N e w s f r o m U n i o n C o l l e g e w i n t e r 2 0 0 7 / 2 0 0 8N e w s f r o m U n i o n C o l l e g e w i n t e r 2 0 0 7 / 2 0 0 8

Triumphs inTechnologyALUMNI FIND CAREERS AND SERVICE ON THE CUTTING EDGE

Also . . .� Updated systems on campus� Four generations of telecommunications service� Meet the editor of CPU magazine� The next big thing in Christian music

ALUMNI FIND CAREERS AND SERVICE ON THE CUTTING EDGEAlso . . .

� Updated systems on campus� Four generations of telecommunications service� Meet the editor of CPU magazine� The next big thing in Christian music

Triumphs inTechnology

CORDCORDmagazine staff:Jacque L. SmithDirector of Public Relations/Editor

Steve NazarioDirector of Visual Communications/Designer

Scott Cushman ’03Assistant Director of Public Relations/Assistant Editor

Brianna Norton ’10BJ Tallman ’08Graphic Design Assistants

Hannah Adams ’11Jimmy Phillips ’08Todd Richardson ’08Esther Shields ’08Kate Simmons ’06Lauren Bongard Schwarz ’04NewsWriters

Articles and photos as credited.

p Indicates more information is available onUnion’sWeb site or read CORDmagazine online:www.ucollege.edu/cordmagazine.

Union CollegeAlumniAssociationOfficers and Board Members:

Darrel Huenergardt ’65 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President

David Nowack ’76 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . President-elect

Loren Dickinson ’57 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Past President

Gale ’72 and SherylRivinius ’73 Page . . . . . . . . . . . Board members at large

Cleo Johnson ’58 . . . . . . . . . . . Golden Club President

Greg ’00 and KimChilders ’01 Steiner. . . . . . . . . . . . . .GOLD Rep ’97-’07

Dan Klein ’90 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Rep ’78-’96

Joann Herrington ’74 . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Rep ’57-’77

Jim ’56 and Patricia Gordon ’57Spaulding. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Class Rep up to ’57

Janya NordgrenMekelburg ’86. . . . . . . . . . . . .AlumniActivities Director

LuAnnWolfeDavis ’82 . . . . . . . . . . .Vice President forAdvancement

About the cover:Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, NewYork State’schief information officer, has accomplishedmany firsts in technology management sincegraduating from Union College in 1970. Learnmore about her career journey on p. 14.Photographer: Gary Gold

© 2008 Union College all rights reserved.No material may be reproduced withoutpermission. CORDmagazine is published as aservice to Union College alumni and friends.We encourage readers to submit lettersand article ideas. Please send inquiries,submissions and address changes to:

CORDmagazine Union College3800 South 48th StreetLincoln, NE 68506or alumni@ucollege.edu.

Editorial/4 Campus News/5

CORDmagazine 3

CORDVol. 73, No. 1 Winter 2007/2008

Advancing a Heritageof Service/18Koch family business spansfour generations

Rob Koch ’80D.J. Koch Nash (’77)

Technology Update/12

McConnell Entertainment/23 The eye of a storyteller/26

Class-ifieds/28 In Memory/31

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From Education toEditing/24

Chris Trumble teachestechnology to enthusiasts

Chris Trumble ’94

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A Career of Firsts/14Pioneering a path in

information technology

Melodie Mayberry-Stewart ’70

www.ucol lege.edu

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magazinemagazine

. . . build the future withForeSight.

The pastwas built with vision . . .

Building for the future takes carefulplanning. Most people realize the value of aproperly drafted will and estate plan.

Even if your estate is very small–consistingonly of money in the bank, your home, your carand/or life insurance–it’s important to work withan attorney who can help you build the right planto carry out your wishes.

To receive our complimentary e-brochure “Assets,Individuals and Intentions: A Guide for Your Heirs,”which includes a checklist of information to gatherbefore visiting your attorney, contact Todd Mekelburg orvisit www.ucollege.edu/advancement/plannedgiving.

It takesForeSight...

Todd MekelburgDirector of Leadership Giving

Union College3800 South 48th StreetLincoln, NE 68506

402.486.2503 ortomekelb@ucollege.edu

4 WINTER 2007/2008 CORDmagazine 5

CAMPUS NEWS_____________________________

n the Omaha airport this week, my friend’s plane was alittle delayed between landing and getting to the gate.Watching the other welcome parties surrounding me, I real-ized we all had one thing in common—we wanted thedeplaning process to go faster. While much of the desire forhurrying up the arrival was rooted in excitement to see lovedones after a long holiday apart, I know I was not the onlyone thinking, “Could they move that motorized walkway anyslower?” I realized some of my anxious energy was morehabit than heart.

Ironically, my impatient moods often intersect with thegadgets and conveniences that are already saving me time.When I check my e-mail, I wonder why the photos of myniece and nephew take so long to load instead of marvelingat the luxury of seeing their latest outing to a petting zoo thesame day they met Molly the cow. While printing myaddress labels for my holiday cards, I chided the printer forits slow output while forgetting how long it used to take meto hand address the envelopes. While in line at the grocerystore, I get restless if the checkout clerk fumbles a bit to findthe bar code on my bottle of Cheer not remembering that

clerks used to key in each price and discount formula byhand. During my breakfast microwave ritual, one minute 30seconds seems so long. But compared to a frying pan oroven pre-heat, is my appliance slow or am I running lateagain? When did my impatience outpace technology?

I know I’m not the only one facing this technologyconundrum and struggling to define computer chips andautomation as friend or foe. Perhaps those who dedicatetheir careers to improving and expanding tech options sufferthe most while the rest of us sigh with ever increasingexpectations.

In this issue of CORDmagazine, we feature alumni whoare expanding, applying or describing technology for thebenefit of others. You will also learn how Union is striving tokeep pace with the demands of the decade for bothprospective and current students. First, however, I hope youwill pause to read the guest editorial from a Union studentwho describes an experience she doesn’t want to speedup—the uplifting phonathon conversations she has had withmany of you.

ave you ever experienced one ofthose days when you wake up in themorning and immediately feel over-whelmed by the list of tasks ahead ofyou? What encourages you most duringthose days? Is it talking with family orfriends, relaxing with a book, sleeping,shopping, surfing the Web, playing afavorite sport, watching a movie or eat-ing a delicious, fattening snack? As a col-lege freshman, I encounter many of thesetiresome days, and surprisingly, my rem-edy for a bad day is going to work.

I understand that this unavoidabledaily activity is often thought of as therecipe for added stress and not its reme-dy. However, after an exhausting day ofclasses and appointments, I look forwardto going to my job as a Union CollegePhonathon caller. During each of myshifts, I have the opportunity to talk withalumni, parents and friends of Union. Ienjoy the cozy area from which I makemy calls, and I am thankful for the tele-phone that allows me to connect withsuch encouraging and interesting people.Through these phone calls, God contin-ues to reaffirm my decision to attendUnion College.

As alumni share their experiences that

EDITORIAL TECHNOLOGY BENEFITS WHOM?_______________________________________________________________________________

Introduction by Jacque L. Smith, Editor

Cori is from Argyle, Wis., and was one of 28 callers for the Union College Phonathonthis fall. Read more about the success of this year’s Phonathon on p. 7.

II

have had such a positive impact on their lives, I realize thatUnion’s spiritual atmosphere, supportive and friendly professors,and wonderful, enduring friendships are transforming my life inmuch the same way. This campus radiates the character of God,producing a light for the entire Lincoln community. Family andfriends of Union College students mentioned they feel connect-ed to Union through the people they know who attend schoolor work here—it seems you can’t help but be a part of this elec-trifying environment. I love talking with Union alumni, friendsand parents about their families, the weather, news and dailyactivities—my job is so rewarding.

A common theme of most conversations was the reason forsupport; most people I spoke with are impressed with the out-standing academic, social and spiritual opportunities that areavailable to students like me at Union College. One alumna isalready encouraging her very young children to choose Union fortheir future. I was impressed by this mother’s devotion to Union

and her firm belief in the work God is doing on this campus.I not only recognized the impact Union College has had on

previous students, I was personally touched and encouraged byseveral specific conversations. People I have never met reachedout to me, prayed with me and assured me that I would havean incredible college experience at Union. One inspiring con-versation sticks out in my mind. A woman shared her witness-ing ministry with me. Her passion for the project ignited a firein me about the ministries I participate in.

Many of you reading this have made my college experienceenriching already. Thank you for blessing my life. I believe Goddirected me to this exceptional school to grow, develop, learnand meet extraordinary people. I hope the next time you wakeup discouraged and need a boost, you can find as much satis-faction in your daily activities as I have found working at UnionCollege’s Phonathon.

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By Cori Piel ’11Freshman education major

Phonathon inspires me

or the first time in 24 years, UnionCollege has crossed the 1,000 studentenrollment mark during the fall 2007semester. By the end of the close of reg-istration the official enrollment reached1,015 students with a full-time equiva-lence of 909.5. The campus has become ahome-away-from home for students from49 states and 26 countries.

To celebrate the 1,000-student mile-stone, Union College invited all studentsand employees to a free lunch served onthe campus Tribute Terrace. In addition

to the meal and ice cream on Aug. 28,festivities included a short program.Remarks and recognition of theEnrollment Services team and students byUnion College President David Smithwere followed by a college-wide sing-a-long of the well-loved school song,“Slinga de Ink.” State Senator Tony Fultonjoined in the festivities and added hiscongratulations and support.

“While we’re delighted to reach thismilestone, at Union we’ve always knownthat bigger isn’t necessarily better,” said

President Smith. “We are grateful for eachstudent here and the opportunities eachof them represent for Union and forChrist.”~JS

Enrollment milestone reached fall semester

Dr. Smith congratulates SerhiyHorokhovskyy, senior theology major fromUkraine, on being the 1,000th student toregister this year.

Union students and employees celebrate the college’s highest enrollment since 1983. TheLincoln Journal Star ran a front-page story about the August event.

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Campus Calendar 2008

Spring Vacation March 14-23

Spring Preview Days March 27-30

Homecoming Weekend April 3-6(See details on page 34)

Home School Sneak Peek April 17-20

Graduation Weekend May 9-11

ParentsWeekend 2007: celebrating family for the 15th yeartephanie Meyer, Union College schol-

arships and events coordinator and theprinciple organizer of Parents Weekend,was here when it all began. “We reallywanted to reach out to parents in thesame manner we reach out to alumni,”Meyer said. “We felt it was important tohave a special time where parents couldcome and connect with all aspects of thecampus—students, teachers and otherparents.”

The first Parents Weekend, inNovember 1993, began inauspiciouslyenough. Approximately 80 peopleattended a reception in the Don LoveBuilding. A little more than a decadelater, Parents Weekend routinely brings800 visitors to campus. This year, closeto 500 parents, students and relativesattended the annual complimentary GetAcquainted Supper in the gym, the onlyevent for which accurate attendance isrecorded.

During the first years of ParentsWeekend, a committee of parents helpedthe administration plan the weekend bygiving ideas, providing resources andvolunteering their time to see everythingthrough. In the past, events have includ-ed a dinner theatre, drama productionsand talent shows.

Meyer said that while those eventswere successful and they appreciated

parents giving of their time, the focushas shifted in recent years. “The mostimportant thing for us is giving the par-ents enough free time to enjoy being oncampus with their sons or daughters,”Meyer said.

This year, Friday night supper in thegym and the Saturday night basketballgames continued favorite traditions. Thisyear, however, a special vespers pro-gram highlighting student involvement at

Union and a senior recognition duringthe second church service helped makethe weekend even more memorable.

Dr. David Smith, Union College pres-ident, knows this is a valuable weekendfor the college. “In some cases, parentsare spending a lot of money to sendtheir children here,” Smith said. “Wewant to honor them and show themhow much we care and value them andthe students.”~JP

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CAMPUS NEWS_____________________________

6 WINTER 2007/2008

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CORDmagazine 7

A Union graduate herself, Margaret Erickson (right) watched her son Kevin graduate in2005 and now makes the trip from Albion, Neb., to visit her freshman daughter Sarah.“I love the Friday night gathering. It’s pretty fun to see people I went to school with com-ing to support their kids just like I am,” Erickson said. “Meeting the faculty is special too,just putting a face with a name helps me feel comfortable that my kids will have the spe-cial experiences that I had here.”

Ed Sharon, a Union College InformationSystems employee, gets ready to watch hisson Nick, freshman and guard on the bas-ketball team, play in the Warriors annualParents Weekend home game.

With a road trip theme, Phonathon callers tracked their progress during the seven-weekfund raising initiative.

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CORDforKKKKiiiiddddssssCORDfor

Now, use the letters in the boxes andunscramble the name of a place we all love.

alumni community

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ (ORCK) (ELPI)

e-mail server

___ ___ ___ ___ (SOPNOY)

course management server

___ ___ ___ (LILB)

online Peanut Gallery community

___ ___ ___ (DNAY)

administration server

___ ___ ___ ___ (CRIHALE)

media sharing server

___ ___ ___(YLCU)

software testing environment

___ ___ — ___ ___ (GPI) (PNE)

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Union College sometimes gives its computers funny names.

