bsu horizons - 2011 - fall

8/3/2019 BSU Horizons - 2011 - Fall

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BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY FAll 2011

A PUBLICATION FOR

BSU ALUMNI AND FRIENDS

Troops inspire

Lieutenant General Waldhauser

CommandingPresence

a


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T H I s I s s U e Fall 2011

HORIZONS is produced by theOfce o Communications and Marketing, Alumni

Association, and BSU Foundation at Bemidji State

University. It is published three times per year and

distributed ree to BSU alumni, students, aculty,

sta, and riends. Direct comments to horizons@

bemidjistate.edu or 1-888-234-7794.

Editor

Rose Jones

Alumni dirEctor

Marla Patrias

univErsity AdvAncEmEnt

ExEcutivE dirEctor

Rob Bollinger

dEsignEr

Kathy Berglund

PhotogrAPhy dirEctor

John Swartz

contributing PhotogrAPhErsJe Corwin, Cpl. Christopher Green,

Emily Grifth, Lance Cpl. Jason Guiliano,

Sta Sgt. James Richardson, Tiany Sevareid

contributing WritErs

Andy Bartlett, Al Nohner,

Sarah Asp Olson, Cindy Serratore

EditoriAl AssistAncE

Aliza Boquist, Brad Folkestad, Valerie Mason,

Al Nohner, Peggy Nohner,

The Johnson Group Marketing

Production AssistAncE

The Johnson Group Marketing

EditoriAl boArd

Andy Bartlett, Rob Bollinger, Nancy Erickson,

Jeanine Gangeness, Rose Jones, Marla Patrias

A member o the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system,Bemidji State University is an afrmative action, equal opportunityemployer and educator. This document is available in alternativeormats to individuals with disabilities by calling 1-800-475-2001or 218-755-3883. BSU Communications & Marketing 11-226

bEmidJi stAtE univErsity

Volume 26, N0. 3, Fall 2011

COVER STORY

Lieutenant General Thomas Waldhauser, a Bemidji State alumnus,

commands the 57,000-troop I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp

Pendleton, CA. His leadership style was honed by emulating

the positive qualities o the leaders hes experienced, includingBSUs venerable coach, Bob Peters.

Certified Fiber Sourcing

www.sfiprogram.org

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HORIZONS


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Making

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llegePossible

Kathihagen

laWyerof

theland

RobeRtandeRson

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2 Campus Notes

features

5 a CommaNdiNg preseNCe

Troops inspireLieutenant General Waldhauser.

8 Lawyer of the LaNdAn advocate or American Indian rights.

10 Bright futures

BSU students to watch.

12 makiNg CoLLege

possiBLe

BSU coordinator championsstudents with disabilities.

14 BreakiNg the siLeNCe

Future teachers aim to helpdea students fourish.

16 oN air

Growing up with public radio.

18 we the peopLe

The link between citizens andtheir government.

20 the ride of a L ifetime

When passion and proession meet.

23 iN memoriam aNd

aLumNi eveNts

24 CLass Notes

29 homeComiNg

30 CaLeNdar

8

14

16

18

12

onair

JonMtaggaRt

www.BemidjiState.edu | 1

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dR.hildyMcaRth

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2 | HORIZONS Bemidji State University

item vce

pesdets amed

Bemidji State announced recently the ap-

pointment o two interim vice presidents.Dr. Mary Ward was named interim vicepresident o student development andenrollment in July. Ward has been the diretor o BSUs Advising Success Center since2008. She lls a position vacated by Dr. LErwin, who is now vice chancellor at theUniversity o Minnesota-Duluth. Erwin habeen at BSU since 2007. In June, Bob Grigwas named interim vice president oracademic aairs. He lls an interim positivacated by Dr. Nancy Erickson, who servein that role since 2008. Erickson is taking planned sabbatical or a year beore returing to the aculty. Griggs has served BSU ia variety o administrative roles since 200

National searches to ll both positions ona permanent basis are scheduled to beginthis all.

new chacello vsts bemd

Dr. Steve Rosenstone, who ofcially tookofce as chancellor o the Minnesota StateColleges and Universities (MnSCU) systemon Aug. 1, visited Bemidji in early July aspart o a statewide tour o the systemscampuses. While in Bemidji, Rosenstone aPresident Richard Hanson toured NorthweTechnical College and Bemidji State. At BSUthey toured the newly renovated Sattgast

Hall and stopped by Chet Anderson Stadiuand the American Indian Resource Center.Ater meeting with aculty and sta or anopen orum in Bridgeman Hall, he lunchedwith community leaders who have ties toBemidji State.

rn-to-achelos

usg pogams fullBemidji States nursing program continuesto be a hot commodity, with its RN-to-bachelors program at three different locations already at capacity for 2011-12. BSUserves 40 students at each of its sites oncampus, Lake Superior College in Duluth,and Anoka-Ramsey Community College,Cambridge campus. Debuting this fall, theLake Superior site reached capacity justtwo weeks after initial information sessionwere held in May. The Cambridge locationopened in 2009.

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P R E S i d E n T S M E S S a g E

A ew years ago, an economic research study indicated thatBemidji State University adds approximately $150 million to thearea economy each year. The July opening o AmeriPridesnational accounting headquarters in Bemidji is a recent exampleo the Universitys potential or local impact.

AmeriPride, a North American supplier o linen and uniormrental services, selected the city as the site or its newlyconsolidated accounts receivable oces. The availability ohigh-tech oces and a pool o skilled people, including severalBemidji State accounting graduates whom they hired, drew themto our region.

Working together with several community organizations and

businesses, Bemidji State was able to help sway the companyinto moving its accounting operations to northern Minnesota.These types o partnerships are a win-win or all involved. Thecompany obtains the acilities and resources it needs to fourish.The city o Bemidji adds a new business to its rolls. Bemidji Stateand its sister institution, Northwest Technical College, have anew employment connection or their graduates. The results areexhilarating and have the potential to transorm the regionseconomic landscape.

Another area o BSU impact emanates rom its transormationallearning environment, which this issue o Horizons refects. Fromgetting second chances and critical support services to capitaliz-ing on aculty encouragement and leadership opportunities,those eatured in this issue point to BSU as the oundation o

their success. These inspiring individuals serve as great rolemodels or the newest members o the Bemidji State amily theClass o 2015 which we ormally welcomed to campus duringconvocation on August 21.

I encourage you to visit campus, especially during Homecoming,Oct. 7-9. Weve maintained the traditions while adding somenew and exciting activities.

Sincerely,

2

r. Hanson

FROMPresIdenT

Campus noTes

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Aa aa w peBemidji States visual arts aculty openedtheir annual show in the Universitys TalleyGallery in May. The show eatures workrom Butch Hoden, Nataia Himmirska,Jason Cark, Dennis Peterson, and SteveSundah. Their art media includes ceram-ics, painting, printmaking, sculpture, andsilverpoint drawing. The show runs throughSeptember.

fee eabsu eme aFourteen aculty members with a com-bined 377.5 years o service to BemidjiState were named proessors emeriti dur-ing the Universitys 92nd commencementexercises at Bemidjis Sanord Center inMay. Faculty who retire rom the Universitywith at least 15 years o service are eligibleto receive emeritus status. The 2011emeriti were: Dr. Wiiam Brauer, proes-sor emeritus o technological studies, 17

years;James Brouwer, proessor emerituso proessional education, 24 years; DavidCarson, registrar emeritus, 31 years; PhiipDah, proessor emeritus o TRiO/StudentSupport Services, 37 years; Dr. EaineHoffman, proessor emerita o technologi-cal studies, 15 years; Dr. Stevens Johnson,proessor emeritus o physics, 26 years;Dr. Steven Konecne, proessor emeritus omusic, 30.5 years; Dr. Robert ley, proessoremeritus o economics, 31 years; Dr. Kath-een Meyer, proessor emerita o Germanand French, 21 years; Mary Ann Reitmeir,proessor emerita o social work, 29 years;laMae Ritchie, director emerita o theInternational Program Center, 32 years;

Dr. Patrick Riey, proessor emeritus omusic, 38 years; Stuart Rosseet, proessoremeritus o library and library services, 28years; and Dr. Rochee Scheea, proessoremerita o nursing, 28 years.

Airc eee ae awa e eIn May, BSU was one o seven colleges anduniversities in the MnSCU system honoredor outstanding achievements in diversity

leadership, programming, and services.BSU took second place in the systemsBest Practices in Diversity category orthe American Indian Resource Center andits programs. The systems awards recog-nize programs and services that supportaccess and success in higher educationor all Minnesotans, especially those romgroups traditionally under-represented inhigher education.

