MATC’s nursing program trainsstudents for the rewards andchallenges of nursing. In theprogram, students learn thetechnical and discernment skillsnecessary to provide nursingcare to patients of all ages.There is an extremely highdemand for nurses in south-central Wisconsin, and 98% ofMATC nursing graduates findemployment in the field.

Sarah Fowles interviewedMarilyn Rinehart, associate dean of nursing.

SF: What attracted you to nursing?

MR: I was attracted tonursing, and have stayed in

nursing for almost 30 years,because of the variety of chal-lenges I have experienced. I haveworked with newborns, children,adults and elderly people with allkinds of health problems. I haveenjoyed the interaction with peo-ple as well as the critical think-ing and problem solving. Everyday is a new challenge!

SF: How many students are enrolled in the program?How long is waiting list?

MR: More than 600 studentsattend each semester in theNursing Assistant, PracticalNursing, Associate DegreeNursing and SurgicalTechnologist programs. Thewaiting list varies from campusto campus and from program toprogram. Generally speaking,students have to wait approxi-mately two to three years fromthe time they submit their appli-cations for Practical Nursing,Surgical Technologist andAssociate Degree Nursing pro-grams. The wait may be longer in certain programs.

MATCMadison

Area

Technical

College

For Alumni and Friends of Madison Area Technical College

SPRING 2004

What�’s inside...Alumni Profile: Robin Roberts 4

Who Wants to be a Mathematician? 5

Calendar of Events 5

A Day in the Life of a Nurse 6

New Associate Dean in Marketing 7

Hackers Beware! 8

Newly Minted Alumni 8

The Clarion Awards 9

Alumni Response Form 11

Alliant Energy Donation 14

Spring Break:Habitat for Humanity 15

And more!

Nursing: Taking Care of Wisconsin�’s Future

continued on page 2 >

Marilyn Rinehart, associate dean/nursing

2

Nursing: Taking Care of Wisconsin’s Future… (continued from page 1)

Largest employerin Wisconsin:

Health Careindustry

Tuition for a bachelor’s degreein nursing fromUniversity ofWisconsin –Madison:

$25,000

Tuition for anassociate degreein nursing fromMATC:

$5,500

Faculty-to-student ratio at University ofWisconsin –Madison (nursing program only):

1:13

Faculty to student ratio atMATC (nursingprogram only):

1:10

Length of time toreceive CertifiedNursing Assistant(CNA) certificate:

8 weeks

Average salary ofa certified nursing assistant:

$22,441

Percent growth inthe number of(CNA) jobs:

15.9%

Length of time toreceive a practicalnursing degree:

1 year

Average salary ofa practical nurse:

$32,621

Percent growth inthe number ofpractical nursing jobs:

12.7%

Length of time to receive anassociate’s degree in nursing:

2 years

Average salary ofa registered nurse(RN):

$47,331

Percent growthin the number of RN jobs:

22%

Fast Facts

SF: Can you share some student successstories?

MR: Four graduates are now instructors inour programs! Another graduate was the out-standing MATC alumnus in 2002. Many havegone on for advanced degrees in nursing. More importantly, every single graduate has

contributed to a better outcome for patientswherever he or she works. The great health carewe have in the Madison area is a success storysince MATC nursing graduates are in everyhealth care setting in the district.

SF: What are the biggest challenges in thenursing field today?

MR: We are facing a huge increase in thedemand for nurses because of the aging popula-tion. At the same time, nurses are retiring orleaving the field faster than new graduates arereplacing them. That means that nurses are feel-ing the stresses of these changes on a daily basis.

SF: How is MATC addressing thosechallenges?

MR: MATC will be increasing the number ofstudents we admit in our Practical Nursing andAssociate Degree Nursing programs. This yearwe admitted 40 additional Associate DegreeNursing program students. We graduated morethan 700 nursing assistants last year, many ofwhom will be continuing in practical nursing orassociate degree nursing.

3

Nursing Programsat MATC CampusesTruaxCertified Nursing AssistantPractical NursingAssociate Degree Nursing

Fort AtkinsonCertified Nursing AssistantPractical Nursing

ReedsburgCertified Nursing AssistantPractical NursingAssociate Degree Nursing

WatertownCertified Nursing AssistantAssociate Degree Nursing

PortageCertified Nursing Assistant

New Full-TimeNursing FacultyJanet Braun, formerly employed by Dane County Public Health

Lisa Cappelli, formerly employed by Hospicecare, Inc.

