Horizons Page 1

Dr. Jon Quistgaard (center) visits with faculty, staff, students and community membersduring a reception following his selection as BSU president.

Horizons

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A Publication for Alumni & Friends of Bemidji State UniversityVol. 17, No. 1, Summer/Fall 2001

BSUBSU

BSUBSU

August 1, 2001Founders Walk Honoring the Welle

Family of Bemidji, Alumni Arch,BSU

August 3, 2001First National Womens GolfClassic, Bemidji Town and

Country Club

August 4, 2001Dr. Jim Bensen Retirement Party,

Beaux Arts Ballroom, BSU

August 24-25, 2001BSU Alumni Board Meeting, BSU

October 5-7, 2001BSU Homecoming

October 5, 200140-Year Reunion of Class of

1961, David Park House, BSU

September 4, 2001BSU Fall Semester Classes Begin

March 10-11, 2002BSU Winter Rendezvous, Flamingo

Hilton Hotel - Laughlin, NV

BSUCalendar

Quistgaard, 52, began his as-sociation with BSU as an admis-sions representative. He becamethe director of admissions andadvising in 1980; was named thedean of undergraduate admis-sions and graduate studies in1988; served as acting vice presi-dent for academic and studentaffairs from 1993-94; and was theassociate vice president for aca-demic affairs and dean of aca-demic services from 1994 untilassuming his current position.

He is an active presenter onthe national level in the areas ofcontinuous quality improve-ment, challenges in higher edu-cation, planning, assessmentmodels, and transforming highereducation.

He received a doctorate in po-litical science from the Univer-sity of Arizona, where he alsoobtained his masters andbachelors degrees.

Raised in Bemidji and a gradu-ate of Bemidji High School,Quistgaard hopes the institutionwill continue to strengthen its po-sition in several critical areas fac-ing higher education and the area.

I believe globalization is ab-solutely critical to the growth ofour university, in terms of stu-dents, faculty and staff, as wellas our region, he commented. Ialso think it is an area where weare continuing to achieve a realdistinctiveness.

We also must pay attention totechnology and use it as a tool.We must be certain that our stu-

Dr. Jon Quistgaard will becomethe ninth president of BemidjiState University in mid-Augustwhen Dr. Jim Bensen, currentpresident, retires.

Quistgaard was named to theposition by the Minnesota StateColleges and Universities Boardof Trustees in late May follow-ing a national search. A memberof the BSU community for 22years, he has served since 1997as the vice president for academicand student affairs.

On the one hand, this appoint-ment is overwhelming and daunt-ing when you think about it,Quistgaard said. On the otherhand, the expression of supportIve received from this campusand this community is somethingthat I just didnt expect to theextent that its been.

We have wonderful people atthis university doing really won-derful things. We have studentswho have a genuine thirst forlearning. This gives me a lot ofconfidence as we move forward.We have resources that we candraw on in terms of experience,knowledge and ideas.

I also am excited about work-ing with people in the communityand region. It has to be a part-nership if Bemidji State is to besuccessful in accomplishing itsmission of improving the qualityof life and assisting in the eco-nomic development of north cen-tral Minnesota.

As the chief academic officerof the institution, Quistgaard wasresponsible for academic pro-gramming in three colleges, inte-grative studies, distance learning,library, advising services, interna-tional student services, counsel-ing, career services, the AmericanIndian Resource Center, and stu-dent development programs.

He recently helped guide theUniversity through its first ten-year national accreditation self-study, one so successful that it didnot require a follow-up site visit.

dents are prepared to assumeleadership positions in their ca-reers, are comfortable with tech-nology, and understand the ethi-cal responsibilities they have interms of its use and application.

But there are other areas wehave to pay considerable atten-tion to, he added. One wouldbe the area of multiculturalismwhere I think we have a specialresponsibility given the locationof the University. I also know theuniversity is about people. I wantto make sure that students whocome here feel BSU is a good fitfor them so they can achieve allthey are capable of achieving.

I finally would focus on thecontinuing development of ourfaculty and staff. My expectationis that this university will meetor exceed national standards inevery major, and will probablyexpand that into the internationalarena. To ensure that, we musthave faculty, staff and adminis-trators who understand the issuesand contribute to their disciplineson the national and internationallevels.

Dr. Jon Quistgaard m

PRESIDENT

WW e have wonderful people at this university doing really wonderful things. We havestudents who have a genuine thirst for learning.This gives me a lot of confidence as we move forward.We have resources that we can draw on in terms ofexperience, knowledge and ideas.

Quistgaard NamedQuistgaard Named

Horizons Page 2

21st CenturyBemidji Poised

enue reveals paver-stone walk-ways with pedestrian lightingprovided by decorative lamp-posts topped by lantern-like glassfixtures. A sculpture walk featur-ing 15 original works of art rep-resenting a variety of media hasbeen installed downtown inrecent years, giving visitors onemore reason to stroll around.

At the south end of BeltramiAvenue, the old Markham Hotelwas demolished, making way forthe 1986 development of UnionSquare, home to several restau-rants, a sports bar, retail storesand a grocery store. The refur-bished Soo Line Depot stands atthe corner of the developmentand has been home to Union Sta-tion Restaurant and Bar since1976. Union Station added itsown microbrewery in recentyears.

New uses were also found forthe long-abandoned 1912 GreatNorthern Depot on MinnesotaAvenue. At the conclusion of arestoration project costing closeto $2 million, the BeltramiCounty History Center opened itsdoors to the public April 30.

Its a stunning building, saidWanda Hoyum, executive direc-tor of the Beltrami County His-torical Society that operates themuseum and gift shop in the city-

Alumni who havent visitedBemidji in many years may recalla sleepy little lakeside town wheremetropolitan influences appearedfar away and change seemed asunlikely as snow in July.

Its not that those returning af-ter a 10-, 20-year or 30-intervalwouldnt feel a sense of home-coming. The original universitybuildings, the lakeshore and his-torical downtown district allmaintain their traditional layoutand atmosphere. But a closer ex-amination reveals new areas ofdevelopment, renovation of thecore city and major buildingprojects in progress that promiseto strengthen Bemidjis claim ofbeing the service and retail cen-ter of north central Minnesota.

Few people are as knowledge-able as Larry Young, executivedirector of the Bemidji Joint Eco-nomic Development Commis-sion, about the visible and some-times nearly invisible, but just asimportant, changes that makeBemidji prime for robust growthand development as it enters anew century. In addition to hiscurrent position, Young has alsoserved as director of the cham-ber of commerce and as its cityplanner.

A visiting alumnus would likelyfirst see and hear about the physi-cal changes in Bemidjis retailsetting starting with the renovateddowntown district and buildingprojects on the outskirts of the citythat are new or in progress.

Youngs office is located in thenew Visitors Information Centerthat replaced the old center sev-eral years ago near the statues ofPaul and Babe at the lakefront.Although the old building wasdemolished, a portion of the his-torical Fireplace of the States wasre-erected in the new buildingthat also houses Bemidji AreaChamber of Commerce offices.

A short walk west on ThirdStreet brings visiting alumni tothe heart of downtown which,Young notes, boasts predomi-nantly full storefronts, unlikemany Minnesota cities of a simi-lar size. A downtown renovationproject was completed in 1984that widened the streets, ad-dressed traffic flow problems andinstalled new infrastructure. Alook up and down Beltrami Av-

owned depot. I believe it pro-vides a strong cornerstone for fu-ture growth and economic devel-opment for downtown Bemidjiand Beltrami County. The feelingit gives is such a fusion of the past,present and future.

The depot has been listed onthe National Register of HistoricSites since 1988. With its archedframework windows and originalterrazzo floors, it is a stunningexample of Neo-classical archi-tecture. The inaugural exhibitionPathways Through History,constructed by artist, designer

and BSU faculty member SteveSundahl, tells the story of thecountys rich heritage in a three-gallery museum.

The museum is beautifullycurated and is on par with anystate historical society exhibit,observed Young.

Beyond the downtown area,extensive development has takenplace along Paul Bunyan DriveNW. Young notes that growth hasbeen possible because the city hasundeveloped space available andhas carried out infrastructure im-provements on an enlarged scale

for a Healthy 21st Century

to accommodate growth. Andwith its growing population, itoffers a labor force of 50,000 liv-ing within a one-hour drive.

The Paul Bunyan Mall has seentwo major expansions since it firstopened in 1977 and its anchorstores now include Big K-Mart,JC Penney and Herbergers. Atthe old site of Beltrami ElectricCooperative, construction is un-derway on a Wal-Mart scheduledto open in the spring. Across theroad from the construction andslightly to the east is the Westridgedevelopment that was built

II believe it (the Beltrami County History Center, shown below) provides a strong cornerstone for future growth and economic development for downtown Bemidji and Beltrami County. The feeling it gives is such a fusion of thepast, present and future. Wanda Hoyum, executive director of the Beltrami County Historical Society

The statues of Paul and Babe now overlook a new Visitors Information Center on the shore of Lake Bemidji.

(Continued on page 3)

Horizons Page 3

within the last three years adja-cent to the existing Target store.The new complex houses anOffice Max, Marketplace Foods,Fashion Bug, and Curves, awomens fitness center.

Across Paul Bunyan Drive,slightly to the west, is the newHome Depot that opened itsdoors this spring. Businessesoperating out of new buildingsadjacent to it include Tires Plusand NAPA Auto Parts in its newlocation. A Ground Round Res-taurant, now under construction,will join the mix this winter.

If visitors travel farther westalong Highway 2, the sprawlingAmigo 9 multiplex movie theatermight catch their eye. Some prob-ably remember when the onlymovie in town played at the ChiefTheater downtown on BeltramiAvenue. Now the Chief is hometo the flicker of spotlights insteadof projectors, housing the livestage productions of the PaulBunyan Playhouse and BemidjiCommunity Theater.

