spring 2012

SPRING 2012

The MaGazINe

2 WWW.SIMPSON.eDU/MaGazINe

It’s a world of laughter, a world of tearsIt’s a world of hopes; it’s a world of fear.

There’s so much that we shareThat it’s time we’re aware.It’s a small world after all.1

ith all due credit to Sherman and Sherman (and Walt Disney), it is a small world. Improvements in transportation, communication and in the use of technology have, as Tom Friedman described in his best-selling book, made the world flat.2 At Simpson we are

constantly challenged to understand and prepare our students for success in a rapidly changing and more intimate global context.

A few years ago, while visiting Tahiti to help establish our Study Abroad program with l’Université de Polynésie française (The University of French Polynesia), I was reminded of just how flat the world had become. While taking a tour of the campus, I happened to glance at the weekly menu posted outside of the student center. My limited ability to read French kept me from knowing what was on the menu, but I clearly recognized the name of the food service provider — the same company that we used at Simpson College. Our students would be learning in a most exotic environment, but with a clear reminder that the world is more interconnected and smaller than ever before.

Our new engaged citizenship curriculum has a sharp focus on helping our students build the competitive skills necessary to live, work and learn in a more intimate world. You will find our commitment to providing students with these skills reflected everywhere on campus. Our foreign language department, for example, has been redefined as the Department of World Language and Culture Studies to better communicate how we work with students to help them bridge cultural differences, analyze the global context of issues and effectively communicate within other cultures.

Nothing has a more profound impact on our students, however, than the experience of studying in another country. Not long ago, U.S. News and World Report named Simpson as one of the top 100 institutions in the country based upon the percentage of our students who study abroad. It is a component of their education we strongly support and encourage. There is simply no way to match the experience of living in a country and experiencing a different culture. It can, and often does, change a student’s life and outlook. And that knowledge gives Simpson students a decided advantage in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace.

The global environment touches us all. At Simpson, we are working to ensure that our students are equipped not only to participate in, but also to lead our world into the future. So join us on our virtual trip around the world as you read about how Simpson is preparing students for big opportunities in a world that seems to get smaller and flatter with each passing day.

President

Global perspective

| pres ident ’s message

1 It’s a Small World (After All); Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman; 1964.

2 The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century; Thomas L. Friedman; Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2005.

The MaGazINe | SPRING 2012 3

contents

15

10

The Magazine

Simpson College PresidentJohn Byrd

Produced by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations

Jill Ramthun Johnson ’85Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations

Leslie Byars Diehl ’03Art Director

Ken FusonMarketing Writer/Media Specialist

Greg VotavaDigital Content Specialist

amanda Leichty ’10Graphic Designer

Bryan Geelan ’07Athletics Communication Director

Oscar PreisWeb Development Specialist

Mary FortuneAdministrative Assistant

Jenifer Mertes Welch ’12Copy Center Manager

Touring the Years EditorSara Thompson

Contributing WritersKen Fuson

Bryan Geelan ’07Leslie Midget held ’86

Jill Ramthun Johnson ’85Rosemary LinkBen Lucas ’12

Ben Rodgers ’15Fritz Wehrenberg

PhotographyLuke Behaunek

Leslie Byars Diehl ’03Dave Peterson

Greg Votava

Office of Alumni RelationsLeslie Midget held ’86

Director515-961-1544

Office of College AdvancementBob Lane ’81Vice President515-961-1549

25 aThLeTICS

28 UPCOMING eVeNTS

30 eXTRa!- homecoming & Family Weekend- Symposium - The Carver Legacy

34 TOURING The YeaRS

6 INVeSTING IN SIMPSON

7 FaCULTY PURSUITS- Pat Singer- Where are They Now?- Faculty accomplishments

10 a SIMPSON SPaCe

12 ChaPLaIN’S CORNeR

15 COVeR STORY experience the World!

25

ON THE COVER: We turned some of your submitted Study Abroad photographs into postcards to show the diversity of people and places represented by Simpson’s international study opportunities. Visit www.simpson.edu/magazine to view more photos.

The Simpson magazine is published by the Office of Marketing and Public Relations. Letters to the Editor and story ideas are welcomed. Send correspondence to [email protected]


OPening NEW DOORS

or Jorie Landers ’12, the Study Abroad experience didn’t end when she left Thailand.

She’s working this semester as an intern at the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants in Des Moines.

“To be honest, the internship sort of just fell into my lap this past summer,” said Landers, 21, of Sioux City. “I received an email from the internship coordinator announcing the opportunity … I probably wouldn’t have given it a second glance had I not spent my semester in Thailand.”

While studying in Thailand, Landers visited a refugee camp filled with people from Burma.

How small is today’s world? She now works with some of those refugees in Des Moines.

“My internship has given me the opportunity to work with people from all over Burma, those who sought refuge in various places, such as Nepal, Malaysia and even Thailand,” she said. “I have even met a few people who lived in the refugee camp that I was able to visit while studying abroad.”

Landers said she didn’t know that would be the case when she accepted the internship.

“I undoubtedly feel like my time in Thailand prepared me more for this internship than I could have predicted, and my time studying abroad definitely gave me an upper hand in the application and interview process.”

A religion and sociology major with a concentration on social work, Landers isn’t sure what career path she will take after graduation.

“However, my time in Thailand and my experience (as an intern) have certainly opened new doors for me.” ■

| th is i s s impson Helping others appeals to Jorie Landers. She spent spring break in Winnipeg working with Siloam Mission.


ere it not for the Peace Corps, it’s fair to say more than 200 Simpson College students would know a lot less about Thailand and

Southeast Asia.

That’s how many students have gone on May Term or Study Abroad trips to Thailand and other Asian countries with Lora Friedrich, a professor for the social sciences, and other Simpson professors since 1999.

“I’m incredibly humbled by that,” Friedrich said.

To understand how it began, it’s best to return to Friedrich’s undergraduate days at Huntington College, a Christian school in Indiana. After she graduated, she accepted a Peace Corps assignment to Thailand, where she worked from 1982 to 1985.

“I wanted to understand what it meant to be a minority, and to unpack Christianity outside of a Christian environment, so I could get a sense of what I believed apart from what I was socialized to think,” she said.

The result? Friedrich now describes herself as “a Christian with a Buddha vibe.”

One of the Peace Corps’ three goals is, “Bringing the world back home.” With that in mind, Friedrich launched Simpson’s first May Term trip in 1999 to Japan, Malaysia and Thailand.

“The impetus for my doing the first May Term was the idea of bringing the world back home and wanting young adults to have an understanding of the developing world in Southeast Asia,” she said.

Ten years later, she helped establish the first Study Abroad program to Thailand, in which Simpson students spend an entire semester there. The course has proven to be popular.

“It always fills up,” Friedrich said. “I think students have gotten a better perspective of the world and issues related to the world.”

Which means she has carried out a Peace Corps goal.

“I hope so,” she said. “I think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done, and I think it’s one of the things that’s made the greatest impact on my life.” ■

BrinGinG the world

BaCK hOMe

OPening NEW DOORS

February 1984


| facu l ty pursuits| invest ing in s impson

om Herr hopes an experience that changed his life as a student will change someone else’s.

To that end, the 1978 Simpson graduate is providing a $32,000 scholarship for a current Simpson student to spend an entire academic year at the College Year in Athens, a Study Abroad program that focuses on Greece and the East Mediterranean region.

“I really wanted someone at Simpson to have that same experience I had,” said Herr, an attorney in Fort Wayne, Ind. “It was important for me that they went for a whole year.”

In 1976, Herr was a sophomore history major at Simpson. Back then, the interim semester was held in January, and he went with his Spanish class to Mexico.

“It was the first time I had been out of the country, and I really liked it,” he said.

When he returned, History Professor Owen Duncan had a surprise. A benefactor had provided the money for a Simpson student to study in Greece. Was Herr interested?

He paused. A full academic year, all by himself, in a country he had never thought much about before then?

He agreed to go, spending his junior year there.

“I didn’t know anybody,” he said. “I just showed up there and had three roommates, two from New York and one from Chicago. We became very good friends.

“No question about it, it changed my life.”

It wasn’t simply the academic opportunities, although Herr says he still enjoys reading Greek tragedies. “And every day as you walk to class there’s the Acropolis. It’s a very inspiring place to study history because it’s right there in front of you.”

But what really changed was his perspective.

“For anybody who has not traveled, it gives you a perspective of not only another culture, which I always appreciated, but

it also gives you a perspective of your own country that you cannot get when you’re living in your own country.

“You learn there are people in other countries who are just as proud of their country as we are of ours, and they don’t see the United States as infallible.”

In Fort Wayne, Herr manages an endowment that sends high school students on trips to Japan, Poland and Germany.

“I know my work there comes from that year in Greece,” he said. “It was such a valuable experience that I want more people to have it.”

Krystal Daggett ’15, of Creston, has accepted the scholarship and will be studying the 2012-13 academic year in Greece.

“I am beyond excited and grateful to get this chance,” she said. “The College Year in Athens program provides experiences that are truly once in a lifetime, from class participation in archaeological digs to hiking Mt. Olympus. It is sometimes hard to believe that I actually have the chance to be part of this amazing program.”

Bob Lane, vice president for college advancement, said Herr’s gift “is an incredibly generous gesture to give back what he received at Simpson. This is how our alumni ensure that the college’s spirit and traditions are passed along to future generations. It makes a huge difference.”

Said Herr: “I never thought about going away for a year, and I never thought about Greece, and it turned out to be just a remarkable experience. It was all positive.” ■

A VALUABLE EXPERIENCE

Krystal Daggett ’15 said she is thrilled to have the opportunity

to spend an academic year studying in Greece.

tudents in the United States might find it hard to visualize a place where there are no toilets, no running water and only very basic medical care. For Pat

Singer, seeing these places gives her and her students a new understanding of life in the developing world.

A professor of biology at Simpson, Singer has visited Peru, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, Mexico, Namibia and Thailand, as well as developing countries in Central America, with a second Namibia trip planned this May.

Her focus is not always on biology or a country’s famous landmarks. It’s often about something simple: listening.

“The trips that I think are most valuable for me and for the students aren’t sight-seeing trips,” Singer said. “The trips that I think have been most transformative for the students are when we sit down and listen to the stories of people who live there. It’s listening to all those different voices.”

Singer wants her students to listen to a variety of voices, ranging from someone scraping by in a barrio to a local business owner to government officials. She said that hearing all these different viewpoints will help students gain an appreciation of life outside the developed world that they could not receive from a class or a book.