Julie Christofferson, formerlyemployed by Dean Health System

Dana Schardt, formerly employed by UW-Whitewater Student Health

Judy Stoeckmann, formerly a MATC part-time teacher

Retiring NursingFacultyKathy KoegelHelen Kruse

SF: What pieces of advice would you give to someoneinterested in a nursing career?

MR: Don’t be discouraged by the long waiting list!Begin with the Nursing Assistant Program, since that isnow a requirement before starting nursing classes inpractical or associate degree nursing. You will gain valu-able experience and you will qualify for tuition reim-bursement from health care employers. Take the generalstudies courses, especially the science courses, beforeyou start nursing courses. Start reading nursing journalsto get an idea of all the possibilities out there.Remember that you start with the basic courses, but theopportunities for specialization are endless. Build a goodfoundation!

For more information on the program, call (608) 246-6014.

Scholarship Recipients and Donors RecognizedOn April 29, 2004, MATC celebrates its annualScholarship Awards Breakfast, which recognizesscholarship recipients and donors. During the2003–2004 school year, MATC awarded 263 scholar-ships made possible through generous donations fromcommunity members, corporations, foundations,MATC faculty and staff, and alumni. If you are inter-ested in providing a scholarship to a deserving student,please call Sarah Fowles at (608) 243-4334.

4

Question: What do the following organizationshave in common? • Dane County Humane Society• Dane County Credit Union• Plymouth Congregational United Church of

Christ in Madison• Peace Lutheran Church in Waunakee• DeForest Area Public Library• Madison YWCA

Answer: MATC graduate Robin Roberts playeda key role in the construction of each organiza-tion’s facilities. He is the founder and owner ofRoberts Construction Associates, which special-izes in church construction. He is also well-known for his love of baseball (he played forMATC while in school). In 2000, MATC dedi-cated the Robin Roberts Baseball Field.

“I believe Robin Roberts is the ideal techni-cal college graduate: a person who gets a greatstart and then develops a distinguished lifelongcareer using the knowledge base established

A Knack for Baseball and Building

through his or her education,” says BobDinndorf, executive director of the MATCFoundation.

Steve Hauser, MATC’s athletic director, sum-marized Roberts’ approach to service by saying,“The great thing about Robin is that he does notjust talk the talk, he walks the walk. He getsinvolved and stays involved until the mission isaccomplished. He does so as a leader. He doesnot stand in the background, but takes the initia-tive to be personally involved.”

Roberts received the Wisconsin TechnicalCollege Distinguished Alumni Award in a specialceremony on April 2, 2004, and also will be rec-ognized during the MATC Foundation Awardsand Recognition Breakfast on April 29, 2004.

Robin Roberts Stats

�• Attended MATC: 1973-1975�• MATC GPA: 3.7�• Highlights from MATC: pitcher

for MATC baseball team�• Graduated from MATC�’s

Architectural Technician Program: 1975

�• Founded RobertsConstruction Associates: 1981

�• Voted MVP in theWisconsin Home TalentBaseball League: 1988

�• Roberts Construction hasearned numerous state andnational awards for the qual-ity of its work

�• Contributed $142,000 to build MATC�’s Robin RobertsBaseball Field: 2000

�• Receives Distinguished Alumni Award: 2004

MATC grad receives Wisconsin Technical College District Boards Association Distinguished Alumni Award

A L U M N I P R O F I L E

5

Mark Your CalendarsDust Off Your Driver, Oil Your Baseball Glove — Kick Back with MATC

Monday, May 17, 2004, is the Doug Redsten Golf Classic IX at theCherokee Country Club in Madison. Join us for golf, food, fun, prizes and the chance to win $1 million dollars! Individual registration is $90; corporatefoursomes are $500 each. Several sponsorship packages are available. To receive a registration form, call Kim Conners at (608) 246-6441 or sendus a completed “Alumni Response” form (page 11).

Friday, July 23, 2004, is the second annual MATC at the Mallards!MATC will offer deep ticket discounts for the Great Dane Duck Blind toMATC graduates – save over 50%! The Duck Blind features an-all-you-can-eat-and-drink feast with great views of the game against the RochesterHonkers. The Mallards is a college wooden-bat baseball team and is part of the Northwoods League. To find out more, call Sarah Fowles at (608) 243-4334 or send us a completed “Alumni Response” form (page 11).

Who Wants to be a Mathematician?Two lines in space that are not parallel anddon’t intersect are called ________________.

