SULLIVAN`S SOLUTION p. 10 - The College of St. Scholastica

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MAGAZINE Spring ’15
ST. SCHOLASTICA
SULLIVAN’S
SOLUTION p. 10
“The deepest reason that I should respect
you is … because you are precious to God,
and therefore you are precious to me.”
Dear Friend of the College,
Our college community is discussing the value
of respect this year. In my fall column I traced
the evolution of the notion of respect from the
Middle Ages, where it was based on social
role, to modern times, where it is grounded in
human dignity. The Middle Ages excluded some
individuals from respect, whereas modernity
wants to include everyone.
of the Medieval approach without forfeiting the
What is the source of universal human dignity
— where does it come from? One popular answer
since the Enlightenment is that human dignity
derives from our intrinsic ability to shape our
own lives and define who we are.
interpretations that we have examined so far are
Human self-creativity is indeed sacred, but is its
actual realization always worthy of our respect?
What if I freely choose to be a racist? What
we need, it seems, is a grounding of respect
that includes everyone, but that also provides
a criterion according to which people can
willingly exclude themselves.
One way forward in this situation is suggested
by the famous line in the U.S. Declaration of
Independence: “We hold these Truths to be
self-evident, that all Men are created equal,
that they are endowed by their Creator with
certain inalienable Rights, that among these
are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
The key phrase for our purpose is “endowed by
their Creator with certain inalienable Rights”.
The source of human dignity is neither social
standing nor the individual self; rather, human
dignity derives from a transcendent source,
“their Creator.”
I believe that the Catholic Benedictine heritage
of our College gives us a way to locate human
dignity in a role — child of God — without
excluding anyone. This preserves the structure
scope of the modern approach.
The essence of the Biblical-Christian
understanding of human dignity is Godcentered. This is as opposed to a humancentered approach that interprets the world
from our point of view; for example, nature and
animals exist to serve our purposes. The two
human-centered: we owe people respect either
because of their social role or because of their
individual quest for authenticity.
A God-centered approach, by contrast, says that
human dignity derives from deity. The deepest
reason that I should respect you is not because
you are an important person or because you
are the author of your own unique story — it is
because you are precious to God, and therefore
you are precious to me. Deity is the central
reference point.
This provides a universal basis for human
respect — every human being is a child of God,
and also gives us the criterion — love — for
determining how well we are fulfilling our role
as children of God.
“God” is understood as the supreme expression
of love. God is love and whoever abides in love
abides in God and God in him or her. The Great
Commandment instructs us to love God with
all our heart, all our mind, all our strength …
and our neighbor as ourselves. This is either
utter nonsense — since loving God with all our
energy leaves nothing for the neighbor, or it is
the greatest religious insight of all time — since
loving the neighbor must simply be loving God,
and vice versa.
CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS
On the cover: Ojibwe linguist Michael Sullivan
is helping revitalize his people’s use of their native
language. Shown is his son, Niizhoo, dancing
at the 41st Annual Honor the Earth Traditional
Homecoming Celebration and Powwow on the Lac
Courte Oreilles Ojibwe reservation. See page 10.
2 — How best to thrive?
Love is not a sentimental concept here. It is a
form of relationship that has two sides: empathy
(feeling the feelings of others) and justice,
acting on behalf of others. Because the essence
of being human is the right of self-determination
(“Thou has created me creator of myself”),
acting on behalf of others means changing
the social structures that prevent people
from achieving self-determination, acting to
maximize their freedom to create themselves.
In other words, social justice. The late Steve
O’Neil’s tireless advocacy and political acumen
on behalf of the homeless is an outstanding
example from our own Duluth community.
The dignity of human beings is thus grounded
in God who is “pure, unbounded love.” We come
from love and we return to love. Along the way,
we are to take care of one another. There is an
entire and complete worldview — a metaphysics
of love — contained here. I believe that this
theistic worldview, carefully worked out, gives
us both the justification for universal human
rights and the standard for deciding which
expressions of those rights really advance the
human story.
The College considers
6 — They wrote the model
Alums have worldwide influence
13 — To the source
Social Work students head east
14 — Million-dollar faculty
A new way to teach teachers
15 — In grateful remembrance
Saluting three Sisters
18 — Better Together
Cultivating religious understanding
22 — Sports wrap-up
... and look ahead
27 — Advancement news
Unleashing unrestricted funds
31 — Class Notes
News from all over
EDITOR
Bob Ashenmacher
Larry Goodwin
President
Executive Director of Communications
(218) 723-6075 e-mail: rashenma@css.edu
CONTRIBUTORS
Valerie Clark
Communications Specialist
Lisa Roseth ’04
Executive Director of
Alumni Relations
Carrie Krueger ’13
Associate Director of
Alumni Relations
Jesse Robinson
Director of Athletics
Communications
Dave Ballard
Veronica Cich
Ted Weiers
Spring ’15
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How
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St. Scholastica Magazine
best to thrive?
Powerful market pressures are challenging higher education
in America, and St. Scholastica isn’t immune.
Most Minnesota colleges and universities, public and
private, are facing enrollment stress. For instance, financial
commitments or “deposits” from first-year and transfer
students among Minnesota’s private colleges last fall were
down from the previous year’s 2 percent on average.
St. Scholastica’s were up by 9 percent, but the College’s
overall traditional undergraduate population has been in
decline for several years.
Last fall, President Larry Goodwin led St. Scholastica faculty,
staff and students through a series of discussions about the
College’s future.
St. Scholastica also faces demographic
challenges as a regional school. The
number of 18 year-olds in Minnesota,
which declined for many years, is
slowly rising, but it is projected to drop
again sharply in the early 2020s.
“The challenge we face is not due to
some part or other of the College not
doing its job properly,” Goodwin said.
“It is, rather, because of declining
demographics for traditional-age
students and societal concerns about
college not being affordable.”
“As the saying goes, ‘the best way to deal with change is to
help create it’,” he said. “We’re doing that with confidence and
hope.”
Goodwin led five town hall meetings
with faculty, staff and students in
St. Scholastica’s overall position is solid.
“As the saying goes, ‘the best
way to deal with change is to
help create it.’ ”
“We’ve been on a good trajectory for 15 years,” he said. The
College has grown, diversified and expanded its offerings.
“This has helped stabilize our school in a volatile environment
and has allowed us to invest $50 million in student housing,
a wellness center, and an expansion of the Science Center
— all of which directly benefit the traditional undergraduate
experience,” Goodwin said.
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Now, diminishing revenues are requiring reduced expenses,
especially on the traditional undergraduate side of the
operation. Meanwhile, enrollment in the College’s graduate,
extended and online (GEO) programs, which has been growing,
is flattening due to increased competition and, in some
programs, lack of sufficient clinical sites.
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Spring ’15
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September and October. He laid out a strategic plan and took
comments and questions. Beth Domholdt, vice president for
academic affairs, and Tom Laird, interim chief financial officer,
followed up with a discussion of how the College allocates
revenue and expenses between the traditional undergraduate
part of the academic enterprise and GEO programs.
is to reduce operations costs while
“Our strategy has three basic elements,” Goodwin said. “Getting
traditional programming to be self-sustaining, expanding
graduate health science programming, and exploring new
program opportunities including new models for making
undergraduate learning more affordable.”
Physician Assistant program and
The traditional model can’t cover its costs through tuition
alone — a problem not unique to St. Scholastica.
central to our strategy,” Goodwin said.
Balance will be achieved through cost reductions, an
increased subsidy from an endowment enlarged through fundraising, and increased revenues from auxiliary operations
such as residential life and the Saints Shop apparel center.
protecting the academic core of the
College and related student support.
The second strategic goal, expanding
graduate health science programming,
centers around housing the upcoming
expanded Physical Therapy and
Occupational Therapy programs.
“Creating space for these in-demand
graduate health profession programs is
In December, the Board of Trustees
voted to move ahead with plans for a
presence in the Bluestone development
on Woodland Avenue in Duluth, on
the eastern side of the University of
Working with deans and department chairs, Domholdt is
conducting “discontinuance studies” for a handful of lowenrolled programs that have had an average of two or fewer
graduates per year for the last five years. She calls it “portfolio
management.”
Minnesota-Duluth campus. As this
In November, the College implemented staff reductions
amounting to 14 positions out of a total of about 580. Further
reductions may come over the next three years, mostly
through retirements and not filling open positions. The intent
exploring new program opportunities.
issue of the magazine went to press the
College is keeping other site options
open as well.
The third prong of the strategy is
They could be in athletics or majors
such as environmental engineering or
biomedical engineering.
Protecting student support systems and the academic core remains a key priority.
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St. Scholastica Magazine
Goodwin is also challenging faculty and staff to consider bold
ways to make traditional higher education more affordable.
To that end, he appointed a task force to “consider models that
would result in a sustainable, affordable, and pedagogically
legitimate traditional undergraduate education that honors
our mission.”
Using the College’s creativity makes more sense than only
using a red pen, he said.
“We are committed to belt-tightening on the traditional
side of the house,” Goodwin said, “but I don’t believe we can
simply cut our way out of the problem. It’s imperative that
the College undertake serious work to reimagine traditional
undergraduate education that is financially sustainable for the
school and affordable for students and their families.
“We need to consider the real possibility that a new model of
education may actually be better for learners.”
Research into how human beings acquire knowledge has
challenged traditional pedagogies, he noted.
“People learn in different ways and at different rates,” Goodwin
said. “Knowing this, would we build our current semester
system if we were starting from scratch? ... We should be the
first traditional school in our region to offer an alternative
model.”
Aileen Beard, dean of the School of Science, chairs the task
force. Its 10 members have met every other week since
September. Their report is due by the end of the academic year
in May.
“The process is very exciting,” Beard said. “We’re at a place
where there really are a lot of opportunities out there. I’d like
us to be a part of that, the new frontier so to speak.”
The members are surveying research and literature about best
practices at schools around the country that are effectively
addressing the challenge of affordability in traditional
undergraduate programs. Meanwhile,
they’re informing themselves
intimately about the unique pressures
that St. Scholastica students face.
“It’s just as important to have a feel
for local issues as national,” she said,
“because the reality is that most of our
market is local.”
“Our strategy has three basic
elements: getting traditional
programming to be selfsustaining, expanding graduate
health science programming,
and exploring new program
opportunities.”
She doesn’t expect a silver bullet
approach.
“It’ll be a mixture of solutions, and
each will have a small impact but
collectively they could have a large
impact.”
