DSU magazine

WINTER 2008

Cathedral of the ResurrectionSt. Petersburg, Russia

DSU magazine winter 08 1/2/09 10:29 AM

Give your loved ones: Companionship, Comfort, Peace of Mind and Security


http://www.hawkspoint.biz

4 From the PresidentA message from DSU president Dr. Richard McCallum

13 In the NewsDSU alumni – they’re everywhere, and they’re making headlines

18 AthleticsDefensive lineman Kyle Pennington closes in on the record for quarterback sacks

24 Campus News & ProjectsA roundup of the DSU people and places that are making news

29 Foundation NewsAn update on how DSU alumni and friends are contributing financially to the university

30 Class NotesNews from and about DSU alumni

Back Cover:From the ArchivesThe day JFK visited DSU

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:ON THE COVER

The onion domes typicalof Russian architectureare becoming a familiarsight to DSU faculty andstudents as they visitVoronezh StateUniversity, Voronezh,and Krasnoyarsk StateMedical University,Krasnoyarsk.Partnerships with bothuniversities have result-ed in frequent facultyand student exchangesand contributed toDSU’s internationallydiverse student body.

10

13

DSU SAYS “DA” TO DIVERSITY by Shanna SmithPresident McCallum returns from Russia committed to continuing the momentumof the international initiative at DSU.

A DOSE OF REALITY by Kevin HoltenNorth Dakota farm girl and DSU graduate Daniela Martian prepares to protect U.S.ground troops in Afghanistan behind the controls of an F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet.

20BRONC RIDING BOOKENDS by Kevin HoltenRodeo is in their blood, and now Trevor and Troy Vaira are in the saddle performing for a DSU teamthat is currently ranked second in the nation.

Photo courtesty of Kourtney Hanley


P R E S I D E N TF R O M T H E

Dear Alumni and Friends:During this Holiday Season, my wifeand I want to take this opportunity toextend our greetings to you and yourfamilies. We hope you enjoy the bestof health and happiness through theholidays, and we wish you much suc-cess into this New Year!

As we reflect upon the closure of2008, we have many great memoriesand a number of outstanding institu-tional accomplishments to celebrate.

These benchmarks were achieved through collaboration, partner-ships, dedicated teamwork and your support. In a variety of ways,each of you helped advance these efforts. Please accept my sincereappreciation for all the things you continue to do to enhance ourcampus, our programs and our students’ opportunities to be suc-cessful.

Fostering our Vision for the Future:A few months ago, we organized a committee and started a con-versation regarding the development of a plan for our next fiveyears. This discussion is still underway, but there are a few emerg-ing themes that are becoming outlined. One of these ideas relatesto our commitment to be a premier university dedicated to a qual-ity teaching-learning process. To be sure, the values that underscorethis institutional goal are deeply rooted within our past 90 years ofhistory. The committee’s conversation, however, also recognizes theneed to intentionally sustain this commitment. We want to do ourvery best to prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s work environ-ment. We understand our graduates must be ready to serve asresponsible citizens and ready to make an impact within a complexglobal environment.

Our recent discussion regarding this goal reminds me of an experi-ence I had about eighteen months ago in Colorado. I was servingas a member of a North Central Accreditation team. In this assign-ment, our time on campus included a luncheon with communityleaders. I sat across the table from the president of their hometown bank. During our luncheon conversation, he explained to mehow his bank always had been committed to hiring graduates fromthe university’s business program. Ten years ago, he said, they hiredthese graduates and then spent about two years training them forthe real world of banking. Today, however, he was pleased to reportthat when they hire new graduates, these individuals hit theground running during their first month on the job.

We talked about the margin of difference between yesterday andtoday. I asked why there had been such a significant change. Heexplained the central distinction between the past and presentresided within the business department’s curriculum renewal

process. Ten years ago, more specifically, the students were notlearning modern practices; the banking and finance curriculumhad become outdated. Consequently, the bank had to invest abouttwo years of in-service training in order to educate its new employ-ees. Whereas today, their business department has an establishedcurriculum renewal process that focuses upon a continuous qualityimprovement analysis. As part of this effort, faculty members with-in the department regularly meet with a program advisory com-mittee to ensure their curriculum is both timely and relevant tostate-of-the-art content and practices.

This banking example outlines one of the central challenges facingall programs within higher education. For example, similar circum-stances can be found in program areas such as health care, agricul-tural studies and computer science. We live in a world where eitherthe content or application context of many subjects is evolving at aremarkable pace. In some disciplines, the half-life of knowledge ismeasured in months rather than years. Every public university isbeing asked to respond to this challenge. Across the country, exter-nal stakeholders have suggested yesterday’s curriculums cannot pre-pare today’s students for tomorrow’s challenges.

Advancing Academic Excellence:As we collectively think about DSU’s future, I believe our visionand goals should be developed with one eye focused upon the paceand magnitude of change. I believe we must embrace a sustainedcommitment to academic excellence and curriculum renewal. Ourefforts to advance a quality teaching-learning transaction must beintentional and comprehensive. That is, we must seek to achieve aunity of effort by synchronizing formal, in-the-classroom experi-ences with informal, out-of-the-classroom activities. Such a com-mitment is congruent with our past, harmonious with our presentand must emerge as a pillar for our future success. This goal, whenimplemented, will ensure all our graduates are ready to hit theground running regardless of their subject matter disciplines andprogram majors. In many respects, the same educational processthat yields academic excellence today also develops responsible andsuccessful citizens for tomorrow.

In closing, I am very optimistic about our future opportunities.To be sure, we will encounter unexpected events and challenges,but our collaboration and intentional efforts will ensure success.Again, you have my sincere gratitude for your continued supportand assistance. I look forward to working with you during thisNew Year!

Wishing you a wonderful Holiday Season and a very Happy New Year,

Richard J. McCallum, [email protected]

4 < WINTER 2008 www.dickinsonstate .edu


DICKINSON STATE UNIVERSITY > 5

PublisherDickinson State University Foundation, Inc.

CEO DSU FoundationKevin J. Thompson ’87

EditorRon Treacy

Design & ProductionMelissa Splichal, Heidi Larson ’06

WritersKevin Holten, Jessie Scofield, Shanna Smith, Ron Treacy

PrinterForum Communications, Fargo, N.D.

University PresidentRichard J. McCallum, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Education, Business & Applied SciencesDoug LaPlante, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Arts & SciencesVice President, Academic Affairs

Richard Brauhn, Ph.D.

Vice President, Student DevelopmentHal Haynes

Vice President, Business AffairsAlvin Binstock ’74

Phone701.483.2507800.279.4295

Fax701.483.2025

Numbers To Know:Admissions 701.483.2331

DSU Association 701.483.2004Foundation 701.483.2004

Athletics 701.483.2181Bookstore 701.483.2314

Enrollment Services 701.483.2175Financial Aid 701.483.2371

Registrar 701.483.2535University Relations 701.483.2787

SIGNAL BUTTE is published three times a year by DSU Foundation, Inc., 230 8th Avenue West,

Dickinson, N.D. 58601

Send address changes to Dickinson State University, Foundation House, 230 8th Avenue West,

Dickinson, N.D. 58601

Dickinson State University adheres to a strict nondiscrimination policy anddoes not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national ori-

gin, ancestry, age, disability or veteran status in any program or activityoffered or sponsored by the University. In addition, the University does notdiscriminate on any basis (including, but not limited to, political affiliationand sexual orientation) not related to the applicable educational require-

ments for students or the applicable job requirements for employees.



HANDS SHOOT UP AND ONEby one Whipple calls on the stu-dents, allowing them to sing to himabout what they did over the week-end. One of them went to a basket-ball tournament; another simplysings "cows;" a third croons about anew video game.

The singing brings connectionand sets the tone for the business ofthe day – to learn a new song for theChristmas concert. Whipple says, "Itgoes like this," and he sings the songas all 12 faces peer intently, concen-trating as they listen. When he hasfinished singing, he says, "Now youtry."

They remember the words.They remember the melody. Theysing. He tells them they are doingwell.

Whipple is a student teacher atHettinger Public School this fall andwill graduate from Dickinson StateUniversity in December. Unlikemany new graduates, he won't belooking for a job.

Brian Christopherson, superin-tendant of Hettinger Public School,recruited Whipple from DSU,promising him a ready position asdirector of music upon graduation.Like many schools in rural areas,Hettinger often has a hard time fill-ing positions. The community,which is located in extreme south-western North Dakota near theSouth Dakota border, has a popula-tion of about 1,800. Of the 175 K-12 students that attend HettingerPublic School, about 35 percent liveon surrounding farms and ranchesand 65 percent live in town.

“Finding teachers for schools inrural areas is a problem throughoutthe state,” Christopherson said. “Wewere looking for a music teacherbecause our music teacher was goingto retire. I had called universities inthis area and I heard good thingsabout Ryan. I told him, 'Come hereand we will hire you as director ofmusic in January.’ DSU is wellknown for preparing teachers."

The sixth graders burstinto the music room and flop into their seats.Ryan Whipple greetsthem by name as theyenter. When they areseated, he begins to singin a lilting high tenor:"Good morning, sixthgraders." They respond inkind, sitting up a littlestraighter and singinghigh and clear in unison,"Good morning Mr. Whipple." He continues, singing,"What did you do thisweekend?"

“Good Morning,Mr. Whipple!”

Soon

-to-b

e DSU grad spreads the joy of musicto

small-to

wn

by Shanna Smith

NorthDakota kids



According to Dr. Tim Justus, chair of DSU’s musicdepartment, there will be thousands of available teachingjobs in music in the western Plains states in the next fiveyears. DSU music education graduates enjoy 100 percentplacement and have consistently achieved 100 percentpassage of their exit examinations. These statistics rein-force the mission of the music department at DSU, whichis “to produce the best critically thinking professional edu-cator who can function in a musical world that changesevery day.” This year, the department is home to two newfaculty members whom Justus calls “superb, energetic, andon fire.”

“Every member of the music faculty has bought intothe mission to prepare our students to go out into thesmall communities to teach,” Justus said. “Ryan is quin-tessential of what we do. He is the epitome of the youngprofessional.”

Christopherson agrees that Whipple is an asset to theschool and a dedicated professional.

“Ryan is doing excellent. He puts a lot time and effortinto his teaching,” he said. “You can tell that he reallyenjoys the music profession.”

Whipple first took an interest in music when he was athird grader taking guitar lessons from his grandmother,who also taught piano. His mother played violin in theGreat Falls Symphony in his hometown of Great Falls,Mont. By the time he was in high school, he knew hewanted to teach and he knew that what he wanted toteach was music.

"I went to DSU knowing that I wanted to be a music

teacher. I was one ofthe few who didn'tchange his mind. Iknew I wanted tospread the joy that Ihave in music."

Spreading the joyhe has in music is theeasiest part ofWhipple’s job. He saidhe was a bit surprisedat the amount of workit is to teach such awide range of studentsand to accommodatetheir diverse skill levels.Whipple teaches about110 students in fourth,fifth and sixth grade music, children’s choir, junior highband and choir, and high school band and choir. He alsoteaches six students individual lessons.

“Every day I have seven different lesson plans to cre-ate,” he said. “It’s rewarding when I ask a question and thestudents jump up and down in their seats with theirhands in the air because they know the answer or whenthey have finished performing a concert and the looks ontheir faces tell me they know they did a good job.”