“Later on, students can go travel as tourists, but this should be a unique opportunity to meet people and talk to people and listen to what life is like in that country,” she said.

Back home, Singer considers her field a fast-moving, hard-to-predict discipline, and preparing her students for the future is a challenge because of it. “The curiosity that students gain from studying abroad will help them later,” she said.

“I’m a molecular biologist, and I see my field moving extremely fast, and it moves in very surprising ways,” she added. “I don’t know what’s going to happen or what’s going to be discovered 10 years from now. And so I think about how am I going to create and develop for a future I can’t even imagine. I think the most important thing is to give students the curiosity and the skills to be learners. The facts are going to be outdated five or 10 years from now, but how one discovers and how one learns are way more important.”

Singer said she will continue traveling, listening and learning. She hopes her students will, too.

“Every time you learn something, there’s another question,” she said.” ■

LiSTening

Six FACTS AbOuT PAT SiNgER:

Favorite place i’ve visited: I’d go back to Iceland in a heartbeat.

Favorite hobby: Running, and mowing the lawn.

biggest misconception about science: People think of science as black and white. It’s not. New discoveries are constantly changing old paradigms, and even in science, old ways of thinking are hard to change.

if i could have unlimited grant money i would research: Cancer.

The most interesting thing in my office: My aung San Su Ki t-shirt. She was a Burmese heroine elected to the office of prime minister but never allowed to serve by the Burmese army.

My inspiration is: Curiosity.

PAT SiNgER Professor of Biologyeducation:

• B.A., St. Olaf College, 1976• Ph.D., Kansas State University, 1981

facu l ty pursuits |


BY BeN LUC aS ’12

| chapla in ’s corner


e might imagine our emeriti faculty spending their golden years relaxing in a wing back chair in front of a cozy fire with a book nearby. In our

Where Are They Now series, we’ve discovered we are more likely to find them on a tennis court, restoring a 100-year-old log cabin or, in the case of Professor of Religion Chair Emeritus (1973-1998), Roger Betsworth, on a tandem bike or traveling the globe — sometimes simultaneously.

You’re an iowa native, but your journey took you around the world before you settled here.I was born in Sioux City and went to high school in Waterloo. I earned my B.S. from the United States Naval Academy in 1955. I spent four years at sea on small ships that didn’t have chaplain, so I led divine services when the ship was at sea. Because I visited with Methodist teachers when we were in ports around the world, I learned about differing cultures. Those experiences confirmed my call to ministry. I earned my master’s of divinity from Drew University in New Jersey and was appointed to a Methodist church in Huntington Beach, Calif., where I did a lot of teaching and enjoyed it very much. I was offered a full scholarship to the Ph.D. program in Social Ethics at the University of Southern California. When I finished in 1973, I had two job offers, one at Simpson. I started at Simpson as both chaplain and assistant professor of religion.

As a teacher of religion and ethics in the 1970s, you certainly had ample material for discussion. What classes were your favorites?Social Ethics and Black Religion & Social Change were

among my favorite classes, as was the marriage course and Psychology of Religion. And I truly enjoyed leading students in Study Abroad experiences.

What memories of those trips stand out?In 1995, Ron Warnet, Dick Tinder and I took students to Guatemala and El Salvador. As I also found in subsequent trips, people were eager to share their homes and food with us as they searched for ways to bridge the language barrier and share the story of their people. The stories were often heartbreaking stories of repression. We were welcomed into humble abodes with dirt floors and fed as honored guests. Often our students would make up games to play to the delight of the local children. They couldn’t speak the language but discovered play is universal.

And what keeps you busy today?My wife and I bike tandem and did an Elderhostel in the Netherlands called “Bike and Barge.” I was on a writing team which just published “Welcoming the Stranger,” a Lenten Bible Study series which reflects upon Biblical stories of immigration and connects them with current stories of immigrants. Along with our daughter, who is a Methodist minister, and 25 other Methodists from around the country, we took a trip to the Holy Land that was sponsored by the Methodist Board of Church and Society. And just as in Central America, in Israel we often heard heartbreaking stories of oppression. But despite their experiences, we were once again welcomed with open arms by locals. ■

WhERE ARE ThEY NOW?

BY LeSL Ie MIDGeT heLD ’86ROGER BETSWORTH

Roger and Joan Betsworth celebrate the arrival of Spring by taking a spin on their tandem bike.


cover stor y |

faCuLTy aCCOMPLiShMenTSNick Proctor, associate professor of history, is leading five discussions about the Civil War at the Franklin Avenue Public Library in Des Moines.

Jan Everhart, associate professor of religion, co-authored an article with Holly Pedersen ’08 titled “Ancient Prophets and the Current Environmental Crisis.” The article appeared in God’s Earth is Sacred: Essays on Eco-Justice, published December 2011 in a Kindle version. She also presented a paper on integrating ecological concerns into the Biblical studies classroom at the Central States Society of Biblical Literature meeting in St. Louis. Finally, Jan has authored two chapters in a book that is being reviewed in pre-publication form entitled Teaching the Bible in the Undergraduate Liberal Arts Setting.

Jack gittinger, professor of education, presented two sessions on Exploring Elementary Core Geometry with GeoGebra at the Iowa Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Conference.

Paul Craven, assistant professor of computer science, wrote an interactive online textbook teaching students how to program with Python and Pygame.

Assistant Professor of Religion Maeve Callan delivered a paper at the American Society of Church History annual meeting in Chicago in January. Her paper, “A Pagan Resurgence in Twelfth-Century Ireland? Aodh Eanghach, Gerald of Wales, and Laudabiliter, Considered,” examined claims that in the 12th century the Irish were Christians in name only who had reverted to paganism.

Dr. David Camwell, associate professor of saxophone and jazz studies, performed as a featured soloist in the North American Saxophone Alliance’s Biennial concert. He also recorded several works with Drs. Ron albrecht and Jillian Camwell with the chamber ensemble Xplorium! for a future CD release. In addition, David recently had articles published in the March/April

issue of Saxophone Journal, and a CD Master Class on his arrangement of J.S. Bach’s BWV 1057 and 1060 for saxophone will appear in the May/June issue.

Professor of Music John Benoit led the Ballyhoo Foxtrot Orchestra in a performance of “I’m Gonna Jazz My Way: The Story of Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Told in Narration and Song” at the Nielsen Concert Series at Grand View University in Des Moines. John played trombone, second cornet, and slide whistle. Also taking part were Instructor of Music Jamie Paulsen (piano) and Affiliate Instructor Mike Short (tuba).

Connie Kostelac, assistant professor in sociology and criminal justice, was invited to serve on a Technical Advisory Group with the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) based out of Washington, D.C. The project involves one of the first national-level evaluations of how police organizations utilize civilian (non-sworn) employees and how agencies have been impacted by recent budget deficits and the availability of federal grants to hire civilians.

Professor of Chemistry and Physics Werner Kolln served as a reviewer for the Iowa Junior Academy of Science 2012 Starr Student Research Grant Proposals. Students submit proposals for funds to assist them with science fair projects. The reviewer comments also help students to improve their projects.

Assistant Professor of English Lauren LaFauci reviewed Judith Carney and Nicholas Rosomoff’s “In the Shadow of Slavery: Africa’s Botanical Legacy in the Atlantic World” for the journal Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment.

Simpson’s Director of Opera bernard McDonald at the piano gave a recital with baritone Todd Thomas for Des Moines Metro Opera, at the Cathedral Church of St. Paul in Des Moines. McDonald and

Opera at Simpson were also the subject of a front page feature in the Des Moines Sunday Register prior to Simpson’s spring performance of “Cosi fan tutte.”

Composer and Professor of Music Education Michael Patterson’s 2011 Christmas carol was performed at the Lekberg Christmas Party and at President Byrd’s Christmas Party at The Village in Indianola.

Tim McMillin, associate professor of music and director of choral activities, engaged in an “artist in residence” project with the choir at Central-Decatur High School in Leon. Collaborating with the Central-Decatur administration, he served as clinician to the choir and offered continuing education over a series of visits.

Director of Bands Mike Eckerty published an article in The Iowa Bandmaster entitled, “Relevance in the Rehearsal.” He also performed the reed-three part in the pit orchestra of the Des Moines Civic Center’s production of Mel Brook’s “Young Frankenstein” as well as third bassoon/contra bassoon in the Des Moines Metro Opera’s production of Poulenc’s “Dialogue of the Carmelites.”

Professor of Management and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) advisor Marilyn Mueller accompanied students to Minneapolis to present their projects to groups of business people who served as judges. This is the 10th year of participation for a SIFE team from Simpson College.

Nicolle L. Whalen, assistant professor of sport sciences, is helping spearhead an effort to improve fitness and nutrition at the Indianola Middle School.Working with school administration, a researcher from Iowa State University and community members, she will integrate Simpson exercise science students into the analysis of students’ physical activity data and assist in enhancing programming to address the needs of students at this level.

| a s impson space

COLLege haLLBY eMILY SCheTTLeR ’10

| a s impson space

hen students returned from winter break, they received a surprise. Dirlam Lounge in Smith Chapel had received a face-lift. And

this was a renovation proposed, planned and mostly paid for by students. “I think it shows that students, faculty and the administration can work together,” said Joe Sorenson, president of the Student Government Association.

Track lighting and floor: New track lighting and a wood floor give the lounge more of a cozy, coffeehouse feel. “Business is great and the people who were buying drinks before are now staying longer and hanging out with people or studying,” said Meredith McCay, a junior who manages Holy Grounds Coffee Shop.

Furniture: A comfy couch and chairs invite conversation. The renovation became possible when students learned they had a $60,000 budget surplus. While discussing options, “We were actually sitting in this lounge and looked around and thought it could use a little updating,” Sorenson said. The Simpson administration and the Religious Life Council also contributed to the renovation project. Square-topped tables were added to make it easier for larger groups to meet.

Fireplace: The old Dirlam fireplace used to be wood-burning and was used infrequently. The new fireplace is propane-building and has proven to be popular. Sorenson said the new lounge environment will provide an east-side complement to the new Kent Campus Center, which is still on schedule to open this fall. Dirlam now is “a much more open, more inviting space,” said senior Hannah Landgraf.

DiRLAM LOuNgE


Travis Mickle works in his lab at KemPharm, Inc., in Iowa City.

Espresso machine: Perhaps the biggest change at Dirlam Lounge is the coffee-making area. Before, workers operated from a cart in the lounge. The cart was converted into a counter, and a new espresso machine was added. “They changed it so much you can’t even tell it’s the same cart,” said junior JoAnna Freeland, who serves on the student government.