Goodwin is optimistic.
“We’re pulling together as a community
to face our challenges and deal with
them,” he said. “We can emerge stronger
on the other side.”
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Alumni’s work receiving
worldwide recognition
Courtesy of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
Two St. Scholastica alumni were at the forefront of reimagining
the way an entire justice system operates to create life-saving
societal change. Their work has had a profound impact.
Michael
Paymar in
Geneva last
fall.
6
In the 1980s, the late Ellen Pence ’91 and Michael Paymar ’83
worked with others to create the “Duluth Model,” a coordinated
community response to domestic violence. Three decades
later that model is influential internationally.
The Duluth Model has changed thought
Last October, Paymar traveled to Geneva to represent the
Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (DAIP), which
won the Gold Future Policy Award from the World Futures
Council in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union and
UN Women.
likely saved lives.
“It’s humbling and it’s an honor after 33 years to be
acknowledged on the world stage,” Paymar said.
over the globe,” Pence said in a 2003
St. Scholastica Magazine
processes around the world for dealing
with domestic abuse, improved the
lives of women, men and families, and
“I don’t think many people in this
city realize what a huge impact
our community has had on police
departments and courtrooms all
interview.
“I don’t think many people in this city realize
what a huge impact our community has had on police
departments and courtrooms all over the globe.”
Back to the ’80s
In 1980, Paymar was a member of the Duluth City Council and
was a St. Scholastica student double-majoring in education
and history. He intended to become a history teacher.
“It was just non-stop (busy), but St. Scholastica was a good
experience for me,” said Paymar, who recently retired as a
long-time member of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
He’s now the executive director of Education for Critical
Thinking, an organization combating gender violence.
One of his favorite professors was the late Sister Mary
Richard Boo ’51.
“She was a wonderful teacher and an
inspiration in many ways to me,” he
said. He recalls knocking on her door
and asking, “Ms. Boo, can I talk to you?”
Her reply: “Young man, you may call me
Mary, Mary Richard, or Sister, but you
may not call me ‘Ms.’”
Ellen Pence
at her Duluth
home in 2003.
After graduating, he earned his master’s
in public administration from Hamline
University.
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As for Pence, she spent the late 1970s helping establish
women’s shelters in Minnesota. She and her colleagues came
to realize that merely sheltering abused women was not
enough. They envisioned institutional change, but it wasn’t
forthcoming in the Twin Cities. She came north to Duluth.
Her time at St. Scholastica enabled her to apply her real-world
knowledge to academics, she said.
An unexpected career
Paymar’s life path changed from
teaching history when he met Pence
at an organizing meeting to recruit
men to work for the DAIP. The two hit
it off immediately. Together they wrote
“Creating a Process of Change for Men
Who Batter,” the most widely used
treatment model for domestic abuse
offenders in the world. The experience
changed his life as he re-examined his
own attitudes.
“It was a powerful experience to unpack
some of those beliefs that I had as a
man growing up in our culture. I knew
that I wanted to keep doing that work.
I really felt sort of a calling that as a
man I should be involved in helping
men change — helping other men
understand the roots of that violence.”
At the time, domestic violence was seen
as a personal problem to be kept behind
closed doors.
“You had to be seriously injured before
the police would make an arrest,”
Paymar said. Authorities’ overall
approach was hands-off.
Paymar and
Pence in the
early ’80s:
“She was my
mentor and a
dear friend,”
Paymar said.
“I was able to relate my experience to scholarly research
— and I loved the process! Classroom learning became
exciting, and I was eager to go on for graduate work.” Among
her mentors was Bob Brenning, an influential ethicist and
religious studies instructor who was a founder of the antiviolence organization Men As Peacemakers.
Pence went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees at the
University of Toronto.
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St. Scholastica Magazine
The simple, yet revolutionary, idea
behind the Duluth Model was to
mandate police intervention, along with
community follow-up from cooperating
agencies to help victims
“We knew that we were doing
something very special back in the
early ’80s,” Paymar said. “Practitioners
from around the world began coming
to Duluth. We knew we were on to
something.”
“You know in your heart that this kind of intervention
saves people’s lives, turns families around and makes
communities safer.”
The influence spreads
“There are elements of this model working, being adapted,
and further refined in every state in the U.S.,” said Scott Miller,
DAIP Blueprint Coordinator.
Lt. Mike Ceynowa, who supervises the Domestic Violence Unit
of the Duluth Police Department, said that the DPD has become
more effective at handling domestic abuse calls.
“I think we have made it a much more hopeful process
for victims,” Ceynowa said. “We are definitely making a
difference.”
Amy Bergstrom, director of the College’s master of education
program and DAIP board member, said the “groundbreaking”
Duluth Model has changed the entire conversation about
domestic violence.
“It’s saved the lives of women and children around the world,”
she said. “The imprint that the College likely had on (Paymar
and Pence) through their experience as students really
solidified their commitment to social justice. That’s a strong
component of the Benedictine values.”
The Duluth Model is not without its critics.
“There’s some criticism… because it focuses on issues of
domination and the power that a batterer has over the victim,”
Paymar said. “Some people believe that a perpetrator should
not be arrested and put into the criminal justice system for a
domestic assault.”
Many criticisms boil down to philosophical differences of
opinion, Paymar said. He cites a prominent five-year study
from researcher Edward Gondolf, who found that among
offenders who went through cognitive behavioral therapy
— like that prescribed by the Duluth Model — only about 20
to 30 percent were likely to become
physically abusive again.
“It all comes down to what people
believe: What are the causal factors
for the violence, and what stops the
violence,” Paymar said. “We don’t
agree with arguments that ignore the
long history of men using violence to
control women, or the position by some
mental health practitioners who claim
that women are equally as violent as
men, or that battering is caused by
psychological problems.”
Making progress
Though significant challenges remain
in the fight against domestic violence,
Paymar is proud to have been a part of
an initiative that is making an impact.
“You know in your heart that this kind
of intervention saves people’s lives,
turns families around and makes
communities safer,” he said.
He said he only wishes that Pence, who
died in 2012, could have been there
with him in Geneva to accept the Gold
Future Policy Award from the World
Futures Council.
“She was my mentor and a dear friend,”
Paymar said. “We just had this amazing
relationship.”
Spring ’15
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Sullivan brings
love of Ojibwe
language to the
classroom
Niizhoo Sullivan
(left), who is also
featured on this
issue’s cover, and
his younger brother
Preston had a oncein-a-lifetime chance
to take a selfie with
President Barack
Obama.
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St. Scholastica Magazine
Michael Sullivan opened a recent
standing-room only faculty presentation in
rapid-fire Ojibwe, drawing laughter from a
few audience members.
He then issued a quick disclaimer in
English: “For those of you who don’t speak
Ojibwe, you’re going to miss out on some of
the jokes.”
Sullivan, an assistant professor of Ojibwe in Global Cultural
and Language Studies, then launched into an hour-long
discourse about Ojibwe — in English. He covered the basic
structure of the language, its geographic reach, and current
efforts to revitalize it for the future.
He kept the discussion light, lively and relatable, making the
topic immediately accessible for everyone in the audience. It
was obviously a pleasure for him.
“It’s very rewarding work when you see the fruits of your labor
among your own children,” Sullivan says. “I love, love, love
what I do, and what I’m involved with. It’s very meaningful.”
focusing on relative clauses in Ojibwe.
A linguist from the Lac Courte Oreilles band in northwest
Wisconsin, Sullivan’s interest in Ojibwe or Anishinaabe
language preservation is deeply personal. Although he grew
up on the reservation near Hayward, WI, like most kids in his
generation he was raised speaking English.
His contributions have not gone
unnoticed by his peers.
“English has always been seen as the language of
opportunity,” Sullivan said. “Most indigenous cultures don’t
want their children to learn their heritage language. It’s a huge
issue that minority communities are facing everywhere across
the world. People my age inherited this huge responsibility to
do something about it before it’s too late.”
The son of an Ojibwe mother and an Irish father, he
experienced his native language through the sacred
ceremonies conducted on the reservation. He heard it spoken
by members of his grandmother’s generation, and took for
granted that it would always be there.
As he grew up, he realized that the language of his people was
endangered.
After completing his undergraduate degree, he was leaning
toward law school. But the death of his great uncle — the
last person in his family who had spoken Ojibwe as a first
language — awakened something in him.
“Michael Sullivan is one of our bright,
rising stars,” said Anton Treuer,
executive director of the American
Indian Resource Center at Bemidji
State University. “His accomplishments
and contributions to Ojibwe language,
ceremonial, and musical traditions
have already surpassed what most
people do in a lifetime, and he’s really
just getting started. I look forward to
many great things yet to come from
him.”
Sullivan is an active supporter of the
Waadookodaading Ojibwe language
immersion school on the Lac Courte
Oreilles reservation, where his children
attend classes. The school, which
started as a kindergarten pilot program,
now goes to 5th grade, offering all
elementary school classes in Ojibwe.
“A big part of the vision originally was
that not only would Waadookodaading
create new speakers of Ojibwe, but
it would also create a new, healthy
Sullivan looked into linguistics programs and eventually
community that mirrored the
landed at the University of Minnesota, where he
principles and lifestyles of
completed his graduate work. He conducted
yesteryear,” Sullivan said.
research, assisting in putting together an
“So for the first time
online Ojibwe people’s dictionary, and is
St. Scholastica is one
ever in a formal school
now working on his doctoral dissertation
“That just sent me into a panic. I really wanted to do
something.”
of just five Minnesota
colleges to be named to a list
of 200 top colleges by Winds of
Change magazine based on the
strength of their Native programs
and course offerings, as well
as academic and community
support systems.
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“The stage is set, especially at
Lac Courte Oreilles. We’re in charge
of our educational destiny.”
structure, our children are being educated by young, healthy,
sober American Indian men and women who speak their tribal
language and who are these incredible role models. It’s a first
anywhere in Ojibwe country.”
future for the Ojibwe language. Out
of 300 Native languages, Sullivan
said, Ojibwe is one of only three that’s
projected to survive the next century.
Some teachers at the immersion school came through
St. Scholastica’s own Native Teacher program.
“The stage is set, especially at Lac
Courte Oreilles. We’re in charge of our
educational destiny.”
“The Native Teacher Program has produced a number of
teachers who have gone into Ojibwe immersion teaching,”
Sullivan said. “At Waadookodaading alone, there are two
lead teachers with CSS degrees, both of whom are currently
finishing M.Ed degrees through CSS. There’s also a teacher’s
aide who came out of CSS and will most likely be a lead
teacher next year. In addition to the immersion teachers,
there are many who teach Ojibwe as a subject in mainstream
schools, one of them being an elementary Ojibwe teacher at
Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe School.”
