M E N N O N I T E C O L L E G E O F N U R S I N G A T I L L I N O I S S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y S U M M E R 2 0 0 4

ScholarshipsMennonite College of Nursingawarded these scholarships forthe 2003-04 academic schoolyear:

Jeanette Gorecki ScholarshipKatherine Bruch

MCN Alumni ScholarshipErica BondHeather ConranLindsey FisherMonika HallJennifer MathreMelissa McDonough

Edwin Mellon ScholarshipCodee Ehling

Physicians’ Scholarship FundLacey BernardiniAmanda CraderJanis JonesAnn Perry

Roy Schilling ScholarshipNeal Evans

Jesse and Louise SchmiedScholarshipTia Davis

LaRue Sloan ScholarshipGinger Denney

For more information aboutMCN private scholarships,please visit this web site:http://www.mcn.ilstu.edu/fin_aid/

Mennonite College of NursingCampus Box5810Normal, IL 61790-5810

Non-Profit OrgUS Postage

PAIDIllinois StateUniversity

An equal opportunity/affirmative action university encouraging diversity UNIVERSITY MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS 04-0865 printed on recycled paper with soy ink

Jeanette Gorecki’s familyendowed The Jeanette GoreckiScholarship Fund in 2003 as a living memorial to Jeanette,who died in 2001. Jeanette wasa nurse at BroMenn RegionalMedical Center in Normal, whoalso taught clinical sessions atMennonite College of Nursing.

Jeanette graduated fromMennonite Hospital School ofNursing in 1980 with a diplo-ma, and received a B.S.N. degree in 1989. She received amaster’s degree in 1995 from the University of Illinois—

The Jeanette Gorecki Scholarship Fund

Chicago as a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner. Shehad many health professional roles, which includedlabor and delivery nurse, clinical instructor, and nursepractitioner. Jeanette was a gentle and caring spirit, whodemonstrated a deep commitment to the total care of the patients she treated. She also was very involved withmentoring students, who were pursing a nursing career.She was known to encourage students to pursue theirdreams about caring for people.

The Gorecki family established this fund to assistfuture nurses, who demonstrate the same personal and professional qualities that Jeanette possessed and displayed.

Katie Bruch, a senior from Magnolia, Illinois, is the first student recipient of The Jeanette Gorecki Scholarship.

Bruch had the opportunity to meet Jeanette’s husband, Monte Fisher, at a scholarship luncheon inApril. Also attending were Monte’s sister and brother-in-law, Farole and Gary Haluska, who established the scholarship.

“I felt very special that I was chosen for the scholar-ship, especially since I am the first recipient,” Bruch said.“I felt even more honored that I received the scholarshipafter I found out more about Jeanette. I was glad I got tomeet Mr. Fisher and Mr. and Mrs. Haluska. I had a greattime getting to know them and hearing about Jeanetteduring the scholarship luncheon. What I will remembermost is how caring and helpful they all are.”

Bruch was a community health major at the Univer-sity of Illinois and had an internship her senior year atthe Public Health Department. She liked the experienceat the Public Health Department so much that she decid-ed to pursue a nursing degree after graduating from theUniversity of Illinois.

Katie Bruch, first student recipient of The Jeanette Gorecki Scholarship Fund

“I chose Mennonite partly because it was in a con-venient location for me to attend, but more importantly, I chose it because of its great reputation,” Bruch said.

Before Katie started taking nursing classes, Bruchwas interested in obstetrics (OB). After she took a fewcourses, she knew she wanted a career in OB. Bruchgraduated in May and accepted a position at MethodistMedical Center of Illinois in Peoria in the nursery andpostpartum unit.

Gary Haluska, Katie Bruch, Farole Haluska, Monte Fisher

Jeanette Gorecki

September 2004

Thursday, September 9

Mennonite College of Nursing’s 85/5 Anniversary

Celebration

Mark your calendars now to attend with alumni,

faculty, staff, students, and friends!

Details about this event will be mailed in July.

TBA

Joe Warner Teaching Nursing Home

Project Kickoff Celebration

Plans are underway for a BBQ reception to cele-

brate funding for this project. Details to follow!

October 2004

Saturday, October 9

Family Weekend Open House

10 a.m.-12 p.m., Edwards Hall

Saturday, October 23

Homecoming

Registration forms will be mailed in September.

Mennonite College of Nursing events calendar

November 2004

Tuesday, November 30

Marion McDowell Stafford Lectureship Series

Topic: Attention Deficit Disorder/Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD)

9 a.m. – Noon, Educational Workshop

7 p.m.—Community Presentation

Details will be mailed in September.

December 2004

Thursday, December 9MCN Holiday Open House

3-6 p.m., Ewing Manor, Bloomington

MCN will host a Holiday Open House for faculty,

staff, alumni, and guests.

Invitations will be sent in November.

