One of those students whostands out in her mind was 8-year-old Ian, a student in St. Cloud who“slumped into the classroom andsaid, ‘is this the class for the dum-mies?’ I felt the tears sting in myeyes and I said to him that this isthe class for kids that learn withtheir hands and eyes, and we willnever be one page behind thosewho learn with their ears.

“Then I turned back to the boardand thought to myself, ‘how am Igoing to do that?’ ” She said sheknew she couldn’t disappoint Ianand when it came time to teachlong division, her “low kids”taught the “high kids” how to play“divide it right.” Stoflet said it wasin that class she realized studentshad different learning styles.

A first- and second-grade class-room teacher, Stoflet stays withstudents for two years in a loop.She said she came to first gradeas a challenge. “Building from thefoundation is very important,” shesaid. “It took a long time for meto feel ready to teach first grade.”

Stoflet earned a bachelor’s de-gree in elementary education fromBemidji State University and amaster’s degree in experientialeducation from Minnesota StateUniversity, Mankato.

Like her students, Bemidji StateUniversity alumna Barb Stofletnever stops learning. In fact, shesaid she feels teachers should begrowing 10 percent each year. “Ifyou don’t you won’t be ready forthe next class,” she said.

When she taught a very diversegroup of students, she learned thevalue of teaching to differentlearning styles.

When she sat down to write heressay as a candidate for Minne-sota Teacher of the Year, Stofletlearned why she became a teacher.

That essay is a big part of whythe Chanhassen resident andGatewood Elementary Schoolteacher was named 2001 Minne-sota teacher of the year.

A LaMoure, ND, native, Stoflethas been teaching since she was4, starting with a motley class of17 dolls. She said she has wantedto be a teacher since that time. Butthe reason she became a teacherwas her older brother.

“He had trouble learning andschool was not always a happyplace for him,” said Stoflet. “Deepdown I wanted to be a teacher tohelp children.”

Stoflet’s room is a warm, invit-ing one with brightly colored post-ers on the walls, an upright piano,islands of desks, pictures of stu-dents and all sorts of fun booksand activities. Stoflet isn’t muchtaller than many elementaryschool students and her face lightsup when talking about her stu-dents, teaching and learning.

There was one year when teach-ing probably brought more of agrimace than a smile, however.Stoflet said one year she had 14Title I students — those who havespecial needs — and 12 high po-tential students, and no one’s needswere met. That was the year shestarted differentiating instruction,feeling her way through it, shesaid. At that time she learned tochart students’ growth and assesstheir styles and needs. It was alsowhen she started to pay attentionto every minute in the day and useeach one to full advantage.

Stoflet figures out her students’varied learning styles by present-ing them with activities that theythink are fun, and uses photo-graphs of them doing the activi-ties to assess their learning styles.For example, how a child sortsand places colored blocks can tellher a lot about the child’s style.

She said she has the ability toquickly and accurately assesslearning styles and teach to stu-dents’ strengths and sneak theirweaknesses in the back door.

Stoflet said she does a lot withdifferent activity stations andgrouping. “We mix it up all day,”she said.

“Teachers no longer need to bethe sage on the stage, they needto be the guide on the side that

brings out thinking,” said Stoflet.She said that teachers also needto be developed because text-books can’t keep up with childrenon changes in technology.

Stoflet herself works on devel-oping new teachers as a mentor toother teachers. She said sheteaches sixth-grade math for newteachers who observe her teachtheir class.

What makes a good teacher?Stoflet said it is the love of learn-ing, and love of putting the puzzletogether. She also said teachersmust have a sense of humor. “Inone day I was told I was short andthe other teacher was pretty,” shesaid. “I don’t go above fourthgrade because then they critiqueyour make-up.

“I don’t have a favorite subject,”said Stoflet. “I love the puzzle ofeducation, the bridge-building. Ilove knowing that if you pose thequestion, you might move to thenext level.”

She admits she has some weak-nesses. Spending her own moneyis one. And the other is maintain-ing her energy level. “Everyonestarts the day with one cup of en-ergy. You have to pour it outslowly otherwise you’ll be emptytoo early. I go home to two dogs,two kids, and have to make din-ner and do the laundry and cleanthe house. Sometimes that cup isdrip-dried. But seldom do I everrun out before the kids are out thedoor,” she said.

This story was written by Katherine A. Reillyand appeared in various editions of the SUNnewspapers in the Twin Cities area. The pho-tograph of Stoflet was taken by Craig Lassig,also for the SUN newspapers.

Horizons

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A Publication for Alumni & Friends of Bemidji State UniversityVol. 17, No. 3, Spring 2002

BSUBSU

BSU

BSUCalendarMarch 10-11, 2002

BSU Winter Rendezvous,Flamingo / Laughlin, NV

April 26, 2002Mass Communication AlumniReunion, Bemidji Town and

Country Club

April 27, 2002BSU Alumni Assn. Board Meeting

May 16-17, 200250-Year Reunion of the

Class of 1952

May 17, 2002BSU Commencement Exercises

August 23-24, 2002BSU Alumni Assn. Board Meeting

and Annual Retreat

October 4-6, 2002Homecoming 2002

October 19, 2002Athletic Hall of FameInduction Ceremony

BSU

Teacher Never Stops Learning veryone starts the day with one cup of energy. You have to pour it out

slowly otherwise you’ll be empty too early. I go home to two dogs, two kids, andhave to make dinner and do the laundry and clean the house. Sometimes thatcup is drip-dried. But seldom do I ever run out before the kids are out the door.”

Barb Stoflet

Teacher of the Year“E“E

Horizons Page 2

When Dr. James McCormick in-terviewed for the position of chan-cellor of the Minnesota State Col-leges and Universities (MnSCU),he made a comment that surprisedmany people and spoke volumesabout his leadership style.

He recalled that he and his wifeMaryan flew into the Twin Cities,rented a car, and drove 1,400 milesto see first-hand 25 campusesfrom Duluth to Bemidji, fromGranite Falls to Marshall - all af-ter finding out he was a finalistand before being interviewed bythe board of trustees.

“My wife and I needed to get afeel for the state before the finalround of interviews by the boardof trustees,” McCormick ex-plained. “We followed the guide-lines and were careful not to iden-tify ourselves when we steppedonto a campus.

“I was very impressed with thelook of the colleges and universi-ties, and their importance to thecities and towns in which they arelocated. They clearly are signifi-cant centers in the communities.”

The trip across Minnesota so-lidified his and his wife’s interestin the position while providing in-sight into his thoroughness. Ithelped convince the board to se-lect him as the third person to lead

MnSCU Fact SheetMnSCU stands for Minnesota State Colleges

and Universities, a system of 34 public collegesand universities in Minnesota. MnSCU isseparate from the University of Minnesota.

The law creating MnSCU was passed by theMinnesota Legislature in 1991 and went intoeffect July 1, 1995. The law merged the state’scommunity colleges, technical colleges andstate universities into one system. Instead ofthree separate governing boards and threechancellors, there is now one board and onechancellor for the entire system. The MnSCUsystem:• includes seven state universities, seven

community colleges, 10 technical colleges,nine combined community and technicalcolleges, and one tribal and communitycollege.

• serves approximately 225,000 studentseach year.

• employs 18,000 full- and part-time facultyand staff.

• produces around 25,000 graduateseach year.

• manages an annual budget of $1.3 billion.• maintains 53 campuses in 46 Minnesota

communities• conducts customized training programs for

99,000 Minnesota employees from 6,900state businesses each year.

More information is available from theMnSCU website (www.mnscu.edu).

New ChancellorNew Chancellor Hits Stride,and it is Running

lovely setting, with all the richesof the North Woods at its door-step,” he commented. “The Uni-versity has a track record of inno-vation, creative leadership, andcollaboration with many part-ners.”

Keeping Bemidji State and otherMnSCU institutions viable in thenext decade are among the chal-lenges the system will need to ad-dress, according to McCormick. Henoted that the tragedies of Septem-ber 11 changed many things, fromthe country’s educational environ-ment to the economy. This is com-pounded by the fast-pace of changein subject matter, equipment andtechnology, and public needs.

“One of our common challengesis financial - continuing to domore with less,” he said. “An-other is that higher educationneeds to respond more quicklyand be more flexible than in thepast, and we need to develop waysto be more closely attuned so wecan anticipate and plan for con-stant change in our society.

“This is a great challenge, andone that I relish.”

It is also one that he will likelyconfront head on and running atfull-clip.

meet legislators after they con-vened in session, he embarked onmore travels across the state. Bylast December, he had visited 54members of the Minnesota StateSenate and 94 members of theHouse of Representatives in theirown districts.

A firm believer in the importanceof being accountable and respon-sible to all constituencies, he alsohas toured 53 campuses and estab-lished a 33-member CitizensAdvisory Commission to helpdevelop a three-year strate-gic plan. As part of this pro-cess, McCormick has heardfrom over 3,000 peoplethrough community forumsthroughout the state and inmeetings with students, fac-ulty and staff at each collegeand university.

From all these sources,McCormick’s view ofMnSCU has become muchclearer. “These campusesmean so much to the peoplewho live near them,” hesaid. “They like having ac-cess to the cultural and edu-cational opportunities thecampuses offer, and theyrecognize the economicvalue of having students,faculty and staff in theircommunities.”

Including the stop at BSUthat came before being in-terviewed by the board oftrustees, McCormick hasmade several visits to cam-pus and the region.

“Bemidji State Universityis a beautiful campus in a

the system of 34 higher educationinstitutions known as MnSCU.

“I was excited about taking thisposition for two reasons,” he said.“The first is that Minnesota hasstood out as a state that valuededucation. The state has enjoyedthe reputation of being an inno-vator - a state that understands theimportance of investing in people.

“The second was that I was in-trigued by Minnesota’s idea ofcombining one tribal college, thecommunity colleges, the techni-cal colleges, the comprehensivecommunity and technical col-leges, and the state universitiesinto one powerful and diverse sys-tem. The possibilities for collabo-ration are endless.”

McCormick had served as thefounding chancellor of the Penn-sylvania State System of HigherEducation, which was establishedon July 1, 1983. The system in-cluded 14 universities with a $1billion budget.

Prior beginning his 18-year termas the chancellor of the Pennsyl-vania system, he was president ofBloomsburg University as well asa professor and administrator forShippensburg University, both inPennsylvania. A native of Indi-ana County, PA, he had alsoserved as an assistant superinten-dent, high school administrator,and teacher in Pennsylvania pub-lic schools.

While his early odyssey acrossMinnesota made an impression onthose who follow higher educationin the state, it also showed every-one to expect the unexpected, likehis first real act upon accepting thechancellorship last July.

Dr. James McCormick

Dr. James McCormick

emidji State University is a beautiful campus ina lovely setting, with all the riches of the North Woodsat its doorstep. The University has a track recordof innovation, creative leadership, and collaborationwith many partners.”