Artwork: Student-produced artwork decorates the new lounge and is replaced periodically. This example is from a digital photography class. “Before, it was a room, but it was very blah,” Landgraf said. “Now there’s more atmosphere. It’s awesome and exciting.” Freeland agreed. “I walked in here (after winter break) and said, ‘Oh my gosh, this is just what we wanted.’” ■

The MaGazINe | SPRING 2012 11The MaGazINe | SPRING 2012 11

| evening , weekend & graduate programs

I am not the same person since I saw the moon shine on the other side of the world.

- Mary Anne Radmacher

God saw everything that God had made, and indeed, it was very good.

- Genesis 1:31

have to offer a disclaimer for this issue of the Simpson magazine: I have lived and worked in Europe for five years of my life; my parents

were lay missionaries for seven years in Zorzor, Liberia, after my five brothers and sisters and I had all grown; my son, Hal, is currently living and working in Zurich, Switzerland; all of my siblings have traveled overseas; one of my brothers worked in Hong Kong for three years. I am biased and predisposed to encourage students to look for an experience during their collegiate years that takes them out of the United States of America — May Term is good, a semester abroad is better!

If there is any truth in the creation stories in Genesis – whether metaphorical truth or literal truth is immaterial – the creation was, is, and remains blessed, or, as God declares, it was all very good. This garden state was imbued with free will, for authenticity and genuineness in any relationship requires such freedom. If God is to remain engaged, which Scripture clearly indicates God chooses to do, then there has to be such freedom. Upon occasion, I suspect there is a gleam in God’s eye and a smirk upon God’s face as God follows the evolving expressions within all of creation throughout all of time. I am equally sure

that God’s heart has been broken over and over by our human choices in this wondrous garden. Of such is the nature of freedom and relationship.

In order to discover what all is in the garden and discern our place in it, it becomes imperative that we move out of comfortable, controlled locales. Just as we move away from home and establish a new home when we move to college, we begin — hopefully — a lifelong process of engaging with the larger world. We all know we live within a global context today; whether it is a tsunami in Japan or Quran burning in Pakistan or Greek debt or an AIDS epidemic in Africa. What happens throughout the world affects us right here at Simpson College. Again, of such is the nature of freedom and relationship.

It is God’s nature to create, something which remains, thankfully, ongoing. It is God’s desire for authenticity and genuineness in this ongoing relationship; hence, freedom. It is apparent in the witness to God’s activity that there is a consistency to restore and renew this relationship when broken: “For God so loved the world” … John 3:16. All of this sacred activity occurs within this realm of a world and is available to us. What remains, then, is for us to open our eyes to the world in which we live, open our ears to the sounds of life’s rollicking rhythms beating in the lands and seas around us. We need to get out into this riotous, unruly world that God has so blessed. To get out and experience it is not just a matter of being faithful, it is imperative in the faith journey!

Of such is the nature of freedom and relationship in God’s world. ■

NOT ThE SAME PERSONBY FR ITz WehReNBeRG | ChaPLaIN

| chapla in ’s corner



SImPSoN DISCoVERS eUroPe’S “BeSt-KePt SeCret”

ow much do you know about Slovenia? Before last summer, Michael Ramirez might have replied, “Not much.” But now…

“It’s gorgeous,” he said. “I consider Slovenia to be Europe’s best-kept secret.”

Ramirez, 35, of Lacona, is a student in Simpson’s Evening, Weekend and Graduate Programs. Last summer, he joined Dr. Rosemary Link, Simpson’s vice president for academic affairs, and a group from Augsburg College in Minneapolis on an educational visit to Slovenia.

The group participated in the University of Ljubljana Summer School as guests of the School of Social Work in Slovenia. This was a pilot project for Simpson and a long-standing exchange for Augsburg.

Slovenia is described as a country of “blossoms and thorns.” Slovenians refer to blossoms because of its alpine meadows, and fruit orchards, plus the blossoming opportunity for trade. Thorns refer to its recent independence (1991) from the former Yugoslavia and its emerging mixed economy after the post-war years of communism. Slovenia is a member of the European Union and is bordered by Hungary, Croatia, Italy, and Austria.

“It is a valuable opportunity for Slovenian and Iowa students to come together to encounter innovation in each other’s environments, to share culture and to simply learn about one another,” Link said.

Ramirez agreed. A music major, he took his trumpet to Slovenia and discovered a way to integrate music with social work.

He and a guitar player conducted a workshop for students in a Roma community, teaching the children songs.

The children then performed for older members of the community.

“It was a lot of fun,” he said. “And it was something that they were able to do and learn in a short time and provide a concert for their parents. It was just a unique opportunity.”

The Simpson-Augsburg group learned much about Slovenia, a small country of spectacular beauty and political complexity. The American students were astonished at the cultural history and the combination of ancient and modern architecture when they entered the pedestrian-only streets of the medieval city of Ljubljana.

This summer, a group of two faculty members and 10 students from Slovenia will visit Simpson as part of the Midwest Summer School 2012, which is based in Minneapolis. They will be led by Dr. Lea Bohinc and Dr. Gabi Cacinovic Vogrincic.

Plans are being made to welcome the students to Simpson College and to Des Moines. The schedule will include lectures relating to “Human rights: focusing on the well-being of children,” meetings with community leaders, tours of Des Moines and participation in arts events.

While the schedule is still being put together, Link invites the Simpson community to join in the welcoming picnic. Ramirez said he might invite the students to tour his chicken ranch in Lacona.

“Slovenia had many beautiful sights that the students there took the time to show us,” he said. “Iowa’s the state that bears the quote, ‘Is this heaven? No, its Iowa.’ I look forward to showing our visitors from Europe’s best-kept secret why we consider this heaven.” ■

evening , weekend & graduate programs | Ph

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IRez Michael Ramirez and a friend perform

for students during a visit to Slovenia.


ArgentinaAustraliaLondon, EnglandSchorndorf,

GermanyTahitiThailand

NamibiaChinaBrazilNorwayDenmarkEnglandSlovenia

PeruDominican Republic

PolandSpainNew ZealandNorthern Ireland

2011-12 Simpson Study Abroad Locations

impson College sits on 85 acres in the middle of Iowa, but its reach extends throughout the world.

Want to study in Germany? You’ll find Simpson there. In Tahiti and Argentina, too.

In fact, there are at least 19 countries where Simpson students have studied or will travel to in the 2011-12

academic year.

This includes the “Simpson Experience Abroad” programs, in which students and a faculty member spend a semester studying in another country; faculty-led May Term international travel courses; as well as countries in which Simpson has an exchange partnership with another educational institution.

We may never know which Simpson student took the first journey overseas, but we can probably guess why. It’s the same reason they go today.

“It’s amazing the kinds of experiences that a student can have overseas that they just can’t have taking a class on campus,” said Jay Wilkinson, who has been the international education coordinator since 2007.

Carolyn Dallinger ’80, associate professor of social work and criminal justice, and Walter Lain ’81, assistant dean for multicultural and international affairs, studied overseas as Simpson students. Now the husband and wife team accompany students to other countries, such as Ghana and Russia.

“The kind of learning that happens is just very significant,” Dallinger said, “And it is the type of learning that stays with them the rest of their lives.”

According to “Beneath the Whispering Maples,” Dr. Joseph Walt’s history of Simpson, the creation of the January term inspired more international travel.

“But the best overseas program by far was the one initiated by Glen Buhr for students of German,” Walt wrote.

Buhr’s semester-long study program in Schorndorf, Germany, began in 1985 and has become a model for five other Simpson Experience Abroad programs. When Buhr retired, Patricia Calkins, professor of Germany, took over and has led seven groups there.

“Unless students experience the United States from outside of the United States, they’re never going to have a perspective of anything but what they’re used to,” she said.

Wilkinson said the Study Abroad committee reviews each proposal to ensure academic rigor. Any student who thinks a Tahiti semester is going to be spent lounging on the beach will quickly discover otherwise.

“One of my big issues is for people to not call them trips,” he said. “We’re offering an educational experience.”

Pre-departure orientation classes prepare students, but the unexpected can happen. In 2006, weather conditions in Russia forced Dallinger, Lain and their 11 students to spend an extra eight days in a small community there.

“The community just adopted us,” said Dallinger, who said the group found new things to do and to study. “It’s so difficult to explain, but these experiences change their perspectives and their lives.”

Wilkinson said he has witnessed many of those transformations.

“Students don’t think the world is Indianola, or Iowa, or even the United States anymore,” he said. “It opens their eyes to the rest of the world.”

Read six examples of Simpson students’ Study Abroad experiences and visit www.simpson.edu/magazine for additional submitted photos.

cover stor y |


Jay WilkinsonInt’l Education Coordinator


PhOTO COURTeSY OF SaRa ROUTh

’99

ara Routh ’99 lives a minstrel’s dream, performing

all over the globe for all kinds of audiences.

But it didn’t start out that way.

Routh grew up in Norwalk, about 20 miles from

Indianola, and is the daughter of Katie Lear Routh ’73.

A music major at Simpson, Sara immersed herself in that

department, participating in eight operas.

Her first trip overseas came during her senior year when she

joined associate professor of English David Wolf ’s May Term

to study theatre in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland.

She discovered more than the culture of other countries.

She discovered a passion to see the world.

“The main reason I took it was I was so busy with music

I didn’t have any time to take theatre classes electively,”

she said. “I had this opportunity, so I was going to take

it, and it was fantastic. It was the beginning of a beautiful

relationship between myself and traveling.”

What had changed?

“When I travel, it’s about the moment,” Routh said.

“I’m not looking for a lesson to learn, I’m living in that

experience. That was the first time I was able to do

something like that. I was ready to let the world affect me,

as opposed to wanting to go in and change everything. I

was ready to let it influence me.”

Routh now jokingly describes herself as a gypsy. Her

travels have taken her to Europe, India and China,

discovering new places and people and performing

her music.

She currently lives in Los Angeles, working on her self-

produced album through the online service Kickstarter

and building her website, sararouthmusic.com. (Her

brother, Brandon, is an actor, best known for the

starring role in “Superman Returns.”)

Even at home, she can’t stay still for long.

“I don’t sit at home at night or during the day and

watch TV,” Routh said. “I can’t really be in my

apartment very long. I get stir crazy, so I like to walk

around and be a part of what’s happening outside the

windows.”

And she said her travel days are far from over.