Whipple said he was ready to take on the positionand the learning curve that came with it. Although hefeels his four years at DSU prepared him with the techni-cal knowledge he would need, he discovered that there arethings about teaching that can’t be learned in a classroom.

"There a lot of different ways that you can help kids,"he said. "You can be a listening ear, you can offer advice.You never really know what is going on in a kid's lifeunless you listen.”

Whipple’s willingness to listen and patient demeanorhave made him a fast favorite of the students he teaches.

Katie Wolff plays oboe in the sixth grade band. "He'sone of my favorite teachers," she said of Whipple."He's not uptight. He doesn't yell. If we do some-thing wrong, we just do it over again and then wecan do it better."

Back in the classroom, the sixth graders haveachieved a rough mastery of the new Christmassong. Lesson over, Whipple takes the children tothe adjoining room where they all, including theteacher, sit cross-legged on the floor and play asinging game.

"After we do our music, we play games," Wolffexplained. "You want to have fun in music becausethat's what music is. It’s really good." n

“Ryan is quintessential of whatwe do. He is the epitome of theyoung professional.”

Dr. Timothy Justus, chair of the DSU Department of Music

Whipple helps sixth grader KatieWolff with her oboe music.

Whipple teaches the students a new song for the Christmas concert duringsixth grade music class at Hettinger Public School, Hettinger, N.D.



O P P O R T U N I T YF I E L D S O F

FARMERS IN WESTERN NORTH DAKOTA ARE FAMILIAR WITH WATCHINGTHE DIRT BLOW OFF THEIR FIELDS ON THE ARID WIND, ESPECIALLYDURING DROUGHT YEARS, BUT IT’S NOT JUST SOIL EROSION THATPLAGUES PRODUCTIVITY. IT’S ALSO SOIL COMPACTION, NUTRIENTDEPLETION AND THE INABILITY OF THE GROUND TO ABSORB WHATLITTLE MOISTURE NORTH DAKOTA SKIES HAVE TO OFFER.

When the rains do come, they often leave washed-out gullies and pools of

standing water in a field that is dry as bone just beneath the surface.

This is the kind of field that Toby Stroh calls a “field of opportunity.”

STROH is the project director of a10-year soil health demonstrationbeing conducted by four agencies andassisted by Dickinson StateUniversity. The project aims to pro-vide a learning forum for farmers andranchers that demonstrates how covercrops and no-till methods canimprove the soil and increase produc-tion on their lands while decreasingcommercial inputs and costs.

“The project hopes to provideinsight into solving the problems of a‘field of opportunity’,” Stroh said.“When we till a field, we lose organicmatter. We are looking for manage-ment techniques that will restore thatmatter.”

The Southwest North DakotaSoil Health Demonstration Project isa cooperative effort between the soilconservation districts in Dunn, Starkand Billings Counties; the United

States Department of AgricultureNorth Dakota Natural ResourcesConservation Service (NRCS);Dakota West Resource Conservationand Development; and the NorthDakota State University DickinsonResearch Extension Center (DREC).In spring 2008, the project com-menced with the planting of eighttest plots at the DREC ranch nearManning, N.D. The demonstrationis slated to extend over 10 years.

“The demonstration will exem-plify how cropland management iscritical to improving soil health. Soilhealth, or soil quality, is the capacityof a soil to regulate the water cycle,sustain plant and animal life, filterand buffer organic and inorganicmaterials and cycle nutrients,” saidTodd Solem, NRCS soil quality spe-cialist.

Keeping the ground covered

offers immediate benefits. First, thesoil is less likely to fly off in the windor get washed away in a downpourwhen it is protected by plants andtheir roots. Second, the cover protectsthe soil from the hot summer sun,lowering soil temperature and slow-ing evaporation, thus keeping whatmoisture there is in the ground. Inaddition, increasing the amount oftime that living roots permeate thesoil improves soil health by providinga better environment for the microor-ganisms that make up the soil foodweb. It is this food web that buildssoil organic matter, the heart of ahealthy soil.

“Currently many producers inwestern North Dakota are practicing,or switching to, no till cropping sys-tems. However, producers, regardlessof the tillage system they use, contin-ue to struggle with crop rotationdiversity and are just being intro-duced to the use of cover crops toimprove soil health,” Solem said.

The crops and cover crops on the

By Shanna Smith



DREC ranch test plots, which are roughly 20 acres each, wereplanted using no-till methods and harvested leaving sufficientground cover to protect the soil. Cover crops also can be har-vested by livestock, providing a good food source for the ani-mals and natural fertilizer for the field. A diverse crop rotationhas been planned for each plot. Project managers believe thatthis kind of crop management may reduce the need for com-mercial fertilizers, helping production agriculture remain com-petitive.

The project also incorporates the double focuses of com-munity outreach and education. DSU’s involvement offers avenue for studying soil samples from the current test plots andopportunities for student education. DSU is the only collegeor university in the state tied to a project like this.

“Being involved in this project will teach students intend-ing to go back to farms and ranches methods that may increaseprofitability. It also will increase employability for those

preparing for the workforce. Our students will be betterinformed,” Stroh said.

DSU junior Mikael Schmidt is the direct beneficiary ofthe educational aspect. He is an intern for the project, workingabout 10 hours a week, part of the time in the field and part ofthe time in the Murphy Family Soils Laboratory in MurphyHall Science Building on the DSU campus. Schmidt is anagricultural studies major with a concentration in naturalresource management. He applied for the internship because,he said, he was looking for work and wanted something agri-culture-related. After submitting an application and undergo-ing an interview, he was hired to work under the supervisionof both Stroh and Dr. Eric Brevik, DSU associate professor ofgeology and soils.

“As an intern for the soils demonstration project, Mikaelhas the opportunity to learn about soils through hands-onactivities while supplying the information we need for theproject,” Stroh said. “He has been a great asset. Mikael is self-motivated, reliable, capable and genuinely interested.”

Schmidt’s interest is understandable, as he was raised on a

modest farm in Center, N.D. Because of his experience, he isable to offer a farmer’s perspective to the project and ask thequestions a farmer might ask.

“I didn’t know much about cover crops until I got hereand started working on the project. Now I have a betterunderstanding,” Schmidt said. “I am always thinking abouthow a farmer can use the methods or if they even apply to aparticular farmer’s situation.”

Schmidt spent some time this fall in the test plots and willspend the remainder of the winter in the lab testing the soilsamples he collected. Among other things, he will conduct tex-tural analysis on the soil samples and also test for carbon con-tent, which indicates the level of organic matter.

“Mikael is learning practical applications of lessons stu-dents learn in the classroom, but that they do not have theopportunity to learn in-depth. In class, you only do a lab exer-cise once,” Brevik said.

Schmidt also prepares the field production data,keeping records of what was grown, when crops wereseeded, what was produced and the income andexpense for each test plot.

“I like getting out in the field and actually walk-ing through, seeing how things are and then, puttingthe numbers on paper to see how the two compare,being able to take a look at the economic side,”Schmidt said. “Whether or not it’s going to be bene-ficial for the producer, it’s really too early to tell.”

Project managers agree that there is no “one sizefits all” for individual producers. The benefits ofthese crop management methods vary according to anumber of factors including location, soil type,amount of rainfall and personal needs. For this rea-son, they hope eventually to expand the scope and

impact of the demonstration by providing incentives to pro-ducers in southwestern North Dakota counties, as well as bor-dering South Dakota and Montana counties, to plant covercrops in a wide variety ofsoils and areas. This willallow more opportunitiesfor other producers, stu-dents and the public totour the plots and seethe effects.

“The whole projectis about cooperation,”Stroh said. “It’s aboutbenefitting the producer,the environment and theconsumer. We have theopportunity to improvesustainable agriculture inNorth Dakota. That is afield of opportunity.” n

In September 2008, the Southwest NorthDakota Soil Health Demonstration Project helda field day at the North Dakota State UniversityDickinson Research Extension Center ranch nearManning, N.D. Community members andabout 40 DSU students attended the event.

This corn field is blownbare, and the lack ofcover contributes to soilerosion and evapora-tion. The plot is one ofeight at the DRECRanch in Manning,N.D., where the 10-year SouthwestNorth Dakota SoilHealth DemonstrationProject is taking place.


snowed every day he was in Krasnoyarsk. And it was cold inVoronezh. Still, Dickinson State University president Dr. RichardMcCallum found the people warm, engaging and profoundly dedicated

to continued collaboration between DSU and the two Russian universities hevisited. And, the president is equally dedicated to continuing the momentum

of the international initiative at DSU.

DSU AT TOP OF TREND According to the 2008 edition of the AmericanCouncil on Education “MappingInternationalization on U.S. Campuses” report,American colleges and universities are working toincrease the percentage of international students ontheir campuses and to expose their faculty membersand students to more multi cultural experiences,including travel abroad. DSU is at the forefront ofthis trend. In 2006, 70 percent of American bac-calaureate-granting institutions had less than 5 per-cent international students. That same year, inter-

national students made up nearly 10 percent of DSU’s student body, a num-ber that placed them in the company of only 6 percent of colleges and uni-versities nationwide.

Another study conducted by the New York-based Institute ofInternational Education indicates that the number of international studentsattending U.S. colleges and universities rose 7 percent last year. At DSU, thenumber of international students enrolled is up 38 percent from last fall andthese students make up 16 percent of the student body. This is the highestpercentage of international students on any campus in the North DakotaUniversity System’s 11 institutions.

“Dickinson State University’s commitment to its global awareness initia-tive is reflected in the consistent growth of this program. These student num-bers and the variety of these students’ home countries reflect DSU’s excellentreputation in light of the stiff competition among colleges and universitiesnationwide to attract international students,” McCallum said.

DSU

IT

by Shanna Smith

says “DA” toDiversity

RUSSIA


HOW IT ALL BEGANDSU’s first international students arrived on campus inthe late 1980s, thanks to the strong desire of President AlbertWatrel who was an avid traveler and believed in the value ofoffering culturally diverse experiences for students, facultyand the community.

“We have a great opportunity if we want to grab it….The way the world is going, we need to be looking at a glob-al type of education. At the very least, this exchange willserve to show that there are great cultures out there,” Watrelsaid in an interview for the fall 1989 issue of the universitypublication “Alumni News.”

In 1992, the State Board of Higher Education approvedDickinson State College as a Center for International Studiesand later as the International Center of the North DakotaState University System.

By the time Watrel retired in 1994, agreements had beensigned with universities in 11 foreign countries. This year433 international students from 34 countries are takingcourses at DSU.

TRAVELING TO RUSSIAIn November, McCallum made his first trip toRussia as DSU’s new president. He went to solidify existingrelationships with Voronezh State University (VSU),Voronezh, and Krasnoyarsk State Medical University(KSMU), Krasnoyarsk.

During his time in Krasnoyarsk, McCallum met withKSMU faculty and learned of their hopes for further collabo-ration. When McCallum visited, a team of two nursing facul-ty and two students were preparing for a trip they were about

to take to DSU. They hoped to strengthen relationshipsbetween their faculty members and DSU’s nursing faculty, aswell as increase the interaction between their students andtheir counterparts here. They also were looking forward tovisiting local medical facilities.

This is the third time a delegation from Krasnoyarsk hasvisited DSU since the two universities signed a partnershipagreement in 2006. The delegation spent a week on campusin early December. Delegates from DSU also have traveled toKSMU three times.