That track record can help attract students to St. Scholastica,
he noted.
After an enlightening sample of
Sullivan’s Ojibwe language knowledge,
attendees at Sullivan’s recent oncampus talk were in for one last treat,
as his sons gave an unforgettable
musical performance of song and
percussion. With only their young
voices and drums, 10-year-old Niizhoo
and 7-year-old Preston filled the large
lecture hall with the ancient sounds of
their people.
The boys had just returned from
Washington, D.C., where they had been
invited to share their music in front
of hundreds of delegates at the 2014
White House Tribal Nations Conference.
They even got to take a “selfie”
with President Obama —
By working with both the reservation’s
Michael Sullivan
just one more reward
native-speaking elders as well as
and his colleague,
for their family’s
its youngest children, who are
School of Education
dedication to
now being raised to speak the
Assistant Professor Valerie Tanner,
Ojibwe language
language of their ancestors,
were recently awarded a $32,000
and heritage
Sullivan is already seeing
grant for their “Ojibwe Curriculum for
preservation.
progress in ensuring a robust
Immersion School Teachers” project.
“Part of the benefit of coming to St. Scholastica to study
Ojibwe is the close relationship that we have with all of our
immersion schools due to our faculty, students, and grants
we’ve received. We’ll teach you Ojibwe while pursuing your
degree and then we’ll get you a job in one of the
schools doing exactly what you dream of.”
The purpose is to promote the
revitalization of Ojibwe as a living
language. College faculty will work with
immersion school educators and
Ojibwe elders to create a series of
Ojibwe language webinars.
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St. Scholastica Magazine
Social work class embraces the
paradigm shift
In a rare opportunity, students in the Master of Social Work
program this year learned directly from the founding scholars
of an emerging therapy movement.
The students are taking part in a Relational Cultural Theory
course that brought them face-to-face with its leading
practitioners. The theory’s focus on the importance of
connection and relationships is a close fit with the College’s
Benedictine values.
“It’s about who
are we in our
relationships, and
what we can do
together.”
RCT emphasizes relationship and the
intrinsic human desire for growth — fostering
connection through mutual empathy, respect,
community and social responsibility. RCT
evolved as a developmental and psychological
model in the 1970s and has become a wellrespected therapeutic approach.
Judith Jordan, one of RCT’s founding scholars,
now directs the Jean Baker Miller Training
Institute at the Wellesley Centers for Women
at Wellesley College. St. Scholastica’s RCT class members
and their instructor Connie Gunderson, associate professor of
Social Work, had the opportunity to visit the home ground of
the movement last fall on a trip to Wellesley.
In addition, the class has worked
with RCT clinical practitioners from
around the U.S. and Canada. These
mentors offered real-world examples
on its application. The College and
community partners brought Jordan to
campus in October. She gave a wellreceived presentation and workshop on
“The Power of Connection.”
The class is working on a collective
paper about their experience
learning about the theory and how
the movement applies to the local
community. The paper will be printed in
Wellesley College’s publication.
“It’s a cultural paradigm shift,” said
Corrie Ehrbright, who graduates in
May with her master’s degree in social
work. “Past theories have taught us to
self-actualize, pull up our bootstraps
and find how to make it on our own.
RCT is more about who are we in our
relationships, and what we can do
together.”
Gunderson plans to introduce RCT for
a course with St. Scholastica’s Dignitas
program for first-year students.
Judith Jordan,
left, and Connie
Gunderson
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Jennifer Rosato,
left, and Chery
Takkunen
Faculty national innovators in
computer science education
Two faculty members have won a nearly $1 million grant that
will help improve computer science education in high schools.
Meanwhile, the College also has launched a new computer
science teaching certificate.
The National Science Foundation has awarded $999,741 to
Jennifer Rosato, assistant professor of Computer Information
Systems, and Chery Takkunen, associate professor and chair
of graduate education programs for the School of
Education. The money will be used over a threeyear period to improve and expand K-12 computer
“There’s no
science education by creating and offering an
other program
online course for teachers and offering ongoing
support and mentoring during the school year.
like it that
we’re aware of
in the country.”
The course will show teachers how to help their
students to develop mobile apps, Rosato said,
because building apps for smartphones and
tablets is a relatable way to get kids excited about
computer science.
Participating teachers will first go through the program as
a student would. Next, they’ll be given detailed materials,
including lesson plans and videos, to implement the program
in their schools.
The final phase includes providing academic-year support to
teachers implementing this program for the first time.
The grant addresses a major need in American schools,
Takkunen said.
“We don’t have enough people going into computer science
in general,” she said. “There’s a whole national movement to
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St. Scholastica Magazine
try to get computer science into K-12
schools. If kids aren’t exposed to it in
their earlier years, they are less likely to
consider computer science as a career
option.”
The program will begin this summer,
offering 30 slots in its first year, 60
slots in its second year, and 90 slots in
its final year. It’s free for participants.
St. Scholastica is also offering a new
computer science education certificate,
starting this summer. The 12-credit
program is taught entirely online and is
available to teachers across the nation.
Teachers who are in the College’s
online Master of Education program
can also use this certificate as an
elective strand.
“There’s no other program like it
that we’re aware of in the country,”
Takkunen said.
Takkunen and Rosato’s enthusiasm for
new pedagogies took them to Shanghai,
China, in November, where they
represented the College at a Googlesponsored online learning conference.
It focused on best practices for Massive
Open Online Courses or MOOCs.
BRIEFS
We remember with thanks
The passing of three Benedictines influential in the
development of the College
Sister Mary Richard Boo ’51
Sister Mary Richard Boo was a longtime English professor, academic
administrator, and president of the College from 1967 to 1971.
During her presidency she oversaw construction of the Science building; opened
the College to male students, established a Board of Trustees which included
lay members as well as Sisters; and initiated a faculty-student Senate. After her
presidency she remained at the College as a professor.
Sis
ter
M
B
ary Richard
oo
She was the author of a history of St. Scholastica Monastery: “House of Stone: The
Duluth Benedictines.” After her retirement in 1994 she continued as a freelance
writer and editor, and was a major contributor to the text of the College’s centennial
history, “For the Love of Learning: The College of St. Scholastica Story.”
Sister Margaret Clarke ’62
Sister Margaret Clarke taught a wide array of science courses in her 40-year
career at the College.
She held undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemistry, analytical chemistry
and physical science and completed graduate coursework in geology, astronomy
and college-level science teaching. In 1969 she joined the faculty of the Physical
Science Department, where she began as an instructor and became a full-tenured
professor in 1981.
Sis
ter M
a
rgaret Cla
rke
She served as longtime chair of the Natural Science Division and the Physical
Science Department. Her love of Celtic myth and folklore led her to participate in
the College’s Irish Studies Program in Louisburgh as a faculty member in 1984
and 2000.
Sister Monica Laughlin ’44
Sister Monica Laughlin was a beloved music faculty member for a remarkable
60 years.
She began teaching at the College while a postulant at the Monastery. She served
as Music Department chair from 1954 to 1975. She was known for nourishing and
inspiring music students of all ages, instilling confidence and developing their
unique talents.
Sis
n
ter M
hli
onica Laug
She earned a master’s degree in Music Education from Eastman School of Music
and a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Southern California,
where she also received the Phi Kappa Phi award for Best Dissertation in Music
Education.
She played clarinet for many years with the Duluth Superior Symphony Orchestra.
She performed in the Center for Early Music Orchestra and St. Scholastica Historic
Wind Ensemble. She directed the Abbey and Mod Minstrels from 1972 to 1978.
Spring ’15
15
BRIEFS
Vine’s doing fine
Vine is St. Scholastica’s Rose Warner
Professor and serves as faculty advisor
When Ryan Vine won support from the Minnesota State Arts
Board, a haiku appeared on Twitter:
to The Freshwater Review, a studentfaculty-staff literary journal. He
teaches a number of English classes.
Congrats, Ryan Vine!
You won a poetry grant.
We are very proud.
His award-winning poems, which can
Vine, an associate professor of English, will use the
nearly-$10,000 award to assemble a manuscript of his poems.
He’ll submit it to “first book competitions,” or contests for
poets who haven’t produced a full-length book, as well as hold
a public reading of his works in the fall.
magazines, and have twice been read
be found online at ryanvine.com, have
appeared in many literary journals and
by Garrison Keillor on “The Writer’s
Almanac.” They have also inspired
paintings, film shorts and numerous
musical compositions.
PA launch
The College hosted local healthcare professionals in November
to celebrate the launch of its new Physician Assistant program.
President Larry Goodwin and PA department chair Kim Kruger,
M.D., offered details and answered questions.
The new program will start in 2016, pending final approvals, and
is expected to provide a major new resource for regional health
care, Kruger said.
Kim Kruger
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St. Scholastica Magazine
“PAs have one of the fastest health
occupations growth rates in America,”
she told the audience, citing studies that
show the number of PAs is predicted to grow
30 percent by 2018. “Minnesota has very high
demand for these professionals.”
FOR MORE
go to css.edu/pa
When Oprah says “Mmmm …”
A media mogul’s nod is helping create sweet success for one
St. Scholastica alum.
Amanda Henke and her husband Justin own and operate
Annie B’s Popcorn and Caramels of Kellogg, MN. Last
November they received an early Christmas gift in the form
of an endorsement from none other than Oprah
herself. She named Annie B’s handcrafted
caramels to her 2014 “Favorite Things”
list of gift ideas.
Am
us
t
“We jumped up and down and
celebrated for about five minutes,”
Amanda said, “then we got right
to work planning for increased
website sales, more wholesale
activity and our temporary popup shop in St. Paul.”
an
da
He
nke
, h us
an
band Justin
on
ds
g
Au
Annie B’s sales spiked 75 percent
over the same period the previous
year, and website orders soared 700
percent.
It’s just the latest chapter of one fastmoving story for the Henke family.
Amanda’s St. Scholastica experience includes a
bachelor’s in organizational behavior (2007) and an MBA
with a marketing concentration (2011). In late 2012 she and
Justin had ambitions of starting their own business someday.
Inspiration came in the form of Amanda’s pregnancy cravings
— she was hungry for caramels, all the time.
They started making them out of their kitchen. It seemed like
destiny when a friend introduced Justin to the owners
of Annie B’s.
