Summer 2007 - Wayne State College

Wayne State
College
Magazine for alumni and friends
Summer 2007
A Time to Remember, Relive...Rediscover
Homecoming 2007
Published twice annually for alumni and friends of Wayne State College - Summer 2007 - No. 2
Wayne State Foundation - 1111 Main Street - Wayne, NE 68787
Table of Contents
Message from President Richard Collings ..............3
Wayne State College in the News ...........................4
Lichtenberg Receives Alumni
Achievement Award ................................................7
Spring Commencement
page 6
Wayne State Magazine is published
semiannually for alumni and friends of
Wayne State College. The magazine is
funded by the Wayne State Foundation.
Comments and letters should be mailed to:
Wayne State Foundation,
Wayne State College, 1111 Main Street,
Wayne, Nebraska 68787
Administration
Dr. Richard Collings
President
Teaching Excellence Award ....................................7
Dr. Robert McCue
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Homecoming 2007 Schedule ..................................8
Beth Kroger
Vice President for Administration
and Finance
Best of The Stater....................................................9
Learning Community Format Expands.................10
Faculty News ........................................................ 11
Campus Construction
page 10
Curt Frye
Vice President and Dean
of Student Life
Phyllis Conner - 402-375-7543
Vice President for Development
and Executive Director of the
Wayne State Foundation
Wayne State Foundation Staff
Campus Notes .......................................................12
Alumna Comes Back to College ...........................14
South Sioux City Project Receives Funding .........15
Deb Lundahl - 402-375-7209
Director of Development
and Alumni Relations
Kevin Armstrong - 402-375-7534
Director of Planned Giving
Brian Lentz - 402-375-7559
Accountant and Assistant Director
Baseball All-Americans ........................................16
Carol Stephens - 402-375-7510
Foundation Office Assistant
Plains Writers Fiesta
page 12
Alumni Notes .................................................. 20-27
Chuck and Sharon Sass ................................ 20
A. Thomas Schomberg .................................. 23
Southern California and
Chicago Reunions ......................................... 27
Cathleen Hansen - 402-375-7526
Alumni Office Assistant
Lori BeBee
Office Assistant
Editorial Staff
Jay Collier
Director of College Relations
Trudy Muir
Graphic Design Artist
Mortimore Drafted
by Mariners
page 16
2
Angie Nordhues
Writer, Photographer
President’s Message
Dr. Richard J. Collings
President Richard and Marilyn Collings greet
visitors to the Wayne Chicken Show in July.
Greetings from Wayne,
Summer, people outside of academia often tell me, must be a slow time on campus. They assume that since the majority
of our students are at home, completing internships, or pitching in on the family farm, that the rest of us here at Wayne
State are reveling in idyllic peace and quiet. Nothing could be further from the truth.
If you happened to visit the college this summer, the improvements underway on campus could not have escaped
notice. If you work here, each day during the construction project has been an exercise in patience dealing with parking
problems, incredibly noisy construction equipment, and other inconveniences. But the final product will make it all
worthwhile. When students return in a few weeks, campus access will be greatly improved, there will be more parking,
and we all will be proud of the new “face” of Wayne State College as we complete Phase II of the three-phase campus
improvement project.
The past few months also have presented many other reasons to celebrate. This issue of your alumni magazine highlights
some of the achievements of alumni, faculty, staff and students, who continue to give us reasons to be proud of Wayne
State College.
One of the more important of the college’s celebrations was spring commencement, held in Rice Auditorium this year
because of stormy weather. Rain could not dampen the spirits of the 524 undergraduate and graduate students and their
families who marked the successful completion of their course of studies.
Wayne State faculty, students and alumni continue to find their way into newspapers large and small across Nebraska.
These stories include reports on awards for outstanding teaching on the part of our professors and teacher education
graduates and profiles chronicling the amazing journeys of graduates toward their degrees.
Wayne State proudly serves as an important hub of teaching and learning for our region. In the past months, the college
has hosted the annual faculty college for 48 professors in the Nebraska State College System; the annual Plains Writers
Fiesta, a celebration of literature and arts; the annual Language Arts Festival for students in grades seven through 12;
and the Wayne Area Economic Development, Inc., Economic Development Summit, which convened professionals,
volunteers, elected officials, and local, regional and state leaders, including Gov. Dave Heineman, to share experiences
and forge partnerships. In addition to events during the academic year, the college still hosts a number of summer camps
for junior high and high school students.
Wayne State athletic teams continue to make strong showings in the conference. From All-American honors to Academic
All-Americans, our athletes show impressive skills on the field of play and in the classroom.
We take great pride in keeping our community up to date on the successes of Wayne State College and its graduates. With
each story of success, each opportunity to serve the region, and each new award or athletic record, our graduates reinforce
the importance and value of their degrees.
See you at Homecoming!
Wayne State Magazine
3
Campus Notes
Wayne State College
In The News
Creighton News – April 11, 2007
“Gottsch Awarded as Outstanding Teacher”
Karen Gottsch (’74), Cambridge secondary science teacher,
received the Outstanding Secondary Teacher Award at the Nebraska
Rural Community Schools Association’s Spring Conference in
Kearney.
Gottsch has taught secondary science at Cambridge since 1990.
She graduated from Wayne State College with a bachelor of science
degree and received her master’s degree in science education from
the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
She has been recognized for her excellence in teaching prior
to this award. Gottsch was honored as a 2006 Teacher of the Year
finalist from the Nebraska Department of Education.
Norfolk Daily News – May 15, 2007
“Wayne State Alumni Honored
Upon Retirement From NECC Faculty”
Wayne State College alumni Lon Behmer (BAE ‘62, MSE
‘71) of Norfolk and Sue Voss (BAE ‘66, MAE ‘78) of McLean
were among Northeast Community College faculty honored at a
retirement/recognition reception on the campus in Norfolk.
Behmer, business/accounting instructor; and Voss, Spanish
instructor; retired at the end of June. Behmer holds bachelor
and master of arts degrees from Wayne State College. He taught
bookkeeping and typing at Norfolk High School. After earning his
master’s degree, he joined the college faculty in Norfolk in 1971.
Voss earned her bachelor and master of arts degrees in education
from Wayne State College. She joined the NECC faculty in 1990
as a part-time instructor teaching English, speech and Spanish.
In 1997, she accepted a full-time Spanish instructor position at
Northeast Community College.
Omaha World-Herald – June 5, 2007
“Nebraska Projects Helped By Federal Funds”
Nebraska institutions received a total of $63 million through
2006 under the National Institute of Health’s Institutional
Development Award Program, which targets funding to schools in
smaller states. The 1993 pilot program became a national program
about seven years ago.
Nebraska funds have been used to fund 24 projects at Nebraska
colleges and community colleges. James Turpen, vice chairman
of the University of Nebraska Medical Center has characterized
the research funding as a key way to foster scientific work at
institutions and cites Wayne State College as one of the success
stories for the program.
Federal funds have purchased new equipment, enabled the
school’s faculty members to present their work at national meetings
and sharply increased the research done by students. In the words
of one faculty member, Turpen said, “It has so dramatically
improved the educational experience of science students at our
college that it is nearly impossible to overemphasize its impact on
our campus.’’
4
Holdrege Citizen – May 22, 2007
Norfolk Daily News - May 2, 2007
Lincoln Journal Star – May 13, 2007
Omaha World Herald – June 12, 2007
Associated Press
“WSC Just Another Stop On Journey From Sudan”
(Condensed from a story by Jerry Guenther
of the Norfolk Daily News)
Khor Pal (‘07), native of southern Sudan, immigrated to the
United States in 2000 when he was 17. He lost both his parents
to the Sudan civil war that began in 1983 and has taken almost
2.5 million lives. His mother was killed in 1991. His father was
killed in 1994.
Pal learned English and studied to become a U.S. citizen. He
took his oath as a citizen in December. He hopes eventually to
go to graduate school and become a lawyer or another profession
where he can help others, including Sudanese friends and family.
He plans to work for a year and attend graduate school in the fall
of 2008.
His stepmother and a stepbrother live in Sudan, but many of
his relatives, including some cousins, live in the United States.
He and other Sudanese moved to Ethiopia to escape the war,
however the war broke out in Ethiopia before he eventually was
able to come to the United States. When he first arrived in the
United States, he was sent to Nashville, Tenn. He ended up in
Nebraska with other Sudanese through an agency that helped the
refugees.
He learned that Wayne State College was open to Sudanese
and his efforts at WSC also helped him pass the U.S. citizenship
test after years of study. He maintained a 3.9 GPA and earned
a bachelor of science in speech communication and corporate,
community and public relations with a minor in criminal justice.
He belonged to criminal justice and international clubs, as well as
the Alliance for Africans Club.
When Pal first came to Wayne State, he went by “Andrew”
Makouch Luot, but he petitioned the court after becoming a
citizen to change his legal name to Khor Wal Pal.
Coleridge Blade – April 11, 2007
“Coleridge Grad Hired as Lab Manager
at Jackson’s New Ethanol Plant”
Lori (Nordby) Laible, a 2002 Wayne State graduate, began
training to be the laboratory manager at Siouxland Ethanol near
Jackson. Laible was a student at WSC before working in a
number of science-related positions across the Midwest.
She will oversee testing of ethanol and distillers grains
during processing and at completion, as well as testing for water
quality and tracking fermentation. She will also be in charge of
completing daily environmental checks and reporting back to the
state and federal environmental departments about the plant’s
water and air quality monitoring efforts.
Prior to the Jackson plant, she served as the senior lab
technician for the U.S. BioPlatte Valley ethanol plant in Central
City for three years.
Wayne State College business students
met with officials of the School of
Education and Counseling and the
School of Business and Technology to
develop a publicity and communication
plan for the reopening of the
schoolhouse. Hana (Marie) Abbott
of Omaha; Dr. Laura Dendinger,
associate professor of business; Dr.
Anthony Koyzis, dean of School of
Education and Counseling; Dr. Vaughn
Benson, dean of School of Business
and Technology; Brett Wiedenfeld of
Hartington; and Michael Hirschman of
Fremont review the scrapbook project.
Fremont Tribune – May 23, 2007
Norfolk Daily News – May 11, 2007
“One-Room School Opens For Tours”
Wayne State College students of Strategic Communications,
Managerial Communications and Labor Law from the School of
Business and Technology completed a project for the McCorkindale
School, an authentic one-room schoolhouse on the WSC campus. The
school is available for tours and living history school days for area
fourth-graders.
Wayne State business students met with officials of the School of
Education and Counseling to develop a publicity and communication
plan for the reopening of the schoolhouse. Students produced a
scrapbook, a DVD, a brochure, a newsletter and 15 fundraising
campaign ideas to be used to fund museum activities. The project
was supported by the Wayne State College Service-Learning project.