Most computers at Union are named forcharacters in the Peanuts cartoons or TheAndy Griffith Show, though one system isnamed for a campus landmark.

Unscramble the words below to find the names of Union College computer systems.

Jocelyn Breuer, Jessica Dorval and Andrea Gorton are excited to give their robes, capsand tassels a test drive before graduating in May.

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Fall Phonathon exceeds goals

nion College’s Phonathon 2007 wasanother successful adventure in connect-ing with the college’s constituents andraising the necessary support to keepthe campus thriving.

“This success could only be achieveddue to the diligence, friendliness and allaround professionalism of the phenome-nal Phonathon callers this year,” saidNicole Meharry, Union’s annual givingdirector, who is proud of her callingcadre. “The students who call have thelargest positive impact when it comes tomeeting our goals, and the group thisyear was truly exceptional.”

During September, October andNovember, 28 student callers along withadministrators and a few volunteers

enjoyed conversations with thousands ofUnion’s alumni, parents and friends. Atotal of $316,986 was committed by2,011 donors surpassing both the dollarand donor goals. For more than 20years, Union’s annual Phonathon hasbeen used to inspire dialogue, shareinformation and generate funds forimproving programs and facilities oncampus.

“The program keeps growing andchanging to meet current needs,” LuAnnDavis, vice president for Advancement,said regarding the Phonathon. “We lovetalking with our alumni, parents andfriends each year and greatly appreciatetheir enduring support.”

UU

ecause of football, Frisbee and otherfun memories on the lawn betweenPrescott and the administration building,the Class of 1994 chose to install aswing for their class gift. According toCassandra Nesmith, 1994 class presidentand now class representative, the classthought the swing they picked wouldstand the test of time, but due toNebraska weather and 13 years of wear,the popular hang out spot met itsdemise.

Last June, Nesmith sent an urgentappeal to her classmates.Groundskeeper Randy Bollinger

researched prices for a replacementswing that would match another com-memorative swing in front of Rees Hall.The goal was to have the swing in placebefore school started in August. Classmembers gave $450 in gifts to cover thecost of the new swing, and Union’sgrounds department provided the sup-port structure and installation. Althougha replacement structure is now in place,bricks from the original College Buildingstill provide the foundation for the cen-ter campus swing.pVisit CORDmagazine online to see a

photo: www.ucollege.edu/cordmagazine.

Class gift ‘swinging’ again

BB

or the second year, Union College hasbeen designated a “Top College” byU.S.News and World Report’s “America’sBest Colleges.” Union has climbed fromlast year’s ranking of 46 to the 28th posi-tion for its category, BaccalaureateColleges—Midwest.

Of the 11 criteria U.S. News uses torank schools, a rise in the peer evalua-tion score from 2.2 last year to 2.7 con-tributed most to the jump in rankings.This criterion, worth 25 percent of theoverall score, is based on surveys of col-lege administrators.

“It is gratifying to have outsidesources affirm what our students, alumniand constituents already know—Unionhas something special to offer,” saidDavid Smith, college president. “To be

ranked in the toptier of Midwesternbaccalaureateinstitutionsreflects the commitment to quality whichmarks the Union College experience.”

The U.S. News rankings are createdannually as a service to parents andprospective students in selecting colleges.This year, 320 baccalaureate colleges,divided into four regions, are included inthe report. The baccalaureate college cat-egory includes colleges that offer a rangeof degree programs in professional fieldssuch as business, nursing and educationwith liberal arts degrees accounting forfewer than half of the bachelor’s degreesconferred. ~SC

8 WINTER 2007/2008

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CORDmagazine 9

U.S. News awards Union ‘Top College’ designation

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Do you readAround-the-Clock?

ife at Union doesn’t stop betweenissues of CORDmagazine. To get updatesbetween issues of CORD, subscribe toUnion’s e-newsletter, Around-the-ClockNews, featuring alumni events, featurearticles and news briefs. A recent feature,“Praying for the best, prepared for theworst,” about Union’s Crisis PreparednessTeam, is available as a preview of thenewsletter’s content. pwww.ucol-legecommunity.org/crisisplanning.

To receive Around-the-Clock News, signup for the Rock Pile Alumni Community(www.ucollegecommunity.org) or requestto be added to the mailing list by fillingout a form available under “News andEvents” on the Union College home page(www.ucollege.edu). ~SC

LL

nion College President David Smith isserving as chair of the AdventistAssociation of Colleges and Universities,a consortium of the 15 colleges and uni-versities located in the North AmericanDivision of the Seventh-day AdventistChurch.

“Adventist higher education is a greatvalue regardless of the school youchoose to attend,” said Smith. “While I’mpartial to the atmosphere at UnionCollege, each Adventist campus has aunique mix of academic and environ-mental strengths to offer. Collectively weneed to make sure our young people are

aware of the quality options available atAdventist colleges.”

One of the greatest accomplishmentsof AACU has been a shared marketingplan in which all member institutionscontribute funds to find students beyondthe typical recruitment efforts ofAdventist colleges such as public highschool and home school students.

Rob Weaver, Union’s vice presidentfor Enrollment and Student FinancialServices is the chair of the consortium’sJoint Marketing Committee. In acknowl-edgement of his leadership and dedica-tion, Weaver received the Best of the Best

Award from his peers in the AdventistEnrollment Association in May 2007.

To learn more about AACU andAdventist higher education, visitwww.adventistcolleges.org. This resourceallows prospective students and parentsto see a side-by-side comparison ofmajors and admissions standards for eachof the member institutions. Based on thework of Weaver and his counterparts, thesite has launched a common applicationin January that allows students to applyto and receive information from multipleinstitutions. ~JS

Union’s leaders influence Adventist higher education

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� The Adventist Review has signedJimmy Phillips, senior communicationmajor, to be a monthly columnist for2008. This past summer, Jimmy was theintern for the Review and is the first col-lege student to be a regular columnist.The column will have online-only con-tent beginning in February and in printstarting in March.

� Stephanie Krueger, junior businessmajor, was featured in the January/February issue of Nebraska Life maga-zine. The article highlighted her work asan entrepreneur with her lawn carebusiness. Stephanie started her businessher junior year in high school and cur-rently maintains 40 lawns in the Lincolnarea.

� The Nebraska Academy of PhysicianAssistants has awarded a $10,000 grant

to the Union College PhysicianAssistant program to support theHealth Science Division’s monthly footclinic for the homeless. Union College isamong the first institutions to receivegrant funding from NAPA. In addition,the American Academy of PhysicianAssistants has awarded the program a$5,000 grant for focusing on buildinghealthy neighborhoods.

Campus Notables

or the last 30 years, little has hap-pened at Union College without the helpof Charlie. From payroll to phone calls,grades to room reservations, Charlie doesit all. In the Peanuts-inspired naming sys-tem of Union College computer systems,the server known as Charlie (as inCharlie Brown) has always been the star.The hardware has been upgraded count-less times over the years and new fea-tures have been added to the software,but at the core, Union College has reliedon the same system for three decades.

When Hewlett-Packard, maker of thecomputers Charlie was designed for,announced they would phase out sup-port for that product line, Union begansearching for new administrative softwareto run on modern servers. Lisa Forbes,associate professor of accounting andfinance, was tasked to lead the process.

“We quickly realized there’s no sys-tem out there that does everything werely on Charlie for,” said Forbes.“Whenever the campus has needed newcomputerized functions, we’ve written itourselves and added it to Charlie. Wehad to look for a vendor that provided a

suite of tools rather than one comprehen-sive system, and even then, there arefunctions unique to Union that no oneoffers.”

After more than a year of identifyingnecessary features, comparing vendorsand visiting other campuses, theAdministrative Software EvaluationCommittee chose to contract withSungard Higher Education to customizeand implement their administrative sys-tems for the college. Sungard’s systemsare built on Microsoft databases andSharePoint services, allowing for the easysharing of information between compati-ble databases, single sign on for alladministrative systems and a feature-richdocument repository.

Four systems comprise what is infor-mally called “the new Charlie.” At thehub is PowerCampus, a system for track-ing student data from their first contactwith admissions through to graduationand includes the Self Service Web mod-ule. Integrated with PowerCampus arePowerFAIDS, which assists in managingstudent financial aid and billing, andDynamics Great Plains, which will handlehuman resources and accounting func-tions.

The fourth system, for now, is the oldCharlie. A wide range of peripheral func-tions will stay within the current systemfor at least another year until Union’sInformation Systems purchases additionalsoftware or writes custom programs thatintegrate into the new systems. Theseinclude student leave requests, guestservices reservations, and Union Marketand bookstore sales.

The software is being rolled outacross campus in phases. PowerFAIDSwent live with limited functionality inApril 2007, Dynamics Great Plains onJan. 1, 2008, and PowerCampus will berunning in February. Self Service, theWeb-facing system students and facultywill use to access the system, will be livein late spring.

“In talking to other schools, we kepthearing the same thing,” said TomBecker, director of Information Systems.“The difference between a system we’ll

So Long, Charlie BrownUnion replaces venerable administrative tool

From punch cards toPowerCampus

“I graduated in May 1965, wenthome to get my furniture, and threedays later I started fulltime,” recalledDean Dittberner, who retired fromUnion College in December 2006.During his 41 years, Dittberner saw howthe computer revolution has changedlife and payroll at Union.

Dittberner began his career in theAccounting department. With the tech-nology the college had at that time, allpostings had to be done by hand.“Payroll took four days and student billstook a week to prepare,” he said. “Oncewe had all the numbers in, we had toreconcile everything by hand—andhope the numbers came out right.”

When Dittberner transferred toInformation Systems in 1969, programsand data were stored on paper punchcards. “We had to enter all our data onthe cards, sort them, and then put themon the disk,” he said. “When I started,the computer took up the whole room.Now everything is run on a little whitebox.”

Dittberner described how in 1983,Union College was the first school in thecountry to put a computer terminal inevery dorm room. Used mainly for wordprocessing in the early years, over timemore functions such as surveys, forms,games and directory information wereadded. Although those original terminalsare long gone, students continue to havemore information options. “Students cancheck their food bill online, they can seehow many worship credits they need,and check out of the dorms for breaksand weekends off campus,” Dittbernersaid. “Technology has made everythingso much faster and easier.”

Information Systems is currentlyworking to put even more student infor-mation online. Students can alreadysubmit homework to many of theirclasses using Moodle (see page 10), andwill soon be able to pay their bill andregister for classes over the Internetthrough the new PowerCampus admin-istrative software installation (story atleft). Things have come a long waysince punch cards.~TR

by Scott Cushman

Lisa Forbes has led the search for andimplementation of the new system coor-dinating and communicating campusneeds and technical details.

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TECHNOLOGY UPDATE__________________________________________TECHNOLOGY UPDATE__________________________________________

CORDmagazine 1110 WINTER 2007/2008

love and one we’ll hate is the implemen-tation. We are devoting all our resourcesto a successful launch, but even with themost well-planned implementation possi-ble, there will still be some trying timesahead while the campus learns the insand outs of the new software.” Thosewho will use new systems daily say theirbenefits far outweigh the cost of thelearning curve.

Many institutions see an increase instudent satisfaction and retention afterupgrading to new administrative systems,particularly when they include a Web-fac-ing portal. “The new Charlie catapultseverything we do into a future today’sstudents are impatiently expecting,” saidRob Weaver, vice president forEnrollment and Student Financial

Services. “In addition to streamliningbehind-the-scenes processes, the Webportal will allow perspective students totrack their progress through the admis-sions process and current students willbe able to view their grades and accountinformation securely from anywhere inthe world—and that’s just the initialoffering. We’ll be able to offer a wide-range of campus services digitally whenwe get accustomed to the system.”

“PowerFAIDS has already made ouroffice more efficient,” said ElinaCamarena, director of Student FinancialServices. “After all the systems are run-ning and talking to each other, we’ll seeeven more benefits. We’ll be able to setup ways to e-mail, text message or IMour students within the system so we can

communicate with them in the way theyprefer. We can also tell the system toautomatically generate letters, like pay-ment reminders, missing documentrequests and notification of new scholar-ship awards.”

“Getting ready for online registrationhas given us a golden opportunity toreview and refine how we conduct regis-tration overall,” said Osa Berg, assistantacademic dean and director of Recordsand Institutional Research. “We are givingthe students more control over their ownschedules and information while keepingacademic advising integral to registration.Improving the quality of the process willreduce the moments of stress for the stu-dents ... and for us.”

oodle, the online course manage-ment system used at Union, providesopportunities to digitally streamline com-munications for classes, committees andeven extracurricular activities. First imple-mented on a trial basis in the spring of2004, the system has become a fixture oncampus. According to Richard Webb,professor of physics and the administra-tor of Union’s Moodle system, 93 percentof Union’s students used Moodle at leastonce during the fall 2007 semester, and73 percent use it on a weekly basis.

