Vol. 3 Issue 8 Fresh news every day at www.rocky.edu September 2008

Rocky Now: Keeping our friends and supporters informed aboutwhat’s new and exciting at Rocky Mountain College

R O C K Y N O W

It’s all about our studentsWhen you help

support RockyMountainCollege, youknow your con -tribution makesa difference.ChristaSalomon, ourfeatured studentthis month, is aclear example ofwhat makes ourstudents excep -tional.

Christa Salomon can sing both soprano and alto,but likes soprano better because “I like hitting thehigh notes.”

Hitting the high notes is an apt description foreverything Christa does. On the dean’s honor list,she maintains a 3.8 GPA while majoring in musicperformance and accounting. She is on the cheer-leading squad, sings in the RMC choir, and holdsdown a work study job with Admissions. She per-forms with the Rimrock Opera Company.

Her singing achievement also earned her asummer trip to Bulgaria with the RMC Choir.She hopes she'll win a role in a musical RMCwill present next year.

“That definitely is something I hope all thisexperience helps with,” she said.

Christa grew up on a dairy farm in Ronan,Montana, and liked the personal closeness of herschool and community. She wanted that to contin-ue into college, and RMC fit the bill.

“I like that I can walk to class, walk to work,walk to get groceries. I like knowing everyoneand having everyone know me. I also liked thatRocky was close enough to my home that I cango there when I need to, but not too close,” shesaid.

She won't have to go far for her graduatedegree.

“Rocky offers a master’s in accountancy andI'll be happy to earn it where I did my undergradwork.”

Whatever Christa decides to do, it’s almostcertain she'll continue hitting those high notes.

Photo: Dave M. Shumway, RMCstaff

Christa Salom serves as amember of the RMC cheersquad.

Image rendition: Brandon Templeton, RMC studentFor the first time in RMC’s aviation program, a sponsoring logo will be featured onone of RMC’s aircraft. The logo is to recognize a $100,000 gift from John (Jack) B.Mowell, president of Mowell Investment Group and chairman of the board of EMSTechnologies. Mr. Mowell’s gift helped retire debt on the twin-engine Piper Seminole(which, because Mr. Mowell is a Florida State Seminole fan, makes the choice ofplane a happy coincidence). The logo will be officially unveiled at a special ceremo-ny at the RMC aviation flight operations hangar on Sept. 24, 2008. Following theunveiling, there will be a reception at 5 p.m. in the Great Room of Prescott Hall forMr. Mowell, who resides in Tallahassee, Florida, and also owns a ranch in Montana.

From vacation packages for resorts in Montana,like Bigfork Bay, to a tropical excursion to SouthSeas Tower on Marcos Island, the opportunity tobid on a great getaway is only one of the highlightsfor this year’s Black Tie Blue Jeans.

The 21st year of the annual scholarship benefitpromises the always tasty gourmet dinner, the fun-for-all-ages music of the Midlife Chryslers, and an

(More BTBJ, please turn page)

BTBJ auction: Vacations, great art

Bear painting by Carol Hagan

Airborne logo acknowledges donor

BLACK TIE BLUE JEANS SCHOLARSHIP BENEFIT

FRIDAY, NOV. 7 6:30 P.M.Billings Hotel and Convention Center ❚ Music by

Midlife Chryslers ❚ Gourmet Dinner ❚ Silent and LiveAuctions

2008 Honorary ChairsBarb Skelton & Paul Gatzemier

Tuesday, Sept. 23ALUMNI ASSOCIATION WINE TASTING: 5:30 p.m.in the Great Hall. Featuring California winesfor under $20 per bottle. $10 per person.Light appetizers. Tickets available at thedoor.

Thursday, Sept. 25RECEPTION FOR JOHN B. MOWELL: 5 p.m.,Great Room, Prescott Hall.

Saturday, Sept. 27HABITAT FOR HUMANITY VOLUNTEER DAY: Joinlocal alums and other volunteers to help builda simple, decent, affordable home for a fami-ly in need. Lunch will be provided to all vol-unteers. To sign up, call Heather Nitz, RMCalumni director, at 406.657.1007.

Friday - SundayOct. 3 - 5

1 9 8 0S CL A S S E S RE U N I O N: This RMCHomecoming we expect 150-200 alumni fromthe classes of the 1980s for tailgate party,football game, cocktails at the Granary, anice cream social in Fraley, Octoberfest atBones Brewery for brats and beer. Fordetails, contact Heather Nitz, RMC alumnidirector, at 406.657.1007.

Monday & TuesdayOct. 6 - 7

RMC FO U RT H AN N U A L SY M P O S I U M O N

RE L I G I O N A N D CU LT U R E: 7- 9 p.m. inLosekamp Hall. Free and public lectures andpanel discussion, first-come-first-seated. Thisyear’s theme: Religion and Politics. Therewill also be a clergy lunch Oct. 7. For moreinformation, contact Dr. Elizabeth McNamer,1.406.657.1076.

www.rocky.edu for details on RMC events

BTBJ/ from front pageevening of greeting old friends and meetingnew ones. Top it off with the silent and liveauction, and the gala event is always a bar-gain and a feel good time to help RMC stu-dents. “The auction items include trips to Floridaand Hawaii. There's a vacation to DollyParton country near Gatlinburg, Tenn. andexclusive accommodations at the RainierClub in Seattle,” said Shari VanDelinder,RMC director of development. “It's exciting

to see what great trips we have available.”As always there will also be great art on theauction block. Among the artists representedthis year are Bill Rains, Carol Hagan, BillLarson, Harry Koyama and Kevin Redstar.

To see some of the auction items, visitwww.blacktiebluejeans.com.

Tickets are available by contacting Shari at1.800.877.6259 ext. 1173 or 1.406.657.1173or by emailing vandelis@rocky.edu.

Bill Larson bronze relief

Coming Up

Photo: Dave M. Shumway, RMC staffRMC President Mike Mace, Capstone Wealth Management’s Nick Cladis and Sam E.McDonald, Jr., Chairman, We n d y ’s of Montana, enjoy a moment during the RMCPhilanthropist of the Year reception at Prescott Hall. Mr. Cladis (center, above) accepted thisyear’s award on behalf of the Fortin Foundation. Mr. McDonald (above, right) was the firstrecipient of the award in 2006.

Fortin Family Foundation honored

Inducted into RMC Athletic Hall of FameJerry Dolar and John Fagan, (photo, l-r )were

inducted into the Rocky Mountain College ClaraKlindt Hall of Fame on Sept. 6.

The two were honored at an informal receptionSept. 5 in the Herb and Clara Klindt Hall of Fameroom in the Fortin Center. They were also recog-nized at halftime of Saturday’s football game,before being officially inducted that same nightduring a banquet in the Bair Family StudentCenter.

Fagan, a 1965 graduate who now divides histime between Mesquite, Nev., and Butte, partici-pated in basketball, baseball and track at Rocky.Dolar, of Salem, Ore., was a four-year starter atquarterback for the Battlin' Bears from 1974-77.Photo: Dave M. Shumway, RMC staff