The last five or six years havebrought stronger regionalizationand enhanced Bemidjis role as acenter of government and healthservices, said Young, noting thatboth the MeritCare Clinic andNorth Country Hospital recentlycompleted major expansions.North Country Health Serviceslong-range development plansare ambitious, including develop-ment of congregate housing andassisted living units, a skillednursing facility and its own clinicfacility. MeritCare Clinics staffof physicians has grown to 68 andmay increase by an additional 10over the next few years, accord-ing to Young, who said the com-bined facilities are now servicinga health care population of60,000.

Bemidji has expanded existinggovernment services and addednew services in recent years. Ex-amples include the constructionof a Minnesota Bureau of Crimi-nal Apprehension forensics laband new Minnesota Departmentof Transportation facility, bothlocated near the airport. A newBeltrami County Human Ser-vices facility opened severalyears ago at 616 America AvenueSW, successfully pulling previ-

ously scattered public welfareservices together under one roofand providing a new home forMinnesota Job Service and affili-ated employment programs.

Investments in local educationhave been made to meet the needsof a county population thatsgrown 15 percent in the last 10years. The new Bemidji HighSchool that students moved intothis school year was built largeenough to meet the needs of thatgrowing population. In the fall of2000 a new charter school openedgiving parents of K- 8-graders analternative to the District 31 edu-cational system.

Additional learning experiencesare offered to the public by theHeadwaters School of Music &the Arts, located downtown onMinnesota Avenue, and the Head-waters Science Center whichopened in 1993 in the storefronton Beltrami Avenue that had beenhome to JC Penney before it relo-cated to the mall. The science cen-ter is open seven days a week of-fering hands-on science exhibits,special Saturday and summertimeprograms, and demonstrations.

As striking as all of this mightseem, its sometimes the less vis-ible development that lays thefoundation for a citys futuregrowth.

Paul Bunyan Telephone hasjust installed a fiber optics com-munications system through-out the greater Bemidji area al-lowing access to high speedInternet, representing an invest-ment of close to $20 million.Young said the high-speed ser-vice, with high-end bandwidth, is

necessary to businesses conduct-ing on-line catalogue sales, likeBemidji Woolen Mills and IndianHarvest Wild Rice. Its also onthe must-have list of any com-pany considering locating inBemidji that conducts any typeof computer design, drafting orengineering. It provides instantInternet access and the ability todownload information severaltimes faster than with a dial-upconnection. The lack of such aservice quickly eliminates manysmall cities from consideration asa development site, said Young.

Affordable housing, energy re-liability, and air and ground traf-fic accessibility rank as other nutsand bolts necessities to growth.All are areas that have receivedattention and seen developmentin recent years.

A variety of housing develop-ments have sprung up in the pastfive to 10 years ranging from theupscale lakeside townhouse at-mosphere of the development onthe east end of Lake Irving to themulti-level apartment complexesadjacent to the hospital.

Otter Tail Power Company isstudying the feasibility of build-ing an electric peak generationplant fired by natural gas. Withincreasing concern about the re-liability of power sources in partsof the nation like California, sus-tainable electric rates and avail-ability rank higher than ever be-fore with companies looking atdevelopment sites, said Young.

Plans are underway for newrunway development at theBemidji-Beltrami County Airportand a modern new terminal has

taken the place of the original one.Phased construction of a four-lanehighway stretching from Duluthto Bemidji to Grand Forks is fi-nally nearing completion.

Theres no doubt that Bemidjihas become a busy place, but visi-tors still often comment on howfriendly the people are and howwelcome theyre made to feel.Conversations overheard at localcoffee counters still center largelyaround where the fish are bitingand how to grow bigger toma-toes. Although some favorite oldstudent haunts may be gone, avisiting alumnus is likely to catchhold of that Bemidji atmosphere,that feeling of home, and its al-ways bittersweet to realize that asmuch as things may havechanged - so much more has re-mained the same.

(Above) The Alumni Arch is the welcoming entrance toDeputy Hall, or what was once called the Old Main, on

the BSU campus. (Top) The MeritCare Clinic continuesto build and expand its facilities, staff and services.

(Right) New businesses are finding homes in places likethe Westridge development.

BEMIDJI (Continued from page 2)

The state-of-the-artBemidji High School

campus opened inJanuary of 2001.

Horizons Page 4

Northern Tier Project Goes Live in AugustMention north-ern Minnesota

and most peopleconjure up bucolic images

of the big woods, pines, lakecabins and open spaces, a far cryfrom the sophisticated technol-ogy and professional resources oflarge metro areas.

But dont be fooled. Tuckedaway in wooded lots, farms andlittle-known places throughout

the region are professionalsand companies that touch theworld with their ideas and in-

novation, or have aspirations ofsomeday doing so. Now, peoplethroughout the region have a newtool to help share their knowledgeand expertise with their northernpeers and beyond.

In August, Bemidji State Uni-versity, through its Center forResearch and Innovation (CRI),will open the Northern Tier Tech-nology Corridor, a single, high-speed Web portal where peoplecan create virtual communities,search databases, and collaborateon issues and projects of mutualinterest. The project was devel-oped over the last two years bytechnology leaders throughoutthe region and with funding fromthe Blandin Foundation.

The goal is to establish north-ern Minnesota as a vital hub in thetechnology industry by identify-ing and promoting its resourcesand then fostering partnershipsregionally and nationally.

The portal will allow commu-

nities, companies, entrepreneurs,job seekers and other organiza-tions and individuals throughoutnorthern Minnesota to quicklyfind resources related to economicdevelopment, higher education,business and industry. Whatsmore, people will be able to buildnetworks regardless of their geo-graphic location.

One of the biggest obstaclesfor technology-based business inour region is knowing where tofind the right resources andpeople and then bridging geo-graphic gaps, said MikeWellcome, Northern Tier projectmanager and associate director ofthe CRI. Until now, weve neverhad a comprehensive database tomarket our knowledge and tech-nology resources.

How it worksAnyone can use the new site,

which is found at www.northerntierhitech.org. Following anoverview of the site, users willfind directions on how to estab-lish a user name and password.There is no charge to participate,although guidelines for participa-tion will be established to ensurethat all licenses are used appro-priately. Licenses will be limited.

Users will establish either anindividual knowledge profile ora business profile including in-dustry experience, research ex-perience and a short biography.These profiles then become partof a searchable database for

others looking for resources.From there, users may choose

to post information in a library file,post meetings or events on a com-munity calendar, create a virtualplace to start a discussion about atopic, or put out a request for in-formation. Discussion sites can bemade public or be available to in-dividuals by invitation only to col-laborate on specific projects thatmay require confidentiality. Aninstant messaging option allowspeople to have virtual discussionsso participants can work togetheronline in real time.

If youre willing to share yourknowledge with others, youshould join this site, Wellcomesaid. I especially encourage busi-nesses to join and promote theirexpertise. Its a great place tomake contacts and create energyaround opportunities that mightnot otherwise be considered.

Building a stronger futureThe Blandin Foundation

funded the development of theNorthern Tier in keeping with itsmission to strengthen rural com-munities in Minnesota. The siteis valuable in that it can connectgeographically separated stake-holders in the future of northernMinnesota, according to WadeFauth, senior program officer forthe Blandin Foundation.

While the Web sites devel-opment is being funded by theFoundation, the owners of thesite are the people who use it,

Fauth said. We urge everyoneinterested in a vital Minnesota tojoin this community.

BSU spearheaded the projectthrough the CRI as part of theUniversitys mission to promoteeconomic development, healthycommunities and a free exchangeof ideas throughout the region. Theproject also provides another toolfor students, faculty and staff toconnect with professionals outsidethe academic setting and makecontributions to issues and projectsthat can benefit the region.

Knowledge managementWe believe that the sharing of

knowledge is critical to the sur-vival of rural Minnesota,Wellcome said. We know thatwe have talented people and pro-gressive organizations through-out the region, but we need towork together and pool ourknowledge to be global competi-tors and build a thriving and sus-tainable economy.

Knowledge management toolsavailable through the NorthernTier will help foster diverse part-nerships for economic develop-ment and healthy communities.For example:A person in Hallock who wants

to bring a product to marketmay find the technical or engi-neering assistance he needsfrom someone in Ely.

A university researcher may linkwith individuals from businessand industry in the same field.

Bringing High-tech Network to the Northwoods

I f we want to buildinformation technology

in our communities, thenwe need to bring together

people who are alreadydoing it. Thats where

new business ideas andopportunities grow.

Where We Are ... What Were Doing

ALL CITIES ARE LOCATED IN MINNESOTA UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

Bill Robertson

1930sVerna Langlie (34) and her husband, Tuss, ofBemidji celebrated their 60th wedding anniversaryon Feb. 24.

1940sDora Jenso-Sather (41) lives in Auburn, CA, andenjoys RV travel ... Murray Warren (48) is livingin Crookston ... Eva Young (49) lives in ChulaVista, CA, and continues teaching at Embry-RiddleAeronautical University at Point Loma, North Islandand Camp Pendleton ... Josephyne (Harrieth)Branshaw (41) of Martinez, CA, has beenvolunteering three days of her week to the VeteransMedical Center since 1999 ... Betty Nesbit (49) ofBillings, MT, writes, We gave up our beautifulhuge yard and home to move into a patio home. Wefind the change more relaxing.