Greg Steiner, intramurals director andhealth instructor, uses the system exten-sively for his classes and for intramurals.“For the intramurals program, it’s really away of centralizing information and get-ting feedback,” Steiner said. “People cancheck the schedule without bugging theircaptains, referees can take signal andrules tests to prepare to officiate, and weprovide forums for both players and offi-cials to ask questions.”

Moodle’s advantages over a traditionalWeb page are twofold: the content man-agement functions make it easy to updateand requiring all users to log in restrictsaccess to only those who need it.

After logging in, a student is present-ed with groups for all of their classes aswell as “courses” open to all users,including library instruction, the Studio

for Writing and Speaking and Moodletraining. “Scholars studying online learn-ing environments have found studentswho might be quiet in class can be themost active in forums,” said TanyaCochran, associate professor of Englishand director of the Studio for Writing andSpeaking. “It’s a great way of reachingstudents with different learning styles,even if that means I have to learn howto use new software.”

Cochran also uses the forums for heraccreditation sub-committee to distribute

minutes and get feedback when the com-mittee members can’t meet. “The repre-sentative from the Board of Trustees forour committee lives in Omaha and can’talways make it to Lincoln, but he can logon and participate in Moodle discus-sions,” Cochran said.

The ability to access the system fromanywhere also makes it a platform fordistance learning. This year, ArlieFandrich, professor of computer science,launched Union’s first distance education

course. Most of the 30 students takingMicrocomputer Applications via Moodleare at academies without access to com-munity colleges where they could takeadvanced placement courses.

Moodle’s graphical interface meansteachers don’t have to learn HTML, PHPor other computer languages. Pre-designed templates are provided formany content types, such as sign-upsheets for conferences with teachers,homework assignments, quizzes, tests,forums, chat rooms and more.

“I used to be the handout queen,”Cochran said. “Now I upload everythingto Moodle—it saves the department a lotof money on copies, and it saves the stu-dents trips to the recycling bins. Eventhings I do hand out, like the syllabus, Istill put on Moodle so students can’t usethe excuse that they lost it.”

Besides plain documents, Moodle canhost a variety of rich media, includingaudio, video, diagrams and anything elsethat can be distributed in a digital format.

“Moodle is not just a tool to help stu-dents learn,” said Steiner. “It helps teach-ers teach better and forces us to findways to do it differently. Students don’tlearn the way they did 20 years ago.With Moodle students can create dia-logue online and work together to solveproblems. That’s what’s exciting to me;it’s about the experience, not bookknowledge.

What’s a “Moodle”?by Scott Cushman

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n the past, Union has offered twocomputer-related majors: computerinformation systems and computer sci-ence. The latter was only availablethrough a partnership with theUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln. Nowthese programs have been rolled intoone, a major in computing. By readjust-ing the schedule and adding classes,students can complete the new comput-ing major entirely at Union through theDivision of Business and ComputerScience.

By adding several areas of emphasis,the combined major gives students morefreedom of choice in their specializationthan the two separate majors did. BarryForbes, chair of the division, said theadvantage to this approach was to allowstudents to have options that are morefocused on their specific interests.“Instead of having a one-size-fits-allsolution, it gives flexibility,” Forbes said.“This approach is also a good way wecan connect with other divisions to offerunique programs.”

One such program is the Web devel-opment emphasis. When finalized, thisprogram will mix graphic design ele-

ments from the Division of Fine Artswith the computer savvy of the Divisionof Business and Computer Science, giv-ing graduates an education geared muchmore towards Web technologies thaneither could provide independently.

Currently the program has estab-lished three computing emphases—busi-ness, computer information systems, andcomputer science—with plans to intro-duce additional interdisciplinaryemphases in the coming years. ~TR

Merged major offerschoices

annah Adams, a freshman fromWisconsin, wasn’t sure which church toattend when she first arrived in Lincolnlast August. “My friend Jeremy had heardof a gospel church that he wanted tovisit our second Sabbath. I had absolute-ly no idea what to expect of AllonChapel,” she wrote in her blog. The blog,called Hannah’s Hang Time, lets anyonewith an Internet connection tune in toHannah’s life as she discovers moreabout Union College and explores allLincoln has to offer. p(http://blogs.ucollege.edu/hannah)

Hannah’s blog is just one example ofthe ways Union is employing new tech-nologies to let prospective students, par-ents and alumni get better acquaintedwith the school and maintain contactwith each other.

“These technologies are really just thebeginning of a new way of communicat-ing with prospective students and all ofour audiences,” said Rob Weaver, vicepresident for Enrollment and StudentFinancial Services. “People don’t want tohear what marketers say college is like,they want to hear their peers’ voicessharing their authentic experiences.Blogs, podcasts and other technologiesmake it easier to connect people faraway with the Union experience.”

Seniors Jimmy Phillips and ToddRichardson recently started a morning-show-style podcast about college life.Called “WHAM radio,” the 10-15 minuteaudio clips let the hosts discuss college

life. “It’s crazy to think I can sit here andwhat I’m saying can be heard anywherein the world,” Phillips said. “It makes mereally excited to help spread the wordabout Union through this crazy newmedium.”p(http://blogs.ucollege.edu/whamradio)

Union’s Campus Ministries hasreceived a fresh overhaul of its Web site.While it shares the look of the rest ofUnion’s Web site, everything behind thescenes has been replaced to allow quick-er and more frequent updating, as wellas slideshows and other media presenta-tions. “The change has made updating

easier and faster,” said Rich Carlson, vicepresident for spiritual life. “It’s veryimportant for our site to have the latestevents and pictures—if a Web site is outof date, it’s not worth having.”

“The new ways we’re using onlinecontent let us connect with people weweren’t reaching before,” said ScottCushman, assistant director of publicrelations, who oversees online communi-cation. “A great example is the educationprogram. They’re using a blog to reachtheir graduates and keep them informedof the latest techniques and ideas in edu-cation.”

Many other departments are startingto use blogs, too. Campus Ministries hasset up blogs for students serving overseasto use. The communications program hasset up an internship blog while the inter-national rescue and relief program hasretooled their whole Web site gearedtoward fostering better communicationwith students. Anyone is welcome tosubscribe for free to the blogs or podcastthrough an RSS reader. For subscriptiondetails, visit blogs.ucollege.edu.

“It’s a challenge to know what’s goingto be effective and timely,” Cushmansaid. “By the time we start hearing aboutthe next big thing in journals, it’s almostold news already. So we aren’t trying tokeep up with technology for technolo-gy’s sake, we’re trying to meet the expec-tations of our audience. Community andcommunication never go out of style,regardless of the medium.”

Connecting you to Union by Todd Richardson

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Hannah Adams, freshman communica-tion major, poses with two of her pas-sions. She shares her passion for Unionthrough Hannah’s Hang Time.

CORDmagazine 1312 WINTER 2007/2008

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE__________________________________________TECHNOLOGY UPDATE__________________________________________

he modern world runs on technology,and the classroom should be no differ-ent,” says Michelle Weikum, a 2006Union College education program gradu-ate. “I compete with many distractions tocatch students’ attention. Using technolo-gy is one advantage I have because stu-dents are into technology themselves.”

Weikum teaches geometry, precalcu-lus, calculus and two levels of algebra atHinsdale Adventist Academy in Hinsdale,Ill. She begins each class with aPowerPoint presentation to remind herstudents of upcoming assignments,events and tests. She believes these sim-ple reminders have helped her studentsbecome more responsible for their ownachievement.

During class, Weikum employs a pro-jector to share detailed information in amode more exciting than words alone.“It allows me to use pictures, animationsand videos to illustrate concepts, and itprovides structure, organization and avisual aspect,” says Weikum. “I noticedthat students pay more attention. Thishelped them learn the concepts and dobetter on tests and homework.”

The newest addition to Weikum’sclassroom is an interactive whiteboard.The board saves Weikum’s written words,

allowing her to print out or upload notesto the Internet for students who wereabsent or need extra help. Weikum alsohas the ability to record an entire lesson’swritten notes and spoken lecture andsave it for future use. “If I had to beabsent from class, the substitute teachercould press play and I could still ‘teach’my students,” she says.

Since many of her courses rely heavi-

ly on calculations, Weikum’s students fre-quently use graphing calculators. Herclassroom’s projection unit enablesWeikum to share her work with theentire class. “We live in a technology-based world and students need to beable to apply the math they are learn-ing,” says Weikum. “Technology keepsstudents’ attention longer than the typicalchalk and chalkboard.”

Along with the fun of using technolo-gy, Weikum has also noticed a responseshe didn’t expect—students have becomemore responsible. “Technology keepsthem aware and helps them developresponsibility,” she says. “I was blessedto learn about and use technology duringmy time at Union.”

Actively engagedGeneric bulleted list PowerPoint pre-

sentations of days gone by aren’t whatRyan Christiansen, a 2005 math educationgraduate, considers a good use of mod-ern technology in the classroom.“Technology is not a horse and ponyshow,” he says. “It should be functionaland students should learn from it.”

Christiansen was fortunate to beginhis teaching career with a head start inthe educational technology realm. Hisschool in Desert Hot Springs, Calif.,

Digital ImmigrantsRecent graduates embrace classroom technology

“T“Tby Lauren Bongard Schwarz ’04

arry Ray, Union College professor ofmathematics, has long been an earlyadopter of new mediums for mathinstruction and a model for their uses inthe classroom. He was so impressedwith Christiansen’s use of Interwrite, heacquired one for the college and is nowusing the system to teach future mathteachers. Union’s education programuses a SmartBoard similar to the tech-nology Weikum has in her classroom.

“It has always been a tradition atUnion College to equip our studentswith the experiences successful teachers

need,” said Joe Allison, chair of theDivision of Human Development. “Ourprogram has a long history of embrac-ing new technologies and teaching stu-dents to evaluate their uses. It’s notenough to be tech savvy, educatorsmust be discerning leaders and stewardsas well. I’m very proud of the examplesset by so many of our graduates.”~SC

Technology for teachers in training

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Dr. Joe Allison demonstrates the SmartBoard capabilities.

received a grant to increase math depart-ment technology. “For a first year teacherthis is like winning the lottery,” he says.“And I didn’t even know I was playing.”

Part of the grant enabled the schoolto implement Interwrite. The portablewireless tablet gives teachers full remotecontrol of their computer and allowsthem to write and project notes from anylocation in the classroom. WithInterwrite, teachers have the freedom tomove from their traditional place besidethe overhead projector and mingle withtheir students while actively teaching theentire class.

Christiansen begins the learningprocess by creating a PowerPoint slide ofa math equation. He illustrates the cor-rect answer by writing on top of the slide

using Interwrite to project his work ontoa white board at the front of the room.

During classes, Christiansen also usesQwizdom hardware to check his stu-dents’ understanding. During a formal orpop quiz, each student enters theiranswers into a personal handheld remotefor instant computer grading. Christiansenoften uses this method during presenta-tions to ensure his students understanddifficult concepts. “Qwizdom graphs howmany students choose each answer and Ican address specific problems,” he says.“It tells me if the class is ready to moveon or if they need more examples.”

Bridging the gapA large percentage of Christiansen’s

students are not native English speakers.To bridge the language gap, he uses inter-active Web sites such as BrainPop.comand strategies including SpeciallyDesigned Academic Instruction in English(SDAIE) that employ visually stimulatingtechniques such as movement and color.

For example, when solving an addi-tion problem Christiansen writes positivenumbers in red and negative numbers inblue to help his students visualize thedifference. “When I started teaching withtechnology I didn’t even know I wasusing SDAIE because it came so naturallywith PowerPoint and the features ofInterwrite and Quizdom,” he says.

All of this hardware has helpedChristiansen’s eighth graders prepare toenter high school with a better grasp of

math concepts. “Students are in awe ofall the technology,” says Christiansen.“They have a huge amount of buy-inwhen they have a chance to useInterwrite. If they know their homeworkis going to be graded the next day bycomputer, many more students will do it.They also have a better understanding ofwhat notes they need to take.”

According to Christiansen, technologi-cal aids give him extra time to focus onstudents that are lagging behind and helpcreate a consistent classroom throughmore feedback and less teacher grading.He believes these new methods are thefuture of education.

“Students are digital natives and manyteachers are digital immigrants. Studentsdon’t learn the same way they did 20years ago, and teachers can’t teach thesame way,” says Christiansen. “Havingtechnology in the classroom helps dealwith the attention span problem.Teachers can shift the method of instruc-tion to PowerPoint, short quiz, student-made digital projects and movie clips onthe topic on top of all of the tried andtrue methods.”

pThe education program maintains ablog to keep in contact with graduates.You can participate atblogs.ucollege.edu/education.

Michelle Weikum ’06 uses technology in her classroom similar to the resources she practiced with while at Union.

Ryan Christiansen ’05 says his students are more engaged in learning math than theywould be without technology tools. (Technology update continues on page 33)

For more campus news visitp www.ucollege.edu/cordmagazine

• Additional photos from Parents Weekend, Union’s enrollment celebration and other news stories

• Union hosts Gymfest and volleyball tournament

• Borneo evangelism trip

CORDmagazineonline

a word that might come to mind. But Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart, with her easy conversation and candid laughter,exudes down-to-earth charm.