One hundred and twenty Wisconsin high schoolstudents answered this and other math problems toqualify for the “Who Wants To Be AMathematician?” competition on April 16, 2004.Modeled after the show Who Wants To Be AMillionaire? 10 finalists compete for a $2,000prize and can take advantage of three “lifelines”to help them: 50/50, Ask the Teacher and Ask theAudience. Organized by MATC Math InstructorJeganathan Sriskandarajah and presented by theAmerican Mathematical Society, this competitionis the first of its kind in Wisconsin.

The 10 finalists are from the followingschools: Baraboo, Edgewood, Fort Atkinson,

Ithaca, James Madison Memorial, LaFollette,Madison West, Marquette University HighSchool, McFarland and Rufus King.

Asked why math is so important in highschool, Sriskandarajah said that employers arelooking for employees who can handle mathbecause it has applications in every field.

Want to know who won? Check www.matcmadison.edu/is/as/math/mathclub for thewinner’s name.

“Who Wants To Be A Mathematician?” hasreceived support from the MATC Foundation,Pleasant Company, Lands’ End, Mead & Hunt,First Group, Inc., Placon Corporation, Herbert H.Kohl Charities, Capitol Bank, MacKichanSoftware, Wolfram Research Inc., Addison-Wesley, National Science Foundation, Maplesoft,Texas Instruments, John Wiley & Sons, theMathematical Association of America, theAmerican Mathematical Society and State FarmInsurance. Answer: skew lines

M AT C U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

6

The following day was recorded by a graduate of MATC�’s Associate DegreeNursing Program. The nurse opted to remainanonymous due to the highly confidentialnature of her work.

7:00am: Officially, I start work at 7:30am, butI usually get here between 7:00 and 7:15. First, Icount the supply of narcotics with the night shiftnurses – I have to make sure none are missing.

7:30am: I attend a staff meeting during whichwe listen to a tape-recorded report from the pre-vious shift that tells us who is going to surgeryand who is coming back from surgery. We usual-ly have five nurses on the floor and one super-vising nurse for 18-20 patients.

8:00am: After the staff meeting, I print areport listing the medications required by patientsfor the day, including IV (intravenous) drips andpills. Then, I check on a patient who had irregu-lar heart rhythms and received a special IV“push” (intravenous medications that need to bepushed through an IV tube) the night before. I check his vital signs, and then helped him getcleaned up for the day.

8:15am: I check on a patient who is ontelemetry, which monitors heart rhythms. Then I have to check the patients cared for by LPNs(licensed practical nurses) because I am usuallythe only RN (registered nurse) on my team. Asan RN, you have to do all “push” medicationsand IV drips, including dopamine, dobutamineand diltizam.

8:45am: I receive a call from the ICU (inten-sive care unit) informing me that a new patient isgoing to be transferred to my floor. I get a roomready and when the patient arrives, I do a head-to-toe assessment of the patient. I orient thepatient to his new surroundings and create anursing care plan for him.

9:05am: A patient who had just undergone a heart procedure to receive an assistive cardiac

device returns to my floor. I take her vital signs,check her pulse, assess for pain and check fordrainage around the surgical site every 15 min-utes for the first hour, every 30 minutes for thenext 2 hours, and then every hour for 4 hours.

9:30am: I do full data assessments on myother patients.

10:00am: I meet with my manager aboutsome scheduling changes I requested recently.

10:30am: I tend to my patients’ vital signsand check my patients’ lab blood values.

10:45am: The other nurses and I supplement,which means that we replenish patients’ elec-trolytes with potassium and magnesium asprescribed bydoctors. Theseenzymes areparticularlyhelpful for thecardiac patientson my floor.

11:00am:Paperwork,paperwork. Icheck the noteson all patients. I enter data onpatients into thecomputer —there are a lotof forms tocomplete.

12pm: I distribute the noon pills and makesure our patients who can eat are getting foodtrays set up and those who can’t eat or drinkhave completed their medications.

1:30pm: I take a ten-minute lunch. While atlunch, I peruse a magazine that graphically dis-plays new treatments for wounds. I get calledout of lunch because one of my patients needs an echocardiogram (a test using ultrasound) on

A Day in the Life of a Nurse

his leg. The echocardiogram shows that a mainartery in his leg is clogged, which means imme-diate surgery. I call an escort to take the patientto surgery.

1:45pm: I check on all my patients again. Andthen I “chart,” which means that I track patients’medications, doctors’ notes, dietary information,social work notes and nursing care on the com-puter. I also make addendums to the notes andcharts of the LPNs on my team.

2:30pm: I leave the floor to visit a new lab inthe hospital.

3:15pm: I tape a report of all my patients,sharing the pertinent information that needs tobe passed on to the next nurse.