Chadron Record - June 13, 2007
Hemingford Ledger - June 7, 2007
intern. He aided Grassley’s press department in tracking press
coverage, assisted with weekly news conferences and helped
with writing and distributing news releases, advisories, columns
and statements to reporters. Poldberg had the opportunity to aid
Grassley with a speech for delivery on the Senate floor that aired on
C-SPAN2.
In August, Poldberg will begin teaching social studies at PC-M
Community High School in Monroe.
Dakota County Star - April 5, 2007
“Wayne State College Represented
at Annual Governor’s Day”
Dr. Richard Collings, Wayne State College president, was a
speaker at the 29th Annual Governor’s Day in Lincoln. Governor’s
Day is sponsored by the South Sioux City Area Chamber of
Commerce, the City of South Sioux City, South Sioux City
Community Schools, Dakota County and the City of Dakota City.
“Dobrovolny Appointed Judicial District Judge”
Norfolk Daily News - June 14, 2007
Gov. Dave Heineman announced his appointment of Leo
Dobrovolny to serve as district court judge for the Twelfth Judicial
District of Nebraska, which includes the counties of Banner, Box
Butte, Cheyenne, Dawes, Deuel, Garden, Kimball, Morrill, Scotts
Bluff, Sheridan and Sioux.
Dobrovolny graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wayne State
College in 1977 with a bachelor’s degree in history and political
science and received his law degree in 1980 from the Creighton
University School of Law.
“Brock Eichelberger Named Coach of the Year”
Atlantic News-Telegraph – May 12, 2007
“Poldberg Spent Internship Working
for Grassley In Washington, D.C.”
Brock Eichelberger (‘01), Ewing girls basketball coach, was
named the “Norfolk Daily News Coach of the Year.” In his first
season, Eichelberger led the Tigers to a 23-4 record and a Class D2
state championship. Prior to Eichelberger’s leadership, the Tigers
hadn’t qualified for state in 22 years, recorded one win two years
ago and almost recorded the state’s fourth-longest losing streak ever
in 2001. Eichelberger also was the head boys basketball coach at
the now-defunct Beemer High School and led the Bobcats to a state
berth in the school’s last year. It was the first time a boys team from
Beemer had made it to state since 1991. Beemer is now merged
with West Point High School. Eichelberger is a West Point-Beemer
High School graduate.
Seth Poldberg (‘06) of Kimballton finished a five-month
internship with Senator Chuck Grassley. Poldberg served as a press
Wayne State Magazine
5
Campus Notes
Wayne State Holds Spring Commencement
Members of the Class of 2007 listen to Senator Ben Nelson’s speech during their spring commencement ceremony.
524 Degrees Conferred
by President Collings
United States
Senator Ben
Nelson gave the
commencement
address at the
undergraduate
ceremony.
Zach Molacek
6
Travis Coufal
The weather was gray, but the faces were bright. Wayne
State College held spring commencement ceremonies May 5
in Rice Auditorium under stormy skies. Five hundred twentyfour degrees, 167 graduate and 357 undergraduate, were
conferred by Wayne State President Richard J. Collings.
Stan Carpenter, chancellor of the Nebraska State
College System, which is made up of Chadron, Peru and
Wayne State Colleges, was the honored guest at the graduate
commencement ceremony. Zach Molacek, a physical
education-exercise science graduate, gave the invocation
at the ceremony. Molacek, of Stanton, Neb., earned his
bachelor’s degree at Wayne State, majoring in applied human
and sport physiology.
Of the 167 students graduating with advanced degrees,
there were seven in master of business administration, 155 in
master of science in education and five education specialist
degrees.
United States Senator Ben Nelson gave the
commencement address at the undergraduate ceremony.
Senator Nelson, a former two-term governor of Nebraska, is a
native of McCook, a southwest Nebraska town that has been
home to two of Nebraska’s U.S. senators and three governors.
Travis Coufal, of Brainard, Neb., gave the invocation.
Coufal, a speech communication major, received a bachelor’s
of science degree.
Lichtenberg Receives
WSC Alumni Award
Robert Lichtenberg
Wayne State College presented the Alumni Achievement Award to Robert
Lichtenberg at the college’s baccalaureate ceremony May 5. The award
recognizes Wayne State alumni for outstanding contributions in their careers
and their communities.
Lichtenberg graduated with a B.A. in physics and mathematics from Wayne
State College in 1969. He and his wife, Linda, own Lincoln Machine in Lincoln,
Neb. Mr. Lichtenberg is a member of the Board of Trustees for the Wayne State
Foundation.
After graduation from Wayne State, he taught at Wheeler Central High
School for two years. He then moved to Ames, Iowa, where in 1974 he
earned his master of science in metallurgy from Iowa State University. He
continued graduate work and research at the Ames Lab for the Atomic Energy
Commission before moving to Valley, Neb., to work for the Bank of Valley.
Lichtenberg left Valley Bank in 1980 as president to take a position as head
of engineering with Brumko Magnetics in Elkhorn, Neb., where he eventually
served as vice president of operations. In 1984, he accepted a position with
IBM in Omaha in the company’s sales division specializing in engineering and
scientific products. He returned to Brumko in 1987 as general manager. The
company grew to about 150 employees in Elkhorn and its Tijuana, Mexico,
facility grew to about 300 employees.
Lichtenberg and a partner purchased Lincoln Machine in 1991. In 1995,
he and his partner dissolved their partnership and Lichtenberg and his wife
became the sole owners of the company. The business provides tooling, fixtures,
and production parts for manufacturers and designs and builds automated
manufacturing equipment.
Phyllis Conner, Vice President for Development and Executive Director of
the Wayne State Foundation assisted President Collings in presenting the award.
Professor Worner Receives NSCS Teaching Excellence Award
Tamara Worner, associate professor of mathematics at Wayne State
College, received the George Rebensdorf Teaching Excellence Award from the
Nebraska State College System on May 5 at the undergraduate commencement
ceremony. Worner excels in the classroom, her profession and in the
community.
Each year the Nebraska State College System names a recipient of the
Rebensdorf Teaching Excellence Award from one of the three state colleges—
Wayne State, Chadron State and Peru State. Several Wayne State College
faculty members have won this statewide award, including Clif Ginn, Cornell
Runestad, Russ Rasmussen, Ken Halsey, Pearl Hansen, Deborah Whitt, Jean
Karlen, Mary Ettel and Jason Karsky.
In the supporting materials for her nomination for the award, it was noted
that Worner has worked extensively shaping secondary math teachers in
Nebraska. At Wayne State, her dedication has resulted in improved assessment
standards for students taking math courses. The nominator stated, “She is not
only a role model for women in mathematics, but for all educators as well.”
In a letter of support for her nomination, a colleague notes Worner’s
involvement in the development of curriculum and her real strength, which
he says is in the classroom. “Dr. Worner is a very gifted and talented college
professor who works diligently to help students learn.”
The Wayne State College nominee for the George Rebensdorf Teaching
Excellence Award also receives the State National Bank Teaching Excellence
Award in the amount of $1,000. Wayne State College Vice President for
Development and Executive Director of the Wayne State Foundation Phyllis
Conner presented both awards to Worner.
Tamara Worner
Wayne State Magazine
7
FRIDAY,
September 28, 29 & 30, 2007
Homecoming 2007
A Time to Remember, Relive...Rediscover
Wayne State
College
September 28, 2007
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
10:30 - 11:30 a.m.
Noon - 1 p.m.
Noon - 1 p.m.
Hospitality/Information Center - Student Center, Atrium
Trustee Workshop (by invitation), Gardner Hall, Room #108
Trustee Luncheon (by invitation), Student Center, Niobrara Room
Alumni and Cat Club Luncheon - Upper Deck
(Student Center, Lower Food Court)
Alumni Campus and Dorm Tours
Board of Trustees Annual Meeting, Gardner Auditorium, Gardner Hall
Greek Olympics, Willow Bowl
Outstanding Alumni Awards Banquet, Student Center, Frey Conference Suite
Volleyball vs Winona State, Rice Auditorium
Gathering of Arts & Design Alumni, Studio Arts Building
Bonfire & Pep Rally, Tennis Court Area (rain site-Rec Center)
1:30 & 3 p.m.
1:30 - 3:30 p.m.
5 p.m.
6 - 8 p.m.
7 p.m.
8 - 9:30 p.m.
8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY,
September 29, 2007
9:30 - 10:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
10:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Noon - 1 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
12:40 - 1 p.m.
1 p.m.
2:30 - 5 p.m.
3 p.m. (after the game)
4 p.m.
5:30 - 6:15 p.m.
6:15 - 8:30 p.m.
SUNDAY,
Homecoming Parade, downtown Wayne
Women's Soccer vs Bemidji State, soccer field
Presidents Society Brunch (by invitation), Student Center,
Frey Conference Suite
All Honored Classes Reunion Brunch, Niobrara Room, Student Center
Tailgate Party, Bob Cunningham Field, under the tent
General admission: adults $5.00; students $3.00
(free to "Cat Club" members)
Homecoming Royalty announced
Pre-game Show - WSC Marching Band, Bob Cunningham Field
Halftime show - WSC Band, and introduction of
Hall of Fame Inductees
Football Game - WSC vs. Crookston
Art & Design Alumni Reunion Reception, Peterson Fine Arts Foyer
70s Decade Reunion Reception, Student Center Atrium
Lambda Delta Lambda Reunion Reception, Student Center Atrium
Volleyball vs Upper Iowa, Rice Auditorium
Social - Student Center, Frey Conference Suite (for Banquet ticket holders)
Homecoming/Hall of Fame Banquet, Student Center, Frey Conf. Suite
September 30, 2007
11 a.m.
1 p.m.
1 p.m.
Women's Soccer vs Crookston,
Alumni Baseball Game - Chapman Baseball/Softball Complex
Alumni Softball Game - Chapman Baseball/Softball Complex
WSC Alumni Service Award
WSC Hall of Fame Inductees
Honored Classes
Randy Pedersen '71
Brady Borner (1998-2001) Baseball
Lisa Chamberlain (1990-94)
Women’s Basketball
Ruben Mendoza (1984-85) Football
1991 WSC Volleyball Team
Contributor-Marty Summerfield '85
(posthumously)
1937, 1942, 1947,
1957,1967, 1970-79,
1982, 1987, 1997,
Lambda Delta
Lambda Reunion, 70s
Decade Reunion and Art
& Design Reunion
WSC Outstanding Alumni
Nancy Bednar Bond ‘80
A. Thomas Schomberg ‘64
Lenny R. Klaver ‘80
Douglas Hummel ‘84
For more information contact: Deb Lundahl • Alumni Office
Wayne State College • Wayne, NE 68787 • 402-375-7209 • [email protected]
For a list of attendees please check upcoming events at www.wsc.edu/alumni
8
Campus Notes
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and ready to be
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people
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considered a Wayne
Wayne State College Earth Day Celebration
Featured WSC Faculty and Noted Guests
Twyla Hansen
The Wayne State College Earth Day Celebration on April 23 and 24 featured presentations
and sessions by WSC faculty members and noted guests. The collaborative event, sponsored
by the School of Natural and Social Sciences and the School of Arts and Humanities, provided
exposure and discussion regarding environmental concerns in Nebraska.
