood, Ardis Farndale, Michael & Nancy Financial Marketing Solutions, Inc. Gangestad, Joan & Charles Gilbertson, Mark & Rita Gustafson, C.A. & Karen Hagen, Eldon & Rozella Hamm, William Harms, Mason & Kelli Haun, William & Karon Heidemann, Donald & Kristin Hemberger, James & Rozamond Herrick, Corey & Cheryl Jerome, Dennis & Kathy Johnson, Adrian & Eleanor Johnson, DeWayne & Donna Lenning, Oscar & Lorene Lewison, Alice Missal, Timothy & Julie
HOW TO GIVE IN MEMORIAM/ HONORARIUM Complimentary memorial and honor packets are available from the Waldorf Lutheran College Foundation office by contacting Janet Berhow at berhowj@waldorf.edu or 641.585.8140. Packets include: // Tribute or sympathy card to send to honoree or loved ones of the deceased specifying that you have made a tribute or memorial gift to the Waldorf Foundation in someone’s honor. // Tribute or memorial card and return envelope. Complete and return with check to the Foundation office
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C OC T S T O E GE L S TS G A I L E NON-PROFIT L OC A G I A US POSTAGE I S T L OC C T PAID O GE GE S L S A T DAVIS DIRECT I T AL AL E E C G CI O I S L C A T O I E G E T AL SO T S G T I G E L G E C I A L I A L SO C O SO C E T E T IA WaldorfUniversity S C G L G CI AL O GET ET L G C I A C I A SO AL IALWaldorfUniversity O SO G E T E T L S C A G T T I O L E E S G C I A I A L SO C G Waldorf_U L L I A C I A SO SO C E T E T L C G A G O Swaldorf.edu I O GET// 800.292.1903 T L L E C E T I A L A L G O C I A O C I A T SO E G E T AL C O CI T S T S G O S TS E G E I AL AL O CI G G E C I A L C I A L SO C O C I E T S S OL M I N G 2 016 SO T SO GET GEHT O AML EGCIA I C GE CIAL CIAL SOC SOOctober 7–9, 2016 O T T O S T SATHLETICGHALL E GE 50TH CLASS REUNION LUNCHEON WOMEN'S SOCCER GAME L E L OF FAME BANQUET Bolstorff Field // Satuday // 5pm A G CI CI A Salveson Ballroom TASTE OF WALDORF Saturday // 11am O Salveson Ballroom Friday O at// 5:30pm S5pm, S ALUMNI BANQUET Dinner served T ALL-CLASS ALUMNI LUNCHEON E G Fieldhouse Gym // Saturday // 11am COMMBACK, KICKBACK Fieldhouse Gym // Satuday // 5:30pm EA
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106 S. 6th St. Forest City, IA 50436
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ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
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Parents: If this is addressed to your son or daughter who no longer maintains a permanent address at your home, please notify the Alumni Office, 641.585.8148 or email us at alumni@waldorf.edu
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Advance Tickets Required
Advance Tickets Required
Advance Tickets Required
Buffet begins at 11:30am
Communications Department All-Class Reunion Lodge // Friday // 6–8pm
HOMECOMING MUSIC CONCERT
TAILGATE PARTY Family Friendly Games including Lunch, Inflatables, Bags and Face Painting
CANDIDATE REVIEW
Atrium // Friday // 9pm
Bolstorff Field Saturday // 11am–1pm
BONFIRE AND CORONATION
HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME
Fieldhouse Parking Lot Friday // 10pm
Fieldhouse Gym // Saturday // 7pm
MEN'S SOCCER GAME
Bolstorff Field // Saturday // 7pm
HOMECOMING WORSHIP
Bolstorff Field // Saturday // 1pm
HOMECOMING PARADE Immanuel Lot North to J Street, West to Fieldhouse Saturday // 10–10:30am
ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR
Immanuel Lutheran Church Sunday // 9:15am
ALUMNI CHOIR SING-A-LONG
MUSICAL THEATRE SHOWCASE
Fieldhouse Gym // Saturday // 1–4pm Fieldhouse Gym // Saturday // 4–5pm
Smith Theatre // Sunday // 2pm
Events and times are preliminary and subject to change. For more information, please contact the alumni office at 641.585.8148 or alumni@waldorf.edu.
2016
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES // Larry Vernon ’65 Awarded posthumously // Randall Herbst ‘91 // Jesse Zimmer ‘98 // Christina Neve ‘00 // Krista Van Hauen ‘04
VIEW THE FULL HOMECOMING SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES & REGISTER FOR EVENTS.
ALUMNI
DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD RECIPIENTS
Bruce E. Carter ’73 Capt. Donald R. Shunkwiler, USN Ret. ’76
waldorf.edu/homecoming