Now referred to as “Chief Mayberry-Stewart” she serves asNew York State’s chief information officer (CIO) and director ofOffice for Technology. In her more than 30 years as an infor-mation technology (IT) professional, she’s approached eachposition as an opportunity for personal growth.

“I’ve had to dig inside myself and find what I have learnedfrom the past that will help me to navigate my current environ-ment,” says Mayberry-Stewart. “I’ve gotten comfortable withchange and learned not to take myself so seriously.”

While she has always believed that hard work reaps suc-cess, such a successful career in computers hadn’t always beenon her radar. While in school, Mayberry-Stewart excelled inmath and enjoyed research. She believed her skills would leadher to a career in urban planning. Then courses in math andstatistics, which relied heavily on computers, showed her thenew world blossoming in information technology.

It was in the world of technology that she skyrocketed tothe heights of her profession. But for Mayberry-Stewart, hercareer isn’t only a job—it’s her passion.

“The field of technology is where the action is,” she says. “Itis a super-tremendous opportunity to be a part of somethingcontinuously changing, where you’re continuously learning,where you have an ability to impact millions of lives by writingan application or helping an organization serve their customersbetter. Information is what society runs on, and it gives us theability to make better decisionsto improve our communitiesand ultimately our society.”

A rising starMayberry-Stewart’s foray

into the IT world began shortlyafter she graduated from UnionCollege in 1970 with a B.S. inbusiness administration andsociology. She transitioned tothe University of Nebraska,Lincoln to complete her mas-ter’s in sociological researchand completed a Ph.D. pro-gram to earn her A.B.D. insociology.

While in Lincoln, Mayberry-Stewart went to work for theNational Highway TransitAssociation as a project evalua-tor and researcher. From thisposition, IBM recruited her. Inher 13 years with IBM,Mayberry-Stewart found hertechnology niche, being pro-moted eight times and ulti-mately attaining a job as a

regional marketing and technical support manager.In 1991, Mayberry-Stewart transitioned to a series of roles as

vice president and CIO at three health care companies. Then,in 1997, Mayberry-Stewart moved toward the public sectorwhen she accepted the positions as vice president and generalmanager at Amoco Oil Corporation in Chicago. Her career tooka civic turn in 2002 when she became the first chief technologyofficer and CIO for the city of Cleveland, Ohio, where she wasresponsible for creating the information technology andtelecommunications strategy for the city.

In May 2007, Mayberry-Stewart was named to her currentrole for the State of New York. Serving as the top IT advisor forthe second-most populous state in the nation is no job for anovice. Mayberry-Stewart generally clocks 14 to 16 hours eachworkday. Building partnerships with state commissioners, com-municating with various departments and individuals, andkeeping up with ever-changing technological trends keep heron her toes. She also is responsible for advising the governor’soffice on major technological initiatives to help the state pro-vide better government services.

Somewhere between being New York’s chief technologystrategist and creating a vision for moving the state forward inits use of technology, a solid daily pattern is both difficult andsimple to identify. When Mayberry-Stewart tries describing heraverage day, she just laughs. “I can’t say what a typical day is; Idon’t have typical days,” she says. “They are all very long, andthey are all very full.”

But where some may falter under pressure and expecta-tions, Mayberry-Stewart glowswith the idea of a challenge. “Ilove to push the envelope, tosee how we can do somethingthat’s never been done before.There is that element that isstressful, but I don’t stress outover it,” she says. “I find itinvigorating to have a responsi-bility to create change.”

Building blocks ofsuccess

Mayberry-Stewart’s life hasn’talways been big-title positionsand managing billion-dollarbudgets. The distinguished busi-nesswoman was once a little girlfrom humble beginnings, livingin a Cleveland subsidized hous-ing development and workingto be the first person in herfamily to earn a college degree.

“I’ve been given a lot, and Ifeel that I’m supposed to returna lot. My life has been one ofmany blessings, but I feel theLord has blessed me so I can

CORDmagazine 15

By Lauren Bongard Schwarz ’04Photos courtesy of State of New York’s Office for Technologyand Photographer Gary Gold

Rising through the ranksA snapshot of Dr. Melodie Mayberry-Stewart’s career:

� Regional Marketing/Technical Support Manager; IBM Corporation, Armonk, New York; 1976-1988

� Vice President/Chief Information Officer (CIO); Community Health Corporation, Riverside, Calif.; 1988-1991

� Vice President/CIO; St. Thomas Hospital, Nashville, Tenn.; 1991-1995

� Vice President/CIO; Beth Israel Medical Center, New York; 1995-1997

� Vice President/General Manager for Global IT Service Delivery and Shared Services Business Unit; Amoco Oil Corporation, Chicago, Ill.; 1997-1999

� Founder, President and CEO; Black Diamond IT Consulting Group, Brentwood, Tenn.; 1999-2002

� CIO; City of Cleveland; 2002-2007

� CIO and Director of Office for Technology; State of New York; 2007-present

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tart with a job description that includes managing 5,000 gifted individuals and a $2 billion annual budget. Add frequent consultations with high-ranking officials and possessing an exponential knowledge about the newest trends in technology. Combine these demands with

an impressive resume that ranks at the top of the information technology (IT) field, and humble isn’t

Pioneering a path in information technology

Melodie Mayberry-Stewart ’70

New York State Capitol Building

CORDmagazine 17

serve others,” says Mayberry-Stewart. Her path to service started when Mayberry-Stewart left

home for the classrooms of Pine Forge Academy inPennsylvania. She excelled there and was one of three studentsfrom her graduating class in 1965 to venture to Nebraska toattend Union College. Mayberry-Stewart’s lifelong mentor andacademy teacher, Robert Booker ’62, had graduated from Unionand suggested that she would do well at his alma mater.

While college was a big adjustment, Mayberry-Stewartforged a special friendship shortly after arriving on campus. Shespent some of her most memorable hours at Union working inthe library alongside Chloe Foutz, who served Union’s libraryfor 41 years. The two were close and kept in touch for manyyears after Mayberry-Stewart graduated.

Mayberry-Stewart says Foutz helped her adjust during herfreshman and sophomore years. “Chloe used to keep melaughing. She was very special to me. I have wonderful memo-ries of working in the library with her.”

This support helped encourage Mayberry-Stewart to pursueher business administration and sociology degrees. Althoughher current responsibilities seem worlds away from her collegedays, the building blocks are still evident in her present-dayendeavors.

“Business skills are important to be a good senior manager,and sociology gave me training in terms of human behaviorand working in groups. Understanding how people work ingroups and how they think is helpful,” she says. “My back-ground in business administration is very important when I

have to put together budgets and business plans.”Beyond her undergraduate and graduate degrees earned

while in Lincoln Mayberry-Stewart later coupled her Union andUNL education with an M.B.A. in finance from PepperdineUniversity in Malibu, Calif., and an M.A. in executive manage-ment and a Ph.D. with a specialty in information systems fromClaremont Graduate University in Claremont, Calif., where shewas the first black female to earn a doctorate from the Peter F.Drucker School of Executive Management.

Finding balanceBalancing professional expectations with personal respite is

no easy task. Mayberry-Stewart often finds that even off-the-clock hours are filled with business events and social network-ing. Still, she does find time to do things she loves, includingfishing, music, traveling, movies and reading.

Part of finding her balance also includes reaching out tocommunity and nonprofit organizations. “Community servicehas always been a major part of my professional career. Itgives me satisfaction to use my resources, knowledge andskills to improve lives. It is very important to me that I helpmake this a better place, and I think it’s expected of me.”

Mayberry-Stewart has served on boards of directors forgroups including Girl Scouts of America, educational institu-tions including Pine Forge Academy, and several health careorganizations.

As chair and a trustee of the Pine Forge Academy board,Mayberry-Stewart sees supporting her graduating academy as

more than a single-school endeavor.“Christ-centered education helps developthe sense of values, work ethic and ethi-cal behaviour needed in the businessworld,” she says. “It gives you a moralcompass that grounds you as you achievesuccess, keeps you humble, and remindsyou to reach back to help others who areless fortunate.”

Community outreach is more than justa pastime for Mayberry-Stewart. After sev-eral years in the public sector, she decid-ed to take her expertise to the nonprofitworld in 1999 by founding BlackDiamond Consulting Group. The technol-ogy group, which was active until 2002,worked mainly with CEOs, CFOs andCIOs from nonprofit corporations. Theprogram helped assess companystrengths and weaknesses, directed effica-cy of technology planning and strategies,helped ensure appropriate technicalstaffing and taught ways for leaders topresent their visions to their boards.

According to Mayberry-Stewart, non-profits often know they need to use tech-nology but don’t know how to go about doing it or have thecapacity or the training. “I wanted to focus on nonprofits inhealth care, universities and even faith-based organizations thathave tremendous resources but often have not thought strate-gically about how they could improve their performancethrough technology,” she said.

Breaking down the wallsWhen she joined IBM, Mayberry-Stewart was the only

black and the only female in her office, and at the start of herhealth care tenure, she was the country’s only black femaleCIO in the industry. This pioneer path has humbled Mayberry-Stewart. She says, “My career really has been a group of firsts.”

Leadership can be a lonely experience, and Mayberry-Stewart knows the road to success isn’t always friendly. Alongwith her achievements, she has faced hardships that, at times,

have left her feeling alone. “When you’re pursuing a career where there aren’t many

others that look like you or talk like you or share your back-ground, you’re bound to have failures,” she says. There weretimes when Mayberry-Stewart wished for a stronger supportsystem. “When you don’t have a support network of col-leagues to help you balance your life, it can be lonely.”

Mayberry-Stewart recognizes that she’s had help breakingthrough longstanding barriers. “I’ve been very fortunate,” shesays. “The Lord has put people in my path that were willing tostep out and take a risk and look to me for my competency inspite of my color or my gender.”

“I’ve had tremendous mentors and sponsors who werewilling to give me the opportunity to be a first, which hopeful-ly created a model and opened the door for others in the nextgeneration to follow.” C

Awards and Achievements From community service to leadership in business, Dr.Melodie Mayberry-Stewart has earned many prestigiousawards from local, national and global groups. The followingare a sampling of the recognition she has received throughouther career.

� Achieved two global awards for championing digital literacy

� Recognized by Smithsonian Institute with an award for implementing innovative technology in robotics and medical imaging

� Recognized with the highest national honor as one of the top five systems engineers in the country.

� 2007—Black Data Processing Professionals, Pace-Wimberly Award for Excellence in Information Technology

� 2005— Digital Program to Fight Poverty, featured article in State Technology Magazine

� 2004—Business Person of the Year, National Black MBA Association, Northeast Ohio, Cleveland Chapter

� 1999—Distinguished Alumni Award, Claremont Graduate University

� 1997—NELI Award for Top 25 Culturally Diverse Corporate Leaders, National Executive Leadership Institute

� 1995—Dean’s Alumni Award for Outstanding Community Service, Peter F. Drucker Graduate Management Center, Claremont Graduate University

� 1991—50 Most Promising Afro-American Leaders, Dollars and Sense magazine

� 1990—2,000 Most Notable Women, New York

In her time away from the office, Melodie Mayberry-Stewart enjoys outdoor activities including fishing.

hen Rob Koch called home within a month of graduation to ask his parents if there would be room for him in the family business, he found they had been hopefully awaiting that question for years.

It was 1982, and Rob, after earning an associate’s degree at Union College, had just finished his bachelor’s in electrical engineering at Walla Walla College. He and his wife, Kathy, were headed back toHolyrood, Kansas. The telecommunications business founded decades before by Rob’s grandparents, Ed and Grace Koch (pronounced “cook”), did have a place for him.

Wby Kate Simmons ’06Photography by Steve Nazario

Koch family business spans four generations

CORDmagazine 2120 WINTER 2007/2008

Family history = family businessH&B Communications, Inc., was officially established in

1967 when Harold and Betty (“H” and “B”) Koch, Rob’s parents,purchased two telephone companies from Ed, Grace and othershareholders, then merged the companies into one business.

But the relationship between the Koch family and thetelecommunications industry extends farther back than 1967.

Ed and Grace Koch were closely tied to the telecommunica-tion industry from the moment Ed began work as a mainte-nance man for the Bushton Telephone Company in 1925. Heand Grace ran the switchboard out of their front room for years.Harold was even born in the Bushton telephone office. BettyKemmerer (whom Harold Koch later married) worked there asa part-time switchboard operator when she was in high school.And when Harold and Betty returned from serving Army time inAlaska, they purchased the Bushton and Holyrood telephonecompanies that Ed, Grace and other shareholders had acquiredand managed for years.

In 1997, after 30 years as owners and managers of H&B,Harold and Betty sold the business to their children, Rob andDel Jeane (“D.J.”), who also attended Union. Since then, H&Bhas continued to serve the surrounding communities whilekeeping up with an ever-changing world of technologicaladvance and competition.