According to a speech given in February 2008 by formerRussian President Vladimir Putin, Russia has the lowest lifeexpectancy in Europe, hovering at around 55 years of age.Putin called for an increase in life expectancy to 75 by 2020,but the odds are against that happening. Diseases such astuberculosis and AIDS and the high incidence of alcoholismand widespread tobacco use keep the death rate outpacingthe birth rate in what is already among the most sparselypopulated countries in the world. Added to these soberingissues is inadequate health care funding, outdated medicalequipment and a limited number of facilities.

“Since the end of the communist era, the Russian healthcare professionals have been trying to upgrade to best servetheir patients,” said Cheryl Lantz, DSU assistant professor ofnursing. Lantz was among a group of DSU faculty membersand students who spent a week in Krasnoyarsk in June. “It isdifficult because the government has chosen to put its moneyinto areas other than health care.”

However, Lantz said that what the Russians lack in facili-ties and equipment, they make up for in caring and personalattention. Lantz added Russian health care providers aregreatly concerned with the well-being of the whole person,not just physical wellness, but also spiritual and mental well-ness. She believes this holistic approach is beneficial topatients. Student Tina Peterson, who was among the DSUdelegates that visited Krasnoyarsk in June, agrees.

The trip to Krasnoyarsk allowed Peterson more than a dif-

I was most impressed with their relationships. Their doctors in the hospitals doonly hospital care, so they have a much more personal relationship with thestaff, the nurses, and the patients. Patients also stay in the hospital muchlonger than in America, so they become close to their doctors and nurses.

Tina Peterson, DSU nursing student

“”

DSU president Dr. Richard McCallum meets with Mr. Ivan P.Artyukhov, rector of the Krasnoyarsk State Medical University inKrasnoyarsk, Russia, during his first visit to Russia in November.



ferent way of approaching health care. It allowed her to see theRussian people in a way that had never occurred to her before.

“I am an older student from the Cold War era, and I grewup thinking of Russia as the enemy but never gave muchthought to the Russians as people, but I was so impressed,”Peterson said. “They were just kind and wonderful, welcoming,personable to everyone, to each other, to us.”

McCallum was equally impressed. During his visit toVoronezh, he met primarily with VSU’s administrative team todiscuss continuation of collaboration between the two universi-ties. DSU and VSU formed an agreement in 2007 allowing fora dual degree joint program. Under the agreement, Russian stu-dents may complete their first two years of study at VSU, thencome to America for two years of study at DSU, finally return-ing to their home country to finish their degree. Once a degreehas been obtained from VSU, the students also will be awardeda degree from DSU. There are two dual degrees offered.

Administrators at VSU also encouraged continuation offaculty exchange. DSU Assistant Professor of Accounting ScottHanson spent the month of December at VSU, teaching cours-es to graduate students, meeting with faculty and offering hisexpertise in accounting to VSU’s small business developmentcenter. Hanson has visited VSU numerous times, and his firstvisit sparked the relationship between the two universities in2005.

McCallum noted that DSU and VSU are “almost sisterinstitutions,” both having celebrated their 90th anniversariesthis year. While on the VSU campus, McCallum attended a

day-long ceremony celebrating the anniversary and spoke at theevening event.

“I found the country to be rich in history, the people to beincredibly committed to relationships and their hospitality to bevery thoughtful and kind,” McCallum said. n

DSU nursing student Kourtney Hanley assists in surgery duringa visit to Krasnoyarsk, Russia, in June. Hanley was one of fourstudents who traveled with two faculty members to Russia aspart of a faculty/student exchange agreement between DSU andthe Krasnoyarsk State Medical University.

Photo courtesty of Kourtney Hanley

——————

Phoenix — February 2009

San Francisco — July 2009

Homecoming — October 2009

Italy — Fall 2009

——————

For more information contact DSU Foundation at 701-483-2004,

email [email protected] visit www.dickinsonstate.com/alumni.asp

{upcoming}EVENTS

{upcoming}EVENTS

Recent trip to Beijing, ChinaSeptember 2008


N E W SI N T H E


“The biggest fear I have isn’t for my own life,” CaptainDaniela Martian ’96 said, “it’s for the 18-year-old on theground. If I don’t do my job right and something goes wrongwith the munitions after it leaves my airplane, the cost couldbe monumental to him or her.”

It’s no ordinary airplane that she’s referring to. It’s a$55-million-dollar F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jet that has thepotential to do as much damage in one mission as threeWorld War II P-51 squadrons did in five missions. And sinceshe’s only weeks away from watching the “backs” of groundtroops in Afghanistan, these little details are paramount toher.

“On several occasions I’ve had to deal with a malfunc-tion,” she added. “I’ve had to rely on instinct and adrenalin,but mainly I’ve had time to analyze the problem and comeup with a solid game plan to safely recover the aircraft.”

Daniela Martian is a Strasburg, N.D., farm girl who fol-lowed her boyfriend and eventual husband, David Martian,from Beach, N.D., to Dickinson State University and endedup being a basketball star and mathematics and computerscience major.

Upon graduation they became teachers, had childrenand lived among the Athabascan Indians in Tok, Alaska, asuburb of the North Pole, where malls and fast food restau-rants are as rare as palm trees and Speedos.

“The biggest lesson I learned from Alaska was the real-ization of how small we are in the scope of everything,” she

said. “Alaska is aplace where naturerules all. I used todrive home in the evenings and stare out at Mt. Redoubt,an active volcano. One day cars had to stop for a mommamoose and her two calves and out of the woods came ablack bear and grabbed one of the calves and took it backinto the woods.”

From there they moved south to Kenai where David rana top-notch high school wrestling program and Danielabecame the superintendent of the Challenger LearningCenter, an educational facility created by the families of theastronauts lost in Challenger 51-L. Its aim is to engage stu-dents in the study of science, math and technology and it iswhere Daniela first began to think about a career changeand flying a jet.

“It wasn’t until I became serious about going into spacethat I really gave flying jets a thought,” she said. “It seemedto be something within reach.”

Flying jets isn’t her ultimate goal. It is space travel thatshe’s really focused on.

“I can only imagine what the view will be like from thoseseats,” she said. “Just thinking about being able to watchthe sun rise and set every 90 minutes has to be so hum-bling. We are all a piece of something so much bigger, andwhat an amazing perspective!”

By Kevin Holten

Ready for a dose of reality? Here’s one in buckets.



IF IT SOUNDS LIKE A FAIRYTALE, IT’S NOT.“I will be the first to admit that our children have had to

pay for our career decisions and there exists a great deal ofguilt over that,” she said, in reference to not only her owndecision to join the Air Force, but her husband’s decision tobecome full-time National Guard. “I would love to live in thesame house, have both of us tuck our children into bed atnight and only have to worry about the electric bill.”

But that’s not the case.“One of the keys to my job is my ability to compartmen-

talize,” she said, “I’ve got to be able to put away any prob-lems in my personal life or with someone I’m flying with orany concerns over equipment. The bottom line is that I haveto put bombs on target on time.”

“The whole act of flying a high performance aircraft isextremely tiring both physically and mentally. There is nodown time. You’re on from the time you step into the brief-ing room until you finish the debriefing. It wears on you asyou deal with the G forces and being up at 30 thousandfeet. Your goal is to stay ahead of the jet and anticipatewhat’s going to happen.”

DOES SHE HAVE ANY REGRETS?“The bottom line is that if I did change things, I might

not have ended up here,” she said. “And even if it doesn’tgo any further than what I’m doing today, at least I’ll neverlook back and say, ‘what if?’”

What she’s doing today, prior to her upcoming tour inAfghanistan, in addition to flying an F-15E, is teachingyoung men and women how to fly F-15Es, because she’sthat good. And after this tour and maybe other tours, shestill has to make it as a test pilot before she’ll be consideredfor the astronaut training program.

“My entire life I have never not accomplished some-thing,” she said, “never put my mind to something and beenunable to make it happen. This seems no different.”

IS IT WORTH IT?“You’d be surprised at the number of women who

approach me when I’m in uniform and tell me how glad theyare to see a woman doing what I’m doing,” she said. “I getasked to meet granddaughters and uncles and friends andnephews and cousins of people I don’t know just because Iwear this uniform and fly planes. I’m proud to be a rolemodel, proud to be someone others can look to as an inspi-ration and very proud to be a small town farm kid fromNorth Dakota.

“And I just hate having to get play by play via a textmessage or needing to ask neighbors or friends to take thekids to events because I can’t be there,” she said. “It’s reallyhard to have big dreams and grand career expectations andhave your kids pay the price.”

It’s no fairy tale. But those kids are very proud. And sois DSU. n


N E W SI N T H E

By Kevin Holten

MACHISMOMACHISMOISOverrated


“My halo fell off a few times when I was growingup, and I had to reassess my behavior and pickthe halo back up and put it on,” he said. “But intoday’s world this macho thing has gotten com-pletely out of control.”

Boespflug is a former Dickinson State Universitywrestler who helped his team to three undefeat-ed dual meet seasons and later coached themto three conference titles in six years.

What does machismo mean? According to LeRoy Boespflug, it’s an exhibition by the immature. This from a man who not onlydedicated most of his life to the sport of wrestling but at 68 lookslike he could still make a frisky high school wrestler cryUNCLE!



N E W SI N T H E

In addition, he is a member of the DSU Athletic Hall ofFame as coach and athlete, a DSU Alumni Fellow honoree, aformer District 12 NAIA coach of the year, a 30-year memberof the Blue Hawk Booster Club, a two-term Alumni Associationpresident and a two-term Faculty Senate president. He was alsoa prominent wrestling official for 30 years, a high school educa-tor, guidance counselor and school district administrator who isnow enjoying the benefits of a life well lived. His days are spenthunting, wood turning, traveling, restoring a log cabin andbeing with his family and friends.

“My head was into themachismo thing for a while during my formative

years. But if you’re going to mature, it means that you’ll do soon many levels. It’s not all tough-guy stuff. It’s about being agood role model, parent and husband and what you can do inconstructive ways as opposed to the immature tough-guy thing.Those who evolve are better off for it.”

Still, there was a time when Boespflug relied on his machis-mo to survive. That was when his family’s failed attempts atfarming dictated a move to Dickinson after stops in Fairfield,Beulah, Taylor and Hebron.

He was a seventh grader at the time, and Dickinson kidsdidn’t exactly welcome country bumpkins to the neighborhoodwith open arms, especially undersized ones. So he found himselfbeing picked on, and what followed was one of those classic sto-ries about a weak kid who eventually beats up the bullies.

“To assist myself physically I put together a weight set fromsome iron piled in the junk yard and established a workout rou-

tine,” he said. “At first my friends thought I was nuts.” It alsohelped that he grew quite a few inches one summer and packedon more muscle working in a grocery store and meat market.

When Roger Huffman, the former DSU football coach,track coach and athletic director, started a wrestling program atDickinson High School during Boespflug’s senior year, LeRoywas able to join the team. The young weightlifter became a run-ner up in the state tournament in Williston in his first year.

After high school Boespflug got a job in a meat market inGlendive, Mont., and planned on making meat-cutting hiscareer until Clayton Ketterling invited him to join what wouldbecome a highly successful wrestling team at DSU.