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bsu -ieaa tmpe gIn May, dozens o the worlds fnesttrumpet players descended on downtownMinneapolis or the 36th annual coner-ence o the International Trumpet Guild.The conerence was hosted by De lyren,proessor o music at BSU, and SteveWright, associate proessor o music atGustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter.The conerence drew hundreds o trumpetenthusiasts rom all over the world orcompetitions, clinics, and concerts duringthe fve-day event. The conerence kickedo with a 140-trumpet rendition o TheStar Spangled Banner at a MinnesotaTwins game and closed with a two-hour,grand fnale concert in downtown Minne-apolis Wesleyan United Methodist Church.

bsu e a eeBemidji State has joined a growing num-ber o college campuses nationwide thathave gone tobacco ree. In April, Presi-

dent Hanson signed a policy preventingthe use, distribution, or sale o tobacco,including any smoking device or lit smok-ing instrument, anywhere on campus orin University-owned vehicles. AmericanIndian spiritual or cultural ceremonies oncampus are exempt rom the regulations.Implementation began with an awarenessphase this spring and is being ollowedby ull enorcement this all. The StudentSenate proposed the tobacco-ree policyin 2010, crating a drat proposal in Janu-ary 2011.

ge pek hiv/Aids

Dr. Patrick Guifoie, interim associate vicepresident or academic aairs, has writtenHIV/AIDS, published recently by ChelseaHouse Publishers. The book is part o thepublishers 54-volume Deadly Diseasesand Epidemics series.

More than one million Americans areinected with HIV/AIDS, and the Centersor Disease Control estimate that 21percent o them are unaware they have it.Although no known cure or HIV/AIDS ex-

ists, the disease can be managed throughproper medication and a healthy liestyle.

Guiloiles book describes the symptoms,diagnosis, treatment, and preventiono HIV/AIDS. He also explores the latestresearch about the disease and utureprospects or controlling it.

HIV/AIDS is the sixth book Guiloile haswritten in the Deadly Diseases and

Epidemics series. His other volumes areAnti-biotic-Resistant Bacteria, Tetanus, Diphtheria,Chicken Pox, and Whooping Cough.

bsu eam mpee da ba ae

BSUs Grim Beavers won the 2011 Education

Cup at Bemidjis Dragon Boat Festival inAugust. Chinwuba Okaor, assistant directoro student lie, captained the team.

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In April, Bemidji State was named one o thenations 311 most eco-riendly campuses by the UGreen Building Council and The Princeton Review.guide o those 311 institutions provides inormatioor students looking to attend a college or universthat demonstrates a strong commitment to creatiand maintaining a sustainable campus. BSU has ha student-implemented green ee o $5 per semein place since 2008. The ee unds environmentalstewardship, education, and awareness activities campus. Under the guidance o a ull-time sustainity ofcer since 2008, BSU has participated in a vao energy-savings competitions, including MinnesCampus Energy Challenge competition among schin the state. BSU has won the challenge twice.

bsu rEcognizEdnAtionAlly As A


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4 | HORIZONS Bemidji State University4 | HORIZONS

spg spo reap

BASEBAll completed its season with an

8-9 record, the programs most wins in

a season since , and fnished ninth in

the NSIC with a - conerence mark ...

SOFTBAll ended its spring season 5-3

overall and -6 in NSIC play ... MENS

GOlF garnered seventh at the NSIC

Championships in April, with sophomore

Chris Curb o Bemidji earning th among

individuals. BSU later ranked th at the

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conerence

Championships ... WOMENS GOlF placed

eighth at the NSIC Championships, behind

a 9th-place individual fnish rom Kathryn

Stoffes, a sophomore rom Maple Grove

... TENNIS ended the season 3- overall

and -9 in the NSIC under frst-year head

coach Beth Campus ... TRACK & FIElD

Kristi Buerke, a senior rom Stacy, earned

her sixth career All-America honor with a

ourth-place fnish in the 400-meter race

at the 2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Tandy Jue, a sophomore rom Redwood

Falls, placed seventh in the decathlon to

earn All-America honors on the mens side.

Buerkle, Juell, and Raphae Geo, a sopho-

more rom Kabetogama, captured All-

Region honors rom the U.S. Track and Field

and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Regional &all-ameRiCa

Kristi Buerkle, a senior sprinter rom Stacy, fnishedher collegiate career as one o BSUs most decoratedemale athletes o all time. This spring, she wonNSIC Championships in the 200- and 400-meter raceand earned her sixth career All-America honor witha ourth-place fnish in the 400-meter event at the2011 NCAA Outdoor Championships. In May, she wasnamed the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country

Coaches Associations Central Region Female Athlete o the Year. Holder o two BSU outdoorrecords and six indoor records, she was also a member o two school-record relay teams.

In June, she became the ourth Bemidji State track and feld athlete and 15th BSU student-athlete overall to earn Academic All-America honors. Majoring in elementary education, shecarried a 3.86 grade point average into her fnal semester at BSU.

twey-eve beave ea nsic all-aadem ooTwenty-seven BSU student-athletes earned a spot on the Northern Sun IntercollegiateConerence (NSIC) spring All-Academic Team. Baseball, mens track and feld, and womenstrack and feld led the way with six honorees each. The All-Academic Team recognizes studen

athletes on varsity traveling teams with cumulativeGPAs o 3.20 or higher.

bsu w nsicspomap AwadFor the second time in three years, BSU has won thNSIC Sportsmanship Award. First awarded in 2008,the NSIC Sportsmanship Award is given to the schoexhibiting the best sportsmanship o its players,coaches, ans, and sta, as voted upon by NSIC heacoaches and a Student-Athlete Advisory Committeemember rom each school.

tp hedk ge nsic hall o fame odTrip Hedrick, a BSU swimmer rom 1973-77, was inducted into the NSIC Hall o Fame in July.Hedrick was a three-time All-NSIC selection rom 1975-77, and he won the NSIC 100-meterreestyle title in 1977. He was a two-time, First-Team All-NAIA honoree and nine-time, All-America honoree during his career. A BSU Student-Athlete o the Year in 1977, he was inducteinto the Universitys Athletic Hall o Fame in 1998.

nsic expad w wo ew eamThe Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conerence, Bemidji States home in NCAA Division II, is ex-panding to 16 teams. The league announced in January that Minot State University (ND) and tUniversity o Sioux Falls (SD) will join the conerence in the 2013-14 season.

WchA pepae o 2013-14 ageAlthough the NCAA Division I college hockey landscape will undergo a signifcant transitionin 2013-14, the Bemidji State mens hockey program will remain a committed member o theWestern Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA). Seven teams have announced they will leave

bekle ea ex All-Amea oo

the WCHA, including the University o Minnesota and

the University o Wisconsin, which will head to anew Big Ten conerence. In the meantime, the

University o Denver, Colorado College, theUniversity o Minnesota Duluth, the Universityo Nebraska Omaha, and the University oNorth Dakota will join the newly ormedNational Collegiate Hockey Conerencealong with the Central Collegiate HockeyAssociations University o Miami (Ohio).Despite the change in conerence aflia-tions, BSU is working diligently to retainregional rivalries that have developedover the history o the program, aimingto provide BSU hockey ans a scheduleeaturing the best competition collegehockey has to oer.

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Troops inspireLieuTenanT

GeneraLWaLDhauser

In the weeks ollowing the terrorist attacks on

9/11, BSU alumnus Tom Waldhauser was more

ocused on national security than most Americans.

A U.S. Marine Corps ofcer, he was tapped to com-

mand the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit SpecialOperations Capable, the frst conventional unit to

deploy into Aghanistan ater the attack on the Twin

Towers. A ew years later, that same unit also com-

manded by Waldhauser was among the frst to cross

into Iraq at the start o Operation Iraqi Freedom.

{ story on next page }


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Today, Lieutenant General ThomasWaldhauser commands the 57,000-troop

I Marine Expeditionary Force at Camp

Pendleton in Caliornia. President Barack

Obama nominated him or the position in

2010. In his role, he oversees the training

organizing, and equipping o Marines and

sailors in Caliornia and Arizona. Serving

also as commanding general o Marine

Forces Central Command, he is responsib

or employing, deploying, and sustaining

orces engaged in the Central Command

region o the Middle East.

The 2010 promotion prompted a strong

endorsement rom the commander o thU.S. Central Command, General James

Mattis, who called Waldhauser one o the

most operationally experienced and

tactically savvy ofcers in the military

today. He said Waldhausers leadership

style made him the perect choice or the

assignment.

No matter the task, Waldhauser makes it

his mission to learn rom those he admire

and to develop a leadership style that

works or him.

A leader is one who needs to ask the

right questions, does not take no or ananswer, and demonstrates the compe-

tency required to be in charge o large a

complex organizations, the South St. Pa

native observes. There are many long

days, many grueling requirements, and

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caRpenteR

Those two combat tours certainly had tobe a couple o highlights in my career

overall, he notes. The more Im around

these young Marines, the more amazed I

am every day o the initiative, the drive,

and the competence these individuals

demonstrate on a daily basis. What we

expect o them, and how they deliver in

some very difcult and stressul settings, is

really amazing.

