Horizons Spring 2001 - Bemidji State University

BSUCalendar
Bemidji State University Alumni Association
1500 Birchmont Drive NE, Box 17
Bemidji, MN 56601-2699
218-755-3989 / 1-877-BSU-ALUM
alumni@bemidjistate.edu
http://info.bemidjistate.edu/alumni
April 28, 2001
BSU Alumni Association
Board Meeting
April 29, 2001
BSU Alumni Choir Concert
Minnetonka Lutheran Church
Concert 3 p.m.
Alumni Reception Immediately
Following Concert in
Lobby of Church
May 5, 2001
Scholarship Benefit Concert
BSU Alumni Choir
Hennepin Technical College
Auditorium, Supporting BSU &
HTC Foundations
May 17-18, 2001
50-Year Reunion of the
Class of 1951
May 18, 2001
BSU Commencement Exercises
Penalty for Private Use
Bemidji, MN 56601-2699
PERMIT NO. 9
BSU BSU
Horizons
P A I D
NON-PROFIT ORGAN.
U.S. POSTAGE
Bemidji State University
Vol.
BSU
16, No. 3, Spring 2001
Alumnus Adjusts to
LIFE IN FRANCE
Dr. Mark Kleven describes
himself as a curious person, one
who looks forward to a challenge
and is willing to seek something
different.
It is a philosophy that drew this
1977 alumnus through a series of
choices and to a new life in
France.
Kleven is the head of behavioral
pharmacology at the Pierre
Fabre Research Center in Castres,
a town of 40,000 just an hour
away from the Mediterranean in
south central France. The journey
for this graduate of Baudette
High School to the Mid-Pyrenees
region included many forks in the
road, and each created new opportunities.
“I came to Bemidji State planning
to go on to graduate school
in clinical psychology,” Kleven
remembered. “This changed
slightly when I became interested
in a research career in neuropsychology
after entering the
Honors Program. This program
reinforced the idea of learning
itself as a goal.”
On the more practical side, the
Honors Program allowed Kleven
to expand his general studies
beyond the liberal arts core and
explore multi-disciplinary options,
from the sciences to mathematics
to philosophy. He graduated
with degrees in psychology,
biology and math.
His habit of reading university
catalogs created another fork in
his journey, this one leading to
pharmacology. He discovered the
Medical School at Marquette
University offered a course in the
subject to graduate students.
After literally talking his way into
the class and later adding one in
neuropharmacology, he completed
his master’s in physiological
psychology. He completed his
doctorate in pharmacology from
the University of Minnesota a
few years later.
He received a post-doctoral
fellowship in the Pritzker School
Horizons Page 1
A Publication for Alumni & Friends of Bemidji State University
Horizons
The advantage of science as a career is that one has
many friends and colleagues all over the world,
a real extended community.”
of Medicine at the University of
Chicago during the 1986-87 academic
year. That led to research
assignments in pharmacological
and physiological sciences as an
assistant professor at the same
institution, where he remained
until accepting his current position
overseas in 1992.
At the Pierre Fabre Research
Center, he works on the early
phases in the discovery of new,
marketable drugs. This pre-clinical
research studies the effects of
newly synthesized chemicals to
determine whether they may or
may not be active drugs in later
clinical studies.
He hopes his current research
will one day lead to better treatments
for depression, anxiety or
schizophrenia.
“I’ve always been curious
about how things work or why
things are the way they are,”
Kleven explained. “It’s not a 9 to
5 thing. Science is a way of life.”
His curiosity and willingness to
confront risk have helped him
adapt to new settings at each
crossing on the journey from
Baudette to Castres.
Dr. Mark Kleven m
“The adjustments became progressively
harder with each move
to a larger place,” he explained.
“Although it is essentially the
same problem: that one is a
stranger in a new environment.
The advantage of science as a
career is that one has many
friends and colleagues all over
the world, a real extended community.”
The move from academia to
industry would be enough cause
for stress, but Kleven had to also
absorb a whole new culture.
Language was an initial problem,
as was acceptance in the new
country.
“One of the major concerns I
had was learning the language,”
said Kleven, who had taken
French in high school. “Teachers
were hard to find. I had to find
books and just try to survive. It
required that you listen very carefully
and be willing to make stupid
mistakes. You also have to be
able to say ‘I don’t understand.’
This is hard for scientists.
“As for being accepted, this is
more difficult. One can never ‘be-
come’ French in the way one can
become an American. It helps to
have a good sense of humor and
not take too many things seriously.
It is also very important to
observe and try to adopt the manners
of other people, something
many Americans neglect when
they come to Europe.”
Kleven feels that living in a
small town has made it easier to
adjust, and as one of the few
Americans in the region, he is
well known. He is also sensitive
about the concern his neighbors
express on globalization and
Americanization of their way
of life.
“I still think it is a Big World,”
he noted. “When I was a student
at Baudette, the view was ethnocentric
and I had no real idea of
the scope of cultural diversity or
ways of living that really exist.
“The Internet and the Boeing
747 have reduced distances and
do influence life in other parts of
the world, but the majority of
people have not changed fundamentally
in terms of their adherence
to individual cultural norms
or how they live from day to day.
Experiencing La Vie en France
as well as places like Israel, Morocco
or Kenya has reinforced,
not changed, this view.”

Horizons Page 2
Talent, Determination and Luck
Lead Pair to BSU
Determination
This year, 189 international students
from 34 countries found
their way to the BSU campus.
Each traveled a different road and
tells a unique story on how they
arrived at Bemidji State in search
of a better life through education.
Among the most difficult
would be the journey taken by
Jasmin Mehic, 23, and Kerim
Rizvanovic, 20.
From Bosnia, Mehic and
Rizvanovic survived the ravages
of war, ethnic cleansing, and political
upheaval to enroll in classes
last fall at Bemidji State. Like
many other international students,
they look at education as a road
to achieve personal goals. But
there is more, as they hope the
faculty and equipment will help
develop talents and knowledge
they’ll utilize in rebuilding their
war-torn country and helping to
bring about democratic reform in
their homeland.
As survivors, the pair may appreciate
more than most the smalltown
peace and stability of
Bemidji, having survived four
years of war that ravaged Bosnia
and Herzegovina, including their
home city of Sarajevo.
They also have a special regard
for BSU’s committed full-time faculty
and well-equipped computer
labs, having first begun their education
at the University of Sarajevo
where remaining faculty members
sometimes have to split their time
between two universities to cover
living expenses and as many as
1,000 students vie for the use of
five antiquated computers.
I“ would like to study in the United States
because I want to understand the educational
system, the political system and the economic
system, and when I come back to Sarajevo,
to help move my country to the better
tomorrow, to the world democratic reform.”
Kerim Rizvanovic
Personal determination and talent,
combined with chance and the
generosity of strangers, all played
their part in the chain of events
that landed them at BSU.
Following the 1995 Dayton
Peace Accord that ended the war,
United Nations observers, international
companies and stabilization
forces entered Bosnia to help re-
design and reconstruct
the nation’s
government, military,
educational
systems and
economy. Among
those were a retired
U.S. Army
brigadier general,
Herbert J. Lloyd,
who was working
with a private
company contracted
to train
Bosnia’s new
military forces,
and Don Addy, a
senior vice president
with Caswell
International of Minneapolis.
Mehic was employed with
Lloyd for a year and a half as his
personal driver and translator
while Rizvanovic worked parttime
with Lloyd on logistical matters
over the course of four years.
Mehic said that some of the interpreters
working with Lloyd
asked if he knew of any way to
place them in U.S. universities.
Within two years, Lloyd was
spending all of his free time working
to find scholarship opportunities
for Bosnians and ultimately
was able to place about 30 Bosnian
students in the United States.
In discussions with Addy, Lloyd
told him of his efforts to help
Bosnians and, in turn, Addy contacted
Carl Baer, an old friend
who had recently been named vice
president for university advancement
at BSU.
The students qualified for scholarships,
and were able to come to
BSU. Both students also work on
campus to cover part of their expenses.
Mehic is pursuing a major in
computer information systems
with an economics minor and
would like to find a job with an
American company operating in
Bosnia following graduation.
Learning about economics from a
capitalistic viewpoint is important
to him and something he was unable
to do at Sarajevo.
“In 1998 I became a student in
economics at the University of
Sarajevo, but was unhappy with
the unprofessional and inadequate
faculty in our universities,” he
said. “Our professors were not
brought up under the system of
capitalism and democracy, and
can only teach the old system.”
Kerim Rizvanovic and Jasmin Mehic
As a result, economics lectures
were couched in communist ideology
and the phrase “as Karl Marx
would say” cropped up constantly.
Rizvanovic is a computer science
major, choosing his course
of study based on a strong personal
interest in computers and on
the belief that computer technology
will play a major role in his
country’s development over the
next few critical years.
“I would like to study in the
United States because I want to
understand the educational system,
the political system and the
economic system, and when I
come back to Sarajevo, to help
move my country to the better tomorrow,
to the world democratic
reform,” he stated.
The students say their
homeland’s economy is in ruins.
Good-paying jobs are scarce,
even for well-educated individuals.
Many professionals must
work two or three jobs at a time
just to cover basic living expenses.
Mehic said average
monthly wages in Sarajevo total
about $250 per month and added
that cost of living expenses are
similar to U.S. standards.
In recommending Mehic and
Rizvanovic for scholarship consideration
and explaining the inadequacies
of Bosnia’s university
system, Lloyd told Addy that
Mehic and Rizvanovic had the
most potential and demonstrated
ability among the 60 translators
employed by his organization. He
also noted that the war had cost
them all or most of their possessions
as well as their educational
dreams.
“The universities were rendered
dysfunctional during the
war and most of the faculty fled
to other European countries or are
dead,” he wrote at the time. “The
universities are only now beginning
to recover and the standards
are low. Most European countries
do not recognize a university degree
from Bosnia.”