“I think more people should do things like that

because it just opens your eyes to so much more

than what you see or watch on the TV or read in the

newspaper,” she said. “I’m happy to have had that

journey. I feel enriched to have been able to see all

these different cultures. I’m not done yet either, so I

don’t know where I’ll end up next.”

About the moment

BY BeN LUC aS ’12


’85

hey were pioneers, even if it didn’t particularly feel

that way.

“I don’t think it occurred to any of us,” said Bob

Shandley ’85.

But Shandley and the 12 other Simpson students who

accepted Professor Glenn Buhr’s invitation to spend a

semester studying in Schorndorf, Germany, were making

history: they were part of Simpson’s first formal, semester-

long Study Abroad program.

“He was quite a character, a very charismatic guy,” Shandley

says of Buhr. “He was very good at convincing people to go

on that trip.”

Buhr had one strict rule: When in Germany,

Simpson students must speak German, even

in private conversations with one another.

Shandley said Buhr chose Schorndorf because

of family ties there. Students stayed with host

families, and Shandley found lodging with

one of Buhr’s friends.

“The host families took us around and did lots

of things with us,” he said. “My host family

took me on weekend trips around the region,

to see things we might not ordinarily see.”

“We spoke German the whole time. My

German skills just skyrocketed, and that was

heavily influential for me.”

How influential? Shandley currently is a

professor at Texas A&M University. He

teaches film studies – and German.

“That never would have happened without

that trip,” he said.

But that first Study Abroad semester wasn’t

all about classwork and improving German-

speaking skills.

“We had free time,” Shandley said, then

laughed. “Most of it was spent sampling

German beverages.”

Then there was the pretty spring day in April

in which Shandley and a classmate decided to

skip class, board a train and head to Munich,

where they stayed a couple of days.

“We told them where we were,” he said. “Buhr

was really mad at us, but we had the time

of our lives. He didn’t speak to me for a few

weeks after that. I know now that I would flip

out if one of my own students did that.”

But the program survived, and continues to

this day. Its success has led to many other

opportunities for Simpson students to live in,

and explore, other countries.

“Buhr did all the legwork,” Shandley said.

“We were the first guinea pigs. It was a pure

pleasure.”

A pioneer


PhOTO COURTeSY OF BOB ShaNDLeY

’11


impson students who study abroad are many things: scholars, researchers, visitors, explorers.You can add another title: Recruiters.She may not have realized it at the time, but Maggie Priebe ’03, served that role when she studied in Schorndorf, Germany, during the 2001 spring semester.While there, she stayed with the Spreitzenbarth family, whose young son, Jan, listened intently as Maggie and her friends talked about this college in the middle of Iowa. “They didn’t say anything particular about the college that drew me to Simpson,” Jan said. “But they said it was a great school and when I graduated high school, I’d be welcome to come over for a semester.

“So when I finally graduated from high school, I took my chances and took them up on the opportunity. What I did not expect at the time, however, was that I would eventually end up staying and getting a degree from Simpson.”

Spreitzenbarth arrived in Iowa in 2009 and majored in global management. He had grown up in a city of 6,000 people between Schorndorf and Stuttgart, so Indianola’s size presented no adjustment. “It was rather the lack of public transportation that took some time to get used to,” he said. “Besides this, I had everything in Indianola that I could have wished for: great professors and staff that took time for each student, lots of interesting things to get involved with and people to hang out with.”He credits Walter Lain, assistant dean of multicultural and international affairs, with helping international students ease into the transition of life at Simpson.

“Walter Lain is not just a great photographer, he did a fantastic job for me,” he said. “In fact, it wasn’t just him. Other people were involved in making the transition easier for international students. I was fortunate enough to have friends and professors who cared about me.”In 2011, during his senior year, Spreitzenbarth served as an intern to U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa. He said he made many great friends, and remembers playing soccer on the Washington Mall.

“The job in the Senate isn’t quite like any other job,” he said. “As an intern, I wasn’t entirely responsible for a certain area, but I had the chance to help and support the staff and get insights into a variety of areas. I was particularly interested in energy and natural resources.”

Spreitzenbarth now works as a logistics trainee and planner not far from Schorndorf. He expects to begin work soon on a master’s degree.Did he enjoy his Simpson Experience?He puts it this way: “That’s difficult to explain. I only know that sometimes I dream about coming back to Simpson to teach German or something.” He also would enjoy returning to Washington, D.C., as a diplomat or Congressional fellow.

Through the years, he has maintained contact with Maggie Priebe, whose mother, Shelly, is the administrative assistant for Curriculum, May Term and Faculty Development. Maggie now works at Gremier Financial in Des Moines. “I sometimes send a ‘care packet’ with some German sweets to her family,” Spreitzenbarth said.See? Yet another benefit of studying abroad.

Taking chances

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Jan Spreitzenbarth, here with U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin from Iowa, would like to work again one day in Washington, D.C.


’13

or some Simpson students, studying abroad means something other than traveling to far-off destinations like Germany, Tahiti or London.For them, the far-off destination is Indianola, Iowa.Alejandro Caballero, a 20-year-old junior, is an international student studying at Simpson. His home is Juarez, Mexico.

“I still miss homemade, spicy food,” he said, laughing. “It’s one of the biggest changes I faced here.”On the other hand, there is snow. “I just love it,” he said. “I love winter. I tell students I’m making up for all the years I didn’t get snow in Mexico.”While U.S.-born students have to adjust to new cultures during their May Term or Study Abroad experiences, the same is true for Alejandro and the other international students who find themselves in the middle of Iowa.

His journey to Simpson began as a youngster in Juarez. His sister, Elizabeth, received a scholarship to the Lydia Patterson Institute across the border in El Paso, Texas, by winning a writing contest sponsored by a local television station.The institute is a private school founded in 1913 and supported by the United Methodist Church. Simpson has had a long-time relationship with the school, and Elizabeth was awarded a college scholarship. She graduated from Simpson in 2008 and now works for the U.S. consulate in Juarez.

“When it was time for me to go to high school, my mom thought my sister was getting a great education, and obviously she wanted the best for me, too,” Caballero said. “She decided that I would go to school in the United States.”

He was awarded a half-scholarship to Lydia Patterson, and spent his first two years completing the English as a Second Language program. He also worked every day after school, and officials rewarded his determination with a full scholarship.

“I continued working as hard as I could until I graduated,” he said. When he was offered a scholarship to attend Simpson, “it was one of the biggest days of my life.”On campus, several professors “were really nice to me and helped me get through that first year. My second year, I had communications professors who were very encouraging about my photography.”

Alejandro is majoring in integrated marketing communications, and he has proven adept at photography. He hopes to eventually find a marketing job in the United States after graduation. “Simpson has made me feel welcome,” he said, “All the people I’ve met have been very helpful.”

Studying abroad – in Iowa


The MaGazINe | SPRING 2012 21The MaGazINe | SPRING 2012 21

PhOTO COURTeSY OF aLeJaNDRO CaBaLLeRO


’62onald Mathias ’62, made history at Simpson College, but he’s not exactly sure how it happened.And he wasn’t even a Simpson student at the time.Mathias was studying for a master’s degree at Indiana University

when he received a telephone call from Dr. Joseph Walt, Simpson’s esteemed history professor.In essence, Walt asked: How would you like to be the first student from Simpson to participate in an exchange program with Oxford University? “I thought, well, that sounds like a pretty good opportunity, so I made a right turn and went to Oxford,” Mathias said.According to Walt’s book, “Beneath the Whispering Maples,”

the Oxford Exchange Program was an initiative undertaken by William Kerstetter, the college’s president at the time.Kerstetter had joined 11 other Methodist College presidents on

a tour of European universities. Kerstetter later proposed that Simpson send a student to Christ Church at Oxford for a two-year study program. Christ Church, in turn, would send a professor to Simpson to teach the fall semester.In his book, Walt said Mathias’s “academic accomplishments and rare promise made him the ideal choice for this honor.” An honor student at Simpson, Mathias graduated cum laude and was a member of scholastic and leadership societies.And that’s how Mathias, an Indianola native who had never

traveled overseas, found himself at Oxford in October 1963.Although never told, Mathias has theories why he was selected. He said Indiana University had recently sent a letter to Simpson, thanking college officials for sending Mathias to Indiana and asking for more students like him.

In addition, because the academic program for Mathias would be the same as that for a Rhodes Scholar, he wonders if

Simpson was looking for someone who fit the scholar-athlete profile. “I wasn’t a great athlete, but I was captain of the Simpson tennis team for four years,” he said.He remains modest about the honor. “There were plenty of other Simpson students who were as deserving,” he said.

Mathias laughed when asked if he was intimidated by Oxford’s reputation. “No, I don’t think so. It was a lot of hard

work. I studied very hard.” He received a bachelor of arts from Oxford in 1965 and a master’s degree four years later.

The exchange program undoubtedly changed the direction of Mathias’s life. Instead of teaching, or working for the U.S.

State Department, he spent most of his life working as an international banker in several different countries.

After his stay at Oxford, Mathias described his experiences in an article for the Simpson College Bulletin, writing:

“For me, Oxford is the weekly bout with the tutor, the Bodleian Library, the game of squash, the society meetings, the

comedy of Union debates, afternoon tea, quick trips to London, Yorkshire pudding. And yet it is much more than the

sum of all these parts.”Only one other Simpson student participated in the exchange. Mathias said Christ Church ended the program after a

commission questioned the fairness of Oxford’s admissions process for students from England. Mathias and his wife, Carolyn Bakker Mathias ’63, are retired and live in Walnut Creek, Calif. They often attend

reunions in Oxford and return to Indianola at least every other year.

Making history at Oxford

Oxford 2007

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’00

welve years later, Megan Moyer Hoger ’00, still

remembers washing her clothes by hand, riding

the bus to the orphanage where she worked and

enjoying an ice-cream cone on a hot Nicaraguan afternoon.

But most of all, what Hoger remembers from her semester-

long Study Abroad experience in Nicaragua in 2000 is

what it taught her about her own country.

“You get an appreciation of what you have and a better

understanding of the way other people live,” said Hoger,

who lives in Indianola with her husband, Joel ’98. “You

learn that your way is not the only way.”

Hoger and five other Simpson students were part of the

first Study Abroad program in Nicaragua. They took

classes in the morning taught by Mark Bates, a Simpson

professor of Spanish, and then worked at their internship

jobs in the afternoon. At night, they stayed with their host

families in Managua.

“We were very much immersed in the culture,” Hoger said.