A leader is one who needs to ask the rightquestions, does not take no for an answer, anddemonstrates the competency required to be in

charge of large and complex organizations.

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youve got to be able to power your waythrough. A good leader is one who can

do that.

The Making o an Ofcer

Waldhauser started on the road to

leadership while at BSU, where he pursued

a psychology degree and skated or Beaver

hockey as a orward. The our-year letter

winner played on the 1973 NAIA champi-

onship team.

Looking back, I had a very wonderul

college experience, he says. Coach Bob

Peters is the main reason I ended up going

to BSU. The ability to watch him as a leader

and a coach how he organized, how he

motivated was very benecial.

Although he wasnt certain about pursuing

a military career, Waldhauser participated

in the Platoon Leaders Class, where college

students train or two summers at the

Marines Ocer Candidates School in

Quantico, VA. Program participants, under

no obligation to join the military, are

oered a commission as a second

lieutenant in the Marine Corps when they

complete the class.

Waldhauser attended the training ater hisreshman and junior years at BSU. The

physically intensive experience, coupled

with the emphasis on leadership and

responsibility, struck a chord with him.

Ater completing the program, he signed

on or a three-year commitment.

To be truthul, I really didnt have any

intention o staying beyond that initial

three-year requirement, but I had some

very positive experiences as a young

lieutenant, he recalls. I had the opportu-

nity to work or some very inspiring

leaders. Being around very engaging

young Marines was something that was a

good t or me.

learning rom Others

For Waldhauser, the t has led to military

decorations as well as promotions. Over

the course o his career, he has earned the

Deense Superior Service Medal, Legion o

Merit with combat V, Bronze Star,

Meritorious Service Medal with three gold

stars, Navy Achievement Medal with one

gold star, and the Combat Action Ribbon.

The lieutenant general, however, is humble

about the recognition hes received,

preerring to ocus on the job at hand and

the people who serve alongside him every

day. Personal decorations are all well andgood, but they dont dene you as a leader,

and they really dont dene who you are,

he says. Its all about getting the job done.

Its all about making sure the Marines have

what they need. Its all about providing an

environment that allows everyone to do

their part and let them do their jobs.

Even with his stellar accomplishments,Waldhauser says he continues to learn

rom those around him no matter their

rank and strives to lead by example.

He also refects ondly on his time at

BSU and the lessons he learned rom

those around him.

The guys I played hockey with were

some truly great individuals and great

human beings. You learn a lot rom your

riends and peers, he says. Ive been

ortunate, since Ive been in the Marine

Corps, to work or a large number o really

tremendous men and women who have

demonstrated a commitment andcompetence that was very impressive.

As you move up the ranks, you always are

trying to emulate those who have gone

beore you, and youre always trying to

duplicate all the positive things they were

able to show you.

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LawyerOFTHE

LAND

RobeRt andeRson

Its nice to provide a public service, to use your education, not just to make

money or try to obtain prestige for yourself, but to wade into the public

sector and try to help make things better through serving in the government.

an advoCat


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Over the course o his legal career,Robert Anderson has advocatedor the rights o American Indians as a

public-sector attorney, an advisor to two

presidential administrations, and a

proessor at two well-known universities.

While his nearly 30-year career has been

flled with personal and proessional

success, the Ely native and member o the

Bois Forte Band o Chippewa still views his

time at Bemidji State as paving the way ora varied and ulflling career.

I really learned how to write pretty well in

college, and that has been a big key to any

success that I have had in my career as a

lawyer and now as a law proessor, says

Anderson, a 1980 BSU graduate who

studied English and history. Maybe even

more important was the act that my

proessors were really enthusiastic about

the material I was being taught, and they

motivated me to work really hard. That

gave me a work ethic that has served me

incredibly well throughout my career.

Andersons diligence as an undergraduate

paid o. He was accepted to the University

o Minnesota Law School and then oered

a job at the Native American Rights Fund

(NARF) in Boulder, CO, one o the countrys

oremost Indian law ofces. During his

12-year tenure at NARF, Anderson helped

settle disputes between ederal and state

governments and American Indian tribes in

Alaska and the Pacifc Northwest. From the

experience, he learned frsthand about the

complex legal issues acing American

Indians. He also discovered the rewards o

making a dierence in the lives o others.One o my proudest moments was when

I was in Alaska representing a woman

named Katie John, whose right to fsh had

been taken away by the state o Alaska in

the early 1960s, he recounts. We sued the

state in ederal court, and we won the case.

The court orced the state to reopen the

fshery.

Since that victory, the state has continu-

ally challenged the ruling, and Anderson

has remained abreast o the issue, making

sure Johns current lawyers have

up-to-date inormation and access to the

acts o the case.

These things go on or so long, and you

really have to be persistent, he says. Its

taught me the importance o writing about

these things in articles and in books soolks who come later to carry on will not

only understand what happened and rely

on those acts, but also learn rom them to

try to crat new solutions.

Through his work fghting or land and

water rights, Anderson met Bruce Babbitt,

secretary o the interior in the Clinton

administration. That connection led him to

a political appointment as associate

solicitor or Indian Aairs in the U.S.

Department o the Interior. Later he served

as a counselor to Babbitt, advising him

directly on matters involving Indian law,

endangered species, water rights, nationalparks, and other issues.

Its nice to provide a public service, to use

your education, not just to make money or

try to obtain prestige or yoursel, but to

wade into the public sector and try to help

make things better through serving in the

government.

When Clintons term ended, Anderson

headed to the University o Washington in

Seattle to teach. However, in 2008 he

returned to the nations capital to co-lead

President Obamas transition team or the

Department o the Interiors agencyreview.

That was a highlight or me, says

Anderson, who wasnt interested in

moving back to DC to be part o the

administration. But I wanted to help out. I

was asked to make recommendations

about issues that would need to be dealt

with promptly by the new administration.

Anderson currently works ull time as a

tenured proessor at the University o

Washington (UW) and directs the law

schools Native American Law Center. He

also serves as the Oneida Nation Visiting

Proessor o Law at Harvard Law School, a

fve-year appointment where he teaches

Native American Law one term each

academic year.

During his 11 years at UW, he has drawnrom his Bemidji State experiences to guide

his teaching approach.

They were all very enthusiastic about

their subject matter, and they were all

obviously great scholars and had worked

hard to acquire all this knowledge, he says

o his BSU proessors. They made class

un because I could tell they enjoyed

teaching the material, and they were also

very supportive. Thats the kind o teacher I

want to be someone who is enthusiastic,

has an open door, and wants to work with

the students.

In his role at the university, Andersonpromotes the development o Indian law

by nurturing student interest in the legal

proession; serving as a resource or tribes,

governments, and individuals; and building

a network among scholars and practitio-

ners. He has written numerous academic

articles, teaches American Indian law rom

a casebook he co-authored, and serves as

author and editorial board member o the

leading reerence book on ederal Indian

law, Cohens Handbook of Federal Indian

Law. The book is an inormation source

relied upon by the U.S. Supreme Court and

small-town practitioners alike.

Its been a wonderul career, and Im

looking orward to continuing on, he notes.

My time at Bemidji State really positioned

me well or whats been, Id have to say, an

extremely rewarding career.

foR ameRiCan indian Rights


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dierently. He took an 18-month hiatus romhis education ater graduating rom HawleyHigh School. As a teenager, he wanted to bean engineer, but an interest in antasy ctioncompelled him to study writing at BSU.

Focusing on creative rather than technicalwriting, hes had a short story and poetrypublished in the Rivers Meeting Project, theUniversitys annual anthology o studentwriting.

His curiosity and prior interests drove him to

take BSUs introductory physics class. Expo-sure to modern physics with its elegant math-ematical ormulae and modeling o physicalbehavior prompted him to add the major.

Dr. Dave Bahr, proessor o physics, eels thiscombination gives Schmitz a Renaissance-man perspective dened by mathematicalacumen, exceptional insight, creative analyti-cal interpretation, and linguistic precision. Itbrings both lobes o his brain into the arena,Bahr says. It denes a real thinker, as con-trasted with a mere calculator.

Dr. Anton Treuer, aculty mem-ber who teaches Ojibwe, notedher growth rom an unsurerst-year student to a sel-condent graduate. He eelsher academic preparation inmedicine and understanding ocultures, as well as languages,will make her a leader amongthose she serves.

I believe that health includesemotional, mental, physical,and spiritual elements, saysWalker, whose internship thisall ocuses on womens re-

productive rights and justice atthe Yankton Sioux Reservationin South Dakota. As a uturephysician wanting to serve inan American Indian commu-

Bemidji State is helping stellar individuals

prepare for the future here

are three destined to do great things.


bright

futureS

PearlW

alker

InPearl Walkers mind, the letters B-S-Uspell opportunity. The Bemidji senior choseher hometown University or convenience,planning to transer later to a school oeringgymnastics. Now shes more than happyshe stayed.