Events included a presentation by Robert Byrnes (President of Nebraska Renewable
Energy Systems), screening of the award-winning film, America’s Lost Landscape: The
Tallgrass Prairie hosted by director David O'Shields; “Poems and Prose on the Plains,” by
author Twyla Hansen, and a session entitled “The Environment and Rural America” hosted
by Dan Owens from The Center for Rural Affairs. These events were supplemented by a
demonstration of alternative energies by WSC faculty members Todd Young and Paul Karr, a
discussion of Michael Crichton’s bestselling book State of Fear by WSC faculty member
William Slaymaker, and a screening of the current film An Inconvenient Truth followed by
discussion led by WSC faculty member Mark Leeper. The planning group for the event
included WSC professors Buffany DeBoer, Joe Blankenau, J.V. Brummels, Patricia Szczys,
Mark Hammer, Maureen Carrigg, Paul Karr, Todd Young, William Slaymaker, and Arts and
Humanities Dean James O’Donnell.
Wayne State Magazine
9
Campus Notes
Learning
Community
Format
Expands
By Dr. Robert McCue, Vice
President of Academic Affairs
One of the new innovations in academic programs at Wayne
State College is the development of the Learning Community format
for program delivery. This style of program delivery was first tried
on an experimental basis in 2003 at two sites. The program was so
successful that it has now been offered at 11 sites and four more are
planned for next year. More than 500 teachers have participated in
this program so far.
A new community is scheduled to begin in fall 2007 and it will
be the first WSC masters degree program delivered to the Grand
Island area. Other community sites are: South Sioux City/Sioux
City, five communities; Blair, two communities; Fremont, two
communities; Norfolk, and Neligh.
The Masters of Science in Education: Curriculum and Instruction
is a 36 hour program delivered through the learning community
format. A cohort of about 50 students attends one weekend a month,
five times each semester, for two years. They participate in various
collegial groups to support their learning, action research, and other
relevant applications based on cutting edge theory and practice. A
pilot learning community is currently underway for the Masters
in School Administration and another is being developed for the
Masters in School Counseling.
Students comment on the amount of learning that occurs and
the level of group interaction as strengths of the program. A typical
student comment: “The learning community was a much needed
boost in re-energizing my passion for teaching, and that boost carried
into other arenas as well. You not only transfer and evolve as an
educator but you get to see others go through that process as well and
that's very powerful.”
10
The area between the Hahn building and the Carhart science
building has been completely renovated.
Campus Construction Projects
Wayne State College is getting a facelift this
summer. The project is phase two of the three-phase Campus
Streets and Commons Plan approved in 2005. Many of the campus’
streets are being resurfaced and augmented with additional parking
for students, staff and faculty. The work, which began May 21, has
also taken out several campus trees, many of which were diseased
or in advanced stages of deterioration that made them a danger to
members of the campus community.
The streets project will improve traffic flow on campus and
increase pedestrian safety. Gulliver Avenue has been rerouted to
intersect with Main Street and end up directly in line with 11th
Street. The new configuration of Gulliver will increase the green
space around the Willow Bowl. Other areas of work include
Anderson Drive, on which the traffic flow will be reversed,
increasing safety where Anderson intersects with Lindahl Drive
across from Rice Auditorium. Parking will be added adjacent to
the Hahn Building and along L. Wendt Drive, Anderson Drive and
Lindahl Drive.
The removal of several trees on campus arose from the need to
eliminate diseased and over-matured species and clear the way for
expansion of parking and road work. In each of these cases, more
trees are being planted than are being removed from campus.
The view looking west toward Main Street.
Patricia Arneson Earns Business Education Award
Dr. Patricia Arneson, professor of
business at Wayne State College, was
recognized as the Nebraska State Business
Education (NSBEA) Association’s 2007
“Service Award” winner June 5 during the
Nebraska Career Education conference in
Kearney, Neb. The NSBEA Service Award
is given to an individual who has made
great contributions to business education.
During the awards ceremony, Dr.
Arneson was recognized for her extensive
involvement in the promotion of business
teacher education, not only at Wayne
State College, but throughout Nebraska
as well as regionally and nationally. A
nominee stated, “She is widely respected
and recognized at all levels for her superior
teaching education programs and teaching
within business education.” A student
wrote, “She provides students with the
knowledge of working with both state and
national standards in business education.”
Another nominee stated, “Dr. Arneson has
a strong passion for teacher education at
Wayne State College. It is a great source of
pride for her to serve as a teacher educator,
mentor, advisor, and student teacher
supervisor to prepare students to become
middle- and high-school business teachers.”
Dr. Arneson was named the 2006
“Outstanding University Business Educator”
for the 11-state Mountain-Plains Business
Education Association (M-PBEA) and
was a finalist for the 2007 “National
University Business Educator” award. In
addition to teaching courses in business
education, marketing education and business
administration at Wayne State College,
she serves as coordinator for Business
Competition Day and student advisor to
Pi Omega Pi business education honorary
and the Society for Human Resource
Management student organization. She is
a member of the Nebraska State Business
Education Association, Mountain-Plains
Business Education Association, National
Business Education Association (NBEA),
and Delta Pi Epsilon graduate honorary and
serves as Nebraska membership director for
NSBEA, M-PBEA and NBEA.
Patricia Arneson
Faculty College Held at Wayne State College
“We have some of
the best faculty in
higher education
and we wanted to
provide them with the
opportunity to learn
from each other.”
Forty-eight faculty members attended the 2007 Nebraska State College System (NSCS) Faculty
College held May 10-11 at Wayne State College. The event brought faculty members from Chadron,
Peru and Wayne State Colleges together to share best practices in teaching and learning.
System Chancellor Stan Carpenter said, “The idea to hold a Faculty College was discussed during
our strategic planning efforts with the Board of Trustees. Those who remembered the Faculty Colleges
held years ago thought it would be worthwhile to revive the event so faculty could discuss academic
issues. We have some of the best faculty in higher education and we wanted to provide them with the
opportunity to learn from each other.”
Robert McCue, vice president for academic affairs at Wayne State College, spearheaded the initial
planning efforts. A committee of former NSCS Teaching Excellence Award recipients, the highest
faculty honor within the system, designed the meeting structure and facilitated the sessions. McCue and
his assistant, Linda Teach, took care of the operational side.
Faculty members on the planning committee included: Judy Grotrian, the Fred and Pam Robertson
Honors Chair in business administration and associate professor of business at Peru State College;
Pearl Hansen, professor of art at Wayne State College; Dave Peitz, associate professor of chemistry at
Wayne State College; Robert Stack, associate professor of mathematics at Chadron State College; and
Deborah Whitt, chair of the department of communication arts and professor of speech communication
at Wayne State College.
The two-day event also included sessions on service learning, distance/online teaching, and
international programs. Focus groups were held to develop strategies on collaborative ventures between
campuses and making faculty connections.
“After talking to participants and reading the evaluations, I am very favorably impressed with the
program and its impact on our faculty. Faculty members expressed gratitude for opportunities to learn
from each other and get to know their colleagues at Chadron and Peru State Colleges,” Dr. Richard
Collings, president of Wayne State College, said.
-- Courtesy of Nebraska State College System Public Relations office
Wayne State Magazine
11
Campus Notes
Robert Duncan,
Noted Art
Philanthropist,
Visits WSC
Students, faculty and community members gathered for a day of art and literature at
Wayne State College.
Plains Writers Fiesta Continues WSC Tradition
Wayne State College’s School of Arts and Humanities, WSC Press, Logan House
and The Backwaters Press hosted the Plains Writers Fiesta on April 19. The program was
made possible with contributions from three publishers: WSC Press, Logan House and The
Backwaters Press, Wayne State College’s School of Arts and Humanities and the Department
of Language and Literature and with a special contribution from the Nebraska Humanities
Council grant funds.
The Plains Writers Fiesta presented five sessions of grassroots poetry and fiction and
included musical interludes and original painting exhibits from WSC Press’ new book, Still
Life Moving, by Wayne artist Carlos Frey, throughout the day. Downtown Poetry Slam XVII,
Nebraska's longest running poetry slam competition, was held the same evening at Uncle
Dave’s Bar and Grill in downtown Wayne.
The Backwaters Press session featured Steve Langan, author of Notes on Exile and
Other Poems; Jeanne Emmons, author of The Glove of the World; and Micheal Catherwood,
the author of Dare. The Logan House session included poets Charles Fort, the current
Reynold's Chair of Poetry and author of Frankenstein Was a Negro; and Don Welch, the
Reynold's Chair of Poetry Emeritus and author of Gutter Flowers. An afternoon session
showcased the release by WSC Press, Still Life Moving, by artist Carlos Frey and Nebraska
State Poet William Kloefkorn. Other sessions included contemporary fiction, which featured
Karen Shoemaker, author of Night Sounds and Other Stories, and Mary Helen Stephaniak,
author of The Turk and My Mother; and contemporary poetry, which featured William
Kloefkorn, and Utah’s first Poet Laureate, David Lee.
Robert Duncan, president of Duncan
Aviation, spoke on campus April 30 in
Gardner Auditorium. The title of his talk was
‘Art - The Key to Unlocking the Soul and
Enriching the Community.’
Duncan is a major supporter of the arts
in Omaha and Lincoln and a noted collector.
The Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts
in Omaha notes that “Duncan Aviation is an
example to other businesses of true private/
public partnerships in the arts. In addition
to supplying a location for fundraising
activities, the company has an active artpurchasing program, with works on display
throughout the facility."
Duncan Aviation is one of the world's
largest privately owned business aircraft
service organizations. It is headquartered in
Lincoln with more than 1,400 employees
located in more than 30 cities across the U.S.
The event was sponsored by the Student
Chapter National Art Education Association
and Pearl Hansen, Wayne State College
Professor of Art.
Wayne State Language Arts Festival
Wayne State College hosted its third annual Language Arts Festival on April
19 for students in grades seven through twelve. Barbara Schmitz (`66), well-known
Nebraska poet, was the featured author.
Students were invited to submit original fiction and poetry to a writing contest or
original videos to a media contest and to bring posters and displays to an on-campus
competition. Students, teachers and parents participated in workshops on writing,
literature, media and drama at the festival.