Heading a staff of close to 20, Rob is president and generalmanager, while D.J. serves as office manager and corporate sec-retary. Rob’s wife, Kathy, is vice president for health and safety,and D.J.’s husband, Don Nash, is vice president for finance.

“While maintaining our small-town friendliness, we want tobe known for our ability to provide the latest in communicationtechnology,” Rob said. This goal is realized as H&B provides therural Kansas communities of Holyrood, Bushton, Dorrance andClaflin with full telephone, Internet and cable television servic-es. The company also supplies cable television and Internetservices to the communities of Lorraine and Chase, cable televi-sion to Little River, and wireless Internet and telephone servicesto Ellinwood.

The Union connection Like the telecommunications business, ties to Union College

have run in the Koch family for generations. “My mom was theone who started our love for Union [in the mid-1940s] when sheattended and was baptized during her freshman year,” D.J. said.“Because of that experience, my dad was later baptized into theSeventh-day Adventist Church, and they were married the nextday.”

Though Rob earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engi-neering from Walla Walla College, the foundation of his collegeeducation was laid at Union College, where he earned an asso-ciate degree in 1980. “When your education is centered aroundthe concept of preparing for a life of service, it is coincidentallyan ideal education for operating a business based on providingservices to the public,” he explained.

Service truly does permeate every aspect of Rob’s life—pro-fessional, civic and spiritual. In addition to providing valuableand necessary telecommunications to various rural segments ofKansas, he was elected mayor of the City of Holyrood in April1991, and has served in that office ever since. He is also amember of the Union College Board of Trustees.

Each of Rob and Kathy’s children—Marlena Koch Jahn ’02 ,Brandon Koch and Allison Koch (current student)—and both of

D.J. and Don’s children—Justin ’07 and Brent Nash—attendedUnion College. “The icing on the cake for our commitment toUnion is the wonderful and balanced experience of our threechildren,” Rob said.

He came to fully realize the dedication of the UnionCollege faculty and staff when he stopped by a Union Collegebooth in Kansas City and chatted with Stan and Angie Hardt,spiritual discovery director and assistant respectively. He foundthat the Hardts not only knew his children by name, but knewthem personally through frequent interaction. Stan had playedbasketball with Brandon and Marlena had been a part ofAngie’s small group ministry. “Our children have often beenwelcomed into faculty homes,” Rob said. “These interactionsoccur because Union College employees truly have love for thestudents.”

Why it worksService is perhaps the most significant theme running

through the story of the Koch family and what became a suc-cessful family business. It began with Ed Koch. “He wanted thepeople in our communities to have all the technological advan-tages that people in large cities have,” D.J. said.

This commitment to service continues as H&BCommunications, Inc., brings the surrounding communities thelatest and best telecommunications services possible. “We wantto enable people to live and raise their families in a quiet ruralsetting and yet be able to compete in today’s global economy,”Rob said.

None of the success of H&B would have been possiblewithout a cohesive family vision. Just as Rob found his parentseager to include him in the family business when he returnedto Holyrood after college, Rob and D.J. want there to be aplace for any of their children who may wish to follow in theirfootsteps. Each of Rob’s and D.J.’s children began working atH&B when they were 14 years old. “We are in the process ofexpanding our business to provide an opportunity for all ofour children, if and when they have a desire to come back,”Rob said.

“Trying to bring a business on through to the fourth gener-ation is definitely going against the odds,” D.J. said. “Mucheffort is being made to expand our business in the best possi-ble ways, and to make use of the talents available through ourkids as they express interest in a future career at H&B.”

Already the fourth generation is beginning to make itsmark. Brandon and Brent have followed Rob’s lead: Brandonearned a bachelor’s degree in engineering and Brent is pursu-ing the same. Marlena earned a business degree from UnionCollege several years ago and is now pursuing her master’s.Justin, who recently completed his own business degree atUnion, and Marlena are currently working with H&B fromsatellite offices. Allison is pursuing her degree in education, butshould she wish to return to H&B, there will be a place for heras well. “She has great people skills and will be a tremendousasset if she decides to come back to H&B to work,” D.J. said.

Beyond themes of service and family ambition, which runparallel through the bloodline and timeline of the Koch familyhistory, is one salient theme—commitment to God. “The mostimportant thing for us as a family is that each of us be in heav-en,” D.J. said. “None of the success we have experiencedthrough the generations of our business will be worth anythingwithout eternity with our Lord.” C

Ed and Grace Koch in 1969

Left to right; Brent, Justin, Del Jeane and Don Nash. Harold andBetty Koch. Kathy, Rob, Brandon Marlena and Allison Koch.

The mural in Rob Koch’s office depicts the history of the four-generation family business.

The old comunnications system is now being replaced with thelatest technology that consolidates and entire room of switchersinto one small electronic computer tower.

The core team of H&B Communications: Don and D.J. Nashand Rob and Kathy Koch.

CORDmagazine 2322 WINTER 2007/2008

1925 Ed Koch arrives in Bushton, Kansas, as a mainte-nance worker for the Bushton Telephone Company. His wife, Grace, works as the operator and billing clerk.

1947 After years of maintaining the telephone switchboardin their front room, Ed and Grace purchase the con-trolling interest in and manage the Bushton Telephone Company.

1954 Ed and Grace, with William, Paul and Bonnie Volkland, purchase the Holyrood Telephone Company and begin modernizing its facilities.

1955 Ed and Grace’s son, Harold, and his wife, Betty, return to Holyrood, Kansas, from Army service in Alaska and begin work in the family business.

1958-1960 An exchange (a dial central office with dial telephones) is installed first in Bushton, then in Holyrood.

1967-1969 Harold and Betty purchase the two telephonecompanies from Ed, Grace and the other sharehold-ers and form H&B Communications, Inc. They later purchase the Dorrance Telephone Company and addit to H&B.

1979 All phone lines are converted to single party provid-ed by underground cable.

1982 Harold and Betty form a new corporation—H&B Cable Service, Inc.—to provide Community Antenna Television (CATV) to the Holyrood and Bushton communities.

1982 Harold and Betty’s son, Rob, and his wife, Kathy, return from Walla Walla College to Holyrood and begin working for H&B.

1982-1989 H&B constructs CATV systems in Holyrood, Bushton, Marquette, Little River, Sylvia, Turon, Cunningham, Lorraine and Preston, while purchasingthe existing systems in Claflin and Chase.

1983 D.J. and her husband, Don Nash, return to Holyrood to enter the family business.

1987 H&B joins 31 other rural independent telephone companies to form what will become Kansas Cellular, a statewide rural cellular provider.

1989 H&B sells CATV systems in Marquette, Little River, Sylvia, Turon, Cunningham, Chase and Preston to enable investment in Kansas Cellular.

1990 Kansas Cellular serves first customer. H&B places first fiber optic line in service. Remaining switches are converted to digital.

1991 H&B provides interactive television system to local school districts.

1997 Harold and Betty sell H&B to Rob and their daugh-ter, D.J. H&B provides its first cable modem service.

1999 H&B reacquires the Little River CATV system. KansasCellular sells to Alltel. H&B rolls out 768 Kb DSL service.

2000 H&B provides digital cable television.

2004 H&B provides competitive telephone service over CATV facilities.

2005 H&B provides wireless broadband service to adjacentrural areas using licensed 700 Mhz spectrum.

2006 H&B begins carrying high definition channels on CATV systems.

2007 H&B installs its first soft switch, which is equally optimized for voice, video or data.

Four generations of telecommunications

MCCONNELL ENTERTAINMENT: PROVIDING THE HOOKUP_____________________________________________________________________________________________by Jimmy Phillips ’08

hris McConnell’s passion is of providing others with oppor- tunities he wishes had been available to him. During his

time at Union College, Chris and his friend Nick Clark playedtogether in a Christian band called Capable. Despite their tal-ent, they found getting “discovered” to be a pretty difficultchallenge. They didn’t have the first idea about how to recorda demo, book a venue or get noticed by a record label. Thisfrustration laid the groundwork for what has becomeMcConnellEntertainment.

“I guess it reallystarted in my dormroom,” McConnell said.“I began doing freegraphic design forlocal independentbands—anything to getmy name out there.But after a while Istarted to have someideas about how Icould get involved inmeeting the needs ofChristian independentbands.”

The music industryis becoming increas-ingly digital. Millions ofsongs are downloadedevery day from musicstores like iTunes,Rhapsody and evenWal-Mart.com—all fromthe comfort of home.This shift in the indus-try has made signing with a record label less vital for aspiringartists. That’s where McConnell Entertainment comes in.

“Our goal is to empower the independent artist by equip-ping them with tools to succeed in whatever focus they wantto pursue,” McConnell said. “They might want help bookingshows, getting their music on iTunes or recording a demo.Whatever they need, we’ll help them get there.”

Leveling the playing field McConnell provides these opportunities through his site,

Hookups. For a small monthly fee, Christian independent bandscan join Hookups and get their music in digital music stores,distribute press releases, create a Web site, learn aboutChristian concert venues and gain access to a whole variety ofresources to improve their music and way of telling other peo-ple about it. McConnell says this is an effort to “level the play-ing field between independent artists and those signed with alabel.”

To meet artists, McConnell has taken advantage of onlinesocial networking by creating musicstir.com, a community forindependent artists to discuss trends, learn about new opportu-

nities and get to know each other. Many members of the com-munity first learn about Hookups and McConnell’s otherresources through Musicstir.

Despite the digitalization of music, many bands still want tosign with a record label. McConnell provides an excellentopportunity for them as well. Band with a Mission is aNashville-based entity that hosts a showdown for 20 bandsfrom across the country each year with the winner receiving a

record deal from aChristian music provider.The 20 bands are madeup of five each fromNashville; Canton, Ohio;Lincoln, Neb., and thestate of Florida.McConnell Entertainmentowns the Lincoln andFlorida franchises anddecides which bandswill go to the finals fromthose regions. Last year’snational winner, Rush ofFools, debuted at the topof the Christian musiccharts.

More than moneyWhile this enterprise

is an excellent way topay the bills, McConnellis excited about connect-ing to people on a spiri-tual level. That’s why hedecided to represent

only Christian artists. “I could have made a lot more money bygoing mainstream, but decided to stick with Christian music fora reason,” McConnell said. “I would never want to be responsi-ble for promoting music that isn’t in line with what I believe.”

McConnell doesn’t shy away from his Adventist faith either.As one of the largest Adventist-owned companies working withthe mainstream Christian music scene, McConnell hopes to helpconnect the two. “One of the major goals I have is to introducemainstream Christian music culture to Adventist culture,”McConnell said. “In the future, I hope to incorporate anAdventist news feed into Musicstir to create more awarenessabout who we are.”

Today the future looks bright for McConnell Entertainment,but it wasn’t an easy road. “I have had a lot of ideas that failedmiserably,” McConnell said. “If you have a dream you can’t letfailure stop you from getting where you want to be. You justhave to keep at it.” C

pCheck out McConnell Entertainment at www.cmcconnell.com

CC

Chris (’07) McConnell and his wife Candice Powell ’07 McConnell.

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CORDmagazine 2524 WINTER 2007/2008

FROM EDUCATION TO EDITING_____________________________________________________________________________________________by Scott Cushman ’03

oftly-clicking keyboards and the muted ringing of distantphones are a visitor’s first impression of the offices of SandhillsPublishing Inc. in Lincoln, Neb. This soundtrack to corporateAmerica is a far cry fromChris Trumble’s memoriesof listening to music in afriend’s basement whileplaying on a SinclaireTRS80 (a computer nowout-computed by manycalculators) or the gig-gling, whispering andoccasional snoring of highschool students whilecompleting his studentteaching in Lincoln. Yet along-standing enthusiasmfor technology and amajor in English educa-tion are how Trumble ’94got to where he is today.

The editor ofComputer Power User(CPU), a magazine forpeople who get excitedabout pixel shaderpipelines and steam punkcase mods, Trumble cameto Lincoln from his home-town of Hutchinson, Minn., to pursue a career in educa-tion, starting with a bachelor’s at Union College. Likeroughly half of those holding an education degreenationwide, he found his career path led out-side of the classroom.*

While living with his wife, MalindaWhitlow ’00, in the Bancroft Apartments, afriend mentioned Sandhills Publishing waslooking for staff writers for computermagazines. Trumble applied andstarted at Sandhills as a full-timewriter in June of 1998.

“I’d never been published beforegetting hired at Sandhills,” Trumble says.“Writing papers for college courses is grati-fying in its own right, but there’s somethingspecial about seeing someone pick up yourmagazine off a newsstand and read your article.”

“The two main components I needed to startwas the ability to write and a passion for technolo-gy,” Trumble says. “I’ve always had a passion for

technology, and my classes helped me write well.” He credits ajournalism course he took at the University of Nebraska-Lincolnand Dr. Bill Fitts’ college writing and literature courses at Union

with preparing him forwriting full-time, addingthat learning to work ingroups was a big partof his college educa-tion. “That’s a skill thathelps in any career.”