“The timing seemed perfect, and when
Justin brought home Annie B’s Sea Salt
caramels and I ate twelve in one sitting,
we knew it was fate,” Amanda said.
By Dec. 11, 2012, coincidentally the
day Amanda went into labor with the
couple’s son, Justin made a purchase
agreement over the phone.
Amanda’s time at St. Scholastica
prepared her well for the new endeavor.
“While I was in graduate school I
worked with the (St. Scholastica)
marketing team in St. Paul, which was
a terrific learning experience,” she said.
“They had years of marketing under
their belts and I felt challenged every
day. That provided a nice complement
to the classes I was taking for my MBA,
which definitely helped my critical
thinking skills as well as my public
speaking skills. They’re crucial to
success in my current position, and
I received plenty of practice in both
during my MBA program.”
FOR MORE
visit anniebs.com
Spring ’15
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Religious understanding
is ‘Better Together’
The most profound learning experiences don’t always happen
in a classroom.
Instead of sitting in desks, a group of St. Scholastica students
sit cross-legged on the blue-green carpet of a sanctuary floor.
Male students sit in the main room, facing a large, black, floorto-ceiling wall scroll bearing sacred text in gold letters. Their
female classmates sit in a separate room. The worship service
leader speaks of the rewards of even the smallest good deeds.
The words could have come anywhere, from a Twin Cities
Lutheran church to a New York City synagogue. This day they
were being heard at the Islamic Center of the Twin Ports.
A group of St. Scholastica students attended Friday Juma
prayers as part of the “Islam in Duluth” series.
The three-part series is just one of the efforts of Campus
Ministry’s Better Together, which hosts activities throughout
the year to bridge gaps between different religious traditions.
In December the group partnered with Residential Life to
sponsor the College’s first-ever Hanukkah celebration. A
standing-room-only crowd gathered in the Intercultural
Center in the Student Union to hear the story of Hanukkah, eat
latkes (potato pancakes), and sing along to traditional songs.
“Research shows that if you have a positive interaction with
someone from a different religion and learn something
about it, your attitudes about that religion will become
more positive,” said Nathan Langer, campus ministry
FOR MORE
visit the club’s
Facebook group at
Better Together
at CSS
Eleanor Waters,
Rachel Weis
and Kristen
Carriveau enjoy
music at the
Better Together/
Residence
Life Hanukkah
celebration.
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St. Scholastica Magazine
director. “The same research also shows
that through this process your attitudes
about other religions becomes more
positive as well. That is very exciting.”
Group member Marin Ekstrom ’15 said
that even though college students lead
busy lives, it’s key to set aside the time
for enriching events like the Better
Together programs.
“It’s fun to read about something, but
to actually experience it and get to
directly talk to somebody that is a
representative of that faith, it just adds
this whole other level to it,” she said.
Taylor AlQadhi ’14, who’s now in
graduate school at St. Scholastica, feels
the experience is priceless.
“Learning about different religious
traditions and beliefs has been an eyeopening and fulfilling experience for
me,” she said. “I have learned so much
about myself and the people around me.”
Better Together’s activities also include
community service, informational
panels, and collaborative reflection.
Tom Morgan, center, with
Vladimir (Volodya) Prozorov, left,
and teaching assistant Richie
Townsend in 1998.
Russian exchange
program marks
25 years
On the shores of a vast glacial lake lies
a charming city with a thriving arts,
educational and cultural scene, and
residents whose friendliness warms up
its long, cold winters.
“My experiences formed the course of my life for years
after and still today,” said Ryan Walker, who first traveled to
Petrozavodsk in 1998. He spent years involved with various
aspects of the exchange program and taught conversational
English for two years in Petrozavodsk.
If you’re picturing Duluth, shift your
coordinates about 4,500 miles to
Petrozavodsk, Russia, its Sister City
since 1986.
Susha Olson, a PSU student from Russia, came to Duluth in
2007. She met her future husband Jeramie, ’01, an exchange
program volunteer, at a pig roast.
A student exchange partnership
between St. Scholastica
and Petrozavodsk State
University celebrated its
25th anniversary in 2014.
FOR MORE
visit css.edu/news
Tom Morgan, associate
professor of Global,
Cultural and Language
Studies, was the driving
force, with help from Russian
colleagues.
“Helping to create and operate this has
been one of the most rewarding things
I’ve ever been involved in,” he said.
The experience has proved lifechanging for many students.
“What Tom Morgan built and developed is really an incredible
thing,” said Grant Hendrickson, who traveled to Russia in 2000
and 2002. “It can change each person in a different kind of
way.”
The exchange continues to flourish as it begins its second
quarter-century, now under the direction of Karen Rosenflanz,
an assistant professor of Global, Cultural and Language
Studies.
Meanwhile, social work professionals from both cities have
started a partnership to share best practices. In October, a
delegation from the Twin Ports traveled to Petrozavodsk.
Michelle Robertson, St. Scholastica social work program field
director, participated.
“We may have addressed certain things before they have,” she
said of her Russian counterparts, “but they have addressed
some things better than we have.”
The partnerships will include student exchanges this spring.
Spring ’15
19
Faculty and staff members are reflecting on mindful living
both personally and professionally, in order to help students
do the same.
Heeding one’s calling
The College has developed a program to engage faculty, staff
and students in conversations about vocation, life purpose,
meaningful work and civic responsibility.
That’s vocation in the sense of the Latin vocare meaning “to
call,” or one’s calling in life.
“This work is intimately connected to the College’s goal of
more fully living out our Catholic Benedictine identity,” said
Nathan Langer, director of campus ministry. He and Gary
Boelhower, professor of theology and religious studies, are
leading the effort with help from members of the Mission
Integration Task Force and other colleagues.
Book discussion guides have been created based on “The
Rule of St. Benedict for Beginners” by Wil Derkse, “Teaching
A Stone To Talk” by Annie Dillard and “Dakota” by Kathleen
Norris. More than 50 students, faculty and staff have
participated.
Student retreats have been conducted, both through face-toface sessions and online.
In January, Langer and Boelhower hosted an off-campus
faculty-staff vocational retreat. Participants were able to
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St. Scholastica Magazine
Ashley Dressel,
assistant professor
of philosophy,
participates in a
discussion at the
retreat.
pause and deeply consider the kind of
life they want to live.
“It was an internal reflection, I would say
from a faith-based perspective, on who
you were created to be, and matching
that with what the world needs,” Langer
said.
It’s important for faculty and staff
members who work closely with
students to be able to facilitate such
discussions, he said.
Already, much has been accomplished,
Boelhower said.
“We’ve deepened and broadened our
awareness and understanding of
vocational discernment, both in terms of
occupational choices and life vision.”
More retreats and book discussion
groups are planned, as are additions to a
collection of print and video resources.
80 years of leadership
In 1935 the College began a fledgling medical records
program that originated on a typewriter in a small room at
St. Mary’s Hospital.
Today, the Health Informatics and Information Management
program is at the academic forefront of a field encompassing
dozens of related professional roles in health care.
The roots really date to 1919, when Sister M. Patricia
Thibadeau launched St. Mary’s’ first-ever medical record
department. It was a one-person operation.
The major became so popular that the College restricted
the number of enrollees to 10 students. The 1937-38 course
catalog described the program: “to prepare young women
for the scientific transcribing and handling of hospital and
medical records and for assistance in medical
research.”
Today, more than 100 distinct jobs
are associated with HIIM. These
include health information
service directors, privacy
officers, analysts and quality
and risk managers. Demand
is projected to increase by 21 percent by
2020.
St. Scholastica was among the first
schools to focus on the informatics side
of HIIM, adding elements of statistics
and mass data analysis years before
they became an industry standard.
“We integrate current and future
technologies into the classroom to best
prepare our students for taking on their
entry level positions and advancing
quickly within the profession,” said Ryan
Sandefer, department chair and assistant
professor. “We have a long history
of developing curriculum to address
industry needs.”
That legacy is built upon the strength of
the program’s alumni base, he said.
“We have the best alumni in the
profession. Our program continues to
excel because they are engaged.”
Ryan Sandefer
The College invites alumni
to attend this year’s LaTour/
Eichenwald Forum on HIIM
Leadership and Innovation on
June 1. The event will celebrate
the program’s 80th anniversary.
For more:
css.edu/LatourEichenwald
A pre-computers ’60s scene.
Spring ’15
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ATHLETICS
FALL SPORTS WRAP-UP
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Chris Lawson
Mike Theismann
Football (10-1, 9-0 UMAC)
Under first-year head coach Kurt Ramler, the St. Scholastica
football team won its fourth straight Upper Midwest Athletic
Conference (UMAC) regular season title and made its fourth
consecutive NCAA Division III Playoff appearance. The
Saints would fall in the first round of the playoffs to Saint
John’s University 35-7.
CSS finished the regular season undefeated for the second
time in program history with a record of 10-0. The Saints
had a program-record 18 players earn All-Conference
honors, including 12 named to the All-UMAC First Team.
Senior quarterback Tyler Harper was named the UMAC
Offensive Player of the Year, senior kicker Mike Theismann
was named the UMAC Special Teams Player of the Year and
senior center Pete Stanley was named the UMAC Lineman of
the Year. Ramler was named the UMAC Coach of the Year.
Theismann was named an honorable mention All-American
by D3football.com. Senior defensive end Blake Cedarleaf and
junior linebacker Alex Mangan earned Capital One Academic
All-America accolades.
Men’s Cross Country
Junior runner Chris Lawson became the first male runner
in program history to compete at the NCAA Championships
in November. Lawson placed 95th out of 200 runners at the
national championships, setting the program record for the
fastest 8km time in program history (25:19).
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St. Scholastica Magazine
The Saints also captured their sixth
straight UMAC title with junior Luke
McKenzie leading the way with a
third place finish. McKenzie, Lawson,
Jacob Gallagher and Josh Trosen
each earned All-UMAC accolades for
their performances at the conference
championships.
Women’s Cross Country
For just the second time this century and
first time since 2000, the St. Scholastica
women’s cross country team did not
hoist the UMAC Championship trophy,
placing second to the University of
Minnesota Morris.
Junior Andrea Mogren led the Saints
with a third place finish at the
conference championships. In addition
to Mogren, Jordan Johnson, Liz Braml
and Taylor Gibson all earned All-UMAC
accolades.
Men’s Soccer (20-3-0, 14-0-0
UMAC)
It was another historic year statistically
for the St. Scholastica men’s soccer team.