It was also during his time as a student at DSU thatBoespflug met his wife of 45 years, Jean, whom he credits withmaking him a better person and putting perspective into his life.

After college and prior to becoming the DSU wrestlingcoach, Boespflug taught in Richardton, N.D., briefly taught inOregon and then became the head of the Mandan High Schoolphysical education program, their wrestling coach and theirdrafting, psychology and art teacher. Boespflug finished histeaching career as a guidance counselorand spent the last 20 years as a schooldistrict administrator.

“Through the years I have manytimes reflected on how good my edu-cation was,” he said. “It provided mewith a wide range of experiences andthat variety was very important forme. It felt so good not to be in thatcold butcher room cutting meat allday long. I leave education very sat-isfied and would do it all over againin a heartbeat.”

It is from these teaching expe-riences that he developed solidprinciples that he could pass on to countless students.

“A sound choice can make all the difference. A careerchoice should be made only after a lot of research because you’regoing to be doing it most of your waking hours. Your innatehappiness is going to evolve around that. Life is an ongoingseries of responses to what each day throws at you. It’s whatyou’ve gone through that helps you to make a better decisionthe next time.”

Boespflug is also an accomplished hunter, photographerand wood turner and was a featured artist at the DSUFoundation Rider Gallery during the July 4th Arts Roundup.

“It is important to absorb yourself in positive activities andbe the best that you can be,” Boespflug said. n

LeRoy Boespflug helped the DSU wrestling team to three

undefeated dual meet seasons.ate

LeRoy Boespflug is savoring the benefits of a life well lived.


The Dickinson State University Alumni Run was started in 1983 as an addition to DSU’s Homecoming activities. The creator ofthe 3.2 mile race, Tim Sigl, was a prominent track and cross country athlete at DSU from 1975 through 1978 who then workedat the university for six more years as Office Manager/Accountant. On June 22, 1984 he was killed in an automobile accidentwhile returning from a work-related event in Fargo. At the time of his death he’d been married for seven months to his pregnantwife Mari Jo, who would soon give birth to their baby girl, Angela.

After Sigl’s death, Margo Askin, Director of DSU College Relations sug-gested to the Alumni Association that the run be namedin his honor.

“I am filled withgratitude that the runcontinues in his nameeach year,” Mari Jo Siglsaid recently. “It is veryimportant to me tocontinue supporting therace. Tim was a personwho didn’t like to drawattention to himself, buthe certainly would behonored that the run hestarted many years agocontinues in his memoryas the Sigl HomecomingRun. The 2008 run wasvery special for me becauseAngela participated in it forthe first time. I carry aprayer in my heart thatwhen she crossed the finishline, her dad caught the viewfrom above.” n

For those who don’t know me, I am the daughter of a remarkable man – a

man who loved running and who loved life, but a man whose life ended far too

prematurely at just 29 years old. Now 24 years old myself, I’m proud to finally

share in the Homecoming running tradition he started at Dickinson State

University 26 years ago. This experience has not only brought me closer to my

roots, but I hope it has also brought continued excitement for running to the DSU

community. To be honest, emotionally preparing for this year’s Homecoming Sigl run was

far from easy. Digging up memories and memorabilia from over 20 years ago was

quite emotional at times, but it brought me so much closer to a dad I never knew.

One thing I always knew, however, was just how much running meant to him.

Though my childhood memories of the Sigl Run are vague, I still remember

coming to campus decked out in DSU gear ready to support my father’s alma

mater and the race that lives on in his name. This time, however, it’s different.

Now I’m an adult with an alma mater of my own. Now I’m the one lacing up my

shoes behind the starting line.

I have to admit feeling a little nervous at the start of the race. I can’t decide if

my legs are tight from pre-race jitters or if they are in shock, having to wake up so

early after a restless night of sleep – one that abounded with both nerves and

excitement. When the starting gun fires, my lofty goal of keeping up with the pack is

quickly thrown to the curbside. Unbeknownst to me, I am competing against an

Olympic medalist, not to mention almost the entire DSU cross country team.

Where are all of the weekend warriors? After a block into the race, I know all hope

is lost for setting any sort of Sigl Run record, so I settle into my own pace and let

my thoughts run a course of their own.

Being in Dickinson and running the streets from my childhood takes me back

to the days of setting up lemonade stands and spending summers in Medora. My

personal memories fade into thoughts of my dad, who also ran these same streets so

many times during his college years and beyond. Feeling his spirit with me on the

course gives me the extra boost I need as I turn my last corner back to campus.

Crossing the finish line is not so much an accomplishment for me as I hope it

was for my dad. I believe people have a mission in life, and one of my dad’s was to

spread the joy of running. Even though he’s no longer here to share in the sport, the

DSU Sigl run continues to live on and support his mission. While running has yet

to become my passion, I know it’s something I, too, will grow to love. Every time I

lace up my shoes, I think of my dad and hope he’s proud of the tradition that’s

lived on at DSU and the tradition I’m trying to carry on in his name.

Mari Jo and Angela Siglat the Sigl Run. Angela iswearing the number onein honor of her father, the creator of the race.


We asked Angela to write about her participation in this year’s race.

What follows is “Angela’s Perspective.”

N E W SI N T H E


Some guys are so strong that they

can lift up the corner of a house.

Other guys can lift up the corner of

a house because they’ve lifted a

lot of weights. Kyle Pennington is

the former.

By Kevin Holten



Whatever it is and wherever it comes from, he’s got

it and that’s probably why he’s one of the all time sack

leaders in the history of Dickinson State University foot-

ball. And it might also be why he’s never had a major

injury in four years of college football.

A “sack” occurs when a defensive player tackles the

opposing team’s quarterback behind the line of scrim-

mage. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for

a defensive lineman.

Kylan Klauzer, Pennington’s defensive line coach and

the man who currently owns the DSU career sack record

at 17 1/2, has the kind of chiseled body that would send

a Greek god undercover, thanks to hours of gym work.

Pennington, meanwhile, who finished the regular

season as the second all time sack leader with 14 1/2 (in

only three years), watches guys lift weights in the gym

while eating a bag of potato chips and then goes out and

flattens people all over on the football field. His body

was built up over a long period of time by hard work on

a ranch in Big Horn, Mont.

“Ranch life is very deeply ingrained in me,” he said,

“and it made me every-

thing that I am today. It

gave me a good work

ethic and I appreciate

what I get because I’ve

never had anything

given to me. I’ve always had to work hard for what I

want and all of my accomplishments on the football

field are the result of hard work.”

Pennington is not going to set any land speed

records nor is he going to leap any tall buildings. But he

is as quick as your average feline and strong enough to

stop a rushing rhino with a head of steam. It is those last

two attributes that have gotten him seven sacks this year

alone, along with a team high 57 tackles, 10 of which

were for losses, and All-DAC First Team honors.

Off the field he has the kind of ruggedly handsome

good looks and soft personality that oozes genuine

friendliness. On the field he looks like a man among

boys or a grizzled marine sergeant leading his troops.

“As a team captain, I realize my position on the team

and the expectations that go along with the role,” he said.

“It is something I take very seriously. I just hope to take

the same approach to being a leader in life.”

And yet, despite all of his accomplishments, his

career at DSU almost didn’t happen.

“My best friend who was going to attend DSU and

play football with me was killed a couple weeks before I

came,” he said. “I almost didn’t come because of it, but

my parents talked me into it. I gained a lot more appre-

ciation for life after that. It also motivated me to be a

success here as a way to honor him. The best thing I ever

did was to come here.”

He ended up at DSU because the DSU coaches

pushed him to come here and because he was looking for

an agricultural school that had a good football team, and

DSU fit the bill. Once his days of causing chaos on the

football field are over he’ll probably end up back at Big

Horn working in agriculture or alongside the people he

admires most.

His Bluehawk football team finished the season

undefeated in conference play, locked up the confer-

ence title and then lost to last year’s national champi-

on, Carroll College, in the first round of the playoffs.

“What I like about football is going out there and

throwing it all on the line to show that you’re better

than the person across from you,” he said.

“What I hate is losing because if you lose a

game you’ve failed and I hate failure. I want to

try to be one of the best at what

I’m doing.” n

FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH

He’s been more than ONE of the best.

He might just be THE best.

...he calls it, “not just weight room strength.”

Sackman Kyle Pennington closes in on South Dakota School of Mines

quarterback Nick Russell. Pennington recently signed a contract to play arena

football with the Billings Outlaws.

“My parents have both done more than I could ever thank

them for,” he said. “They mean a lot to me, and my dad

has sacrificed a lot in his life for his family.”


“I’ve been pretty lucky injury-wise inrodeo. I’ve broken a thumb, an arm and I broke my back

in high school.” TREVOR VAIRA

Dickinson State University bronc rider

Gives you some insight into the mindsetof a rodeo cowboy, doesn’t it?

BROKEN BACK? NO BIG DEAL.

By Kevin Holten



hat is a big deal is the riding ability of Trevor and Troy Vaira, DSU’s bronc riding bookends, both of whom happen to be performing marvelously on a college rodeo

team that is currently ranked second in the nation.“Trevor and Troy are great to coach,” said Scott

Kleemann, DSU head rodeo coach. “They want to be assuccessful as possible and will do what it takes to win.”

Trevor is the older of the two, at 22. Troy is 20 andhas a twin sister, Tara, who also attends DSU. Troy, also, isno stranger to injury. “On my first ever bareback broncride, I got thrown out the back, kicked in the arm and itcompletely snapped my arm,” he said. “I was 13 yearsold.”

The Vairas and rodeo have been inseparable for gener-ations, with two grandfathers and a mother and father allcompeting in rodeo. Their father then became a rodeostock contractor, which means that the Vaira kids bleedrodeo red, sometimes literally.

“My brother and I had our family’s complete supportgrowing up,” Trevor said. “They hauled us to wherever wehad to be, bought us our gear and offered advice. And weall help with raising bucking horses and rodeo productionbecause our rodeo program has always been a family affair.”

Home for the Vairas is Richey, Mont., 145 miles.northwest of Dickinson, which also happens to be broncriding country.

“I rode my first horse before I could walk,” Troy said.Rodeo came not many years later.

“Saddle bronc riding was just the way to go for me,”Trevor said. “I’ve wanted to ride broncs ever since I was lit-tle, I guess because my dad did. My first saddle bronc ridewas on a nice little paint horse that we still have namedSuperhopper. It didn’t last very long, but I was hooked.”

Supporting the two behind the scenes is sister, Tara.“She’s always helped with the rodeo program at home

and also did whatever it took to keep us going down theroad,” Trevor said. “She’s there when we need her anddoesn’t even get mad when I ask her to iron my shirts!”

“I can’t say that I’m crazy about ironing shirts,” Tarasaid, “but I try to help out.”

Both Troy and Trevor consider rodeo as much a men-tal sport as an athletic one.

“A bareback rider is always scared to get hung up on ahorse,” Troy said, “but if you keep your head it isn’t thatbad. Still, I would never NOT get on a horse that wasthrashing around in the chute, unless it was endangeringitself. I love it when everything comes together just rightand the horse blows up in the arena and you get that per-fect spur stroke. It’s really a rush and it has always appealedto me.” Trevor agrees.