Mehic and Rizvanovic live in
one of BSU’s residence halls and
say they’ve found everyone to be
very friendly.
“It’s a nice place, and since it’s
a small community without a lot
of distractions that leaves lots of
time to study,” said Mehic, emphasizing
that he appreciates being
able to have easy access to
faculty members.
Rizvanovic has made many
American friends and also enjoys
the multi-cultural aspect of BSU’s
student body. “We’ve gotten to
meet students who’ve chosen to
come here from all over the United
States as well as international students
from all over the world.”
LaMae Hawk, BSU’s director of
international services, said reasons
for attending BSU are diverse
among international students.
“In some cases, of course,
they’re drawn to a specialized
course of study. In many instances
we see family tie-ins where one
sibling comes to BSU and likes it
- so another follows and then another,”
said Hawk. “In some instances
when students arrive at the
airport they’re surprised at how
small Bemidji is and at first they
view it as being sort of isolated.
But in nearly every instance they
grow very fond of the campus, the
beauty of our area and the friendliness
of the people.”
It is a welcome feeling for two
students from Bosnia.

Fulbrights
Send Faculty Abroad
Just a few months ago, two
Bemidji State University faculty
passed each other on their missions
to explore education frontiers
in other countries. As
Fulbright Scholars, one was just
departing for her assignment in
Iceland and the other was returning
at the conclusion of a fivemonth
stay in Estonia.
Dr. Patricia Rogers of the Department
of Professional Education
is currently working on a
five-month project at the Iceland
University of Education in
Reykjavik to finish writing its
master’s program for teachers, all
in a distance delivery format.
Distance delivery refers to using
a variety of electronic communication
methods including the
Worldwide Web, video
conferencing, television and satellite
feeds to relay information,
in this case coursework for graduate
students.
Meanwhile, Dr. Louise Jackson,
professor of psychology, recently
concluded her Fulbright
project where she taught counseling
psychology in English at the
Psychology Department of
Tallinn Pedagogical University in
Tallinn, Estonia.
During her stay, she taught four
classes and emphasized providing
hands-on experience in an
academic atmosphere that tends
to focus almost exclusively on
theory. Those experiences in-
Bemidji State University
BSU
Horizons
Vol. 16, No. 3, Spring 2001
Produced by the News and Publications
Office and the Alumni Office at Bemidji
State University, HORIZONS is published
quarterly and distributed without charge
to BSU alumni, students, faculty, staff and
other friends of the University. BSU is an
equal opportunity educator and employer.
Editor Al Nohner
Designer Kathy Berglund
Photographer John Swartz
President Dr. Jim Bensen
Alumni Director Marla Huss Patrias
Contributing Writers Jody Grau,
Cindy Serratore
Editorial Assistance Peggy Nohner
Editorial Board: Dr. Jim Bensen, BSU
president; Al Nohner, director of news
services and publications; Carl Baer, vice
president for university advancement;
Dr. Jeff Totten, assistant professor of business
administration; Dr. Gerald Morine,
professor of chemistry; Marla Huss Patrias,
director of alumni relations.
cluded training psychology students
in counseling techniques
and video-taping their simulated
counseling sessions, which were
then utilized in one-on-one supervision
sessions, a strategy for
greatly enhancing the learning
process.
Competition for the national
Fulbright Scholarships is stiff and
proposals undergo rigorous review.
The federal funding is provided
under provisions of the
Mutual Educational and Cultural
Act of 1961, otherwise known as
the Fulbright-Hays Act, in the
form of grants to American students
and professionals as well as
to students of certain foreign
countries for research, study and
teaching abroad.
Each Fulbright scholar receives
a cost of living stipend appropriate
to the region in which they are
staying and their travel costs are
also paid for them.
“Teaching at TPU was a wonderful
experience, one that I will
treasure,” said Jackson. She describes
Estonia as a clean, wellmaintained
country and its people
as hard working and rational. The
Baltic country was under Soviet
occupation from 1943 to 1991
when it gained independence and
began changing its economic and
judicial structures.
“Estonia is a remarkable example
of a successful transition
from Soviet socialism
to a free market
economy,” said Jackson.
“I led a very comfortable
life while I
was there, but for most
Estonian university
professors one job is
not enough. Assistant
professors make about $300 a
month and most have to take on
two full-time teaching jobs to
cover their living expenses.”
Jackson said her students
warmly expressed their appreciation
of her experiential approach
to teaching counseling techniques.
She also formed a common
interest group among faculty
members at TPU which will serve
as a team for training other faculty
members. She left behind a
complete training packet including
class syllabi and tests so that
the approach may easily be
adopted by that university’s psychology
department. She is also
interested in trying to arrange future
faculty exchanges.
In addition to teaching applied
psychology, Jackson conducted
interviews with 25 professional
women to add to her research for
an article she’s working on about
childhood experiences of professional
women in the U.S., Estonia
and the Ukraine, where Jackson
taught for a year in 1993.
Rogers requested placement at
IUE because the two universities
Where We Are ... What We’re Doing
ALL CITIES ARE LOCATED IN MINNESOTA UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
1930s
Conrad Stai (’39) of Montevideo enjoys painting,
rosemaling and woodcarving. He also has taught
woodcarving at North Country Arts & Crafts for many
years ... Doris (Horns) Brown (’36) lives in Blaine
and enjoys spending time with friends.
1940s
Harold Melby (’46) lives in Minnetonka and has been
enjoying his retirement for “20 exciting years.” He
enjoys arts and crafts projects and volunteering his
time in the community ... Phyllis Larson (’42) lives in
Newport and is retired from a 40-year teaching career,
spent primarily in St. Paul ... Dean Aker (’46) of
Antioch, IL, still enjoys photography and water
activities ... Frances Torgerson (’45) of McIntosh is
retired from a 48-year teaching career which included
12 years of teaching high school in Minnesota,
Michigan and Iowa and 36 years of teaching in
colleges and university math departments in
Michigan, North Dakota, Texas, Minnesota and, for a
brief period, in Norway. Torgerson has visited Israel as
well as 15 countries in Europe and 10 in Africa ...
Cheryl Horton (’49) of Fremont, NB, had a poem
published in America at the Millennium, a treasury of
today’s poetry compiled by The National Library of
Poetry. She has been writing poetry for 10 years.
Horton moved in 1949 to South Dakota where she
taught school and raised her family ... Harold Shellum
(’41) of Sunnyvale, CA, is enjoying retirement and
good health.
1950s
Bob Ness (’57) of Dassel has been elected to a fifth term
in the Minnesota House of Representatives. He chairs
the Agriculture and Rural Development Finance
Committee and is vice-chair of the K-12 Finance
Committee ... Hilda Halvorson (’57) lives in Bagley.
She retired in 1974 from Bagley Elementary where she
taught third grade and served as the elementary
librarian ... Harold Larson (’59) of Willmar is working
on a family history and enjoys gardening as well as
selling his produce at a farmers’ market ... Norm
Reopelle (’58) of Rochester retired from teaching
biology at Rochester Community Technical College
and enjoys raising West Highland Terriers ... Travis
Olson (’50) of Hendrum is a tutor and junior high
school basketball coach at Norman County West High
School.
Dr. Louise Jackson
have similar needs
for program and
course development
at this time.
She also has a
unique opportunity
to work with a
former classmate
from the doctoral
program in instructional
systems and
technology at the
University of Minnesota who is
now a professor at the Icelandic
university. She will collaborate
with Dr. Sólveig Jakobsdóttir to
write about half of IUE’s master’s
program for teachers.
Rogers maintains that distance
delivery of university programs
is the wave of the future and becomes
especially essential in locations
like Bemidji and Iceland,
where distances and foul weather
create special barriers to students.
“Students need and are increasingly
demanding the accessibility
of distance learning, particularly
graduate students who may
already be juggling a job and
family responsibilities,” said
Rogers.
1960s
John Thompson (’63) retired December 31 from his
position as city clerk-administrator for the City of Walker
... Bill Rasmussen (’69) and Chris (Berger) Rasmussen
(’69) live in Sauk Rapids and have taught school in Foley
for 30 years. Bill continues as secretary of Education
Minnesota and Chris is involved in local union activities.
They have one daughter, Kate, 19 ... Esther Mills (’64)
lives in Montevideo ... John Fotenos (’69) currently lives
in Colorado Springs, CO ... Wanda Petersen (’68) of
Bemidji is director of the Kinship North Mentoring
Program and a member of the founding board of the Fly
By Night Art Space in Bemidji ... Michael Frohrip (’61)
lives in Eau Claire, WI, and retired in 1995, concluding a
34-year career as a counselor and teacher with Eau Claire
Area Schools ... Reuben Brooks (’67) of Nashville, TN,
works as a professor of geography at Tennessee State
University and is a widower of two years ... Bonnie
Smith (’68) of Rochester recently became a first-time
grandmother ... Kathryn Renning (’66) is employed
with the City of Longville as a special projects
coordinator and recently filed as a candidate for a fouryear
term on the Longville City Council. She had
previously worked for the Longville Municipal Liquor
Store for 20 years, was a member of the Longville Area
Volunteer Ambulance Service for nine years and also
spent several years teaching English at Morris ...Jim
Demgen (’67) filed as a county commissioner candidate
for Cass County District 2. He is a district manager for
Hillyard Floor Care Supply ...Harvey Hietala (’61), a
retired teacher, filed as a candidate to the Pipestone-
Horizons Page 3
Dr. Patricia Rogers
“Once we’ve developed the
courses there, I will be able to
bring them back and rework them
for BSU’s on-line master’s program
for teachers,” said Rogers.
Currently, only one of six core
master’s program courses is being
offered on-line by BSU’s
Department of Professional Education.