Alumni AdministrativeBoard 2003-04

President:Alice (Kumler) Deavers ’52

Vice President (President-Elect)Donny Bounds ‘97

Secretary/TreasurerJanet Sutter ‘80, ‘01

Director and Awards Committee ChairKaren (Roop) Magers ‘79

Director and Homecoming ChairJacqui (Luedtke) Foster ‘97

Director and Nurses Week ChairCourtney Nichols ‘02

Directors:Sarah (Kaiser) Lindsey ‘00Larae Wagener ‘02Amber (McCullough) Williams ‘99

Visit Mennonite Nurses AlumniOrganization website at:http://www.illinoisstatealumni.org

32

Several exciting events occurred this year. The JoeWarner Teaching Nursing Home was dedicated to thememory of a friend and advocate of the college, Joe

Warner. Rep. JerryWeller (R-Ill.) has sup-ported us in securingsignificant federal fund-ing to sustain this proj-ect. The focus this yearis on increasing thenumber of RNs work-ing in long-term care.By providing interest-ing and rewardingexperiences for Men-nonite students, theproject will increase thenumber of graduates

interested in careers in long-term care. Our multifacetedapproach includes: mentorship, specialty coursework ingerontology, best practices in gerontologic nursing, visit-ing professors with national expertise in gerontology, and annual awards for outstanding gerontologic practice.

Mennonite College of Nursing has reached anotherimportant milestone. In July 2004 we will begin our fifthyear at Illinois State University. It is also the 85th yearsince Mennonite School of Nursing was founded. Weare planning 85/5 activities to celebrate these importantmilestones. In addition to special celebrations marking

Dean’s message

S U M M E R 2 0 0 4Published periodically

www.mcn.ilstu.edu

Illinois State UniversityMennonite College of Nursing

Campus Box 5810Normal, IL 61790-5810

(309) 438-7400

our anniversary, Homecoming 2004 promises to be thebest Homecoming ever. Please save these dates on your calendar: October 22-23. We hope to see you atHomecoming!

The coming fiscal year will be tight for the Universi-ty’s budget. Mennonite College of Nursing will see adecrease in state funding. Because of the generous sup-port of alumni and friends, we have been able to increasethe admission of new prelicensure students from 100-110. However, even with this increase we are unable toaccept many highly qualified applicants. The incomingjunior class exceeds milestones set by the University interms of grade point average and test scores. We are verypleased with the high caliber of our student body andlook forward to their contributions to the health careworkforce. We want to thank the many wonderful sup-porters of the college. Without your generosity, Mennon-ite College of Nursing would be forced to decrease itsenrollment.

Gratefully yours,

Nancy Ridenournriden@ilstu.edu(309) 438-2174

Dr. Richard Trefzger (left) and Dr. Jerry Ringer with student recipients of the Physi-cians’ Scholarship Fund.

2004 Scholarship LuncheonMennonite College of Nursing convened a

scholarship luncheon on April 8, 2004, for donors and their student recipients. Ten scholarship donors and 14 student recipients attended the luncheon.

Mennonite College of Nursing continues to work on its grant project “Creating Innovative Strategies inNursing Education to Improve Care of the Older Adult.”In August of 2003 there was a Hartford Open House,

Hartford grant update

where faculty, students, and guests looked at displaysand saw computer modules that have been developed forclasses. In April of 2004 Dr. Kitty Buckwalter from theUniversity of Iowa was a Hartford speaker.

Ginger Denney, recipient of the LaRue Sloan Scholarship, and Dan Deneen

Tia Davis, recipient of Jesse and Louis Schmied Scholarship (left) andTudy Schmied.

Roy Schilling (left) and Dale Mellon, scholarship donors

Hartford Open House, August 2003 From left, Dr. Sara Campbell, Dr. Kitty Buckwalter, and Dr.Brenda Jeffers

Alumni Board President, Alice Deavers, and student recipients of the MCN Alumni Scholarship

5

Rep. Jerry Weller (R-Ill.) held a news conference atMennonite College of Nursing (MCN) in December 2003to announce that the college would receive $298,230 infederal funding for the Joe Warner Teaching NursingHome Project. These funds will be used to educate andprepare nursing students to provide quality care for senior citizens in long-term care facilities.

Joe Warner, the former president and chief executiveofficer of Heritage Enterprises, shared his vision of ateaching nursing home with Dean Nancy Ridenour. Thisvision mirrors the teaching hospital concept, but insteadof being trained in a hospital setting, nursing studentsare trained to care for long-term residents in nursinghomes. Warner died in 2002, however, his vision of ateaching nursing home is still one of the goals Dean Ridenour wants to achieve on a national level.

“Through the vision of Mr. Warner and our continu-ing partnership with Heritage Enterprises,” Ridenour saidat the December news conference, “the Mennonite Col-lege of Nursing will respond to the challenge of develop-ing innovative approaches to help senior citizens live successfully in a nursing home environment.”

“As the populationof senior citizens grows,”Ridenour added, “therewill be added demandsfor superior senior careand added demands toprovide better nursingeducation. The Mennon-ite College of Nursing iscommitted to meetingthese demands.”

Among the goals forthe Joe Warner TeachingNursing Home Projectare:

• To create the structure needed to enhance collabo-ration among the institutions and carry out pro-grams that support curriculum development,mentoring, and recruitment to bring registerednurses into long-term care.

• To develop the Teaching Nursing Home “SistersModel” to enhance collaboration among HeritageNursing Homes and Mennonite College of Nurs-ing to improve the education, mentoring, andrecruitment of registered nurses and registerednurse students in long-term care.

• To design curricular activities, clinical work, andmentoring experiences to recruit registered nursegraduates into long-term care.

Federal Funding Aids Joe Warner Teaching Nursing Home Project

• To develop programs to increase the attractivenessof long-term care as a career choice for registerednurse students, registered nurse graduates, andregistered nurses residing in the community.

Mennonite College of Nursing anticipates severaloutcomes from this project:

• An increase in the number of interactions betweenMCN and Heritage Nursing Homes, illustrating amodel of excellence in long-term care for regis-tered nurse students.