Wayne State School of Humanities and English Education faculty members read
and evaluated all entries. They selected the best five short stories and poems in each
grade for which the young writers received awards. Nebraska Humanities Council
(NHC) speaker Kelly Madigan Erlandson presented a program. Students, teachers and
parents participated in workshops on writing, literature, media and drama. The event
was funded in part by a NHC grant and through a WSC service-learning sub-grant.
12
Robert and Karen Duncan
Governor Dave Heineman speaks with reporter
Mark Ahmann of KTCH during the Economic
Development Summit.
WSC Hosts Economic
Development Summit
Wayne Area Economic Development, Inc. hosted the Economic
Development Summit in connection with the Nebraska Business
Development Center 30th Anniversary Celebration on May 14 in the
Student Center on the Wayne State College campus.
Wayne City Administrator Lowell Johnson, Wayne Mayor
Lois Shelton, Wayne State College President Richard Collings and
Governor Dave Heineman presented the welcome to an audience of
more than 175 during the opening ceremonies.
General sessions included keynote addresses by the University of
Nebraska - Omaha College of Business Dean Dr. Louis Pol, Nebraska
Department of Education Commissioner Dr. Doug Christensen and
Director of Business Development NE Department of Economic
Development Dan Curran.
The event convened local, regional and state leaders,
professionals, volunteers, elected officials and the public to share
experiences and forge partnerships. The summit served as part of
ongoing efforts to promote regional collaboration and economic
development in the face of global competition.
The Economic Development Summit was held in partnership
with the Nebraska Business Development Center's 30th anniversary
celebration. At Wayne State College, the office is led by Loren Kucera.
The Nebraska Business Development Center is a collaborative
program with the United States Small Business Administration,
University of Nebraska at Omaha and Wayne State College.
The event was funded in part by a grant from the Nebraska
Department of Economic Development, administered by the Rural
Development Commission. Funding is also provided in part by a grant
from the United States Department of Agriculture Rural Development.
Centennial Logo Contest
Wayne State College is seeking entries in a contest to select a logo commemorating the college
centennial in 2010. The Wayne State Foundation will award $100 to the creator of the selected
Centennial Logo, one dollar for each year of the centennial.
Rules:
1. Entries should visually signal the history and future of Wayne State College. The theme for the
centennial is Remembering the Past, Investing in the Future, however this slogan does not need
to appear within the logo. Rather, the logo should symbolically represent the “brand image” of
the college as a strong teaching and learning institution and as a vital institution in the future of
Nebraska.
2. Entries should be suitable for use in a variety of ways in a horizontal and/or vertical format and
should not have an unusually wide or tall aspect ratio.
3. Entries should be made in high resolution graphic format, such as Adobe Illustrator.
4. Submit entries by September 30, 2008, to Deb Lundahl; Wayne State Foundation; 1111 Main
Street; Wayne, NE 68787.
5. All entries become the property of Wayne State College and will not be returned. The creator of
the winning entry agrees that Wayne State College will hold all copyright rights, including the right
to modify the winning logo.
6. Entries not selected as “winner” will not be used in other settings for the promotion of Wayne State
College, except as part of displays of candidate or finalist contest entries.
7. The creator of the selected logo will receive $100 and a recognition certificate suitable for framing.
8. This contest is open to all professional and amateur graphic designers.
Centennial
Poetry & Prose
The Centennial Committee
announces a call for
submissions for poems and
prose to be considered for
inclusion in an upcoming book
featuring poetry and prose at
Wayne State College.
The committee is interested
in works that arise from the
writer’s experiences while at
Wayne State College. Writers
should submit their works to:
Centennial Committee
Wayne State Foundation
1111 Main Street
Wayne, NE 68787
Wayne State Magazine
13
Campus Notes
Vicki Engelen: Back to School Three Decades Later
I have many fond memories of my
days as a student at Wayne State College
– a special, carefree time in my life
(although I wouldn’t have described it as
carefree back then).
Distance and a busy life kept me
away from the college since the late
1970s. But in recent years, people
from the WSC Foundation and alumni
office visited Minneapolis, and their
updates inspired me to attend last fall’s
homecoming. That trip back to campus
ignited my desire to return to school to
see what it’s like to be a college student in
today’s world. So plans were made, and I
borrowed my sixth-grade son’s backpack
and returned to campus as a “student” for
several days in April.
Familiar and welcoming
Vicki (Root) Engelen, who graduated
from Wayne State with a degree in
English and journalism in December
1976, left her life in Shoreview, Minn.,
for several days in April and returned
to campus as a “student.” She shares
highlights of her experience in the
following article.
You can return to school, too
If you want to see
firsthand what college is
like today, and if you want
to experience it with your
friends, plan to attend WSC
homecoming, Sept. 28-30.
This year’s homecoming
includes a “Decade of the
1970s” reunion (the author is
one of the chairs of this event).
14
The campus hasn’t changed much in
appearance, which I found comforting.
Many of the stately old buildings have
been renovated. The exteriors have been
restored to their former glory. And the
interiors have been updated. A few new
buildings have been added and seem to fit
right in.
The campus is thriving. When I was
in school, several of the dorms sat empty.
Today they are all occupied.
Planning the experience
In planning my visit, I was most
interested in attending journalism and
business classes, because I have spent
my career working in or with large
corporations as a business communicator
(writer, editor, communications manager
and – for the past 14 years – owning
my own business that serves corporate
clients).
My biggest “assignment” of the week
was to work with the staff of the student
newspaper to put out an issue of the
Wayne Stater, which included writing two
articles. Beyond that, I attended Strategic
Management, Strategic Communications,
Advanced Newswriting and Expository
Writing classes. And I spoke to a
Communications Law class.
In the classroom
I didn’t get far enough into the
experience to study and take tests, but
what I saw made me somewhat envious
of students today. The campus has
wireless Internet service, and students
each have their own e-mail account.
They submit their schoolwork to their
instructors electronically. I use these tools
of technology in my work, but what a
blast it would have been to use them in the
classroom, too.
It appears that today’s students give
presentations in almost every class. They
make these presentations with PowerPoint
slides that they retrieve from a server
on their laptop computers in class. This
experience should give them a great start in
any type of career.
It was a pleasure to work with Dr.
Max McElwain and the Wayne Stater staff
to be a part of their modern process of
publishing the newspaper. Instead of several
clunky manual typewriters stationed in
the basement of the library, they work in
a spacious journalism lab that has at least
eight computers. They use a program called
Adobe InDesign, and each student designs a
page or two. It takes one evening to design
the paper, beginning with a pizza dinner.
At the end of the night, sometimes
as late as midnight, the editor sends the
completed paper electronically to the
printer, and the printed papers arrive on
campus the next day. Back in the 1970s, two
or three students did a majority of the design
(paste-up) and proofing, and it was a very
laborious process.
Say latte
A major highlight of my “student”
experience was the library. I walked in
the front door to face a place aptly called
“Jitters” that sells Starbucks coffee,
sandwiches and snacks. Regrettably, I no
longer partake of caffeine, but I indulged in
a decaf skim latte that I was able to actually
take to a library table to drink while I did
some work.
On my self-guided tour of the library
I found some of the old study carels that
once filled the main part of the library – a
nostalgic site. They’ve been relegated to
the reference area. I remember emerging,
bleary-eyed, from those carels after hours
of studying. Starbucks would’ve changed
that for me (and left me heavily in debt)!
Awesome ambience
The changes to the student center are
jaw-dropping. There’s a two-story atrium
addition on the south side of the building.
The windows in the “Gag” overlook the
atrium. Beyond that is a banquet/meeting
room that seats 250, the bookstore and
various student services.
Where the bookstore once was there’s
a lounge that looks like a sports bar,
with two large screen TVs – in opposite
corners – and comfy furniture. In addition,
there are flat-screen TVs at each “bar”
table around the room. And where I once
bought my 10-cent cup of coffee to chat
with my buddies, there’s a Taco Bell.
The Gag (student cafeteria) has
improved markedly. There was an
impressive variety of food, and ample
healthy choices, including fresh fruit,
yogurt and an extensive salad bar. There
are “stations” for pizza, pasta, made-toorder sandwiches (on homemade bread),
desserts and a sundae bar. Of course the
students still complain, but let’s face it
– institutional food, no matter how good,
gets tiresome after a while.
More fun when you can share it
The changes I discovered were fun.
But they would have been more fun if
my friends had been there to share them.
Being back felt so natural that it felt like
they should have been there.
Regardless, for a few days again, I
felt like a student. I didn’t feel 30 years
older than when I graduated. As I walked
across campus on the last evening, with
the star-filled sky, I thought, anyone who
goes to school here is very fortunate. I still
think I am.
An artist’s rendering of the South Sioux City College Center.
South Sioux City Project Receives State Funding
Governor Dave Heineman approved funding for a historic higher education
collaboration in South Sioux City on May 21. The $3.5 million appropriation will allow
Wayne State College and Northeast Community College in Norfolk to build a college
center to serve the Siouxland area.
“This appropriation will add state funding to resources from Northeast, the South
Sioux City Economic Development Agency, federal sources, and corporate and private
gifts. This unique college-community college-city partnership will bring enhanced higher
education to an area that is booming economically, but under served educationally,”
President of Wayne State College Dr. Richard Collings said.
“This is a great day for our state and community. We applaud the Governor’s
support for this unique joint campus. This action will pave the way for better training and
educational services for citizens and businesses in the Siouxland area. The funding for
this campus by the unicameral, led by Senator Pat Engel and Speaker Mike Flood, was
instrumental in moving this phenomenal project forward,” Mayor of South Sioux City Bob
Giese said.
The new center was approved by the Nebraska State College System Board of
Trustees and the Northeast Community College Board of Governors in February 2005.
The Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education recommended
approval of the center in December 2006.
When the center opens, place-bound students will be able to take their freshman and
sophomore courses from Northeast and then take junior and senior or graduate courses
from Wayne State College all in the same facility. The facility is scheduled to open by the
fall of 2010.
The 44,520-square-foot center will be built on 57 acres of land donated by the South
Sioux City Community Development Association (CDA). The CDA Board of Directors
approved the project earlier this fall.
The $14,619,087 project, including the estimated $2.1 million land donation,
will house general, distance learning, and business and industry learning community
classrooms, and computer labs, along with administrative offices and other facilities.
Courtesy of Nebraska State College System Public Relations office
Wayne State Magazine
15
Wildcat Athletics
WSC Baseball Players Scott Bidroski and
Dustin Jones Earn All-American Honors
Scott Bidroski
Dustin Jones
Wayne State College baseball players Scott
Bidroski and Dustin Jones have received AllAmerican honors following their outstanding
senior seasons with the Wildcats. Jones was a
Second Team selection on the inaugural Daktronics
All-America Baseball Team as voted on by sports
information directors from across the country
and was a Third Team All-American as selected
by Rawlings and the American Baseball Coaches
Association (ABCA). Bidroski received Second
Team All-American accolades from Rawlings and
ABCA. It marks the fourth time in the past five
years that a Wildcat baseball player has achieved
All-American status, joining Travis McCarter and
Brian Foy in 2003, Tim Richt in 2004 and Brian
Van Driel in 2005.