“A chute-fighting horse is just part of the deal,” hesaid. “After you’ve been around awhile it’s not that big adeal. And I can’t really think of any great fears that I mighthave off the top of my head. When I’m in the buckingchute I think mainly about what I’m going to do when thegate opens. Riding bucking horses has always been a dan-gerous game. But you can’t think about what could hap-pen. My dad always likes to say that if it were easy, every-body would do it.”

Family, faith and having fun are among the mostimportant things to the brothers. And obtaining agricul-ture degrees and raising livestock and bucking horses seemto be their common goal.

“I see myself riding bucking horses as long as I can,”Trevor said, “then raising horses as well as having a family.”

In the meantime, it’s all about the DSU rodeo team.“Our team is opening some eyes,” Trevor said. “If we

keep going at the rate we did during the fall I think wewill do quite well. We have some momentum built upnow and the spring should shape up pretty well for us.We’re kicking butt and taking names so to speak, so Ihope it keeps up.”

“Our team has some very strong athletes and has greatall around talent,” Troy added. “Everyone on the teamcontributes something.”

The current college rodeo season will end with theCollege National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., startingon June 14. This looks to be a very memorable year forthe DSU rodeo team and for the DSU bronc ridingbookends. n

W

(L-R) Troy, Taraand Trevor Vaira


“I want to be the first Bahamianto run the 400 in the 43-secondrange,” said Ramon Miller, DickinsonState University’s 400 meter nationalindoor track champion, 400 meter out-door record holder and silver medalist atthis year’s Beijing Olympics.

How fast is the “43-second range”?American Michael Johnson set the 1996Olympic 400 meter record at 43.49.

To go from running shoeless onghetto streets in Nassau as a kid to

sporting the gold medal on a victorystand at the 2012 London Olympicswould be a gigantic leap. Especially forsomeone who had never run on a realtrack until his sophomore year in highschool.

“I won the 800 meter and 1500meter races, plus the 400 meter relay, in

my first track meet,” Miller said.Not bad for a rookie. And now he’s focused on one thing:

the Olympic gold, because of his father.

“That’s what he told me to do in Beijing,” Miller said.“Win the gold.”

Which might be what every father tells his son to do atthe Olympics. Except that in this case it was the last thing hisfather said to him before the elder Miller died of an aneurism.

“That was a major impact,” Miller said. “He wanted to seeme run but didn’t get a chance and that dampened the value of

it. If he had seen me, the silver medalwould have been much more

important.”And if it hadn’t been for

his father, and some excellentsalesmanship by DSU head

track coach Pete Stanton, Millerwould never have boarded a plane bound

for a snow-blanketed Dickinson in January 2005.“I didn’t have college in mind,” Ramon said.Now he has a lot on his mind, including another National

Association of Intercollegiate Athletics indoor and outdoortrack season, earning a physical education degree from DSU,competing at the World Games in Berlin, and training endless-ly to ultimately bring the gold back to the Bahamas.

“Next time I will,” Miller said. n

Silver is nice but Ramon Miller prefers gold.By Kevin Holten

> Miller poses with the silver medal he wonat the Beijing Olympics

Miller <competes at the2007 NationalOutdoor TrackChampionship




DSU HOMECOMING 2008 –––––––––––––––––––

{highlights}{highlights}

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

King Eli Turnbough, Broadus, Mont.,and Queen Karen Naumann,

Leipzig, Germany, were crowned in front of a full house during

Homecoming cornation.

DSU alums celebrate their 50th and 55th classreunions over breakfast at the Alumni andFoundation House. Front Row L to R: DonnaWelch ’53, Elaine Bares ’58, Alice (Hinkleman)Pierce ’53, Back Row L to R: Sam Birdsdall’58, Larry Bares ’58, Clyde Welch ’53 andPresident McCallum.

The 1988 men’s basketball team wasinducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame

for 2008. Team members catch up whilethey wait for their turn in the parade.

Theatre Alumni Fellow Allen Oster ’79of Nacogdoches, Texas, stands by

his flashy ride before the Homecoming parade.

ALUMNI FELLOWS HONORED:Front Row (l-r) Allen Oster ’79, BillEckroth ’64, Michelle Hardy ’88,Charlotte Phillips ’66, Alyce SpottedBear ’70, Daniela Martian ’95; BackRow (l-r) Dr. Larry Skogen ’78,Donald Aird ’66, Mike Armstrong’75, Rebecca Meduna ’70.

Nearly 100 community members participated in the26th Annual Sigl Run and more than 50 DSU students

and faculty made up “Team DSU.” Team members,from left to right, Whitney Wandler, Brittany Glasser,Lynae Rambousek, Lance Rambousek, Megan Dorval

and Kristine Olson, pose after the race.

Fans filled thestands of Whitney

Stadium as the Blue Hawks soaredto a 24-21 victory

over theJamestown

Jimmies.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •



Renowned Japaneseartist shares his expertiseDSU STUDENTS AND DICKINSON COM-MUNITY MEMBERS had the opportunity tolearn from master artist Eitaro Sato during twounique art courses this fall. Sato, whose work insculpture and calligraphy is known throughoutJapan, volunteered his time to serve DSU as avisiting professor of art. While in Dickinson, hetaught courses in calligraphy and sculpture.

After finishing his courses at DSU, Satoreturned to Japan and passed away in mid-November. He was highly respected in his homecountry as a nationally-recognized sculptor ofbronze and has won numerous prizes in bothsculpture and calligraphy. He also was the execu-tive director of Satoe Academy, the Japanese gov-ernment-authorized non-profit school corpora-tion that administers and manages one lawschool, one university, two colleges, four highschools, two junior high schools and one elemen-tary school. All of these schools are located in ornear Saitama, Japan, which is near Tokyo.

&N E W S PROJECTSC A M P U S

WHATS HAPPENING ON CAMPUS AND IN THE DICKINSON COMMUNITY

For the 13th consecutive year, DSU reached record fall enrollment with 2,730students, a 2.2 percent increase over last year when fall enrollment numbersstood at 2,670. The following points illustrate areas of growth:n Students enrolled in 34,403 credit hours during fall semester compared to

32,375 last fall, a 6 percent increase.n The number of full-time students rose 6 percent to 1,891,

up from 1,778 last fall.n Total enrollment in Extended Learning programs is 1,004, up from 926

last fall, an 8.4 percent increase. The DSU Office of Extended Learning provides distance education and degree programs for adult learners, as well as dual credit courses for high school students.

n The Extended Learning programs have grown to include 36.8 percent of all DSU students and 24 percent of all credit hours.

n This fall, 433 international students from 34 countries are taking courses at DSU, up 38 percent from last fall when 314 international students from 33 countries attended the university.

n Nearly 75 percent the students are from North Dakota and the surroundingstates. North Dakota students make up 62 percent of the student body.

Overall excellence leads to significant resultsEnrollment trends tell only a part of DSU’s success story. Student outcomes asa result of quality education are another important facet. The following factsillustrate both the increasing attractiveness of DSU for students and theimpact a DSU education is having on the university’s graduates and the stateof North Dakota:n The Dickinson State University 2007-08 Placement Report indicates that

99.2 percent of last year’s graduates are either employed, in the military orpursuing additional education, compared to 99.1 percent in 2006-07.

n The number of North Dakota graduates who stayed in the state followinggraduation is 94 percent. The number of non-resident graduates who remained in North Dakota is at 51 percent, the highest in the North Dakota University System.

n The percentage of DSU graduates enrolled in a graduate program increased one percent over last year, from 17 percent to 18 percent.

n 80 percent of the graduates who are employed have found work in their major field.

DSU continues 13-year trend of recordenrollment



FACULTY&STAFFachievements DEBORAH BALLARD, assistant professor of accounting, presented a paper oncorporate codes of conduct at the 15th Annual South Dakota InternationalBusiness Conference in Rapid City, S.D. Ballard’s paper, titled “Corporate Codesof Conduct of Multinational and Transnational Corporations” focused on fraudprevention. According to Ballard, corporate codes of conduct are an integral partof a program of corporate social responsibility. However, in companies that haveheadquarters and/or offices in multiple countries, developing a code of conductthat is detailed enough to prevent fraud but broad enough to fit a variety of cul-tures is an ongoing challenge.

Associate Professor of Biology DR. LYNN BURGESS and a group of studentspresented a poster at Minnesota State University-Moorhead’s UndergraduateResearch in the Molecular Sciences meeting. Burgess’ photo of horse endothelialcells was a winner in the Sigma Antibody Photo Contest. The photo was taken aspart of DSU’s Idea Network of Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) researchproject and will be published in Sigma’s next catalog.

DR. CHARLES CONRICK, assistant professor of business and finance, and Dr.Debora Dragseth, associate professor of business, presented a paper titled “AStudy of Entrepreneur and Small Business’ Required Returns and EmpiricalObservation of Actual Entrepreneurial Returns Attained” at the 20th annualAcademy of Entrepreneurial Finance (AOEF) conference in Las Vegas, Nev., Sept.24-26. Conrick penned the paper, which addresses risk adjusted required rates ofreturn and actual returns achieved over the past 20 years by small businesses. Heand Dragseth co-presented the paper and also served as discussants for other pre-senters at the conference.

DR. DEBORA DRAGSETH, associate professor of business, was named Educatorof the Year for Higher Education for 2008 by the Dickinson Area Chamber ofCommerce. The annual award is given to a person deemed to have made an out-standing contribution in higher education.

LORI HAUF has been named president of the North Dakota Business and OfficeEducation Association (NDBOEA). The NDBOEA is a professional associationfor business educators who teach at the middle and secondary levels, post-second-ary, and college/university levels and is a member of the Mountain-Plains BusinessEducation Association which is a nine-state regional affiliate of the NationalBusiness Education Association (NBEA). Hauf teaches for the Department ofBusiness and Management.

Assistant Professor of Nursing GAYLE HOFLAND has earned the designationCertified Nurse Educator (CNE) after successfully completing a rigorous certifica-tion examination developed and administered by the National League for Nursing(NLN). The CNE examination covers a number of categories relevant to nurseeducation, such as facilitating learning, assessment and evaluation strategies, cur-riculum design and evaluation of program outcomes and continuous qualityimprovement, among others. To qualify for the exam, nurse educators must meetstrict licensure, education and experience criteria.

BONNIE JOHNSON, adjunct instructor of his-tory, served as co-editor of “North DakotaHistory: Readings about the North Plains State,”which was recently chosen by the North DakotaLibrary Association (NDLA) as the 2008 winnerof the NDLA’s award for the best state publicationproduced in North Dakota. The book is a collab-orative effort of the State Historical Society ofNorth Dakota (SHSND) and the North DakotaCenter for Distance Education.

CHERYL LANTZ, assistant professor of nursing,was awarded a grant for her research project “TheSpirituality of Older Adults During Relocation inLong Term Care.” This grant was awarded by theJohn Templeton Foundation in the amount of$5,245. The research is part of Lantz’s disserta-tion at University of North Dakota College ofNursing.

LUCY MEYER, assistant professor of nursing,participated in the University of MinnesotaSchool of Nursing’s Minnesota Hartford Center ofGeriatric Nursing Excellence (MnHCGNE)Faculty Learning About Geriatrics (FLAG) pro-gram. The program was designed to further edu-cate nursing faculty from the Upper Midwest whodo not have extensive geriatric nursing expertise inorder to better prepare the nursing workforce tocare for the rapidly growing elderly population.