Every experience Ive had has shaped me,says Walker, who graduated this spring withdegrees in pre-med and Indian Studies. Justbeing involved brought me opportunities Ididnt think Id ever come across.

Those opportunities came her rst semesterwhen track coach Craig Hougen invited theormer Bemidji High athlete to join the Bea-vers squad. She did and quickly gravitated

to the heptathlon and pentathlon whereher wide-ranging talents were useul in themultiple-event competitions.

Being part o the track team really built meup and made me eel like I really belongedat BSU.

So the student with Lakota and Ojibweheritages stayed, and her opportunitiesgrew. As co-chair o the Council o IndianStudents, she received the 2011 OutstandingAmerican Indian Student Award. Acceptedinto Minnesotas Future Doctors Program,she attended an American Indian Scienceand Engineering Society national conerence,where her dream to become a physician wasreinorced. She served on the PresidentsCommission, a student group that addressedways to improve the University. She learnedOjibwe while working with an elder fuentin the language as they collaborated on astory about healthy eating. She co-captainedthe track squad, improving every year atconerence meets while earning nine NSICAll-Academic Team and three Division IIAll-Academic Team awards. Her riendships,networking systems, and understanding oissues grew with time spent at the AmericanIndian Resource Center.

nity, I would like to incorporate the culture and

language o our people in my practice.

Albert Schmitz graduated in May with abachelor o science degree in physics and abachelor o ne arts in creative and techni-cal writing. Unazed that the two disciplinesrepresent opposite sides o the academic coin,he sees only the richness o this currency.

The two majors complement each other, heexplains. Ive heard rom practicing physicists

and engineers that writing is such a big com-ponent, and they ailed to learn those skills incollege.

Physics made me more critical and added anintellectual depth to my writing, he observes.I look at the logic o the sentence to makesure it makes sense. What good is an ideathat only you understand?

The rst BSU graduate with this degreecombination, he is accustomed to doing things


13/32


Jacob

converse

Schmitz sees his uture in either discipline,although immediate plans include writingcreatively or a year while exploring optionsor advanced study in physics. He fgures hisbackground should help in taking the gradu-ate school entrance exam, which includesa signifcant writing component. He alsohopes his BSU degrees will dierentiate hisapplication rom others, urther increasingthe value o his two-sided, academic coin.

albertschmitz

BSU StUdentS to Watch

You will see someone you know every daywalking across campus. Its a great place tothink outside the box and expand boundaries.

A social studies major rom Moundsview,Meehlhause used that insight to his advan-tage by getting involved. Ater trying dier-ent organizations, he joined Student Senate,where he was co-president or 2010-2011.He also was a member o Students Today,Leaders Forever and worked in the HobsonUnions Excellence in Leadership Center.


michaelmeehlhause

Michael Meehlhausecame to Bemidji StateUniversity because a com-puter indicated it wouldbe a good idea. From thatimpersonal start, he ounda home.

As a senior at Irondale

High School, all he knewabout BSU came rom anonline college site, whichmatched his search pa-rameters with a universityin northern Minnesotahe never knew existed.Intrigued, he took a closerlook and liked what hesaw.

I think Bemidji State doeshave the eel o a privateschool without the cost,Meehlhause surmiseswhile echoing the wordso his campus tour guide.

Its a small institution.

Through campus activities, he noticed howengaged students elt at BSU. I was takenaback when I frst got here by how much o avoice students really have in this University,he remembers. Students are empoweredbecause the administration takes our opin-ions seriously.

During his our years, students instituted agreen ee, adopted a tobacco-ree campuspolicy, oered advice or restructuring BSU,and supported the construction o the San-ord Center, the regional events acility nowhousing BSU hockey.

Along the way, Meehlhause realized Bemidji,the city, was more than a place where he

stayed. He joined area leaders several timesin promoting the citys agenda to the Minne-sota State Legislature, became involved withthe local cross country ski club, and lovedbeing on the lake and outdoors.

Michael regularly attended City Councilmeetings, says Mary Tosch, interim directoro the Hobson Union. This relationshipprovided an avenue or communication andostered joint initiatives that will beneftstudents and the community.

Meehlhause, who student teaches this Sep-tember, created a video or YouTube to de-scribe the school and area he frst discoveredonline. I made it as a tribute to Bemidji, toshow people this is something special with a

lot o things to do.

t ee meeluevde g

p://b.ly/qaics n e Qr de.


14/32


Poss

makIng

coLLegeBsu CooRdinatoRChampions students

with disaBilities



15/32


ibleLast year, Hagens ofce served 333 BSUstudents with documented disabilitiesincluding physical or psychological impair-ments, learning disabilities, autism, blindness,deaness, emotional behavior disorders, andsystemic disorders such as epilepsy, cancer,

and diabetes. The number o students

receiving services has more than doubled

since 1995.

Typical accommodations or students withdisabilities include note takers, sign language

interpreters, priority registration or courses,

extended test time, preerential seating in

classrooms, books on tape, and scribes or

dictation. Each student has unique chal-

lenges. Two people can come in with the

same diagnosis, but they have night-and-day

dierences in what they need, Hagen

explains.

When Hagen frst started,

she provided a lot o the

services hersel, doing

whatever it took to keep

academics accessible orall. Thinking out o the

box, she says, is

essential. Today, student

workers help with many o the services.

Hagen and Dr. Marsha Driscoll, associate

proessor o psychology, developed Prep

School, an innovative program that helps

high school students with disabilities

acclimate to college lie through a weeklong,

on-campus experience. Unortunately, the

program ell victim to the Minnesota

government shutdown this summer when

agency unds used to support participating

students became inaccessible.

Its heartbreaking, says Hagen o the lost

opportunity. One o the things that we had

not anticipated is how the students would

bond and how much that would help them

make a healthier transition to college.

Besides ears o the summer program never

resuming, Hagen is also concerned about

unding cuts that could reduce the number o

students eligible or the services her oce

typically provides during the academic year.

When Kathi Hagens mother lost hervision, many once eortless tasksbecame nearly impossible or her to

accomplish, including knitting. Encouraging

her to keep trying, Hagen replaced the yarn

her mother was using with a sturdier cotton

thread, which made it much easier to eel.

The switch worked.

She knit dishcloths, a pastime that brought

her a lot o joy even though she could hardlysee, Hagen recalls. It just shows that

whatever you want to do, it doesnt have to

be done a certain way.

Hagen brings that spirit to her job every day

as the coordinator o the Disability Services

Ofce at Bemidji State. Instead o looking at

the students disabilities and saying, You

cant, she sees students abilities and fnds

ways to say, You can.

Colleges have provided services or students

with disabilities since the 1970s, but the

passage o the Americans with Disabilities

Act (ADA), eective in 1992, more clearlydefned what services were expected and

who would qualiy. Hagen, with an

undergraduate degree in English and a

masters in behavioral science rom BSU,

stepped into her job in 1993, just as the ADA

opened the doors to allow more academic

opportunities or students with disabilities.

Prior to 1990, students with disabilities

werent really expected to go on to college.

They were seen as less than capable o

doing the work, o not being a good ft,

says Hagen, noting that nothing could be

urther rom the truth. Her students have

graduated and become successul proes-sionals in numerous felds, including a

graduate who has been a Minnesota

legislator or more than a decade.

These students have the potential to do

anything they want, Hagen says. Most o

them are highly motivated. Theyre used to

really working hard. Oten they challenge

other students to keep up because theyre

so ocused.

Vickie Kepler o Cohasset shares her

concerns. I ace my dyslexia every day, but

not on the scale that I do at school, she

says. Kepler, 48, is an environmental studies

major and a proessional landscaper. She

uses books on tape, note takers, and

dedicated quiet rooms or testing where she

can read and think out loud, a technique that

helps her succeed. She appreciates the work

Hagen does, especially with younger

students, who oten lack the know-how to

advocate or themselves. What Kathi does

is amazing. Without people like her, wed

close a lot o doors or capable students.

Je Jones, a 2004 sports management

graduate who has dyslexia, says he valued

the encouragement he ound at BSU, the

smaller classes, accessible proessors, and

especially Hagens support. He saw Hagen

daily or notes, test dictation, and other

services. Kathi helped me get through the

whole college experience, says Jones, who

works or the Roseville Area School District

during the academic year and the Minnesota

Twins during the summer. She would

always take the extra step to make each

student eel appreciated.

Hagens devotion to students permeates her

daily lie, infuencing even her choice o

artwork. A ramed print above her desk reads,

Service is the lieblood o any organization.

She is acutely aware that, or the students her

oce serves, the dream o a college education

is precarious without proper support.

Every day I come to work, I make a

dierence in someones lie, she says o her

role in helping students with disabilities

reach their aspirations. Theres nothing else

Id rather do.

These students have the potential to doanything they want. Most of them are highlymotivated. Theyre used to really working hard

Often they challenge other students to keepup because theyre so focused.