Jones, a senior outfielder from Dakota
Dunes, S.D., finished the 2007 season with a .415
batting average for the Wildcats, setting a new
school record with 73 runs scored. He led NCAA
Division II in runs scored per game at 1.55. Jones
finished his career as the all-time hits leader at
WSC with 276, career runs scored (236) and
triples (16). He led the Wildcats this season in
stolen bases (26), walks (29) and triples (5).
Jones was a two-time NSIC First Team AllConference selection and was selected to the
2007 NSIC All-Tournament Team.
Bidroski, a senior shortstop from Omaha,
led the Wildcats in home runs (12), hits (75),
RBIs (64), total bases (131) and at bats (199)
while hitting .377 this season. He finished his
career as the all-time RBIs leader at Wayne
State with 192 and ranked second in career
hits (267), career runs scored (183) and
doubles (50). The two-time All-Northern Sun
Conference selection led the NSIC this season
in hits, ranked second in total bases, tied for
second in RBIs, third in home runs and was
third in runs scored (53) for the Wildcats this
season. Bidroski was a two-time NSIC Player
of the Week this season (March 6 and April 23),
a member of the 2007 NSIC All-Tournament
Team and was selected to the ESPN The
Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII
Baseball First Team.
Mortimore Drafted by Seattle Mariners
Former Wayne State College pitcher Travis Mortimore was drafted by
the Seattle Mariners in the 21st round on June 8, the second day of the 2007
Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. The 6-5, 210 pound left-hander
was the 645th overall pick of the draft and was one of just five left-handed
pitchers drafted by the Mariners in the 51-round draft.
Mortimore posted a 3-6 mark in 2007 with a 5.22 ERA in 12 starts
for the Wildcats, ranking fifth in NCAA Division II in strikeouts per nine
innings (11.8) after striking out 77 batters in 58 2/3 innings. He was named
Second Team All-Northern Sun Conference and was selected NSIC Pitcher
of the Week on April 10 after striking out 13 batters in just five innings of
work in a 10-0 win over Northern State on April 6.
In 2006, Mortimore earned All-Central Region First Team honors
after going 9-2 with a 2.07 ERA for the Wildcats, earning Northern Sun
Conference Pitcher of the Year honors after striking out 79 batters in 74
innings of work.
Mortimore was 12-8 in his two seasons with Wayne State, posting a
3.47 ERA in 28 appearances. He struck out 156 batters in 132 2/3 innings in
a Wildcat uniform with opponents hitting just .210 against the left-hander.
Mortimore played his first two seasons at Colby Community College in
Kansas before transferring to Wayne State.
Mortimore is the third Wildcat pitcher in the past 14 years to be drafted,
joining Brady Borner (2001) and Jeff Lutt (1993), who were both drafted by
the Pittsburgh Pirates. Borner was a 31st round selection in 2001 with Lutt
being taken in the 44th round by the Pirates in 1993.
16
Travis Mortimore
Dustin Jones of Wayne State College was selected
Academic First-Team All-American by ESPN The
Magazine as selected by the College Sports Information
Directors of America (CoSIDA). The ESPN The Magazine
Academic All-American Team was released May 29. It
marks the second season that Jones collected the academic
honor after being selected Third Team Academic AllAmerican last season.
Dustin Jones Named Academic
First Team All-American
Jones, a senior outfielder from Dakota Dunes, S.D.,
had a 3.76 grade point average majoring in business
management and marketing. He finished the 2007 season
with a .415 batting average for the Wildcats, setting a
new school record with 73 runs scored. Jones led NCAA
Division II in runs scored per game at 1.55 and finished
his career as the all-time hits leader at WSC with 276,
career runs scored (236) and triples (16). He led the
Wildcats this season in stolen bases (26), walks (29) and
triples (5). Jones was a two-time NSIC First Team AllConference selection and was selected to the 2007 NSIC
All-Tournament Team.
Wayne State Baseball Advances to
Fourth Straight Regional Tournament
The Wayne State College baseball team finished the 2007 season
with a 37-16 record and a fourth straight trip to the NCAA Division
II Central Region Baseball Tournament. The Wildcats posted a 25-5
mark in the Northern Sun Conference in the regular season, earning
the top seed and hosting the NSIC Baseball Tournament. A three-run
homer in the bottom of the eighth inning by Winona State catcher
Ben Barrone kept the Wildcats from winning a fifth straight NSIC
Tournament title. The Wildcats still received an at-large bid to the
NCAA Central Region Tournament.
The Wildcat baseball squad dominated the 2007 Northern Sun
Conference All-Conference baseball team. WSC had five players
receive First Team All-NSIC honors to go with six Second Team
selections. Joe Wendte of Sioux City was named the NSIC Freshman
of the Year and head coach John Manganaro was named the NSIC
Coach of the Year for the second straight season. Manganaro guided
WSC to a first place finish in the NSIC this season with a 25-5 mark
and is 147-44 against NSIC schools since joining the league in 1999.
First Team All-NSIC selections included senior pitcher Connor
Bramlet, senior shortstop Scott Bidroski, senior outfielder Dustin
Jones, junior first baseman Marc Manganaro (utility) and sophomore
designated hitter Alex Koch. Second Team All-NSIC honorees were
junior pitcher Mitch Herrick, senior pitchers Travis Mortimore, Adam
McGuire and Mike Donohoe, senior outfielder Adam Hoffman and
sophomore outfielder Sean Soderberg.
Wayne State Softball Team
Finishes 28-22, Records First
Winning Season Since 2001
Wayne State College posted a
substantial turnaround in softball
during the 2007 season under firstyear head coach Krista Unger. The
Wildcats finished with a 28-22
overall mark, the school’s first
winning season since 2001 and just
the second time since 1992 that a
WSC softball team posted a winning
record.
The 28 wins were 18 more than
the 2006 season when WSC finished
with a 10-34 mark. This year’s team
Karen Hain
established several new school
records, hitting 29 home runs, more
than doubling the previous school
mark of 13 set in 1999. The team
also set a new school record for
fielding percentage at .956 and had a
seven-game win streak in March, the
longest since 1992 when WSC won
10 straight games.
Senior Kristin Humphries from
Omaha, Neb., earned First Team AllNorthern Sun Conference honors.
The former NSIC All-Conference
women’s basketball standout hit
.380 to lead the Wildcats at the plate
this season with eight home runs and
Kristin Humphries
35 RBIs. Her 57 hits tied for third
most in a single season.
Two other seniors received
special academic awards at the end
of the season as Karen Hain and
Bre Parks were named to the ESPN
The Magazine/CoSIDA All-District
VII College Division Second Team.
Hain, a pitcher from Bee, Neb.,
carried a 3.61 grade point average
majoring in criminal justice and
finished her career as the all-time
strikeout leader at WSC with 373.
Parks, a senior from Kansas City,
Mo., maintained a 3.96 grade point
average majoring in mathematics.
Bre Parks
The 2006 NSIC All-Conference
second baseman hit .262 for the
‘Cats this past season and led the
team in runs scored with 31.
Wayne State Magazine
17
Wildcat Athletics
WSC Volleyball Ranks 8th in NCAA Division II Home Attendance
Wayne State won the match against the University of Nebraska-Kearney on Oct. 18.
Wayne State
Men Win
Second Straight
Outdoor Track
and Field Title
Marlon Brink
18
The Wayne State College volleyball
team ranked 8th in NCAA Division II
for average home attendance last season,
according to figures released by the
NCAA in April. In 10 home games during
the 2006 season, Wayne State drew
5,205 fans for an average of 521 fans per
home game. Wayne State set a singlegame attendance record with a crowd of
1,382 fans during a home contest against
Nebraska-Kearney on Oct. 18.
Wayne State led the Northern Sun
Conference in volleyball attendance and
was one of three league teams ranked in
the top 15 with Concordia-St. Paul at 12th
and Northern State at 15th. The NSIC
ranked third in total attendance of the
10 NCAA Division II conferences with
31,158 fans.
Wayne State finished the 2006
season ranked 20th in the nation with a
30-8 record and a semi-final berth in the
NCAA North Central Region Tournament.
The Wildcats were second in the Northern
Sun Conference with a 15-3 league mark.
The Wayne State College men captured their second straight Northern Sun Conference track
and field team championship May 11-12 in Moorhead, Minn., while the women placed fourth. WSC
head coach Marlon Brink was named the NSIC Men’s Track Coach of the Year while sophomore
runner Megan Zavorka earned the Newcomer of the Year Award in women’s track and field. It
marks the second straight season that Wayne State College has swept the indoor and outdoor men’s
track and field championships in the Northern Sun Conference.
Each team had three conference champions with the women’s squad setting three school
records and reaching two NCAA national provisional qualifying marks. The men’s team had one
school record set during the two-day meet.
Depth and balanced scoring carried the WSC men to their second straight title by scoring 166
points to top second place Northern State’s 134. Sophomore Ben Jansen won the 800 meter run in
a time of 1:54.57, Tim Pilakowski took first in the long jump with a top mark of 22’ 9” and the 4 x
800 meter relay team of Nate McIntire, Nathaniel Bergen, Ryan Williams and Ben Jansen crossed
the line first in a time of 7:52.42. The lone men’s school record was set by John Sloup in the men’s
hammer throw, placing second at 165’4”, topping his previous mark of 164’4” set on April 16 at the
Wildcat Classic in Wayne.
Sophomore Megan Zavorka notched two of the three wins for the WSC women’s team, taking
first in the 10,000 meter run with a time of 40:08.99 and setting a school record while winning the
3,000 meter steeplechase in a clocking of 11:40.51, bettering the previous school mark of 11:42.24
set by Erin Norenberg on April 22, 2006. Zavorka also placed second in the 5,000 meter run
(19:16.79).
Junior Rachel Roebke won the 100 meter hurdles in a time of 14.28 seconds, setting a NSIC
meet record, and established an NCAA national provisional qualifying mark. Sophomore Jade
Lippman also reached a NCAA national provisional qualifying mark in the 400 meter hurdles
with a time of 1:03.02, which set a school record. The old mark was 1:05.35 set by Tiffani Jensen
dating back to the 1990 season (April 21, 1990). Lippman set a school record by placing third in the
heptathlon with 4,236 points, beating the old mark of 4,102 points set by Tiffani Jensen in 1990.
