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2 F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T At a meeting of college presidents in January, I was deeply impacted by the remarks of Dr. Nan Keohane, former president of Duke University. She shared the “back room of the mind” image from Michel de Montaigne’s 16th-century essay “Of Solitude,” and said it was one of her favorite arguments for the value of a liberal arts education. As Keohane explained, Montaigne thought of his mind as a tower library filled with quotations, anecdotes, experimental thoughts and jokes. It was a place “to which he could retreat even when he was far from home... where he could keep company with himself.” Keohane said she counseled students to think of their college education as a way to furnish the back room of their minds. Then they would be better conversationalists so others would seek their company, and they would be better prepared to relish time spent alone. I have thought a lot about this back room metaphor, and I focused on the topic during my commencement address. Don’t you know people who have wonderfully elegant, vibrant back rooms that you never want to leave? I feel so fortunate that a place like Morningside exists to instill a love of life-long learning and provide a foundation for fabulous furnishings in the back room of the mind. Morningside offers many opportunities to furnish the back room of the mind, both in and out of the classroom. But certain activities have been shown to have an especially high impact because they get students excited about learning, helping them to take better advantage of their entire college experience. One of those activities is travel abroad. This spring Robin and I joined students, faculty, staff and alumni on a May Term trip to Italy, and we witnessed firsthand what the trip meant to our students. It is difficult to sing at Sunday Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica or to walk through Pompeii and not be changed by the experience. The students represented us well. They were inquisitive as they walked through cathedrals. They listened intently to tour guides. Trip organizers asked them to wake up early every morning and continue late into the evening, but they never once complained. They really seemed to appreciate the magnitude of what they were experiencing. Italy was just one destination. During May Term, our students traveled all over the world. This year they posted regular updates on Facebook. One of my favorite entries starts with student Scott Kruse saying, “So, today has easily been the greatest day of my life to this point.” For a link to all of the May Term posts, go online to www.morningside.edu/morningsider. To see these posts, you do need to have a Facebook account. It is easy to see how travel abroad makes students more enthusiastic about their learning. Travel abroad is just one of several activities that have been documented to have an unusually high impact on a student’s education. As we prepare students to furnish the back room of their minds for a lifetime, these high-impact activities must play an important role. President John Reynders congratulates Lin Benchun, one of the honorary doctorate recipients, during the 2012 commencement ceremony. Photo by Jolesch Photography. JOHN JOHN REYNDERS
Editor: Jenny Welp Art Director: Kevin Kjeldseth Vice President for Communications & Marketing: Rick Wollman Alumni Association Executive Committee: Adam Lloyd 2004, president Matt Campbell 1998, vice president Dick Stone 1968, treasurer Mandie Norby 2005, college board representative Karen Dreessen, secretary Gene Ambroson, alumni relations director Morningside College Operator: 712-274-5000 or 800-831-0806 The Morningsider is published twice a year under the auspices of the public relations office. © 2012 by Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. All rights reserved. Standard A postage is paid in Lawrence, Kan. The magazine is distributed free of charge to alumni and friends of the college. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Morningsider Morningside College 1501 Morningside Ave. Sioux City, IA 51106 Morningside College does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, religion, creed, race, color, sexual orientation, marital status, disability or national origin. The Morningside College experience cultivates a passion for life-long learning and a dedication to ethical leadership and civic responsibility. contents spring summer 2012 volume 67 number 2 5 Randy Hughes 1984 created a television commercial nominated for a 2011 Emmy Award and named one of the Top 10 TV Commercials of 2010 by Time magazine. 8 Cassie (Nguyen) Loomis 2007 served as secondin-command on the staff of Steve King, U.S. representative for Iowa’s 5th District. 10 Lin Benchun, former president of Hwa Nan Women’s College in Fuzhou, China, spent the spring semester teaching at Morningside. in this issue 4 Morningside Avenues Notable achievements on and off campus 6 Mustang Minutes Morningside wins all-sports trophy 7 M-Club Messenger Morningside comeback stories 12 Faculty Excellence Awards Meet the recipients 16 Faculty and Staff Notes Staff excellence awards, faculty news 18 Awards and Honors See who was recognized this year 19 Class Notes Alumni news, alumni features, donor lists The Morningsider is also available online. Go to www.morningside.edu/morningsider to read the magazine or to access additional online content. ON THE COVER: Morningside College students Katie Rasmussen (left), Chris Bevill, Brittney Andersen and Tazalea Scott lean with the Tower of Pisa during a May Term trip to Italy. Check out Facebook posts from this year’s May Term adventures by going to www.morningside.edu/morningsider and clicking on the link. Photo by Rick Wollman. 3
Page 1: spring summer 2012 Recent grads mak
Page 5 and 6: Notable Excellence in radio: Two Mo
Page 7 and 8: Would you be one, who dares to try,
Page 9 and 10: citizensBy Jenny Welp make a differ
Page 11 and 12: Former Hwa Nan president serves as
Page 13 and 14: Why she got into teaching: I love b
Page 15 and 16: Dr. Chris Spicer assistant professo
Page 17 and 18: Faculty Notes Aaron Bunker, Ph.D.,
Page 19 and 20: Class Notes By Dave Rebstock Editor
Page 21 and 22: Michael & Linda (McFarlane) Alexand
Page 23 and 24: with Gene McNaughton By Dave Rebsto
Page 25 and 26: 1995 Meet Your Class Editor Jennife
Page 27 and 28: The President’s Society recognize
Page 29 and 30: Rev. Alan Arnold Herbst '76 Mrs. Ma
Page 31 and 32: Have you been to a show? The Betty

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