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Kelsey Kehtel
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Kortn
ey Morrin
The Saints finished with a program record 20 wins and led
straight year, the Saints saw their season
the nation with 130 total goals (5.65 goals per game) and
come to an end in overtime of the first
120 assists. CSS is only the third team ever to record at least
round of the NCAA Tournament, falling to
130 goals in a season in all of college soccer (any division).
Lake Forest College 2-1.
The Saints won the UMAC Regular Season and Tournament
Senior Kelsey Kehtel became the first
Championships once again, qualifying for the NCAA
Saint to be named UMAC Player of the
Tournament for the third straight year. Unfortunately, the
Year for four straight seasons, leading
Saints were defeated in the opening round by the University
the conference in scoring all four years.
of Chicago in a snowstorm in Iowa, 3-1.
Mitchell was named a Capital One Third
Sophomore forward Kyle Farrar and senior Ben Cullen
Team Academic All-American.
earned First Team NSCAA All-Region accolades, becoming
the first NCAA All-Region First Team selections in program
history. Cullen was also named the UMAC Defensive Player
of the Year for the second straight season and senior forward
Andrew Jenkins was the UMAC Offensive Player of the Year
for the third straight year.
Women’s Soccer (15-7-1, 13-0-1 UMAC)
The St. Scholastica women’s soccer team had one of the
toughest non-conference schedules in the nation early in
the season, facing four top 20-ranked teams, but rebounded
from the slow start to win its 11th straight UMAC regular
season championship.
Volleyball (16-14, 10-4 UMAC)
The St. Scholastica volleyball team
saw its season end in the semifinals of
the UMAC Tournament for the second
straight year, losing in five sets at the
University of Minnesota Morris.
Junior outside hitter Kortney Morrin
became the third CSS volleyball player
since 2010 to be named the UMAC Player
of the Year. Morrin led the UMAC this
season with 3.27 kills per set. She led all
UMAC players with 152 kills in league
A Casey Mitchell goal in double-overtime gave the Saints
play. Morrin also finished in the top 10 in
their fourth straight conference title and fourth straight
the conference with 28 service aces and
NCAA Tournament appearance. However, for the second
3.3 digs per set.
Spring ’15
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ATHLETICS
Senior Ben
Cullen, First
Team NSCAA
All-Region
player
FALL HIGHLIGHTS BY THE NUMBERS
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Baseball’s
Austin Colvard,
Male Rookie of
the Year
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• 1 - Athlete named an All-American
• 2 - Teams earn conference tournament titles
• 3 - Capital One Academic All-Americans
• 4 - Teams earn conference regular season championships
• 6 - Inducted into the CSS Athletics Hall of Fame (Jeanne
Fleck, Del Genereau, Randy Norgard, Neil Runbeck, Chris
[Lorentz] Windschitl, Jen [Quale] Zimpel)
• 7 - Athletes named conference Player of the Year
• 9 - Athletes Named All-Region
• 46 - All-Conference selections
• 68 - CSS Athletics was ranked 68th after the fall season in the
Directors Cup standings
24
St. Scholastica Magazine
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SPRING SPORTS LOOK AHEAD
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Save the Date
The third annual Saints Sports Awards
will be on April 20 in Reif Gymnasium.
The formal-attire event honors
student-athletes’ accomplishments
on and off the field over the past year,
and is fashioned after award shows
like the ESPYs and the Oscars. The
Gold Carpet event will begin at 6 p.m.
with the ceremony starting at 7 p.m.
Everyone is welcome. For more go to
csssaints.com.
Josh Stainer
Chrisi Mizera
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Tennis
Softball
The men’s team brings back a majority of its top players
from a record-breaking squad last season. The Saints
welcome back 2014 UMAC Player of the Year Josh Stainer as
well as his doubles partner James Mack.
The women’s team looks to bounce back this year
after having to settle for a share of the regular season
championship and runner-up in the conference tournament
last season. All-UMAC performers Alexis Gunderson and
Madeleine Scanlan return.
This will be Head Coach Jen Walter’s
toughest schedule to date as the Saints
face the top five teams from Iowa
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference as
well as two of the top five teams from
the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference. Back this season is UMAC
Rookie of the Year Chrisi Mizera inside
the pitching circle.
Track & Field
Baseball
Once the indoor season is completed in March, the men’s
and women’s track & field teams will get the outdoor season
going in early April.
The Saints return nine starters from last
year’s 10th straight NCAA Tournament
squad. Leading the returnees is second
team all-region shortstop Tyler Duex,
who may move to second this season.
Look for Saints baseball to have more
home games this season thanks to newly
installed turf at Wade Stadium. Their
March 25 home opener against UWSuperior would be the earliest known
home game in program history.
The men will be led by 2014 D-III Outdoor Championship
participant Jeremy Peterson in the throws and multi-time
national qualifier decathlete Kevin Wagner, as well as
distance runner Chris Lawson.
For the women, the lone NCAA All-American back this
season is high jumper Nicole Christianson. Brianna Buske,
Maggie Kurtovich and Andrea Mogren were part of the
4x400m relay team that set a program record during the
indoor and outdoor seasons last year.
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Spring ’15
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If you have any doubt that Saints are having an impact around the world, just ask
college students in Zhuhai, China. Their learning environment is being influenced
by the teaching style of a Catholic Sister some 7,400 miles away.
A long-distance legacy
Ben Grams ’06 has been teaching at United International
College in Zhuhai for the past four years. He earned a degree
in humanities and went on to complete law school, but instead
of becoming an attorney, he was drawn to the idea of teaching.
He traces that interest back to his time at the College.
“It just opened my mind up to the idea of how wonderful
learning could be,” he said.
In particular, Sister Katherine McLaughlin, chair of religious
studies at the time, inspired him with her classroom style.
“She’s had such a huge positive influence on me,” Grams said.
“I still think back to her when I teach classes now. She gave
you this feeling like what you said was useful and mattered,
and encouraged us to think creatively.”
He tries to emulate her in his own classroom, where he has
taught nine different courses, including ethics. He has picked
up a good deal of Chinese and many of his students speak
some English, but language barriers sometimes remain. He’s
learned that patience is key.
he said, including from his baseball
coach, the late John Baggs.
“He had a vision for what the whole
experience of baseball was going to
be for student athletes,” Grams said.
“He had so many things that he tried
to impart to us, as far as preparing us
for life after school and after sports … I
learned so much from him about how to
treat people and motivate people.”
He hopes to have that sort of an effect
on his own students.
“Sister Kathy and Coach Baggs had
such a positive impact on me, and I like
that idea that I could do that for other
people.”
“The value of a smile — it’s the international language. If you
give someone a genuine smile, they recognize that.”
When misunderstandings arise, Grams tries to approach
people from a position of respect and reverence. It goes back to
the Benedictine values he learned about as an undergraduate,
26
Ben Grams
St. Scholastica Magazine
COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT
Donors stepping up — “join us!”
There’s exciting news in the College’s fundraising realm.
John Labosky, vice president for College Advancement, reports
that the most valuable kind of support is on the upswing.
“Unrestricted funds from donors are increasing significantly,”
he said. “Unrestricted dollars are among the most helpful
because the College can use them to capitalize on sudden
opportunities or meet the most urgent needs in a given year.
“We’re seeing a
new effectiveness
at cultivating
relationships with
our supporters in a
strategic way.”
“When our friends choose to offer this
kind of support we can immediately help
students through scholarships, as well
as strengthen the College in many other
important ways.”
Historically the College has raised about
$600,000 annually in unrestricted
funding. In fiscal year 2013 (July 1,
2012 to June 30, 2013), $653,000 was
raised. Fiscal year 2014 saw a 47 percent
increase to $959,000.
For the first six months of FY15, $850,000 has been raised.
our supporters in a strategic way.” He
paused. His eyebrows shot up. “And our
board is being very generous. Awesome,
in fact.”
The 30 members of the College’s Board
of Trustees are not only helping in
unrestricted gifts, he said, but in longer
term giving for the College’s sevenyear Campaign For the Second Century
comprehensive campaign.
“The reaction from Trustees is so
exciting,” Labosky said. “We’ll be at 100
percent (giving) participation very soon.”
Meanwhile, as this issue of
St. Scholastica Magazine went to press,
the Faculty-Staff campaign was poised
to conclude successfully. And Give to
CSS Day is just over the horizon (see
story on p. 28).
Why the success?
“We’re grateful to every person whose
generosity is helping the College
express its mission more fully than
ever,” Labosky said. “On behalf of our
students, faculty and staff — thank you.
“It’s a whole series of things,” Labosky said. “Overall we’re
seeing a new effectiveness at cultivating relationships with
“And to those who have waited for the
right moment to get involved — join us!”
“With our supporters’ help I’m hoping we can raise $1.2
million,” Labosky said. Giving has never been easier — to do it
online go to css.edu/giving, or call (218) 723-5980.
Spring ’15
27
COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT
Give to
CSS Day on
March 5
Unrestricted
gifts benefit
students through
scholarships.
Mark your calendar for Give to CSS Day, coming up
Thursday, March 5. This date marks the completion of 71
percent of the school year, symbolically the date when
funding would run out for classes without the generous
support of the College’s donors.
The theme for this year’s giving campaign is “102
Reasons,” a reference to the College’s 102 years in
existence.
FOR MORE
INFORMATION
or to make a
donation, visit
give.css.edu
The fundraising goal for Give to CSS Day 2015 is
$102,000, a healthy increase over last year’s total of
$70,000. Organizers believe that adding first-time donors
to the ledger this year will make a significant difference.
This year’s goal is to add 100 new donors (41 were added
last year), for a total of 400 donors overall.
This year’s effort is already off to a solid start, with
$30,000 in matching funds to date.
Unless donors specify otherwise, donations received
as part of Give to CSS Day go into the unrestricted All
Saints Annual Fund, contributing to the College’s overall
28
St. Scholastica Magazine
operating budget. This helps cover
expenses such as:
• Scholarship assistance to 95
percent of students each year
• Costs of sending students to
national conferences to present
their research papers
• Addition of new programs to
enhance the College’s curriculum
Donors are encouraged to post
to social media about their own
donation motivation using the
#102reasons hashtag. Donating
will be easier than ever, thanks to
smartphone giving capabilities
online at give.css.edu.
The College also is inviting students
to donate 102 cents. Adding to
momentum about the big day, there
will be a 102-hour countdown to
Give to CSS Day posted on the
College’s website.