Walford Earns
All-American
Honors with
Career-Best
Jump at
National Meet
Tanna Walford of Wayne
State College cleared a careerbest 5’ 8 ¾” in the high jump
to finish in seventh place May
26 at the NCAA Division II
Outdoor National Track and Field
Championships in Charlotte, N.C.
With the seventh place finish, the
senior from York capped her stellar
Wildcat career with All-American
honors. It was the second straight
time that Walford earned AllAmerican honors after placing
seventh in March at the NCAA
Division II Indoor Nationals in
Boston. Walford was a six-time
national qualifier in the high jump
at Wayne State, qualifying all four
years during the indoor season and
her last two seasons of outdoor
track and field.
Wayne State’s other national
qualifier, Rachel Roebke,
competed in the 100 meter hurdles
and came in 14th place overall
with a time of 14.51 seconds. It
was the second time that Roebke,
a junior from Seward, qualified
for nationals this season after
competing in the 60-meter hurdles
during the indoor nationals in
March.
With Wayne State earning
two points thanks to Walford’s
seventh place finish in the high
jump, the Wildcats tied for 54th
in the women’s team standings.
Lincoln (Missouri) won the team
title scoring 82.5 points with
Abilene Christian (Texas) coming
in second with 69 points.
Tanna Walford
Awarded NCAA
Post-Graduate
Scholarship
Tanna Walford of Wayne State College was awarded a postgraduate scholarship of
$7,500 from the NCAA on May 2. The senior from York is one of just 29 female studentathletes from Division I, II and III who participated in winter sports to receive the prestigious
honor.
Walford has excelled in the classroom and on the track as a member of the Wildcat
women’s track and field team. She is a four-time indoor national qualifier in the high jump
and earned All-American honors this past season with a seventh-place finish in March at
the NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships in Boston, setting a school record of
5’8”. She was a three-time NSIC indoor high jump champion. She won the NSIC high jump
title as a junior and was a two-time outdoor national qualifier, making her a national qualifier
six times during her career. Walford is a three-time selection to the NSIC Winter and Spring
All-Academic Teams.
She posted a 3.83 grade point average majoring in biology at Wayne State and will
use the postgraduate scholarship to continue her education at the University of Nebraska
Medical Center in Omaha and pursue a medical doctorate degree.
The NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship was created in 1964 to promote and encourage
postgraduate education by rewarding the association’s most accomplished student-athletes
through their participation in NCAA championship and/or emerging sports. Athletics and
academic achievement, as well as campus involvement, community service, volunteer
activities and demonstrated leadership, are evaluated.
To qualify for an NCAA postgraduate scholarship, a student-athlete must have an
overall grade-point average of 3.200 (on a 4.000 scale) and must have performed with
distinction as a member of the varsity team in the sport in which the student-athlete was
nominated. Candidates are screened by seven regional committees and the award recipients
are selected by the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship Committee.
The ‘Cats are just
a click away at
www.wsc.edu/athletics/
Wayne State Magazine
19
Chuck and Sharon
Sass Support Teacher
Education with
Scholarship
Sharon and Chuck Sass with Daisy.
“Our years at Wayne
State served us well as
a launching pad for
satisfying and successful
careers in teaching...”
As lifelong educators, Chuck ’61 and
Sharon Olson Sass know firsthand the
importance of supporting the next generation of
teachers. Their commitment to the profession
led them to create the Kathryn Reimers Sass
Memorial Endowed Scholarship, which was
awarded for the first time in September 2006.
“We are pleased to have been able to
establish an endowed scholarship at WSC in
the name of Chuck’s mother, Kathryn Reimers
Sass, in 2006 and remain committed to aiding
student scholarships at Wayne State by including
the college in our estate plans,” the couple said.
“Our years at Wayne State served us well as
a launching pad for satisfying and successful
careers in teaching, educational administration,
and publication of thousands of textbooks,
classroom supplements and teachers’ guides.”
Chuck Sass attended Wayne State from
1957 to 1961, graduating with a bachelor of
arts in education degree. He was on the football
team for three years and the track team for one
year. After graduation from Wayne State, Chuck
taught high school social studies and coached
football and track for 12 years in Iowa and
Nebraska. He earned his master’s in education
at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 1968.
Sharon Sass attended Wayne State from 1965 to
1966.
From 1973 to 1978, Chuck and Sharon were
the owners and operators of Chuck’s Sporting
Goods in Boone, Iowa. Chuck then returned to
teaching at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Independent Study High School, Division of
Continuing Studies (DCS), for seven years.
His career at DCS included three years in the
curriculum development department as a writer
CLIP & MAIL
____ Please send me information about the Wayne State Foundation
Heritage Society.
____ Please contact me personally to discuss my planned giving options.
____ I have already included Wayne State Foundation in my estate plan.
Name _____________________________________________________
Address ___________________________________________________
and editor of independent study courses for
high school and college students. Sharon
went back to college at University of
Nebraska-Lincoln in 1978, earning her B.A.
in 1980, master’s in education in 1982, and
Ph.D. in 1986.
Chuck’s expertise in curriculum
development took him to the Close Up
Foundation in Alexandria, Va., in 1987,
where he was editor and later managing
editor of academic publications until 2006.
He wrote and/or edited more than 300
publications for students and teachers in
current issues, economics, government,
foreign affairs, international relations, history
legal studies and teaching methods.
Sharon was hired as the director of
professional development for the Maryland
State Department of Vocational Education
in 1987. She held several academic posts
on the East Coast and currently serves as
vice president of academic affairs at Palm
Beach Community College in Lake Worth,
Fla. Chuck retired from Close Up in 2006
but continues to do freelance work in civic
education and curriculum development.
The criteria for the scholarship created
by Chuck and Sharon Sass demonstrates
the couple’s commitment to education and
Nebraska communities: the student must
be attending WSC full-time; applicant must
be an education major; and first preference
is given to students from Cuming County
(Nebraska) High Schools, which include
West Point-Beemer, West Point Central
Catholic, Wisner-Pilger and BancroftRosalie.
Discover the Benefits of Including
Wayne State Foundation in Your Will
• A bequest is the easiest way to make sure
things you care about will be provided for
in the future.
• You can make a significant gift without
affecting your current income or cash flow.
City ______________________________________________________
State, Zip __________________________________________________
• Future generations will benefit from your
generosity.
Phone (_____) ______________________________________________
E-mail address: _____________________________________________
Year graduated from WSC (if applicable) ________________________
Please return form to: Wayne State Foundation
1111 Main Street • Wayne, Nebraska 68787 • 402-375-7510
20
• You can direct your bequest to the general
fund or to a specific program or purpose.
Kevin Armstrong
• You can receive a charitable estate tax deduction.
• Create an everlasting legacy for others to follow.
Alumni Notes
(Towns and cities listed on these
pages are in Nebraska unless
noted or generally understood.
All events occurred in 2007
unless indicated otherwise.
Efforts are made to keep our news
current.)
1941
1962
Richard E. Cours and his wife,
Vicki, reside in Tampa, Fla. He
has retired after a 53-year career
practicing law. He was licensed to
practice in Iowa and Florida.
Max Bretscher resides with
his wife, Brigitta, in Zurich,
Switzerland. He became the first
computer auditor in Switzerland
in 1968 and retired as a computer
audit partner in 2000. He
served as the editor of the
publication, “NewsLetter of the
Chris Buethe, Las Cruces, N.M., Information Systems Audit and
was the 2007 first place winner
Control Association Switzerland
of the Nebraska Life magazine
Chapter.” The ISACA is an
contest of tall tales. As a result,
interest group of computer
Chris is now an esteemed member (hardware and software)
of the National Liars Hall of Fame manufacturers, users and auditors.
based in Dannebrog.
Articles in the publication appear
in German, French and English.
This publication received the
2006 Best Newsletter Award,
Janet (Lee) Sanford and her
earning Max the world champion
husband, Jack, reside in Carroll,
Iowa. She continues to substitute title. The award was formally
presented
teach at Carroll Community
at the
School, Carroll.
2007
Europe/
Africa
leadership
Conference held
in Vienna,
Austria.
1951
1940
Hannah Doyle resides in
Omaha. She retired in 1990 after
more than 53 years of teaching;
serving 37 years as a professor
at Creighton University. She
states that she loved every minute
of her teaching career. She has
done extensive traveling since
her retirement. She has journeyed
more than once to Europe, the
Orient and the Caribbean. She
has enjoyed many trips within
the states including Alaska and
eastern and western Canada.
1952
Remember the Feeling?
Don’t let it slip away.
1973
The WSC Alumni Directory connects you with
the “good old days.”
The “good old days” aren’t as far away as you think. You
can reconnect with those good times with the upcoming Alumni Directory. Everything you need to locate old
friends and former classmates will be in this exciting and
invaluable resource. It will include personal, academic and
business information about our graduates. And don’t miss
your opportunity to be included. Make sure to provide
your updated information when contacted by Harris Connect in Norfolk, Va.
If you have questions please call
Deb Lundahl at 402-375-7209.
Gary R. Schrage. Sloan, Iowa,
is the principal at Westwood
Jr.-Sr. High School, Sloan.
He was awarded the School
Administrators of Iowa Middle
Level Principal of the Year
Award for northwest Iowa. He
previously served as a secondary
principal at the Oakland and
Mallard school districts and also
taught at Galva-Holstein.
1976
Mike Riedmann is a vice
president of NP Dodge Company
and president of the company's
residential sales. Mike was
honored as the 2007 Nebraska
Realtor of the Year at the
association's convention and
exhibition. This is the highest
honor awarded by the Nebraska
Realtors Association, and is given
to a member who exemplifies
service not only to the association,
but to his or her community
and the real estate industry at
large. He is married to Coleen
(Paulison ‘76) and they reside in
Omaha.
1978
Bonnie Kudron, Omaha, is a
paralegal at HDR, Inc., Omaha.
She was elected president of the
Nebraska Legal Professionals
Association.
1984
Douglas Nodgaard, Omaha, has
been in banking for 24 years and
was promoted to chief marketing
officer at First Westroads
Bank, Omaha. As a senior
vice president he will manage
all marketing and business
development activities for the
bank and will remain active on
the bank’s senior loan committee.
Doug is on the credit committee
for the Nebraska Bankers
Association
and is an
instructor in
the American
Institute of
banking.
1986
Mary Beth Kriskey, Omaha,
is the marketing director of the
Boy Scouts of America, MidAmerica Council. The Council
is headquartered in Omaha, with
a satellite office in Sioux City,
Iowa. Serving as the marketing
director she earned the “National
President's Award for Marketing
Excellence,” in the category of
“Best Positive Public Relations.”