The department plans to
make all of them available via the
Internet.
A direct offshoot of these efforts
is the future development of
a project linking K-12 teachers
and students in the Bemidji area
with teachers and students in Iceland.
Jasper School Board. He’s spent 38 years as an educator in
public schools and served 20 years on the board of
directors of the Minnesota Federation of Teachers/
Education Minnesota. Hietala is also a former member of
the State Board of Education and currently serves on the
board of directors of the Minnesota Academic Excellence
Foundation ... James
Lindberg (’66) of
Monticello retired in May
after working in education
for 34 years, serving for 31
of those as a counselor at
Monticello High School ...
Lillian Mathews (’67) of
Bemidji has been retired
for 17 years and enjoys
traveling ... Kay (Wik)
Wedul-Steiger (’63) of
James Lindberg
Thief River Falls retired in 1998 from a career as a
Lutheran Brotherhood district representative and is a
member of that organization’s hall of fame ... Ray Barton
(’66) of Jacobson volunteers his time to accompany
handicapped individuals on tours in the U.S. and Canada
... Charlie Mahovlich (’68) of Inver Grove Heights
retired in June of 1999 after 31 years of teaching sixth
grade. He served District 199 teachers as chief negotiator
for 20 years ...Alice Fuglestad (’67) of Bemidji is
employed as a substitute teacher for Bemidji schools
...Sharon Lind (’69) of Chisholm has been an office
manager at St. Joseph’s Church for 15 years and enjoys
working with the youth in the parish by chaperoning and
(Continued on page 4)

Horizons Page 4
Going Global
Going Global
Gains Popularity with BSU Students
E“ very time we’ve stepped forward with another BSU
program for international studies, our students have
responded. All of our programs are at capacity.”
Dr. Jon Quistgaard
Barb Lundberg arrived on the
Bemidji State campus to earn a
degree in social studies and secondary
education. Along the way,
her studies have taken her to Italy,
France, Czechoslovakia, Thailand
and Malaysia.
The experience is priceless, according
to Lundberg, who believes
that her travels will be an
asset to her teaching career and
allow her to share special insights
with her students.
“I’ve gained a wealth of knowledge
from my travels, things that
books can’t teach you and that
teachers just can’t teach you,”
Lundberg said. “It broadens your
horizons and opens your mind, like
in Malaysia where we saw so much
poverty, but so much happiness.”
Lundberg is part of a growing
number of BSU students who seek
international experiences to expand
their understanding of the
world and enrich their education.
The University encourages students
to study abroad by offering
organized study tours at affordable
prices and building exchange
programs with other universities
abroad. As a result, BSU has a
record number of students participating
in international programs.
In addition, the University has
incorporated global perspectives
into all areas of its curriculum so
that all BSU students, whether or
not they travel abroad, are exposed
to global issues and the opportunities
that exist for collaboration
across borders.
Part of the liberal education at
BSU also includes a study area
called “Focus on the World” from
which students choose courses
that specifically address global
issues and perspectives.
“Our society used to be much
more inward looking in orientation,
but we’re entering an era of
growing global interdependence,”
said Dr. Jon Quistgaard, BSU vice
president for academic and student
affairs. “Today’s challenges
and opportunities require students
to gain a global perspective.”
That interdependence is evident
in all areas of study whether it’s
philosophical issues, environmental
concerns, world peace or scientific
research. And BSU students
recognize that, regardless of
where they settle down, their lives
and work will be carried out as
part of a global community.
“Every time we’ve stepped forward
with another BSU program
for international studies, our students
have responded,” Quistgaard
added. “All of our programs are
at capacity.”
Over the last few years, BSU has
added new programs and opportu-
Where We Are ... What We’re Doing
(Continued from page 3)
teaching religious
education. She has two
grown children, a son
and a daughter ... Joe
Rezac (’65) of Baxter
will retire at the end of
this school year after 36
years of teaching and
coaching, with 33 of
those spent in Brainerd
... Michael DeWitt
(’66) and his brothers,
Joe Rezac Terry and Martin,
recently exhibited their art works at Lizzard’s Gallery in
Duluth. DeWitt teaches at BSU and creates small realist
panel paintings and assemblage.
1970s
Richard Belpedio (’72) of Coon Rapids retired in June
from 34 years of teaching, mostly in the Anoka
Hennepin school district. He and his wife Nancy, also a
teacher, have two daughters, Erin, 11, and Emilie, 9 ...
Bruce Phelps (’78) is director of vocal music and
department chairman at Anoka High School. He’s also
the choir director at Anoka Methodist Church, teaches a
choral music methods class at St. Olaf College, and is the
author of a sight singing series ... Jerry Engelbrecht
(’72) recently retired from a 28-year career with the
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. He’d been
a conservation officer/pilot since 1972 and was
promoted to chief pilot in 1987. During his career, he
was a conservation officer in Crookston, a regional
supervisor in Brainerd and DNR chief pilot at Camp
Ripley. He and his wife, Verla, live in Brainerd and have
two children, Kate and Judd, who both live in New York
City ... Teri Brooks (’76) was selected from more than
2,000 applicants to tour Japan as a participant in the
Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher Program. The
program allows distinguished primary and secondary
school teachers in the U.S. to travel to Japan for three
weeks in an effort to promote greater intercultural
understanding between the two nations. Brooks is
currently teaching elementary physical education in
Sauk Centre. She’s previously lived in Bemidji and
Laporte ... Rick McBride (’78) teaches high school math
and coaches cross-county running and track in Warroad
where he’s lived since 1985. Last fall his boys crosscountry
team captured the Section 8A Meet and went on
to place fifth at the State Class A Meet. He’s been married
to his wife, Therese, for 20 years and they have two
children, Allen, 12, and Kallie, 9 ... Mike Newman (’74)
has been named manager of corporate contributions and
vice president of The St. Paul Companies, Inc.
Foundation. He manages the company’s grants program,
which will award more than $12 million in grants
throughout the world this year. Newman joined The St.
Paul in February 1997 to lead the company’s community
affairs work in field offices. Prior to that he worked with
the Minnesota Department of Human Services for 14
years ... Glenn Chiodo (’75) assumed the position of
superintendent of Renville County West Schools last fall.
He’d been working at Thief River Falls since1975 where
he was hired as an elementary instructor and coach of
nities for students to study abroad.
Today, more than 100 students each
year participate in one of three
major BSU study aboard programs:
• Eurospring, a five-week program
of study in Oxford, England,
and a three-week tour of
Europe;
• Sinosummer, two weeks of
study at Liaoning University in
Shenyang, People’s Republic of
China, along with a study tour;
and
• J-term in Malaysia, BSU’s newest
study abroad program, which
includes study at the Higher Education
Learning Program (HELP)
Institute in Kuala Lumpur.
More BSU sponsored J-term
trips — travel aboard experiences
BSU J-Term students in Malaysia
football, hockey and track and field. His administrative
experience at Thief River Falls includes five years as an
assistant principal, the principal at the middle school,
and coordinator of educational services. He and his wife,
Patty, have three children ... Cheryl Larson (’78) was
hired this fall to teach eighth grade math at Annandale
middle school. Her husband, Lowell, is also a teacher in
the Annandale District and they have three children.
She’s taught math and science to seventh- and eighthgrade
students at Elk River, St. Cloud Christian School
and at Maple Lake. She was also a substitute teacher at
St. Cloud Area Learning Center ... Scott Thurlow (‘ 77)
was hired this fall as a teacher at Eagle Valley schools.
He’d previously worked for seven years at the Bug-O-
Nay-Ge-Shig School at Leech Lake Reservation, one
year for the Bering Strait School District in Alaska and
also at several other Minnesota schools ... Rebecca
Tischer (’78) moved from a part-time to a full-time
teaching position at Itasca Community College this fall
and is teaching business and technology courses ...Kurt
Marben (’74) has been named to the Ninth Judicial
District trial court bench. He’d been an attorney with the
law firm of Charlson, Marben and Jorgenson in Thief
River Falls since 1977 and had become a partner in that
firm. Marben lives in Thief River Falls with his wife,
Brenda, and their three children, John, Ann and Beth ...
Fran Roux (’70) took a position this fall teaching
elementary music at Winsted Elementary School and at
Holy Trinity Elementary, plus English as a second
language at Howard Lake. She and her husband,
Charles, live in Buffalo and have three sons and a fivemonth-old
granddaughter. Roux had taught second
grade at Warren for 18 years as well as choreographing
held over the January or June break
— are planned including a program
in Iceland this June, a trip to
the legendary Mount Kilimanjaro
in South Africa, and another to
Machu Picchu in Peru to explore
the ruins of the Inca civilization.
In addition, approximately 60
BSU choir members travel to Europe
on a spring tour every three
years and others participate in faculty-led
small study groups that in
the last year have included trips
to Spain, Italy and France.
The BSU Sinosummer trip to
China last summer was a lifechanging
experience for Lori
Otto, a BSU senior sociology
major. She now corresponds regularly
with three friends from
high school musicals and working with the cheerleading
team. . . Rev. Glen Proechel (’77) and his wife, Maryse,
of Red Lake Falls are currently in Hangzhou, People’s
Republic of China, where he’s teaching English as a
foreign language and is active with the Si-Cheng Chinese
Protestant Church. They expect to return to the U.S. in
July. Proechel has been admitted to the doctoral program
at Theological Seminary in St. Paul and began his studies
prior to leaving for China. The educational program in
China is being sponsored through the Minnesota
Department of Children, Family and Learning ... John
Schauble (’73) of Lake Zurich, IL, is in his 11 th year of
teaching and coaching at Stevenson High School in
Lincolnshire, IL. He coaches distance runners and has
been nominated for a Golden Apple Award for teaching ...