• An increase in the number of registered nurse students who participate in long-term care curriculum and mentoring activities.

• An increase in the number of registered nursegraduates seeking employment in long-term care.

There are several activities that MCN wants toaccomplish during the project’s first year, including:developing a web page to disseminate information aboutthe project’s structure and activities, developing clinicalactivities to improve nursing care received by residents inthe Sister Teaching Nursing Homes (STNH) in collabora-tion with Advanced Practice Nurse, upgrading STNHtechnology to allow use of interactive learning with MCNwith registered nurse students and nursing home staff,creating course activities to expose students to long-termcare career opportunities, creating externships for stu-dents at nationally known geriatric centers in the UnitedStates, and coordinating a long-term care career fair andseminar for registered nurse students.

Mennonite College of Nursing will have a “kickoffevent” this fall to celebrate the Joe Warner TeachingNursing Home Project.

4

Left to right; Dean Nancy Ridenour, Amber Kleinhans, Kenny Van Dyke, Congressman

Jerry Weller, Elizabeth O’Conner, Neesha Nicklaus, President Al Bowman

Above, Mennonite students held a health

fair for the residents of Heritage’s Adelaide

Apartments in December.

“The Mennonite

College of Nursing

will respond to

the challenge of

developing innovative

approaches to help

senior citizens live

successfully in a

nursing home

environment.”

Shannon Perry, R.N., Ph.D., F.A.A.N., was the fea-tured speaker for the first annual Marion McDowellStafford Lectureship Series in Child and Family Healthlast fall.

Two presentations were given on October 30, 2003:an educational workshop where participants couldreceive three contact hours from the Illinois Nurses Association, which is accredited bythe American Nurses Credential-ing Center’s Commission onAccreditation, and another eventopen to the community.

Perry’s presentation pro-vided information about howto care for infants and toddlerswho are at high risk and howto maximize their potentialthrough preventative healthcare and appropriate sup-port systems. Panelists in adiscussion group talkedabout their experiencesworking with high-riskinfants. Panelists included:Rita Pell, B.S.N, M.A., who is an Illinois certifiedschool nurse for District 87 public schools in Blooming-ton; Erin Rogers, M.Ed., who is the director of programsat Easter Seals; Vicki Smith, R.N., B.S.N., who works at St.John’s Hospital in Springfield as the clinical nurse educa-tor in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and Connor Wal-ters, Ph.D., C.F.L.E., chair of the Department of Familyand Consumer Sciences at Illinois State University, a cer-tified family life educator, and a certified early childhoodeducator.

The other presentation provided information aboutthe Reggio Emilia approach to preschool education inItaly. Perry traveled to Italy in 2003, where she super-vised a student in an international field study comparingthe education systems in Italy and the United States. TheItalian approach to education focuses on empoweringstudents to more actively participate in the learningprocess on their time instead of through a rigid lesson plan.

Marion McDowell Stafford Lectureship Series in Child and Family Health

Perry is a graduate of St. Joseph Hospital School ofNursing in Bloomington. She earned a B.S.N. from Mar-quette University; a M.S.N at the Denver campus of theUniversity of Colorado; and a Ph.D. in educational psy-chology with a specialization in child development fromArizona State University. She has more than 25 years ofteaching experience in maternal-child nursing and childdevelopment.

The event was partially funded by grants from theAlice and Fannie Fell Trust, Community Foundation ofMcLean County–Ringer Donor Advised Fund and Ann E.Nolte Donor Advised Fund, and the Marion McDowellStafford Charitable Trust Grant Program.

Mennonite College of Nursing annually will offerthis lectureship series about child and family health.Plans already have been made for a November 30, 2004,lectureship series on Attention Deficit Disorder(ADD)/Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).There will be an educational workshop in the morning,where RN’s can receive contact hours, and an evening

presentation, which will be open to the community. Reg-istration materials will be available in October. For moreinformation, or to be put on the mailing list for the Mari-on McDowell Stafford Lectureship Series in Child andFamily Health, please contact Amy Irving at (309) 438-7418, or amirvin@ilstu.edu.

Shannon Perry

Marion McDowell Stafford Lecturers, from left, Shannon Perry, Connor Walters, Erin

Rogers, Vicki Smith, Rita Pell

76

Nomination formp Distinguished Alumni Award p Young Alumni Award p MNAO Service Award

NOMINEE’S NAME YEAR OF GRADUATION

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

REASONS YOU SUPPORT THIS NOMINEE

YOUR NAME

MAILING ADDRESS

CITY STATE ZIP E-MAIL

Attach an additional sheet of paper if necessary. Return nominations to Illinois State University, Mennonite College of Nursing, Campus Box 5810, Normal, IL 61790-5810

Nominations invitedThe Mennonite Nurses’ Alumni Administrative Board

is seeking nominations for the Distinguished AlumniAward, Young Alumni Award, and MNAO service award.

The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented to agraduate who has demonstrated a dedication to the nurs-ing profession, demonstrated leadership, shown out-standing professionalism, promoted and elevated thegeneral nursing image, and been held in high regard bypeers and the community.

The Young Alumni Award is presented to someonewho has graduated within the past 15 years and who hasdemonstrated continued interest in and support for thecollege, demonstrated professional achievement, partici-pated in distinguished community service, and personi-fied the values of the college.