CPU isn’t a magazinefor people who onlyuse their computers forbrowsing the Web ortyping text documents.“We assume our readershave a high degree ofknowledge; we don’tspell out acronyms orgive definitions unlesssomething is very new.”Trumble says. “We’re aniche publication witha small subscriber base,but they tend to bevery loyal. Our sub-scription renewal ratesare staggeringly high.”

The meat of themagazine is comprised of reviews of new products,

do-it-yourself guides ranging from cool-ing your processor to tweaking applica-tion performance and columns by geekcelebrities who are often best known byscreen names like “Sharky” (ofSharkyExtreme.com) and CmdrTaco (ofSlashdot.org). A technology publication relies on good

relationships with manufacturers for earlyaccess to new products. “When a companylaunches a product that doesn’t live up to itsbilling, there can be some tension with themanufacturer,” Trumble says. “But if you’refair and don’t target the company, they’llrespect your opinion. Our responsibility isreally to the reader. If a product isn’t any good

and we said it is, our reader is gone.” After writing for CPU and serving as a content editor,

Trumble was chosen as chief editor. “My job now is tobring everything together,” he says. “Content editors find writ-

SS

“Now that I’m an editor, the question I ask myself when hiring a newwriter is which is more important to look for, a good writer or an enthusiast? You can’t fake the love for technology.”

ers and proof their sections, my main concern is for the piecesto fit together in a way that makes sense“

One of the perks of being an editor, according to Trumble,is the ability to assign himself articles on occasion. “I love gam-ing, so I often write reviews of new games myself,” he says. “Iget to play the newest releases and call it work.”

“There’s a creative aspect to pretty much everything we getto do,” Trumble says. “What I miss about being a writer is Icould really immerse myself on a specific article and dive into it... but as an editor, there’s an incredible sense of pride and sat-isfaction when you get the proofs back from the printer, thenagain when you see the magazine on the shelf at Barnes andNoble.”

When asked what his childhood aspirations were, Trumblelaughed and said, “I never had a single this-is-what-I-want-to-do profession. It always fascinates me when I hear an interviewwith someone who excels in their profession and they say theywanted to do this since they were five years old. When I wasfive, I wanted to eat cookies or ride my bike. I never had thatsort of drive or passion about anything ... I probably wouldhave liked teaching, but I know I enjoy publishing.” C

* According to a 2006 study by the National Education Association.

CHRIS TRUMBLE TEACHES TECHNOLOGY TO ENTHUSIASTS

CORDmagazine 2726 WINTER 2007/2008

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THE EYE OF A STORYTELLER_____________________________________________________________________________________________by Esther Shields ’08

uring World War II, over 200,000 Koreanwomen were forced to work as “comfortwomen” by the Japanese army. Decades later,they are fighting to tell their story before histo-ry forgets them. “Behind Forgotten Eyes,” a filmcreated by Union College graduates AnthonyGilmore and Ryan Seale, tells these women’sstory.

Gilmore’s background began with theater.In 1997, he worked on his first production atUnion College with Mark Robison, associateprofessor of English and drama. The next year,with Robison’s support and training he directed“The Boys Next Door,” a play about the deli-cate issue of mental disabilities. In 2003Gilmore graduated with a bachelor’s degree intheater from Union thanks to the Best of BothWorlds program. Although many of his classes

DD

then routinely abused by 30-40 men a day. Though he knew ofGermany’s concentration camps for Jews and outcasts, he hadn’t considered atrocities committed by other countries, likeJapan. When the war ended, only about 30 percent of thewomen were alive—and they lived in silence from the shameand stigma of their slavery. Only within the past 20 years hasthis horror been addressed in public. Now it roars into view.Grandmothers seek compensation and an apology from theJapanese government, yet the government is officially silent.Unfortunately, time and the aging process are on the govern-ment’s side.

“You hear about the Holocaust but you never really heartoo much what the Japanesedid. I was totally shocked andappalled,” Gilmore says.

This information aboutWorld War II evils spurredhim to research and film hisfindings. Realizing that mostAmericans have no knowl-edge of Korean comfortwomen or understanding ofthe issue’s current applicationto Asian cultures, Gilmorehoped to introduce theirplight to Americans throughhis documentary, Behind Forgotten Eyes. To do so, he enlistedthe help of another Union alumnus, 2004 graduate Ryan Seale,as cinematographer and editor.

Narrated by television’s Lost star Yoon-jin Kim, BehindForgotten Eyes has already been screened atvenues across the United States includingmany film festivals and universities suchas Berkeley, Harvard and the Universityof Nebraska-Lincoln. Many Union stu-dents and employees attended andstayed for the Question & Answer ses-sion with Gilmore and Seale duringthe UNL screening in April 2007.

Behind Forgotten Eyes, has beenwell received by critics around theworld. One of the UnitedKingdom’s leading genre filmjournalists, M. J. Simpson, callsthe project a “powerful, well-crafted and important docu-mentary film, which deservesto be seen by anyone who claimsan interest in Asian history or culture.” Thedocumentary recently won best film in the Conflict &Resolution Competition at the Hamptons International FilmFestival, beating out some Hollywood heavyweights. BehindForgotten Eyes has won various other awards since and hasbeen accepted to other film festivals, including an AmnestyInternational festival based in the Netherlands. The producershave a TV deal in Poland with Polish Public Television andthey are working on options in the United States with PBS andother distributors.

After more than a dozen media interviews and an appear-ance on a Korean English-speaking TV show, Gilmore has beenasked nearly every question imaginable about the project. Evenso, he still loves discussing Japanese and Korean relations.

“There are so many stories waiting to be told there,”Gilmore says.

Besides arranging screenings and promoting BehindForgotten Eyes, Gilmore is heavily involved in various otherdevelopments. Currently, Gilmore is working as co-producer,editor and post production supervisor for Resilience. This filmexplores overseas adoption from Korea. Despite the fact it is nolonger a poor, developing country, South Korea sends away

more children for adop-tion than any other coun-try. Gilmore reports thatfive to six babies areexported out of Seoul,South Korea, every day.“A story of profound lossand broken family ties,”this film explores the issuethrough the eyes of themothers. It relays movingstories like those of moth-ers who were forced togive up their children and

move to homes for unmarried women. Seale and Gilmore, along with other producers, writers and

directors from around the world have formed Nameless Films.This film collective works together to develop and produceprojects. Their first narrative adventure, a low-budget independ-ent short-film, will be made in Japan where Gilmore lives.Nameless Films will also contract with commercial ventures,

serving as a production company that offers servicesto producers. Gilmore will also travel to

Germany soon to film at thelargest online gaming con-vention and investigate theonline gaming phenomenon.This film will focus on thesubculture of gaming, a cul-ture that many people knowlittle about. C

pTo learn more about BehindForgotten Eyes and the stories of theKorean comfort women, visithttp://www.behindforgotteneyes.com.You can learn more about Resilience byvisiting http://www.resiliencefilm.com.

pVisit CORDmagazine online to read a new feature about thefilm printed in the Lincoln Journal Star in January 2008.

UNION ALUMNI CELEBRATED FOR THEIR AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY

Gilmore says the path from

project development to distribution

can be daunting but rewarding.

“Making meaningful projects is

definitely a long tedious road, but

it’s also very fun.”

Gilmore says the path from

project development to distribution

can be daunting but rewarding.

“Making meaningful projects is

definitely a long tedious road, but

it’s also very fun.”

were taken elsewhere, he credits much of histraining to Robison.

“Through Mark Robison and studying andworking directly with him, I decided that Iwanted to be a director,” Gilmore says. “MarkRobison supported that decision and helped metrain at Union.”

A year after graduating, Gilmore worked asassistant to the director on the Broadway musi-cal Boy from Oz, which starred Hugh Jackman.In January 2007, Gilmore returned to Lincoln toteach at Union College for a semester whileRobison, his mentor, was on sabbatical. Whileat Union, Gilmore directed “The Boys Next Door,” theplay that signaled the beginning of his directing career.

Despite his success as a director, Gilmore wouldrather have people hear about his master’s in Korean

Studies while living in South Korea. It was here that hediscovered his passion for making documentaries. In hisfirst contemporary Korean studies class, Gilmore learnedabout Korean women being kidnapped, tricked or out-right sold into prostitution for the Japanese army and

Brian Ruckle ’97 and hiswife, Li, live in Portland, Ore.,and were blessed with a babygirl, Elena Lea.

Tangie Campbell Isidro ’98and her husband, Allen, arepleased to announce the birthof their daughter, BraelynJade, on March 16, 2007.Tangie is a senior manager atErnst & Young.

2000sGreg (’00) and AmberDoolaard Johnson ’99welcomed a baby girl, ClaireOlivia, on Jan, 20, 2007.

Randy (’00) and AngelaLeDoux Stroud ’04 wel-comed their baby boy, ConnorEric, who was born on Aug.12, 2007.

Tonja Rizijs Rasmusson ’00and her husband, Ryan, had ababy girl on Nov. 14, 2006,Inta Nechelle. Tonja teachesreligion and English to juniors

and seniors at SacramentoAdventist Academy.

Kelly Casselman Helm ’02has opened an online chil-dren’s boutique, “Tickled Pinkand Blue.” This has been agoal for her since her daugh-ter, Macy’s birth. In addition tochildren’s boutique clothing,she designs and producesgirls’ hair bows and acces-sories. She is thrilled that theboutique has finally opened.www.tickledpinkandblue.com

Jason’03 and Michelle Singh’03 Moses live in Burleson,Texas. Jason has opened twonew physical therapy prac-tices. Michelle is a physicianassistant and earned a master’sdegree from Loma Linda in2006. Jason earned aDoctorate of Physical Therapyfrom Loma Linda in 2006.

Mandi Jourdan Kutschara’04 and her husband,Jonathan, are delighted toannounce the birth of theirfirst child, Madison Joy. Shewas born Jan. 21, 2007. The

Kutschara’s currently live inHutchison, Minn.

Marion Miller ’04 and hiswife, Elva, are thankful to Godfor their new baby girl,Candace Tabitha. She wasborn on Aug. 22, 2007.

Erik Andersson ’05 attendsschool at the Royal WelshCollege of Music and Dramain Cardiff, Wales and willearn a master’s in tuba per-formance. He is studying withNigel Seaman and SeanO’Neil, tuba players in theBBC Symphony of Wales, andthe Welsh, National Opera.Erik plans to be in Europeuntil further notice.

Brian Kraft ’05 graduatedfrom the University ofOklahoma in 2006 with aMaster of Social Work degree.He currently lives inIndependence, Kan., andworks for DCCCA, a familypreservation, foster care andadoption program. He is afamily preservation specialist.

Daniel ’01 and HeatherKampf ’05 Wysong arepleased to announce the birthof their baby girl, AbigailMarie, on June 21, 2007.Heather is a nursing student atUnion College and Daniel is apastor for the Kansas-

Nebraska Conference inLincoln at Piedmont Parkchurch.

Stacy Clements ’06 works atWisconsin Academy in thebusiness office helping in theaccounting area. She had beenpraying about the right joband everything appears to befalling into place.

Travis Morrell ’06 andMindy Mekelburg ’06 weremarried July 23, 2006, in EstesPark, Colo.

Heather Dickman ’07 andJared Hoewing were marriedJuly 29, 2007, in Lincoln, Neb.Heather is working toward herPA degree. Jared loves flyinghis helicopter and enjoys hisjob at the University ofNebraska.

Jared and Heather Hoewing

CORDmagazine 29

CLASS-IFIEDS_____________________________

28 WINTER 2007/2008

CLASS-IFIEDS_____________________________

1910sRuth Leech Oliver (’15) livesin Ukiah, Calif., and celebrat-ed her 109th birthday onSept. 17, 2007. Ruth lovedevery minute of her birthdayand enjoyed the time shespent with friends and familywho came to celebrate withher at a special party on Sept.16 and those who visited withher the next day.

1940sMavis Betts Boyd ’44 attend-ed the alumni meeting at theOregon camp meeting in July

and enjoyed hearing goodreports of Union. Her threechildren live close to her; sheenjoys good health and con-tinues to count the blessingsGod has given her.

Frank ’47 and Helen DeanSmith Knittel ’53 retired inAlvord, Texas, and haveenjoyed the past two yearsthere, after 20 years in south-ern California. Frank waselected mayor of the 1,000+community and was sworn inMay 18, 2007.

Dan Schwartz ’47 lives inSultan, Wash., and has mar-ried “the sweetest woman inthe world.” Even though he isretired, he still works as asubstitute teacher in theSultan school district. To thecommunity he is known asDr. Dan.

1950sJohn Parobek ’50 and EthelReynolds Cole ’65 were married on Nov. 24, 2006, inLodi, Calif.

Helton Fisher ’59 lives inHarare, Zimbabwe, at theNew Start Children’s Homewith 50+ orphans who havelost both parents to AIDS. Inthe past they have only takenchildren 5 years of age andolder, but due to the rampantepidemic they are opening afacility for infants.