Executive Director of Development
Elizabeth Simonson said donations
in any and all amounts are greatly
appreciated and will help the
College move forward.
COLLEGE ADVANCEMENT
Nursing alum and GENEX case manager Barbara
Bergquist nominated the College for the award. She
graduated in 1970 thanks to the Ordean Scholarship and
says she was grateful to have an opportunity to pay it
forward.
“The need for scholarships has not changed since my
years at college,” she wrote in her nomination letter. “A
ar
L
The funds will be distributed to four nursing students,
who each will receive $5,000. The scholarship was
donated by GENEX, a workers’ compensation managed
care provider. St. Scholastica is one of only five colleges
to win the scholarship nationwide.
an
Je
The College will receive $20,000 in nursing scholarships
over the next two years, thanks to the efforts of a grateful
alumna and her employer.
or
do
n
Nursing grad
helps pay it forward
so
n,
Ba
rba
ra Bergquist and
ny
tta
i
r
B
G
scholarship can make the difference
in the life of another student who
has a dream of becoming a nurse.”
This year’s scholarships were
awarded to doctor of nursing
practice students Brittany Gordon
and Jean Larson, who submitted
essays as part of the scholarship
application.
New art for campus
Ashland, WI, physicians Dr. Howard Sandin and Dr.
Edward Vernier had worked with many graduates of the
St. Scholastica nursing program over the years.
When they retired, they and their wives, Peg Sandin and
Patricia Vernier, donated a sculpture to the College. It now
stands where nursing students will see it.
“Three Stages of Woman” by artist Sara Balbin of
Drummond, WI, depicts the circle of life.
The work was installed last fall in front of the Science
Center on campus. The piece is comprised of two
freestanding structures of steel and copper with stained
glass highlights, portraying an older woman holding a
basin containing a baby as a young woman reaches out to
the child.
The doctors commissioned the sculpture in 1982 for their
office at Memorial Medical Center in Ashland, and had it
restored prior to donating it upon their retirement in 2014.
Memorial Medical Center here
in Ashland have been graduates of
St. Scholastica.”
“We feel this wonderful sculpture deserves a wider
audience of appreciation,” Sandin and Vernier wrote in a
donor statement. “Many of the nurses past and present at
Balbin also created the sculpture
titled “Wisdom Heralding Peace” in
Benedictine Commons.
Spring ’15
29
DEAR FELLOW ALUMNI
Winter is a time when we witness the longer days
of darkness, even as we anticipate the joys anew
that will come our way once spring arrives. By now
the students at the College are well into in their
spring semester course work.
I remember well the winter days of 30-plus years
ago, and what it was like on the Duluth campus.
How cold it was, walking outside from Somers
Hall to Tower Hall and then looping over to the
Science Building! I remember not wearing a coat
and feeling empowered and strong while surviving
in the freezing winds. I suppose some of today’s
students still choose to walk between buildings
outdoors, even though they have the nice option of
underground tunnels that can be used year-round.
I’d like to share some exciting information with
you:
Mark your calendars to join us for “Reunion 2015:
Celebrating Saints!” on June 26 - 28. In addition
to all the usual fun events, Reunion Weekend
will include special celebrations for the 35th
anniversary of the Ireland Study Abroad Program
and a celebration of the 20th anniversary of the
McNair Scholars Program. See below.
Make a nomination for an Alumni Award. Each
year, awards presented on behalf of the Alumni
Association are given to outstanding alumni and
to a faculty or staff member of the College. These
awards are particularly prestigious because
alumni embody the enduring values of The College
of St. Scholastica and impart them to our world
through their personal and professional activities
and relationships. Recognition by alumni is the
highest award the College can give. Make your
nomination by visiting css.edu/alumniawards.
Serve on the Alumni Board. The Alumni
Association Board of Directors and I personally
invite you to reconnect or continue to engage
in this community, supporting alumni and
current students at the College. We are seeking
individuals to help nurture and strengthen our
alumni association and support the College and its
missions. Please consider nominating a fellow
alum or, better yet, self-nominate to become a
director by completing a self-nomination form at
css.edu/join.
Additionally, we would like to maintain contact
with you and ensure that you’re receiving
information about all opportunities available to
you as an alum. If you haven’t done so recently,
please consider updating your contact information
with the alumni office.
Patricia Bower-Jernigan ’83
Alumni Board President
This year’s Alumni Reunion theme is Celebrating
Saints, and we have even more to celebrate than usual.
In 2015, Somers Hall is 50 years old, the Ireland study
abroad program is turning 35, the McNair Scholars
program is turning 20 and
the Groves apartments are
— finally! — coming down.
So don’t miss a thing. Join
FOR MORE
us as we celebrate and relive
go
to: css.edu/
our journey together. Attend
reunion
Reunion!
30
St. Scholastica Magazine
CLASS NOTES
| 1960s
1962
Dr. Margaret “Peg” Cruikshank, Corea, ME,
is writing for a blog on aging for The Silver
Century Foundation website.
1963
Janice Marie Smrekar Albuquerque is a
professor at Catholic University in Recife,
Permanbuco, Brazil.
| 1970s
1970
Cele (Jewell) Pohle, Deer Lodge, MT, retired
as Powell County Commissioner on Dec. 31,
2014.
1974
Bill Bester, Palm Desert, CA, was inducted
as a Fellow in the American Academy of
Nursing during an Induction Ceremony on
October 18 in Washington D.C.
her dreams and she now considers herself
very lucky. She writes, “how many people
go to work smiling, help people create
beautiful quilts, wall hangings, table runners
and so much more and then go home? And
my consumer home economics education
degree from CSS has helped me get to this
point. Thanks so much Sister Johnetta, Mrs.
Breu, Sister Celeste and so many more. I
could not be in this happy life without you!”
1979
Louise Dussault, Manville, RI, was awarded
The Diocesan Youth Ministry from the
National Federation for Catholic Youth
Ministry in Orlando, FL. She is currently
employed by the Diocese of Providence in
Rhode Island.
| 1980s
1980
Mary (Loisel) Bakken, Cloquet, MN, is a
teacher at Cloquet Public Schools.
1975
1981
Dr. Warren Gooch, Kirksville, MD, is a
professor of Music Theory/Composition at
Truman State University.
William Casey, Eagan, MN, was awarded
The Regional Youth Ministry award by
The National Federation for Catholic Youth
Ministry in Orlando, FL. Bill spent over 30
years in Youth Ministry serving the Catholic
Church and is currently employed by the
Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis.
Erving London (MA ’02, DNP ’14), Mequon,
WI, recently completed his Doctor of
Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program
and graduated on Dec. 13, 2014. He plans
to give back to nursing for the outstanding
education he received at The College of
St. Scholastica. His nursing expertise
is interventional adult chronic pain
management.
William Shea, Andover, MN, is a dentist at
Midwest Dental.
1976
Lenore (Enlund) Corbin is culinary director
for St. Scholastica Monastery.
Dr. Mark J. Ziebarth, Maple Grove, MN, has
accepted a consultation practice position at
Nystrom & Associates, LTD as a psychiatric
clinical specialist. He has also been licensed
by the Minnesota Board of Psychology for
independent practice.
1978
Mary (McIntire) Thompson, Cloquet, MN,
is the owner of Quilted Dog Quilt Shop.
Owning a business has always been one of
Louise Dussault, center, and Bill
Casey, right, with Bob McCarty,
executive director of the National
Federation of Catholic Youth Ministry.
Dr. Lisa Staber, Albuquerque, NM, transferred
to New Mexico to take the position of
Regional Medical Director for Corizon
Health in January 2014. She supervises the
healthcare for 6,500+ state prisoners in NM
Corrections.
1985
Mary (Kauma) Hepokoski, St. Paul, MN, is
working as a clinical dietitian at Fairview
Southdale Hospital. Her specialty area is in
nutrition support (Certified Nutrition Support
Clinician). She works with Intensive Care
Unit patients and Total Parenteral Nutrition
patients. She has been working as a dietitian
with Fairview Health Services for 27 years.
1986
Julie Ann (Rauzi) Beaulieu, Duluth, has
been working at Essentia for 29 years and
teaches Basic Life Support (BLS) and First
Aid Classes.
Janice Marie Smrekar Albuquerque
and her husband, Bento Albuquerque.
Kamala Smith-Hanskala, Duluth, is an
Invasive Cardiovascular Lab support
specialist at Essentia Health.
1987
Michelle (Mattner) Pride, Eau Claire, WI,
is working as a field services specialist at
Feed My People Food Bank. She writes, “after
23 years in corporate health insurance,
I’m pleased to be working for a not-forprofit agency distributing food to programs
feeding hungry people in 14 WI counties.”
1988
Diane (Pearson) Orville, Duluth, is staff
pharmacist at Falk’s Pharmacies.
Spring ’15
31
CLASS NOTES
| 1990s
1995
Stephanie Sklors, Duluth, is the assistant
director and program coordinator of Upward
Bound at The College of St. Scholastica.
1991
Kathleen (Hendricks) Kurka, Casper, WY, is a
career facilitator for Natrona County School
District.
1996
Tony Endreson is a farmer in Wendell, MN.
Lynn Scotch, Plover, WI, is director of Human
Resources for Community Care Connections
of Wisconsin.
1998
Greg Ruberg, Two Harbors, MN, is the
administrator of Lake View Hospital.
1993
1999
Erik W. Berg, Fargo, ND, is a physical
therapist at Fargo Public Schools.
Jen (Froehler) Rasanen, Duluth, is the
Accounts Receivable coordinator for the
Benedictine Health Center.
1994
Jill (Windels) Weber, Sebeka, MN, is the
clinical documentation improvement
specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
| 2000s
Julie (Ferdow) Anderson, Spokane, WA, is
a Flight Medicine Flight Commander in the
United States Air Force.
Hannah (Saukko) Helander, Mountain Iron,
MN, is a special education teacher at Mt. Iron
- Buhl Schools.
2000
Beth Olson, South Range, WI, recently
became a grandma to twin boys, Odin and
Augustus.
2001
Timothy Innis, Duluth, is an RN at Essentia
Health.
2002
Miriam (Bowman) Bornhorst, Rockville,
MD, is a Pediatric Neuro-Oncology Fellow at
Children’s National Medical Center.
Rita Letsos, Duluth, is a licensed alcohol and
drug counselor at Nystrom & Associates, LTD.
2003
Julie Kantarik (MS ’12), Superior, WI, is an
assistant professor of Nursing at The College
of St. Scholastica.