The board of trusteeshad charged McCormickto develop an action planfor MnSCU during hisinitial year in office. Af-ter holding meetings withconstituents, key deci-sion makers, and systemoffice staff prior tospending a single day onthe job, he unveiled theplan within the first fewweeks of officially start-ing on July 1, 2001. Itidentified three major ar-eas: advocating for stu-dents, defining the fu-ture, and improving effi-ciency and effectiveness.

Rather than waiting to“B“B

Horizons Page 3

retirement and her five grandchildren, including a set oftriplets... Liz (Lindholm) Joiner (’68) and herhusband, Don, live in Sacramento, CA, and make annualtrips to Kennedy to see family and friends. Liz works atSacramento City Unified School District at MarianAnderson Creative Arts Academy (K-6)... NormanHecimovich (’60) is retired but returned to work as aprincipal when his son, James, was called to activemilitary duty following the September 11 terrorismattacks. He writes, “ I felt it was part of my responsibilityas a US citizen and a veteran of the Korean War, VietnamWar and Desert storm.” He and his wife, Helen, live inAustin... Jane McLeod (’63) and her husband, Frank,now live year-round in Marian, IA. They have threegrown children, Karen, Ted and Clark... Tim Goodner(’69) and his wife, Julie, live in Sauk Rapids and havethree children, Allison, 17, Jill, 15, and Stephen, 12...James 4(’63) and his wife, MaryAnn, live in Blaine.They are retired, have two grown children, James andSally, and enjoy traveling and spending time with theirgrandchildren... John Jacobsen (’63) is enjoying hisretirement in Halifax, PA. He has two children, Andrewand Barbara... Lois Salo (’67) and her husband, Robert,live in Cambridge. They have four grown children,Mark, 31, Kelly, 28, and twins, Jeremy and Jeffrey, 24...Bob Glaesman (’65) and Joni Glaesman (’64) areretired and live in Willmar. They have a son, Matt, 31...Gary Anderson (’63) works as a custodian at NevisPublic School. He and his wife, Carol, have two sons,Thane, 37, and Joel, 34... James Belpedio (’64) and hiswife, Lesta, live in Worcester, MA, and have four grownchildren and three grandchildren... Lillian Mathews(’67) and her husband, Charles, live in Bemidji andenjoy traveling and maintaining their home... Beverly(Schinderle) Pfeilstifter (’63) retired in 1999 after

Where We Are ... What We’re Doing

ALL CITIES ARE LOCATED IN MINNESOTA UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.

(Continued on page 4)

Vol. 17, No. 3, Spring 2002

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. Jon QuistgaardAlumni Director . . . . . Marla Huss PatriasContributing Writer . . . . . . . . . . Jody GrauEditorial Assistance . . . . . . . . Peggy Nohner

Editorial Board: Dr. Jon Quistgaard, 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

1940sPhyllis Larson (’42) and her husband, Irving, live inNewport and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversaryin September... Everett White (’48) and Barbara(Hartness) White (’46) live in Whitewater, WI, andhave three grown children, Larry, Kathy, and Patty...Eva Young (’49) of Chula Vista, CA, continues to teachat Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University... HarrySartain (’48) retired 11 years ago from teaching at theUniversity of Pittsburgh, PA. He now volunteers histime as a naturalist with the Audubon Society and as ateacher at the state penitentiary... ora Sather (’41) andher husband Irvin live in Auburn, CA, and enjoy

traveling in their RV... Cheryl Horton (’49) lives inFremont, NB, and has four grown children, Roxanne,Rhonda, Reldine and Darwin. She enjoys taking annualtrips to Branson, MO, to take in the shows... DMurrayWarren (’48) and his wife, Darlene, live in Crookstonand spend their winters in Mesa, AZ.

1950sEindride Karlsgodt (’54) and his wife, Donna, live inAlexandria and recently celebrated their 50th weddinganniversary... Tim Bjella (’57) is widowed and lives inSilver Bay. He and his wife, Arlene, had two sons, Ross,38, and Eric, 40... Carol Meade (’54) has been a churchorganist for 50 years and now loves to travel, havinglogged trips to Europe, Scandinavia, Israel, China,Spain, Nepal, Peru and Costa Rica. She and herhusband, Joel, live in Williams and have four grownchildren, Mary, Peter, Karen and Christine... MaryEddy (’56) lives in Clearbrook and considers the 20years she spent teaching school in Tanzania the mostrewarding years of her life... Travis Olson (’50) lives inHendrum and is the Norman County West High Schooland junior high school basketball coach and tutor...Kathryn Gordon Graf (’59) and her husband, Charles,live in Arnold, MD, and have two sons, David andDaniel. Kathryn would love to hear from some of hercollege friends... Harold Larson (’59) and his wife,

Mary, live in Willmar and enjoy traveling and areworking on a family history. They were planning to joina trip in January delivering school supplies to a missionin Ghana... Bruce Atwater (’50) is a survivor of thebombing of Pearl Harbor 60 years ago and was recentlythe subject of a feature story in The Pioneer newspaper,Bemidji. He and the 110 remaining Minnesota veteransof the Pearl Harbor attack were presented with 60th

anniversary gold rings and recognized at a ceremonialtribute by the Jostens Company at its headquarters inBloomington.

1960sRon Johnson (’69) has retired from his position asathletic director of the Clearbrook-Gonvick Schools,concluding 30 years of teaching and coaching there. Heand his wife, Lin, have two sons... Ray Marsnik (’64)was a candidate to the Ely School Board. He taughtelementary school in Park Rapids, Lake County,Biwabik and Mesabi East for 35 years as well ascoaching basketball and football for 25 years. He ismarried and has two grandchildren attending school inEly schools... Betty Reini Whaley (’67) is single andlives in St. Francis. She has two children, Brett, 28, andBrad, 24, and is planning a hiking trip down the GrandCanyon this summer... Jerry O’Neil (’62) lives inDelafield, WI, with his wife, MaryAnn, and plans toretire in May... Ken Mittelholtz (’67) and his wife,Camille, live in Annandale, VA... Earl Mathison (’66)and Gayle Mathison (’66) both retired in July and areentering new careers with FWW Financial Ltd,Minnetonka, as public financial advisors. They live inRoyalton and have two children, Gina, 31, and Erik,27... Bette (Behrens) Wammer (’62) and her husband,Michael, live in Audobon and have two grown childrenin their 30s, Steven and Susan. Bette is enjoyingDora and Irvin Sather

Neilson Foundation

Bemidji State University officialshave received $1 million to estab-lish the George W. Neilson En-dowed Chair in Wetlands Ecology.

The $1 million from the GeorgeW. Neilson Foundation was thelargest single gift ever received bythe University and will enableBemidji State to create its secondendowed academic chair. The an-nouncement of the gift was madeby Dr. Ted Gillett, presidentemeritus of BSU and president ofthe Katharine Neilson CramFoundation headquartered inBemidji. Katharine Neilson Cram,George Neilson’s daughter, diedin 1999.

“Bemidji State University isexcited about the opportunity af-forded through this gift,” said Dr.Jon Quistgaard, BSU president.“In today’s economic environ-

ment, support from sourcesexternal to the institution arecritical to maintain program-matic integrity as well ascreate venues for exploringnew options.

“I thank the George W.Neilson Foundation boardand local representatives forshowing confidence inBemidji State. Their actionaffirms a belief in the aca-demic quality of BemidjiState University programs,

and their vision as well as fore-sight will benefit the environmentfor many years.”

Since pre-settlement days, 52percent of the wetlands in theUnited States have been de-stroyed. Wetlands serve as waterreservoirs, habitat for numerousspecies of plants and animals, sur-face water diversion areas forflood prevention, and as filtrationagents to improve water qualityprior to being released intostreams, rivers and lakes.

The ecological importance ofwetlands has only recently beenappreciated. Over a decade ago,the federal government adopted apolicy of no-net-loss for wetlands,which brought protection and de-fined issues for a national environ-mental agenda.

“This endowed chair will furtherthe expanding emphasis on envi-

ronmental programming atBemidji State University,” said Dr.Ranae Womack, the dean of theCollege of Social and Natural Sci-ences. “Wetlands ecology is be-coming more widely recognized ascritical to maintaining safe envi-ronments for future generations.”

In recent years, the Universityhas added staff in the areas of lakeecology and fisheries manage-ment, invertebrate and river ecol-ogy, landscape and forest ecology,and environmental chemistry.

Dr. Don Cloutman, BSU facultymember in aquatic biology, feltthe presence of a chair for wet-lands ecology is a natural forBemidji State.

“We have some of the most out-standing and diverse aquatic andwetland resources in the world righthere in our own backyard,” he ex-plained. “These provide world-class educational opportunities.

“The largest bog in NorthAmerica is near Bemidji. We arethe convergence of three majorbiomes - northern boreal forest,eastern deciduous forest, and prai-rie. We are also at the head of threemajor North American river sys-tems, the Mississippi, St.Lawrence and Hudson Bay.”

Neilson was born inPocahontas, Virginia, on Decem-ber 10, 1883, and lived in Phila-

delphia until moving to Minne-sota in 1905 following graduationfrom Cornell University’s Collegeof Engineering.

His first job in Minnesotabrought him to the Akeley area,where he developed an apprecia-tion of nature, the outdoors, thepeople and the area. While he wasa resident of the Twin Cities in1921, he bought property on alake south of Bemidji, which be-

Neilson Foundation Endows Wetlandswith $1 Million GiftEcology Chair

Dr. Don Cloutman

came his summer home.After he retired as a business-

man and investor, Neilson spentfour or five months of each yearat his lake home. During this time,he developed a concern for thewelfare of the people in Beltramiand Hubbard Counties.

The George W. Neilson Foun-dation, headquartered in Minne-apolis, was established followinghis death in 1962.

George W. Neilson

e have some of the most outstanding and diverse aquatic and wetland resources in the

world right here in our own backyard. Theseprovide world-class educational opportunities.”