The Alumni Service Award recognizes exceptionalservice to the Mennonite College of Nursing at IllinoisState University; to the Mennonite Nurses Alumni Organi-zation; or to humanity, inasmuch as such service reflectsthe values of the College. The recipient may or may not bea graduate of Mennonite College of Nursing

Nominations for these awards may be made by any-one and sent to the Alumni Administrative Board. Theboard will review the résumés of nominees and select nomore than one recipient for each award each year. Theawards will be presented during Homecoming in October.

Plan to join us for these events:

Saturday, October 2310:30–11:30 a.m. Homecoming Parade Illinois State University Campus

11-12 noon Alumni Social Hour Holiday Inn8 Traders Circle, Normal

12-2:30 p.m. Homecoming Luncheon and Awards CeremonyHoliday Inn8 Traders Circle, Normal

Save the Date! Homecoming: October 22-23, 2004

3 p.m. Dean’s PresentationReunion Photos and Tours Edwards Hall

If you need hotel accommodations forFriday and/or Saturday, a block of roomshas been reserved at a special rate of $77.50per night. Please call (309) 452-8300 andask for the “Mennonite College of NursingRate”.

This special rate will expire on October5, 2004.

The Homecoming registrationbrochure will be mailed in September.

Available exclusively at Star Uniforms & Gifts, The Mennonite College of Nursing afghan fea-tures landmarks and symbols of the college. This beautiful custom afghan will make a greatkeepsake of your alma mater. 100 percent pre-washed cotton, machine washable, “50x65,”made in the USA by Riddle Manufacturing, Inc.

Afghans can be personalized with up to

two lines of embroidery:

Jane DoeMay 5, 2004

Mail forms to:

Star Uniforms2 Yount Drive

Bloomington, IL 61704

Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone number

Embroidery

First line

Second line

l Check l Visa l Mastercard l Discover

Credit card number expiration date

Signature

We want to hear from our Mennonite graduates!

Mennonite College of Nursing faculty, staff, and alumni love to hear all those wonderful stories about our graduates.Do you have a story about your nursing career you would like to share? What about an adventure or experience you’ve hadthat relates to nursing that may inspire others? Please call Amy Irving at (309) 438-7418 or e-mail her at amirvin@ilstu.eduto make arrangements to relate your stories. Who knows, your story may be one of the Alumni Chronicles included in thenext Flame. We hope to hear from you soon!

After graduating from Mennonite College of Nursing in 1986, Marilyn Lowder Maffett worked as a staff nurseon a medical floor at BroMenn Regional Medical Center in Bloomington. Two years later, when her husband’scareer took them to Maryland, she worked on a hospice/oncology unit for three years. When they moved to Geor-gia, Maffett worked for a home health agency in the vicinity of Atlanta. Eventually, they moved back to Blooming-ton and Maffett returned to work at BroMenn on the Medical/Oncology unit. She obtained her Oncology NurseCertification while working at BroMenn and was transferred to BroMenn’s Home Health Care Agency in 1993,where she worked for 10 years. Marilyn and her husband, Kevin, have three children: Andrew, age 14, Kelsey, age11, and Paige, age four.

As a result of her professional experience—and her experience as a mother—Maffett sought a tool to pulltogether a patient’s medical history and other information. Therefore, she designed a booklet to track her four yearold’s battle with asthma. The booklets, created for her children, have been invaluable in helping Maffett to recordtheir illnesses. In developing this idea for medical record keeping booklets, Maffett drew on 17 years of experienceas an RN and 15 years of experience as a mother. Consequently, she decided to start a home-based business, usingher expertise to help others manage their health care more efficiently.

Cool Breezes is a new business that provides a solution to organizing health care information. With a CoolBreezes’ booklet, major illnesses and minor health concerns can be recorded easily in one location. Families canquickly access health history information, or retrieve details regarding an illness. Additionally, there is a column in thebooklet designed for parents or patients to jot down instructions during visits to the doctor to accurately record new medications, treatments, or future appointments. The Cool Breezes booklet is appropriate for children or adults.

If you are interested in placing an order for this booklet, please contact Marilyn Maffett at (309) 378-2445, e-mail her at coolbreezes997@aol.com, or write to her at 10060 Wolf Hill Road, Bloomington, IL 61704.

Marilyn Lowder Maffett

Where are they now? Marilyn Lowder Maffett, class of 1986

Qty ________ X $55 ______

Sales tax 7.5% ______

Shipping ($6 each) ______

Embroidery ($12 each) ______

Total ______

8 9

2004 Degree Candidates

Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)

Julie BeckerErin BenishLacey BernardiniErica BondMichelle BrownRebecca BrownKatherine BruchJonna BurchettKristin BusingJill CaldwellMeghan CampbellMatthew CarrAshley CastoJennifer ClemensNicholas ColeJessica ConroyRebecca DavisTia DavisGinger DenneyBrianne DresslerCodee EhlingNeal EvansMeghan FiscellaLindsey FisherKarla FranciscoKristin FryTasha GilbertLisa GriggsAmanda GrossAmy GuyMolly HaberStephanie HarperKatharine JennerElizabeth KellyLisa KieblesAmber KleinhansJoanna KoeppelMelissa LaylockMaryanne LippertAileen MacatoDana MatlockMeghann McCullyAmy MillerPaula MimsNeesha NicklausKellie NovakRebekah NowakElizabeth O’ConnorKara OlsonAmy Petric