3:45pm: The last task is the same as the first— to count narcotics. This time I count themwith a nurse from the evening shift. I usuallywork late — there is so much work to get donethat I rarely leave by 4. I work 45 hours perweek without picking up overtime.

7

In Spring of2004, MATCbrought DianeWalleser onboard as associ-ate dean ofmarketing in theBusiness andApplied ArtsDivision.Walleser comesto MATC with a wealth of

business, marketing and education experience.She taught marketing for three years at WesternWisconsin Technical College in La Crosse.

Prior to that position, she was vice president of marketing at First Federal Savings Bank in La Crosse for six years. Formerly, she held thepositions of senior account executive at Stephanand Brady Advertising in Madison and publicaffairs manager at G. Heileman BrewingCompany in La Crosse.

Walleser is very active in the La CrosseRotary Club and the Wisconsin MarketingEducation Association. She started her academiccareer at a technical college, earning an associatedegree in finance from Western WisconsinTechnical College. She then earned a B.S. inbusiness from Viterbo University in La Crosseand an M.B.A. from the University ofWisconsin–La Crosse.

New Associate Dean in Marketing Brings a Wealth of Business Experience

Diane Walleser, associate dean/marketing

8

MATC graduated 1,323 students at its mid-yearcommencement ceremony on December 19, 2003.The ceremony was held at the Alliant Energy Centerin Madison. Randolph resident Rachel Braaksma,who earned an associate of arts degree fromMATC’s Liberal Arts Transfer Program, presentedthe graduate address. Other speakers includedMATC District Board Chair John Ashley andMATC Acting President Dr. Rose Ann Findlen.

The programs graduating the most students were:Liberal Arts Transfer (arts and sciences), Business,Computer Information Systems, Nursing, LawEnforcement, and Emergency Medical Technician.

Hackers Beware! New MATC Program to Train Computer Security ProfessionalsThe National Science Foundation(NSF) has awarded Madison AreaTechnical (MATC) a four-year grantto develop new curriculum andoffer classes in cyber security tohelp develop and educate informa-tion technology security profession-als. MATC represents Wisconsin asone of seven colleges in a five-stateregion (Illinois, Ohio, Michigan,Minnesota and Wisconsin) partici-pating in this $3 million grant,which will create the first compre-hensive information technologysecurity center in the Midwest.

MATC will receive about$210,000 to develop and offerclasses as part of a new 16-creditCIS-Information SecurityCertificate that will be launched

fall semester 2004. The certificate’ssix courses are designed to be com-pleted in three semesters and willprovide comprehensive instructionto networking students and pro-fessionals who want to expand theirskills in computer security.

The salaries for IT securityprofessionals range from $38,000to $145,000, depending upon quali-fications and experience. To beadmitted into MATC’s new CIS-Information Security Certificate,individuals must be in at least thesecond year of MATC’s CIS-Network Specialist Program, haveearned a CCNA (Cisco CertifiedNetwork Associate) or have at leasttwo years of practical experience inthe networking field.

1,323 Newly Minted Alumni

MATC’s other Computer andInformation Systemsprograms andcertificates:

�• CIS CISCO® CertifiedNetwork ProfessionalCertificate

�• CIS Computer SystemsAdministration Specialist

�• CIS Microsoft CertifiedSystems Administrator(MCSA) Certificate

�• CIS Microsoft VisualStudio.Net© Certificate

�• CIS Network Specialist�• CIS Oracle® Database

Administrative AssociateCertificate

�• CIS Oracle® Internet JavaDeveloper Certificate

�• CIS Programmer/Analyst�• CIS Web Analyst/

Programmer�• CIS Web Programming

9

MATC Student Journalists: We�’re in the Big LeagueNathan J. Comp, copy editor of The Clarion,MATC’s student newspaper, can add thefollowing student awards to his resume:

• First place in Investigative Reporting,Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA)

• First place in Feature Writing, WNA• First place in News Writing, WNA• First place in News Writing, Associated

Collegiate Press• First place in Feature Writing, Associated

Collegiate Press• Third place “Reporter of the Year,”

Associated Collegiate Press

“I am drawn to stories that other collegepapers don’t cover. A statistic I read somewhere— that there are more suicides per year thanhomicides — made me curious about the commu-nity impact of suicide,” says Comp in response toa question about the inspiration for an article onsuicide. His work has caught the eye of localpapers. In 2003, he was asked to be a correspon-dent by Madison’s daily newspaper, The CapitalTimes. He covers the Middleton beat and writesan average of two articles per week.