“It wasn’t necessarily as glamorous as other places might

be. But if you wanted to learn the culture and learn about

Central America, it was a great place. You were immersed

in everything.”

That includes life with the host families.

“Economically, they were not wealthy families that we

were living with,” she said. “You really were able to

appreciate everyone’s differences. Not everyone does

everything the way we do here, and that’s OK. It’s just

different.”

Hoger and another Simpson student worked afternoons

at Pajarito Azul, an orphanage for mentally and physically

handicapped children.

“The workers didn’t have a lot of time to just play with

the kids, so that’s what we did,” she said. “We’d play with

them and talk with them and walk around with them.”

It wasn’t all work. Hoger describes trips to Corn Island

and Costa Rica. And then there were the periodic trips

for ice cream.

“That was our biggest luxury, to go to the shopping mall

to get ice cream, because it was so hot,” she said.

Looking back at the experience, Hoger said, “It was one

of those things that made you realize how much you had

back here and how different the world really lives.”

Experiencing a different way to live



The women’s basketball team hoists the 2011-12 Iowa Conference Championship trophy.


a th let ics |

Like clockwork, the Simpson women’s basketball team made another postseason appearance in 2012.

or the eighth year in a row the Storm closed the season with a trip to the NCAA Division III Championship. This time around, Simpson lost a hard-fought battle

with No. 18 Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 69-61 in the first round played at the University of Chicago.

The season was one of accomplishments and milestones for one of Simpson’s most decorated programs. Finishing the season 21-7, Simpson continued its dominance in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) by winning a fifth-consecutive championship. After a relatively slow start, the Storm rattled off nine wins in a row to end the season before losing to Coe in the IIAC Tournament Championship. The team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Along the way, IIAC Coach of the Year Brian Niemuth etched his name in the league record books. In a win over Wartburg on Jan. 21, the 25-year head coach earned his 294th win in conference play, becoming the all-time wins leader in league history. He went on to win his 300th conference game, the first women’s basketball coach in the Iowa Conference to reach the plateau.

“I have learned that it is hard to get to the top, but harder to stay at the top,” Niemuth said. “You have to work hard to get players and get them to buy in. It takes a lot of people — assistants, friends, players ... it takes a village to get to that point.”

To Niemuth, it’s about more than Xs and Os though. Not only is the women’s basketball team one of the most successful on the court, it excels in the classroom as well, evidenced by team GPAs above 3.45 the last four years.

Simpson has landed in the top 10 on the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Top 25 Team Honor Roll in five out of the last six years.

“He genuinely loves the game and cares about the players,” Assistant Coach Elizabeth Curry said. “When you have those two things, you have fun with what you’re doing. It’s not just a job — he wants to go out and get wins and do things right, but at the end of the day he cares about the student-athletes.”

Even though Simpson’s game plan is predicated upon a team concept — nine players averaged more than 17 minutes per game — a few players stood out during the season.

Senior post Stacey Schutjer ends her career as one of the most decorated basketball players in school history after being named First Team All-IIAC for the third time in 2011-12. She is one of only four players in school history to make the first team three times, joining Laurie Sankeny Wood ’86, Michelle Stover Juon ’02 and Katelyn Whiton Brelsford ’08. Her 1,388 career points rank sixth in school history and her 712 rebounds are third. Junior Kate Nielsen also earned first team honors while junior Cathy Kain was an honorable mention selection.

With the end of another great season comes uncertainty for the upcoming campaign. But come March 2013, rest assured the Storm will be back in the hunt. Like clockwork. ■

Another

y e A r

26 WWW.SIMPSONMaGazINe.COM

SImPSoN ALL-StARS go SoUth of thE BoRDER

impson seniors Colton Calvert, Ben Coy, Braden Everding, Ty Larsen and Brian Tjossem represented the Simpson football team at the 2011 Tazon de

Estrellas (Bowl of the Stars) Dec. 17 in Puebla, Mexico.

A total of 53 players from 28 NCAA Division III colleges were selected to play for Team Stars and Stripes against a team of Mexican collegiate all-stars selected from the CONADEIP national conference of private schools in Mexico.

Despite the team suffering a 45-27 loss, Calvert made his impact on the game by returning a fumbled kickoff for a touchdown in the first half.

While in Mexico, players took part in three, two-a-day practices during the week before a light practice and an opportunity to sightsee around the Puebla region.

Prior to this season, three Simpson players participated in the all-star game, previously known as the Aztec Bowl from 1997-2007. Running back Guy Leman played in 1998, quarterback Mike Donnenwerth in 2003 and wide receiver Dusty Kain in 2005.

Calvert (DB, St. Charles, Iowa), Coy (WR, Jewell, Iowa), Everding (LB, Tripoli, Iowa), Larsen (DE, Des Moines, Iowa) and Tjossem (C, Sutherland, Iowa) helped Simpson to a 5-5 record in 2011.

Larsen earned second team all-conference honors while Everding and Tjossem landed honorable mention nods. ■

PhO

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LL.Simpson’s Colton Calvert dives into the endzone

in the first half of the 2011 Tazon de Estrellas.

Below: Simpson’s Brian Tjossem celebrates with his teammates on team Stars and Stripes.

n addition to balancing the rigors of being a student-athlete, the men’s and women’s basketball teams made their impact felt in the Indianola and Des Moines communities throughout the winter.

The men’s basketball team visited residents of The Village retirement community in Indianola in February.

“It was a good time,” sophomore guard Eric Lande said. “It’s nice to hear what people are doing around here.”

Bill Hansen, a 10-year resident of The Village in April, said he enjoys the visits many teams make to the community.

“Having been in the school business for 40 years, I love talking to kids,” Hansen said. “I like to find out where they are from, what they’re majoring in, why they came.”

The men’s team joined the women’s team to assist with the annual Hot Shot event, held Jan. 24 at Cowles Fieldhouse.

The Hot Shot event is a cooperative effort between Simpson College and the Heartland Area Education Agency for secondary students with special needs. Participants complete 13 stations within a 75-minute time frame, performing activities such as shooting, ball handling, passing, jump roping, push-ups and sit-ups.

The event has been hosted by Simpson for the past 22 years.

“The energy of seeing the participants doing the same activity all around the fieldhouse is a great thing to experience,” said Robin Olberding, adapted PE consultant at the Heartland AEA. “All participants and volunteers are winners during this event.”

The women’s basketball team also paid a visit to the Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines in early January.

There, the team met and visited with patients and even handed out some souvenirs. The women handed out special Simpson basketballs to commemorate the trip.

“It really helps the girls put into perspective how fortunate they are to be able to play the game they love every day,” Women’s Head Coach Brian Niemuth said. “To put a smile on the face of a child battling health issues is a rewarding experience for everyone involved.” ■

StoRmINg thE CommUNIty


Members of the women’s basketball team visit a patient at the Blank Children’s Hospital.

Women’s basketball player Ali Sokol at the Hot Shot event.

Men’s basketball players Zack Barragan (left) and Joel Flores assist in the situp exercise.

Men’s basketball player Zack Barragan (right) visits with a resident of The Village.


| upcoming events

ON OuR CALENDAR

For details and a complete schedule of events, go to www.simpson.edu or contact the Office of Alumni Relations at (515) 961-1544 or (800) 610-6369.

2012 Culver leCture

Nationally syndicated columnist and political analyst, PBS NewsHour

MARK SHIELDS

Wednesday, April 11 • 7:30 PMGreat Hall, Simpson College

CULVERCENTERP U B L I C P O L I C Y

IS AMERICAN OPTIMISM STILL ALIVE IN 2012?

APRiL4 Campus Day. Join the Young Alumni team

and gathering after! Contact [email protected].

9 Easter Break, offices closed

11 Culver Lecture featuring Mark Shields, syndicated columnist and political analyst, PBS Newshour, Great Hall, 7:30 p.m.

12 1970s Alumni Event in Des Moines

13-15 Festival of Short Plays, Barnum Studio Theatre, Friday and Saturday, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.

14 Simpson Guild Spring Style Show and Brunch, Matthew Simpson Room in College Hall, 9 a.m. For tickets, call (515) 961-1547.

15 Simpson College Women’s Chorale, Smith Chapel, 4 p.m.

19 Honors Convocation, Smith Chapel, 12:30 p.m.

3rd Annual Summer Research Symposium, Clifford and Bessie Barborka Gallery, Blank Performing Arts Center, 3:15 p.m. poster session and hors d’oeuvres reception.

23-25 Final exams

28 Spring Commencement, Cowles, 10 a.m.

30 May Term begins

May11 Board of Trustees meeting

15 Des Moines Civic Center Event, RAIN, special access preview in West Balcony Lounge at 6 p.m. and show at 7:30 p.m.

18 May Term ends

June7-8/11-12 New student orientation

29 Simpson Cup golf outing and Presidents’ Picnic

JuLy21 Team Simpson departs on RAGBRAI

28 Team Simpson returns

auguST6-10 Iowa Private College Week

25 Move-in day for first years

28 First day of classes

SEPTEMbER20 Wayne Carse Storm Athletic Benefit

OCTObER18 Presidents’ Society Dinner

19 Board of Trustees meeting

20 Homecoming, Family Weekend & Experience Simpson

Reunion gatherings for the classes of 1962 and 1987


DIFFERENCE

{AUtUmn GIRReS}C l A S S O F 2 0 1 2

INVEST in the Experience, FUEL the Future

Interned with BirdDog Jobs

Thankful for your financial support

Studying Management and Integrated Marketing Communications

Member of Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority

Involved with Campus activities Board and

Students in Free enterprise

YOuR iNvESTMENT LAYS ThE fOundaTiOn

By supporting the tools, resources and programs of the college, you provide Simpson students with a foundation to build on throughout their lives.

YOuR COMMiTMENT iMPACTS A STuDENT’S LiFE FOREvER

every moment, whether it is an academic, social or professional experience, will shape each student’s future and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Be the difference.


forever RED&GOLD

NOTiCE A ChANgE iN OuR EvENT SChEDuLE?In anticipation of the opening of the Kent Campus Center in October and to encourage a big crowd, we have moved some events from alumni Weekend to homecoming, including our alumni awards and reunions. The Simpson Cup and Presidents’ Picnic will remain in June to take advantage of the warmer weather.

JuNE 29

OCTObER 18-21

SiMPSON CuP gOLF TOuRNAMENTIt’s a perfect excuse to hit the links with your Simpson friends! $60 per person includes green fees, cart and lunch. Indianola Country Club.