16/32


Today, Haley is studying to become an

educator so she can help dea childrenlearn to their ullest potential and access

the services they need to be successul.

Like Haley, Molly Schendel wants to teach

dea children, although she draws her

inspiration rom the positive experiences

she had growing up dea. She and her

younger brother were born dea, but had

hearing parents who learned to sign. In

third grade, Schendel moved with her

amily to Faribault where she enrolled in

the Minnesota State Academy or the

Dea, a residential school or the dea and

hard o hearing. She describes the schoo

as a place where she elt happy, con-

nected, and independent.

Today, Schendel hopes to teach third or

ourth grade at the academy. It just

seems like the perect time to be involve

in a childs lie, she explains. Its just tha

age when you start learning ast, reading

stories, and developing strong

riendships.

BrEAkiNg THE

futuRe teaCheRs aim to helpdeaf students flouRish

Born hard o hearing, Jackie Haleystruggled not only to learn, butalso to t in. Those around her, rom amily

to classmates, could hear but did not sign.

By ourth grade, she ell behind academi-

cally and elt lonely, isolated, and

rustrated as her hearing slipped away.

Although she could lip-read, she ound it

easier to learn by reading her textbooks

than by relying on her teachers.

It was really tough, Haley recalls. I had

to depend on others; I had to struggle so

much because I didnt have the accommo-

dations that I needed.

The school eventually provided an

interpreter to aid her learning. However,

the isolation continued until, at 14, she

enrolled in a residential high school or the

dea and met others who were culturally

fuent in American Sign Language (ASL).


17/32


Although its sometimes challenging,

Schendel and Haley navigate in the hearingworld and share their lives with their hearing

children, who sign. Haleys husband is also

dea, but Schendels husband hears and

learned to sign ater meeting her. At Bemidji

State, Schendel and Haley depend on

proessional interpreters and sometimes

note takers to help them excel alongside

hearing students. A ew o their hearing

classmates also know how to sign.

When considering what makes BSU a good

place or them, Schendel says, The

teachers, without a doubt. Theyve changed

the person that I am. They believe in me,

communicate with me, and respect me.

Same, Haley adds. The very same.

The two moms balance school, amily, and

separate 160-mile roundtrip commutes to

get to their BSU classes Haley north rom

Big Fork and Schendel east rom Marble.

Despite competing responsibilities, they

remain passionate about teaching.

I really love kids, says Haley, whose oldest

is 16. I have our o them, and they reallyinspire me. I also care about how dea

children learn. Schendel, who has three

children, ages 2-5, adds that she, too, loves

kids and education. I want to make a

dierence or dea kids, Schendel explains.

I want to be a good role model or my

community and put mysel out there.

By becoming teachers, Haley and Schendel

hope to help dea children realize their

potential even in a hearing world.

Jackie hale and Moll scendel ared teirtorie witHorizons ing ign langage,

wic wa tranlated interpreter Katleenyongloom, one of two interpreterworking wit tem at bsu.

Both Haley and Schendel will graduate

rom Bemidji State University in 2012 withelementary education degrees. Haley

wants to teach in northern Minnesota,

preerably in a combined classroom o dea

third, ourth, and fth graders who

otherwise would be placed in hearing

classrooms. She and Schendel say that its

important or dea children to learn ASL,

interact with dea peers, and learn rom

dea teachers whenever possible.

I learned so much more rom the dea

teachers, Haley notes. Their way o

teaching was just easier to understand.

They were more expressive, and I just elt

like I connected better with them.

Schendel agrees, noting that when dea

teachers are not available, dea children

need accommodations to learn. She and

Haley saw this frst-hand when they

recently observed a dea child in a

classroom o hearing kindergartners.

I thought, Oh, great, theyll have services

to meet all o his needs, Schendel recalls.

Then we went into the classroom, and I

couldnt tell which boy was dea. He didnt

have an interpreter. It hit me hard. The

teacher was talking. The boy didnt know

what was being said. The boy would signsomething, and nobody would voice or

him. Schendel also witnessed a social

interaction in which the child was excluded

and misunderstood. It just broke my

heart, Schendel says.

Haley, too, was disheartened. I thought

things had changed, she says. Their BSU

instructor shared their observations with

school ofcials who, according to Schendel,

oered to explore improved services or

the child. Haley and Schendel say there is

no reason or dea children to be let

behind in the classroom.

The teachers, without a doubt.

Theyve changed the person that I am.They believe in me, communicate

with me, and respect me.Molly schendel

WHAT MAKES BSU A GOOD PlACE?


18/32


When Jon McTaggart transerred toBemidji State University as asophomore, he had his sights set on studying

history and political science with designs on

law school. Fortunately or public radio

listeners, his experiences on campus

rekindled a connection with the airwaves and

launched a career devoted primarily to

Minnesota Public Radio and its parent

company, American Public Media Group,

where McTaggart now serves as chie

executive ofcer.

His career interests shited unexpectedly

ater signing up or an elective course in

mass communication. During the class, the

proessor noticed he had aknack or words and recruited

him to write a column or the

campus newspaper. I kind o

backed into it that way,

starting as a history major who

was writing a column or the

Northern Student, he recalls.

McTaggart credits aculty such as Bob

Treuer, Roger Paskvan, and Dr. Roy

Blackwood or taking an active interest in his

success and persuading him to pursue the

mass communication feld. People in our

lives, whether theyre aculty members or

mentors, those who truly make an individualinvestment, can change your lie, observes

the 1983 graduate rom the western

Minnesota community o Campbell. There

have been people in my lie who have

certainly done that or me.

Radio Ready

As a kid, McTaggart watched his dad strap

an AM radio on the John Deere tractor and

listen to it while doing arm chores. Radio

has been my love or a long, long time,

says. From the earliest time I can reme

ber, radio has been magical and importame, so Ive always come back to radio.

Even beore arriving on campus, McTagg

already had worked as a classical music

announcer in Nebraska. Returning to

Minnesota, he was soon hired at Paul Bu

Broadcasting in Bemidji, where he work

everything rom deejay to news writer.

the time he decided to become a mass

communication student, he was radio re

Besides his early radio experiences, it w

the opportunities presented to him by B

aculty that made a lasting imprint on hi

career path.It was an interesting time or the mass

communication department; it was dee

rich in aculty that were energetic and

constantly recruiting and flling their clas

They would challenge me and present m

with some kind o unexpected opportun

and I would take it. Those werent oppo

ties I was creating or mysel.

It wasnt long beore McTaggart was put

his prior radio experience to good use as

news director or BSUs campus station.

radio savvy was also gaining outside

attention. At the behest o his proessor

entered a competition held by the Intern

tional Radio and Television Society, whic

named him among the nations top 25

communication graduates.

McTaggarts frst leap into Minnesota pu

radio also came courtesy o a BSU acult

member.

Fulton Gallagher, rom the music depar

ment, heard there was a classical music

station possibly coming to town, he rec

He stopped me in the hall and said, Wh

havent you applied or that Minnesota

Public Radio job? I had to admit that I ha

given it much thought.

At 23, McTaggart applied or the station

manager position at KCRB in Bemidji. Th

role entailed creating a new station rom

ground up, hiring sta, and building a loc

audience. Much to his surprise, he was

oered the job. Truthully, Im still not s

why they decided to hire me, he admit

It certainly didnt make sense on paper

That early move was the beginning o

McTaggarts long-term relationship with

People in our lives, whether theyrefaculty members or mentors,

those who truly make an individualinvestment, can change your life.

Jon MctaggaRt


gRowing up withpuBliC Radio

on


19/32


public radio, where hes held increasingly

more responsible positions over the years,

rom general manager o MPRs multi-stationgroup in Collegeville to senior vice president

and chie operating ocer to his current

position as chie executive ocer.

When KCRB was built, MPR offered one radio

station in each of eight Minnesota communi-

ties, and that one radio station broadcast a

mixed format of news and information, and

classical music programming, he says. MPR

now has more than 115,000 members;

900,000 people across the state and into

surrounding states listen to our three radio

services each week; and MPRs digital

audience is more than one million each

month.

Through it all, McTaggart has helped guide

MPRs growth into more areas while

expanding its audiences and use o new

technologies. Hes also ocused on maintain-

ing its commitment to the stations mission o

providing act-based, non-partisan news as

well as arts and cultural programming that

inorms and entertains its listeners.

lessons learned

While the bulk o his career has been spent in

public radio, McTaggart took two orays away

rom the airwaves, rst as executive directoror the Reading Rehabilitation Hospital in

Reading, PA, and later as vice president or

advancement and university relations at La

Sierra University in Riverside, CA. Both

experiences oered McTaggart new

challenges, new lessons to learn, and a new

perspective on leadership.

I learned the importance o leadership and

being very intentional about developing who

you are in your eectiveness as a leader, he

notes. Its part o being inormed, being

curious, and being awake in the world.

Now, as McTaggart looks orward to his role

as CEO, he can refect on a career rich with

opportunities.