1950sDon Barron (50) ran as a candidate for re-electionto a fifth term on the Thief River Falls City Councillast fall. He and his wife, Gladys, have been marriedsince 1952 and moved to Thief River Falls in 1953.Barron worked with the Soil Conservation Service in

Thief River Falls for 30 years, retiring in 1983. Hescurrently involved in a family farm operationgrowing wild rice at Clearbrook ... KathrynGordon Graf (59) of Arnold, MD, recently took aEuropean vacation and is enjoying spending timewith her three granddaughters ... Richard Haberer(56) is retired and living in Park Rapids ...Chandler Bailey (50) of Palm Desert, CA, taughtbiology and chemistry at Redlands High School for30 years and has five children ... Dick Green (56)and his wife, Janet, live in Bloomington and recentlycollaborated on an exhibit of 50 of their paintingswhich appeared at the MacRostie Art Center, GrandRapids, during April ... James W. Buchanan (57)of Duluth and his son, James P. Buchanan, recentlypublished a book written to promote walking as aform of exercise and transportation on a bookwebsite, mightywords.com. Walk Right: SecondEdition discusses physical and mental healtheffects that stem from walking... Alden Kittleson(55) and Jan Kittleson (57) live in San Marcos,CA, in north San Diego County. Alden works infinancial services and is active in Lions on the local,zone, regional and district levels. Jan works at theKen Blanchard Companies where she coordinatesand schedules employee orientation and internaltraining. Shes active in the couples church, singing

in the choir and playing with the hand bell choir.They have four children and seven grandchildren ...Bob King (59) is retired and lives in Pelican Rapids... Corinne Mase (53) is retired and living in ahome for senior citizens in St. Paul ... DianeSorensen (50) of Stockton, CA, has retired for asecond time from a job as superintendent andprincipal in a K-8 school in rural San JonquinCounty after filling the position for three years ...Dale Sorensen (57) of Two Harbors is the clerk ofthe Superior School District School Board and isretired from a 33-year career of teaching chemistryat Two Harbors High School ... Cora (Ingalls)Ravndalen (53) of Roosevelt has retired fromteaching elementary education and is enjoying lifewith her husband, Alvin, and their family ... GladysPaulson (59) was recently recognized for servingcongregations as an organist for churches near herhome south of Badger. She also taught school inThief River Falls from 1957 to 1977. Shes been awidow since 1984 ... Shirley Knutson-Nelson (57)has retired from teaching. She lives in Pharr, TX, and

married Bruce Nelsonin December ... BillRobertson (53) livesin LaMirada, CA ...Charles Patterson(50) of Baton Rouge,LA, was honored bythe Republic of Koreawhen he received theKorean War ServiceMedal on the 50thanniversary of theKorean War. He served

as a unit supply sergeant with Company K, ThirdBattalion, 223rd Infantry Regiment, 40th (CaliforniaNational Guard) Division ... Mary Frankfurth(52) was recently the subject of a feature storyGrandma keeps up tradition - Mary Frankfurthcelebrates Norwegian culture and cuisine thatappeared in the Pioneer newspaper of Bemidji.She has seven grandchildren and enjoys traditionalcooking and quilting.

1960sDave Trompeter (65), having served as the mayorof Ranier for 30 years, decided last fall not to seekre-election. He taught engine repair in theInternational Falls School District, retiring in 1992.He looks forward to having more personal time tospend with his wife, Barb, and sons, Mark and Paul... Dennis Carlson (60) of Effie has retired fromhis position as community education director withISD 701 in Hibbing. He now operates a smallsummer resort on Deer Lake and serves as adistributor and dealer for a line of sports canoes ...Jerry Riewer (60) of Staples reports that hisgranddaughter, Jolene Otteson, is now a student atBSU ... Lou De Sarno (68) of Tinton Falls, NJ, hasbeen a teacher and a coach for 33 years in NeptuneTownship Schools in New Jersey ... David Nelson(61) of Cannon Falls retired from teaching mathand is now self-employed as a tax-preparer ...Carolee (Spangrad) Mock (61) lives inBreckenridge and spent most of last winter inArizona ... Betty Whaley (67) of St. Francisteaches middle school physical education and isplanning a trek down the Grand Canyon this

Vol. 17, No. 1, Summer/Fall 2001

Produced by the News and PublicationsOffice and the Alumni Office at BemidjiState University, HORIZONS is publishedquarterly and distributed without chargeto BSU alumni, students, faculty, staff andother friends of the University. BSU is anequal opportunity educator and employer.

Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Al NohnerDesigner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kathy BerglundPhotographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . John SwartzPresident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Jim BensenAlumni Director . . . . . Marla Huss PatriasContributing Writers . . . . . . . . Jody Grau,

Cindy SerratoreEditorial Assistance . . . . . . . . Peggy Nohner

Editorial Board: Dr. Jim Bensen, BSUpresident; Al Nohner, director of newsservices and publications; Carl Baer, vicepresident for university advancement;Dr. Jeff Totten, assistant professor of busi-ness administration; Dr. Gerald Morine,professor of chemistry; Marla Huss Patrias,director of alumni relations.

Bemidji State University

HorizonsBSUBSU

(Continued on page 12)

Sandy Layman, president,Itasca Development Corporation

Horizons Page 5

(Continued on page 6)

summer ... JaniceLundsten (62) ofNevis continues tosubstitute teach afterretiring from 32 yearsof full-time teaching.She enjoys spendingtime with her threegrandchildren, playsbass guitar in a groupand recently had apoem published ...Carol (Tappero)Anderson (62) of

Wrenshall has been doing a lot of traveling sinceretiring from teaching in 1999. Trips highlightingthe past year include those to Louisiana and Europeas well as a cruise in the Caribbean. She also enjoysspending time with her three granddaughters ...Bette (Behrens) Wammer (62) of Audubon retiredfrom teaching in May. She continues to substituteteach and enjoys spending time with her fivegrandchildren ... Norman Hecimovich (60) ofAustin has retired but is acting as a consultant withCFL. He is also involved in a variety of communitygroups and has spent time traveling in SoutheastAsia ... Dorothy Billberg (67) of Roseau has beenretired for 16 years and writes that she is enjoyingit very much ... Thomas Kantos (66) willcelebrate his 30th year of employment with the U.S.Immigration Service in October. He currently servesas the port director at International Falls ... MarieAbele (66), a Richfield High School teacher , wasrecently named National Honor Society Advisor of

the Year. Abele has been a teacher at Richfield HighSchool for 32 years. In addition to teaching Englishand German, shes served as a department chairmanand coordinator of summer school. She has worked asthe advisor to the National Honor Society for the pastsix years ... Orley Gunderson (60) of Thief RiverFalls is president of Northland Community andTechnical College ... Tom Gulovich (66) of Grafton,WI, retired in June after teaching for 34 years. He andhis wife, Mary, are anticipating the birth of their firstgrandchild in September ... Gwenn (Bengston)Smith (62) of Deer River substitute teaches at DeerRiver High School and is coordinator for a chapter ofTake Off Pounds Sensibly ... Lowell Scearcy (67) ofEast Gull Lake retired in 1999 after 32 years ofteaching mathematics and coaching. He spent the last27 years in the Brainerd school system and is stillcoaching Brainerd High School baseball andrefereeing football and basketball. He and his wife,Diane, have two children, Kimberly and Ryan, wholive in Minneapolis ... Robert Treuer (60) ofBemidji recently published his fourth book, TheMoccasin Game & Other Stories, with theLoonfeather Press, Bemidji. Treuer has been a federalworker in Washington D.C., a teacher in Cass Lakeand Red Lake, an editor and union staffer, aninstructor at BSU and a county commissioner ...Loren Solberg (65) is a Minnesota staterepresentative for District 3B. Committeeappointments include capital investment,governmental operations and veterans affairs policy,rules and legislative administration, and ways andmeans. He is a teacher and he and his wife, Joan, havefour children.

1970sKaren Schrader (76) of Warroad retired from herteaching career this spring ... Gary Cheney (75) ofConroe, TX, is chief of property management withthe Veterans Administration office in Houston, TX,and is celebrating a 35th wedding anniversary thisyear with his wife, Sharon ... Paul Freude (79),general manager of Paul Bunyan TelephoneCooperative in Bemidji, has been elected the 16thpresident of the Joint Economic DevelopmentCommission. A member of the JEDC since 1997,hed previously served as secretary and vicepresident. Freude has been employed with thetelephone cooperative since 1985, first as officemanager and since 1993 as general manager. Prior tothat he was an auditor for the Federal EnergyRegulatory Commission ... Norma Schleppegrell(75) of Hibbing was recently named trustee of theyear by the Minnesota Hospital and HealthcarePartnership. She is chair of the Fairview RangeRegional Health Services Board and was recentlyhonored by the Hospital Trade Association at anawards ceremony in Minneapolis ... Curtis Hanson(75) conducted a premier performance of his ownmusical works in his hometown, Proctor, this fall.After graduating from BSU, he taught K-12 vocalmusic for nine years before pursuing an advanceddegree. Hanson earned his doctorate in musical arts atthe University of Colorado in Boulder in 1990 andreturned to the area, settling in West Duluth. He nowholds the first full-time faculty position at The JohnDuss Memorial Music Conservatory and teachesvoice and directs the choir at Our Saviors LutheranChurch. He and his wife, Brenda, have two sons, Eric

and Evan ... Linda Lyons (74) has been namedcommissioner of Health and Human Services by theMille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. Lyons is an enrolledmember of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. Mostrecently shed served as a controller for the LeechLake Band of Ojibwes Division of Finance andAccounting in Cass Lake. Prior to that, Lyons was amanagement consultant and a deputy director for theLeech Lake Band of Ojibwe ... Rick Ellingworth(76) was recognized as one of two 2000 GazettePeople of the Year for his contributions to theRedwood Falls community including efforts onbehalf of the new Redwood Area Community Center,which opened its doors recently. He came toRedwood Falls in 1976 and since then has beenfootball coach, middle school principal, activitiesdirector and, in 1992, was offered the position ofsuperintendent ... Teresa Fisher (79) of North Pole,AK, has been athletic director of North Pole Highschool for the past six years and has been teaching inthat community for 19 years. She has two daughters,Megan, 17, and Mallory, 16 ... Michael Cyr (78)lives in Monticello ... Tammy (Tobin) Soderlund(76) of Montomedi has two sons and has beendivorced since 1998 ... Nancy (Homola) Ralston(75) of Virginia is teaching in the InformationManagement Specialist Program at Mesabi RangeCommunity and Technical College in Eveleth andVirginia ... John Lund (72) of Bemidji and his wife,Mary, have quit dairy farming after 15 years andhave purchased a new home in Bemidji ... Nancy(Hagen) Staiger (76) is living in Moorhead andwould like to hear from other alumni who lived inMaple or Oak Halls ... Scott Lindberg (75) of Mill