Nathan has attended MATC since 1998, takingat least a semester off most years for traveling,often to Telluride, Colorado, and the surroundingareas. He plans to transfer to the University ofWisconsin–Madison in the fall of 2004 to doublemajor in political science and journalism. Hehopes to become a publisher and write for thepublications he admires most, particularly TheAtlantic Monthly.

Other staffers at The Clarion have receivednational recognition for their stellar work.Clarion graphic designer Thomas Wabushreceived first place awards in the “Graphics”category at the 2002 and 2003 WNA Awards.

S P E C I A L R E C O G N I T I O N

HospiceCare Inc. is seeking volunteers to help out at

the HospiceCare Inpatient Unit in Fitchburg and to

assist patients and their families living at home.

Volunteers are very special members of HospiceCare's

patient-care team, providing much-needed comfort and

support to those facing life-limiting illnesses when it's

needed most. Numerous opportunities are available.

For details, please contact Karen Reilly at 327-7105 or

karen.reilly@hospicecareinc.com.

HospiceCare Inc. • 6395 East Cheryl Parkway • Madison, WI 53711

Sharing TimeMaking a Difference

continued on page 15 >

10

2000sCraig Savey �’03 (Veterinary Technician)is president elect of the WisconsinVeterinary Technician Association.

Jackie Wilson �’03 (Web Analyst/Programmer) had her first baby on June 5,2003, three weeks after she graduated. InJanuary 2004, she started a new job asbusiness account manager for InternetConcepts in Sun Prairie.

Rebecca L. Blaschka �’01 (EMT-Basic)was featured in the article “Burning Desire:Madison's Women Firefighters EnjoyChallenges” in the January 22, 2004,Capital Times.

Jason R. White �’01 (Hospitality andTourism Management) is engaged to be mar-ried September 25, 2004, to Sandy Buege.

1990sParkis R. Waterbury �’99 (LiberalStudies) is a TCR5 Field Lead with theWisconsin Department of Transportation in Portage. He is a Vietnam veteran. He was in the first college transfer class inthe mid-1960s and attended MATC duringthree different time periods.

Jennifer M. France �’96 (Travel Services)is a FSA Administration Specialist withEmployee Benefit Corporation inMiddleton.

Deb Leidich-Reiml �’95 (Fire ServiceCertification) was featured in the article“Burning Desire: Madison's WomenFirefighters Enjoy Challenges” in theJanuary 22, 2004, Capital Times.

Jennifer A. Roman �’95 (EMT-Intermediate) was featured in the article“Burning Desire: Madison's WomenFirefighters Enjoy Challenges” in theJanuary 22, 2004, Capital Times.

Cassandra L Taylor �’93 (DentalHygiene) just opened Every ThingChildren, a new department at WaunakeeFurniture ETC and Gift Gallery inWaunakee. She currently owns and oper-ates America's Mattress in Madison as well as the Waunakee furniture store. She and her husband also recently had a happy baby boy named Cameron.

1980sJoanne M. Zuelsdorf Santo �‘85(Occupational Therapy Assistant) is work-

ing at Celebration Health in Celebration,Florida, as a hand specialty occupationaltherapist. She received her bachelor’sdegree in 1993 from UW-Milwaukee. She is now married with three daughters:Zoe, Hunter and Peyton.

Christel S. Holcomb �’84 (VeterinaryTechnician) was married in 1987, has fivekids (his and hers) and is now working forTri-State Ambulance as an emergencymedical technician.

Susan A. Dotski �’82 (AccountingAssistant) has been working at TDS InternetServices as an account service representa-tive for two years. She is currently enrolledin the Business Software ApplicationSpecialist Program at MATC. She has beenmarried to her husband, Ed, for almost 10years. Their family also includes a five-year-old cat named Petey.

Teri Raffel �’81 (Veterinary Technician)has been elected to board of NorthAmerican Veterinary TechnicianAssociation.

Debi Offerdahl (took business classes at MATC in the ‘80s) was featured inWisconsin State Journal’s “DaybreakSection” on January 24, 2004. Debi isowner of the Ultimate Spa Salon onMonona Drive in Madison.

1970sGary �“Big Dog�” F. Breneman �’76(Food Preparation Assistant) has beenMATC’s basketball/baseball team managerfor 29 years; he has also been working atCountry Kitchen for 12 years as a dish-washer/bus boy.

Robert A. Cleasby �’76 (Liberal Studies)and ’79 (Accounting) will celebrate his 25-year anniversary as an employee ofAlliant Energy Company on June 11. He is a business systems analyst.

Dorothy Johnson �’74 (Associate DegreeNursing) lives in Port Charlotte, Florida.She has received numerous recognitions forher quilts, photography and gardening.