Meredith McCall, Norfolk, VA, is an
athletic academic advisor at Old Dominion
University.
Jeyn Lundgren (Kajander) Monkman,
Cottage Grove, MN is a health care
consultant/practice coach for the Institute
for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) at
HealthPartners.
2004
Emily Skinner, St. Louis Park, MN, is an
assurance associate at McGladrey in
Minneapolis, MN.
2005
Meredith (Henke) Noggle (’06 MA), St. Paul,
MN, is a Veterans Service Representative for
the United States Department of Veterans
Affairs.
Maya (Emery) Mattke, Duluth, is a senior
accountant at Lake Superior Consulting.
2006
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
u
A 20-year tradition
Last August, a group of Saints met to play some golf and celebrate their 20th World
Fantasy Football League draft. This team of 1990s alumni began in 1989 in Groves
4B and has grown to include sons of the original team members.
“Yes,” says Joe Westerberg ’93, “we all like to win the league but it is more about the
friendships we still share after all these years!”
Shown are Paul Ness ’91, Greg Blodgett ’93, Dawson Ness (Paul’s son — holding the
“Sgt. Pepper’s Cup” — he was the 2013 league champion); Chad Van Dyke ’96,
Joel Cessna ’96 (holding the 2013 “Bucky Award”), Eric Berg ’92, Martin Lundell ’92,
Martin’s son Cooper, Mike Sherry ’90, Mike’s son Luke, and Westerberg, kneeling in front.
32
St. Scholastica Magazine
Lynn Winkel, Roseville, MN, is an
associate chiropractor at Morrow Accident
Rehabilitation Center in Minneapolis, MN.
2007
Firestar Charette, Coon Rapids, MN, is
working as a registered nurse at Allina
Health-Mercy Hospital.
2008
Riana (Dittel) Damjanovich, Hibbing, MN,
was awarded the 2014 Women’s Health
Nurse of the Year Award from the March of
Dimes. Riana is working at Fairview Range
Medical Center and is passionate about
patient advocacy and promoting the health
and wellbeing of newborn babies and their
parents.
| 2010s
2010
Jennifer (Polansky) Bunders, Brooklyn
Park, MN, is currently working full time as
a Mental Health Specialist for Park Nicollet
Clinic. She is also a clinical MSW graduate
student at Augsburg College in Minneapolis.
Josie Johnson, La Esperanza, Honduras, who
spent time teaching high school math in
Colorado and working on a cooperative farm
in Hawaii, recently moved to La Esperanza,
Honduras to learn Spanish and teach math
and science at a bilingual school. While
used to making the minimal salary, she is
very much enjoying the slower pace of life
and the great culture that is found in Central
America. She welcomes any and all visitors
who happen to pass through Honduras!
Blake Kroyer, Minnetonka, MN, is a financial
planner at Ameriprise Financial.
2012
Linda Burcham, Louisville, KY, is program
director of Health Information Management
at National College.
Nicole “Nikki” Hughes, Rochester, MN, is a
nurse at the Mayo Clinic.
Elizabeth “Betty” Rockendorf, Sturgeon
Bay, WI, is a successful Health Information
Management Director and Privacy Officer
and is an active member of the Wisconsin
Health Information Management Association
(WHIMA) and is also involved at the national
level in AHIMA. Betty recently started a
strengths-based life coaching business, 44th
Parallel Life Coaching, to help people who
are feeling stuck and dissatisfied with their
careers, or those who are trying to get started
with a new career!
2013
Heaven Gustafson, Grand Rapids, MN,
is currently in the Doctorate of Nursing
Program at The College of St. Scholastica
and will graduate in 2018 as a Family
Nurse Practitioner. She recently accepted
a part-time position as a clinical instructor
at The College of St. Scholastica and will be
teaching undergrad nursing students.
Allison Lambert, Minneapolis, MN, is now
a customer operations analyst for SPS
Commerce.
Scott Mayer, Duluth, is clinic manager at
Fresenius Medical Care.
Griffin Myslivecek, Grand Rapids, MN, is a
residential counselor at Lakeplace Retreat
Center in Bovey, MN and is pursuing an MBA
at The College of St. Scholastica.
Shae Nehiba, Bismarck, ND, is the student
activities coordinator at The University of
Mary.
2014
Braxton Ball is now the owner of Pirates Bay
Tattoo Parlor in Fort Walton Beach, FL.
Taylor Cunningham is currently attending
the Physician Assistant program at Bethel
University in St. Paul, MN to earn her
Master’s degree in Physician Assistant
Studies.
Emily Martin, Coralville, IA, is a registered
nurse at University of Iowa Hospitals and
Clinics.
| DEATHS
Kathleen Stoughton Steckbauer ’43 died on
Nov. 4, 2014 in Oshkosh, WI. She is survived
by her daughter, Carol Schuenke; brothers,
Thomas, James; sister, Mary Ziegler;
grandchildren, Lexie Schuenke, Bailey, Sam.
Jean McCallum Foeller ’43 died on Sept 24,
2014 in Sturgeon Bay, WI. She is survived
by daughters, Mary Julie Knox, Kathleen
Wilkolak, Jeanine Evenson; grandchildren,
Joseph Knox, Rebecca Ullman, Amy Sheff,
Lisa Wilkolak; great-grandchildren, nieces
and nephews.
Sister Monica Laughlin, O.S.B. ’44 died on
Oct. 22, 2014 in Duluth. She is survived
by her sister, Sister Margaret James
Laughlin; the other Sisters of St. Scholastica
Monastery; nieces and nephews.
Ruth Yadlosky Zaverl ’46 died on June 17,
2012 in Ely, MN. She is survived by her sister,
Barbara Buck; brothers, John, Lawrence,
Paul; nieces and nephews.
Patricia Shepard Dow ’48 died on Nov 5,
2014 in Bemidji, MN. She is survived by her
children, Larry, David, Ann Bradley, Patty
Fulton, Dan, Margaret, Bob; 14 grandchildren;
25-great-grandchildren; sisters, Kathleen
Haney, Mary Lemon.
Katherine Pavelich ’50 died on Sept. 28,
2014 in Ottumwa, IA. She is survived by
sisters-in-law, Barbara, Anne; 20 nieces and
nephews.
Morgans on the move
Jessica (Tischer) ’02 (MA ’06) and
Eddy Morgan ’99 (MA ’12) recently
relocated to Saukville, WI with their
children, Isaac (8) and Piper (5). Eddy
accepted a full time position as the
head baseball coach of Concordia
University Wisconsin in Mequon, WI
in June 2013. For several years, he had
been spending his summers in the
region working as the field manager
for Lakeshore Chinooks, a southern
division team of the collegiate summer
Northwoods League. Under Eddy’s
coaching, the Chinooks won the
league’s championship this summer!
Jessica is working as a family nurse
practitioner in a family practice office
for Prevea Health in Plymouth, WI.
Due to space restrictions, please
submit Class Notes of news occurring
within the past 12 months. Class
Notes items include weddings,
graduations, new jobs, promotions,
awards or honors, major life news,
other achievements and death
announcements. We reserve the right
to exercise editorial discretion in
the publication of alumni news and
photos; submission does not guarantee
publication. The items featured in this
issue were submitted between Oct. 8
and Dec. 31, 2014. If you submitted a
note that is not featured, please contact
Alumni Relations at alumni@css.edu,
218-723-6071 or 866-935-3731.
Spring ’15
33
CLASS NOTES
Margaret Zollar Shook ’50 died on Oct. 20,
2014 in Grand Rapids, MN. She is survived
by children, JoAnn, Ed, Mary Clare, Martin;
grandchildren, Jessica, Emily, Mark, Morgan,
Joe, AnneMarie; sister, Sister Zoe; brother,
Jack; nieces and nephews.
Shirley Barta Juntunen ’51 died on Oct.
7, 2014 in Esko, MN. She is survived by
children, Beth Gallob, Warren, Therese
Tarnowski, Andrew; sisters, Marty Barta,
Pat Shusterich; brothers, Richard Barta,
David Barta; grandchildren Ben Johnson,
Emily Whitebird, Abigail Juntunen, Danielle
Juntunen; great-grandchildren; nieces and
nephews.
Sister Mary Richard Boo, O.S.B. ’51 died on
Nov. 13, 2014, in Duluth. She is survived by
her sister, Julie Boo, CSJ; cousins, Ben and
Mary Boo; nieces; nephews; and the Sisters
of St. Scholastica Monastery.
Patricia Theisen Sellers ’53 died on Aug.
3, 2014 in Anderson, SC. She is survived
by her husband, Bobby; children, Mary
Sharpe, Robert, Lynne Martin, Michelle
Hyndman; seven grandchildren; five greatgrandchildren; brothers, John, James, Larry.
Margaret Madden LeSage ’55 died on Sept.
2, 2014 in Hopkins, MN. She is survived by
her children, Dan, Mary Armstrong, Katie
Schafer, Mike; grandchildren, Natalie, Danny
Courtney, Madeline, Jonathan, Benjamin,
Mitchell.
Betty Witzman Hren ’56 died on Sept. 29,
2014 in Mason City, IA. She is survived by
her children, Laura Lovik, Kevin, Kristy;
granddaughters, Erika Lovik, Lexi Lovik;
brothers, Bob, Paul, nieces and nephews.
Sister Lucille Geisinger, O.S.B. ’63 died on
Nov. 20, 2014 in Duluth. She is survived
by her sisters, Patricia Starboard, Frances
Carbajal; nieces and nephews; and the
Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery.
Robbin Huhta ’77 died on Nov. 7, 2014 in
Chisholm, MN. She is survived by husband,
Del; children, Josh, Katie Owen, Tara;
grandchildren, Ethan, Emma, Lola, Sophia,
Carter.
Jane Fischer Vanni ’79 died on Jan. 1, 2014 in
Seattle, WA. She is survived by her husband,
Dennis; siblings, David, Susan, Mary Kay,
Sally; nieces and nephews.
34
St. Scholastica Magazine
| SYMPATHY
Catherine Murray Barrett ’31 on the death of
son, Jon.
Jean McDonell Erspamer ’47 on the death of
her son, Daniel.
Naomi Lehman Asta ’49 on the death of her
husband, Joseph.
Patricia O’Donnell Maleska ’52 on the death
of her brother, Ralph.
Bette Schroeder Schnorr ’52 on the death of
her husband, John.
Mary Jean Shepard Lemon ’55 on the death
of her sister, Patricia.