Ive had the good ortune o great mentors,

great teachers, who have challenged me and

created opportunities or me that I certainly

didnt create or mysel. By taking advantage

o those opportunities, or at least pursuing

them, good things have happened to me.

Ive really been ortunate and blessed.


From the earliest time I can remember,radio has been magical and important to me,

so Ive always come back to radio.


20/32


Each year, hundreds o Bemidji StateUniversity alumni exercise their civicduty by serving as commissioners, sheris,mayors, councilors, and school board

members throughout the country. While

statewide and national races grab major

headlines, the democratic process is

requently elt most acutely when voters are

asked to choose among local-election

candidates whom they know personally as

neighbors and riends.

While this multi-layered and ragmented

system is not always the most efcient, it

does create a process that intimately links

citizens with their government, says Dr. Pat

Donnay, Bemidji State

University proessor opolitical science, as he

talks about the

countrys 85,000 local

governments. The

system creates a need or riends, neighbors,

amily members, or ourselves to step up and

become elected ofcials.

Donnay holds locally elected ofcials in high

esteem, especially in todays environment

where personal lives are closely scrutiniz

instant communication can divert attenti

rom real issues, and the political processoten viewed cynically. One has to be

willing to accept considerable responsibi

or making decisions regarding public

concerns where, in many cases, you get

little in return, he notes o the job that p

little and demands much. The motivatio

serve has to come rom a strong civic

commitment. Fortunately, in most locale

those people still emerge as leaders.

In Bemidji, three BSU graduates comprise

hal o the towns city council. These

councilors Ron Johnson, Roger Hellquist

and Rita Albrecht share more than degr

rom the University. Besides throwing thehats into local campaigns, all are actively

involved in area organizations, and each

was encouraged to run or ofce by othe

in the community.

Ron Johnson, Ward 3

From Bemidji, Johnson earned his visual

degree in 1975 and worked in graphic des

and marketing beore returning home in

1979 to join the sta o Lakeland Public

The system creates a need or riends,neighbors, amily members, or ourselves tostep up and become elected ofcials.

The Link

beTween ciTizensand Their

governmenT


21/32


Television, where he is now design and

promotion manager. For 15 years, he also

independently produced concerts eaturing

nationally known entertainers.

In 1996, the citys mayor at the time asked

Johnson to serve on an ad hoc committee

to explore the potential o an events

center. Ater hundreds o meetings,

numerous votes, and a very public debate,

the Bemidji Regional Event Center opened

with a ribbon cutting ceremony in 2010.

Renamed the Sanord Center, the regional

acility is now home to Beaver hockey as

well as a venue or concerts, trade shows,conerences, and special events such as

commencement exercises.

The event center was a big reason,

Johnson remembers o his 2000 run or

city council. I elt the city needed to grow.

The council needs to be visionary and

partner with businesses, the school district,

the county, and the University.

By tracking attendance at the concerts he

promoted, Johnson knew that over 75

percent o ticket holders came rom

outside the Bemidji area, ortiying his

belie that a acility could improve theregions hospitality industry. Yet, Johnson

served a decade on the city council beore

other elected city ofcials were also

convinced o an event centers potential.

Johnson currently serves as the councils

representative on the Sanord Centers

advisory committee as well as the Airport

Authority, the public aairs committee, the

Greater Bemidji Area Joint Planning Board,

and the Headwaters Regional Develop-

ment Commission (HRDC). He also

represents Bemidji on the Coalition o

Greater Minnesota Cities, a statewide

lobbying group or which he is secretary.

Sometimes you have activists who are on

the ar let and right, so you dont have any

way o coming together, says Johnson,

who is the longest sitting member o the

current council. I think 80 percent o

people are in the middle. My theme is

collaboration. You have to see a lot o

give-and-take.

Roger Hellquist, Ward 2

The direction o Hellquist s uture changed

dramatically in 1981 when he was hit by a

car while cycling. Originally rom Thie River

Falls, he grew up in Hibbing and moved to

Bemidji in 1977 to work as an electrician.

Injuries rom the accident orced him to

pursue a dierent career, which started

when he earned an industrial technology

degree rom Bemidji State in 1985. Ater

several years in manuacturing manage-

ment and industry development, he

returned to Bemidji in 1997 as the general

manager o Search Resources, a ull-servicestafng business that specializes in

securing, training, and supervising

employees or clients.

Hellquist was a member o the planning and

zoning commission or 10 years when the

inclination to run or public ofce ully

blossomed. In 2002, he earned a seat on the

city council and is second only to Johnson in

length o service among the current

councilors.

I always elt you needed to be part o

something i youre going to help in

progress, Hellquist explains o his reasonsto seek a council seat. You want to be a

productive member o society, and this was

a place where I could apply my skills and

not be into politics ull time.

As a councilor, he applies his skills in several

areas, including exploring downtown

development, resolving rental issues as part

o the Quality Neighborhood Initiative,

working with the Jaycees, and sitting on the

revolving loan committee, which provides

short-term fnancing or economic develop-

ment. He cites the councils work in promot-

ing public saety and the regions ambiance as

top priorities or a healthy community.

People have to eel sae and comortable

in the city, and I want to make sure we have

an adequate number owell-trained police

and frefghters, Hellquist notes.

Rita Albrecht, Ward 4

Albrechts frst attempt at a BSU degree was

diverted in 1979 when she decided to

concentrate on raising a amily and

operating the Bemidji A&W with her

husband. When the business sold in 1998,

the Big Falls native returned to campus,

earning both social studies and geography

degrees in 2001.

Although she taught or a while, Albrecht

ound her uture emanating rom the

geography major, where she had ocused

on planning. She switched career paths in

2005, working or the city o Bemidji and

then the Headwaters Regional Develop-

ment Commission (HRDC) in planning,

grant writing, and development capacities.

In 2011, she began perorming similar tasksas a planner and developer or the Leech

Lake Band o Ojibwe.

Like Johnson and Hellquist, Albrecht was

encouraged to run or public ofce by

people she knew through her involvement

in local organizations and nonprofts. Ater

a successul 2010 all campaign, she was

one o two new council members seated

last January.

I ound that the customer service and

organizational skills I had rom running a

restaurant added value to my planning and

development work, Albrecht says o herimpetus to run. Having experience on

boards, I elt I was boots on the street, had

a eel or what was going on, and could be

a more inormed voice on the council.

She uses that voice by representing the

council in regional library aairs, tourism

promotion, and economic development.

She remains active in other organizations,

including the BSU alumni board.

One o her priorities is sustainable

development on two ronts. Its important

to show leadership on community

development and economic develop-ment, she observes. The frst is the stu

that makes a community a great place to

live, whether thats schools, parks, good

shopping, nice roads, or housing. Economic

development encompasses the jobs and

drivers that make community develop-

ment possible. They go hand

in glove.


22/32


When passion

anD professionmeeT

THE


23/32


{ continued on next page }

time studying in the library and ound that

the schools resources exceeded her

expectations.My amily was very provincial about

schools, she notes. They hadnt heard o

the city o Bemidji much less the college. I

learned i you have a good college library,

and you have good proessors who care

about learning, you can attend a small,

local college and get a ne education.

The Thrill of the Hunt

Her hard work paid o. She was accepted

into the University o Minnesota Medical

School ater graduating rom Bemidji State

in 1974. Ater a residency in Minneapolis

and a colon-rectal ellowship in Dallas, TX,McCarthy landed in private practice in New

Orleans, a region o the country where she

has fourished. Since beginning her

practice, she has been named among the

citys outstanding physicians by New

Orleans Magazine.

She has also rekindled her childhood

passion or horseback riding and ox

hunting skills learned rom her grand-

mother and great aunt who owned a arm

in Massachusetts where she vacationed as

a child. I grew up with horses, loving them

and enjoying them. I was horse crazybeore I became boy crazy, she says.

Fox hunting was always the sport that I

loved because it takes you outside, she

adds. Youre on a horse; youre working

with dogs and understanding how wild

animals unction. It is not competitive, but

exhilarating and enthralling and exhausting.

Born and raised in Manhattan, NY,where her amily had lived or threegenerations, Dr. Hildy McCarthy was acareree teenager in the 1960s who nearly

funked out o Vassar College ater two

years. At 24, she married an Episcopal

minister and ollowed him to a mission

church on the Leech Lake Indian Reserva-

tion. Although her career path had been

unclear, she began to sense a need or

direction and discovered that Bemidji State

University could be the steppingstone to

ullling her aspirations i, with her prior

academic record, the college would

admit her.

Today, McCarthy works as a colon and rectal

surgeon in New Orleans, LA, where shespracticed or nearly 30 years. She also

pursues a passion or horses on her

300-acre equestrian arm outside o the city.

Bemidji brought me back a sense o

mysel, she refects. When I was nishing

high school and my rst years at Vassar,

I was very directionless and really my

greatest interest was riends and parties

and having un.