Douglas J. Felix �’71 (SurgicalTechnician) is a certified medicationassistant at Memorial Medical Center,Neillsville, WI. His wife, Priscilla, is anRN at Memorial Medical Center and aninstructor for Chippewa Valley TechnicalCollege, Eau Claire, WI.

Alu

mn

iUpd

ate

A L U M N I U P D AT E

TechConnect, an exclusive online job listing servicedesigned to recruit graduates of MATC, is FREE for alumniwho have one- or two-year degrees from MATC. To obtain aform for access to the listings, call (608) 243-4271 or emailadvisingandcareerresources@matcmadison.edu.

If you are an employer, you can use the service to adver-tise a job to MATC students and alumni by filling out andsubmitting a Job Posting Form. Call or email for a form ordownload it from the TechConnect Website. On the MATCWebsite homepage, under “Community Resources,” click onJob Posting Service to find TechConnect and the form.

For additional help with your job search, visit Advising andCareer Resources at the Truax campus in Room 159A to peruseexclusive job listings and career-related videos and books or goto http://matcmadison.edu/ss/acr/.

11

Count Me In! I want more information about (check all that apply):

!! The Doug Redsten Golf Classic on May 17, 2004 !! MATC at the Mallards on July 23, 2004

!! Joining the Alumni Association

Please send information to:

First Name ______________________________ M.I. _______ Last Name ____________________________________

Address _____________________________________________________________________________________________

City __________________________________________________ State_____________ Zip ______________________

Phone __________________________________________ Email ______________________________________________

Years of attendance at MATC _______________________ Year(s) of graduation _________________________________

Which program(s) did you graduate from? __________________________________________________________________

Employer _______________________________________ Title _______________________________________________

Employer Address _____________________________________________________________________________________

City _____________________________ State _______ Zip ______________ Work Phone _____________________

Alumni Tear-off Response Form*

Did you recently start a new job? Get promoted? Achieve a career goal you are proud of? Get married? Have your first (or second or third, etc.) baby? We would love to publish your special news in Profiles, MATC�’s alumni publication. Please share any news or comments in the space below.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

* You may also contact us by emailing your information to Sarah Fowles at sfowles@matcmadison.edu

Looking for a new career? Looking to hire MATC students? MATC can help you!

Calling the Class of 1974!

12

A Storm of His Own

Storm volunteersoften verify whatshows up on radar.Fleming gave anexample: “Radar wasshowing a possibletornado near Bristolheading towardsColumbus. We hadthree volunteer teams

under the possible tornado. No tornado formed,so the weather office did not issue a tornadowarning.” Sixty percent of all severe weatherobservations come from amateur stormchasersand radio operators.

When asked what called him to storms, hesaid “a sense of duty” and recounted the follow-ing story: “Let me tell you about the GreatStraight Line Wind event of July 4, 1977. Therewere winds exceeding 100 miles per hour, and Iwas stuck on a campground near Spooner [WI]. Iwas 15. Huddled with a group of campers insidea concrete bathroom, I watched great trees toppleover and campers blowing over. My reaction was‘Wow.’ The destruction gave me a sense of fear.”

Years later, when a friend of his told him thelocal Weather Office needed a volunteer, he

jumped at the chance. In February of 2004,Madison’s WKOW Channel 27 featured himreceiving an award for his volunteer work. He aided in the redesign of the local volunteerstormchaser operation by introducing accounta-bility and real-time information, allowingmultiple volunteer stormchaser groups to provideinformation to the local weather office withoutoverloading the radio operators.

The defining moment of his work with thelocal weather office, he says, was the Big Flats(WI) Tornado on August 27, 1994. At 10 pm, thelocal weather office noted a radar disturbanceand issued a severe thunderstorm warning withthe possibility of a tornado. Amateur radio opera-tors on the ground began sending messagesabout the storm to the local weather office whereTom was volunteering. (Weather observationsfrom the ground are called “ground truth.”)Twenty minutes after the office noted the distur-bance, volunteers received a call from a sheriffwho reported that two people were killed due tothe storm. Tom reports that emotions ran high:“The meteorologists’ deep concern for peoplewas heartfelt. I watched as a number of thembroke down into tears.” Interested in learningmore? Check out www.skywarn.org.

MATC Senior Network Specialist Tom Fleming has a second life — as a volunteer stormchaser.