Valley, CA, has been working for HitachiSemiconductor for the past 13 years. He and his wife,Ellen have two children, Zack, 10, and Britt, 7 ... JimWalrath (71) and Mary Walrath (72) of ChippewaFalls, WI, will celebrate their 30th weddinganniversary this year. Jim has been teaching for 30years and spent 26 of those in Chippewa Fallsschools. Mary is expanding her private drivingschool to cover the largest territory in northwesternWisconsin. They gained two new grandchildrenduring 2000 ... Holly Geroy (77) of Eagan works atEver Care (United Health Group) in Minnetonka as asenior quality assurance analyst ... Kim (Leier)Ramsey (77) and Dave Ramsey (78) reside inOwatonna ... Richard Leathers (71) lives inPhoenix, AZ, and is employed as a mortician ... JimFisher (78) ran for election to the SixthCommissioner District seat on the St. Louis CountyBoard, competing with 11 other candidates. Heretired from the Eveleth Taconite Company in 1997after 31 years, was a maintenance millwright classinstructor and has been on college advisory boards ...Clarence Dobmeier (74) ran for election to theLittle Falls School Board. He moved to Little Falls in1993 when he became employed by State FarmInsurance Agency and had spent several yearsworking as a licensed social worker prior to then. Heand his wife, Nancy, recently celebrated 18 years ofmarriage. They have two children, Brett, 16, andBrittany, 12 ... LuAnn Arnold (78) ran for electionto the Delano School Board. She is employed as aproject manager in information technology and haslived in Franklin Township for eight years with herhusband and two children ... Michael Meuers (78)

Janice Lundsten

Composer Libby Larsen re-ceived the 2001 DistinguishedMinnesotan Award during com-mencement ceremonies last Mayat Bemidji State University.

Presented annually by BSU,the award recognizes the contri-butions of a current or formerresident of the state who has per-formed exemplary service to thepeople of Minnesota or theUnited States.

One of the most celebratedcomposers working today, Larsenhas created an immense cata-logue of works that spans virtu-ally every genre and establishesa permanent place for herself inconcert repertory.

She received a 1994 Grammyas producer for the CD, The Artof Arleen Auger, an acclaimedrecording that features LarsensSonnets from the Portuguese.

2001Composer Libby Larsen ReceivesDistinguished Minnesotan Award

are widely recorded on multiplelabels including Angel/EMI,Koch International, Nonesuchand Decca. Her symphonicworks have been recorded by theLondon Symphony and were re-leased by Koch International in1997.

Two new Koch recordingswere released in 2000, includingorchestral and vocal works per-formed by the Scottish ChamberOrchestra and featuring sopranoBenita Valente. The ColoradoSymphony recorded her fifthsymphony, Solo Symphony, inSeptember of 1999.

Larsen holds a doctorate de-gree from the University of Min-nesota and is a vigorous, articu-late advocate for the music andmusicians of our time. In 1973

1981, Sigurd Olson, naturalist and author1982, Karl Kassulke, athlete and handicap advocate1983, Janet Dearholt Esty, businesswoman and entrepreneur1984, Frederick F. Manfred, author1985, Dr. John Najarian, transplant surgeon1986, Dr. Harlan Cleveland, political scientist1987, Muriel Buck Humphrey Brown, advocate for the disadvantaged1988, Elmer L. Andersen, businessman and former governor1989, Curtis L. Carlson, businessman and philanthropist1990, William S. Marvin, businessman and community leader1991, Meridel LeSueur, writer and social activist1992, Veda Ponikvar, newspaper publisher1993, Nellie Stone Johnson, political and social activist1994, Cheryl Dickson, leader in humanities programming1995, William H. Kling, innovator in public radio1996, Jerry Willet, businessman and former state senator1997, Ann Bancroft, explorer of the North Pole and South Pole1998, Bob Bergland, congressman and former secretary of agriculture1999, Coya Knutson, congresswoman2000, Jon Hassler, author and educator

USA Today selectedher opera, Fran-kenstein, The Mod-ern Prometheus asone of the eight bestclassical musicalevents of 1990. Hermusic has beencommissioned andperformed by theworlds greatest art-ists.

Larsens works

she co-founded the MinnesotaComposers Forum, now theAmerican Composers Forum,which has been an invaluable aidfor composers in a difficult tran-sitional time for American arts.

The first woman to serve as aresident composer with a majororchestra, Larsen has held resi-dencies with the Minnesota Or-chestra, the Charlotte Symphonyand the Colorado Symphonyalong with many others.

She is the first composer to behonored with the DistinguishedMinnesotan Award since it wasfirst presented to naturalist andauthor Sigurd Olson in 1981.The previous recipients include:

Libby Larsen

Incoming freshmen visitwith a student counselor onthe shoreline of LakeBemidji during a JuneSummer StudentOrientation, Advising andRegistration (SOAR)program at BSU. Five SOARdates for new studentswere filled to capacity andthe campus is preparing forits biggest freshman classin more than a decade. Asof mid-July, freshmanregistration was 28 percenthigher than the same levelin 2000. To accommodatecontinued interest, threemini-SOAR events areplanned in August and a fallSOAR is planned September4. As many as 1,200 newfreshmen and transferscould enroll by the first dayof classes on September 5.

Horizons Page 6

(Continued on page 11)

(Continued from page 5)of Bemidji, Beltrami Countys longest-serving DFLchairman, resigned from that post at the end of 12years. He works as an underwriting representativefor Lakeland Public Television ... Jim Balfour (78)has been named the manager of creative services atJPG Communications Inc. in Virginia. He isresponsible for management and oversight of thecreative department that includes strategic planning,production supervision, layout and design, qualitycontrol and staff supervision ... Jim Fugleberg (75)was a featured speaker at Rose Lutheran Church forthree days in October. For the past 10 years he hasserved as pastor of St. Pauls Free Lutheran Churchin Fargo and previously served congregations inOntonagon, MI, and Ferndale, WA. He marriedLinda Erickson in 1975 and they have six children ...Jeffery Rust (76) of Lake Havasu City, AZ, is aphysicians assistant practicing emergency medicine.He and his wife, Sande, have three daughters,Nicole, 17, Katelyn, 6, and Aimee, 4 ... WendyFlinner (78) of St. Paul is married, has threechildren and enjoys teaching music in St. Paul ...Karla (Reimer) Jensen (75) of Pierz teachesphysical education and health at Pierz schools aswell as coaching tennis and track ... Teresa Kuleta(76) of Bemidji teaches kindergarten and has twochildren, ages 13 and 10 ... Charles Dibley (72) ofRock Valley, IA, is a tubist with the Sioux CitySymphony and performed with the Rock ValleyConcert Band on May 10 for the Iowa Band MastersConvention in Des Moines, IA. Hes been married 27years to Lonna and they have three children, with theyoungest attending high school. In his free time

Charles enjoys playing golf, composes two to threemusical works per year and is rediscovering the joysof chess ... Bruce Erickson (74) is living inAlexandria ... Edward Coyle (75) of Blackduck iscoaching the Kelliher-Northome baseball team thissummer and writes a sports column for the NorthomeRecord ... James Wheeler (72) was recently electedas secretary of the Minnesota Association ofSecondary School Principals. Wheeler has beenprincipal of the Bemidji Middle School for two yearsand prior to coming to Bemidji was principal atGilbert Junior High School, Waubun High Schooland assistant principal at Grand Rapids MiddleSchool ... Lois Spooner (73) and her husband, Felix,recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary ...Vicki (Olson) Rowe (78) of Bemidji, who taughtEnglish for 17 years at the Bemidji High School,recently appeared as a contestant on the hit televisiongame show Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ...Linda Brew (77),who serves as Bemidji HighSchool Knowledge Bowl coach, was recognized thisseason by her fellow coaches as the Knowledge Bowl2000-2001 coach of the year. The BHS teamconsistently took first place in the Northwest Regionand finished fifth in state competition this season ...Terry Bradley (75), Bemidji High School Banddirector, retired this spring concluding a 34-yearteaching career with 29 of those years spent atBemidji ... Steven Hoffbeck (79), a professor atMinnesota State University, Moorhead, won a 2001Minnesota Book Award for his book TheHaymakers: A Chronicle of Five Farm Families inthe history and biography category ... Kathy Elhard(73) is coordinator of the Northome ResourceCenter, with offices located in the Northome City

Hall. Elhard strives to assist residents in identifyingand accessing a variety of services offered inInternational Falls, Bemidji and Grand Rapids ...Thomas Fatticci (73) of Winthrop is currently thestate coordinator of mental health services for deaf,deaf and blind and hard of hearing Minnesotans. Heand his wife, Trudy, have five children and onegrandchild. Trudy is a director with the Mary KayCorporation ... Dick Anderson (75) and VangeAnderson (76) of Solway recently celebrated their25th wedding anniversary ... Richard Vesely (73)and his wife, Rose, recently celebrated their 50thwedding anniversary with an open house event heldin Bemidji ... Colleen Ketelsen (78) and herhusband, Larry, recently opened a new business,Missy Too, at 317 Beltrami Ave. NW. The storespecializes in womens clothing in sizes 8-18.