1980sGreg Hodgson ’82 lives inBoulder, Colo., and helpedstart Centura’s InternationalMedical Missions (IMM) in2004. The program hasincreased to more than 300local health care workerstreating approximately 10,000patients around the world anddelivering truckloads of med-ical supplies that would other-wise have been discarded.Hodgson personally organizeseach trip, which includes volunteer nurses and doctors.The organization has alsopartnered with hospitals ineach region, asking themwhat they need long-term andcollaborating with other non-governmental organizations tomake it happen. IMM hasmade an impact in manycountries around the world.

Jan Rogers Jorgenson ’83lives in Battle Ground, Wash.,and is completing her historydegree at WSU University. Shecurrently works as a researchhistorian, reuniting adopteeswith their birthparents. Janhas two daughters, Jen, afreshman at Walla WallaUniversity and Marina, a junior at Columbia Academy.

Linda Hinton ’86 lives inWoodridge, Ill., and attendedher 20th alumni reunion lastyear. She is the office assistantfor the Youth MinistriesDepartment at the IllinoisConference. In December2003 she was invested as aPathfinder Master Guide andis involved in Pathfinders andmission trips. She creditswhere she is today to hermission experiences and hertime at Union College.

1990sStephanie Huset Anderson’91 lives in New Hope, Minn.,and has two children, Bennettand Carter. She was promoted

to first-degree black belt onSept. 8, 2007, in Tae-Kwon-Do. She began studying andcompeting in martial artsmany years ago, but a seriesof injuries postponed her promotion.

Kimberly HillhouseVandenBosch ’91 lives inRedlands, Calif., and recentlyhad a beautiful baby girl.

Steve ’93 and Dawn GrayCreitz ’89 live in Vancouver,Wash., and were recentlyblessed with a baby girl, SofiaDawnae, born on Nov. 13,2007. Her older sister, Mikayla,is now 2½.

Brent ’97 and JenniferBooth Ingold ’97 recentlymoved to North Dakota whereBrent teaches at DakotaAdventist Academy.

Rhonda PurkeypileMazlumian ’97 and her hus-band, Pablo, had a baby girl,Gianna Lee, on Dec. 24, 2006.

CORDmagazine wants tohear from you. You havetold us this is your favoritesection. Now tell us whereyou are, what you’re doingor just send greetings.

Direct your letters to: Class-ifieds Alumni Office Union College 3800 South 48th StreetLincoln, NE 68506

e-mail: alumni@ucollege.edumake changes online atp www.ucollege.edu/cordmagazine

’67 denotes graduation year(’67) denotes last year attendedor preferred class year

Keep in Touch

1 9 5 0 s

1 9 1 0 s

1 9 4 0 s

1 9 8 0 s

Ruth Oliver

John and Ethel Parobek

1 9 9 0 s

VandenBosch family

Rhonda and Gianna LeeMazlumian

Braelyn Jade Isidro

2 0 0 0 s

Claire Olivia Johnson

Inta Nechelle Rasmusson

Madison Joy Kutschara

Candace Tabitha Miller

Abigail Marie Wysong

Travis and Mindy Morrell

CORDmagazine 31

IN MEMORY__________________________________________

30 WINTER 2007/2008

CLASS-IFIEDS_____________________________

IN MEMORY

Death dates and/or obitu-aries have been received forthe following individuals.

Casey Prindle ’07 andSandra Nazario, current stu-dent, were married on a beau-tiful misty morning at 11:11,May 28, 2007, in Lincoln, Neb.The time of day was special asit was when Casey and Sandywould pray for each otherwhile Sandy was away as astudent missionary serving inMajuro. Sandy is finishing hernursing degree at Union andCasey teaches in the Lincolnpublic school system.

Jessica Tunnell ’07 and JasonWarren (’07) were marriedAug. 12, 2007, in Cleburne,Texas. They live near Keene,Texas, with their dog, two cats,fish and horse. Jessica works atBeaumont Ranch as a weddingand event planner. Jason worksat Olive Garden and is com-pleting his degree.

Rachel Turner ’07 and AlanOrrison were married June 24,2007, on Lookout Mountain inChattanooga, Tenn. They livein Lincoln where Rachel worksas a graphic designer and Alanworks at Union’s FinancialServices department

PeoplePlacementsKevin Erickson ’06 joinedEnrollment Services as anenrollment advisor. Ericksongraduated from Union with aBachelor of Science in busi-ness administration in 2006and an Associate of Science inpsychology in 2007.

Gary Dickerson ’84 joinedthe Division of Business andComputer Science as an asso-ciate professor of computerscience. Dickerson previouslyworked at the University ofNotre Dame as an applicationsspecialist. He has earned aMaster of InformationTechnology degree fromAndrews University (2002) anda Master of BusinessAdministration from theUniversity of Nebraska-Lincoln(1989). Dickerson and hiswife, Brenda ’86, have twochildren, Keltie and James.

Thomas Dunion joined theDivision of Math and Scienceas a professor of mathematics.

Dunion previously worked atAtlantic Union College, wherehe lead in the development ofonline courses. Dunion earneda bachelor’s from RensselaerPolytechnic Institute, a mas-ter’s from the University ofConnecticut and completed hisPh.D. in mathematics fromIdaho State University in 1995.

Jamie Hobson ’07 joined theCareer Center as an officeassistant shortly after graduat-ing from Union with aBachelor of Science in SocialWork in 2007.

Donna Kopf joined theDivision of Health Sciences as the Emergency MedicalServices coordinator for theinternational rescue and reliefprogram. Kopf and her hus-band have six adult childrenand seven grandchildren. Shepreviously taught EMT andparamedic courses atSoutheast Community Collegeand has received certificationfrom Creighton University.

Katie Lechler ’04 joined theDivision of Humanities as avisiting instructor in composi-tion. After graduating fromUnion with a degree inEnglish, she completed hermaster’s in English at AndrewsUniversity. The new visitinginstructorship position isdesigned to mentor future professors between their master’s and doctoral studies.

Ken Lehmann (’80) joinedPlant Services. He has previ-ously worked in Spearfish,S.D., as a contractor and carpenter. He and his wife,Melanie (’80), have two children, Dustin and Lacey(current student).

Nicholas Madhiri joined thefaculty of the Division of Mathand Science as assistant pro-fessor of chemistry. Madhiriearned a Ph.D. in analyticalchemistry/physical electro-chemistry at West VirginiaUniversity in 2006, where heworked as a research associate

on fuel cells as an alternativesource of energy. His wife,Embedzayi Tsanzi, graduatedin May 2007 with a master’sdegree in human nutritionfrom West Virginia University.They have two sons, Ryan andSeth.

Jennifer McFadyen joinedDining Services as assistantdirector. McFadyen, her hus-band, Mark, and their threechildren moved to Lincolnfrom northern Montana whereshe managed a cleaning andfood service business.

Nicole Olson Orian ’04joined the Division of HealthScience as a nursing instructor.She graduated with aBachelor’s of Science inNursing and an Associate ofScience in business fromUnion College in 2006. Orianand her husband, Matthew,have year-old twins, Jacob andHailey. Orian has previouslyworked as an ICU traumanurse in Fayetteville, Ark., andas a full-time mom.

Seth Perkins joined theDivision of Health Science asan assistant professor of physi-cal education. He previouslyserved as athletic director atCollege View Academy.Perkins earned two bachelors’degrees from SouthernAdventist University, one inreligious studies and one inphysical education, and com-pleted his master’s in physicaleducation at Azusa PacificUniversity. Perkins’ wife,Luenda, is a nurse practitioner.They have two children, afive-year-old son and infantdaughter.

Frank Restesan joined thefaculty of the Division of FineArts as an associate professorof music. Restesan directschamber music groups and theband. He holds master’sdegrees in musical stylisticsand music performance aswell as a doctorate in conduct-ing from the University ofArizona. He has previously

Casey and Sandra Prindle

Jason and Jessica Warren

Alan and Rachel Orrison

P e o p l e

P l a c e m e n t s

taught at Atlantic UnionCollege, Walla Walla Universityand Antillean AdventistUniversity.

Roger Schmidt joined theDivision of Business andComputer Science as a lecturerin computer science. Schmidtgraduated from AndrewsUniversity with a bachelor’s incomputing and mathematicalstudies in 2006 and will com-plete a master’s in softwareengineering from AndrewsUniversity in May 2008.

Richard Young ’06 has beenpromoted from an EnrollmentServices intern to a full-timeenrollment advisor. Young hasworked at Union since gradu-ating with a bachelor’s in history education in 2006.

Janice McCormack Specht’24, Garden Grove, Calif., diedAug. 6, 2007, at age 105.Janice’s early years were spenton farms in Illinois, Kansasand Iowa. After graduatingfrom Union College, Janicetaught English in Nebraskaand Colorado where she mether husband, Oswald ’27,who preceded her in death in1979. Janice is survived by herdaughter Lenore Lower, threegrandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Maxwell Tindall (’32),Monroe, La., died May 28,2007, at age 98. He was mar-ried to his childhood sweet-heart, Marthelle Toops, for 69years. She preceded him indeath in December 2003. In1997, Max and Marthellemoved to Monroe, La., to benear their son. Max is survivedby his son, Dr. Monte Tindall,his wife and three grand-daughters.

Ada Williams Turner ’33,Grand Terrace, Calif., diedApr. 30, 2007. She was bornMay 29, 1910, in Ragan, Neb.As a senior English major, Adawas editor of the Clocktower.Ada married her husband,Harry ’34, in 1936. Theymoved to California in 1941.Ada was a consummate editorand writer. She enjoyed familyhistory and spending time withfamily, friends and neighbors.She was preceded in death byher husband, Harry, in 1965.She is survived by her daugh-ters Marilyn Crane and AnnMcKibben and their husbands,as well as granddaughters andtheir families.

Lois Heiser Jacobs (’43),Chattanooga, Tenn., died Aug.13, 2007, at age 86. Sheearned a master’s degree inhome economics from NewYork University. From 1945-1951 she was head of theHome Economics Departmentat Southern AdventistUniversity. She married herhusband, Jamile, in 1951. From1961 to 1975, they served inPakistan, Bangladesh andAfghanistan. When theyreturned to the United States,Lois helped her husbanddesign, build and operateCommunity Service Centers ineach district he pastored. In1987 for health reasons, theymoved to Florida to be closerto family. They made theirfinal move to Chattanooga,Tenn., in 2002. Lois was pre-ceded in death by her hus-band, Jamile, and daughter,Lucille. She is survived by herson, Douglas.

George Sherbondy ’43,Henderson, N.C., died Nov.24, 2006, at age 89. He was apastor for 36 years, servingdistricts in Colorado, Missouri,North Dakota, South Dakotaand Ohio. He is survived byhis wife of 65 years, EvaHallock (’41) Sherbondy;daughters, Edith Vining andEvalyn Smith; sons, David,Duane (’74) and Delbert

(’87); brother, Ralph; ninegrandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren.

Helen Johnson Wiltse ’43,Albuquerque, N.M., died May25, 2007. During the time herhusband, Glenn ’43, was inmedical school, Helen workedas a dental assistant, switch-board operator and profession-al seamstress. They lived inCalifornia and Germany duringGlenn’s Army service. After hismilitary service, they moved toWahpeton, N.D., where theylived until 2005. They movedto Albuquerque, N.M., to benear family because of Helen’sdeteriorating health. Helenloved sewing, flowers, babiesand spending time with family.She is survived by her hus-band, Glenn; daughterCharlene Zeelau ’67; sons,Curtis ’70 and Douglas; sis-ters, Irene Martinson ’37 andElaine Thomas.

Edwin Shafer ’47, Crestwood,Ky., died May 19, 2007, at age82. He was a native of SiloamSprings, Ark., a retiredAdventist minister and a mem-ber of the South Oldham LionsClub. He is survived by hiswife, LaVon Cotte (’45)Shafer; sons, Edwin, David,Samuel and Joseph; daughters,Rosemarie Fuller, Ruth EllenShafer and Rebecca Manly; sis-ter, Evelyn Clark; 21 grandchil-dren and 13 great-grandchil-dren.

Lois Orr Bartling (’48),Briggsdale, Colo., died July 17,2007, at age 79, of pancreaticcancer. Her husband Homer(’36) predeceased her.

Olivet Atwood Brumfield(’49), Evergreen, Colo., diedJan., 27, 2007, at age 83. She issurvived by her husband, Bill(’49); son, John; daughter,RaeNell Mittleider; and twograndchildren.

Shirley Damme HubbyGifford (’49), Burleson,Texas, died Aug. 10, 2006, at

age 74. Shirley was a greatmother and a devoted wife.She was predeceased by twohusbands, Glenn Hubby andEd Gifford Jr. She was secre-tary at W.M. Green Elementaryand Arlington Heights HighSchool before attending nightschool to earn a bachelor’sdegree in education. Sheworked for Fort Worth ISD for30 years and taught studentsin special education classes.She is survived by her sons,Bruce and Greg Hubby; step-son, Marvin Gifford; step-daughters, Edwina, MargaretJean and Marilyn; step grand-children and step great-grand-children.

Kenneth Holland ’49, HiltonHead Island, S.C., died July 19,2007, on his 89th birthday. Heis survived by his wife,Maurine.