“W“W

Horizons Page 4

(Continued from page 3)

Where We Are ... What We’re Doingteaching elementary education for 36 years. She and herhusband, Chuck, live in Racine, WI... Brian Bates (’69)is a regional scout for the Columbus Blue Jackets andsells industrial hose for Goodall Russer Co. He lives inNew Brighton with his wife, JoAnne. They have onechild, Chris, 26... Richard Sauer (’62) and his wife,Lorraine, are retired and live on Lake Plantagenet nearBemidji. They have three grown children... GailNucech (’69) lives in Hibbing with her husband,Dennis, and teaches volleyball and physical education.They have a 19-year-old daughter, Crystal... Regina(Toscano) Scott (’66) is in her second year of teachingreading recovery and Title I in Des Moines, IA, whereshe lives with her husband, Patrick. They have twochildren, Tara, 23, and Nathan, 20... Margaret HallLavin (’62) is retired, having taught in Illinois and Ohioand living in Boston and Montreal, Canada. She’s beenback in Minnesota since 1977 and lives with herhusband, Jim, in Shoreview. They have two daughtersand a granddaughter... Linda Neuenfeldt (’65) ofLinden, MI, retired from teaching at Carman-Ainsworth, Flint, MI, in 1997. She and her husband,Ernest, who died in 1999, had two daughters, Heather,30, and Camilla, 22. Linda describes herself now as a“stay-at-home person” who enjoys bird watching andplaying with her pets... Gerald Meyer (’68) is in his 33rdyear of teaching at Paynesville Area High School. Heenjoys traveling, friends and small-town life and hastwo sons, Jason, 25, and Jeff, 22... Carolee SpangrudMock (’61) and her husband, Jerome, live inBreckenridge and enjoy traveling... Richard Belpedio(’66) retired in 2000 from 33 years of teachingelementary education, with most of that time spent in theAnoka Hennepin School District. He and his wife,Nancy, live in Coon Rapids and have two children, Erin,

12, and Emilie, 9... Royal Knutson (’65) was acandidate to the Ada City Council. He and his wife,Sharon, operated a pizza business from 1993 untilselling it this fall. Prior to that he’d worked as aneducator and also done construction work and pursuedother business interests in the community. The Knutsonshave two grown sons, Chadwyn, and Christopher... BobHazell (’61) and his team, St. Andrews, were inductedinto the Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996 afterwinning two men’s national championships in 1975 and1976. He taught physical education in Winnipeg,Manitoba, Canada, for 30 years and coached high schoolbasketball for many years as well as playing men’sbasketball for 20 years. He retired in 1994 and lives inWinnipeg with his wife, Ruth... Amy Forsmark Randy(’65) lives in Richfield with her husband and writes,” Itmakes me proud to be an alumni of a school which hascontinued to gain a highly prestigious reputation in thelast few decades. I went on to gain my M.A. degree at theUniversity of Iowa and studied for a doctorate at HebrewUniversity in Jerusalem. Thanks for some memorableyears.”... Patrick McCullough (’67) is board certifiedas a trial advocate by the National Board of TrialAdvocacy. Requirements include extensivedocumentation, including independent peer reviewfrom judges and attorneys as well as successfulcompletion of an examination... Norman Ford (’66)retired in June of 2000 after teaching social studies for34 years, with 31 of those spent at Hutchinson. There hewas junior high swimming coach for three years, beganteaching summer school in 1976 and in 1981 becamepart of the faculty on the new evening alternative school.In 2000, Norm and his wife, Darlene, moved to theircabin north of Deer River and began to remodel it into afull-time home. They are active in the local lakesassociation, where Norm serves as vice president, andhave three married children and one grandchild... Ken

Arel (’68) has retired after teaching English at PineIsland High School for 31 years. He owns Arel’s Flowersand Gifts in Pine Island.

1970sBonnie Gurno (’75) was recently appointedsuperintendent and principal of Pine Point School. Her12-year career as a principal has taken her toConnecticut, North Dakota and schools throughoutMinnesota. Prior to that, she worked as a schoolcounselor at Red Lake for seven years and has alsoserved as a Head Start and high school history teacher...Judy Janesich (’70) retired from a 30-year teachingcareer in November, having taught first grade inChisholm for most of that time. She and her husband,Howard, also a retired teacher, have two growndaughters, Jolene and Rhea... Jeanette Quinn (’76)celebrated her 50-year anniversary as a member of theFranciscan Sisters of Little Falls in June. She’sministered as a staff nurse, supervisor, nursing servicedirector, head nurse, library assistant, file clerk, nursingservice secretary, school nurse, secretary, receptionistand domestic. She is currently ministering as a volunteerat St. Francis Convent... Jim Tausch (’74) and Lynn(Higgins) Tausch (’75) of Coon Rapids celebrated theirsecond wedding anniversary in January. Jim works forthe State Ombudsman for MH & MR and Lynn teachesfirst grade at a music and arts magnet school... TrudyRautio (’75) is the CFO and executive vice president forCarlson Hospitality Worldwide, a division of travel andhospitality giant Carlson Companies Inc. of Plymouth.She began her career 25 years ago as a cost accountant forBoise Cascade Corp. and has also worked in finance andmanagement positions with Green Giant, Pillsbury Co.and Jostens. Away from the office, Rautio serves on theboard of HIRED, a nonprofit organization that assists the

unemployed... Scott Fox (’78) is Pelican Rapids’ newchief of police. He comes to the position with 23 years ofservice with the department. Fox had been in charge ofthe DARE program for the past 12 years and served asliaison officer for the past three years. He’d also servedas the department’s lead investigator. He and his wife,Gail, have two children, Ryan, 17, and Kristin, 15... Lori(Andreasen) Mikel (’79) and her husband, Greg, live inHastings where she works part-time with the hospital’swellness program and the YMCA. The couple has threechildren, Bryce, 13, Elaine, 10, and Keith, 4... RonKoetter (’75) was selected to oversee the Bemidji FireDepartment in the recently established role of captain.He joined the department in 1973 as a full-timefirefighter and in 1995 received his certification as a statefire inspector. Two years later he became the fire trainingcoordinator for Northwest Technical College. He is alsoa hazardous materials instructor and is supervisor ofPublic Safety’s Anthrax/Hazmat Containment Team...James Moon (’75) of Buffalo was recognized as 2001Minnetonka High School co-curricular advisor of theyear. He and his wife, Corrine, have two children, Brian,22, and Sheri, 27... Paul Godlewski (’70) was recentlyelected to shareholder status in the firm of Schwebel,Goetz & Sieben, P.A. of Minneapolis. He and three otherattorneys were selected based on their high level ofprofessional integrity, their contributions to the field oflaw and their proven commitment to providing personalinjury victims the highest level of legal representation.He’s also received a top rating by the nationallyrecognized Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory, beencertified as a civil trial specialist by the National Board ofAdvocacy, and been named a “super lawyer” multipleyears by both “Minnesota Law & Politics” and“Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine.” Godlewski has won anumber of record-setting settlements and verdicts,including one of the largest verdicts ever returned in

Minnesota. One of hisjury trials helped toexpand the law thatrequires manufacturersto warn the public whenthey discover a defectiveproduct that has gone tomarket... Art Gust (’74)is in his first year ofteaching at ChatfieldPublic Schools. He hasteaching experience atRochester VocationalTechnical Institute,Adrian High School and

Blooming Prairie High School and 21 years of bankingexperience at Home Federal Savings Bank and USBank. He and his wife of 24 years, Judy, have a daughterand a son... Joan McGuire (’72) and her husband, Jerry,recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary witha cruise to the Bahamas. They are former Bemidjiresidents who now live in Russellville, AK... Mary(Bishop) Anderson (’77) is employed in the RecordsOffice at St. Cloud State University. She married TedAnderson in August and the couple lives in St. Cloud...Dan Eikenberry (’75) and his wife, Sue, live inHackensack and have two grown children, John, 25, andAllison, 22. Dan is the head volleyball coach at WalkerHigh School. Both he and his wife have retired fromteaching... Nancy Ainsworth Flynn (’76) and herhusband, Bill, live in Brookings, SD, and have fourchildren, Kayla, 19, Susan, 16, William, 13 and Michael,9. She works part-time for the American Red Cross andvolunteers her time at three area schools... TomWieczorek (’79) and Lynn Wieczorek (’78) live inPerham and have two children, Mike, 19, and Mary, 16.

Paul E. Godlewski

GuthrieGuthrie Theatera goal to provide the region withquality performances and set a na-tional standard for excellence in the-atrical production.

Touring has long been part of a theorganization’s history, from the pre-sentation of John Steinbeck’s OfMice and Men in 1971 to MollySweeney last year. Over the years,25 plays have toured throughout theUnited States.

Written in 1932 and set in a smallConnecticut town on the Fourth ofJuly weekend in 1906, Ah, Wilder-ness! is a sunny, summer tale lacedwith humor that centers on the Millerfamily and their teen-age son Rich-ard, who is teetering on the edge ofmanhood.

Alumni involved in high schooldrama are invited to become part ofthe residency. A May 11 program forhigh school students and Guthrie per-sonnel will include a variety of in-teractive and learning sessions pre-ceding an evening performance ofAh, Wilderness!

The Neilson Cram Foundation hasprovided financial support to offerthis opportunity to high school stu-dents at no charge. Individuals inter-ested in obtaining more informationon this facet of the event may con-tact Bemidji State by calling 1-888-234-7794 or sending an email tonews @bemidjistate.edu.

Faculty Works Nominated forMinnesota Book Awards

Anton Treuer, assistant professor of Ojibwe, and WillWeaver, professor of English, had recent works selected asfinalists in different categories for 2002 Minnesota BookAwards.

Sponsored by the Minnesota Humanities Commission, theprogram recognizes, honors, and celebrates Minnesota’s lit-erary culture. Since 1988, more than 500 Minnesota-writtenbooks have been Minnesota Book Award nominees.

Treuer’s work, Living Our Language: Ojibwe Tales & OralHistories, was nominated in the anthologies and collectionscategory. Living Our Language presents the stories of 10Chippewa elders living at Leech Lake, White Earth, MilleLacs, Red Lake and St. Croix reservations. The anthologypresents the elders’ stories transcribed in Ojibwe languagewith English translations on the facing pages.

Living Our Language was published by the Minnesota His-torical Society Press.

Weaver is a finalist in the youth literature category for hisbook Memory Boy. Set in the future, Memory Boy tells thestory about the efforts of a Minnesota family to survive a world-wide disaster that has altered the earth’s landscape, turned cit-ies into wastelands of looting and crime, buried the sun behindclouds of ash, and changed the way people treat each other.Weaver previously won a Minnesota Book Award in fictionfor his collection of short stories A Gravestone Made of Wheat& Other Stories.

Memory Boy was published by HarperCollins Children’sBooks.

The winners of the Minne-sota Book Awards will beannounced on April 12.

The Guthrie Theater will be work-ing with the Bemidji State theaterprogram as part of its 2002 tour andresidency program this spring.

The Guthrie touring troupe will bein Bemidji May9-11 to presentworkshops as

well as three performances of its pro-duction of Eugene O’Neill’s Ah, Wil-derness!

The program by the world-famousGuthrie is part of a 2002 tour that in-cludes stops in 19 cities across sixstates.

As part of the regional tour, theGuthrie will present workshops oncampus for BSU students, highschool students, and area residents in-terested in theater as well as individu-als who desire to make the arts a partof their everyday lives.

During the workshops, Guthrie ac-tors, technicians and administratorswill address such topics as auditiontechniques, creating a character,movement, lighting design, stagemanagement, makeup tricks, and vo-cal training.