PRESiDENTS’ PiCNiCWe’ll make it a memorable evening on campus with live music, great food and some of your favorite people. Best of all, we hope to give those attending a hard-hat tour inside the new Kent Campus Center! $10 adults, $5 for children ages 6-12. Children 5 & under are free.

SiMPSOn COLLege hOMeCOMing & faMiLy WeeKendThursday: Presidents’ Society Dinner

Friday: Discounted Golf at Deer Run, Alumni & Students Career Tailgate, Class of 1962 Reunion, Simpson Athletics Red & Gold Celebration, Yell Like Hell

Saturday: Experience Simpson Admissions Event, Free Pancake Breakfast, Alumni Awards Brunch, gRAND OPENiNg CELEbRATiON OF ThE KenT CaMPuS CENTER, Giant Tailgate Party,

Inflatables, Balloons & Face Painting, Greek Gatherings, Storm Football: Simpson vs. Coe, Post-Game Party in the Kent Campus Center, Class of 1987 Reunion, Storm Soccer: Simpson vs. Loras

Sunday: Sunday Worship in Smith Chapel, Community Brunch in Pfeiffer Hall

So take your pick, or better yet, attend both on JuNE 29 and OCTObER 18-21!Watch your mail box and our website for details!

| extra!


SimpSon College UndergradUate SympoSiUm 2012:honoring excellence in Research, Scholarship and Creativity

or the third straight year, Simpson has set aside one day to showcase the research, scholarship and creativity of its students.

It’s called the Undergraduate Symposium, and this year it will be held on April 19.

Phillip Seiwert is ready. The senior from Indianola is looking forward to presenting the findings of two research projects.

The first will compare restored wetlands with natural wetlands at the Platte River in Nebraska. The second involves his research into the cicada. The bugs usually emerge every 17 years, but have begun appearing four years early.

The Symposium represents the first opportunity for Seiwert and his partners to present their studies in full.

“It will be exciting to finally share the full data from these research projects,” he said.

Seiwert’s research partner, senior Anna Statz, said, “The cicada’s early emergence is a very interesting phenomenon that could have equally interesting implications, and I think people might enjoy it.”

Last year, student presentations included everything from “Quality Websites for Struggling Readers” to “Moon Man and his Random Thoughts,” a collection of poetry. ■

For additional information, visit www.simpson.edu/symposium

eslie Midget Held ’86 had an idea. She had seen a video on YouTube in which dozens of singers, as if out of nowhere, suddenly began singing “The Hallelujah

Chorus” in a shopping mall. Weary Christmas shoppers looked surprised and delighted.

“My first reaction was, ‘Wow,’” said Held, the director of alumni relations at Simpson. “My next reaction was, ‘We could so do that.’”

And that is how Simpson’s first “Flash Mob” began. The result has attracted nearly 80,000 views on YouTube.

Talk about a team effort.

Tim McMillin ’97, associate professor of music and director of choral activities, and Jill Ramthun Johnson ’85, executive director of marketing and public relations, quickly expressed support. Officials at Jordan Creek Town Center in West Des Moines also endorsed the idea.

But you can’t have a Simpson Flash Mob without Simpson students, and nearly 100 volunteered to participate. Not only that, but they also agreed to donate shoes, boots and coats as part of Jordan Creek’s “Shoes that Fit” campaign.

“It’s really nice to be able to help out people less fortunate than you are,” said Meghan Kasanders, 20, a sophomore.

On a Sunday afternoon in December, Jordan Creek shoppers heard the mall’s sound system begin to play “The Hallelujah Chorus.” They might have noticed young people removing their coats to display their Simpson t-shirts and sweatshirts.

And then they heard why Simpson is known nationally for its music program. The soaring sound of the student voices filled the mall.

Onlookers cheered and applauded when it was over.

“It was really nice to come together through music,” said Thaddeus Ennen, 20, a junior.

A team of videographers under the direction of Lisa Carponelli-Lovell, assistant professor of communication studies, taped the event as part of a class. In addition to YouTube, the Flash Mob received coverage in The Des Moines Register, on KCCI-TV and WHO-TV in Des Moines.

A shop employee stopped Held afterward.

“We’ve been having a stressful day dealing with the big crowds,” she said. “We want to thank Simpson for completely turning that around. We’ve been smiling ever since.”

And next year?

“Not the same thing, but yes, Virginia, we have an idea,” Held said. ■

A TEAM EFFORT

JOhNSON NAMED TRuSTEEThe Simpson College Board of Trustees voted unanimously to elect Steven G. Johnson to serve as a trustee of the college, Class of 2012. Johnson is a native of Exira, Iowa, and a 1981 alumnus of Simpson, graduating with a degree in Economics and Business Administration. He has more than 20 years experience in the wireless cable industry and has developed various electronic telecommunications equipment including microwave downconverters, wireless cable set top converters, antennas, and MMDS transmitters. Johnson is currently president and chief operating officer of CareView Communications, a company that provides the infrastructure to wire healthcare organizations and is committed to helping hospitals and nursing homes utilize new technologies, improve quality and enhance the patient’s experience. Johnson lives with his family in Highland Village, Texas.


Watch the flash mob!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WqKI3D2VaE


thE CARVER LEgACy

t. Gen. Russell C. Davis has won a mantel-full of awards in his 73 years, including the lifetime achievement award from the National Guard.

But he said receiving the Carver Medal from Simpson College was special.

For one thing, Davis had actually known Carver, the former Simpson student who went on to what’s now known as Tuskegee University and who became one of the nation’s great inventors and scientists.

Davis grew up in Tuskegee and attended a nursery school operated by the university. Occasionally, Carver would walk out to the playground and give candy to the children.

To the young Davis, Carver was “a tall guy in a lab coat,” but the more he learned, the more Davis was impressed.

“He was a man who mentored not just a few people, but generations,” Davis said.

Davis served as chief of the National Guard Bureau from 1998 until 2002, which made him responsible for more than a half-million Army and Air National Guard personnel.

He talked about his family’s connections to Carver during the Feb. 16 medal ceremony in Smith Chapel on the Simpson campus. Davis was the 39th person invited to speak at the Carver Legacy event.

Davis’s grandfather worked with Carver at Tuskegee University and often invited Carver to dinner. Davis’ mother remembered him as being a gentle, well-dressed man who had a kind word for everyone.

After receiving the Carver Medal, Davis had a surprise for Simpson. He presented President John Byrd with a plaque that contained a sculptured likeness of Carver. Davis had bought the plaque as a youngster.

“Put it wherever you think it will do the most good, as a reflection of Dr. Carver and as a little piece of Russ Davis that will always be at Simpson,” he said.

After the event, Byrd said, “It was a remarkable gesture, and certainly a gift that we’re going to treasure at Simpson College.” ■ ■

SimPSon in the

NEWSvery four years, the nation’s attention turns to Iowa and the first-in-the-nation caucuses. This gives Simpson

College a great opportunity to showcase our resources and expertise.

This year we produced “The Simpson College Source Kit,” a list of political experts and contact numbers that was distributed to hundreds of media outlets and political reporters.

The effort paid off:

• AnABCNewsreportercoveredafocusgroup that Simpson conducted in conjunction with Harvard University.

• KedronBardwell,assistantprofessorofpolitical science, was interviewed by U.S. News and World Report, ABC News radio, WHO radio and the Boston Herald.

• JohnEpperson,professorofpoliticalscience, conducted several interviews as well, and he continued to serve as the political expert for WOI-TV in Ames.

• BrianSteffen,professorofcommunicationstudies, was interviewed on media matters related to the caucuses.

• The Des Moines Register wrote a story regarding a Simpson survey of student political views.

• A Kansas City Star reporter spent a day on campus, talking with students about their views. These included students affiliated with the Culver Public Policy Center.

The Culver Center also was heavily involved in educating students about the caucuses. Ann Perry, the wife of Texas governor and republican presidential candidate Rick Perry, spoke on campus at the invitation of the Culver Center.

But Simpson received attention for more than politics in the past few months:

• BernardMcDonald,thedirectorofopera,was the subject of a long profile in The Des Moines Register regarding Simpson’s acclaimed opera program.

• JackieCrawford,professorofeducation,and Simpson students were featured prominently in a Register story on teacher education requirements that focused on Simpson’s high standards. ■

Simpson President John Byrd congratulates Lt. Gen. Russell C. Davis,

this year’s recipient of the Carver Medal.


| tour ing the years

CLaSS nOTeS

Joseph Young ’53 is a retired United Methodist minister. His book, “The Journey from Doubt to Faith” has been published by Publish America. The book is designed to help persons address their doubts and work through them to a wholesome and vibrant faith. Joseph and his wife, Caroline, live in Marion.

Chuck Kayton ’58 and marilyn houghton Kayton celebrated their 50th anniversary in December. The Kayton’s were married at the First United Methodist Church in Indianola. Dr. Kerstetter, then president of Simpson College, and the Rev. Lamb, a local pastor, officiated.

mary Ann wolf Johnson ’61 is retired and teaches computer classes to senior citizens through the Shepherd Center of Greensboro, N.C.

h. roger Grant ’66 is the co-editor of a recently-published book by Indiana University Press, “A Young Dutchman Views Post-Civil War America: Diary of Claude August Crommelin.” This is Grant’s 28th book publication.

Jeff Peterson ’67 is retired from The Unland Companies. He and his wife, Jill, split their time between central Illinois and Florida. The couple has two boys and two grandchildren.

diana Parker Barry ’69 recently retired in December and is enjoying time with her husband, Robert, two children and four grandchildren.

dr. oliver Johnson ’69 was recently named assistant superintendent for student services of the Johnston County Schools in Smith Field, N.C. He will oversee health services, social work services, counseling services, dropout prevention, emergency

management, driver’s education, superintendent’s round table, health advisory council, homeless education, foreign exchange students, enrollment and truancy intervention.

Clifford levy ’69 retired in December after almost 38 years at Merrill Lynch. He and his wife, Patti, plan to travel to Arizona and Michigan to see their children and grandchildren.

Bruce wilson ’69 is assistant director at Urban Dreams, a Des Moines inner city human services agency. He’s been at Urban Dreams for over 20 years and has no plans to retire in the foreseeable future. Bruce and his wife, Shirl, reside in Des Moines.

Glen dalton ’70 is a financial advisor at Wells Fargo Advisors and resides in Des Moines with his wife, Cheryl.

debbie mchose ’74 is a realtor for Coldwell Banker Mid-America Group in Des Moines.

mike ostlund ’75 had his book, “Find ‘Em Chase ‘Em Sink ‘Em: The Mysterious Loss of the WWII Submarine USS Gudgeon,ated second edition recently.