1980sChris Fettig (86) and his wife, Tiffany, of Bemidjiannounce the January 5 birth of a son, ChristianMichael ... David Sea (86) and his wife, Bonnie, ofPark Rapids are the new parents of a son ... BillBrunelle (88), an enrolled member of White EarthReservation, has been selected as the new WhiteEarth Reservation Tribal Police Chief. He has 17years of law enforcement experience that began in1984 when he worked as a conservation officer cadetwith the Leech Lake Department of ResourceManagement ... Bruce Slinkman (87) of Bemidjispent his winter vacation serving as a guide duringthe Ski for Light International gathering in GreenBay, WI. Ski for Light is a program that partnersskiers who can see with blind and visually impairedpeople ... Angela Nistler (88) of Bemidji and her

husband, Paul, announce the birth of their first childon April 27, 2000, a son named Bronson. She teachesspecial education and coaches skiing in the BemidjiSchool District ... Robert Lalone (85), a databaseanalyst with Hutchinson Technology, Inc., was acandidate for the Dassel City Council. His wife,Diana, is employed in customer service at CrestHealth Care in Dassel. They have a son namedChristopher ... Jim Hoffman (88) lives in BrooklynCenter ... Matt Amundson (80) and Kim (Volstad)Amundson (80) have three daughters and live inHendricks ... Kathleen Hill (88) of Bemidji isemployed in the lab at the Cass Lake Hospital ...Wendy (Witmer) Perry (81) of Omaha, NE, teachesmusic in Omaha public schools and plays in a localstring quartet. She lives with her husband, Joel, andtheir daughter, Paige, 5 ... Kari (Norling) Stadem(84) and her husband, Pete, of Blomkest wereexpecting their seventh child this spring. Their oldestis nearly 13 ... Jenny Bonde (89) and her husbandlive in Mineral Point, WI, and are beginning theirsixth season as certified organic vegetable growers.They sell their produce through a subscription servicecalled Community Supported Agriculture, farmersmarkets and to restaurants in Madison and Chicago ...Val Thompson (83) of Aitkin is employed as asocial worker at a nursing home and, along with herhusband, owns a funeral home. She has threechildren, ages 17, 13 and seven ... Tom Swanson(89) of Apple Valley is a deputy with the HennepinCounty Sheriffs Office. He and his wife, Julie, havea four-year-old daughter named Madison ... MichaelGanyo (89) is employed as a senior learningassociate at Prudential. He and his wife, Brenda, livein St. Louis Park with their daughter, Hannah, who

was born on October 12 ... Ann (Vosen) Mizelle(82) of Midland, VA, received her masters degreefrom George Mason University in Virginia in July,2000. She also announces the birth of her first childon July 25, 2000, a daughter, Bethany Ann ... ToddMatta (80) of Auburn, MA, is employed as acomputer technician support engineer with the EMCCorporation ... Sue (Warnke) Carlson (89) lives inCottage Grove ... Rebecca Braaten (89) ofWesthope, ND, manages six branch insurance officesfor Farm Credit Services of North Dakota. She liveswith her husband, Sheldon, and their children, Alishaand Hunter ... Shiek Shah (82) of Irving, TX, is theco-founder and CEO of Akili, a Dallas-based systemsintegrator. Shah is married, has a two-year-old sonand recently climbed Mt. Aconcogua in SouthAmerica ... Mary Grund (86) of Baudette enjoysshowing horses and is attempting to qualify for theAQHA World Show ... Bradley Thom (80) is areverend in Glencoe ... Ward Blumer (89) ofGolden Valley has been teaching at OakwoodElementary School in the Wayzata School Districtsince 1994. He also coaches football at Wayzata. Heand his wife, Jill, have a one-year-old daughter,Margo ... Mike Frankenfield (80) lives in Faribault... Cory Shubert (83) lives with his wife, Susie, andtheir children in St. Louis Park ... Scott Storrick(86) and his wife Amy (Miller) Storrick (87) livein Coon Rapids with their two children. Scott teachestechnology education and coaches tennis at CoonRapids High School and this winter received hismasters in educational leadership from BethelCollege. Amy works in student services at Anoka-Ramsey Community College ... Mike Anderson

Where We Are ... What Were Doing

The Welle family of Bemidjijoined other honorees recognizedwith permanent plaques dis-played along Bemidji StateUniversitys Founders Walkduring an induction ceremonyAugust 1 at the Alumni Arch infront of Deputy Hall.

The Founders Walk was estab-lished in 1993 to recognize theefforts of those who played ma-jor roles in the development andgrowth of the university.

The Welle family is a primeexample of people who give ofthemselves for the betterment ofothers and their community, saidDr. Jim Bensen. The breadth oftheir involvement and the sus-tained commitment to BemidjiState University over the years istruly gratifying.

Through three generations ofWelle leadership at First NationalBank, the financial institution hasforged a strong partnership withBSU providing significant finan-cial support in the form of dona-tions to the BSU Foundation,noted Sue Kringen, BSU Foun-dation director of development.In addition, each year the banksponsors the First National Bank-

BSU Womens Athletic GolfTournament as a fundraiser forwomens athletic programs at theuniversity, with this years eventscheduled August 3. Bank em-ployees have also contributedcountless hours to benefit theuniversity by serving on theFoundation board, assisting infund raising efforts and servingon BSUs Beaver Pride board.

The Welle family is deeplyhonored to be recognized byBemidji State University withthis distinguished award, stateda spokesperson for the family.We are pleased to have had theopportunity to work with manyoutstanding individuals to ad-vance the growth and develop-ment of Bemidji State University.It has established an outstandingrecord of academic and sportsexcellence and has been a leaderin community development.

The BSU Foundation, in itsFounders Walk recommenda-tion, summarized contributionsby individual Welle family mem-bers to the development andgrowth of the University.

Nick Welle signed the originalBSU Foundation Articles of In-corporation in 1969, was presi-dent of the BSU Foundation

board in its earliest days andserved as a foundation boardmember from 1969 to 1978. ANick A.Welle Memorial En-dowed Scholarship was estab-lished with a significant gift. Healso served as a president andCEO of First National Bank.

The Robert and Jeanette Wellefamily sponsored a room in theA.C. Clark Library with a gener-ous gift. Robert served on theBSU Foundation board from1972 to 1986 and is chairman ofFirst National Bank. JeanetteWelle, his wife, was one of theoriginal organizers of the annualgolf tournament.

E. Joseph Welle is a long-timesupporter of BSUs athletic pro-gram and foundation efforts.

Prior to the formation of the foun-dation, he served as one ofBemidjis representatives to agroup composed of membersfrom each of the state universi-ties that worked with thechancellors office and the legis-lature. He is a former presidentof First National Bank.

Paul Welle is vice president of theBSU Foundation board and willserve as its president for the 2001-2002 term. Hes served as a boardmember since 1998 and is vicepresident of First National Bank.

Pat Welle is a professor of eco-nomics and environmental stud-ies at BSU.

Hugh Welle is a strong advo-cate of BSU and vice presidentat First National Bank. His wife,

FoundersWelle Family Added to Founders WalkDebra, has volunteered at the an-nual golf tournament. His sister,Theresa, is a graduate of BSU.

Tom Welle served as a BSUFoundation board member from1988 to 1994 and is a 1972 gradu-ate of BSU. Two of his brothersare graduates of BSU. His son,Ryan, is currently a BSU studentand member of the BSU footballteam. Tom is the president andCEO of First National Bank.

The Welle family joins six indi-viduals and two other Bemidjifamilies honored with plaquesalong the Founders Walk. Theyare A.P. Ritchie, Lloyd Pendergast,Leonard Dickinson, A.P. White,Tams Bixby, William BillHowe, the Baer family and theNaylor family.

Dr. Jim Bensen, BSU President

TT he Welle family is a prime example of people who give of themselves for the betterment of others and their community. The breadth of their involvementand the sustained commitment to Bemidji StateUniversity over the years is truly gratifying.

Representatives from Bemidji State and local Native American communities gathered for a site blessing ceremony in May for thenew American Indian Resource Center on campus. Located at the west end of the tennis courts adjacent to Chet Anderson Stadium,the center will house academic programs and services for BSU Native American students as well as serve as a regional resource fortribal governments. Work on the building is expected to start this school year.

Horizons Page 7

Remembrances

Remembrances is a new section that will appear periodically in HORIZONS. It features thememories and thoughts of BSU alumni who remain in contact with the University through avariety of venues. Alumni with memories they would like to share may forward them to theAlumni Association, Bemidji State University, 1500 Birchmont Drive NE Box 17, Bemidji, MN56601. To highlight this new section, Dr. Jim Bensen (class of 1959 and retiring BSU president)and his wife Nancy (57) were asked to comment on their remembrances of the institution.

Bemidji StateRemembrances

OO

Jim Bensen

nce a week, President Sattgast would have a convocation. Hewould once or twice deliver the message himself, particularly whenit was the first, opening convocation for new students. We were allsitting in the Memorial Hall bleachers and it was filled from end toend. He said, Look to your right side and look to your left side. At theend of four years, only one of the three of you will be here to walkacross the stage and graduate. It wasnt what I would call affirma-tive psychology, but it got your attention.

Jim Bensen in Memorial Hall

Horizons Page 8

JIM BENSENLooking back on the first week

of school, it was one of perpetualchange. You had to come in andfind the place - we thought it washuge and there were only fourbuildings. We had to get checkedinto the dorms, meet our room-mate, get classes scheduled, haveorientation sessions, and go to themixers to meet new people. Look-ing back on it, I dont think itsmuch different than it is today.Except for the beanie. You gotyour beanie and youd better notbe caught on campus without it.

I think a students favoriteclasses often follow favorite fac-ulty. Sulo Havumaki in psychol-ogy was such a great person. RuthStenerson was a great proponentof literature and she got everyone

of the year werealized how farshe had taken usall. I think Iwould havewritten a thou-sand papers inorder to getaway from giv-ing a speech.And now I lookat my life as ithas evolved in

public speaking; keynoting majorconventions all over the world hasbeen a very large part of my life.

In looking back at a definingmoment in my time at BSU, Iworked with Harry Fritz, the ath-letic director and basketballcoach at the time. I was the stu-dent manager. We had been in Elywith the JV team. It was 30-somebelow zero and as cold as couldbe. We had a bunch of guys sleep-ing in the station wagon on theway home, and Harry and I werein the front seat the only twoawake. And we began talkingone-on-one. Harry was a prettyserious guy. Harry said, Jim,whatever you decide to do, be-come the very best in what youdo. Here was a guy with a greatnational reputation and who hadhis doctorate at a small univer-

Nancy and Jim Bensen

Bemidji StateRemembrancesgoing in that area. I look back atJohn Warford and Bill Sellon inmy major and they were the bestyou could ever imagine. Through-out my career, I patterned what Idid after these people.