A Direction Emerges

While living in Minnesotas north woods,

McCarthy began to plot a course to what

seemed almost unattainable at the time

medical school and interviewed at

Bemidji State, the only university within

commuting distance o the reservation.

Here I was, a young woman who had

funked out o Vassar, hoping to reapply

mysel and get accepted at medical school,

she refects. I didnt even breathe the

surgeon word as it sounded too much

like hubris.

BSUs dean o admissions was skeptical o

her loty goal to take pre-med classes,

especially ater perusing her dismal Vassar

records. She was nally admitted provision-ally with a stern warning that poor academic

perormance would lead to a quick exit. So I

started mapping out what I would have to

OFA LiFETiME

dr.hil

dy

mcArthy

ona

Fox

hunt

Fox hunting was always the sport that I loved becauseit takes you outside. Youre on a horse; youre working

with dogs and understanding how wild animalsfunction. It is not competitive, but exhilarating andenthralling and exhausting.

do, and I just proceeded to do it, she says

o her newly chosen path. And I loved it.

With new direction, motivation, and the

support o the aculty, McCarthy thrived at

Bemidji. She spent most o her non-class

dR. hildy McaRthy


24/32

22 | HORIZONS Bemidji State University22 | HORIZONS Bemidji State University

There are so many people in the last 20years that Ive been able to help expose to

the sport. Thats not what most people thinkof as community service, but in a sense it is.

Its sharing the things you love with othersand hoping they enjoy it as much as you do.

O

McCarthy and her current husband beganhunting in Jackson, MS, with the Chula Homa

Hunt, the nearest pack o oxhounds to New

Orleans. The couple now makes the

three-hour drive with their horses nearly

every weekend to the hunt, where she

serves as master o oxhounds.

In 1989, McCarthy turned her passion into a

business and a tangible way to give back to

the community shes come to love. She and

her husband purchased Lagniappe Eques-

trian Center north o Folsom, LA. The arm

boards horses, oers riding lessons, and

hosts events. The arms biggest show,

Jumpin into June, is a three-day, charityevent showcasing more than 150 equestrians

and their horses in hunter-jumper competi-

tions. The weekend also eatures a silent

auction with prots going to support local

causes.

McCarthy sees her arm as a place where the

community can come to experience the sport

she has loved since childhood. There are so

many people in the last 20 years that Ive

been able to help expose to the sport, she

says. Thats not what most people think o

as community service, but in a sense it is. Its

sharing the things you love with others and

hoping they enjoy it as much as you do.

Striking a BalanceNow 64, McCarthy has reduced her

practice, which gives her more time with

the horses. She splits her residence

between a home in New Orleans and a

house the couple built on the arm our

years ago. I can look out the window and

see the horses grazing, and theres a pond

right below the house where the horses

go and splash around, she describes.

Although shes ound more time to be on

her arm and to make return trips to the

amily arm in Massachusetts, the active

surgeon is not looking to leave the

operating room completely, at least or

now. Ive cut back at this point to what is

very comortable, she says. I my health

stays with me, and my mental health as

well, I would like to continue working the

way I am until Im 72.

Until that time, McCarthy continues

enjoying success proessionally and

personally, striking a perect balance

between her two primary passions.

I think they complement each other

because theyre so dierent, she says.

I wouldnt want to do just one o them.

McCarthy continues to refect on her shorttime at Bemidji with gratitude. Bemidji

had everything I needed, says McCarthy,

acknowledging that the school set her

on a path to success.

THE


25/32


ThE

UPCOMing alUMni EVEnTS

Bemidji Area Aumni Gof Outing Maple Ridge Golf Course, BemidjiSunday, September 18

Homecoming 2011 FridaySunday, October 79

Aumni leaders in the Cassroom Thursday-Friday, October 67

Aumni & Foundation Honors Gaa Sanford Center Ballroom, BemidjiFriday, October 7

Footba Aumni WeekendFriday-Saturday, October 1415

Mens Hockey Aumni Weekend Friday-Saturday, December 910Athetic Ha of Fame Weekend Friday-Saturday, February 1011

MMEA BSU Aumni Reception, Minneapolis, Friday, February 17

218-755-3989 or 1-877-278-2586 (toll free)

[email protected]

www.bsualumni.org

Contact the Alumni Ofce to register or events or or more inormat

Elaine M. Baldrica 79, Excelsior, MNBeverly A. (Burau) Balowe 57, Sacramento, CAJohn M. Bilyard 70, Eagan, MN

Mary K. Bissell 68, Eau Claire, WIMerle Blank 57, Oak Ridge, TNTerence M. Boben 72 , Walker, MNElizabeth A. (Bender) Boquist 66, Northome, MNMaurine V. (Van Winkle) Boyd 49, Kingwood, TXLowell V. Braaten 64, Aurora, MNDonald D. Dorn 50, Bemidji, MNDan W. Dorsey 66, Minneapolis, MNDeloris (MacKie) Engevik 71, Gatzke, MNDale A. Ewanchuk 74, Rimbey, ABErma V. (Hamren) Feriancek 61, Nisswa, MNMarc T. Fuller 77, Minneapolis, MNDennis J. Gravelle 69, Remer, MNBernice A. (Brekke) Hanson 81, Erskine, MNLoretta Heim 50, San Diego, CAChester O. Hodgon 32, Chatsworth, CAHoward Hoganson 70, Winter, WIDonald E. Holycross 48, Waite Park, MN

Lois (Razee) Ittner 50, Bemidji, MNJoan G. Jaakkola 74, St. Cloud, MNLydia (Sirotiak) Jackson 65, Grand Rapids, MNChristine E. Janda, Wilber, NEVesta Q. Kerns 46, Bemidji, MNCaroline E. (West) Knutson 33, Sterling Heights, MILee R. Kofstad 97, East Grand Forks, MNDee J. (Rose) Koskela 69, Cloquet, MNThomas R. Lapp 59, Bemidji, MNPhilip E. Larson 65, Cloquet, MNScott R. Lindholm 78, Prior Lake, MNRalph W. Lovering 70, Minnetonka, MNGary A. Luoma 66, Grand Rapids, MNJulie E. (Raisch) Lyga 88, Clear Lake, WIIona B. (Way) McDonald 70, Scottsdale, AZElaine J. (Peterson) McMartin 52, Winona, MNDonald W. Meacham 59, Bemidji, MNGlenda T. (Tuck) Mechtel 94, Bemidji, MNMavis L. (Gates) Mower 38, Monroe, WADonna J. (Nelson) Nathe 69, Mesa, AZArnold D. Nellis 68, Aurora, MNCindy L. (Buckingham) Nelson 93, Grand Rapids, MNOlga A. (Hulteen) Peterson 60, Clearbrook, MNBrian D. Phelps, Brainerd, MNWallace E. Rutkowski 55, St. Paul, MNTerence W. Salo 67, Hastings, MNCynthia Sandstedt 72, Virginia, MNLarry C. Schaar 66, Deer River, MNHoward Schuett 82, Grand Forks, NDIone O. (Bjorge) Seastrand 34, St. Paul, MNDavid A. Smith 72, Bemidji, MNGeraldine R. Smith 89, Bemidji, MNDonna M. Sorheim 62, Bemidji, MNDouglas L. Stern 80, Bemidji, MNKathleen E. (Geving) Sturre 78, St. Paul, MN

Barbara R. Swentkofske 80, Grand Rapids, MN

FETiME


26/32


has been hired by Western Plains Consulting

(WPC) to work in the areas o natural resources,

wetlands, and related projects. He previously

worked with the Natural Resource Conservation

Service o the US Department o Agriculture and

with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.

WPC is an environmental, natural resources, and

regulatory services consulting rm headquar-tered in Bismarck, ND, where Schuett now

resides ...Josh Harvey is the new publisher

o BigRedReport.com, a website and maga-

zine covering University o Nebraska athlet-

ics. BigRedReportis produced by Scout.com

and FoxSports, where Harvey has worked or

three years. His previous assignments included

covering athletics at Texas Christian University,

Southern Methodist University, the University o

Texas, and the University o Iowa. Harvey lives

in Fort Worth, TX.

06Andy Browers o Minneapolis wasa cast member or the produc-tion o Shakespeares The Winter s Tale at the

Guthrie Theater last all. As an actor, he has also

appeared onstage proessionally at the Paul

Bunyan Playhouse in Bemidji and the Long Lake

Theater in Hubbard. This summer, he directed

and acted in the classic arceArsenic and Old

Lace at the Long Lake Theater, where he also

perormed in the musical The Last Resort

and Neil Simons Brighton Beach Memoirs ...