The Guthrie appearance is spon-sored by Bemidji State University,the Headwaters School of Music andBemidji Community Theater with fi-nancial support from the KatharineNeilson Cram Foundation.

Founded in 1963 by the Irish direc-tor Sir Tyron Guthrie, the theater has

Coming to BSU

Horizons Page 5

Tracking

(Continued on page 6)

grams often yield marginal re-sults. As a result, managers arelooking at investing money intoecosystems that favor successfulspawning.

Assessment of spawning areasmust be completed on a lake-by-lake basis since studies haveshown that walleye spawninghabitat can vary between lakes.

The radio transmitters were sur-gically implanted into 30 walleyeslast fall. Intensive tracking of the

Tracking the Elusive WalleyeThe Minnesota Department ofNatural Resources has funded awalleye tracking project under-taken by the Bemidji StateAquatic Biology Program to iden-tify spawning locations for the fishin Lake Bemidji.

The $25,000 grant was aug-mented by $800 from KrausAnderson Construction Company,North Division, used to purchaseadditional radio transmitters.

The goal of the research will beto use radio telemetry to trackspring walleye movement anddelineate spawning areas. In ad-dition to documenting such physi-cal attributes as depth, substrate,and temperature of the locations,the study will be used in futureendeavors aimed at preserving orenhancing walleye spawninghabitat in the lake.

The effort was prompted by re-cent interest in shifting the meth-ods used by fishery managers toincrease walleye numbers in rec-reational sports fisheries. Past at-tention focused heavily on stock-ing programs. Recent work hasindicated that maintaining healthyecosystems may yield better re-sults than simply adding fry or fin-gerlings to lakes that already con-tain breeding walleye populations.

In lakes that contain pre-exist-ing populations, stocking pro-

Tom is in his 10th year as business manager for PerhamPublic Schools and Lynn has been teaching socialstudies in the same school district for 10 years... RandyBowen (’73) and Marlene Bowen (’73) live in Duluthand Randy is the new 7-12 principal at Esko HighSchool. They have two grown children, Leah and Matt...James Baratto (’77) is employed as an industrial artsteacher and football coach at Crosby Ironton HighSchool. He and his wife, DeAnna, live in Deerwood andhave three children, Katie, 19, Ben, 17, and Anna, 13...Dale Schmid (’79) is visual and performing artscoordinator for the New Jersey State Department ofEducation and, in that role, is primarily responsible forthe state’s art education reform efforts. He and his wife,Karen Stone, live in Philadelphia, PA... MarkBuschena (’78) has worked with the Bismarck, ND,Police Department for 22 years and is currentlyassigned to crime prevention. He writes, “I am the“poster child” for a new North Dakota law involving gasdrive-offs. If you’re trucking through North Dakota,look for my picture on 5,000 gas pumps. Who says acollege education doesn’t pay?”... Harlan Highberg(’70) has three grown children, Kristi, Tanya and Jared.In 1998 he married his current wife, Gayle, followingthe 1994 death of his first wife, Lois, in a car accident...Glennis (Hovelson) Olson (’71) lives in Frazee and isin her 27th year of teaching at Frazee Elementary School.She has four grown children ranging in age from 19 to28... Sharon (Berven) Lake (’75) teaches second gradeat Rippleside Elementary School in Aitkin. She and herhusband, Robert, have two children, Shauna, 20, andRyan, 17... Sharon Botelle-Sherman (’74) ofWoodbury, CT, recently left a marketing and advertisingcareer with Anthem Blue Cross & Blaue Shield to tutorsixth- through eighth-grade reading and math. She andher husband, Norman Sherman, have three gown

children, Leslie, 43, Kathy, 38, and Brett 35. Norman isan industrial inventor and one of his inventions is Trilenefishing line developed for Berkly Co.... Brian Eggert(’76) and his wife, Barbara, live in Elk River and havetwo children, Patrick, 13, and Tracy, 18 ...Ken Ricker(’62) is retired from a career of teaching math atGreenway High School and Hibbing High School. Heand his wife, Jeanne, live in Pengilly and have threechildren, Gina, Dave and Mary... Stephanie Schleuder(’77) lives in Minneapolis and is employed as the headvolleyball coach and director of intramural sports atMacalester College, St. Paul... Kim Johnston Moen(76) is in her 24th year of teaching and is active in GirlScouts and church activities. She and her husband,Wayne, live in Ada and have two children, Aubrey, 8, andMichael, 4... Susan Berg Lohse (’73) is employed as theGrant County assessor. She tried out junior highvolleyball coaching this fall and has been officiatingvolleyball since 1978. She and her husband, Bobby, livein Elbow Lake and have four children, Trevor, 26,Trisha, 23, Tommy, 17, and Tana, 12... Trudy (Swartz)Trettel (’75) is in her 27th year of teaching businesseducation and was selected 2001 Teacher of the Year ofUpsala Area Schools. She and her husband, Michael,

live in Bowlus and have ason, Todd, 18... RuthHayden (’79) is in her 22nd

year of teaching, nowteaching physicaleducation at Ada-BorupHigh School. She’dpreviously taught andcoached at Climax Schoolfor 16 years and sincebeginning at Ada-Borup in1996 she’s also served as

head coach for volleyball and girls track. She and herhusband, Dan, live in Ada and have two children,Rebecca, 22, and Kenneth, 15... Brad Rivard (’76) andhis wife, Laurie, live in DePere, WI, and have threechildren, Michelle, 17, Rachael, 14, and Chad, 10... RickMcBride (’78) coaches the Warroad cross-country teamand this fall the boys team was Section 8A championsand placed fourth at the state meet. McBride was namedSection 8A coach of the year. He and his wife, Therese,live in Warroad and have two children, Allen, 12, andKallie, 9... Nancy Goudge (’72) is a counselor at theClearbrook-Gonvick Schools and lives in Clearbrook...John Schauble (’73) is in his 12th year of coaching trackand cross country at Stevenson High School inLincolnshire, IL, and, last spring, he coached Ian Croninto an IHSA 1600-meter run championship. He lives inLake Zurich, IL, and has two children, Angie, 22, andSarah, 24... Sue Mattson Halena (’78) is “still ajournalist after all these years.” She and her husband,Wayne, live in St. Cloud and have two children, Megan,18, and Kelsey, 15... Linda (Sarner) Ashfield (’70) isplanning a trip to New Zealand to visit her son, Joe. She isa homemaker, and a volunteer in her community ofOakdale. She and her husband, George, have threechildren, Joe, 24, Mike, 22, and Phil, 19... Dan Wilde(’70) retired in December after working for the City ofTurlock, CA, as its water department manager for 21years. He and his wife, Christine, live in Turlock...Bonnie Frantz (’77) works for Idaho State University asassociate director of student unions and studentactivities. Her husband, Alan, is a professor at ISU. Thecouple lives in Pocatello, ID, and has two children, Isaac,9, and Nathaniel, 5... Robert Montesano (’72) wasrecently selected as Minneapolis Public Schools FederalMagnet Assistance Grant Coordinator. He lives inGolden Valley and has two children, Emily, 13, and Rob,11... Mark Kelly (’79) and his wife, Julie, live in St.

Anthony and have four children, Gretchen, 20, Rebecca,17, Jeanie, 15, and Jayden, 13... Richard Lafean (’78)has been a police officer in Coon Rapids for 22 years andhis wife, Nancy, has worked in human resources forHiawatha Rubber Co. for 23 years. They live in CoonRapids and have two children, Chris, 14, and Kelly, 11...Scott Gibson (’77) and his wife, Michealle, live inPaynesville... Janice Jensen-Skoviera (’74) isemployed as a teacher at Atwater-Cosmos-Grove CityJunior-Senior High School. She and her husband, Sam,live in Willmar... Steve North (’72) and Krystie North(’72) live in Bemidji and have three children, Todd, 26,Sheryl, 23, and Erik, 18. Steve owns NorthwayInsurance of Bemidji and Hewitt-Zitzer Insurance, ParkRapids, and Krystie has been working with BemidjiCommunity Education for the past 16 years... LarryAitken (’74) facilitated a workshop in Novemberentitled “Understanding Human Diversity” in Bemidji.Aitken is an instructor at ICC and a member of the LeechLake Band of the Minnesota Chippewa. He has served aspresident of the Leech Lake Tribal College and taught inthe American Indian Studies program at the Universityof Minnesota-Duluth... Neil Freborg (’76) became aconservation officer with the Minnesota Department ofNatural Resources in October. Prior to that he’d beenwith the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Department for 14years. Freborg’s area of enforcement includes East PolkCounty to Highway 59, northward to Pennington Countyborder, eastward to Clearwater County and southward toinclude all of Mahnomen County. He has one son,Jeremy... Debrah Veeder (’79) and her husband, Dave,live in Pueblo, CO. They traveled for two months in theArctic this summer and swam in the Arctic Ocean whichthey reported was “just about as cold as Lake Bemidji.”...RuthAnn Nordlund (’74) of Bagley exhibited herpaintings at the Uptown Cafe in Bemidji during the

summer. She owns and operates aworking studio in Bagley, whereshe and her art colleaguesproduce and exhibit their art.She loves things from the past,especially family heirlooms fromher Norwegian and Swedishheritage and translates herpassion for tradition into her art.She has taught art in Bemidji andBagley Public Schools... DanGartrell (’72) received the Torch

and Shield Award from the University of Minnesota-Crookston this fall. The award recognizes individualswho have provided leadership and aided in thedevelopment of campus education in northwestMinnesota programs. Gartrell, a professor of earlychildhood and elementary education, is director of theChild Development Training Program at BSU and thecoordinator for college and competency-based earlychildhood education... Daryle Russell (’76) has beennamed as new captain of the Bemidji Police Department.Over the past 21 years he’s been an intern, patrolman,detective and, for the past 11 years, a sergeant with thepolice department... Julia Sullivan (’76) is enjoyingretirement, volunteers many hours at her church andsings in two church choirs... Marcia Homstad Sandahl(’72) of Thief River Falls is an instructor at NorthlandCollege in Thief River Falls and has been employed theresince August of 2000. She’d previously worked as anexecutive assistant to the superintendent of schools inThief River Falls for 19 years... Karen Koshiol Breuer(’78) and her husband, Bryan, live in a compound nearDammam, Saudi Arabia, with their nine-year-old sonNicholas. They have a three-year contract withHoneywell to live and work in sales in the Middle East.

radio-tagged fish will be con-ducted during the spring spawn-ing period while less-frequenttracking will be completed at othertimes. Data collected will be ap-plied to GIS mapping software andsamples will be taken from sus-pected spawning sites to determinethe presence of walleye eggs.

A report is expected sometimenext fall.

Ruth Hayden

Dan Gartrell

Theater Reunion toRecognize Scriba

The University Theater will be holding areunion in Bemidji June 15-16 to recognizeBob Scriba, who will be retiring this yearafter serving as a member of the speech andtheater faculty since 1979.