The class that permitted me togrow the most was MargaretKellys English class. It was a per-formance-based class. You had toturn in a theme one week and givea speech the next week. This ro-tated through the whole year. Soyou gave a lot of speeches andwrote a lot of papers for her. Andshe was a stickler for perfection.We werent that inclined to be per-fect at the start, but toward the end

and a common lounge area sepa-rated us, but it was not enough.The fact that we had hours andMarie Bishop living at the end ofour floor meant we were welltaken care of. Marie was, let meput it this way, very conscientious.

I went to summer school forone session with my mother, andit was a wonderful experience.I took class voice from CarlThompson, and I had to sing 10solos. My mother would have todrive all around town so I couldpractice my solos.

Some of my fondest memoriesof BSU are of the girls in thedorms. You come from a littletown of Erskine with 27 kids inthe graduating class. I met life-long friends, people I am still con-nected with. We just had a goodtime. We did a lot of visiting, eat-ing popcorn, drinking coffee, andjust hanging out together. Its dif-ferent today. We played cards anddrank a lot of coffee. Remember,TV was not a big thing.

There was one telephone perfloor in the dorms. And it was aparty line. There was no privacy;you could hear everyones phoneconversation. Its unbelievablecompared to today. Now every-one is running around with cellphones and theres a phone ineach room.

We had no money, and none ofthe kids had money, so we didntknow we were poor. When I wenthome, I would have to take thebus from the Mileage Caf or geta ride because I was not allowedto hitchhike. But the guys hitch-hiked all the time.

On the night Jim proposed, Iremember it was cold. I did knowa proposal was coming, but notwhen. Jim had borrowed a carand we had gone out. When wepulled into Diamond Point, Ithought we were just going to doa little smooching. We had datedfor years all through highschool and college and I saidyes right away.

Remembrances

sity. In his own time, he reallywas the best at what he was do-ing. I looked at that and I thoughtit was very good advice.

My wife Nancy knew a marriageproposal was coming, but didntknow when. I thought, Im reallygoing to be kind of romantic aboutthis. Of course, no one owned a carat the time so I borrowed mycousins. I took her out for a din-ner and a show. Following theevening, I swung into DiamondPoint to make the ask, and she saidyes. It was Valentines Day eve, inthe winter - cold. We stayed in thecar. But I can still almost put an Xon the spot where I proposed.

In the times I came back toBemidji while I was at UW-Stoutor Dunwoody Institute, I was al-ways awed with the natural set-ting of the campus. It gave me agood feeling just coming intotown. I was always impressedwith the attitude of the facultyand staff here. Such caring peopledoing a great job.

My best memory as president ofBemidji State is celebrating theexcellence and innovation that thefaculty and staff of this institutionhave embraced from day one. Icontinuously would get kudosfrom the corporate world, legisla-tors and others. They would say,Wow, Bemidji State, theres somany good things happening upthere. Its out on the front of thecurve. Its open, its robust. Hav-ing a role to play in that has beenone of my major satisfactions.

Each of my three stops inhigher education (UW-Stout,Dunwoody, and Bemidji State)has really been the right thing atthe right time. And I look at re-tirement as another right time forme. I am really excited about thenext stage in our lives. Wevecommitted ourselves to our com-munity and the university. Its achance to do the things you re-ally want to do: read, write, con-sult, and volunteer for the univer-sity in a lot of ways.

NANCY BENSENMy mother was an elementary

teacher who was widowed. Shealways said, Where would I bewith three girls without my edu-cation and if I couldnt teachschool. So all three of us had todo something, and I had alwaysplanned on going to college. Iwas apprehensive when I firstcame. I thought I was a little frogin a big puddle. I look back nowat the number of faculty on cam-pus at that time, and we thoughtit was immense. I remember allof my instructors because theywere an important part of my life.

The first year both Jim and Ilived in Birch Hall, which did notsit well with my mother. Not thefact that Jim was there, but that itwas a coed dorm. It really wasntcoed because there was a wing formen and women. Several walls

Horizons Page 9

later we were on a troop traingoing to Ft. Rucker, AL. Myrough assignment was to playtackle on our regimental footballteam. My three years on the Bea-ver football team had paid off.

CASSIE (GRAVEL) BORNETUN(1983)

Andover, MNIll never forget the fall of

1977. My parents drove me toBemidji, the car loaded to the roofwith all my worldly possessions.They unloaded my boxes anddrove off. There I was, a fresh-man at BSU, not knowing a soul,scared to death and lonely al-ready! It wasnt long before otherrefugees on Linden 4B startedarriving, unpacking and stickingtheir heads in my room to sayhi and introduce themselves. Abunch of us walked to Renaudsfor pizza that first night. I knewat that time I was going to be allright - so many of us in the sameboat. Safety in numbers as thesaying goes.

MANDY GOPLIN (1970)Bemidji, MN

Attending BSU was a time ofgreat discovery, exploration andexcitement. Life on campus wasan education in itself. Some of thefriendships I developed will re-main lifelong friendships that Illalways treasure.

JANE CHAGNON (1984)St. Paul, MN

I have very fond memories ofattending BSU hockey gameswith my then boyfriend, now hus-band, John. Hey, it was a cheapdate!

LINDA JAAKOLA (1974)Windom, MN

BEVERLY WIDSTRAND (1970) Aurora, MN

One of our BSC band toursmust have been especially hairy,because when we returned tocampus, professor Tom Swansonknelt to the ground and kissed itin joy to be safely home. Was thatthe time the bus lights kept go-ing off on the freeway?

HAROLD MELBY (1946)Minnetonka, MN

In January 1946, I returned toBemidji after service as a pilot inthe Naval Air Corps. BSU wasjust starting housing for veteransand we were fortunate to be cho-sen to rent the apartment theymade in the power plant. It was atwo-room apartment overlookingthe lake with a bathroom weshared with the custodians work-ing in the power plant. The facili-ties were greatand we enjoyedusing the lake that is, until wewent away oneweekend andcame home toan apartmentfull of soot. Twoboilers back-fired, sendingblack soot intothe apartmentand elsewhere.It took a lot ofscrubbing tomake it livableagain.

SCOTT HAUGEN, (1998)Fargo, ND

My favorite memories of myundergraduate studies at BSUinvolve participation in musicand theatre department activi-ties and performances. I had theopportunity to be a part of theBemidji Choirs concert tour of

Willard Robertson

Before the days of refrigeratorsin the room, we would keepthings cool between the windowand the screen or bury our icecream in a snowbank. It wasntalways easy to find again.

PAUL WOLTER (1973)Wadena, MN

During the summer of 1971 Istarted commuting to BSU dailyfrom my home in Wadena. I tookmy family to Bemidji State Parkto camp for the last week of thefirst summer school session. Wewoke up to rain on the very firstmorning. I left my wife in a tentwith four children ages 2-11years. When I returned in theearly afternoon the sun was shin-ing and everyone was just fine.

MARVIN SAUERS (1979)St. Cloud, MN

Because my wife and I at-tended BSU off and on for elevenyears the campus became veryfamiliar to us. A beautiful loca-tion that we often return to visit.We have great memories of warmfall days, cold snowy winter daysthat drove us indoors, and a cam-pus energized by spring.

JUDITH HENTGES (1986)Ham Lake, MN

I remember that when I first gotto BSU, I was extremely worriedabout the need to get As to makeit into grad school. Dr. DonDyrhaug was my advisor as I wasa psych major. He told me, Goodgrades are important; perfectgrades arent necessary. Thathelped me to take off some of thepressure I had placed on myself.

FRED WESELY (1987)Elk River, MN

My memories of my time spentat BSU: The beautiful setting onthe Lake. Bemidji is the perfectspot for an intellectual as well asphysical experience. My sailingacross the lake gave me the physi-cal release needed from the rig-ors of the academic challenges.

WAYNE (1983) & LOUISE (1981)(GADBOIS) BEAMAN

St. Paul Park, MNWe enjoyed the walks through

Diamond Point Park, the bikerides around Lake Bemidji, discodancing at the Viking, the Bea-ver Pond, Jacks Supper Club, T-Bones, Noels, etc. and the factthat you could head to any one ofthose places and see familiarfaces. We were both athletes atBSU and remember how hard weworked and with limited facili-ties - we know that it made ustough! We enjoyed our athleticcareers there. We especially re-call running the stairs in Tama-rack Hall - what a workout! Ourlegs were like Jell-O after severalrounds of 13 flights! Do they stilluse that as a workout facility?

CYNTHIA A. NELSON (1978)Eagan, MN

In the winter of 1970 LakeBemidji froze over before we hadany snow. I remember putting onskates on the shoreline of Dia-mond Point Park and skatingacross the lake under a full moon.It was beautiful, twinkling lightson shore and stars and moonabove.

WILLARD ROBERTSON (1953)La Mirada, CA

Returning to Birch Hall after adowntown movie in Dec. (1950)and being greeted with, You arein the Army now. PresidentTruman, in a radio broadcast, hadfederalized the Minnesota andother Midwest National Guardsbecause of the Korean Conflict.Twenty or more BSU studentswere in this group. One week

(Continued on page 10)

Harold and daughter Karen at 1 - swinging outside the BSUpower plant. Again, some 54 years later

Horizons Page 10

Bemidji StateRemembrances

Europe. There were manymemorable moments from thatthree-week tour, but our concertin Chartres Cathedral stands outas the most vivid and inspiring.Finally, who can forget therubber chicken tradition?Legend has it that on the clos-ing night of each theatre perfor-mance, it is expected that a rub-ber chicken will make a con-spicuous appearance some-where on the set some time dur-ing the show. Now, who willever forget the faux fowl visit-ing a divas deathbed scene in aVerdi opera?

MARY CUMMINGS 1984Tulsa, OK

At Halloween our freshmanyear, six of us girls paintedwhite sheets to resemble Pabstbeer cans and we wanderedaround to various parties as asix pack of beer. Luckily one ofour group was an art major soshe drew the design on eachsheet and the rest of us usedtempera paint to fill in the de-sign and then cut out cardboardcollars which we stapled to thesheets. It was lots of fun.

TIA PISCITELLI (1990)Corte Madera, CA

I was an RA in Tamarack Hall.I remember showing the fresh-men on my floor around campus.We toured through the tunnels,walked through the Union, ex-plored by the lake and locatedtheir classes. During the tour, Ireally began to realize how spe-cial Bemidji State University is.It is a jewel and I feel fortunateto have gone there.