Sam Carrell ’83 is principal at Carrell Strategies in Des Moines.

Jack Jetmund ’83 accepted a promotion and moved from the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis to the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration where he is the business manager for all air traffic control facilities. He received his Masters of Public Administration from American University in May 2010.

Barb Starrett newhart ’85 is a substance abuse counselor at Community and Family Resources in Ames. She works with a team of counselors and therapists responsible for providing outpatient treatment groups and substance abuse evaluations for adults.

mary Catlett ’88 is an advertising administrative assistant at EFCO Forms in Des Moines. Her position is tailormade to her talents, allowing her to write, edit and perform research for a major Iowa manufacturer celebrating its 75th year in business. EFCO formwork and shoring is used in a wide variety of concrete construction projects throughout the world, including 95% of the stadiums in the world, a rebuild of the fallen I-35 Minneapolis bridge and the World Trade Center Tower One in New York City.

eric wilson ’88 is a senior police officer for the city of Des Moines.

renee Govig ’89 works for Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley, P.A as human resources director. The firm’s human resources department was selected by the Human Resources Association of Palm Beach County as the “HR Department of the Year” last May. Searcy Denney Scarola Barnhart & Shipley implemented employee training to help the law firm go “green.” Many jurisdictions no longer allow boxes or documents, exhibits and models in the court room and allow the attorney only his/her lap top and a means of projecting images. The firm trained their employees to upgrade their skills so they can present information and data in the required state-of-the-art digital manner.

tim Plate ’90 resides in Windsor, Colo., with his wife, Cindy, and two children Kaitlyn (14) and Madeline (11). Tim is president and owner of TCP Inc. in Pagosa Springs, Colo.

John louk ’91 and Joy Funkhouser louk ’91 live in Cedar Rapids, where he is pastor at Salem United Methodist Church.

david ekman ’92 is working on his doctorate in psychology at Capella University. This spring, he anticipates opening a mental health and addiction treatment practice called Kindred Spirit Counseling and Addiction Services. David resides in Burlington.

Kevin Paulsen ’92 teaches in the middle school in the Jefferson-Scranton School District. He also coaches high school football and baseball. Kevin and his wife, Jenni, live in Jefferson.

Jay Byers ’93 has been named chief executive of the Greater Des Moines Partnership and the 2012 Business Record’s Forty Under 40 Alumnus of the Year.

Paula Pasco Joiner ’93 is an internal wholesaler for Principal Financial Group in Des Moines.

COMMenCeMenT 2012

Join us for 2012 spring commencement ceremonies to be held Saturday, april 28 at 10 a.m. in Cowles Fieldhouse on the Simpson College campus. The commencement speaker will be Suku Radia, CeO and president of Bankers Trust, Iowa’s largest independent community bank.

Jamie Thomson roberts ’96 is an event coordinator for MillerGroup. She and her husband, Mark, reside in Shawnee, Kan.

Chad Simpson ’96 just began his twelfth year working for the Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of Ohio as their director program development. He and his wife, Bridget, reside in Worthington, Ohio.

Shannon main doner ’97 is a controller for Trans Iowa in Des Moines. rusty doner ’97 is vice president at RGS Services in Grimes. The couple resides in Clive.

melissa Bryan Vasconez ’97 resides in Ottumwa with her husband, dennis Vasconez ’99, and their three children, Caleb (11), Ethan (9), and Ilana (3).

emily roush ’99 was named vice president of the Indianola Chamber of Commerce Board for 2012.

terresa Kurth Goetsch ’00 is an accountant at Federal Home Loan Bank and resides in Ankeny with her sons, Cory and Colby.

Jesse ofner ’01 is a senior account executive for CareerBuilder.com and resides in Denver, Colo.

Jake Abel ’04 is associate brand manager for Nestle USA in Oakland, Calif.

tara Brown dawson ’04 is a kindergarten teacher in the Southeast Polk School District. She resides in Altoona with her husband, Cory dawson ’05.

diana Stoic richardson ’04 is an opera singer. Diana and dan richardson ’06 reside in Chicago, Ill.

lindsay Clark tucker ’04 works for Companion Animal Care Center as an associate veterinarian. She resides in Winona, Minn., with her husband, Brad.

nicole molt Crain ’05 is president of the Iowa Taxpayers Association in Des Moines. Nicole and her husband, Josh, reside in Windsor Heights.

nick Feller ’05 is assistant athletic director at the University of California San Diego in La Jolla. He resides in San Diego.

megan Kehoe ’05 received her master’s degree in education from Iowa State University in 2011. She is an accounts receivable manager at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake.

mark Phillips ’05 works for Inteconnex in Johnston and received his AAS degree in telecommunications technology from Des Moines Area Community College last year.

Kristine robson ’05 is senior project coordinator at Carno ENTRIX, an environmental consulting firm in Seattle, Wash.

Jo tebbe Chaplin ’06 works for DRM Development in Des Moines.

Ben Frotscher ’06 is a writer for Stamats Communications, Inc. in Cedar Rapids.

A PART OF hiSTORYSimpson received a part of history in November in the form of a small handcrafted table. Made from wood with a slate tile top, painted with pansies, the quaint piece was passed from family member to family member. In October, Budd Revell, now 90, contacted his relatives. Since he and his wife, Bonnie, were considering moving to a smaller home, he wondered what they should do with the heirloom. A cousin was the first to respond and said to give it to Simpson. Revell sent a letter to the art department at the college, and Vice President of College advancement Bob Lane responded. The table, Revell explained, was painted by the great-aunt whom he was named after, etta Mae Budd. The family knew that Ms. Budd played a significant role in the history of Simpson College as art teacher of George Washington Carver and as the person who urged Carver to study agricultural science. Ms. Budd also played an important part in the establishment of Simpson’s chapter of Delta Delta Delta. While a student at Iowa agricultural College in ames, she founded a local society. When later studying painting at the Boston Museum of art, she met the founders of the months-old Tri-Delta sorority at Boston College. Budd soon orchestrated that the ames group and the L.F.V. society at Simpson would join Tri-Delta, and she, herself, was initiated. a year later, in 1890, Ms. Budd joined the faculty at Simpson. Simpson’s chapter became the second Tri-Delta chapter in the U.S. and remains Tri-Delta’s oldest continuously active chapter.

The Revells delivered the table in November and gave the piece to the college. after carefully considering where to place the table, Simpson’s administrators agreed it seemed only fitting that the table, graced with the sorority’s flower, should be loaned to the alumnae chapter of Delta Delta Delta and placed in the chapter’s Centennial Room, serenely guarded by a photograph of the chapter’s first initiates.


Pictured are President Byrd with Sara Heim Canady ’07 and Annie Fullas ’14.


Carrie Brannen Kruse ’06 passed her CPA exam and is now chief financial officer for the city of Windsor Heights, where she resides with her husband, Tyler.

Ashley Finestead moore ’06 is a digital editions desktop operator for Meredith Corporation in Des Moines, where she resides with her husband, Connor moore ’08.

diogenes Ayala ’07 is operations manager for Verizon Wireless. He recently completed his master’s degree in criminal justice at Simpson College and resides in Des Moines with his wife, Jayne hauser Ayala ’07.

darrin Gregory hansen ’07 is a registered nurse working at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. Andrew hansen ’08 is a police officer for the city of Newton. The couple resides in Newton.

Jessica martin hazelton ’07, admission coordinator at The Homestead in Altoona, is working on her master’s degree in teaching at Simpson College. She and Brandon hazelton ’06 reside in Altoona.

erin Palmer ruhland ’07 completed her master’s degree in exercise/physiology/cardiac rehabilitation at Minnesota State University. She works for UnitedHealth Group as an ergonomic consultant. Erin resides in Richfield, Minn., with her husband, nate ruhland ’07.

dustin Schelling ’07 of Carbondale, Ill., is a federal wildlife law enforcement officer for U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Prior to this position, he was employed by the Department of Homeland Security as a federal air marshal in Detroit, Mich.

Becky wearne ’08 is a customer service representative at EBank in West Des Moines.

Brian Beauvais ’09 is completing his master’s degree at the University of Northern Iowa. Before returning to school, he worked at the National Parks Service in the Grand Tetons and for Vail Ski Company.

Billie Broich ’09 has earned the designation Accredited Business Communicator (ABC). Billie is a communications consultant for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage in Des Moines.

Samantha Alitz Finneseth ’09 and her husband, John, reside in Adel.

Joey hofer ’09 works at Harley Davidson and resides in Indianola with his wife, Sarah.

emily Pearson Banks ’10 is a personal trainer at Waukee Wellness & Chiropractic. She resides in Ankeny with her husband, Austen.

michael Christensen ’10 is gallery manager at the Longbranch Gallery in Mineral Point, Wisc.

malia lloyd ’10 is an admissions advisor at Cornerstone Solutions/Job Corps in Ottumwa, where she resides.

lucas mihalovich ’10 is in medical school at Des Moines University. Lucas and his wife, Jessica, reside in Ankeny.

Sarah Schlitter ’10 of Rockwell is a certified public accountant at Williams & Associates in Mason City.

Paige Shelton ’10 is a behavioral services technician at Alegent Health: Immanuel Medical Center on Omaha, Neb. She is working on her master’s degree at the University of Nebraska – Omaha, Grace Abbott School of Social Work and anticipates graduating in the fall.

Shayna Calkins ’11 is an English teacher for Kid’s College in Ilsan, South Korea.

Stefani egnell ’11 is working as a resident assistant at Edina Park Plaza in Edina, Minn., in order to gain experience in the medical field before she applies to physician assistant school.

elizabeth niemeier ’11 is a teacher in the Eldon School District and lives in Elgin, Ill.

Katie rooney ’11 is events manager for the Historic Valley Junction Foundation in West Des Moines.

Jan Spreitzenbarth ’11 is a logistics trainee at Bosch in the Stuttgart area of Germany.

MARRiAgES

Jack Jetmund ’83 and Vince Keilman, September 17, 2011, Washington, D.C.

Jocelyn Stull ’01 and Alan Brincks, November 18, 2011, Altoona.

Be in STyLeIf warming temperatures make you long for two wheels, a Powerade and a trail, be sure you hit it in style in a 2012 Simpson College bike jersey. We’ll be honest. It’s a pedaling billboard for the college. But we can’t think of a more fun way for you to help us get Simpson’s name out there.

Short sleeve and sleeveless styles are available for $65.