The reunion will include a reception andsalute to Scriba June 15 as well as the op-portunity to attend the performance of TheRobber Bridegroom which will be playingthroughout the weekend at the Paul BunyanPlayhouse.

The reunion is open to family membersand friends, and will afford theater alumnia chance to re-connect with the BSU pro-gram, meet new and veteran faculty, andshare stories.

More information is available by contact-ing Dr. Kay Robinson, Bangsberg Fine ArtsComplex, Bemidji State University #16,56601 (218-755-4051; kmrobinson@bemidjistate.edu).

Zierer Resigns as Women’sBasketball Coach

Doreen Zierer has resigned as headwomen’s basketball coach and assistant ath-letic director.

Zierer, who has been at BSU for 12 years,cited medical and family reasons for the de-cision. She had been on medical leave fromcoaching since early January and has re-turned to campus, following doctor’s rec-ommendations, to perform administrativeduties on a limited basis.

She has indicated that she will assume adirect role in the management of herfamily’s farm, which they have operated inthe Elgin, IL, area for three generations. Hermother passed away last summer and herfather died in a farming accident in 1993.

Zierer came to BSU in 1990 and guidedthe women’s team to a 16-13 record and adistrict championship berth in the NAIAnational playoffs. Her 1995-96 team fin-ished at 19-8, the best ever record for a Bea-ver basketball team in NCAA Division II,and she was named NSIC Coach of the Year.Her overall record at BSU was 124-175.

The BSU athletic program has initiatedthe process to search for a replacement andthe vacancy will be posted following Uni-versity hiring procedures and guidelines.

Graduate student David Strunk (left)releases a walleye into Lake Bemidji afterimplanting the radio transmitter (above).

for Research

Horizons Page 6

Where We Are ... What We’re Doing

Com

mun

ique

sCommuniquesfrom the alumni directorMass Communication Alumni and Student BanquetAlumni and students from the Mass Communication Department will be holding their an-

nual banquet on Friday, April 26, 2002. The event will again be held at the Bemidji Town andCountry Club. Registration materials will be sent to mass communication alumni soon. Formore information, please contact the Department of Mass Communication at 218-755-2915.

50-Year Reunion of the Class of 1952Alumni from the class of 1952 will celebrate their 50-year reunion this May in conjunc-

tion with BSU commencement. Festivities will begin with a reception on Thursday evening,May 16 and continue through Friday with a reunion luncheon in the Beaux Arts Ballroom.Acting as grand marshals, 50-year participants will lead the commencement walk acrosscampus and be honored guests at the commencement ceremonies. In addition to 50-yearparticipants, this year we will be inviting all alumni who’ve already celebrated their 50-yearanniversary from BSU to join us for the luncheon and receive special recognition. Registra-tion materials will be sent in the mail soon.

If you are interested in serving on a planning committee for the reunion, please contact thealumni office at 755-3989 (local) or 1-877-278-2586 (toll free). Members of the wrap aroundclasses of 1951 and 1953 are also invited to participate in the reception and luncheon.

Homecoming 2002 Set for October 4-6Homecoming dates for next fall have been set. Homecoming will again be held the first

weekend in October, from October 4-6. A 40-year reunion of the class of 1962 will be heldin conjunction with Homecoming. The annual Alumni Honors Banquet will be held onFriday evening this year. Saturday’s events will include a pre-game tailgate party co-spon-sored by the BSU Alumni Association and Beaver Pride, the Homecoming football game,and a 5th Quarter alumni reception following the game. Sunday’s activities will include theCarl O. Thompson Memorial Concert.

Mark your calendars and plan to attend. More details will be sent to active members ofthe BSU Alumni Association this summer. (Active membership requires a minimum annual$30 contribution to the BSU Foundation.)

Alumni Association Web Site SurveyThe Alumni Association and the BSU Foundation are working on a new look for our web

site. As part of this process, BSU students from Dr. Jeff Totten’s marketing research classhave developed a survey that will be sent to all alums with email addresses on file with theBSU Alumni Office. The survey is designed to provide input regarding what informationalums would like to see on the site. If you would like to participate in this survey, and you’renot sure if we have your email address, you can contact the Alumni Office via email atalumni@bemidjistate.edu.

Alumni with valid email addresses will receive a message from the Alumni Office some-time in early March directing you to a link where you may complete the survey. All surveyparticipants will be eligible for a drawing for a green BSU fleece pullover jacket.

Marla Huss Patrias

The couple has a house in Arizona which they intend toreturn to at the end of their contract. Karen had taughtfourth grade in Phoenix for 11 years before moving toSaudi Arabia in August 2000 and prior to that spent 11years teaching elementary school in Farmington.

1980sConnie (Solberg) Brickell (’87) lives in Conyers, GA,with her husband, Gregory, and their children, Haley, 6,and Heath, 3... Lance Chambers (’83) has been hired asprincipal of Jordan High School. For the past seven yearshe’d served as principal at Gibbon-Fairfax-WinthropMiddle School in Fairfax... Joanne Bougalis (’98) ofHibbing has been named director of Lutheran SocialService Range Youth Services in Kinney. She supervisesa staff of 30... Ann West (’86), instructor of trumpet atthe University of Wisconsin in Superior, was the featuredperformer at a university recital in November... RichardHolz (’84), associate professor of inorganic andbiological chemistry for the College of Science at UtahState University, received the researcher of the yearaward from USU in 2001. Holz and his graduate studentsare conducting basic research that could haveimplications for cancer chemotherapy... Paul Parthun(’87), a 14-year veteran with the Bemidji Policedepartment, has been promoted to sergeant. He’s servedas a detective in the department for the past six years and10 years ago revived the department’s canine program.He is also employed as a part-time police instructor forthe Northwest Police Training Institute and has served asthe local motorcycle safety instructor for the past 11years... Mary (Mausolf) Werdal (’86) works in themedical records department at the University ofMinnesota Vet Teaching Hospital. She and her husband,Doug, live in Bloomington and have two children,

Emily, 8, and James, 6... Connie Leyendecker (’88) ofPrior Lake was selected as the WEM FoundationAcademic Coach of the Year, an honor which brings itsrecipient a $10,000 cash award. She is in her fifth year atBenilde-St. Margaret’s teaching English and serving ashead speech coach. During her time there she has builtthe speech team in both quantity and quality and sentthree students to nationals in the past two years. Lastyear, almost 10 percent of the student body participatedin speech... Wade Anderson (’84) and his wife, Peggy,live in Mt. Horeb, WI, where he recently accepted a newposition as a senior account executive... Dawn Kalvig(’84) was selected this fall as the Minnesota MusicEducator of the Year after being nominated by hercolleagues and the Minnesota Music Educators Board.Kalvig serves as the primary grades music specialist atthe Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted School District...Will Awe (’88) teaches seventh-grade math, advancedmath and geometry at International Falls High Schoolwhere he was selected by students as November’s AssetBuilder. He’s been teaching for 13 years, with the lastfive years spent at International Falls. He and his wife,Lori, have two children, Paige, a 10th grader, and Tony,who is in seventh grade... Janet Yackle (’81) lives in St.Louis Park... DeeAnn Eskeli (’88) and her husband,David, of Plummer announce the May 21 birth of a son,Isaac... Chad Sackett (’89) lives in Nevis where he is amajor in the Minnesota Army National Guard, serving asthe operations officer for 2-136 Infantry Battalion aswell as airport security officer for the Guard... ArleneSchwerzler (’85) is a mortgage lender for MerchantsBank in Winona where she’s lived for 16 years. She andher husband, Thomas, have two children, Ted, 11, andAmanda, 9... Michael Hedlund (’87) and Paula(Rouillard) Hedlund (’86) live in East Grand Forkswith their children, Alexandra, 11, Kori, 8, and Lauren,3. Michael is a sergeant with the Grand Forks Police

Department and will be working as a law enforcementvolunteer at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City,UT. Paula is a teacher and coach in East Grand Forksschools... Stacy Muckala Bury (’86) and her husband,Tim, live in Delano. They have two children, Will, 8, andRick 4... Paul Lauber (’89) and his wife, Corinna, live inMinneapolis. They have two children, Collin, 3, andKristin, 2... David Arola (’80) and Terryl Arola (’80)live in Pine City and have two sons, Rob, 17, and Andy,15. David is in his sixth year as principal of Pine CityElementary and Terryl works for Pine County as a courtservices director... Dale Erickson (’87) and BarbErickson (’88) live in Rochester and have two children,Tony, 9, and Rebecca, 6. Dale works at IBM in Rochesterand Barb operates a home-based graphics designbusiness called Graphics Ink... Paula Raabe (’81)recently accepted a new position as material controlanalyst at 3M in New Ulm. She and her husband, Jeff, livein Montgomery and have two children, Nicole, 16, andNate, 13... Paul Meskan (’86) and Jill (Johnson)Meskan (’84) live in Minneapolis and have threechildren, Jordyn, 6, Paige, 6, and Payton 1... MichelleSteien (’87) teaches high school at Heritage ChristianSchool. She and her husband, Mitch, live in Karlstad andhe works as a firefighter and medic with the Grand ForksFire Department. They have four children, Marcus, 11,Matt, 8, Marissa, 7, and Mikey, 2... Lydell Husmann(’82) is employed by Gateway Computers as a seniorfinance manager. He and his wife, Karen, live in DakotaDunes, SD, and have five children, Hannah, 10, Noelle, 8,Brian, 7, Erin, 4, John, 2... Brad Fevold (’85) recentlygraduated from Moorhead State University with amaster’s in business administration. He and his wife,Teresa live in Roseau and have five children, Derek, 13,Jordan, 9, Matthew, 6, Liana, 5, and Zachary, 1... TomSwanson (’89) is a deputy at the Hennepin County

Sheriff’s Jail in Minneapolis. He and his wife, Julie, livein Apple Valley and have a daughter, Madison... KirbyJohnson (’82) and his wife, Beth, live in Plymouth andhave two children, Charlie, 11, and Nils, 10... BradleyWold (’83) and Marie (Wilson) Wold (’83) live inHarris and have three children, Sam, 12, Rebecca, 10,Jacob, 7. Brad is in his 17th year of employment withCambridge Community College and Marie is employedat Cambridge Christian School where all their childrenattend school... Mark Fodness (’82) and his wife,Karen, live in Bemidji and have three children, Kyle, 7,Adam, 4, and Halle, 1... Cheryl Peterson (’86) ofSeaford, DE, is employed as director for pharmacyservices for Hospital System in Maryland ...DebbieAnderson (’87) is working as a career corrections agentfor the Department of Corrections in Benton County. Sheand her husband, Tom, live in Sauk Centre and have adaughter, Stephanie, 10... Colleen (Mahoney) Abear(’86) teaches second grade for Crosby Schools and iscurrently the mayor of Deerwood. She and her husband,Terry, have two children, Paul, 11, and Marie, 9... CindyRogers (’85) lives in Guthrie with her husband, Dan, andtheir children, Linda, 13, Laura, 11, and Wesley, 11...Kathleen Lundberg-Hill (’88) works in the lab at theCass Lake PHS Indian Hospital. Her husband, Duane,works as a civil engineer with the Minnesota Departmentof Transportation. They live in Bemidji and have onechild, Kendall, 3... Martin Templeton (’87) and hiswife, Roberta, are grandparents to three and live inBemidji... Terri Johnson (’85) and her husband, Eric,live in Shakopee and have two children, Sarah, 6, andBen, 3... Wendy (Witmer) Perry (’81) plays in aprofessional string quartet that recently performed at afunction attended by First Lady Barbara Bush. Sheteaches elementary strings in the Omaha, NE, PublicSchools and lives in Omaha with her husband, Joel, andtheir child, Paige, 6... Brett Bahr (’89) and Marcia