She earned the award for her
efforts regarding the national
media’s coverage of Omaha
Scouts who rescued a toddler
from drowning. She worked with
local, regional and national media
outlets, including CNN and Fox
regarding this story, plus she
coordinated an invitation from
Wayne State Magazine
21
Alumni Notes
manager in the information
technologies department at
Variform, Kearney, Mo.
Vice President Dick Cheney to
have the Scouts and their families
as special guests at his address to
Offutt Air Force Base personnel.
1991
1987
Mary (Lehman) Sebade has
relocated to Frontenac, Kan.
She is the head start program
coordinator/curriculum and
assessment leader at SEK-CAP,
Inc., Girad, Kan., while working
on her doctorial in curriculum
and instruction, early childhood/
special education.
1988
Susan A. (Thompson) Larsen
has retired at the rank of major
after 26 years of service in
the U.S. Army. Prior to her
retirement, she served for six
months as the senior personnel
officer on the Weapons of Mass
Destruction Group in Baghdad.
She resides in Laramie, Wyo.,
with her husband, James J.
Larsen ‘84, and their children.
1989
Tom and Dawn (Warren
‘88) Carsey reside in Chapel
Hill, N.C., with their children,
Simon (8th-grade) and Jane
(4th-grade). Tom is a political
science associate professor at the
University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill. Dawn works parttime from their home serving as
an assistant editor for a political
science journal.
1990
Jayne (Stansbury) Dodson and
her husband, Lt. Col. Robert,
announce the birth of daughter,
Sarah Elizabeth, Dec. 20. She
is welcomed to their Chantilly,
Va., home by sister Mary Kathryn
(3). Jayne is the gifted and
talented teacher for the diocese of
Arlington at St. Mark School in
Vienna, Va.
Russell and Karen (Dill '91)
Ronspies reside in Smithville,
Mo. Russell is the museum
specialist at the Frontier
Army Museum located at Ft.
Leavenworth, Kan. Karen is
employed as the applications
Mike R. Slagle received his
doctorate in education policy
from the University of Kansas.
He is the assistant superintendent
for public and policy services
with the Blue Valley School
District, Overland Park, Kan.
Mike and his wife, Jenny, reside
in Overland Park with their two
children, Luke and Micah.
Jason D. Fixsel is the account
manager at Concentra Medical
Centers. He resides in
Westminster, Colo., with his wife,
Krysta.
Cheryl “Sherri” (Finke) Roth is
a staff accountant at Hancock &
Dana, P.C., Omaha. She resides
in Omaha with her husband,
Douglas, and three daughters,
Ashley (5), Amber (3) and April
Elizabeth
born
Dec. 18.
1992
Gerald “Jerry” Wallace (MAE
‘94, Ed. Spec. ‘00) has been
hired as the K-12 principal of
Brady Public Schools, Brady.
He has served
in the same
capacity at
Banner County
Public Schools
District,
Harrisburg for
the past three
years.
1993
Bruce Haber serves as the
principal at White Church
Elementary School, Kansas City,
Kan. He resides in Shawnee with
his wife, Natalie, and children,
Harrison (9) and Reghan (1).
Send us your news & photos, too!
We encourage you to send photos with your alumni notes - wedding, new baby, promotion, informal gathering with other alumni, etc.
Be sure to identify people in the photos. Digital photos with fewer than five megapixels cannot be accepted.
You can send your news via e-mail - [email protected] - Please remember to update your address!
Class___________________ Name____________________________________________ (Maiden Name) ___________________________________
Spouse______________________________ (Maiden Name)_________________________ Class ___________________________________________
Address___________________________________________ City ____________________________________________________________________
State________ Zip___________ Home Phone____________________ E-mail __________________________________________________________
Employer_______________________________ Title ______________________________________________________________________________
Address___________________________________________ City ____________________________________________________________________
State___________________________ Zip_______________ Phone ___________________________________________________________________
Spouse’s Employer_______________________________ Title _______________________________________________________________________
Address___________________________________________ City ____________________________________________________________________
State___________________________ Zip_______________ Phone ___________________________________________________________________
Information for alumni notes __________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Send to: Alumni Office, Wayne State College, 1111 Main St., Wayne, NE 68787 or [email protected]
22
Alumni Feature
A. Thomas Schomberg
Artist’s Gift Reaches Beyond Wayne America
A. Thomas Schomberg
“We must not always look to
others to assist but, if the means
and ability are available, we must
give support. I am proud to be
an alumnus of WSC and Cynthia
and I will continue to support its
programs whenever possible.”
“There is a time to give back,” says A. Thomas Schomberg. The
time was right for the 1964 graduate of Wayne State College last year
when he generously donated funds to cover the expenses of two WSC
students who attended an art therapy program designed to help young
victims of hurricane Katrina.
“Since the Katrina disaster there has been a tremendous need
for the rebuilding and healing process,” Schomberg says. “This was
a great opportunity to help WSC students and Katrina victims at the
same time. With the students’ time and expertise, they were able to
give valuable support and aid the healing process for countless young
children. Cynthia [Schomberg’s wife] and I would like to say how
proud we are of students Hailey Bruening and Angie Riesz, who so
wonderfully aided those in need and honorably represented WSC
in such a noble effort to help others.” Tom and Cynthia Schomberg
also support an endowed scholarship for an art major at Wayne State
College.
Schomberg majored in fine arts, earning his bachelor’s of fine
arts in education degree at Wayne State. After graduation, he studied
for a short time in Europe before earning his M.F.A. and beginning a
teaching career. In 1975, he resigned from his position at Brookdale
Community College in Lincroft, N.J., and established his artist studio
in Denver. He has been working as a professional sculptor since then.
Schomberg’s Web site, www.schomberstudios.com states that his
sculpture career “has spanned a period of time from early childhood
to the present. Tom has pursued a central theme, from his youthful
days of his midwest exposure in Iowa, through the formal and
formative years of study, to the last three decades of creativity, and
that is to describe the time and environment in which he lives.”
Schomberg’s sculptures are exhibited and collected
internationally. His work can be found in permanent collections of the
National Museum of Sport, the Colorado Fine Art Museum, the Butler
Institute of American Art, the Shenyang National Gallery, the United
States Olympic Training Center, Yankee Stadium, the Spectrum,
the Astrodome, the Superdome, March Airfield Museum, Riverside
National Cemetery, San Diego Hall of Champions, Balboa Park, and
many others.
Schomberg combines the definition of art “the creation of works
in form, content and execution and hopefully aesthetically pleasing
and meaningful” – with his personal belief that art can describe a
thousand words to make the point that art is one of the better ways for
young trauma victims to “journal their emotions and begin a healing
process.”
“It is paramount to support programs such as art therapy,”
Schomberg continues. “We must not always look to others to assist
but, if the means and ability are available, we must give support. I am
proud to be an alumnus of WSC and Cynthia and I will continue to
support its programs whenever possible.”
Wayne State Magazine
23
Alumni Notes
Troy Test and his wife, Stacy, announce the birth of son, Jase Lee,
March 30. He is welcomed to
their Norfolk home by brother
Tyson (3). Troy is a sales representative at Roberts Dairy,
Norfolk.
1995
Ron (MSE ‘03) and Jennifer
(O'Brien, MSE ‘06) Koch
reside in Sioux City, Iowa with
their three children, Karissa (6),
Kaeden (4) and Kohen Lee (1).
Ron and Jennifer are employed
in the Sioux City Community
Michelle (Hansen) Rule teaches School Dist. Ron teaches 6thmedical transcription and
grade English and Jennifer
introductory pharmacology classes teaches kindergarten.
at Metropolitan Community
College of Omaha. She was
presented with the Phi Theta
Kappa Faculty Scholarship Award Brandon and Sarah (Stuehmer)
at the group's induction ceremony Headlee announce the birth
of son, William Bergan, April
held at the Qwest Center.
Michelle was one of 14 out of the 24. He is welcomed home by
sisters, Marinda (4) and Erika (2).
700 Metro instructors who were
Brandon is employed by ConAgra
chosen for this award. She was
nominated by one of her students as the director of quality assurfor “going above and beyond her ance.
Sarah is
teaching duty.”
a stayThis student
at-home
also stated
mom
“I consider
at their
Michelle
Omaha
not only my
home.
teacher, but
my friend and
mentor.”
1994
1996
Alumni Achievement Award
Carrie Hansen is married to
Scott Severin. They reside in
Omaha with their child, Ivy Ruth
Helena Severin (1 1/2). Carrie
is the assistant director at Bright
Horizons, First National Child
Development Center.
Denise (Wallace) Kracl
graduated with a juris doctorate
from the College of Law at the
University of S.D. She also
received recognition as the
American Bar Association and
the Bureau of National Affairs,
Inc., outstanding student in health
care law and policy. She resides
in Schuyler with her spouse,
John. Denise is the daughter of
Twila (Stewart ‘62) Wallace,
Columbus.
1997
Shannon (Pick) Johnson and
her husband, Chris, reside near
Bloomfield with their children,
Devin (8),
Logan (4)
and Brena
(born Aug. 2).
Shannon is
the controller
at CHS, Inc.
Wausa.
Patrick and Kathleen “Kasey”
(Spence) Comstock reside in
Elkhorn with their children, Jack
Nomination Form - Circle one:
Please print
(6) and Colin Spence (born Feb.
27). Kasey is a background
investigations
specialist
at Mutual
of Omaha,
Omaha.
Patrick is
employed by
the city of
Omaha as a
firefighter.
1998
Eric Guerena and Jennifer
Caplener were married May 8
and reside in Rocklin, Calif.
Eric earned a master's degree in
criminal justice administration
with a focus in probation and
leadership issues. He has worked
in the probation field for six
years. He is employed as the
probation officer for Placer
County.
Brian Schram, Omaha, was
hired as business manager for the
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Alumni
Association.
He will
manage
all alumni
association
accounts and
fiscal affairs.
Achievement Award
Service Award
The Alumni Achievement Award recognizes Wayne
Nominee’s Name__________________________Grad Year _____________________
State alumni who have outstanding achievements
Nominee’s Occupation ___________________________________________________
in their career and/or civic involvement, and have
provided support to WSC. Please use the form to
Nominee’s Mailing Address _______________________________________________
nominate someone you think deserves this award.
City/State/Zip __________________________________________________________
Alumni Service Award
The Alumni Service Award recognizes Wayne State
alumni who have enhanced the college through
dedicated service, promotion and financial support.
Please use the form to nominate someone you think
deserves this award.
Send nomination and supporting information to:
Alumni Office, Wayne State College,
1111 Main St., Wayne, NE 68787, or e-mail
[email protected]. Thank you.
24
Nominee’s Phone Business____________________ Home ____________________
On a separate sheet of paper please state the nominee’s career accomplishments (cite
specific achievements) and civic contributions (community, charitable organizations,
schools, etc.).