THADD O’DONNELL, assistant professor ofhealth and physical education, served as the open-ing speaker for the 2008 Positive Choice YouthConference in Baker, Mont. O’Donnell’s hour-long talk focused on making positive choices,goal-setting and approaching life with a “NoRegrets” attitude. He addressed a crowd of stu-dents and staff from schools in Baker, Plevna,Ekalaka and Wibaux, Mont., and Marmarth,N.D.

DR. REBECCA PITKIN, assistant professor ofeducation, presented “Passion, Pedagogy, andPersistence: Self-Study Research as a Tool toIncrease Cross-Discipline Collaboration” at theWomen in Educational Leadership Conference(WELC) held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Pitkin presented her research on the ben-efits, challenges and insights of cross-disciplinecollaboration. Her study examined the practices ofeffective college professors from multiple disci-plines. The focus of this on-going study isimproving excellence in college instruction.

– continued on next page




FACULTY&STAFFachievements KEVIN THOMPSON, executive director of the Alumni Association andFoundation, received the North Dakota Chamber of Commerce CommunityLeadership Award during the Dickinson Chamber annual banquet in Dickinson,N.D. The award is one of the Chamber’s highest honors and was presented byNorth Dakota Chamber of Commerce President Dave MacIver in recognition ofthe spirit of service and support Thompson brings to the community ofDickinson.

DR. FRANK VARNEY, assistant professor of history, gave the keynote address atIllumination Days and Nights, a series of events surrounding the dedication of aCivil War memorial in Waterloo, N.Y. Varney is new to DSU this fall. Last year,as a professor at William Paterson University of New Jersey, Wayne, N.J., Varneyoversaw his students as they did extensive research on the men whose namesappear on the memorial. As a result, several members of the memorial committeeaccompanied Varney and more than 60 students and their families to the battle-field at Gettysburg last spring. After listening to Varney guide the group at thebattlefield, the committee invited him to speak at Illumination Days and Nights.

KOSTAS VOUTSAS, assistant professor of busi-ness, presented “Beyond Words: The ChangingGlobal Landscape of Negotiating Behavior” at the2008 North Dakota State Society for HumanResource Management Human ResourceConference in Bismarck, N.D. Voutsas providedconference attendees with strategies to maximizeeffectiveness and efficiency in the workplace bylearning to understand the cultural implicationsbody language brings to business communication.His presentation also addressed how to preventunnecessary biases, cross-cultural conflict, stereo-typing and misunderstanding.

LAURIE YOURK, lecturer of mathematics, recentlyearned her Master of Arts Teaching/Mathematicsdegree from Minot State University. Yourk complet-ed the coursework spring semester and participatedin the commencement ceremony at MSU in May.Yourk wrote a two-part thesis, one part on usingonline homework management systems in the class-room and how the system affects student retention.The second part of her thesis addressed how theancient Maya used numbers and mathematics, atopic which she plans to continue researching.

NATIONAL FOOTBALL FOUNDATION HALL OF FAME COACH and for-mer U.S. Congressman Tom Osborne spoke at Dickinson State University onNovember 17. Osborne’s appearance at DSU was the first in a new “ResponsibleLeadership in the 21st Century” lecture series instituted by DSU PresidentRichard McCallum.

“I have admired Tom Osborne for 30 years,” McCallum said. “Integrity,honor, trust, teamwork, loyalty – these are the attributes of a great leader and agreat coach. In my mind, Tom Osborne demonstrates all of these attributes.”

Osborne aimed his comments at the student population, focusing on theimportance of developing character.

“The most important thing about you is essentially your character. It’s alwayswith you, you can’t escape it, and at the end of your life, it will be the only thingthat remains with you,” he said. “Fame, money, prestige, popularity – all thesethings come and go; they are transitory. Character is not.”

Osborne said that character is a not a talent or a trait, but a choice that can bedeveloped by practicing certain habits. Osborne shared five things that he believeshelp shape sound character: honesty and integrity; being a contributing member ofsociety; learning to delay gratification and think long-term; viewing adversity as anopportunity for growth; and living a balanced life physically, mentally and spiritually.

“I would suggest that during this time at the university, you give somethought to whether you want to be a three-dimensional person or be stuck in aone or two dimensional life,” Osborne said. “Character is the sum of the choicesyou make every day.”

FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMER TOM OSBORNE APPEARS AT DSU




DR. RICHARD MCCALLUM was officially inaugurated as DSU’s 10th presidenton November 21. North Dakota State Board of Higher Education member PamKostelecky and North DakotaUniversity System ChancellorBill Goetz presided over theinvestiture ceremony and pre-sented the new president withthe DSU Presidential Chain ofOffice and Medallion. NorthDakota Secretary of State AlJaeger brought greetings fromthe State of North Dakota andalso read a letter from Gov. JohnHoeven. Other constituenciesrepresented included the City ofDickinson, the DSU faculty,staff and student body, the DSUFoundation and the DSUAlumni Association.

“It is with deep humilitythat I accept the responsibility aspresident of Dickinson StateUniversity,” McCallum said. “Iconsider it a great privilege to bestanding here today.”

Following the ceremony, areception was held in the Student Center to welcome Dr. and Mrs. McCallum to theuniversity. McCallum began serving as president in April. He was previously the vicepresident for academic affairs at Missouri Southern State University, Joplin, Mo.

McCallum invested as 10th president

State Board of Higher Education member PamKostelecky, left, and North Dakota University System

Chancellor Bill Goetz place the DSU PresidentialChain of Office and Medallion around PresidentRichard McCallum’s neck at the new president’s

investiture ceremony in November.

PATRONS AT THE BOWMAN RegionalPublic Library in Bowman, N.D., now havegreater access to Theodore Roosevelt’s NorthDakota legacy. A Theodore Roosevelt Centerkiosk was installed at the library this fall anddedicated in late October. The kiosk is acomputer portal to the Theodore RooseveltCenter Web site which is being developed byDSU as part of DSU’s Theodore RooseveltInitiative. Highlights of the dedication cere-mony included an appearance by TheodoreRoosevelt as portrayed by DSU TheodoreRoosevelt Humanities Scholar ClayJenkinson, as well as comments by DSUPresident Richard McCallum and BowmanMayor Lyn James. The Theodore RooseveltCenter Web site, www.theodorerooseveltcen-ter.com, contains interpretive material,including Roosevelt-era cartoons, photo-graphs of Roosevelt’s Dakota Territory, biog-raphical information, essays about aspects ofRoosevelt’s life and achievements, timelines,extensive bibliographical aids, and a series ofchildren’s features. Eventually, the site willinclude access to more than 500,000Roosevelt documents currently housed at theLibrary of Congress. In partnership with theLibrary of Congress, and with funding fromthe North Dakota legislature, the documentsare being digitized and will be organized andinterpreted on the site. The kiosk was fundedby the John and Alyce B. Travers EndowmentFund held by the DSU Foundation. The TRCenter opened its first kiosk in DSU’s StoxenLibrary in September 2007 and its second atTheodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora,N.D., in April 2008.

TR Center kiosk opens atBowman Regional PublicLibrary

Theodore Roosevelt, portrayed by DSU HumanitiesScholar Clay Jenkinson, signs an autograph for a

young fan at the TR Center kiosk dedication at theBowman Regional Public Library in October.

SAVE DATEtheOCTOBER 15-17, 2008 DICKINSON STATE UNIVERSITY

THEODORE ROOSEVELTFAMILY MAN IN THE ARENA




THE THIRD-ANNUAL THEODOREROOSEVELT SYMPOSIUM in October 2008drew more than 500 Roosevelt enthusiasts andscholars from across the nation to take part indiscussions and a field trip centered onRoosevelt’s legacy in North Dakota. This year’ssymposium was titled “Theodore Roosevelt:The Conservationist in the Arena” and focusedon Roosevelt’s contribution to conservation.Noted author and historian Dr. DouglasBrinkley served as keynote speaker. Attendeeshad a chance to visit the North Dakota bad-lands where Roosevelt lived and ranched as ayoung man.

Third annual TheodoreRoosevelt Symposiumdraws record crowd

DSU piano student to represent NorthDakota at regional music competitionPIANO STUDENT XIAO LIANG represented DSU at the Music TeachersNational Association (MTNA) North Dakota State Music TeachersAssociation competition in Valley City, N.D., in October. She will go on torepresent the State of North Dakota at the MTNA Division Competition atSt. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., in January. The competition bringstogether students from eight west central states including North Dakota,South Dakota, Minnesota,Iowa, Missouri, Kansas,Nebraska and Colorado tocompete for the opportuni-ty to advance to the nation-al competition in Atlanta,Ga., in April. At theOctober competition, sheplayed before a judge, whocommended her for excel-lent preparation and anoutstanding performance.Liang earned her bachelor’sdegree in business fromDSU in 2007. She is cur-rently working toward abachelor’s degree in pianoperformance.

The third-annual TR Symposium culminated in a fieldtrip to Medora, N.D., in the rugged badlands.

Here, attendees take a guided hike through Theodore Roosevelt National Park.

TR Scholars present at national conferenceDSU’S THEODORE ROOSEVELT SCHOLARS represented DSU at theNational Collegiate Honors Council’s 43rd Annual Conference in San Antonio,Texas, in October. In order to present at the conference, students submitted pro-posals that were reviewed and judged based on merit. Ten DSU student proposalswere accepted.

“We had the largest student delegation from the upper Midwest withoutquestion,” said DSU Theodore RooseveltLeadership Program (TRHLP) Director Dr. JonBrudvig. “The comments I received about ourstudents were very positive. The students pre-sented outstanding examples of the kind ofresearch and collaborative learning that’s takingplace on campus.”

Students Ryan Bogner, Drew Erhardt,Amber Fichter, Brittany Lantz, Alison Meyer,Aaron Meyer, Amy Redman, Raylene Tusler andMegan Wagner presented at the conference, asdid Brudvig. TRHLP Student Assistant DirectorSilvia Vigier was invited to moderate a paneldiscussion.

DSU’s TR Scholars pose in front ofThe Tower of the Americas in SanAntonio, Texas. The students were

in San Antonio to present at anational honors conference.



CAMPA IGN UPDATEGround breaking for the new Badlands Activities Center (BAC) isscheduled for Monday, Jan. 5, 2009. The BAC will replace crumblingWhitney Stadium, a 37-year-old structure that has decayed beyondrepair.

The budget for the BAC is $16 million. To date, more than $14.2 mil-lion – or 89 percent of the goal – has been secured. We need your helpto raise an additional $1.8 million for the BAC. You can join DSU stu-dents, alumni, and other supporters by pledging a gift now.

The new track, football field and bleacher facilities are scheduled forcompletion by September 2009 with the entire Badlands ActivitiesCenter to be completed by January 2010.

The red brick exterior will tie the BAC to other buildings on the DSUcampus. The use of metal and glass throughout, and primarily on thesecond floor, will reflect a contemporary feel and match materials usedin the highly successful West River Community Center, to ensure visualconsistency in the area.

Seating for the BAC will be more comfortable in many areas andincreased from the Whitney Stadium capacity to more than 3,000. TheBAC will also provide four styles of seating, including enclosed suites,club seats, and two types of bench seating – all with improved sightlines.

Enhanced facilities for student-athletes will include artificial football turf,Olympic-standard track, three locker rooms, with the option of a fourthlocker room for special football and track events, and athletic trainingfacilities. A 5,500 square-foot area will be available for student and com-munity events.