Thomas Leustek (’71) of Willow River has been a
teacher at Willow River School for 29 years and has
developed the schools biology program with a strong
emphasis on environmental issues and an appreciation of
the outdoors. His students have been competing in the
Eviro-Thon program since 1995 and qualified for
nationals by winning the Minnesota state competition in
1997. He and his wife,
Jean, have a son and two
daughters ... Steven
Savageau (’74) has been
appointed manager of
administrative services
for the St. Louis County
Historical Society where
he will be responsible for
Steven Savageau
membership, volunteer
coordination, public
Shenyang and hopes to participate
in the program again as part of her
senior thesis project.
“When you come back, you
look at everything differently,”
said Otto, who now has more interest
than ever in her international
studies minor. “Students in China
move into a dorm room with five
to nine other people.”
One of Otto’s favorite experiences
in China was the chance to
visit with Chinese students. “Students
will crowd around Americans
when they see you on the
streets,” she said. “They’ll sit and
listen for hours. They’ll talk about
movies, music, school, families,
anything. It can be really intimate
if you want it to be.”
Bemidji State also has agreements
with more than 25 universities
around that world that allows
students to start their studies
overseas and then finish at
BSU as well as BSU students to
study at universities abroad.
Whether students travel abroad
or interact with international students
at BSU, the experiences are
invaluable, according to Dr. Bob
Ley, an economics professor who
sits on the BSU international studies
council.
“In the discussions that we
have, one of the things that we talk
about is how to make these experiences
more accessible to students,”
he said. “BSU can be
proud that for years, they’ve taken
the lead in setting up these opportunities.”
relations, and administrative support while also serving
as assistant to the director of the society. He is a retired Air
Force weather officer and lives in Duluth with his
children, Robert and Emily ... Ron Schoonover (’79) has
been hired as an assistant director of communications for
the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University. He
took the position after concluding a lengthy newspaper
career in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa and changing
careers in 1990. Since then he’s worked as a graphic
designer on several nationally known magazines and
publications. He lives with his wife, Joan, and their
children, Anna and Ryan, in St. Cloud ... Randy Fulton
(’79) of White Bear Lake recently opened a new store in
White Bear Lake called Vacation Sports. The business
rents recreational equipment and sells outdoor gear ...
Sharon Botelle-Sherman (’74) of Woodbury, CT, works
as a marketing communications coordinator with
Anthem Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Connecticut ...
Nancy Ainsworth Flynn (’76) of Brookings, SD, is
married and has four children. She works part-time with
the Thief River Falls American Red Cross as a chapter
manager ... Rick Nelson (’79) of Thief River Falls is
taking a sabbatical from Northland and is working with
the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission and serving
as a lobbyist for MCLFA during this year’s legislative
session ... Timothy Fairchild (’72) of East Grand Forks
is president of American Federal Bank. He and his wife,
Marva, have three children, ages 15,14 and 9 ... Jim
Balfour (’78) has been named manager of creative
services with JPG Communications Inc., an advertising,
marketing and public relations firm based in Virginia. He
is responsible for management and oversight of the
creative department that includes strategic planning,

Communiques
Communiques
from alumni
and Marla Huss Patrias, Director of Alumni Relations
production supervision, layout and design, quality
control and staff supervision. He’d served as an art
director with the firm for more than seven years and has
more than 20 years of experience in layout, design and
desktop publishing. He is currently president of the
Virginia/Mt. Iron/Gilbert Chamber of Commerce
ambassadors program ... Marvin Sauers (’79) of St.
Cloud is celebrating 20 years of service with the
Minnesota Department of Corrections at St. Cloud and is
hoping to return to teaching in the fall ... Terri Cuppett
(’75) of Thief River Falls is pastor of the St. Hilaire
Parish ... Nancy Goudge (’72) of Clearbrook is a
counselor with the Clearbrook-Gonvick Schools ...
David Stadum (’74) of Chatfield is the K-12 principal
in Grand Meadow ... Michael Devereaux (’76) of Elgin,
SC, has been retired for several years from the U.S. Air
Force ... Carma Lee (Carlson) Wallin (’76) of Blaine is
in her 22 nd year of teaching special education in the St.
Anthony-New Brighton School District and in 1996 was
honored with the CEC Special Teacher of The Year
Award. She has two daughters, Jody, 20, and Abby, 14 ...
Mary Bishop Cleary (’77) of St. Cloud has for the past
10 years worked supervising clerical staff in the records
office of St. Cloud University ... Sue (Ross) Schutt (’72)
and her husband farm near Amboy and have four
children, two in college and two in high school. Besides
managing the farm’s pork operation, Schutt is involved
with her church, 4-H Club and school activities ... Rich
Glas (’70) of Grand Forks, ND, is entering his 13 th year
as the head men’s basketball coach at the University of
North Dakota ... Beth Tipton Moffett (’76) lives in St.
Cloud ... Mike Anderson (’76) of Cottage Grove has
50 Year Reunion of the
Class of 1951
Alumni from the class of 1951 will celebrate their
50-year reunion this May in conjunction with BSU
commencement. Festivities will begin with a reception
on May 17 and continue through May 18
will a full day of activities, starting with department
brunches. Acting as grand marshals, all 50-year participants
will lead the commencement walk across
campus and be honored guests at the various ceremonies.
The event will end with a presidential banquet
Friday evening. Registration materials will be
sent in the mail soon.
Anyone interested in serving on a planning committee
for the reunion should contact the alumni office
at 755-3989 (local) or 1-877-278-2586 (toll
free). Members of the wrap around classes of 1950
and 1952 are invited to participate in the reception
and banquet as well.
BSU Alumni Opera Night
Being Planned
Dr. Fulton Gallagher, professor emeritus and
former director of the BSU Opera Night, is planning
an alumni performance for July of this year in
Bemidji. Former Opera Night singers interested in
participating should contact Gallagher at 218-586-
2536 or at fgallagh@paulbunyan.net. More details
for the event will be included in the summer edition
of Horizons in June.
Homecoming 2001 Set for
October 5-7
Homecoming dates for next fall have been set for
October 5-7. A 40-year reunion of the class of 1961
will be held on October 6. Saturday’s events will
include a pre-game tailgate party co-sponsored by
the BSU Alumni Association and Beaver Pride, the
Homecoming football game, a fifth-quarter alumni
reception following the game, and the annual Alumni
Association Honors Banquet that evening. Sunday’s
activities will include the Carl O. Thompson Memorial
Concert. Alumni should mark their calendars
and plan to attend. More details will be sent to ac-
tive members of the BSU Alumni Association this
summer. Active membership requires a minimum
annual $30 contribution to the BSU Foundation.
three children, two in college and one in high school ...
Norman Hilleren (’74) and Karen Hilleren (’74) live
in Maiden Rock. Norman teaches science at Farmington
and Karen teaches physical education and health in Plum
City, WI ... Gary Gardeen (’74) has been named
campus administrator at Covenant Manor, a continuing
care retirement community in Golden Valley. In his new
position he will be responsible for the continuing care
retirement community’s campus, including its 16-room
assisted living residence and its 108-bed Medicareapproved
skilled nursing facility. He was previously
administrator of a 75-bed hospital run by World Radio
Missionary Fellowship Inc., in Quito, Ecuador ...
Colleen Schulke (’78) and her husband, Mike, of
Bemidji announce the December 29 birth of a son ...
Dave Holmgren (’71) and Mary Holmgren (’71) live
in Annandale. Dave is part-owner of Litchfield Chrysler
Center in Litchfield and Mary is employed as an
elementary school art teacher ... Ed Jaakola (’74) and
Linda Jaakola (’74) are beginning their 11 th year of
residence in Windom where Ed is employed as a social
worker for Jackson County and Linda works as a
counselor in Windom’s elementary schools ... Jackie
Witty (’73) of Mt. Iron teaches 7-12 grade physical
education in Virginia and is working on a master’s in
education degree through St. Mary’s University ... Deb
(Shoemate) Nelson (’78) of Wadena has been teaching
elementary music in Wadena for 21 years and has three
children, Aaron, 13, Kaisa, 12, and Shawn, 10. She and
her husband also own Welcome Home Gifts & Designs,
a business offering custom glass etching and carving ...
Ardele Kimball (’76) of Aitkin is retired from 30 years
Dave Gunther
of teaching and is enjoying spending time with two
grandchildren ... James Howe (’76) of North Branch has
been employed with the state for 22 years and has many
hobbies including watching sports, music, computers
and transferring old movies and pictures to video.
1980s
Karen Nudell (’89) was hired this fall as a special
education teacher at Rothsay High School. She’d
previously worked as a resource room teacher at Forest
Lake and also in Parker, AZ, for two years. She lives in
Barnesville with her husband, Rob, and their three-yearold
son, Parker, and 15-month-old daughter, Natalie ...
Henry Knoblauch (’83) and his wife, Kippy, of
Bemidji announce the November 15 birth of a daughter
... Scott Wallace (’87) filed as a candidate for the
Albertville City Council this fall. He works for Wells
Fargo & Co. in the mortgage department and has lived in
Albertville since June 1998 with his wife, Donnetta, and
daughter, Claire, 2 ... Jacque Kennedy (’85) filed this
fall as a candidate to the Pipestone-Jasper School Board.
Kennedy is a certified public accountant, has five years
of experience in public accounting and is currently an
accounting officer at Southwest State University in
Marshall. Other experience includes working for the
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ... Todd Truax
(’82) has been a sergeant with the Mound Police
Department since 1995. From 1981 to 1985 Truax was a
detective and patrol officer in Mound and from 1981 to
1985 he was a patrol officer in Prescott, WI ... Mary
Moen (’83) has been named by the Central Minnesota
Boys Choir as its first music director. The choir works
Gunther Retires as
Men’s Basketball Coach
with choir members, parents and professionals to
develop talent, artistic abilities, musical interest and
leadership skills in boys. She is a teacher at Staples
Elementary School and previously taught elementary
music in International Falls and Argyle. She’s been
involved in musical theater and also many professional
associations. Mary and her husband, Del, a Lutheran
minister, live in Wadena with their daughter, Britta ...