Remember 1974,when…The Fonz made his firstappearance on screen? Mohammed Ali became theheavyweight champion? Blazing Saddles wasreleased? The games Connect Four and Slip-n-Slide were introduced? People Magazine debutedwith Mia Farrow on the cover? Patty Hearst madefront pages everywhere?The Class of 1974 will celebrate an informalreunion at this year’s MATC at the Mallards on

July 23, 2004 (See page 5 for more information).This event will be a low-key opportunity to recon-nect to former classmates, reminisce and showschool spirit. To buy a ticket to MATC at theMallards, call Sarah Fowles at (608) 243-4334 andlet her know you are from the Class of ’74. Tospeak with a representative from the Class of ’74,call Marci Moungey at (608) 242-1081.

Tom Fleming, senior network specialist

13

2003�–2004 RetirementsThe following faculty and staff retire during the 2003–2004 school year. If you see a formerinstructor or favorite staff member in this list,give them a call to wish them a happy retirement!

Richard Armstrong, Science InstructorNorma Artman, Optometric Technician InstructorMaria Balderas, Library Technician IISusan H. Barr, Library Technician IIIMarilyn Buscemi, Administrative Assistant –

Financial ResourcesBrian Carney, Diesel InstructorThomas Doyle, Electronics Technician InstructorLaVonne Gerber, Administrative Assistant III – HealthDouglas Griesbach, Marketing InstructorJean Hammen, Food Service SupervisorSonja Hansard-Weiner, English InstructorJoann Hayes, Commercial Art InstructorMichael Hempel, Animal Lab Technician InstructorWarren Hillmer, Associate Dean of MarketingMichael Irwin, English InstructorIrene Kilcoyne, Marketing InstructorKathy Koegel, Associate Degree Nursing InstructorHelen Kruse, Associate Degree Nursing InstructorSusan Loman, History InstructorSherry Masters, Math InstructorJames Mcgonigle, English InstructorAdam Mekschun, Bookstore ManagerCharlene Ohnstad, Business Technology InstructorAlan Penn, Social Science InstructorVictor Pryzwara, Custodial Worker IIStuart Schlough, Farm Services InstructorDonald Schroeder, Automotive InstructorLee Schwartz, Auto Body InstructorSusan Speth, Administrative Assistant II –

Commercial AvenuePhyllis Townswick, Math InstructorKathryn Verage, English InstructorCalvin Williams, EMT InstructorErwin Zweifel, Marketing Instructor

MATC retirees meet once a month at the Truaxcampus for coffee and socializing. This year’scontact is Peggy Jensen, (608) 246-6535.

MATC Donor Electedto Board of The CapitalTimesJames Lussier, a MATC 1985 computer pro-gramming graduate and trustee of the EvjueFoundation, was elected to the The CapitalTimes Company’s Board of Directors. His father,John H. (Jack) Lussier, was named chairman ofthe board. The MATC Foundation salutes Jimand Jack for their leadership in the communityand unflagging encouragement of MATC’s mis-sion. The Evjue Foundation provided 70 scholar-ships to MATC students during the 2003-2004school year. The Lussier Family Fund EndowedScholarship through the MATC Foundation pro-vided 14 scholarships.

C A M P U S N E W S

MATC Rolls Out New Alumni Web PagesVisit www.matcmadison.edu and click the link to“Alumni and Friends.”

Join the Alumni Association, contact the MATCFoundation and check out upcoming MATC events.

14

MATC Receives High Tech Equipment Donation from Alliant EnergyThe Alliant Energy Corporation recently donateda $43,000 Capstone MicroTurbine™ to MadisonArea Technical College. Microturbines are verylow emission heat and power systems capable ofproducing both electrical power and heat on low-pressure gas lines.

Unlike standard engines, microturbines use nooil or antifreeze and have only one moving partwhich results in very low emissions and lownoise. As an alternative energy source, they canuse a variety of fuels including waste gas fromfarms, landfills and waste water treatment plants.Currently, Alliant Energy is using microturbinesat a dairy farm anaerobic digester in Westgate,Iowa, and landfills near Antioch, Illinois, andBaraboo, Wisconsin. The company also is usingmicroturbines at the Antioch landfill to provideenergy to a nearby high school.

MATC plans to install the microturbine foruse in a noncritical heat and power location suchas the college’s swimming pool to supplementenergy needs. In addition, the equipment will beused to train students in unit operation andrepair. Because the technology used in microtur-bines is fairly new, there is a need for trainedservice providers.

More Generous Support from Alliant Energy

The Alliant Energy Foundation, which makes

financial contributions to the community on behalf

of Alliant Energy, has announced a $2,100 grant to

the MATC Foundation that will fund three scholar-

ships. Alliant Energy Scholarship recipients must

be students in one of the following programs:

Accounting, Administrative Assistant, Computer

and Information Systems, Automotive Technology,

Diesel and Heavy Equipment Technician, or

Electronics.