“The new Badlands Activities Center will benefit our students, coaches,and fans and will serve as a major economic and recruitment engine forour great and growing community,” stated Kevin J. Thompson ’87,CEO of the Dickinson State University Foundation. “It is a win forDSU, the citizens of Dickinson, and our entire region.”

Gift naming opportunities range from just $500 to $25,000 and up.You can make your gift for the new Badlands Activities Center payableover a five-year period. For a complete list of available naming opportu-nities, architect’s renderings of the BAC, and to make your pledge, pleasevisit our website at www.dickinsonstate.com/bac. You may also contactAaron Johansen ’05 at the DSU Foundation 701-483-2004 or by email-ing him at [email protected].

BAC – A PROJECT ON THE FAST TRACK

$6,000,000CITY OF DICKINSON

MAKES A DIFFERENCEDickinson’s citizens voted to approve $6 millionfrom the city’s existing and future hospitality and sales tax for construction of the new multi-purpose Badlands Activities Center.

BAC FUNDRAISING GOAL: $16 MILLION

$1.8 million to be raised

$14.2 million fundscommitted



N O T E SC L A S S

1950sBarbara A. Jorgenson '56 and DaleJorgenson, '56Watford City, N.D., celebrated their 50thWedding Anniversary June 30, 2008.Dale was a member of the first DickinsonState Teachers College Rodeo Team.

1960sGordon Hoffner '67Halliday, N.D., was elected to serve aspresident-elect of the IndependentCommunity Banks of North Dakota dur-ing the group's 41st annual conventionand exposition.

1970sCheryl (Larsen) Hewson '72Kingman, Ariz., served as guest clinicianand choral director for the NorthwesternArizona Honor Choir, Prescott, Ariz. TheHonor Choir is comprised of 65 juniorhigh school students chosen by auditionto be a part of the annual festival held inMay.

Gene Allen att. '74-'76Minneapolis, Minn., is the former direc-tor of university relations for TCF Bank,the corporate sponsor of the MinnesotaState University Gophers' new footballstadium. Twelve years ago, Allen was co-owner of the Fargo-Moorhead Red Hawksbaseball club of the independentNorthern League. Philadelphia Philliescatcher Chris Coste, who played forConcordia (Moorhead) in college, playedfour seasons (1996-99) for Allen. Coste,35, who was a 33-year-old major leaguerookie, was in the World Series.

Don Ehli '74Dickinson, N.D., portrayed Arthur T.Packard, editor of the Bad Lands CowBoy in the 1800's at the Chateau deMores State Historic Site in Medora aspart of the History Alive! program.

Marla (Hansen) Morrison att. '74-'77Cavalier, N.D., has been named the newsecond grade teacher for the CavalierPublic School system.

Karen Gerbig '75and Wayne Gerbig, Amidon, N.D., werenamed the North Dakota Stockmen'sAssociation's Environmental StewardshipAward winners at the NDSA AnnualBanquet in Minot, N.D.

Larry Ziegler '76Dickinson, N.D., represented the city ofDickinson at the June Southwest WaterAuthority Board of Directors meeting.

Rodney Breitbach '78Bismarck, N.D., was the recipient of theNorth Dakota High School CoachesAssociation Spring Season AssistantCoach of the Year. Rodney is employed byBismarck Public Schools as a scienceteacher.

Carol (Rase) Layman '78Mont Belvieu, Tex., was recognized for"Excellence in Education" at the 3rdAnnual Goldin Foundation EducatorsForum hosted by the Barbers HillIndependent School District. Carol joineddistinguished educators, who are recog-nized for making outstanding contribu-tions in their classrooms, schools andtheir communities. Carol is a counselor atBarbers Hill Primary School. She is mar-ried to Monte and they have one daugh-ter, Beth, who is a senior at Barbers HillHigh School.

Kirk Krein '79Hebron, N.D., has been named the newMath Teacher at Glen Ullin PublicSchool. This school year marks Kirk's30th year teaching. Larry Thompson '79Dickinson, N.D., was named"Outstanding Public Servant of the Year"by the Dickinson Women of Today.

1980sKaylene (Cartmill) Johnson, att. '80Wasilla, Alaska, authored the biography ofAlaskan governor and Republican presi-dential candidate Sen. John McCain'srunning mate, Sarah Palin. "Sarah: How aHockey Mom Turned Alaska's PoliticalEstablishment on Its Ear," sat on Amazontop 10 sales rankings. Since the

announcement, TIME Magazine, theWall Street Journal, CNN, Fox News andPBS have looked to Johnson for inter-views. Johnson's book is the only bookthat has been written regarding Palin'slife. Johnson has written two other books,"Portrait of the Alaska Railroad" and"Trails Across Time: History of an AlaskaMountain Corridor." A Dickinson HighSchool Graduate, Johnson worked for theDickinson Press in 1979 when she was 18years old.

Dale Dolechek '81Dickinson, N.D., recently accepted aposition with Kellogg's Snacks of VadnaisHeights, Minn. Dale is a TerritoryManager for the Minneapolis Zone and isresponsible for NE Montana and theWestern third of North Dakota.

Jay Skabo '84 <Mandan, N.D.,was promotedto vice presi-dent of opera-tions forMontana-DakotaResourcesGroup.

Odin Norum '88Kenmare, N.D., has been hired as a sci-ence teacher for Kenmare High School.

Dream L. O'Briend '88 Dickinson, N.D., was recently named asnew investment representative for the ICAoffice located at American Bank Center inDickinson.

1990sPeggy (Nistler) Mayer '91Dickinson, N.D., is the new elementaryprincipal for the Dickinson CatholicSchools' Trinity East and Trinity West.


N O T E SC L A S S


Vaune M. (Volesky) Cripe '92 Dickinson, N.D., senior vice president ofAmerican Bank Center in Dickinson, hasbeen elected to the NDBA board of direc-tors for a four-year term.

Catherine L. Spangelo '92 Hebron, N.D., has been hired as the busi-ness education instructor and yearbookadvisor at Hebron Public School.

Michael White '93Glendive, Mont., has been hired as thenew sanitarian for Dawson, Prairie andWibaux counties.

> Shaun Stroh '96Dickinson, N.D.,an accomplishedsaddle broncrider, has quali-fied for his thirdtrip to theNational FinalsRodeo in LasVegas, Nev. Heis currentlyrankedeleventh inPro RodeoCowboysAssociationstandings.

Jeremy Sundheim '95Apple Valley, Minn., was named directorof corporate risk management and busi-ness continuity for HealthPartners.

Tasha J. (Beck) Gartner '96 Dickinson, N.D., was recently named asnew investment representative for theICA office located at American BankCenter in Dickinson.

Jeffrey Bertelsen '97Wibaux, Mont., has been coachingWibaux High School Football for eightyears and is heading into his second yearas the Head Boys Basketball coach.

Dana (Kautzman) Pazdernik '97New Salem, N.D., has accepted the posi-tion of Director of Nurses for the ElmCrest Manor.

2000sAndrew '00 and Lidia '07 (Anchondo)MuckleDickinson, N.D., announce the birth oftheir daughter Ameera Jo. Ameera joinssiblings Payton and Nevaeh.

Dusty Hausauer att. '01-'03 < Dickinson, N.D., won thesaddle bronc riding champi-onship at the CanadianNational Rodeo Finals inEdmonton, Alberta onNovember 9, 2008. Dusty isranked seventh in the ProRodeo CowboysAssociation standings andcompeted at the NationalFinals Rodeo in Las Vegas,Nev.

Julianne (Moline) Zahn '01 Beulah, N.D., has been named the newTitle 1 math teacher for Beulah'sElementary School and Middle School.

Jeremy Berger '02Dickinson, N.D., has opened SmartComputers and Consulting in Dickinson.Smart Computers and Consulting sellsand services a variety of computers andoffice equipment.

Shawn Cherney '02Dickinson, N.D., was promoted to man-ager at Eide Bailey LLP. Cherney special-izes in providing audits of financial insti-tutions, construction contractors and for-profit companies.

Melissa Frohlich, '02Sidney, Mont. will be teaching third gradeat Roosevelt Elementary School this year.

Jason Helde '02Hazen, N.D., was hired to teach mathand science at New Hazen High School.

KariLee Kirsch-Dancer '02 Queen Creek, Ariz., received her master’sin Reading and Literature from WaldenUniversity.

Joni Tweeten '02Washburn, N.D., has joined the GrandForks Public Health Department as apublic health nurse.

Jordan Franzen '03Fargo, N.D., was hired as a support engi-neer for Microsoft.

Kandace King '03Dickinson, N.D., has been hired as aRASP Site Director.

Kristin (Hlebechuk) O’Briend '03Anchorage, Alaska, graduated from PacificUniversity College of Optometry inForest Grove, Ore., in May 2008 with adoctorate of optometry. She is currentlythe resident optometrist at Alaska EyeCare Centers in Anchorage and Wasilla,Alaska.

Chris Burns '04Billings, Mont., won the $50,000Powerball.

Lori K. Hauf '04Dickinson, N.D., has been named thepresident of the North Dakota Businessand Office Education Association.

Shaun ‘96 and his wife, Shannon,

a DSU nursing student, at the

Home on the Range Rodeo in

Sentinel Butte, N.D., in August.


N O T E SC L A S S

Audra '04 and Shane '02 KlitzkeDickinson, N.D., announce the birth oftheir baby girl Shayna Jean on June 20,2008. She joins brother Jonathan.

Melisa (McNeil) Frank '05Dickinson, N.D., has been selected to theNorth Dakota Board of Nursing. Melisareceived her AASPN in 2005 from DSUand has been an LPN at Great PlainsClinic for the last year.

Nicole (Strand) '05and Matt Haase, New Leipzig, N.D.,announce the birth of their daughterSavannah in January of 2008. Nicole hasbeen hired as manager of CannonballCompany in Regent, N.D.

Kevin Lahlum '05West Fargo, N.D., was hired as an infor-mation systems specialist at RDOEquipment Co. in Fargo.

Nicole Zimmerman '05Plevna, Mont., was named the new Bio-Products Innovation Center Director byThe Eastern Plains Resource Conservationand Development Area Inc.

Susan A. Fust '06Rutland, N.D., has been hired to teachkindergarten through 12th grade art.

Stephanie Honeyman '06 Billings, Mont., is Rocky Mountain Bankand Trust's newest VP at its Billings office.

Ashly Bingen '07Sidney, Mont., was named a mathematicsinstructor at Garrison High School.

Michael '07 and Autumn (Battest)Criswell '06New England, N.D., announce the birthof their son, Landon. Autumn has beenhired as an elementary teacher at AmidonElementary School.

Cathy Goehring '07Zeeland, N.D., has been named the 6thgrade instructor at Wishek ElementarySchool.

Rodney M. Johnson '07Crosby, N.D., will be teaching physical sci-ence, biology and chemistry at DivideCounty High School.

ReAnn Kautzman '07Manning, N.D., was recently promotedto Director of Business Operations atConsolidated. ReAnn is responsible forCustomer Service, Long Distance,Dickinson Residential and Business prod-ucts and services as well as the liaisonwith the billing company. She has beenemployed at Consolidated since 1995.She and her husband Ted farm and ranchnear Manning and they have three chil-dren.

Kelly Keithley '07Dickinson, N.D., graduated from DSUwith a political science degree and nowworks for American Express and Riddle'sJewelry.