Bob Murray (’80), a business instructor at Rainy River
Community College, has been awarded the 2000
Distinguished Service Award by the Minnesota Business
Educators Inc. Murray has served as the organization’s
president and on the regional board of directors as well as
vice president, secretary, convention co-chair and
newsletter editor ... Douglas Loeffler (’86) has been
promoted to vice president with Witcher Construction
Co, based in Eden Prairie. He joined Witcher in 1993 and
has more than 15 years of estimating and project
management experience on commercial and industrial
projects. Loeffler has served as Witcher’s director of
estimating and project management since 1996 ... Sam
Wilkes (’85) is an elementary principal in the Mesabi
East School District, sharing his time between the
schools in Hoyt Lakes and Biwabik. With close to 30 year
of experience, Wilkes began teaching in Iowa and later
spent three years teaching elementary classes in
Australia. Most recently, he’d taught for a number of
years in Virginia before accepting the position with
Mesabi East at the start of this school year ... Marian
Norell (’81) of Waseca was hired this fall as a counselor
at Waseca High School. Last year she worked as a high
school counselor in Owatonna and from 1990 to 1999 had
Horizons Page 5
Dave Gunther announced his retirement after serving
as the head men’s basketball coach at Bemidji State
University for the past six seasons.
Gunther leaves the coaching ranks after amassing 476 wins against 328 losses at
four institutions on the college level.
During his career, Gunther garnered coach of the year honors seven times and he
has been inducted into the Wayne State Hall of Fame, the University of North Dakota
Hall of Fame, and the Iowa State High School Hall of Fame.
Originally from LaMars, IA, Gunther graduated from the University of Iowa in
1959 as an All-Big Ten Conference and honorable mention All-America selection.
After coaching on the high school
level for several seasons, he accepted
his first collegiate assignment in 1967
at Wayne State (NE), where he compiled
a 70-13 record in three seasons
and guided the Wildcats to three consecutive
national tournament appearances.
He moved to UND for the 1970-71
season, where he remained on the
bench for 18 years. During that span,
he recorded a 342-177 record, led the
Fighting Sioux to five conference
championships, and earned four
NCAA II Regional titles.
In 1988 he left coaching and was
named the assistant athletic director
at UND, working in fund raising,
teaching and administering different
facets of the program.
He returned to the college coaching
ranks in 1993 at Buena Vista (IA)
where he was 25-25 in two seasons
before moving to Bemidji State.
He guided the Beavers to four consecutive
seasons with 10 or more
wins, completing the most recent
campaign at 10-17. His overall record
at BSU is 49-113.
IN MEMORIAM
Paul A Smith (’70), Deer River, MN
Andrew Dolny (’49), Luck, WI
Frank James Kovall (’81), Annandale, MN
Brenda Eickhoff (’69), Chatfield, MN
Santa Wallace (’70), Deer River, MN
Carol M. Knutson (’68), Mountain Iron, MN
James Berger (’81), Nisswa, MN
Dean R. Aeling (’79), Park Rapids, MN
Merle Baird (’50), Bemidji, MN
Richard (Dick) Otterstad (’47), San Diego, CA
Anthony Rozycki (’38), St. Cloud, MN
Lafayette Connor (’93), Cook, MN
Mary Ann (Woodward) Larson (’36), Duluth, MN
Stan K. Medina (’75), Minnetonka, MN
Luella (Drake) Streed (1938), New Brighton, MN
Patrick Gardner (’64), St. Paul, MN
Robert M. Haberer (’56), Brainerd, MN
Troy M. Nelson (’97), Bemidji, MN
Kevin L. Milbrandt (’97), Bemidji, MN
Clarence “Bun” Fortier (’42), Bemidji, MN
served as a special education teacher at Waseca High
School ... Dedra Zwieg (’89) was hired this fall as a
vocal music instructor at Parkers Prairie. She has also
taught swimming lessons at the Parkers Prairie
Community Swimming Pool for 17 years and enjoys
singing with a group called Prairie Harmony and
performing in Alexandria Area Arts Association
productions ... Ross Millar (’82) joined the teaching
staff at International Falls High School this fall. He
teaches industrial technology and woodworking. He
and his wife, Deanna, a learning disabilities teacher in
Eveleth, have two children who are enrolled at Mesabi
East High School ... Barb Etter (’80) was hired this fall
to teach special education at Menahga High School.
She’d previously spent the past four years teaching at a
public school in Ponsford and the two years before that
teaching in Ely. She’s lived with her husband, Jeff, in
Menahga for 25 years and has two grown children ...
Jerry Ness (’80) was named Western Division Middle
Level Principal of the Year, 2000, and on Oct. 7-10
attended the State Principal of the Year Symposium in
Washington, DC. He is principal of the middle school
and high school in Hoffman ... Terri Johnson (’85) of
Shakopee recently switched jobs within the Eden
Prairie School District to free up more family time. She
is currently employed as the K-12 parent involvement
coordinator ... Jessica Dewey (’88) of Shevlin is
employed as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor at
the Upper Mississippi Mental health Center in Bemidji
... Arlene Schwerzler (’85) lives in Winona with her
husband of 15 years, Tom, and their two children. She
works in the mortgage loan department at Merchants
(Continued on page 6)

Horizons Page 6
Alumni Choir
BSU Alumni Choir
(Continued from page 5)
Bank ... Lyn Hart (’87) of Apalachin, NY, recently
became associate principal at Alice Freeman Palmer
Elementary School in Windsor, NY ... Lori Kaufman
(’89) was honored last year as the recipient of the Phoebe
Apperson Hearst Outstanding Educator Award from the
National Parent Teachers Association. Kaufman has been
leading the Princess Nahienaena troupe at Na Mele O
Maui for eight years. Over the past several competitions,
the Princess groups have risen to the top, capped by an
outstanding performance in 1999 that netted two first
place awards, a second and a third among the Maui
County Schools. Na Mele was started more than 20 years
ago as a Hawaiian song competition for Maui’s school
children and has grown to be one of the outstanding
showcases of youth talent in the state ... Rebecca Novak
(’87) of Mankato works for the Minnesota Department of
Transportation and enjoys volunteering at church and
participating in community theater projects ... Judith
Endresen (’81) of Stuart, FL, recently passed the
National Academy of Certified Case Manager test and
now has her Care Manager Certification ... Fred Wesely
(’87) of Elk River practices pharmacy in Princeton. His
hobbies include collecting minerals and building wooden
humidors ... Craig Stubbins (’81) of Eden Prairie
recently accepted a job as a principal engineer at a
corporation based in Eden Prairie ... Jill Radeke (’83) and
her husband, Jim Allroggen, of Crystal announce the Oct.
24 birth of a daughter, Ava ... Laurie Baughn (’85) of St.
Paul is assistant director of the AMBA and day MBA
programs at the University of St. Thomas Graduate
School of Business ... Daniel Swalve (’87) of Inver Grove
Heights is married and has two children, Morgan, 7, and
The BSU Alumni Choir
will hold two concerts this
spring and is looking for
vocalists who wish to join
the ensemble as well as
those who want to enjoy
the events as part of the
audience.
The initial performance is
the group’s third annual concert,
scheduled for April 29
at 3 p.m. in the Minnetonka
Lutheran Church located at 16023
Minnetonka Blvd. The conductors
for the choir will again be Dr. Paul
Brandvik, BSU professor emeritus,
and Sarah Aamot-Lundin,
BSU alumna.
There will be a BSU alumni reception
immediately following the
concert in the lobby of the church.
Tickets for the concert are $8
for adults, $5 for students and $3
for seniors and children under 12.
Schedules Concerts
Proceeds from the concert will
go to support the Bemidji
Alumni Choir.
The Alumni Choir will present
a second concert on May 5 as
part of a joint scholarship
fundraiser with Hennepin Technical
College (HTC). The choir
will again be directed by
Brandvik and Aamot-Lundin.
The concert will be held at the
HTC Auditorium located on
campus at 9000 Brooklyn Blvd,
in Brooklyn Park.
Proceeds from the concert will
be split between the BSU and
HTC foundations with the
Bemidji State portion supporting
the Paul Brandvik Choral Scholarship.
The evening will begin with
hors d’ouerves prepared by HTC
culinary arts students, followed
by a performance by the BSU
Bemidji State University Alumni Association
PRESENTS EXCITING TRIPS FROM MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL
Where We Are ... What We’re Doing
Nolan, 5 ... Marcia Bahr (’87) lives in Mankato ...
Wanita Huerd (’88) is a computer programmer for the
Department of Human Services child support division
and works both at her home office in Williams and in
departmental offices in St. Paul ... Karla Knutson
Tansey (’82) of Houston, TX, was promoted in April to
controller of Texas Orthopedic Hospital in April, 2000 ...