LORETTA CRUZ (1998)South Royalton, VT

My fondest memory of BSUwas how friendly everyone was.Being from out of state, I wasafraid that I would have a hardtime fitting in. Not true! Every-one made me feel right at home.

ALICE FUGLESTAD (1967)Bemidji, MN

My favorite memory of BSUis when Dr. Harry Bangsbergbecame president. He was youngwith a young family. He was intouch with students - he didntjust sit in an office somewhere.My worst memory is when Dr.Bangsbergs plane crashed inSoutheast Asia and he was killed.(1967). My class donated the pic-ture of Dr. Bangsberg that hangsin Bangsberg Hall.

MURRAY WARREN 1948Crookston, MN

I remember riding with RodneyHobson on the back seat of hismotorcycle as we went searchingfor rubber, iron, aluminum or anyrecyclable scrap to support thewar effort in the fall of 1942. By1943 most of us were in uniform.Many came back to graduate butsome never had a chance to re-turn. We salute them.

GEORGIA MEADE (1956)Westminster, CA

One of my favorite memorieswas living in Birch Hall. We hada formal dance one evening butdid not return to the dorm in timefor curfew. We had to spend theevening in a car at DiamondPoint. We would turn the car onand off throughout the evening tostay warm.

Loretta Cruz and friends

JACQUELYN WITTY (1973)Mt. Iron, MN

I dearly loved the Sattgastpeople where I worked. I endedup minoring in biology - the birdwatching and plant eating wereextremely fond memories! Myfunniest memory was my first jobat the desk where I checked allthe ladies from Linden in by10:00 on weeknights and by12:00 on weekends. Those werethe days!

BONNIE K. EDWARDS (1972)Eveleth, MN

My fondest memories revolvearound the lake: huge ice chunkson the beach in April; walks alongthe shoreline in the fall whenleaves were falling and every stepmade a crackling sound; enor-mous gray squirrels running ev-erywhere on campus; and last,but not least, getting proposed to(engaged) during a sunny after-noon in May of my senior yearin Diamond Point Park - the per-fect romantic setting!

LINDA LOVE (1959)Allen Park, MI

My best, well not best, butmost remembered memory is ofthe Asian flu. Everyone wasquarantined if they came downwith the illness, which most stu-dents did. Things were put onhold for a couple of weeks dueto this epidemic that hit theBemidji campus.

DOROTHY BILLBERG (1967)Roseau, MN

I attended Bemidji State onlyfor night classes and summerschool. Our night classes werelate enough so we could leavewhen school was dismissed anddrive 132 miles to Bemidji andthen back home after the classwas completed. In summer westayed at homes where we couldrent rooms. Some years we hadfour children living with us in anapartment.

REMEMBRANCES(Continued from page 9)

Horizons Page 11

(Continued from page 6)(89) competed last fall in the National GuardMarksmanship competition in Little Rock AK. Heand five teammates from the Charlie Company basedout of Bemidji represented Minnesota in thecompetition where all 50 states and two territories arerepresented. Anderson has been employed as a policeofficer in East Grand Forks for the past 11 years, andin 1997 he was promoted to sergeant ... BrendaRenczykowski (82) teaches Spanish at SSC HighSchool in Okabena and Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster in Round Lake. She has developed a website for her students to use in reviewing andpracticing their Spanish ... John Terwilliger (84)filed in the fall as a candidate in the Lake Shore CityCouncil elections. He is semi-retired and serves onLake Shores planning, zoning and sewer committees.He taught electronics for 20 years at WadenaTechnical College. He and his wife, Cindy, grew upon farms in the Lake Shore area ... Wayne Hoffert(86) ran as the Republican candidate for the SenateDistrict 11 seat in last falls election. He is amanufacturing production supervisor at the Fargotractor/wheeled loader plant of Case New Holland.He and his wife, Coni, have been married for 29 yearsand have six children and two grandchildren ...Rachel Stewart (81) of Iowa City, IA, recentlystarted a new job as web administrator for the HenryB. Tippri College of Business at the University ofIowa ... James Green (82) has accepted a positionwith the University of Wisconsin Space Science andEngineering Department in Madison. His firstassignment will be with Operation Icecube, aNational Science Foundation research project inAntarctica. He and his wife, Nancy, have a home in

Where We Are ... What Were DoingMadison where he has worked as an engineer for thepast eight years ... Marie Gibbons (84) teachesbusiness math, workplace readiness and on the jobstudy at Grand Rapids High School. Her husband,Denny, is in computer sales and the couple has threechildren, Calihan, 12, Kassandra, 10, and Maggie, 4... Brian Anderson (88) is the new general managerof the Chisholm Tribune Press. He has been with thepaper for five years and had held the position ofeditor and assistant general manager since his arrival... John Damjanovich (86) was recently hired as acommercial loan officer with the Woodland Bank ofRemer, with branches in Cohasset, Hill City andLongville. Prior to starting his new job, he workedfor three years as the loan fund manager for theNortheast Entrepreneur Fund and had previouslybeen employed for eight years as a businessdevelopment specialist for the Itasca DevelopmentCorporation ...Kathy Buxton (80) has beenappointed to the board of the St. Josephs Foundation.She is from East Gull Lake and owns A WomansChoice, which provides breast prosthesis and otherproducts to women diagnosed with breast cancer. Sheis active in the American Cancer Society, theInstitutional Review Board and P.E.O. ...PaulWeinzierl (84) is the new elementary principal forthe Long Prairie-Grey Eagle Public School District.Hed previously spent five years as the activitiesdirector for grades K-12 in Wadena Deer CreekSchools. He and his wife, Jean, a teacher, have twochildren, Bethany, a sixth-grader, and Drew, a fifth-grader ... Daryl Meyer (84), a 16-year veteran ofcorrections work in Polk County, is the new directorof the Red River Valley Juvenile Detention Center inCrookston. Hed been employed since 1984 by Tri-

County Corrections, and for the nine months prior tobeing named center director, he served as the school-based corrections agent at Crookston Central HighSchool. Meyer and his wife, Arla, who works in the PolkCounty Auditor/Treasurers office, have two daughters,Ashley, 10, and Karlee, 2 ... Michael Neumiller (82) ofWilliams ran last fall as a candidate in the District 4 Lakeof the Woods county commissioner elections. Hescurrently employed as Williams city clerk, having retiredin 1993 from active duty as a lieutenant commander,Supply Corps, U.S. Navy. He and his wife, Melody, havebeen married for 25 years. They have a grown daughter,Sarah, and last year adopted two boys, Troy, 7, and Kyle,4 ... Jerry (87) and Tammie Colley (92) announce theMay 5 birth of a son ... Susanna Jackson (85) ofMinneapolis received her doctor of pharmacy degreefrom the University of Minnesota and since then has heldseveral positions including director of clinical researchfor an allergy and asthma clinic. Shes currently a clinicalpharmacist for St. Josephs Hospital of St. Paul ...Sharon Elliott (87) of St. Louis, MO, and her husband,Thomas Lavallee, have a daughter named Sophia Rosewho was born April 6, 2000 ... Elaine (Eisenberg)Schneider (83) of Lake Zurin, IL, writes that shessingle again and works as an educational nanny and tutorwith Montessori background. Hobbies include doingblack and white hand-colored photography, rescuingstray cats and driving her 63 Comet ... Lydell Husmann(82) of Dakota Dunes, SD, is employed as a seniorfinance manager in the manufacturing financedepartment at Gateway Inc. in N. Sioux City, SD. He andhis wife, Karen, have five children ranging in age fromtwo to nine ... Raymond Claassen (82) of Ottertailworks with mentally and physically disabled individualsin a group home setting. Hes single and recently visited

his sister in eastern England. He enjoys bird watching andsinging in a church choir ... Patricia Johnson (89) ofCoon Rapids works for Independent School District 15 inthe communications department creating ads andpaginating the Community Courier newspaper. She enjoystraveling with her husband ... Mark Kurtzahn (82) andLesley Kurtzahn (83) recently moved to Caledonia, IL,the couples 14th move in 18 years ... John Flannagan(83) is a psychologist for the Wells Fargo EmployeeAssistance program and a professional actor. Hes donecommercials for Best Buy and Time-Warner, recentlyappeared in the movie Sugar and Spice and is currentlyfilming Joe Somebody with Tim Allen ... MelanieBenjamin (88), chief executive director of the MilleLacs Band of Ojibwe, served as keynote speaker at theAmerican Indian Seniors Honors Banquet at BemidjiHigh School this spring ... Jim Lyons (89), who hadserved as pastor of the Newman Center at BSU, recentlytransferred to a position in which he will be servingparishes in Blackduck, Kelliher and Northome ... JillLandsverk (89) and her husband, Mark, of Fosstonannounce the May 29 birth of twin daughters ... JulieHarris (84), a U.S. Navy veteran and county employeesince 1979, is Beltrami Countys new veterans serviceofficer. The Beltrami County Board appointed her to afour-year term in the position May 1. Shed worked for 21years with the previous veterans service officer.