Jennifer PowellMichelle PrzybylaLaura RainsJulianne ReimerAja ReinsteinMegan RichardsonLarissa RoemersbergerJaycie RoopCourtney RothNichole SchulzBrianne SwiechSunita ThomasLaura ThompsonBonnie TysiakKenneth VandykeCandace VisserElizabeth VoseClare VybiralSarah WeberKaren WennerbergRegina WiegandJennifer WielandStephanie WilsonJill WormanKatherine WrightHannah Zwanzig

Registered nurses receiving Bachelorof Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)

Crystal AlzafariStephanie BreedloveBeverly BruceLakeisha ColemanSandra FisherDavid HammondCarmilyn LesemannJenifer PattonFroilan PeruchoCheryl RobbinsSarah RudinKimberly SchoedelMary Jane SchroederTammy SerafiniAshlee SlomanAnn SparksMartha StevensKatie TiptonPablo ValadezJennifer WalkerJanet Wiser

Candidates for Family Nurse Practi-tioner (F.N.P.) Master’s Degree

Ida ClarkChristine GreeneJennifer HoffmanJennifer Koch

Candidate for Post-Master’s FNPCertificate

Mary Oldeen

Candidate for Nursing Systems Administration (N.S.A.)Master’s Degree

Theresa Adelman

Jenifer Patton, RNSenior Nursing Student Honorary Members DirectorGolden Key International Honour SocietyIllinois State University Chapter

Dianne L. Clemens, an instructional assistant profes-sor in the Mennonite College of Nursing (MCN), wasone of the five Honorary Members inducted into the Illi-nois State University chapter of the Golden Key Interna-

tional Honour Society on October 26,2003. She is the first professor fromMennonite College of Nursing tobecome a part of this prestigious socie-ty since MCN became a part of IllinoisState University.

The four other Illinois Stateinductees were: Helen Mamarchev, vicepresident for student affairs; Neil Skag-gs, professor of economics; Jon Friesen,assistant professor of biochemistry; andLarry Alferink, interim director of theHonors Program and professor of psychology.

Golden Key has more than 8,000honorary members, who are elected bylocal chapters and are active on their

campuses or in their communities. Local Golden Keychapters select up to five honorary members annually.Honorary members reflect the qualities and values of thesociety and are active in areas of scholarship, leadership,or service.

MCN Faculty Inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society

Golden Key strives to build global communities ofacademic achievers by providing opportunities for indi-vidual growth through leadership, career development,networking, and service.

Clemens’ service to the University and the commu-nity qualified her for Golden Key membership. She is amember of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill andthe International Delta Kappa Gamma Society. Clemenshas an American Nurses Association Certification in Psy-chiatric Mental Health Nursing and she is an instruction-al assistant professor, who focuses on the geriatric popu-lation and psychiatric mental health. Clemens has servedon the Regional Nursing Conference Planning Commit-tee. She also has served as vice chair of the College Coun-cil and been active in many MCN committees. Clemensalso is a pianist at her church.

Dianne Clemens, left, and Jenifer Patton

Illinois State inductees

Alumni celebrate Nurses Week with students, April 27 and 29

MCN graduate students went to Irving Elementary School

on August 15, 2003 to administer physicals to students.

1110

From a Student’s Journal...

As part of becoming a professional nurse, it is importantto synthesize scientific and technical expertise with expertisegleaned from the liberal arts. Being with patients, under-standing their world, and learning to find meaning in com-plex, difficult, and often tragic situations are critical compo-nents of becoming a successful nurse. In the college, we askstudents to keep journals regarding their experiences andwhat they learn. This exercise provides a way for self-reflec-tion and the gaining of insight. The following is an excerptfrom one of the student's journals:

We are the Hollow menWe are the stuffed menLearning togetherHeadpiece filled with straw. Alas,Our dried voices, whenWe whisper togetherAre quiet and meaningless.

T.S. Eliot

This is a quote from a poem by T.S. Eliot. Read itwell and remember it, for it is too often that we act assuch. How many times do we click the remote controlinstead of rising to change the channel or carelesslybrush a hair from our face? Yesterday I did these thingsand thought nothing of it but today, today was different.Today I met a young man who was about 15 years old.He was a basketball player, 6 foot 2 and handsome prob-ably could have been a pro, but that was not meant to be.God had other plans for him. Last fall he was accidental-ly shot by his best friend. The bullet caused a fracture ofC2 thru 4. The young man will never walk again. He willnever play basketball, nor hold hands with a girl. He willnever even hug his mother again. Another young manentered the U.S. Army not long ago. He was goingthrough basic training and got a pain in his shoulder,this pain continued and the doctors told him it was sim-ply from too many push-ups. To make a long story shortit wasn’t from push-ups at all. This gentleman had Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. By the time it was diagnosed, ithad metastasized to multiple areas of his body includinghis head. This young man went in to fight for his countryand ended up fighting for his life.

Student Nurse Association Officers 2004-05

President: Jennifer Lynn MathreHometown: Newark, Illinois

Why did you decide to major in nursing? I have always wanted to be involved in

the medical field. I have a brother with disabili-ties and I saw what a difference the nursesmade in our lives and I hope to bring care,comfort, and support to others as they did. I would also like to pursue an advanceddegree—with nursing I know the opportunities

and possibilities are endless!

What things do you hope the Student Nurse Association (SNA) will accomplish next year?

Next year I would like to see a large involve-ment of Mennonite students in the organizationand encourage early admit involvement. I wouldalso like to introduce service projects that benefitthe community, introduce a possible semiformalevent for the students to enjoy, tutoring or studynight gatherings with coffee and munchies, have abenefit volleyball/softball tournament, and manymore exciting events!