Joan Vant Hof (’89) of Merrifield has retired from
Brainerd Regional Human Services Center and is now
tackling the new challenge of parish nursing at Christ
Community Church in Nisswa. Retirement travels have
included a cruise to Alaska in 1999 and another to
Europe in 2000 ... Heather Patterson Candels (’81) of
Norwalk, CT, is teaching middle school English in
Wilton, CT ... Lisa (Howe) Larson (’87) of Albertville
works in the systems department of Wells Fargo
Brokerage Services. She is married and has a daughter,
Megan, 1 ... Sheila (Reinhart) Luce (’85) of Tampa,
FL, is employed as an executive recruiter at the firm of
Armand, Powers, Jullian & Jackson in Tampa. She
received her MBA last year from Florida Metropolitan
University. She’s married and has two children,
Jennifer, 12, and Michelle, 6 ... James Kochendorfer
(’84) of Plymouth still swims competitively and writes
that he recently broke Minnesota records in the 50 and
200 yard breaststroke for his age group in the master’s
swimming program ... Diane Sidoroff (’86) lives in
McAllen, TX ... Brad Fevold (’85) of Roseau has been
working for Marvin Windows for 11 years and is
currently director of research and development. He’s
been married for 16 years, has five children and is
working towards his MBA ... Jill (Johnson) Meskan
(’84) and Paul Meskan (’86) live in Minneapolis where
Jill is approaching her 15
Lisa Habeck 86
th year as a senior graphic
designer with Short Elliott Hendrickson (previously
RCM), a multi-disciplined engineering firm. Paul is in
his 14th year with the Ramsey County Sheriff’s
Department and for the past three years has been
assigned to the Minnesota Gang Strike Force. The
couple has five-year-old twin daughters as well as a
daughter who is six months old ... William Brunelle
(’88) and his wife, Wendy, of Cass Lake announce the
Nov. 29 birth of a daughter ... Wayne Beaman (’83) and
Louise (Gadbois) Beaman (’81) live in St. Paul Park
and have five children ranging in age from three to 15.
Wayne has started his own art business after teaching art
and coaching for 12 years. Louise has been a metro
volleyball official for 11 years and a stay-at-home mom
... Tom Wivinis (’85) of Downers Grove, IL, is in his
seventh year of employment with People’s Energy and
has two sons, Tyler, 11, and Matthew, 7 ... Nellie
Wegscheid (’80) of Wadena has a quilting business and
has become an avid golfer ... Lynda Tarbuck (’86) of
Upsala has been
teaching K-12 visual art
for Upsala Area Schools
for the past 10 years ...
Lisa Habeck (’86) is in
her fourth season of
performing Amahl in the
Saint Paul Chamber
Orchestra’s production
of Amahl and the Night
Visitors. Habeck, a
Alumni Choir. Intermission will
again feature the culinary arts students
with a host of dessert stations
set up in the lobby.
Tickets to this fundraising
event are $30 and are available
by calling the HTC Foundation
at 763-425-3800.
Vocalists who were part of the
Bemidji Choir under the direction
of Carl Thompson, Brandvik or Dr.
Brad Logan can still join the choir
by contacting either Sarah Aamot-
Lundin (651-459-1845, email at
lund0651@earthlink.net) or Gia
DesLauriers (Gia_deslauriers
@hotmail.com).
The group will welcome any
voice parts, but are in need of tenors
and basses.
Rehearsals this season are held
on Thursday evenings through
May 3, from 7-10 p.m. at the
Minnetonka Lutheran Church.
soprano, has sung and toured with many ensembles
including the New York renaissance vocal ensemble
Pomerium and Opera New England. Highlights of her
current season include a concert of French Baroque
music with Ensemble 392 and a recital of “Airs de
Cour” with lutenist Philip Rukavina ... Stella Nelson
(’86) of Chapel Hill, NC, has accepted a new position
with UNC Hospitals Surgical Services as an assistant
to the vice-president doing project management and
education ... Susan (Barsness) Barutt (’85) recently
finished her teaching degree and is teaching math at St.
Francis Catholic School in Brainerd. She lives in
Deerwood with her husband, Jim, and their eight-yearold
twins, Cory and Ashley ... Jim Retka (’88) of St.
Hilaire recently accepted a position with Northland
College in Thief River Falls as a manufacturing
specialist teaching “the incumbent workforce at
business & industry in northwestern Minnesota,” a
manufacturing curriculum. He also works in
conjunction with BSU’s Center for Research and
Innovation and is a former mayor of St. Hilaire. He and
his wife, Diane, have two children, Carsen, 3, and Erin,
1. Retka had previously worked for Arctic Cat Inc. for
eight years ... Jeannette Rieger-Borer (’86) owns a
native grass and flower seed company and works as an
accounting manager for an Annandale company. She
lives with her husband, Tony, and their three children
in Annandale ... Bruce Kranig (’88) of Bloomington
recently began a new career in the American Red Cross
... Brenda Windahl (’85) of Warroad has been
teaching fourth grade for 16 years in Warroad. Her
husband, Wayne, works for Marvin Windows. They
Faecke Accepts
Position in United
Arab Emirates
Tom Faecke, vice president
for administrative affairs at
Bemidji State University, has
accepted a position to serve as
the director of finance and administration
for the Higher Colleges
of Technology (HCT) in
the United Arab Emirates
(UAE) starting in July.
Since February of 1982,
Faecke has served as the BSU
vice president with management
responsibilities in such
areas as accounting, computing,
procurement, security, financial
aid, student union, food services,
environmental health,
physical plant, and intercollegiate
athletics.
Founded in 1988 to provide
post-secondary education to
citizens of the United Arab
Emirates, HCT enrolls almost
10,000 students in 11 college
campuses. The education provided
is designed to prepare
Emirati nationals for professional
as well as technological
careers in all sectors of the rapidly
developing economy and
society of the UAE.
In his new position, Faecke
will direct the finance, purchasing,
human resources, information
and telecommunication
services, facilities, community
relations, quality development
and several other functions for
the HCT.
The United Arab Emirates was
established in December of 1971
as a federation of seven states.
Faecke came to Bemidji State
after serving as controller at
Washington State University
for four years. He received his
undergraduate degree from
Bemidji State and a master’s
from Sonoma State University
in California.
have two children, Brittany, 12, and Jeremy, 9 ... Monica
Larson (’85) and her husband, Kevin, of Solway
announce the December 27 birth of a daughter.
1990s
Dan Carter (’91) was hired this fall by Northwest
Technical College in Wadena as its new electronics/
computer systems instructor ... Jamison Englund (’95)
has joined Gina M. Benassi Chiropractic Inc., High
Pointe Health Campus in Lake Elmo. He is a July 2000
graduate of Northwestern College of Chiropractic in
Bloomington ... Thea Monson (’95) has accepted a call
to serve St. Paul’s Lutheran Church of Hackensack, a
congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
America. Monson was ordained into the ministry Oct. 1
at Salem Lutheran Church in Longville and was installed
Oct. 8 as pastor at St. Paul’s. She graduated in May from
Luther Seminary in Minneapolis with a master of
divinity degree and had served as intern pastor at the
North Star Mission Cluster of Puposky and Pinewood
and at Health East-St. Joseph’s in St. Paul. She and her
husband, John, who is pastor at Salem Lutheran Church
in Longville, live on Mule Lake with their two children ...
Bryan Sathre (’99) was hired this fall by Cass Lake-
Bena Schools to teach high school physical education,
strength and conditioning and to serve as assistant
varsity football coach. He’d worked the previous year in
Cass Lake-Bena district as a full-time substitute teacher
... Ron Kjensmo (’93) is teaching high school English at
Cass Lake-Bena Schools. His first teaching job was in
Texas near the Mexican border. He is single ... Ryan
Kezar (’99) is a recent addition to the Thief River Falls

The Margaret H. Johnson
Scholarship
Margaret H. Johnson, class of
1942, recently presented a $40,000
gift to the Bemidji State University
Foundation to establish the Margaret
H. Johnson Scholarship for Education.
Margaret was born in Stockholm,
Sweden, and, at the age of five, came
to America with her parents and sister.
Margaret remembers the boat trip
to America when other passengers
enjoyed watching her and her sister
curtsy and speak Swedish.
The Johnson family lived in northern
Minnesota where Margaret
graduated from Northome High
School. She then attended and graduated
from Bemidji State Teacher’s
College. Prior to retiring in 1972, she
taught junior high mathematics in
Brainerd for 42 years. She also enjoyed
traveling and, in addition to
trips across the United States, made
numerous journeys to Sweden to
visit relatives.
Education has always been very
important to Margaret. In addition to
having many fond memories of
Bemidji State Teachers College, she
feels the education she received was
excellent and provided her with the
tools necessary to pursue and live out
her life’s dream, to be a good teacher.
Now, at the age of 92, Margaret
feels that by making a donation to
Margaret H. Johnson
Police Department. Previously he’d worked as a 911
dispatcher for Pennington County and as a substitute
teacher in Thief River Falls and Red Lake Falls. Hobbies
include hunting, fishing, refereeing football games and
spending time at his cabin ... John Ott (’96) was hired
this fall as a physical education teacher at Newfolden
Elementary. He’s also a football coach at MCC and
assistant girls basketball coach. He and his wife, Liz,
who’s employed at the Thief River Falls Times, live in
Newfolden with their sons, Hayden, 2, and Neyland, 1 ...
Jannelle Knott (’97) is a fifth- and sixth-grade teacher
in language arts and math with Win-E-Mac School
District where she’s also coaching seventh- and eighthgrade
volleyball. She and her husband, Jason, live in
Red Lake Falls, where his is employed as an electrician
... Susan Anderson (’97) of Ely was hired this fall as an
art teacher at Tower ... Karla Weishalla (’97) is
teaching seventh-, eighth- and ninth-grade science at the
Bertha-Hewitt School. She lives with her husband,
John, in Bertha ... Jason Foster (’99) was hired in
October as the chief of police in Nevis. He’d previously
worked with the Hubbard County Sheriff’s Department
since the spring of 2000 ... Caara Holmstrom (’93) and
her husband, Roger, own Paul Bunyan’s Animal Land,
located 10 miles west of Cass Lake on Highway 2 East.