Dorothy Shubitz Janchar ’57 on the death of
her husband, Rudolph.
Mary Rita Stoughton Ziegler ’57 on the death
of her sister, Kathleen.
Constance Crosbie Buckley ’65 on the death
of her husband, Michael.
Mary Rose Cassavant ’69 on the death of her
wife, Sally.
Terrian Neveau Pangerl ‘74 on the death of
her father, Richard.
Ann Dow Bradley ’75, Margaret Dow ’84 and
Robert Dow ’85 on the death of their mother,
Patricia.
Judy Mainerich Schaefer ’76 on the death of
her mother, Edith.
Marty C. Anderson ’77 on the death of his
mother.
Debra Atwood Smith ’77 on the death of her
mother, Ilene.
Mary Fischer Rosenberg ’77 on the death of
her sister, Jane.
Barbara Andresen ’89 on the death of her
mother, Nancy.
Patricia M. Allers ’90 on the death of her
father, Francis.
Susan B. Sederberg ’91 on the death of her
brother, Robert.
Eric R. Norberg ’91 on the death of his
mother, Nancy.
Anne Westgard Johnson ’92 on the death of
her father, Bill.
Melanie Brown Neveau ’95 on the death of
her parents, Richard and Gladys.
Rebecca Knox Ullman ’95 on the death of her
grandparents, Joe and Jean.
Richard Salmela ’95 on the death of his
mother, Helvie.
Angela Riddle Radzak ’96 on the death of her
father, Alan.
Mary Kinnunen Hellman ’96 on the death of
her father, Neilo.
Scott L. Johnson ’98 on the death of his
mother, Karen.
Jason M. Worlie ’01 on the death of his father,
Karl.
LeeAnn Nelsen ’02 on the death of her
mother, JoAnn.
Wendy K. Roy ’06 on the death of her sister,
Kathy.
Jennifer Polansky Bunders ’10 on the death
of her grandfather, Norman.
Lacey A. Roggenbuck ’12 on the death of her
father, Gary.
Elizabeth Sedey Vaught ’81 on the death of
her mother, Betty.
Shirley Eno Barney ’83 on the death of her
husband, Robert.
Susan Rossetter Englund ’83 on the death of
her mother, Mary.
Linda Chlan, Ph.D. ’83 on the death of her
father, Milo.
Helen Lamberson-Sauve ’84 on the death of
her mother, Frances.
Nancy Thesing Bieganek ’85 on the death of
her mother, Ellidore.
Michelle Grewe Kryjeski ’85 on the death of
her mother, Mary.
Sally Skrien Derginer ’89 on the death of her
brother, Stan.
Julia Anderson ’02 (MA ’03) and
Brandon Sands, May 17, 2014.
| UNIONS
Eleanor Magnuson ’12 and Mason Bacso ’11
(DPT ’14), April 18, 2014.
Michelle Behm ’99 and Tyler Hanson,
July 19, 2014.
Kathleen “Katie” Phelps ’12 (MS ’13) and
Carlos Torres, June 21, 2014.
Lindsay (Fisher) ’04 and Aaron Bergstreser,
a boy, Ethan David Fisher, Nov. 12, 2014.
Courtney (Cook) ’05 and Aaron Pergolski ’05
Angela Kafut ’04 and Adam Serfling,
Sept. 27, 2014.
Brynn Wollak ’12 (DPT ’14) and Shaun
Marshall, Oct. 18, 2014.
(MA ’06), a boy, Nolan Patrick, March 13, 2014.
Victoria Beaupre ’05 and Scott Kieffer,
Aug. 9, 2014.
Amanda Graham ’13 and Joshua Lamecker,
Sept. 13, 2014.
Hulstein, a girl, Aliza Louise, July 22, 2014.
Kate Royer ’05 and Jimmy Bellamy,
Sept. 27, 2014.
Kayla Zirbes ’13 and Ryan Staley,
Sept. 27, 2014.
Rebecca Patronas ’06 and Mark Lind,
Sept. 27, 2014.
Jessica Rivard ’14 and Ryan Pittman,
Sept. 13, 2014
Amanda Mason ’10 and Kyle Brintlinger,
Oct. 24, 2014.
| BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS
Shannon Guse ’11 and Augustine Dann,
May 30, 2014.
Carissa (Meyer) ’04 and David Kapaun ’05,
a girl, Zoe Ann, Dec. 1, 2014.
Jennifer (Daniels) ’95 and
Matthew Roe, a girl, Serena Marin,
March 9, 2013.
Courtney Esse ’13 and
Tyler Olin ’13, July 26, 2014.
Danielle (Nader) Olson ’07
(DPT ’09) and Sean Olson ’08, a girl,
Natalie Calla, Nov. 2, 2014.
Robin (Miller) ’05 (MS ’13) and Nathan
Lisa (Sivula) ’07 and Michael Bushey, a boy,
Ambrose John, April 18, 2014.
Ashley M. (Butenhoff) ’08 and Sean Adams
’07 (MBA ’13), a boy, Charles Geoffrey,
Aug. 22, 2014.
Betsy (Wehseler) ’10 (DPT ’12) and Matthew
Wolf, a girl, Trinity Rosalynn, Sept. 30, 2014.
Brita Larson ’12 and Douglas
Larson, a girl, Hattie Mae,
May 2014.
Tyler and Courtney both graduated in spring 2013 with degrees in Elementary Education. Tyler
played baseball and Courtney played hockey for the College. At left, current and former members
of the baseball team who attended the wedding. At right, members of the women’s hockey team
in attendance.
Spring ’15
35
Corrections
TELL YOUR FRIENDS WHAT YOU’RE UP TO
We need your personal and professional updates for Class Notes. Pictures also are welcome.
(Please identify all subjects by name and by class year if applicable.) If your name has changed,
please include your name while at St. Scholastica. You can send in your news via the Internet.
It’s easy! Go to: css.edu/update. You may also e-mail your news to alumni@css.edu
Class Notes, including pictures, are now available online.
Name (first name/maiden or birth/current last name)
Class year
Address
City
State ZIP code Phone
In St. Scholastica’s 2013/2014
Annual Report, Mrs. Lois Rasmussen
Matthews ’50 was identified as
deceased. She is alive and well.
The Fall issue of St. Scholastica
Magazine stated that Sister Mary
Schneider, OSB ’51 died in Duluth
and is survived by the Sisters of
St. Scholastica Monastery. It
should have stated that Sister Mary
Schneider, OSB ’51 died in St. Cloud
and is survived by the Sisters of
St. Benedict’s Monastery.
We apologize for the errors.
e-mail
Spouse’s name (first name/maiden or birth/current last name)
Class year
News • Birth/Adoption • Marriage Announcement • Death Announcement (attach additional sheets as necessary)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We’ll be
Seeing You!
Feb. 17, Santa Clara, CA
Alumni social
Feb. 19, Duluth
Alumni reception and play at
Duluth Playhouse
Please join us at any of the following events.
Check your mail for events taking place
near you. Contact Alumni Relations or check
css.edu/events for additional information.
April 17, Duluth campus
Theatre performance and Alumni
reception
April, 23, Chicago, IL
Alumni social
Feb. 21, La Jolla, CA
Alumni luncheon
April 26, Duluth campus
Oozeball
March 1 - 9, Cuba
Alumni travel
May 9, Duluth
Spring Commencement and
reception
March 14, Phoenix, AZ
Alumni luncheon
April 11, Seattle, WA
Alumni luncheon
June 26 - 28, Duluth campus
Annual All-Alumni Reunion
St. Scholastica Magazine
The opinions expressed in this magazine
are those of the writers and persons featured
and not necessarily those of The College of
St. Scholastica.
The College of St. Scholastica does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color,
creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual
orientation, disability, age, marital status,
status regarding public assistance, or
local commission status in its programs,
procedures and activities.
Identification Statement
Issue No. 52
February 2015
St. Scholastica Magazine
Published three times a year:
Fall, Spring, Summer
The College of St. Scholastica
1200 Kenwood Avenue
Duluth, MN 55811-4199
College Communications: (218) 723-6075
July 24, Minneapolis
Alumni social and Twins game
Invitations to events are mailed three to four weeks prior to the event date. If you do not
receive an invitation to your local event, or if you would like to attend any of the other
events, please contact Alumni Relations at (218) 723-6071 or (866) 935-3731 or visit our
website at: alumni.css.edu.
36
St. Scholastica Magazine is published
for alumni and friends of The College of
St. Scholastica by the Department of College
Communications.
This document is printed on paper certified
to the environmental and social standards
of the Forest Stewardship CouncilTM (FSC®).
“Who knew simply doing
something I loved would
garner such interest!”
Sister Lisa Maurer’s story kicked into national spotlight
St. Scholastica Monastery Sister Lisa Maurer’s role as a
kicking coach with the Saints football team captivated the
national media last fall.
The New York Times carried a story that occupied most of a
page. The Catholic News Service, which has more than 200
outlets in the U.S. and abroad, did its own story. As did the Star
Tribune of Minneapolis, which put its piece on page 1.
In the digital realm, Sports Illustrated carried a story on its
website. On TV, Sister Lisa was a guest on Fox News Network’s
top-rated national cable morning show “Fox and Friends.” A
Catholic cable channel in Brooklyn, NY, did an interview too.
Local print and broadcast outlets also did stories.
To see the coverage, go to css.edu/sisterlisa.
All the attention has been “pretty amazing and sometimes
overwhelming,” Sister Lisa said. “Who knew simply doing
something I loved would garner such interest! I am so grateful
for the positive publicity it has brought
to the College, Saints football and
St. Scholastica Monastery. My own
vocation has been enriched and my
commitment to the Lord strengthened.
My gratitude and joy in the Lord is
flourishing!
“Coaching football within my ‘yes’ to
religious life proves that, as is written
in Corinthians, ‘no human mind can
conceive the things that God has
prepared for those who love Him.’
Wouldn’t it be something if my story
gets young people thinking seriously
about religious vocations … while
bringing in a stellar CSS football recruit
or two!”
Department of College Communications
The College of St. Scholastica
1200 Kenwood Ave.
Duluth, MN 55811- 4199
NON PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U. S. POSTAGE
PAID
TWIN CITIES, MN
PERMIT #93723
Change Service Requested
Rap it up
Minneapolis-based rapper, singer and spoken word artist Dessa
rocked the Mitchell Auditorium in January. For complete arts and
lectures information go to spotlight.css.edu.