Bahr (’87) have two children, Isaac, 9, and Anna, 4, andlive in Mankato. Brett recently started a new job ascontroller with Cotswold Swine Genetics in Mankato...Edward Hadash (’87) of Burnsville works withREMAX and has been a real estate agent for 13 years...Cory Shubert (’83) of St. Louis Park is a senior webdesigner for MLT vacations Inc. and a web photographerfor the Minnesota Wild NHL team. He and his wife,Susie, have two children, Vivian, 5, and Sullivan, 1...Craig Stubbins (’81) and his wife, Jayne, live in EdenPrairie and have three children, Jesse, 16, Callie, 7, andJoanna, 5... Karen (Sletten) Mattson (’80) has beenemployed as a special education teacher at WarroadElementary since 1984. She and her husband, LeRoy,have three children, Ryan, 13, Lisa, 12, and Stephen, 9...Orville Gore (’81) owns Live Oak Consulting, Inc. Heand his wife, Marilyn, have a son, Steven, 14, and live inGilbert, AZ... John Lund (’89) is beginning his ninthyear with Donaldson Company in Bloomington and iscurrently a purchasing manager. He also serves as avolunteer firefighter for the City of Minnetonka. He andhis wife, Brenda, have been married for 12 years andhave two children, Ben, 6, and Royce, 2... MikeTurnbull (’81) and Pam Turnbull (’83) live in Hibbingand have two children, Lexie, 18, and Blaine, 16. Mikecoaches volleyball and men’s basketball and baseball atHibbing Community College... Christine Greve (’83)of West Yellowstone, MT, is an assistant supervisor at theWest entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Herhusband, John, works as a gift buyer for Hamilton Stores,Inc.... Jonathon Gunderson (’88) and his wife, Cheryl,live in Minnetonka and have two children, Abby, 6, andKatie, 3... Jim Hoffman (’88) works at Cargill, Inc., andis president of the Labrador Retriever Club of the TwinCities. He and his wife, Alanna, live in Brooklyn Centerand have a son, Matt, 7... Peggy Johnson (’89) is a

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Golfers Find Fun on Frozen LinksTo the delight of all the participants, the 7th annual Slim’s / Beaver Pride

Winter Golf Classic was held on January 26, 2002. The event required two-member teams to navigate an 18-hole golf course on frozen Lake Bemidjiwith a tennis ball.

With close to 40 teams competing, golf enthusiasts Jim Grimm and CharlieWarring took first place honors with a score of 40, followed by TomBurlingame and Paul Friesen.

Winter golf committee Chair Ken Traxler reported that the event was ahuge success and is scheduled for next year on Saturday, January 18. “Win-ter Golf is all about the chance to get out of the house and enjoy the companyof friends and the excitement of Bemidji Polar Daze,” he said. “We had agreat turnout this year, and I hope the event is even better next year!”

Beaver Pride board members who participated in the tournament were(left to right): Dr. Ken Traxler, Bill Mawe, Lisa Haberman,

Dr. Jon Quistgaard (BSU president), Dawn Richardson and Joe Dunn

Legacy BuildersRichard and Sharon King Endowment

Richard King came to Bemidji State “College” from Grand Rapids,MN, and graduated in 1965 with a major in business administration. Heand his wife, Sharon Mitchell King, a graduate of Mankato State Univer-sity, currently reside in San Ramon, CA, where they have lived since 1985.

King values the quality experience he received from Bemidji Stateand recognizes the importance and value of higher education. As a re-sult, the Kings have established the Richard and Sharon King Scholar-ship Endowment Fund through a generous provision in their estate plan-ning. The scholarships will ultimately be awarded to high school gradu-ates of Hill City, MN.

Richard and Sharon feel this is their way of thanking Bemidji StateUniversity while at the same time providing opportunities for future gen-erations of students to receive the same quality education that Richardreceived as a student. “We hope these scholarships will give studentsthe opportunity to reach their career goal,” Richard said.

Horizons Page 7

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fourth- through sixth-grade multi-age classroom teacherin Akeley... Joani Bergstrom (’85) organized the nine-mile Youth to Heal the Nation walk from rural Orr toCook Oct. 7. She serves as youth director at TrinityLutheran Church, Cook. The walk along MinnesotaHighway 53 raised $1,616 for the American Red Cross.She and her husband, Terry, have two sons, Levy, 13, andIsaac, 11... Ruth Clark (’82) has been named curriculumdirector and is a long-term substitute for a counselor atWadena-Deer Creek High School. She had been aguidance counselor at WDC since 1982 and returns aftertaking an early retirement in June of 2000... Chris Fettig(’86) took the Bemidji High School show choir,Vocalmotive, to competitions in Onalaska, LaCrosse andHolmen, WI. Fettig, BHS vocal music director, has beenteaching at the high school for 15 years... BrianWilliams (’82) is employed as bank president for USBanks in Alexandria and Fergus Falls. He and his wife,Sue, have lived in Alexandria for 12 years and have threechildren, Brooke, 13, Brittany, 11, and Blake, 9...Charles Powell (’83) is board certified as a trialadvocate by the National Board of Trial Advocacy.Requirements include extensive documentation,including independent peer review from judges andattorneys, as well as successful completion of a day-longexamination... Mark Edwards (’82) was a candidate tothe Pine River-Backus School Board. He has worked asan industrial arts teacher in Minnesota and Hawaiischools and also worked in carpentry in Montana andPine River. He volunteered as a handicap accessfabrication consultant for the cities of Brainerd andCrosslake... Leah Pigatti (’83) of Park Rapids wasrecently awarded the Community Builder award by theNorthwest Minnesota Women’s Fund. She serves onseveral regional committees and advisory boards, workswith low-income families and has helped parents ofyoung children through the development of parent

training and support systems... John Fischer (’82) hasbeen promoted to operations manager of TectonProducts, Fargo, NS. He has 18 years manufacturingexperience in customer service, engineering, plantmanagement, engineering management and materialmanagement, most recently serving as special projectmanager for Tecton. He lives with his wife, Kara, andtheir daughter in West Fargo... Connie Brickell (’87)lives in Conyers, GA, with her husband Gregory (’90)and children, Haley, 6, and Heath, 3. . . Jeff Haukebo(’83) is one of eight new owners of the certified publicaccounting firm of Miller, McDonald, Erickson &Moller, Ltd., with home offices in Bemidji. He is acertified public accountant, has been with the firm formore than eight years and works out of the Park Rapidsoffice... Glen Lindeth (’83) is one of eight new ownersof the certified public accounting firm of Miller,McDonald, Erickson & Moller, Ltd., with home officesin Bemidji. He is a certified public accountant, has beenwith the firm for more than eight years and works out ofthe Bemidji office... Tom Sexter (’83) of Woodbury isregional manager-merchandising manager with theMinneapolis office of the LouisDreyfus Corp. His dutiesinclude procurement of commodities in the north centralstates including wheat, corn and soybeans, managing thetransportation logistics and price risks as they areshipped to export grain terminals and managing theMinneapolis office and its employees.

1990sNeil Cooper (’98) is completing his chiropracticinternship at the Advanced Chiropractic Center inInternational Falls... Patricia Davidson (’99) and herhusband, Ron, live in Baudette with their children,Dessa, 13, Cody, 10 and Bryan, 7. She works atLakewood Health Center. . . Jeffrey Carpenter (’90)

and his wife, Mary Jane, have three children, Taylor, 5,Zackary, 2, and Ali, four-months... Gregory Brickell(’90) and his wife, Connie (’87), live in Conyers, GA,with their children, Haley, 6, and Heath, 3. He teachessixth- and seventh-grade social studies, coaches highschool and middle school wrestling and also works inconstruction... Valkyrie PenDragon (’99) of Cass Lakeis chief information officer and chief technology officerat the Leech Lake Tribal College in Cass Lake...Heather Dehn-Brastad (’94) and Kale Brastad (’94)live in Little Falls with their children, Tucker, 5, Owen,3, and Micah, 1. Heather works as a math tutor and Kalerecently started his own construction business... CindyNess (’93) and her husband, Jon (’91), live in Bemidjiand serve as foster parents. They also have threechildren, Jade, 8, Nicholas, 6, and Trinity, 4... KristinBrandt (’96) and Bert Brandt (’96) live in Wheaton, IL,where Bert had been working on a recently completedconstruction project at the Joliet Speedway (NASCARtrack)... Heather (Englund) Opsal (’98) and herhusband, Mike, have a one-year-old daughter and live inLaporte... Ann (Johnson) McCann (’90) is a senioraccountant in the controller’s department of BallCorporation in Broomfield, CO. She lives with herhusband, Joseph, and their daughter, Samantha, 1, inBrighton, CO... Kelly (Spierings) Aspen (’91) and herhusband, Bryan, are planning to move to the LaCrosse,WI, area in the spring and expand their orthopedicsbusiness. They currently live in Amherst Junction, WI,

with their children, Riley and Aubrey... Carrie(Krump) Solberg (’94) and her husband, Todd, ofMoorhead announce the birth of a son, Garrett, inSeptember. They have also started a website business;@http://www.safeguard your family.com. Theirdaughter, Carolyn, is three... Robert McClanahan(’90), his wife, Anna Mae (’90), and their children,Cassie, 8, and Alexis, 6, recently moved to Wellington,FL. They’d previously lived for three years in Portland,MA, and prior to that had spent eight years inMinneapolis... Crista Stahl (’96) lives in Windom withher son, Jordan James, 11... Kimberly Elhardt (’98) hasbeen teaching kindergarten at Bigfork Elementary forfour years. She and her husband, Eric, have a son, Ethan,1, and live in Marcell... Amy Gall (’98) of Sauk Rapidsteaches kindergarten in the Sartell-St. Stephen SchoolDistrict... Marti (Klinkner) Schroepfer (’91) lives inSleepy Eye with her husband, Joel, and their children,Evan, 6, and Jena, 2... Deanna (Hamilton) Kruse (’90)lives in Baraboo, WI, with her husband, Keith, and son,Colton, 5. She’s been employed as a pharmacytechnician at Wal-Mart for eight years... Carl Rudi (’90)serves as a seventh-grade math teacher and head footballcoach in Colfax, WI, where he lives with his wife, Polly,and children, Alexis, 5, and Jarrod, 3... Pat Randall(’97) and her husband, John, live in Osage. They havefive children, Jennifer, 27, Martina, 24, Alisha, 21,Jerod, 19 and Delacey, 12... Erik Montzka (’91) andDeborah (Shepersky) Montzka (’90) live in Osage