The operation is a combination petting zoo, wildlife
park and gift shop ... Amy Bowers (’97) is teaching
fifth-grade math and reading in Zumbrota. She’d
previously taught at Longfellow Elementary in
Rochester. Her husband, Wayne, is employed with IBM
... Eric Ganske (’99) is teaching physical education and
adaptive physical education at Crossroads Learning
LegacyBuilders
This column is a regular feature of HORIZONS. The column will highlight major gifts made by individuals or organizations
to the University that support the mission of Bemidji State and build a legacy for the future.
the BSU Foundation and creating the
scholarship she is giving back and,
in doing so, will be assisting future
education students in pursing their
educational goals.
Additionally, Margaret has made
a generous bequest to the BSU Foundation
in her will so eventually her
endowment fund will grow, thereby
allowing for more scholarships to be
provided.
Alex Milowski Honors
Father with Scholarship
Alex Milowski recently presented
$73,000 to the Bemidji State University
Foundation to establish the
Raymond S. Milowski Endowed
Scholarship in honor of his father
who retired from Bemidji State University
in 1996 after 32 years of service.
While at BSU, Dr. Ray Milowski
served as professor of English, teaching
American literature and humanities
courses, and as coordinator of
the Humanities Program. He also
taught one year at the Minnesota
state university campus operated in
Akita, Japan.
Prior to coming to BSU, Ray
Milowski spent four years at the
University of Minnesota as an assistant
professor of American studies
and communication programs.
The Raymond S. Milowski
Endowed Scholarship will be
awarded each year to Bemidji
State University juniors or seniors
with preference given to
those majoring in the humanities
or in English.
Alex Milowski graduated
from Bemidji High School and
received his associate degree
from Bemidji State University in
1989. He then attended the University
of Minnesota where he
graduated in 1992 with a degree
in mathematics and a minor in
philosophy from the Institute of
Technology.
While at the University of
Minnesota, he worked as a computer
programmer for the Minnesota
Daily and later at Merrill
Corporation in St. Paul.
Center, an alternative school in Sandstone. The previous
year he’d worked as a youth treatment specialist at
Woodland Hills, Duluth ... Dan Johnson (’98) of
Hinckley is teaching third grade at Finlayson Elementary
School. He spent the previous school year teaching Title I
in Verndale ... Terese Ahrenholz (’99) began her first
full-time teaching position this fall at MACCRAY
schools in Clara City ... Sally Beito (’90) is an SLD
teacher for first- through seventh-grades at Badger
Schools. She also serves as the speech coach for grades 7-
12 and as the seventh-grade advisor. She’d previously
taught in the Greenbush/Middle River and Mentor
schools as well as at Paul Bunyan Elementary in Bemidji.
She and her husband Peter live on their farm in Juneberry
and have four children ... John Weishalla (’97) began
teaching physical education at Wadena-Deer Creek
schools this fall. He’d previously taught physical
education for two years in Martin County West schools.
Weishalla is originally from Bertha and is married to
Karla ... Tiffany Whalen (’96) is teaching this year at the
school in Plummer. She teaches current events and
At Merrill, he was involved in the
development of EDGAR with the
Securities and Exchange Commission
(SEC) and designed and built
the first non-government software to
submit financial disclosure documents
to the SEC. It was there where
he started working with SGML—an
international standard for the electronic
structuring of text.
In 1995, he founded Copernican
Solutions, a consulting and software
company focusing on applications
of SGML. Around that time XML
— a subset of SGML — was being
developed for use on the Internet and
Alex was involved at the very beginning
in the development of that
standard.
Copernican Solutions was one of
a handful of companies that created
software technology implementing
XML in those early years. XML is
now a fundamental technology for
e-commerce on the Internet.
Copernican Solutions was acquired
by Veo Systems in 1998, all
of which later became part of Commerce
One, a global business-tobusiness
systems provider.
After the acquisition of Copernican
Solutions, Alex moved to
San Francisco to work for Veo
Systems and later was chief architect
for another startup company
in the area. He now is working on
Ray, Alex, and Carol Milowski
consumer economics and works with special education
students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Previous
experience includes two years of teaching at Badger.
She’s single and enjoys many hobbies including playing
volleyball, camping and reading ... Mary Zika (’90) is
employed with Tower-Soudan-Cook schools as a special
education instructor. She’d previously spent two years
teaching special education in Duluth, four years teaching
at the Bug-O-Nay-Ge-Shig School near Bena and a year
teaching in Laredo, TX. She fulfilled her student
teaching requirements in England, where she taught at
the Royal Albert and Alexandria School south of London
... Stephanie Dailey (’99) was hired this fall as the junior
and senior high choir director at Mahnomen High
School. She also works with sixth-grade music classes
and seventh-grade general music classes. Her husband,
Mike (’98), is the instrumental and band instructor in the
same school district and the couple lives in Detroit Lakes
... Ann Marie Vossler (’92) is employed at the Barnum
Public Schools in the Special Education Department
working with grades K-12. She lives in the Moose Lake
his next technology venture.
“Alex was self-taught on computers,”
stated Ray. “We bought an
Apple IIE computer in our home
when Alex was 8 years old and he
learned by doing.”
Alex admits that this is true, but
added that they were not allowed to
have games with those first computers,
which were meant for other activities.
“I wanted to play games and
use the computer, so I had to write
my own,” he remembered. “I don’t
think I ever actually finished one,
but I did know that computer inside
and out, to the extent of writing my
own font packages and programming
language.”
While at Bemidji State, Alex was
part of group that founded the Association
of Computer Enthusiasts,
which is still active today, and was
a member of Theta Tau Epsilon fraternity.
Heltzers Celebrate
Bemidji Connection with
Scholarship
Jim and Marilyn Heltzer of
Bemidji have presented a $55,000
gift to the Bemidji State University
Foundation to establish the Jim and
Marilyn Heltzer Endowed Scholarships.
Two $1,400 scholarships will be
awarded to Bemidji High School
Students who will attend BSU and
major in education or political science.
Both are active in the community
and the Heltzers wanted the donation
to be a gift to Bemidji. The gift
is a result of a Charitable Remainder
Trust that was established by
Jim’s mother, who passed away last
fall.
The Heltzers moved to Bemidji in
1990 when Jim accepted the position
of executive director of the
Bemidji Housing and Redevelopment
Authority while Marilyn
served as the station manager of
Minnesota Public Radio in Bemidji.
The have both since retired with Jim
now serving on the Beltrami County
Board of Commissioners.
area and enjoys outdoor activities, music, reading and
movies ... John Thompson (’98) of Owatonna was
recently transferred to the accounting department at
Federated Insurance. He is engaged to Jennifer Mellum
(’99) of Owatonna. She works as a graphic designer at
Waller’s Publishing in Waseca ... Melissa (Baker)
Warren (’91) and her husband, Mike, of Bloomington
announce the November 1 birth of a son, Jacob Adam.
They also have a daughter, Samantha, 3 ... Glenn
Amundson (’91) of Grand Forks, ND, has been
employed as sales manager at Hampton Ford Lincoln
Mercury in Grand Forks for the past five years ... Jaeger
Bellows (’97) of Bemidji has been employed as a police
officer with the City of Bemidji for the past three years
and has purchased a home in the area ... Jennifer
(Kotten) Kelley (’94) is living in Robbinsdale ... Carl
Rudi (’90) of Colfax, WI, is teaching seventh-grade
math and serves as the head football coach at Colfax High
School. He has two children, Alexis, 4, and Jarrod, 2 ...
Kippy Knoblauch (’90) and her husband, Henry, of
Bemidji announce the November 15 birth of a daughter
Horizons Page 7
Jim and Marilyn have always been
involved in public and community
organizations in their professional
lives and in volunteering.
After graduating from the University
of Minnesota, Jim taught junior
and senior high school English and
social studies in Beloit, WI, and
Wayzata, MN, for 14 years when he
also served as a councilman on the
St. Louis Park City Council.
In 1973 Jim was appointed by the
governor to serve as the commissioner
of the Department of Economic
Development. He later served
as the governmental affairs coordinator
for the Dayton Hudson Corporation.
He then became the executive director
of the Minneapolis Community
Development Agency, where he
was responsible for administering a
staff of 500 and managing projects
over $1 billion.
From 1992-1997 he served as the
executive director of the Washington
County Housing and Redevelopment
Authority.
Also a graduate of the University
of Minnesota, Marilyn taught in an
alternative education program in St.
Louis Park. She then worked for
Minnesota Public Radio, first as a
volunteer and later as the vice president
for programming. After moving
to Bemidji in 1990, she continued
to work for MPR as manager
KCRB and KNBJ radio stations.
Jim and Marilyn Heltzer
... Shane Chapman (’97) and his wife, Stacy, of
Bemidji announce the November 14 birth of a son ...
Chad Turner (’95) of Roosevelt has been employed
with Marvin Windows for the past five years and is
currently a financial analyst for the Warroad
manufacturing facility and the Grafton, ND, plant. He
and his wife, Shelia, have been married since
September of 1997 and they have a two-year-old
daughter, Remi ... Dan Prijatel (’91) has been named
creative director with responsibilities that include
supervision of the overall creative direction of JPG
Communications Inc. in Ely. He also provides layout
and design services, strategic development and
creative staff supervision. He joined the corporation in
May of 1995 ... Douglas Henrickson (’95) was hired
in November as city administrator/treasurer for
Littlefork. He lives in rural Littlefork and had
previously worked as a U.S. immigration and
naturalization officer for the Border Patrol in Pembina,
ND. His wife, LuAnn Henrickson (’90) works as a
teacher at the Littlfork-Big Falls Educational Center.
The Henricksons have three children, Jessica, 11,
Rylan, 4, and Liana, 1 ... Melissa Brelje (’92) is
teaching seventh-grade English in Lake City ... Marti
(Klinkner) Schroepfer (’91) of Sleepy Eye is
enjoying staying home and caring for her children,
Evan, 5, and Jena, 1. She also plays volleyball and
softball ... Michelle Maas (’90) lives in Coon Rapids
with her daughter, Kayla, 4. She works in Wayzata as
an account executive for Baker Associates, a consumer
graphic design firm ... Robin Reed (’95) of
(Continued on page 8)

Horizons Page 8
Bemidji State University
Adopts New Logo, Mascot Images
Bemidji State unveiled the official University
logo and mascot designs that will carry the
institution into the new millennium during a
March 28 campus-wide meeting.