Vice-President: Leigh LucasHometown: Galesburg, Illinois

Why did you decide to major in nursing?

When deciding betweenbusiness and nursing, I was giventhe opportunity to observe a Cer-tified Registered Nurse Anesthetist(CRNA) for two days. After thattwo-day experience, I decided togo into nursing because I knewnursing would give me manyopportunities and experiences.

What things do you hope the Student Nurse Association (SNA) will accomplish next year?

As an SNA vice president, I hope to integratemore community service opportunities into ouractivities. Furthermore, as the Peer Support Person(PSP) chairperson, I would like to start a tutoringprogram for the incoming juniors. This tutoringopportunity can start with the Student NursesAssociation. Additionally, I would like to increasethe attendance of the early admits.

Secretary: Cathleen RyanHometown: Decatur, Illinois

Why did you decide to major in nursing? I decided to major in nursing because of

my instinct for caring and the large shortage of nurses in the medical field.

What things do you hope the Student Nurse Association (SNA) will accomplish next year?

Next year I would like to see moreinvolvement within the community and moreparticipation of our nursing students.

Treasurer: Christine RyanHometown: Decatur, Illinois

Why did you decide to major in nursing?

I majored in nursingbecause I personally find it rewarding to see that you havehelped someone.

What things do you hope the Student Nurse Association (SNA) will accomplish next year?

I hope to see the students get more involvedwith the program in meetings, community involve-ment, and within the student body.

Jennifer Lynn Mathre Leigh Lucas

Cathleen Ryan Christine Ryan

Look around, the world is a wonderful place andwe need to see that and be thankful for it. This afternoonI was so worried about not having a car to drive becausemine was in the shop that I failed to see how trulyblessed I really am. It isn’t the material things that areimportant in this life. To be able to be a nurse, and tospeak, and know that your very words and actions aremaking a difference in a person’s life. That! That is whatis important!

The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away. I neverconsidered that enough until tonight. I thought a lotwhen I got back from clinical. Why had God put me insuch a position? What was my purpose here? I couldn’thelp either of these men. But I think maybe I know why.Maybe it is just to tell me to slow down. Stop takingeverything for granted. The world is filled with peoplewho struggle and suffer so much more then I do. We arethe Hollowmen. We cease to think!!!! So often we dwellon minor problems that we forget to be grateful for thethings we think of as little, like the ability to hug our par-ents. And to wipe away the tears we cry. If I learn noth-ing else as a nurse I hope I will have learned from thisvery experience to appreciate what a blessing the gift ofhealth really is so that I can devote my life to restoringthat health in all its forms; (spiritual, physical, mental) tomy patients by my compassion, understanding and kind-ness. Thank you for the opportunity to write this freetext as it gave me a chance to reflect on what my job as anurse really is, because it’s not just the technical aspect;it is so much more, and it is by the grace of God alonethat I will understand this “other part” and be able totruly benefit my patients whether I can change theirphysical situation or not.

Marnie LippertSenior Nursing Student ’04

1935

Our sympathies go to the family and friends of Marie(Marquis) Yoder, who died on April 19, 2004.

1941

Our sympathies go to the family and friends of Susan(Suderman) Ackerman, who died on April 4, 2004.

1963

Carol (Martin) DeVault retired after 36 years withBrokaw Hospital and BroMenn Regional Medical Centerin Bloomington. She worked various areas for six yearsbefore becoming a recovery room nurse—a position shehad for 30 years.

1981 and 1987

Laura (Cisco) Furman works as a school nurse for theUnit 5 District in Normal, Illinois. In January 2003 shereceived her M.Ed. from the School of Nursing at Cam-bridge College, Cambridge Massachusetts. In June 2003she attended the 35th Annual NASN Convention andreceived the National Certification School Nurse (NCSN).In October 2003 she received the NASN/EPA Scholarshipto “Managing Asthma Triggers” and “Indoor Air Quality”seminars in Washington, D.C.

1990

Amber (Blaser) Jones gave birth to Emily Marie Jones onNovember 21, 2003. Emily has a big sister, Lauren Elisa-beth Jones, who is three and a half years old. Amberworks in the Emergency Department at St. Joseph’s Med-ical Center in Bloomington. She has recently completedcourses as a PALS instructor, Trauma Nursing CareCourse (TNCC), and ECRN.

1991

Our sympathies go to the family and friends of NatalieFults-Perez, who died on December 2, 2003.

1992

Laura (Delorenzo) Kruger changed careers. She nolonger is working as a nurse and has been slowly transi-tioning toward flying full time. She was a full-time flightinstructor for the past one and a half years and recentlywas hired as an airline pilot for Mesa Airlines.

1993

Paul Jokisch and wife, Eden, welcomed Lauren Elizabethon November 5, 2003. Paul works at Parkland MemorialHospital in Dallas, Texas.

Alumni Notes

Progress notesWe welcome updates from alumni for The Flame publication. We want to knowabout your activities, career news, family news, and other significant activities (wed-dings, births, honors and awards, promotions, changes in employment, personalaccomplishments). Thank you for sharing your news with other alumni. Please fillout this form and return it so your news will be published in the next issue. Mail toIllinois State University, Mennonite College of Nursing, Campus Box 5810, Normal,IL 61790-5810, or e-mail to amirvin@ilstu.edu.