To find out more, go to www.simpson.edu/teamsimpson/

Team Simpson will be celebrating its 4th year with RaGBRaI XL July 21-28. Follow the adventures of President John Byrd and our 55 riders as they cross Iowa on Twitter @SimpsonRagbrai.

Pictured are Adam ’97 and Leslie Sickels Soyer ’97 sporting the 2012 Simpson jerseys.


lindsay Clark ’04 and Brad Tucker, October 8, 2011, Winona, Minn.

nicole molt ’05 and Josh Crain, February 4, 2012, Windsor Heights.

Carrie Brannen ’06 and Tyler Kruse, June 11, 2011, Windsor Heights.

nathan ruhland ’07 and erin Palmer ’07, May 21, 2011, Richfield, Minn.

tara Brown ’08 and Cory dawson ’09, June 18, 2011, Altoona.

emili Johnson ’08 and Jessie Radke, May 29, 2011, Des Moines.

Jeffrey liggett ’08 and erin hopp ’09, October 22, 2011, Conroy.

Jason Courtney ’10 and Ashley weiland ’10, October 22, 2011, West Des Moines.

Ashley drogo ’11 and Lucas Mosier, June 25, 2011, Massena.

biRThS/ADOPTiONS

Isabella Lee Patton, March 5, 2012, to James Patton ’91 and lora duncan Patton ’92, Sultan, Wash.

Gianna Lisbeth Goemaat, October 3, 2011, to Janelle hart Goemaat ’93 and Jeremy Goemaat, Winterset, joins Gunnar (7) and Gabrielle (5).

Jason Alan Joiner, August 31, 2011, to Paula Pasco Joiner ’93 and Alan B. Joiner, Van Meter.

Hayden Nash Faust, October 4, 2011, to nicole downing Faust ’99 and Corey A. Faust, Mankato, Minn., joins big brother, Jackson (7).

Ian Tyler Kamerman, August 25, 2011, to tyler d. Kamerman ’00 and Jessica Kamerman, Des Moines.

Sagers Thomas Wickham, October 21, 2011, to hannah willenborg wickham ’00 and Luke Wickham, Orlando, Fla.

These Simpson legacies were spotted exploring the Simpson campus. Pictured left to right are Noah Biklen hanson, Peter Schumacher, Will Schumacher and Kate Schumacher. Noah is the son of andrea Biklen ’93. Peter, Will and Kate are the children of Dawn hellyer Schumacher ’94 and Scott Schumacher ’94.

38 WWW. SIMPSON.eDU/MaGazINe

Owen David and Anna Haley Hartman, November 14, 2011, to eric J. hartman ’01 and Courtney Swartz hartman ’01, Des Moines.

Quentin Philip VanderLinden, June 9, 2010, to Amanda Perkins Vanderlinden ’02 and Mike VanderLinden, Knoxville.

Clover Evon Mitchell, November 22, 2011, to dr. Alanah davis mitchell ’03 and Jason m. mitchell ’04, Boone, N.C.

Connor Murphy Vickery, October 26, 2011, to Amy Brown Vickery ’03 and Blake Vickery, Sioux City.

Dempsey Michael Biller, March 23, 2011, to Garrett m. Biller ’04 and Kelli demetri Biller ’06, Dekalb, Ill.

Loukas Charles Moser, August 20, 2011, to Katie espenmiller moser ’04 and Nik Moser, Fort Dodge, joins big brother, Sam.

Stella Raye Whitson, December 20, 2011, to Jill toombs whitson ’04 and Stephen G. Whitson, Indianola, joins sister, Eden.

Blake Edward Yoder, October 17, 2011, to Sara leichty Yoder ’04 and Donovan Yoder, West Liberty, joins sister, Emma.

Jude Dennis Guetler, October 20, 2011, to lindsey ingles Guetter ’05 and Aaron Guetter, Arlington, Tenn.

Iris “Charlotte” Bustillo Robson, July 2, 2011, to Kristine robson ’05 and Cesar B. Diaz, Seattle, Wash.

Lauren Marie Stoelk, August 23, 2011, to Jill Claiborne Stoelk ’05 and marty d. Stoelk ’06, Norwalk.

Joselyn Donnenwerth, October 12, 2011, to nicole Gruber donnenwerth ’07 and Kyle Donnenwerth, Hampton, joins brother, Jacob (2).

Cora Fenimore Terlouw, November 29, 2011, to morgan Kelly terlouw ’07 and matthew J. terlouw ’08, Pella.

Peyton Allen Willey, July 21, 2011, to Kenna wheeldon willey ’07 and randy G. willey ’08, Newton.

Elliot Marie Lampman, August 17, 2011, to Seth d. lampman ’08 and emily Keller lampman ’09, Indianola.

deaThS

Florence weir Smith ’30, February 2, 2012, Indianola.

mabel Schaal hudson ’32, November 13, 2011, Meridian, Idaho.

leota harrison Smith ’38, February 29, 2012, Woodstock, Ill.

SuPERNATuRAL STRENgThanyone married understands that longevity sometimes requires a bit of supernatural strength … or at least patience. So why not a super-hero wedding to get things started?

While eldora is not exactly the planet Krypton, Jasmine “ Jas” Crosser ’09, a corporate communications major and social media specialist, makes a living out of grabbing attention. So it was no surprise to her fiancée, Aric Riedemann, when she proposed to invite to the wedding her own real-life hero, Barry Sanders, the retired NFL Detroit Lions running back.

She started her campaign with a blog, “Mr. Barry Sanders, Will You Do Me the honor?” and rallied her readers to urge Barry via email, Twitter and Facebook to attend. Then she posted a video of herself popping the other big question. Not only did her friends and family jump on board, but strangers across the country also encouraged

Barry. at the end of July, Jas and aric got a message from Barry’s agent. Barry was busy the weekend of the wedding but maybe they could meet at a later date. among their gifts that day was a tweet from Barry to the new Mr. and Mrs. Riedemann, “I’d like to send my best wishes to one of my biggest fans… she is getting married tomorrow and sadly I am unable to attend.” But among the wedding cards… was one from Barry. “To aric and Jas- Congrats on the wedding. Take good care of each other. –Barry Sanders.” But the story doesn’t end there. Soon after the nuptials, an agent contacted the newlyweds inviting them to meet up with Barry at a memorabilia show in Chicago. What did she think of her hero? Watching the kind manner in which Barry interacted with the public only reinforced her feelings as evidenced on her blog. “I.Love.Barry.Sanders.” Read more at: http://barrymeplease.wordpress.com/2011/10/01/barry-this-is-what-you-missed-part-i/


evelyn white Van rossum ’38, December 10, 2011, Manning.

eleanor holman ritter ’39, July 25, 2011, Winterset.

lorraine Bruggen major ’40, January 22, 2012, West Des Moines.

robert m. la Follette ’42, November 26, 2011, Des Moines.

doris Crawford day ’45, November 30, 2011, Des Moines.

dana Brown nahkunst ’47, December 29, 2011, Hamburg.

elaine delon Butler ’48, November 4, 2011, Roseville, Calif.

dr. James m. Comer ’48, January 17, 2012, Cornwall, Pa.

Florence trunnell Schreiber ’48, December 29, 2011, Indianola.

Vera Pratt moser ’49, November 29, 2011, Everett, Wash.

mearl e. martin ’50, February 1, 2012, Cedar Rapids.

Beverly nyswonger rickabaugh ’50, November 2, 2011, Indianola.

rev. howard w. washburn ’50, February 21, 2012, Saint Marys, Ohio.

roger K. Borthwick ’51, December 10, 2011, Carmel, Ind.

Barbara Frazier miller ’51, January 2, 2012, Urbandale.

Jean middleton hedden ’52, October 12, 2011, Wilmington, N.C.

Gordon w. Jones ’52, February 15, 2012, Ft. Collins, Colo.

robert l. Calhoun ’55, March 20, 2011, Seguin, Texas.

Betty Finch Krane ’55, November 8, 2011, Austin, Texas.

dr. Gordon h. lamb ’56, February 6, 2012, Columbia, Mo.

don e. worster ’56, October 9, 2011, Keokuk.

lorraine lamb dixon ’57, November 23, 2011, Shawnee, Kan.

dr. marvin C. Swanson ’58, November 19, 2011, St. Peters, Mo.

Judy tyler Johnson ’60, November 21, 2011, Ankeny.

donald l. Forret ’69, November 22, 2011, Indianola.

Patricia Frost harvey ’69, December 3, 2011, Des Moines.

James h. Kelly, ii ’70, November 9, 2011, Pleasant Hill.

Gregory A. Krueger ’74, January 18, 2012, Omaha, Neb.

linda Berch ’04, February 28, 2012, Peru.

biNghAM RAY ’76

Notable alumnus Bingham Ray, Simpson College Class of 1976, passed away on January 23 at the age of 57 after suffering a stroke while attending the Sundance Film Festival. Co-founder of October Films, Ray was a prominent figure in the independent film industry. In November, he was named executive director of the San Francisco Film Society. he was former president of United artists.

In a statement to the los Angeles Times, Sundance founder Robert Redford remarked, “We lost a true warrior for independent voice today with the passing of Bingham Ray. he was a valued member of the Sundance family for as long as I can remember and he is responsible for mentoring countless seminal storytellers and bringing their work to the world.”

One of Ray’s best-known achievements was the purchase of Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine,” which won an academy award for best feature documentary in 2003.

he is survived by his wife, Nancy King, and their children, Nick, annabel and Becca.

Taking full advantage of one of Indianola’s mildest winters on record, the contractors working on the Kent Campus Center are making great progress. The 54,000-square-foot building, located north of the Cowles Fieldhouse and south of the Tri-Delta sorority, sits in the same location as the former Brenton Student Center. This new campus hub will feature a much expanded bookstore, coffee shop, yogurt shop, casual student dining options and a large second floor grand room that will overlook beautiful Buxton Park. a black box performance space will offer students a place to be entertained, and spacious student meeting rooms and offices. It will also provide student groups with what they need to be successful. Significantly upgraded, professional spaces will be built for career services, health services and all other student development operations. This beautiful building fits perfectly into the existing campus and will have an immeasurably positive impact on both recruitment and retention of the top students sought by Simpson. With an opening date of October, your chance to contribute to this, the largest building project in Simpson’s history, is as easy as clicking on the Simpson website at http://www.simpson.edu/alumni/give/online.html, or by calling Bob Lane ’81, vice president of college advancement at (515) 961-1417.

KenT uPdaTe!

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spring 2012

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