1990sKristen Knoshaug (98) and Chad Mihm weremarried December 9 at Concordia Language Villagesnear Bemidji. They live in Plymouth ... Steven Asche(97) of Rice has been working in quality assurance atBankers Systems Inc. in St. Cloud for about fouryears. He and his wife of three years, Krista, are

awaiting the birth of their first child in July ... KarenHall (96) of East Gull Lake is employed as a familynurse practitioner, having completed her mastersdegree in nursing in 1999 ... Harriet Evans (98) ofDeer River works for Kootasca Community ActionInc. as a guardian ad litem and serves as the adultfoster care licensing coordinator for Itasca County.Shed previously worked at Northland Recovery andDetox in Grand Rapids and continues to work withNorthland in an on-call capacity ... James Figliuzzi(95) lives with his wife and children in Des Moines,IA ... Paula Baier (94) of Carlton is the mother ofthree-year-old Brittany and was expecting a secondchild in April ... Tracy (Ethen) Jones (98) and herhusband, Jason Jones (97), live in Sartell with theirson, Luke, who will be one year old in July ... Kelly(Spierings) Aspen (92) of Amherst Junction, WI, isthe varsity volleyball coach at Amherst High School.She also owns a medical sales business along withher husband, Bryan. The couple has a son, Riley, 6,and daughter, Aubrey, 4 ... Jennifer Mellum (99) ofOwatonna married John Thompson (98) in July ...Steven Fisher (90) of Hibbing is employed by ISD-701 and Hibbing Community Education. Hobbiesinclude motorcycling and acting as a disc jockey atdances ... Dena Boutto (94) recently purchased ahome in Chisholm, brought home a puppy andreports that her life is stressful but exciting ...Loretta Cruz (98) is living in South Royalton, VT... M. Elaine Bonnell (94) lives in Warroad andworks in the Warroad Middle School as a mediaspecialist and ESL teacher ... Ryan Holmgren (99)of New Richland is enjoying teaching senior highsocial studies at NRHEG High School in New

Jim Bensen Legacy CampaignBemidji State University Alumni Association

RESOLUTION OF SUPPORTWHEREAS M. James (Jim) Bensen has served as President of Bemidji

State University for the past seven (7) years; andWHEREAS After serving as a leader in education, business, industry,

communities and society for forty-two years (42), Jim Bensen isretiring; and

WHEREAS Jim Bensen is recognized across the state, nation and worldas an innovator and visionary; and

WHEREAS Jim Bensen has successfully led Bemidji State University innew directions creating a culture of technology and innovation; and

WHEREAS Jim Bensen has created new models of outreach and part-nership with business, industry and communities for the furtherbenefit of Bemidji State University; and

WHEREAS Jim Bensen is an alumnus of Bemidji State University, thefirst alumnus/a to serve as President of that same institution; and

WHEREAS Jim Bensen, as President of Bemidji State University, haspartnered with the Bemidji State University Alumni Association,leading it in new, exciting, and innovative directions, therefore be it

RESOLVED In recognition and sincere appreciation of all that JimBensen has contributed to Bemidji State University and to con-tinue to support his vision of innovation and creativity into thefuture, the Bemidji State University Alumni Association pledgesto support the Bemidji State University Foundation in the JimBensen Legacy Campaign.

LegacyBensenLegacy CampaignAfter 42 years of leading edu-

cation, business, industry, com-munities and society as a wholein creative and productive waysof inventing the future, Dr. JimBensen is retiring as president ofBemidji State University.

Bensen, a BSU alumnus (classof 1959), has approached hiswork and his life in a fast-pacedenvironment of innovation, entre-preneurship, and collaboration.He provided sustained ideationand leadership at the Universityof Wisconsin-Stout, DunwoodyInstitute, and Bemidji State Uni-versity - three very different, yetdynamic, institutions of highereducation. With the faculty andstaff of these institutions, alongwith hundreds of other organiza-tions, more partnerships wereformed, synergy created, jobs es-tablished, and economies raisedthan can be even catalogued.

Yet, he is the first to recognizethe contributions of others.Building relationships and em-powering people to take risks andtry new ideas are hallmarks of hisstyle of working with people.

Bensen has touched thousandsof lives and influenced thousandsof organizations. To honorBensen and build upon the mo-mentum of innovation, entrepre-neurship and collaboration he has

created, the Bemidji State Uni-versity Foundation is orchestrat-ing the Jim Bensen Legacy Cam-paign, a major fundraising effortto create the Jim Bensen Innova-tion Fund.

The Jim Bensen InnovationFund will provide resources dedi-cated to stimulating new ideas inthe areas of instruction, researchand partnerships. Areas to be sup-ported by the fund will include: faculty mini-grants to support

new approaches to teaching/learning strategies and emerg-ing curriculum;

investment capital to advanceapplied research and develop-ment;

collaborative problem-solvingcommunities focusing on cre-ating new futures;

student/faculty collaborativescholarship activities; and

experiments with alternative en-trepreneurial partnership ventures(e.g., prototype development).In recognition and appreciation

of his leadership and spirit of col-laboration, the board of directorsof the Bemidji State UniversityAlumni Association during itsApril meeting approved a reso-lution in support of the campaign.

Volunteers for the Jim BensenLegacy Campaign will workthrough three divisions; the Met-ropolitan, Northern Minnesotaand Foundation Divisions.

Donations will be sought frombusiness and industry, founda-tions; BSU faculty and staff;BSU faculty emeriti; members ofthe BSU Foundation; Bensens1958, 1959, and 1960 classmates;and those individuals of the foun-dation and alumni boards whohave worked with Bensen sincehis appointment as president ofBSU. Total dollars contributedto date will be announced duringBensens retirement celebration,which is scheduled for August.

Jim Bensen certainly hastouched lives and impacted com-munities in so many ways, saidSue Kringen, BSU Foundation di-rector of development and cam-paign coordinator. It is so refresh-ing to see the number of peoplewho are voluntarily stepping for-ward to assist in the campaign andwho are making donations.

In addition to the leadership hehas provided in shaping new fu-tures, Jim Bensen has given somuch of his time helping others.He is a friend. This campaign is away to thank and honor him for allhe has contributed, and will allowBSU to continue his legacy.

For additional information re-lating to the Jim Bensen LegacyCampaign, contact the BemidjiState University Foundation at755-2762 (local) or 1-888-234-5718.

(Continued on page 12)

Dr. Jim Bensen, retiring BSU president, was recognized with a special honor dance duringthe annual 2001 Pow Wow presented by the Bemidji State Council of Indian Students.

Horizons Page 12

(Continued from page 11)

Where We Are ... What Were Doing

Evan and ElaineHazard

Evan Hazard came tocampus in 1958 and retiredfrom Bemidji State Univer-sity in 1994 as professoremeritus of biology. How-ever, his influence on BSUbiology continues today.He and his wife, Elaine rec-ognize how vital BSU is tothe communities it serves,especially to students whoattend BSU seeking a qual-ity education in biology.

To this end, they willprovide $10,000 to the BIO(Biology Investigative Op-portunities) Endowment. Established in 1997, the fund providesannual research awards to students with declared majors in biol-ogy, medical technology, or aquatic biology.

Additionally, in 1999 Evan established the Hazard Scholar-ship, providing an annual scholarship to a junior or senior de-clared biology major. In order to grow the fund and provideadditional scholarships, the Hazards invite further donations fromalumni, faculty, and friends.

Evan earned a bachelors degree at Cornell University, Ithaca,NY, and his doctorate at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.His contributions to BSU biology include developing the verte-brate collection, strongly advocating science as an integral com-ponent of the liberal arts, and designing and teaching a writingcourse for biology majors.

Elaine Hazard, RN, earned a BSN from Cornells nursingschool in 1959 and retired in 1991 after 17 years at North Coun-try Regional Hospital. She also has bachelors degrees in biol-ogy and English (70) and a masters in English (73) from BSU.

Evan and Elaine have three children: Brian (BSU 85), Stuart(BSU 82), and Kathryn.

I once said, College teaching is the worlds greatest under-paid profession, Evan noted. I have fond memories of work-ing with both students and colleagues. We are still in contactwith many alums, some now university profs themselves. Wehave always lived less than a mile from campus, and I still fre-quently lunch with my biology colleagues.

Public universities like BSU educate most American under-graduates, and undergrads at such schools have far more contactwith full-time profs than do those at giant research universities.No capable American student should be denied a college educa-tion for solely economic reasons. Through the Hazard Scholar-ship and a contribution to the BIO Endowment, Elaine and I hopeto help enhance quality biology education at BSU and help theuniversity recruit the best and brightest students to campus.

LegacyBuildersThis column is a regular feature of HORIZONS. The column will highlight majorgifts made by individuals or organizations to the University that support the mis-sion of Bemidji State and build a legacy for the future.

Richland and coaching junior high football, girlsbasketball and baseball ... Nicholas Neeb (95) isliving in Holden, MA ... Eric Johnston (94) lives inFarmington and runs a financial services business ...Brandon Blanchard (96) lives in Saginaw, MI ...David Herring (93) is employed as a territoryconsultant for Orion Food Systems. He lives with hiswife, Kelly Jo (Macleod) and their son, Cole, inGrand Rapids ... Stacy Gray (94) has been workingat Express Scripts for more than six years. She liveswith her husband and their child, Brayden, 3, in NewHope ... Tia (Filipovich) Piscitelli (90) of CorteMadera, CA, teaches first grade as well as serving asa literacy facilitator in Mill Valley, CA, and is theparent of three ... Jeffrey Carpenter (90) lives inMarstons Mills, MA, and has two children, Taylor, 4,and Zackary, 2. Hes anticipating the birth of a thirdchild in August ... Paul Hetland (95) of Stillwaterrecently accepted the position of membershipdevelopment and communications director for the St.Paul Area Association of Realtors. He and his wifehave a daughter, Kathleen Rose, born October 25,2000 ... Ranae Tenold (95) lives in ColumbiaHeights ... John Ingebritson (96) of Pipestone isteaching fourth grade, coaching wrestling andworking on a masters degree at Southwest StateUniversity ... Pat Grahek (92) of Virginia recentlyremarried and received an LICSW license ... PatRandall (97) lives in Osage ... Jonathan Olson(98) of Hopkins is a certified public accountantworking in the tax department for Lurie, Besikof,Lapidus & Co. in Minneapolis. He began attendingthe William Mitchell College of law in the fall of2000 ... Marc Glowack (91) and his wife, Rachel,

live in Nashwauk and were expecting their firstchild in June ... Jason Saari (93) of St. Paul hasbeen promoted to the position of lead developer atU.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray ... Leona Stern (92) ofRiver Falls, WI, married Bob Tuomala, formerly ofBemidji, in March of 2000. She received hermasters degree from the University of Nebraska,Omaha, in 1996 ... Kim Elhardt (98) of Marcellhas been teaching kindergarten for three years atBigfork Elementary. She and he