NAME MAIDEN NAME (IF APPLICABLE)

DATE CLASS YEAR

MAILING ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP

TELEPHONE E-MAIL

PRESENT OCCUPATION/EMPLOYER

NEWS/COMMENTS

Faculty/staff notes

Presentations

Sara Campbell, “Identification and Exploration of Resi-dent Attractiveness/Unattractiveness in the Long-TermCare Setting,” 56th Annual Scientific Meeting of TheGerontological Society of America, San Diego, California,November 22, 2003.

Mary Dyck, “Measurement Issues with Hydration andAcute Confusion in Long-Term Care Elders,” 56th Annu-al Scientific Meeting of The Gerontological Society ofAmerica, San Diego, California, November 24, 2003.

“Communicating with Older Friends,” Annual CentralDistrict Mennonite Church Women’s Retreat in Casso-ploic, Michigan, September 2003.

Eileen Fowles, “Nutritional Adequacy in Low-IncomePregnant Women,” Sigma Theta Tau International’s 37thBiennial Convention, Toronto, Canada.

Karrie Ingalsbe, “Cultural Aspects of Pregnancy andBreastfeeding: Implications for Nurses,” McLean CountyPublic Health Department/Maternal-Child Division, September 24, 2003.

Karrie Ingalsbe and Lynn Kennell, “An AsynchronousInnovative International Approach to Teaching Transcul-tural Nursing Online,” 9th Sloan-C International Confer-ence in Florida, November 8, 2003.

Brenda Jeffers, “Educational Needs of Clinical NursesCaring for Clients Participating in Research Protocols,”Midwest Nursing Research Society Conference, St. Louis,Missouri, March 2004.

Cathi Kaesberg, “Licensure Failure and the High-RiskStudent: Strategies for Identification and Intervention”and “NCLEX Success: Curriculum, Classroom, Clinical(Pre-conference),” Mosby’s Faculty Development Institute, San Diego, California, January 2004.

Susan Kossman, “Tech Café,” Millennium Girls Conference, Illinois State University, October 2003.

Pam Lindsey, “Getting People To Do What They Want:Empowering Nontenure Faculty to Develop Their Niche,”Sigma Theta Tau International’s 37th Biennial Conven-tion, Toronto, Canada. “Pilot Study: Psychiatric Nurses’Decision to Restrain,” Midwest Nursing Research SocietyConference, St. Louis, Missouri, March 2004.

Caroline Mallory, “Determining Probable Participationin a Randomized Clinical Trial,” Midwest NursingResearch Society Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, March2004.

Janeen Mollenhauer, “Stress Management: RelaxationExercises,” Mitsubishi Motors, Normal, Illinois, August2003.

Emily Schlenker, “Use of Touch Therapy in the Care ofDementia Clients: A Progress Report,” WSSA AnnualMeeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 2004.

Fellowships/Accomplishments

Eileen Fowles was selected as a Postdoctoral Fellow inthe Center for Health Promoting Interventions; Under-served Women at the University of Texas at Austin forthe 2004-2005 academic year. She also has been selectedto receive the Outstanding College Researcher Award forher work in the area of maternal nutrition.

Brenda Jeffers has been selected for the AACN Leader-ship for Academic Nursing Program funded through theHelene Fuld Trust.

Caroline Mallory has been selected to receive IllinoisState University’s Teaching Initiative Award for 2003-04.

Publications

Cacchione, P. Z., Culp, K., Mary Dyck, and Laing, J.(2003). “Risk for acute confusion in sensory impairedrural long-term care elders.” Clinical Nursing Research,12(4), 340-355.

Nancy Ridenour, (2003). “Prevention Key to ManagingSwimmer’s Itch.” The Nurse Practitioner Journal, 28 (11)54-55.

Swartz, M., Grey, M., Allan, J., Nancy Ridenour, Kovn-er, C., Hinton-Walker, P., and Marion, L. (2003). “A dayin the lives of APNs in the U.S.” The Nurse PractitionerJournal, 28 (10) 32 - 39.

RetireeJanet Stivers, M.S., R.N., part-time advisor for

pre-nursing students, retired at the end of May. Shewas with Mennonite College of Nursing for fouryears, and had 25 years of service at Illinois StateUniversity. She will celebrate her retirement bygoing on a cruise to Alaska with her family. She will continue to work as a nurse at St. Joseph’s Center for Healthy Lifestyles. We thank Janet for her dedication to the college and wish her a happyretirement!

Janet Stivers

1996

Kelli (Finck) Peterson gave birth to daughter,Averi Lyn Peterson on August 16, 2003. Kelliworks as an RN in the emergency room atMemorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

1997 and 2002

Jennifer (Budd) Frank gave birth to MicahWilliam Frank on March 17, 2003. Jennifer alsohas a four year old, Christian James. She worksas a nurse practitioner with two occupational medicine physicians at the Springfield Clinic in Springfield, Illinois.

1998

Tracie (Thull) Chamberlain and husband, Jim, welcomed Jack-son Cannon on July 25, 2003. Older brothers Jimmy, age 14,and Max, age 11, are very excited about their new baby brother.Tracie works at Carle labor and delivery in Urbana, Illinois, andcommutes from Bloomington. Tracie would love to hear fromany of the December 1998 grads!

2001

Jennifer (Langellier) Shaw and husband, Brad, welcomed theirson, Konnor Kent Shaw on October 10, 2003. Jennifer recentlyswitched jobs from working as an RN at Memorial Medical Cen-ter in Springfield (Family Maternity Suites) to working at FamilyMedical Center in Lincoln, Illinois, as an office nurse.