Cheryl Leach '07Bismarck, N.D., was hired as an executiveassistant in the Workforce DevelopmentDivision of the North DakotaDepartment of Commerce.

Carissa Swenson '07Halliday, N.D., has been hired byInformation Technology Services at NorthDakota State University as the northwestregion information technology specialistfor EduTech.

Sara Crawford '08Bismarck, N.D., has been hired as thenew fifth grade teacher for White Shield.

Katy Cvancara '08Wildrose, N.D., has been hired as akindergarten teacher in Ray.

Travis Hager '08Bismarck, N.D., joined Bowman CountySchool staff as a physical educationinstructor.

Valerie M. Jundt '08Bismarck, N.D., was recently elected toserve as the second vice president of theNational Unclaimed PropertyProfessionals Organization (UPPO).Jundt will succeed to first vice presidentin 2009 and president in 2010.

Rusty Knuths '08Ismay, Mont., has joined Rowland,Thomas & Company in Miles City,Mont., as a staff accountant.

DOYLE DOTSON ‘62AND MERRILREINHILLER ‘61 <both of Moorhead,Minn., caught up atthe Fargo/Moorheadalumni event thisfall. The DSUAlumni Associationinvited area alumsto watch the BlueHawks take on the Concordia College Cobberson September 13 and hosted a post game social at the Speak Easy inMoorhead.


> JOSH ‘04 ANDCRYSTAL ‘04 ASKVIGof Bismarck, N.D.,chum it up withBuster the BlueHawk at the “DSUcomes to You” eventin Bismarck onAugust 7. Morethan 50 areaalums gathered topicnic, meet

President McCallumand listen to music by Cody Lindstrom ‘00.”



Wesley Krebs '08Belfield, N.D., has been hired by Wadelland Reed, a large national FinancialServices firm.

Erin E. Mellmer '08Buffalo, S.D., has been hired to teachhigh school Spanish and elementary key-boarding. She will also direct the RancherColor Guard, which she started last year.

Tamar Wright '08Dickinson, N.D., has enrolled in theUniversity of Vermont's doctoral programin Nursing. The University of Vermontoffered Tamar a full-tuition waiver and asubstantial graduate assistantship.

Londa Dusek (currently attending)Bismarck, N.D., was hired by AmericanBank Center as a teller at the WashingtonCenter location. Dusek is pursuing abachelor's degree through the DickinsonState program at Bismarck State College.

FRIENDSEleanor Beaudoin HawksPoint, was selected asTeleflora's Favorite FloristMom for the state of N.D.

Clem & Mary Ann Heidt cele-brated their 50th WeddingAnniversary on Saturday, Oct.11 at Queen of Peace Church.Clem was a Facility Operationsemployee of Dickinson StateUniversity for many years.

Dave Hoerner Bismarck, N.D., wasnamed Top Associates of the Month byBianco Realty. Dave was tied for the mostclosed sales for the month of June.

Dr. Carl Larson Dickinson, N.D., DSUprofessor emeritus of English, is conduct-ing research on Charles J. Glidden, thefirst person to drive an automobilearound the world. Larson finds research afulfilling hobby for his retirement years.Last September, Larson gave a program inRapid City, S.D., regarding the Gliddentour during the American AutomobileAssociation's "Revived Glidden Tour."Larson stays active with Dakota WesternAuto Club, serving as its first president.He has been chairman of the Medora CarShow since its inception.

WEDDINGSPreston Obregewitsch '01 and Julie Hoff'07 Dickinson, N.D., were married May17, 2008.

> Klint '04 and Maralee'07 Sickler Gladstone,N.D., were marriedSeptember 27, 2008.

Tyler Burgess '05 and Sierra Oster,Dickinson, N.D., were married August 1,2008.

Amanda (Mandie) Wellenstein '07 andBrian Erickson, Lawrence, Kans., weremarried August 2, 2008.

Rebekah Bronson '07 and Scott Hamann(currently attending) Dickinson, N.D.,were married July 25, 2008.

Jeffrey Chapman (currently attending)and Sarah Nicolas, Dickinson, N.D., weremarried May 18, 2008.

Lisa Boehm '08 <and Chris Hanes,Bismarck, N.D.,were marriedAugust 16,2008.

Mary McDermott friend, and BillSennert, Bismarck, N.D., were marriedAugust 1, 2008.

CORRECTION:In the story “Remains of the Battle,” published in the fall 2008 issue of Signal Butte, the name of the young soldier was erroneously

reported as John O’Connell. A reader named Ron Teker, whose mother Alice Teker is a 1959 alumna of Dickinson State College, contact-ed the magazine and informed us that the soldier’s name was John McConnell, not O’Connell. John McConnell fought in the 1864Battle of Killdeer Mountain and relayed his story years later to Alick Dvirnak. In June 2008, the Dvirnak family loaned their collection ofmore than 1,500 artifacts to the Dickinson State University Theodore Roosevelt Center, and they are on display in Stoxen Library.

Another reader, Jeb Taylor, author of “Projectile Points of the High Plains,” also contacted the magazine concerning this article.Although Alick and Grayce Dvirnak collected all the artifacts on their ranch, which encompasses the battle site, Mr. Taylor noted thatmany of these artifacts are likely much older than reported, particularly the point Alick Dvirnak refers to as “Bear’s Heart’s Point.”

The editorial staff of Signal Butte welcomes reader feedback and wishes to thank Mr. Teker and Mr. Taylor for their correspondenceand clarification.

After their Sept. 27thwedding in Dickinson,N.D., newlyweds Klint‘04 and Maralee ’07Sickler, along with theirentire wedding party,attended the Blue HawkHomecoming footballgame.

N O T E SC L A S S


Beatrice C. Stillwell att. ‘31-‘32Fargo, N.D., passed away May 7, 2008.

Leone (Tasker) Leland att.Ismay, Mont. passed away May 28, 2008.

Evelyn (Connell) Neuens, ‘29Bismarck, N.D., passed away Aug. 11,2008.

Clara (Ketterling) Schatz ‘31Glen Ullin, N.D., passed away July 30,2008.

Hilma (Hanson) Summers ‘35Bismarck, N.D., passed away July 15, 2008.

Doris (Zander) Kubik, att. ‘37Dickinson, N.D., passed away July 30,2008.

Ima (Rose) Raisler ‘37Mandan, N.D., passed away July 19, 2008.

Doris Strom ‘37Rhame, N.D., passed away Aug. 26, 2008.

William (Bill) E. Eisenbarth, ‘38New Leipzig, N.D., passed away July 18,2008.

Avis (Engebretson) Rogness '38Watford City, N.D., passed away June 21,2008.

Ella (Mittelstedt) Guenther ‘39Dickinson, N.D., passed away Sept. 26,2008.

Theodore "Ted" J. Binek, ‘40Dickinson, N.D., passed away July 22,2008.

Martha (Brueni) Hoffman ‘40Mott, N.D., passed away Sept.16, 2008.

Judy (Kaiser) Greene ‘41Jamestown, N.D., passed away Aug. 13,2008.

Evelyn Thompson '42Springfield, Ill., passed away Feb. 27, 2007.

Norris Mosher att. ‘46Mott, N.D., passed away May 9, 2008.

Leonard Moore ‘47Mandan, N.D., passed away July 3, 2008.

John Pilot ‘47Watford City, N.D., passed away June 30,2008.

Jerry Bender ‘58Dickinson, N.D., passed away June 5,2008.

Audrey (Bohlman) Kuntz ‘59Escondido, Calif., passed away Apr. 20,2008.

Myrtle A. Fromdahl '65Roseburg, Ore., passed away Jan. 18, 2008.

Ruth Knudtson ‘71Wibaux, Mont., passed away Sept. 8, 2008.

Caroline (Pelzl) Trogstad ’77Williston, N.D., passed away Aug. 19,2008.

Noel Clifford Marshall ‘05Lemberg, Sask., passed away June 28, 2008.

Clarence Storseth, friendDickinson, N.D., passed away Oct. 21,2008.

Catherine (Binstock) Buresh, friendDickinson, N.D., passed away Oct. 5,2008.

Clifford W. Keithley, friendDickinson, N.D., passed away Oct. 11,2008.

M E M O R I A MI N

Send us information on your career accomplishments, awards, wedding pictures or other significant happenings

FILL OUT THIS FORM AND RETURN TO: DSU Alumni Association, News and Notes, 230 Eighth Ave. West, Dickinson, ND 58601

or log onto ww.dickinsonstate.edu/alumninews.asp to spread the news!

Name:_____________________________________________________ Former Name:_______________________________________________

Street Address:____________________________________ City:_____________________________ State:___________Zip:________________

Phone: (______)___________________ Fax: (______)___________________ Email:__________________________________________________

Year of Graduation:________________ Degree Earned:________________________________________________________________________

Occupation:_____________________________________________ Employer Name:_________________________________________________

Spouse:_____________________________________________ Childrens Names:____________________________________________________

News/Awards/Happenings:________________________________________________________________________________________________

Feel free to include a photo! All hard copy photos will be returned, but due to space limitations, we cannot guarantee all photos will be published.

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! (AND SO DO YOUR CLASSMATES)


This issue of Signal Butte includes information processed by Nov. 10. If you have submitted information that does not appear at this time, it will be included in the next issue.

Att. designates attended DSU and theyear(s) enrolled


701.483.2004 • www.dickinsonstate.edu/foundation.asp


Nonprofit OrgU.S. Postage

PAIDFargo, ND

Permit no. 684

A R C H I V E SF R O M T H E

“The

day

JFK

vis

ited

DSU” John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senator, Massachusetts, spoke at

Dickinson State Teachers College in April 1958 as part of ayear-long series of lectures delivered on campus by nationalleaders and leading humanities scholars to commemoratethe 100th birthday of America’s 26th president, TheodoreRoosevelt. The symposium focused on the theme of“Responsible Citizenship.” During his speech, “The Moral andSpiritual Imperatives of Free Government,” Sen. Kennedyimplored his audience members to reflect on TheodoreRoosevelt’s belief in a “better kind of government – a govern-ment with moral and spiritual foundations.” Kennedy said, “Iwould urge therefore that each of you – and particularly thosestudents of Dickinson College who are here today – regard-less of your chosen occupation, consider entering the field ofpolitics at some stage in your career – that you offer to thepolitical arena, and to the critical problems of our societywhich are decided therein, the benefit of the talents whichsociety has helped to develop in you.”

This fall, Dickinson State University held its third-annualTheodore Roosevelt Symposium which included a 150thbirthday celebration for Roosevelt.

DSU President Richard McCallum also initiated a series of“Responsible Citizenship in the 21st Century” lectures, thefirst of which was delivered in November by Football Hall ofFame coach Tom Osborne.

> On April 18, 1958, John F. Kennedy and Dickinson State Teachers College’s fourth president Charles E. Scott watched the film of the address the Massachusetts Senator had given earlier that day.

DSU Foundation, Inc.230 Eighth Avenue WestDickinson, ND 58601

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

Please help us update our mailing list.

o I am moving; here is my new address.

o I am receiving more than one copy and am returningthese labels to have one removed from the mailing list.Please send all mailing labels involved.

o I am a snowbird. My winter address is (please list) andindicate the months involved.


DSU magazine

Documents

Transcript of DSU magazine