with their children, Blake, 7, and Justin, 1. Deborahworks as a chiropractor in Park Rapids and the familywas anticipating the birth of a third child this winter...Norm Gallant (’99) and Mandy (Johnson) Gallant(’99) both teach in the Wadena-Deer Creek SchoolDistrict. They were married in June, 2000, and bought ahome in Wadena later that year... Marc Glowack (’91),his wife Rachel Hasbargen-Glowack, and their son,Joseph, live in Nashwauk where Marc teaches thirdgrade and serves as assistant varsity football coach...Brian Weierke (’91) recently completed his master’sdegree at Metro State and was promoted to sergeant withthe Fridley Police Department. He and his wife, Birgitta,live in Fridley and have two children, Alexis, 4, andSydney, 2... Jannessa Moris (’95) is teachingkindergarten in Blackduck this year. She and herhusband, Patrick, live in Kelliher and have a five-year-old son, Andrew... Brian Trunk (’91) and his wife, Lisa,of Brooklyn Park announce the Oct. 5 birth of a son,Jeremy. Brian is employed by Target Corp. as acomputer support specialist... Rebecca Maki (’96) andher husband, Greg, live in Solway... Wendy LarsonScholler (’97) and her husband, Rob, live in RandomLake, WI, and recently bought a sporting goodsbusiness. They have one child, Tristan, 2... SusanJensen (’95) is a nurse and a massage therapist. She andher husband, Dennis, live in Duluth and have threechildren, Kyle, 26, Kara, 24, and Kevin 20... LeeWestrum (’91) has worked at Benson High Schoolsince 1992 and currently teaches American governmentand serves as the high school activities director. He was acandidate for election to the Benson City Council...Paula Swan (’99) and Timothy Auburt were marriedOct. 5 in Bemidji. The couple will move to Memphiswhere Paula plans to finish her nursing degree at theUniversity of Tennessee and Timothy will pursue a

Singers Welcome for Fourth Seasonof BSU Alumni Choir

The BSU Alumni Choir, under the direction of Dr. Paul Brandvik,BSU professor emeritus of music, and Sarah Aamot-Lundin (’89), willbegin rehearsals in February for its fourth season.

The choir will perform two concerts this spring. The first will beSunday, April 28, 2002, at Maternity of Mary of the Ascension CatholicChurch in St. Paul, MN, with a second scheduled Saturday, May 4, 2002,at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Minnetonka, MN.

A reception sponsored by the BSU Alumni Association will followthe April 28 concert at the church.

The BSU Alumni Choir was founded by Aamot-Lundin in the fall of1998 as a performance choir for her master’s conducting recital. Thechoir’s first concert was held on May 1, 1999, and featured a programconsisting entirely of choral works written or arranged by Brandvik.

This year’s program consists of classic choral favorites—”O Lord,Increase My Faith,” Byrd’s “Ave Verum Corpus,” Scarlatti’s “ExultateDeo,” Samuel Barber’s “Reincarnations” trilogy, the spirituals “DeepRiver” and “All My Trials,” two new Brandvik compositions, and Ben-jamin Britten’s masterwork “Rejoice in the Lamb.”

The purpose of the Bemidji Alumni Choir is to provide an opportunityfor any and all interested Bemidji Choir alumni to sing with their oldchoir mates.

There is still time to join the Bemidji Alumni Choir for this season.Alumni, especially tenors and basses, of the Bemidji State Choir underdirectors Carl Thompson, Brandvik, or Brad Logan who would like tosing should contact Aamot-Lundin (651-459-1845, or slundin@mediaone.net) or Brandvik (kspress@northernnet.com

All rehearsals this season will be held at Minnetonka Lutheran Church.

James S. Love (’74) – Rochert, MNEdith Rider (’33) – St. Petersburg, FLMarion Weekley (’98) – Bemidji, MNDavid S. Jore (’73) – Center Barnstead, NHDuane Hurd (’76) – Staples, MNDouglas Kirkeby (’58) – Glencoe, MNDr. Philip Sauer (Professor Emeritus) – Bemidji, MNAnn K. Dunlap (’72) – Bagley, MNDonald Huff (’67) – Bemidji, MNKeith Hanson (’68) – Mizpah, MNMaureen Thommes (retired faculty) – Little Falls, MNJoanne Frey (’74) – Park Rapids, MNEvelyn Coughlin (’61) – Rosemount, MNThelma Rusten (’66) – Clearbrook, MNDavid “Doug” Thireault (’53) – Sweet Home, ORJeffrey Rademacher (’98) – Mayer, MNBruce Hillestad (’63) – Thief River Falls, MNEvelyn Liebherr (’35) – Marshall, MIPaul Bunte (’83) – Barnum, MNHubert Hovland (’53) – Battle Lake, MN

Amy GallCarrie (Krump) Solberg Robert and Anna McClanahan

Nominations Sought for OutstandingMass Communication Alumni

Nominations are now being accepted for candidates to be considered forthe BSU Outstanding Mass Communication Alumni Award. The nomina-tion deadline is March 22, 2002.

Presented annually during the Mass Communication Alumni and StudentBanquet slated this year for April 26, the award goes to a mass communica-tion graduate who has achieved a great deal in their field of expertise.

Alumni are invited to the banquet to catch up with old friends and meetthe new faces in the Mass Communication Department.

A nomination form can be obtained by contacting the Alumni office (1-877-278-2586, toll free; 218-755-3989; or email alumni@bemidjistate.edu).

Sinosummer forAlumni

The BSU Alumni Associationis exploring the idea of sponsor-ing a trip to China.

Patterned after the popularSinosummer trip for BSU stu-dents, the alumni version wouldbe shorter, 17 days, and will in-clude some different experi-ences than the popular campusprogram.

The tentative itinerary in-cludes two days in Beijing; sixdays at Liaoning University in-cluding a trip to Inner Mongolia;two days in Xian; a three daycruise on the Chang Jiangthrough the Three Gorges; andtwo days in Shanghai, includinga day trip by train to Suzhou.

The estimated cost will be$4200, and eligibility includesBSU alumni who may be ac-companied by family or friends.

“This is a chance to experi-ence China for those whoweren’t able to participate inSinosummer as undergraduatesand for those who graduatedbefore there was a SinosummerProgram,” said Dr. Pete Smith,BSU faculty member who willco-lead the trip with JanWeiskopf-Smith. “At this point,we are trying to determine ifthere is enough interest toschedule the trip. If so, the tripwill take place during the lasttwo weeks of August 2002.”

Individuals who might be inter-ested in an alumni Sinosummershould contact Marla HussPatrias, director of BSU AlumniRelations, 1500 Birchmont DriveNE, Box 17, Bemidji, MN 56601-2699 (FAX: 218-755-4146; e-mailmpatrias@bemidjistate.edu).

Reply information shouldinclude a return mailing or e-mail address. Individuals will becontacted with more informa-tion if there is sufficient inter-est in the trip.

A Special Tribute for a Special PairThere are retired Bemidji State faculty members and then there

are. . . well, RETIRED FACULTY MEMBERS who were and are sospecial that they transcend the long list of reitirees simply by theirbeing. . . well, so special.

In this special category two names leap out, Harold Hagg and PhilSauer. They were deemed special when they arrived on the tinyBemidji State campus within a year of each other in the late 1930s.

They remained special on the fast-growing, post-war campus, aswitnessed by their having the then new classroom building namedafter them - Hagg-Sauer Hall — in 1970. Late in the 70s theywould both retire, within a year of each other, each having taughtover 40 years.

This special pair and their identification with Bemidji State weresuch that for virtually three generations of students and towns-people, they not only taught at the college, they were the college.

Now recently they would both pass away, within a year of eachother, with both large funerals held in the same church in town thatthey both loved so well, Trinity Lutheran. Both men were in their90s at the time of their deaths. Yet Dr. Harold Hagg, professor ofhistory, “The Walking Encyclopedia,”and Dr. Philip Sauer, professorof English, “The English Scholar,” remained mentally sharp andsound right to the end. No surprise.

Perhaps for today’s students the “good old days” may be now,but for generations of former students, the best of the “good olddays” were epitomized by professors Harold T. Hagg and Philip vonRohr Sauer.

Renaisance Men. A Special Pair.– Art Lee

In Memoriam

Horizons Page 8

very athlete dreams of playing in the Olympics and representing their country. I know I sure did.

This is truly incredible - the chance of a lifetime. I knowit may sound hokey, but this is really a dream come true.”

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Where We Are ... What We’re Doingcareer in music... Diane Scott (’93), a Northland CollegeRegistered Nursing instructor, recently received nationalcertification in oncology from the Oncology NursingCertification Corporation of the American NursesAssociation. She teaches at Northland’s satellite site inBemidji, maintains an active clinical practice and isemployed at North Country Hospital, Bemidji... MartyTorgerson (’95) is the new manager of Split Rock CreekState Park at Ihlen. His father, also named Marty, hadserved in the same position when the new manager wasjust a boy. He’d previously spent a year as an assistantmanger at Cascade River State Park near Grand Marais...Chris Johnson (’95) and Traci Johnson (’95) live inHutchinson with their children, Dean, and Caleb... GregStish (’98) teaches seventh- through 10th-grade health andphysical education at Ely High School... Lila Finney(’95) received her Ph.D in psychology from MiamiUniversity in May. She is a fellow in the National CancerInstitute’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program...Tony Palm (’96) and Leesa (Foss) Palm (’96) are livingin the Baudette area where Tony works as a commerciallender with Border State Bank, Baudette, and Leesaworks for Marvin Windows. Tony comes to Border StateBank from MTD Products in Minneapolis. Prior to this,he’d managed Michael’s Furniture in Detroit Lakes. ThePalms have two children, Clara and Simon... Dana Smith(’95) is Nicollet High School’s new eighth through 12th

grade science teacher. She’d previously taught science fortwo years at New Ulm Cathedral and one year at BemidjiState University. Her husband, Jason, is an environmentalchemist... Lee Furuseth (’95) is employed as anelementary principal in the Walker-Hackensack-AkeleySchool District... Rita Fish-Whitlock (’94) practices lawin Roseau, having joined the law office of Alan Fish as anassociate this fall. She focuses on general law and hasbeen certified by the Supreme Court of Minnesota in