Jill Tollefson is an event planner or Holland

America, where she specializes in entertainment

on cruise ships. Her job entails coordinating and

supervising singers, dancers, musicians, guest

entertainers, stage technicians, and broadcasters

in a troupe o 50-70 people on each cruise. In

2006, while on a BSU internship in Australia, shestarted down her career path as an entertain-

ment sta member with a Norwegian cruise

line. A year later, she joined Holland America,

which has 15 ships in its feet. Her assignments

have taken her to Alaska, Mexico, the Bahamas,

the Caribbean, Central America, along the US

eastern seaboard, Canada, and the Baltic. While

her permanent address is Springeld, she thinks

o her current ship as home.

05Josh Smith is a business ocer atBorder State Bank in Thie River Falls.Previously a business account underwriter or

Federated Insurance, he will be relocating rom

Dodge Center to the Thie River Falls area ...

Nicole Candace ( Joy) Eck is a special education

teacher at Red Lake Elementary School. She and

her husband, Michael, live in Bemidji and are

expecting their rst child this all.

04Heather (Hoffman) and Marty Hu-meniuk (03) continue to live in Owa-tonna with their three children. Heather teaches

sixth- through twelth-grade English in Faribault,

while Marty is an agency management specialist

at Selective Insurance.

Note: Towns are ocatedin Minnesota unessotherwise noted. Aumninames appear in bod.

Send your information [email protected] ca to free: 1-877-BSU-AlUM.

Class noTes11Chad Gunderson has been hired by theLeech Lake Brewing Company, a new

brewery that opened last all in Walker. The

company produces seven British-style ales with

distribution in local bottle shops and taverns.

Gunderson lives in Bemidji ...Justin Roue is the

newest addition to the Fosston Police Depart-

ment. Roue is rom Fosston.

10Deborah Heltzer married HowardWalstein last January in Bemidji. Thebride works three days a week at Teaching

Temps, a substitute teaching service in the Twin

Cities, and drives to Bemidji two days each

week to teach special education online through

Edvisions, based out o Henderson. The groom

owns a DJ business in St. Louis Park, where the

couple resides ...Josh Zaborowski o St. Cloud

has been hired as a TRiO Upward Bound advisor

at Central Lakes College, which has campuses in

Brainerd and Staples. Zaborowski worked with

the BSU Upward Bound Program or three years

as a tutor-mentor.

09Greg Moon married KeriAnne Mauchlast December in Puerto Rico. Thebride and groom are employed at Northern

Pines Mental Health Center in Brainerd, where

the couple resides ... Sarah Kluge returned home

to Machesney Park, IL, to pursue a degree in

massage therapy. Ater graduating in June, she

intends to return to Minnesota to begin her pro-

essional career ... Dieter Kurzweg has moved

to Germany to become a certied brewer. Since

arriving in Europe, he has completed a one-year

internship at a brewpub and soon will be start-

ing a two-year apprenticeship with a regional

brewer and a short internship with a malting

company. He lives in Fulda, Germany.

08Andrew Burford has joined theBemidji Police Department. Originallyrom Bagley, Burord was a policeman in Pike

Bay Township near Cass Lake or two years

beore joining the Bemidji orce ... Christian

Feichtinger o Burnsville is a diamond and

custom design specialist with the Jay F. Jeweler

Company in Apple Valley. Feichtinger, who

completed additional studies at the Gemological

Institute o America, works at the business with

his ather and brother.

07Carly Melin was elected to the Min-

nesota House o Representatives in February. A

Democrat, Melin won the House 5B seat during

a special election to ll a vacancy created when

the incumbent was named commissioner o the

Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board.

Melin, who once worked as a sta member at

the Minnesota State Legislature, is a Hibbing

lawyer employed by the Minnesota State

Judiciary to conduct research or judges in the

northeast region o the state ... Patrick Schuett


27/32


{ continued on next page }

03Paige (Ross) Fromm is the creativedirector at Walters Publishing in NorthMankato. She has been heavily involved with

creating and releasing a new, browser-based,

yearbook design program called Pictavo. The

program includes templates, advanced page lay-

out options, project management, organizational

tools, and other eatures or users to employwhen producing yearbooks or other publications.

She lives in Waterville with her husband, Je ...

Aaron larson purchased the Westwood Building

Center in Bagley, becoming the third generation

o his amily to own and operate the lumberyard

and home store. Ater graduating rom BSU, he

began working in the eld with Tiaga Construc-

tion in Bemidji and worked at Westwood or our

years beore buying the business. He and his

wie, Heidi (01), have three children and live in

Bagley.

02Teresa Strong o Orr is the superin-tendent or St. Louis County Schools,which is geographically the largest school district

in Minnesota with campuses in Saginaw, Babbitt,

Iron, Cook, Cotton, Orr, and Tower. She previ-

ously was the superintendent and principal o

Nett Lake Elementary School and has experience

in Early Childhood Family Education as well as

special education. Strongs new school district

serves 1,900 students ...Joshua Parks o Min-

neapolis is employed as a senior design model

maker by WhiteBoard Product Solutions in Eden

Prairie. The 20-year-old rm provides industrial

design, engineering, prototyping, new venture

solutions, and graphic design to clients ranging

rom Target to 20th Century Fox.

01lani (Krueger) Grafeman has been

named Minnesotas Big Sister o the

Year. A paraproessional at Big Lake Middle

School, she began volunteering as a Big Sister

in 1998 while a BSU student and has continued

to aect the lives o young girls since that time.

Ater graduation, Graelman worked or the

Big Brother/Big Sister Program and moved to

Big Lake two years ago with her husband, Paul

...Jennifer (Shaner) Graber and her husband,

Chris, celebrated the arrival o their second child.

The amily lives in Dayton ... Jay Ross has been

promoted to principal with the accounting and -

nancial advising rm LarsonAllen. Ross has more

than nine years experience in public accounting,

specializing in health care. He ocuses on tax,

audit, and consulting services to physicians and

medical groups. His oce is in Brainerd, where

he lives with his wie, Jessi ... Becky (Zimmer)

larson and her husband Tony announced the

March birth o their third daughter. Becky is a

stay-at-home mom, while Tony is a territory

manager or Otis Elevator. The amilys home is

in Grand Rapids.

00Miranda (Causen) Anderson hasbeen named the marketing andpublic relations director or Essentia Health Cen-

tral Region, which includes St. Josephs Medical

Center in Brainerd as well as eight clinics and

specialty areas. Anderson previously worked or

Lyngblomsten Care Facilities, the Russell Herder

marketing rm, Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit

Union, and, most recently, the Brainerd Lakes

Chamber o Commerce. She and her husband,

Charles, reside in Merrield.

99Nick Hudson o White Bear Lake was

recently on the season nale and

reunion show o the MTV program, I Used to

be Fat. A personal trainer, Hudson was paired

with a Faribault teen on the prime-time show

that ollowed them through a summer o tness

training. His student lost 30 pounds over the

summer and an additional 20 ater she started

college. Hudson moved back to Minnesota ater

exploring modeling, acting, and television op-

portunities in Caliornia. He and two colleagues

recently opened Success Boot Camp, a program

that eatures high-intensity circuit classes

combined with cardio and weight training. He

now calls St. Paul home ... Norm Gaant took

over as activities director at Wadena-Deer Creek

High School just two days beore a tornado

demolished the acility in 2010. All sports and

activities still started on time and the Wolverines

volleyball team won the Minnesota Class AA

title in the all. He and his wie, Mandy (John-

son, 99) live in Wadena.

98 Jonathan Oson has joined LarsonAl-len as a manager in construction andreal estate tax services, where he has 11 years

o experience. He currently works between the

companys oces in Alexandria, St. Cloud, and

Hudson, WI. He and his wie, Katy, are planning

to relocate their amily to the Alexandria area

... Torrey Westrom presided over a session o

the Minnesota House o Representatives and

became the rst blind person ever to serve

as Speaker Pro Tempore in the states history.

Westrom, a Republican, was elected in District

2A and is serving his eighth term in the Minne-

sota House. From Elbow Lake, he is a lawyer and

small business owner.

97Gus Booth was a guest speaker atthe River o Lie Church in Cambridge.Booth presented a aith-based message in a

humorous and non-traditional ormat during

the service. Pastor o the Warroad Community

Church or over 10 years, he lives in Warroad

with his wie, Winter, and their our children ...

Tandy Bowman is ounding director o ServantHearts, a nonprot organization that sponsors

programs and projects or marginalized and

at-risk youth and adults. Founded in 2004, the

organization helps individuals embrace their

own diversity while providing education, support

programs, and spiritual encouragement or oth-

ers to grow in their understanding and support

o diversity throughout greater Minnesota. Ater

graduating rom BSU, she was the booking

and touring manager or Zambian a Cappella in

Texas beore returning to Minnesota, where she

owned and operated an adult oster care home.

She then acilitated refective music program-

ming at a long-term care acility. A pianist,

vocalist, and guitarist who recorded her rst

CD in 2007, Bowman lives in Bemidji with her

partner, Cathy Perry.

96

Dr. Anita Grace has been hired as

the superinten

bsu horizons - 2011 - fall

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