Marvin Gunter Jr. ’53,Berryville, Ark., died May 24,2007, at age 81. He was a pro-

Shirley Hubby Gifford

Marvin Gunter

IN MEMORY_____________________________

Cheryl Culver Dickinson(’58), Westmoreland, Tenn.,died Oct. 30, 2006.

Sandra Coffey Ricks (’61),Bullhead City, Ariz., died Mar. 19, 2006.

Elton Davenport ’69,Harrison, Mich., died Aug. 7, 2007.

Pauline Davidson Haynes’69, Blairsville, Ga., died Nov. 30, 2006.

Thomas Patterson (’71),Galt, Calif., died April 30, 2007.

Linda Graves Lambert ’74,Gentry, Ark., died Dec. 22, 2006.

Karen Sogard (’78),Burlington, Iowa.

Patricia Hicks ’85, St. LouisCity, Mo., died Sept. 26, 2004.

IN MEMORY_____________________________

fessor at SouthwesternAdventist University for 15years. After retiring, he was atour guide at Carroll CountyMuseum. He is survived byhis wife, Betty Hopkins (’51)Gunter; son, David; threedaughters, Kathleen Harriss,Karen Owens, and RebeccaBurton; 10 grandchildren andthree great-grandchildren.

Ernest Phillips Jr. ’53, FortWorth, Texas, died Aug. 25,2007. He enlisted in the U.S.Navy in 1944 serving atTrinidad Naval Hospital as apharmacist’s mate until 1946.He graduated from the KansasSchool of Osteopathy in 1958.Dr. Phillips opened a familyclinic in Western Hills andpracticed there until his retire-ment in 1999. He is survivedby his wife of 60 years,Margaret Reed (’47)Phillips; son, Randall; broth-er, George; sister, ChristineWalker and two grandchildren.

Norman Rasmussen ’53,Webb City, Mo., died Apr. 14,2007, at age 81 in his homeafter a sudden illness. He pas-tored churches in Wisconsin,Iowa and Missouri. He retiredin 1988, moving to Joplin, Mo.He was a WWII Army veteran.He is survived by his wifeEunice; sons, Duane and Stan;daughters, Joanie Greenfieldand Sandra Wampler; brothers,George (’41) and Lester; 10grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Daniel Gerst ’54, NorthPlatte, Neb., died Aug. 30,2007, at age 88. He taught ele-mentary school in Illinois,South Dakota and Nebraska.After retiring from teaching,Daniel did tree and lawnwork in the North Platte,Neb., area for nearly 20 years.Daniel was preceded in deathby his brother, Fredrick, andsister, Esther (’49). He is sur-vived by his wife, AlethaMcGirr Gerst ’47; daughters,Connie Jo Roeske ’73 andRuthann Wadsworth ’78;

son, Dan ’78 ; five grandchil-dren; three great-grandchil-dren; brothers, Albert ’47,Oscar ’50, Gordon ’51 andMartin (’57); and sister, Ruth’53.

Ivan Groulik ’57, WallaWalla, Wash., died Sept. 1,2007, at age 80. He is survivedby his wife, Evelyn Kaldahl(’48) Groulik.

Richard Benson ’61,Fayetteville, Ark., died July 12,2007. He taught at severalAdventist schools and acade-mies but completed his teach-ing career in public educationin Jefferson Parish, La. He issurvived by his wife, Diana;son, R. Eric; daughter, T.Elena; sister, Rose Keeney;brother, Timothy; nieces andnephews.

Emery Ashby ’68,Walsenburg, Colo., died July9, 2007, at age 63 following amassive heart attack. He issurvived by his wife, MarySaunders ’66 Ashby; step-sons, Jon and Tom; and fourgrandchildren.

David Bowers ’70, San Jose,Calif., died July 29, 2007, aftera long battle with cancer. Anative of Minnesota, Davidgraduated from MaplewoodAcademy, and later UnionCollege with a B.S. in physicaleducation. He taught for manyyears in Minnesota, Colorado,California and Arizona. He issurvived by his wife, Dee; sis-ters, Darlene, Diane (’63) andDenise; brother, Dan; as wellas many other family, friendsand students.

Wanda Freeman (’81),Lincoln, Neb., died Sept. 11,2007, at age 47. Wanda gradu-ated from the University ofNebraska with a Master inSocial Work degree. Sheworked many years providingmental health therapy. Thelast two years were spenthelping those in need aroundthe country and the world.

Wanda was preceded in deathby her father, MeltonFreeman. She is survived byher husband Daniel Sloan’82; daughter, Miranda; son,Jeremy; Russian host daughter,Alina Selyukh; mother,Wynona Freeman; sister,Sherry Lund ’78; brother,Jim; and numerous other fami-ly members and friends.

Evelyn Leffler Thomson(friend), St. Maries, Idaho,died Apr. 18, 2007. In 1965,Evelyn and her husband,George “Smokey” ’48,moved to Lincoln whereSmokey taught in the historydepartment and she workedin the student aid departmentfor 16 years. After retirement,they accepted a job inIndonesia for three years anda short six-month term inSingapore. They then settledin Keene, Texas, for theremainder of their time togeth-

er. After George’s death,Evelyn moved to Idaho to benear family. She is survived byher son, John ’76; daughter,Mary Jo Brand (’70); two sis-ters, Dorothy Jenkins and RuthSonsel; and brother, CharlesLeffler ’49.

Notice of the following deathshas been received:

Velma Millard Shafer (’31),Hagerstown, Md., died Apr. 4, 2007.

Glenna Adams Rudolph ’33,Caldwell, Idaho, died Jan. 28, 2007.

Elmer Cornwell ’34,Coulterville, Calif., died June 23, 2006.

Ada Townsend ’34, Apopka,Fla., died April 8, 2007.

Robert Schmunk (’40),Aptos, Calif., died May 15,2007, at age 88 from myasthenia gravis.

Lew Feyen (’45), Vancouver,Wash., died Dec. 7, 2006.

Wilma Erickson Wiebe(’46), Oregon City, Ore., diedAug. 28, 2001.

Esther Gerst (’49),Collegedale, Tenn., died Oct.27, 2005.

Delbert Hornbeck (’49), MillSpring, N.C., died July 26, 2007.

Byron Millard (’49), Bellville,Ohio, died Jan. 14, 2007. He issurvived by his wife, BarbaraSauder ’49 Millard.

Gerald Peterson ’50,Stanford, Fla., died July 27, 2006.

Louis Turner ’51, Dayton,Ohio, died June 22, 2007.

Gene Simmons ’55,Goodlettsville, Tenn.

Sally Nugent Hintzen ’57,Onalaska, Wash., died Sept. 10, 2007.

32 WINTER 2007/2008 CORDmagazine 33

Wanda Freeman

Evelyn Leffler Thomson

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nternational rescue and relief majorshave another way to be prepared, thanksto the new Global Communication class.The new course, offered in conjunctionwith Relief Infrastructure as an alternativeto Fire Fighter 1, gives students exposureto general global communication.

“Relief Infrastructure and theIRR Global Communicationclass compliment eachother well,” said DougTallman, interna-tional rescue andrelief associate direc-tor. “Students are being trained to func-tion, survive, and assist others in times ofdisaster when infrastructure has beendestroyed. They might have to rewire abuilding, restore running water to a clinic,or rebuild a wall and structure.”According to Tallman, while students willnot be proficient in every area, at leastthey will become familiar with each andgain a little experience.

The class of juniors and seniors hasbeen learning about alternate powersource technology such as solar power,wind and hydro. Julia Dickman, a seniorIRR major from Tennessee, enjoyed thehands-on class work of powering a bat-tery charger using solar energy.

“The school did well with finding con-tract teachers who had skills in specificsections,” Dickman said. “They did agood job networking.”

Besides alternative energy sources,coursework includes alternative commu-nication methods such as ham radio aswell as instructions on Global PositioningSystem and Geographical InformationSystem.

“If the IRR students are ever in a situa-

tion where the communication lines havebeen disrupted, they will be able to stillfunction through ham radios,” Tallmanexplained. “Sometimes it’s the only com-munication during disasters, such asHurricane Katrina when the cell towerswere gone. Also, if they have learned

how to use GPS and findthemselves in situationsaround the world, it willbenefit them.” The program is a tod-

dler taking its first tentativesteps. So far, everything has gone

smoothly. “I realize I’m the guinea pig,”

Dickman laughed. “I appreciate theeffort.” She went on to explain how

excited she was about gaining her hamradio license as part of the class work.

“It was cool,” she said. “I’ve wanted toget it for a while.”

Tallman realized the impact that aham radio can have not only on an IRRmajor, but on all students from UnionCollege.

“We’re setting up a ham radio stationin the IRR department so students havethe opportunity to get on the radio andlearn how to use and communicate withit,” Tallman said. “Our dream, our hope,is to be able to contact students in for-eign countries during international studyor mission service who have ham radioaccess.”

IRR introduces technology options for global challenges

II

International rescue and relief students receive ham radio licenses as part of the newGlobal Communications class.

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE CONTINUED_________________________________________________________________

by Hannah Adams ’11

hat motivates an individual to give? Everyone shares a different answer. For Don and Wanda Versaw Krein, positive memories

inspired them to support two scholarships for students at Union College. Through an IRA direct contribution, they were able to honor

Wanda’s family as well as celebrate their positive experiences at the col-lege while ensuring that students have the opportunity to receive the qualityChristian education they remember.

Though Wanda Versaw Krein graduated from Union College in 1959, shehad been on the campus of the college since the sixth grade. Growing up on48th Street, listening to Sam Campbell and Uncle Arthur, hearing the clocktower chime in the quiet of the evenings and getting married in the formerchurch building are just a handful of warm memories she recalls from her timein Lincoln. The highlight of her time in Lincoln, however, was meeting her hus-band Don Krein (’53) whose relatives lived just two houses away.

A long history of family ties still connects the Kreins to the college withbrothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins and a daughter attending or gradu-ating from Union. Remembering Union College in their estate plan providesopportunities for future generations of Union College students.

“Money spent to help young people prepare for a productive life ismoney well spent,” said the Kreins. “Helping them learn to serve others andlove the Lord while being educated just adds value.”

You are invited to provide for the future of Union College through aplanned gift. Todd Mekelburg, Director of Leadership Giving is available tospeak with you about the many options available.

It takesForeSight...

CORDmagazine 3534 WINTER 2007/2008

Teaching Learning Center Open House Friday, April 4 -1:30 p.m.

ReceptionSaturday, April 5, 7 p.m.

The TLC is proud to celebrate 30 years of service forUnion College. Those who have had a connection to theTLC are invited to attend the celebration events. Tour theTeaching Learning Center during the open house and joinus Saturday evening for a reception.

Schedule of events

Thursday, April 310 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Registration

2:30 p.m. Walking Tour of Campus

2:30 p.m. Lincoln Bus Tour

5:30 p.m. Valentino’s Dinner Buffet

7:15 p.m. Union College Drama Production

Friday, April 48 a.m. Golden Club Breakfast

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration

9:30 a.m. 60-minute Seminar

10 a.m. Wayne Fleming Golf Classic

12:15 p.m. Campus Luncheons

1:30 – 2 p.m. Chloe Foutz Tribute

1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Division Open HousesTeaching Learning Center Open House

Union Scholars Poster Presentations

5 p.m. Homecoming Banquet

7 p.m. Young Alumni Reunion

7:30 p.m. Hanging of the Golden Cords

Sabbath, April 58 a.m. Alumni Association Breakfast

9:15 a.m. and noon Church ServicesFirst Service Speaker: Rex Bell ’68

Second Church Service: Ron Halvorsen ’83

10:40 a.m. Sabbath SchoolSuperintendent: Zerita Hagerman ’58Special Feature: Dick Stenbakken ’62

1:45 p.m. Homecoming Fellowship LunchCollege Auditorium

3:15 p.m. Honor Class Pictures and MeetingsCollege View Church

4 p.m. Walking Tour of Campus

7 p.m. TLC Reception

8:30 p.m. To be announced

Sunday, April 68:30 – 9:30 a.m. Administrators’ Pancake Breakfast

10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Classic Car Revue

(weather permitting)

Remember When . . .Union College Homecomin

g Weekend – April 3-6, 2008

Honoryears:193819481953195819681978198319881998

www.ucollege.edu • alumni@ucollege.edu • 402.486.2503

Teaching Learning Center celebrates 30 years of service

Please contact Union College Advancement office:Todd Mekelburg Director of Leadership Giving3800 South 48th StreetLincoln, NE 68506402.486.2503tomekelb@ucollege.eduwww.ucollege.edu

Non-profit Org.U.S. PostagePAID

Lincoln, NEPermit No. 62

News from Union CollegeVol. 73, No.1 Winter 2007/2008

Published by the Union College Advancement Office3800 South 48th Street, Lincoln, NE 68506

Address service requested

Dr. Vener Cabana, chemistry professor, celebrates Union’s milestone enrollment with students

Alan Cupino and Sean Robinette.

Learn more about this news-making event on page 5.

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