alternative dispute resolution services. She and herhusband, Brett, live in Roseau with their children,Samantha, 9, Tara, 6, and Josie, 4... Edward Maiorana(’99) and Lisa (Rongnlin) Martine, both formerly fromBemidji, were married Nov. 2 in Providence, RI. He isactive in the Department of Intelligence, USS Navy SupBase Group 2. Lisa is employed at Arizona StateUniversity West, Phoenix, AZ... Jodi Gregory (’93) andSam Lundquist were married in September in a privateceremony at Superior Shores Resort in Two Harbors.Both are employed in law enforcement positions... PatZea (’91) and her husband, Larry, live in rural Blackduckand own a herd of Scottish Highland cattle. Pat taughtschool in Blackduck for 28 years and Larry has pursued anumber of business careers, including owning aninsurance business in Blackduck... Chris Janssen (’97)was promoted to Isanti County investigator in July afterjoining the force as sheriff’s deputy in March of 2000...Chris Ismil (’98) has served as coordinator of the IronRange Youth Association for the past year. He previouslyhad worked as an adjunct instructor at BSU whileworking toward his master’s degree in English with anemphasis on short-story writing. Prior to that he servedin the US Army as a paratrooper from 1993 to 1996. Hewas trained in air assault, jungle operations and as acombat lifesaver. He also participated in a humanitarianmission in which he cared for Cuban refugee childrenand taught them English... David Herring (’93) lives inGrand Rapids with his wife, Kelly Jo, and son, Cole, 4...Becky Klobuchar Bone (’97) was a candidate seeking aseat on the Eveleth-Gilbert School Board. She’s beenemployed for more than 26 years as a public health nurse,is married and has three children... Brian Stefanich(’90) was hired this fall as principal in Sebeka. He’dpreviously taught elementary school in Bemidji for 11years. He’s also served for 14 years in the MinnesotaNational Guard, having served as commander for the

Bemidji unit and also as commander of the WadenaGuard for one year. He is currently a captain and servesin the brigade office as an operations officer... BryanHammitt (’96) and his wife, Kris, built a neighborhoodhockey rink on their property in the Bel Tree DriveNortheast area of Bemidji. Amenities included a 115-by-65-foot sheet of ice, regulation-size boards and goals,three halogen lamps on 20-foot poles, a warming houseand homemade Zamboni-like machine. Neighbors andbusinesses donated time and money to build andmaintain the private rink, which the Hammitts share withtheir neighbors in order to give the children in theneighborhood something to do and strengthen tiesbetween neighbors... Janie Sorheim (’94) and AndrewNordberg were married October 13 in Maple Grove.Janie is employed as a graphic artist and Andrew is aflight attendant for United Airlines. The couple enjoysballroom dancing and a focal pint of the reception was aballroom dance presentation featuring a special dance bythe newlyweds... Christina Lindseth (’99) marriedMitchell Vaughn January 8 in Maui, HI... Michelle(Steile) Goudge (’97) and Jeremy Goudge (’95) live inBemidji were Michelle works from her home as anaccount manager for C.H. Robinson, Eden Prairie.Jeremy is a trooper with the Minnesota State Patrol...Kenneth Perreault (’98) and his wife, Theresa,announce the January 23 birth of a son... Holly(Strachan) Koehler (’93) lives in Fridley and has twochildren, Mary and Elizabeth, both 4. She and her fiancé,Daniel Knoss, are planning an August wedding...Melanie Rietveld (’93) and Tom Rietveld (’93) ofBemidji announce the November 9 birth of a daughter...David Mans (’92) is one of eight new owners of thecertified public accounting firm of Miller, McDonald,Erickson & Moller, Ltd., with home offices in Bemidji.He is a certified public accountant, has been with the firmfor more than eight years and works out of the Bemidji

office... Sandra Nelson (’93) is one of eight newowners of the certified public accounting firm of Miller,McDonald, Erickson & Moller, Ltd., with home officesin Bemidji. She is a certified public accountant, hasbeen with the firm for more than eight years and worksout of the Bemidji office... Gayle (Runck) Gillard(’91) married Kalin Gillard Nov. 18, 2001, in Tonpah,NV, where the couple now lives

2000sGail Larson (’00) and her husband, Donald, live inNewfoldon and have three children, Sarah, 23, Andy,18, and Josh, 18... Diana Tobin (’00) is teaching at a St.Paul charter school and mentoring school-age careprograms. She and her husband, Bruce, live in North St.Paul... Ryan Thomas (’00) is Bemidji district managerof Special Deliveries, a direct mail advertisingcompany that, while new to Bemidji, has been inbusiness for 11 years... Sky Jager (’00) has accepted anew position as employment director with Evergreen ofBemidji. Jager was a case manager with Evergreen’sTransitional Living Program and is a licensed socialworker. As employment developer, she will connectyoung people with job opportunities and teach job-search skills, expectations of employers on the job andgeneral independent living skills. Jager started workingas a volunteer at Evergreen Shelter in 1997... StaceyStratton (’00) teaches fourth-grade spelling andEnglish, seventh-grade science and literature and K-8art at the St. Thomas School. She’d previously workedas a substitute teacher at area schools... Michael Elke(’00) is a teacher and was a candidate to the East GrandForks City Council... LaDonna Hanson (’00) isteaching physical education at the Cass Lake-BenaElementary School and the Area Learning Center.She’d completed her student teaching in Grand Rapidsand worked for a year in Akeley as a long-term

substitute teacher... Dawn Paurus-Foss (’00) is a first-year science teacher at the high school in Sebeka. She livesin rural Sebeka with her husband, Jeff... Amy Koebke(’00) and her husband, Ron, of Bemidji announce theJanuary 10 birth of a daughter... Kami Kelm (’00) and herhusband, Chad, of Bemidji announce the January 16 birthof a son... Kristy Mueller (’00) lives in Maple Grove...Suzanne Mathews (’01) began teaching fifth grade atIndus this school year. She is a lifelong resident ofInternational Falls... Leslie Johnson (’01) is teachingsecond grade in the BELL program at the BagleyElementary School. She had interned at the school lastyear in sixth-grade classrooms... Michael May (’01) is astudent at the University of Minnesota Medical School inMinneapolis... Sara Ellenson (’01) is teaching music atBadger High School. She teaches Title I, general music ingrades K-4 and directs the varsity concert and jazzchoirs... Katrina Grothen (’01) is teaching senior highsocial studies at Bird Island, having been hired this fall...Janie Skoien (’01) is employed as a shop teacher at theBemidji Middle School... Duncan MacLeod (’01) beganteaching high school math in the Clearbrook-GonvickSchool District this fall... Greg Kapsner (’01) is workingas a first-year teacher at Paynesville Area High School thisyear teaching drafting and woodworking classes there aswell as industrial arts for seventh-graders in the middleschool. He is single and lives in St. Cloud... RyanBartosiewski (’01) was hired this fall by Montgomery-Lonsdale schools to teach secondary health and physicaleducation at the high school... Susan Diffley (’01) washired to teach high school English this year in theMontgomery-Lonsdale School District... Megan Kaiser(’01) is in her first year of teaching second grade in Ely.She’d previously been substitute teaching in the Eveleth-Gilbert School District and St. Louis County schools...Chad Larson (’01) is teaching high school math in MooseLake this year.

Kari (Liapis) Erickson had dreams,like all kids do, when she was grow-ing up as a young girl in Bemidji.Tucked away in one of those cavernsof her mind was a faint glimmer ofthe Olympics, the pride of represent-ing her country in international com-petition and trying for the gold.

But unlike the dreams of manychildren, this glimmer turnedbrighter and brighter with each pass-ing year until the dream became re-ality. Erickson, a 1999 Bemidji Stategraduate, led her team to thewomen’s curling title at the U.S.Olympic trials and earned a berth tothe 2002 Winter Olympics in SaltLake City, UT.

“Every athlete dreams of playingin the Olympics and representingtheir country,” she said during amedia interview before the compe-tition started. “I know I sure did. Thisis truly incredible - the chance of alifetime. I know it may sound hokey,but this is really a dream come true.”

Erickson was the skip, orthe play caller, of the U.S.women’s team that foughttheir way into the medalround with a 6-3 record, whichincluded a win over the eventual goldmedal winning squad from GreatBritain. The Erickson Rink saw theirbronze medal hopes dashed by a Ca-nadian crew that had been picked asthe pre-Olympic favorites.

Curling is a team sport of finesseand concentration with four mem-bers on a team. Played on a 146-foot-long sheet of ice, curlers push a 42-pound stone of granite toward a tar-get, known as the house, with scoresawarded to the team with a stone orstones closest to the center.

Developed in Scotland 400 yearsago, curling is played by an esti-mated 1.5 million people around theworld. It became an Olympic medalsport at the 1998 games in Japan.

The U.S. team was coached byfather Mike Liapis, a 1974 BSU

graduate, and her mother, Suzanne(Amble) Liapis, is a 1973 BemidjiState graduate.

The opportunity to start chasingher Olympic dream came late forErickson. Erickson was introducedto the game by her parents as a 16-year-old. Her 14-year-old sisterStacey Liapis, who was also a mem-ber of the U.S. team in Salt LakeCity, was brought into the sport atthe same time.

In 1988 they entered competitivecurling. Erickson was on five con-secutive Minnesota junior champi-onship teams and part of nationaljunior championship teams in 1990,1992 and 1993, when she was namedthe United States Curling Associa-tion Athlete of the Year. She madeseveral appearances at the national

women’s tournament as well, andwent into the U.S. Olympic trials asthe defending U.S. champion.

Erickson, a swimming instructorat the Bemidji Middle School, wasjoined on the U.S. foursome by sis-ter Stacey, who has applied to thepolice academy in Chicago; AnnSwisshelm, a Chicago-basedfreelance casting director; andDebbie McCormick, who works atHome Depot and hails from Rio, WI.

The team had won the women’snationals but had finished back in theworld championships, where, likethe Olympics, a slip with a singlerock can mean the difference be-tween a win or a loss.

As the skip, Erickson bears muchof the responsibility for the team,which has an opportunity to discussstrategy during the game. Still, the

Realizing the Olympic Dream“E

skip calls the shots, directs thesweeping action for the team, andthrows the critical final rocks. Shewas described by her teammates asthe consummate leader, tough underpressure, possessing steely nerves,and constantly lifting the spirits ofthe team.

While the spirit has been quietedfor a while and the quest for thedream in 2002 is over, Erickson hasopportunities to consider future triesfor gold. At age 30, she is just enter-ing her prime as a curler and anyteam she skips would be a challengerfor any title.

Dreams after all, never really fade.Given an opening, they simply re-appear.

Photograph by Monte Draper, Bemidji PIONEER

Kari (Liapis) Erickson