Nominated by
Name__________________________________ Grad Year ______________________
Mailing Address ________________________________________________________
City/State/Zip __________________________________________________________
Phone:
Business_______________________ Home _________________________
Audra (Sievers) Farrington
and her husband, Jody, announce
the birth of son, Drew Michael,
April 28. He is welcomed to
their Pottsboro, Texas, home by
sister, Logan (2). Audra is the
K-5 physical
education
teacher and
head coach
of the varsity
swim team
at Denison
Independent
School Dist.,
Denison,
Texas.
Brian Litchfield (MBA ‘01),
Des Moines, Iowa, has been
employed
by the Des
Moines Area
Regional
Transit
Authority
since 2003
and was
promoted to
Chief Development Officer.
DART operates a family of
transportation services that
makes getting around the
Greater Des Moines area easier
and more convenient. Brian is
responsible for the planning,
coordination and management
of DART’s studies and
service initiatives, overseeing
government and public relations
activities, marketing, capital
procurements, and major design
and construction projects.
1999
Doug Althouse and his wife,
Angela, announce the arrival of
their son, Nathan Douglas, April
16. He is welcomed to their
Minden home by sisters, Katelyn
(3) and Megan (1). Doug is
a family practice physician at
Kearney County Health Services,
Minden.
Brent and Adrienne (Frank)
Essink announce the birth of
daughter, Gracee Amelia, May 9.
She is welcomed home by sister,
Hanna. They reside in Beatrice.
Brent is a teacher at Beatrice
Public High School.
James and Kim (Fischer ‘97)
Jansen announce the birth
of daughter, Madison Elaine,
March 23. She is welcomed to
their Tecumseh home by brother
welcomed
to their
Omaha
home
by sister
Gwen
(5). Scott
works for
Omaha
Public
Schools. Abby is an assistant
buyer for Pamida.
Jill Wiechman and Tanner
Simmons were married
Oct. 28. They reside on a ranch
near Ellsworth. Jill is a special
education
instructor at
Matthew (3). James is the training
the Gordonspecialist at the Tecumseh State
Rushville
Correctional Institution and Kim
Elementary
is a substitute teacher for the
School,
Tecumseh Public School Dist.
Gordon.
2000
Robert “Bob” Schmidt and
Sophia Mosel were married and
reside near Cedar Bluffs. Bob
is the recreation superintendent
for Wahoo Parks and Recreation,
one of the largest departments in
the area including a membershipbased workout facility with
pool, an outdoor water park and
several parks.
Brenda (Leiting) Simpson and
her husband, Nathan, announce
the birth of second child,
Kreighton Baylor, on March 2.
He is welcomed to their Pierce
home by brother, Schuyler (2).
Brenda teaches special education
at Norfolk Junior High and
received
her master's
degree in
curriculum
and
instruction
from Doane
College in
August.
Shana Ryan resides in
Manhattan, Kan. She graduated
with a master’s of music from
Kansas State University. She is
the 7-12 vocal music instructor at
Kaw Valley USD 321, St. Mary’s. Heather (Cook) Davison
and her husband, Christopher,
Chris and Mirinda (Johnson
announce
‘00) Cover announce the birth
the birth of
of son, Cohen Christopher, Dec.
son, Maxwell
28. They reside in Omaha. Chris Elliott, on
is the head golf professional at
Jan. 22. They
Happy Holreside in
low Club.
Taylor Ridge,
Mirinda is
Ill.
the merchant
Shawn Ippensen is employed at
senior account
First National Bank of Omaha. He representaJustin and Katie (Irlmeier)
resides in Omaha with his wife,
tive at First
Brodersen announce the birth of
Heidi, and their children, Sydney National Bank.
son, Avery Justin, April 6. Justin
Le (4) and Seth Ivan (1 1/2).
is employed by Well Blue Bunny
as a warehouse purchasing/buyer.
Bryan Freel and
Katie is a retention account
his wife, Jolene,
manager at DTN. They reside in
announce
Omaha.
the birth of
daughter, Josey
Jolene, Feb.
8. Bryan is
a supervisor
at Streck,
Scott and Abby (Corcoran ‘02)
Peters announce the birth of son, Inc., Omaha. They reside in
Plattsmouth.
Allan Joseph (AJ), Dec. 6. He is
Erin (Aakre) Anderson
is associate director of the
management and adult studies
division at Trevecca Nazarene
University, in Nashville, Tenn.
She and her
husband,
Ben, reside
in Nashville
with their
daughter,
Dylan
Romane (1).
2003
2001
2002
Wayne State Magazine
25
Alumni Notes
2004
Kara Helgoth and her husband,
Matt Woehler, reside in Wayne
with their
son, Brayden
Matthew,
born Dec.
6. Kara is
employed in
the STRIDE
office at WSC
and taking
classes
toward
attaining
a master's
degree.
Brandon S. Andersen resides
in Omaha. He is the business
manager for Union Pacific
Railroad.
They reside in Omaha.
Karen enjoys being a stay-athome Mom while working
towards her master’s degree
in communication at the
University of Nebraska-Omaha.
In Memory Of
Goldie B. (Jensen) Krumwiede ‘28, (98), So. Sioux City; March 21.
Mary (Merchen) Keck ‘30, (96), Bloomfield; April 18.
Luella (French) Hansen ‘37, (93), Wayne; April 7.
2006
Jennifer Hoffman resides
in Omaha with her husband,
Robert W. Peterson. She is
employed as a direct support
associate at Mosaic.
Donald H. Hicks ‘37, (92), Rockton, Ill.; Dec. 19.
Friedrich “Rick” Gosda
and Heather Frans ('05)
were united in marriage Dec.
23. They reside in Omaha.
Heather is a fifth-grade teacher
for Omaha Public Schools and
Rick is the assistant manager at
Walgreen's, La Vista.
Dorothy (Burke) Stammer ‘43, (85), Starbuck, Minn.; April 2.
Karen (Gollobit) Johnson and
her husband, Stan, announce
the birth of son, Sam David.
Milo P. Henkels ‘38, Signal Mountain, Tenn.; Dec. 22.
Marjorie B. (Brown) Lee ‘40, Spirit Lake, Iowa; March.
Arvilla M. (Reninger) Commander ‘41, (87), Sioux City; Jan. 12.
Jeanelle May Heermann ‘48, (81), Lincoln; April 17.
Janice (Lisle) Hartman ‘55, (72), Dixon; March 17.
Lillian (Sedivy) Anderson ‘56 (71), Newman Grove; May 27.
Margaret Eileen (Seger) Vasicek ‘58, Puyallup, Wash.; Jan 26.
Francis J. Sucbeck ‘61, (71), Bremerton, Wash.; April 3.
Ann Marlene (Hedquist) Bailey ‘66, York; March 23.
Lilas “Lou” (Hookstra) Grotelueschen ‘68, (66), Octavia; April 4.
Robert Weber ‘71, (57), Tilden; March 19.
Sally (Ramm) McNeill ‘72 (MAE ‘77), Mansfield, Ga.; Feb. 19.
Larry Wayne Nelson ‘73, (55), Ponca; April 29.
John P. Seburg ‘77 (MSE), Omaha.
Marcia Lou (Gibson) Vandersnick ‘82, (71), O'Neill; April 12.
Mark A. Collins ‘86, (48), Norfolk; June 3.
WSC Catbacker
Scholarship Golf
Tournament Raises
Funds for Athletics
Golfers braved the elements to raise money for
Wildcat athletics at the annual Catbacker Scholarship Golf Tournament held June 1 at the Wayne
Country Club. Rain poured down throughout
the day but it didn’t dampen Wildcat supporters’
spirits.
Nearly 200 golfers turned out for the event with
the proceeds going toward the Wayne State College Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund. The event
raises between $15,000 and $20,000 each year for
Wildcat athletics.
26
Wayne State College assistant men’s basketball coach Matt Murken and women’s
soccer coach Brooke Bredenberg cook omelettes for guests at the annual Catbacker Scholarship Golf Tournament held June 1 at the Wayne Country Club.
WSC
Upcoming
Events
Aug. 27
Dakota Dunes
Golf Event
Sept. 12
Cherokee Alumni
Reunion
Sept. 27-30
Homecoming 2007
Dec. 14
Commencement
Jan. 20
Sun City Alumni
Reunion
Southern California Reunion
Don Bremer ’58 and Carol Rankin ’54 Bremer hosted a group of Wayne State College alumni in their
beautiful home April 21 at Big Bear Lake, Calif. The stunning view of the lake and the Bremers’
hospitality created a wonderful ambiance to reminisce about WSC and renew old friendships. Front: Norm
Ellis ’58 and Jan Ellis; Diane Zabel ’67 Schreiber; Phyllis Conner, vice president for development; Marcia
Swanson; Middle: Bruce Lundahl; Marilyn Collings; Joe Schreiber; Diane Massman ‘71 Soukup; Carol
Rankin ’54 Bremer; Paul Swanson ‘49 and Deb Lundahl, director of alumni relations and development.
Back: President Richard Collings; Don Soukup ’71; Don Bremer ’58; Jack Conner; Virgil Smith ‘42.
Jan. 29
Tucson Alumni
Reunion
Missing the
Wayne State College
experience?
Looking for
something to do?
Upcoming campus
events can be found
by visiting the Wayne
State College Web site
at www.wsc.edu.
You’re always
welcome to attend
college events.
Chicago Reunion
Alumni and friends gathered at the Wrightwood Tap on May 18 in Chicago. Everyone enjoyed the
opportunity to visit with President Richard Collings about Wayne State College. Front: Phyllis Conner,
vice president for development; Quillen Fox ‘40; Kelly Boulton ‘88 Krob; Jacque Metcalf ’74 Criger;
Judy Tisthammer ‘69 Kruse; Glenda Gallisath ‘84; Pam Seymour Johnson and Deb Lundahl, director
of alumni relations and development Back: Kevin Armstrong ’99, director of planned giving; Stephanie
Barclay; Bob Kruse ‘68, President Richard Collings; Doug Barclay ‘70, MSE ‘71; Galen Johnson ‘69,
MSE ‘70; Gary Criger ‘73; Jessica Knobbe ’99 and Mandi Fishler ’99. Not pictured: Angie Jurzenski ‘99
and Brian Krob.
Wayne State Magazine
27
2007-08
Season
Wayne State College
Black&Gold
Performing Arts Series
Opera a La Carte
"The Mikado"
February 18, 2008
Omaha
Chamber Singers
October 27, 2007
President's
Holiday Gala Concert
December 9, 2007
St. Petersburg Ballet
"Swan Lake"
April 27, 2008
For ticket information call 402-375-7517
WAYNE STATE FOUNDATION
1111 MAIN STREET
WAYNE NE 68787
www.wsc.edu
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Organization
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