Meeting MATC Alumni Everywhere

Alliant Vice President Kim Zuhlke (right) presents themicroturbine to MATC Acting President Rose Findlen(left) and Dr. Joy McMillan (center)

One Sunday, Barber/Cosmetology ProgramDirector John Fahey wasattending services at St. MariaGoretti Parish in Madison.During the sermon, FatherJohn Poster mentioned histime at Madison AreaTechnical College. It turnsout, Father Poster is a ’69

graduate of the Automotive Technology Program. He says he still looks back on that time fondly.

“The other guys in the program were great, and theteachers were knowledgeable, open to questions andfriendly. Any teacher gives you something. Of course,things didn’t always work out — I didn’t always getthe car put back together as much as I would haveliked — but I learned to tackle things I might not oth-erwise tackle and go beyond myself.”

Father John Poster,Automotive TechnologyProgram graduate, 1969

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Students Take the Road Less Traveled:As Alternative Spring Break VolunteersIn March, eight MATC students decided to forgotraditional spring break vacation plans to volunteerand help build houses for those who could not nor-mally afford to buy their own home. The groupvolunteered through the MATC Volunteer Center’sfirst Alternative Spring Break Program. AlternativeSpring Breaks offer students the opportunity to usetheir spring vacation time to participate in a volun-teer service learning project.

The students organized the trip to KentCounty in Michigan where students preframed a Habitat for Humanity project house.

“It felt nice to be doing something that Iknew would really make a difference,” saysLiberal Arts Transfer student Andrea Sprinkle. “Ithink a lot of people would much rather be doingvolunteer work over spring break. I’d definitelydo something like this again, but perhaps in a lit-tle warmer climate.”

Another participant, Katherine O’Neill, also acollege transfer student, has done a lot of volun-teer work but says she learned new skills build-ing a house. “An opportunity like this allows youto help others, but it also gives you something—lets you see things from the point of view ofpeople who might not be as fortunate. It definite-ly gives you a new perspective.”

Students paid a nominal fee for insurance, mate-rials and program costs, MATC provided trans-portation and some food, and Habitat for Humanityprovided safety and skills training. The studentsdivided into teams to coordinate transportationdetails, housing and work site responsibilities.

“Our Alternative Spring Break was designedto provide students with a worthwhile, week longexperience that would be more than communityservice and a valuable learning experience,” saysShawna Carter, MATC Volunteer Centercoordinator.

“We prepared the students ahead of time forthe experience, connected them with a meaning-ful service activity for the week with Habitat,and included some reflection activities into theweek so that the learning could be processed bythe students."

Habitat for Humanity has been offeringAlternative Spring Break opportunities since1989. MATC’s Volunteer Center hopes to addmore opportunities in the future.

Former Clarion staffer Cindi Grantin received a third place award for her advertisement“Mellow” in the “House Ad” category at theAssociated Collegiate Press National CollegeMedia Awards in 2003.

The Clarion competed against the best in col-lege and university publications to win secondplace in the “Best of Show” category at the 2003National College Publications Workshop inWashington, D.C. and third place in the “GeneralExcellence” category at the 2003 WNA Awards.

The Clarion is a student-run, student-pro-duced newspaper. It presents an independent per-spective on issues affecting MATC students.

Clarion Awards… (continued from page 9)

Resource Development – 12244

Alumni Office3550 Anderson StreetMadison, WI 53704-2599

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Want more information?See the MATC Foundation web pages on the MATC Website. Go to www.matcmadison.edu and under “Community Resources,” click on “Alumni and Friends.” Or call the Alumni and Foundation Office at (608) 246-6441.

Writer and Alumni Association Coordinator: Sarah Fowles, (608) 243-4334, sfowles@matcmadison.edu

Graphic Design: Meri Annin, Amy Kittleson

Contributing Writers/Editors: Robert Dinndorf, Robin Gee, Janet Kelly

In the Fall 2003, the MATCFoundation Board announced a $40,000 ScholarshipMatching Challenge. At presstime, the Foundation had raisednearly $36,000 towards thismatch. You can help us help ourstudents! If you have not made agift to the Foundation before, orif you would like to increaseyour contribution to theFoundation, now is a great time.Your gift to the Forward Fund or other scholarship funds willtranslate directly into morescholarship awards during the2004–2005 school year. Use the enclosed envelope to makeyour gift.

$0

$10,000

$20,000

$30,000

$40,000

$4,000 Left To Go!