The unveiling was the culmination of a twoyear
process that included a review of existing
BSU designs, a research component, and the
creation of new images.
“The logo gives a good, clean impression of
the northwoods location and the atmosphere of
Bemidji State,” said Paul Jones, a graphic designer
who was one of several BSU alumni who
served on the committee. “The mascot is going
to solve a problem that has existed for years. It
gives BSU athletics a cleaner, more sophisticated
look than the previous images.”
The research showed that the BSU location
was one of the institution’s greatest assets, and
while the current logo did reflect trees, it neglected
an important component, Lake Bemidji.
So the lake and blue color were incorporated into
the design to provide a fresh, new look.
The committee worked with the public relations
firm of Russell & Herder in researching
the use of University images and developing
design options. Carol Russell, a BSU alumna,
is a principal in the firm while Pat Iten, a BSU
alumnus, was the designer who created the final
images.
The former BSU logo was developed and
adopted in 1974 when the school was changed from Bemidji State College to Bemidji
State University. The logo and nameplate were revised and updated in 1987.
Prior to the adoption of the new image, there was no official Bemidji State mascot or
Beaver athletic image that had been adopted for University-wide use. As a result, several
different versions of the mascot or athletic images were in use both on and off campus.
Prior to developing new images, a series of focus groups and surveys were conducted
with students, faculty, coaches, community representatives, and alumni. The research
proved valuable in determining the potential need and direction for BSU images.
The new images are trademarked and in the process of being registered for the University.
Where We Are ... What We’re Doing
(Continued from page 7)
Minneapolis is employed with Wells Fargo and was
recently engaged ... Debra Jelencich-Jensen (’92) and
her husband, Floyd, live
in Brainerd with their
five-month-old
daughter, Kelsey Janine.
Debra is a teacher with
Crosby-Ironton
Elementary Schools and
plans to finish her
master’s degree in May
... Merri Swanson (’94)
of Northfield is currently
Debra Jelecick-Jensen
a stay-at-home mother
of three, Erick, Emily
and Natalie. She enjoys volunteering in the community
and at her church ... Deanna (Hamilton) Kruse (’90) of
Baraboo, WI, is the new training coordinator at Wal-
Mart in Baraboo. She’s been married since 1992 and has
a four-year-old son ... Jennifer Anderson (’98) lives in
Lincoln, NE, and is pursuing graduate studies at the
University of Nebraska ... Anita (Mock) Jwanauskos
(’93) and Doug Jwanouskos (’94) live in Ruckersville,
VA, where Anita is employed as a flight attendant with
Piedmont Airlines and serves as vice president of her
union’s local council. Doug works as a graphic artist
with High Tech Signs ... Scott Gross (’91) and his wife,
Sandra, live in Mankato with their children, Taylor, 3,
and Kayla, 1. Scott works as a financial planner with
AXA Advisors ... Joshua Stevenson (’97) recently
accepted a position with the engineering and consultant
firm of Rodeberg and Berryman in Montevideo where he
is implementing geographical information systems, data
creations and GIS applications associated with their line
of work. He also does computer-assisted drafting for the
firm. He’d previously been employed as the Region 6W
GIS division director with the Upper Minnesota Valley
Regional Development Commission. Joshua and his
wife, Stephanie, who works as a field technician for the
Yellow Medicine County Soil and Water Conservation
District, live 12 miles north of Montevideo ... Anne
Najjar (’98) and Jeffrey Haffely (’99) have announced
their engagement and plans for a March 17 wedding at St.
Peter’s Church in St. Paul. Najjar is a correctional officer
with Hennepin County Corrections and Haffely is a lead
telecommunications installer with Nortel in Minnetonka
... Wayne Bowers (’97) and Amy (Loeks) Bowers (’97)
have been living in Rochester for the past three years
where Wayne works for IBM in the software support
center with a client/server application and was recently
promoted to the position of staff software engineer. Amy
works for Pine Island public schools as a fifth-grade
math and reading instructor and intermediate reading
specialist. Both are active in their church, working with
children and young adult ministries ... Kelly Stanton-
Nutt (’90) began teaching high school art and design in
New York City, NY, after receiving her master’s in art
education at Pratt Institute and now operates a freelance
graphic design business. She and husband, Rob, have
been married for six years and have a four-year-old
daughter. They hope to relocate their family to
Minnesota this year ... Kelly (Parent) Flaig (’93) and
Christopher Flaig (’93) announce the August 8 birth of
a daughter, Kiana Marie. Kelly is a teacher and Chris
works at Polaris Industries in Roseau ... Craig Stenzel
(’90) is married and bought a home in Rochester in the
fall of 1999 .... Brennan Kelly (’90) and his wife,
Martha, of Rochester announce the December 15 birth
of a daughter. Kelly, a firefighter with the Rochester
Fire Department, was honored Oct. 16 with the
department’s Medal of Valor for rescuing a drowning
man from Rochester’s Silver Lake in September. Kelly
was off-duty riding his bicycle when he saw two
women trying to support a man in the lake. Kelly
joined the group in the water and guided the man
toward a rope police had hanging from a bridge. He is
only the second Rochester firefighter to receive the
gold bar pin Medal of Valor ... Shelley Steva (’98) of
Thief River Falls is teaching science at Plummer
School in Plummer ... Alyssa Konecne (’96) and her
husband Steve, of Bemidji announce the January 20
birth of a son ... Heidi Osmundson (’94) and her
husband, Rick, of Bemidji announce the January 18
birth of a son ... Grant Frenzel (’96) and his wife,
Rebecca, of Bemidji announce the January 17 birth of
a son ... Valerie Jones (’92) of Baxter is working in the
infection control unit of St. Joseph’s Medical Center in
Brainerd ... Jim Hagen (’95) is employed as a math
teacher at Grand Rapids High School. His wife,
Maren, is also a math teacher at the same high school ...
Gayle Yarrington (’92) now lives in Puposky and had
previously lived at Lake Tahoe, NV ... Julie Johnson
(’92) of Duluth is currently in her second year of
working as an RN in psychiatry. She has a six-year-old
named Mac ... Susan Johnson (’99) of Owatonna
The current BSU hockey team carried Bob Peters off the ice following his final game as coach.
Peters to Receive Legend Award
R. H. Bob Peters, who recently announced his retirement as the
head hockey coach at Bemidji State University, has been named
the recipient of the 2001 Legend of College Hockey Award.
Peters will receive the honor during the annual Hobey Baker
Award Banquet April 20 at the St. Paul Radisson Riverfront Hotel.
The Legend Award was established in 1981 to honor an individual
who has contributed to the growth, development and prestige
of college hockey in the United States.
Past recipients have included John Mariucci, Murray Armstrong,
Glen Sonmor, John Maysich, Jack Riley and Bob Johnson.
Peters announced his retirement in early March following 41 years
of coaching, including 37 on the collegiate level and 35 at Bemidji
State.
“It has been an enjoyable time and it has been a great skate,” he
said. “I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity work with the
outstanding, talented players on the teams. But the time has come
to pass the torch.”
Peters has been the BSU hockey coach since 1966 and earlier
this year became the first coach on the collegiate level to win his
700th game with a single school. He came to Bemidji State after
spending two years as the head coach at the University of North
Dakota.
“We skated outdoors during my first year at BSU,” Peters remembers.
“But the program has developed from NAIA small school
to NCAA Division III, Division II and now NCAA Division I.”
During his tenure at Bemidji State, he guided the Beavers to 13
national championships. He has won 744 games as a head coach
on the university level, and is the only coach to lead a team to a
national championship game in all four divisions of college hockey.
He ranks second on the all-time win list among college hockey
coaches.
While Peters will be retiring as the head hockey coach, he will
remain on staff at the University under a program that will allow
him to ease into full retirement over a period of years. He will
remain associated with BSU hockey as a fund raiser and in an administrative
capacity. He currently also serves as the school’s director
for hockey operations.
Tickets for the Hobey Baker Award Banquet are available by calling
852-656-2630 or writing the Hobey Baker Memorial Award, 1550
E. 79th Street, Suite 680, Bloomington, MN 55425.
works as a computer programmer at Federated
Insurance ... Steve Ballard (’94) and Cindi George of
Clearbrook announce the January 5 birth of a daughter ...
Nancy Komulainen (’97) recently left the Bemidji area
to begin a 27-month tour with the Peace Corps in the
Dominican Republic.
2000
Ben Brovold (’00) has joined the Jeffrey Radke Agency
of Aid Association for Lutherans of Grand Forks as a
district representative serving Lutherans and their
families in the Beltrami County area ... Ben Baird (’00)
is employed as a sixth grade teacher at Northome
School. In addition to teaching he also coaches the
Mustangs C-team volleyball ... Diana Tobin (’00) of
North St. Paul mentors school-age care programs and
has been home schooling and caring for a relative’s
children ... Matt Dahl (’00) recently joined the
accounting firm of Kummet Larson Bluth and Co.,
Brainerd ... Arin Grinde (’00) recently began her
chiropractic education at Northwestern College of
Chiropractic on the campus of Northwestern Health
Sciences University in Bloomington ... Pam Skon
(’00), a water quality outreach technician, recently
was named to the staff of the Hawk Creek Watershed
Project in Chippewa, Kandiyohi and Renville
counties. She will work out of a new office in the
Renville County courthouse in Olivia. The project is
one of 13 watershed projects in the Minnesota River
Basin working to reduce high levels of water pollution.