2002

Keli (Sammans) Sidebottom and husband, Steven, welcomedLucas Creed Sidebottom on June 7, 2003. Keli is an RN in laborand delivery at BroMenn.

From left, Lynn Kennell, Sharon (Campbell) Ritcher

’91, Karrie Ingalsbe

1312

1514

By Jenny Ward, director of DevelopmentFor most of you, I am a new face to Mennonite

College of Nursing. I hope that each of you not onlyhas an opportunity to recognize me, but also shareswith me your important times at the college, as wellas your hopes and dreams for the future of nursing.

I have been blessed to have the opportunity tomeet some of our alumni, financial supporters andcommunity partners, faculty, and students in the pastfew months since I have joined our staff. I am learn-ing that our alumni are very proud of the high quali-ty of nursing and high personal standards of conductthat they associate with Mennonite College of Nurs-ing. Our supporters and partners are concerned thatour college needs to continue to address the nationalnursing shortage by maintaining and even expand-ing our program to educate more young people tobecome nurses, in spite of shrinking budgets.

As the Mennonite College of Nursing approach-es its 85th anniversary this summer, and its fifth atIllinois State University, we will celebrate our history,our strong foundation, the leaders and nursing pro-fessionals who are our alumni and who made ourreputation so revered. We also will look forward tothe challenges ahead, to how we can best address thechanges in health care and changes in nursing educa-tion, which naturally will follow.

I will continue to travel to meet as many peopleas possible. I welcome your ideas and concerns. Ihave found that often the best ideas for events, finan-cial support, and communication come from ouralumni and friends. Thank you for your support,your ideas, your advocacy, and your pride in nursingand Mennonite College of Nursing.

Jenny Ward, director of development, can be reached at (309) 438-7178 or by e-mail atjsward@ilstu.edu.

A Revered Reputation . . .

Mennonite College of Nursing Donor Roll

October 1, 2003–April 30, 2004

Anonymous Debra AckermanIoma and Harold AdamsLinda and Terry AlesLaura and Brent AmidonKimberly AndersonHollis ArmstrongSusan and Todd ArnoldKim and Jonathan AstrothE. Annalee and Joseph

AyersJessica and Michael BakerMarsha BauerEunice BeetzelStephen and Debbie

BelgraveRaufu BelloEmily and Weldon BenderErma and Warren BorchersDorothy and Wilbert

BrandonDarlene BrooksMary and Michael BruntBonnie and Richard

BurmoodElizabeth CalbySara and Kyle CampbellCarle Foundation

Hospital Wendy and Timothy

CarltonBeth and Timothy ChuLinda and Daniel ColeRuth and Shawn ColemanCredit Bureau of

Bloomington Inc. Kathi and John DalugaSuzanne DanilukJacqueline and Jamie L.

DeffenbaughDaniel and Paula Crowley

DeneenDavid and Kathleen V.

DeneenMary DieselAda and Harlan DonaldsonRebecca and Mark Doran

Diane DunniwayBetty and Paul DuzanJanice and Sterling EbyBrenda and Darrel EhnleElizabeth Davis Holder Fdn Sandra ElliottEva and James FeathergillKathryn and Merle

FergusonPauline and Daryl FergusonSandi and Todd FingerleMonte FisherThomas and Eileen FowlesBonita and Bruce FrankTrisha GabehartDawn and Jeff GeringerM. Diane GoldensteinBeverly and Morris GrimesMary and Edgar GrizzlePatricia GroggMaureen and Jason HansonJudith and Mark HartmanNancy and Paul HaugensHayes Hammer Miles Cox

Ginzkey Holly HeffrenPete HeimsothJane and Thomas HeinekeHeritage Enterprises Inc. Marie HieserKaren and John HildrethMary and Loren HodgsonSamuel and Joyce HoferLieselotte Holsten and

Henry Holsten Jr. Joy HutchcraftPhyllis and Carroll ImigDrs. Steve and Karrie

IngalsbeJoan IoasAmy IrvingShirley and Eugene JacksonAlberta JohnsonAlexander and Angela

JohnsonPaul and Eden JokischJill and Robert JonesRoger and Stephany JoslinJudith and Harvey KaebSuellen and Virgil KaebLinda and Harry Karle

Lois KaufmannRuth KellerKemp Foundation Lori and Kevin KennelLynn and Thomas KennellTami and Timothy KennettSusan and Stephen KernJanis and Richard KeyserDanice KingAlea and Michael KinsellaDavid and Nina KochAmy and Gordon KoernerNettie and Loray KoernerSandra and Bruce KoernerNancy and John KutznerCarol and Charles LaibleGail and Douglas LambFrancile and Raymond

LanternierRoger LarameeJanice LauxJeanette and James

LavallierKathy and Stanley LeesmanSandra and Rodney

LehmanShea LekiesPamela and Patrick LindseyCamille LittleRosina and A Dale LitwillerThomas and Meredith

LovelassJulie MaleyCaroline Mallory and Darin

Eastburn Marc Hilton Trust DTD Karen and Tom MarksPhyllis MartinBeatrice and G. H. Louis Jr.

MartingLora and John McClellandLarry McCraySue Ann McGinnesMemorial Medical Center

Foundation Jenny and Anthony MessierJanet and Phillip MeyerMarguerite and Harold

MiesPatricia and Steven

Milashoski

Gigi and Frank MilesBonnie and David MillerDonna and Delmar MillerSheryl and Marlin MillerRebecca and Lee MooreDebra and Richard MoranLinda and Warren

MorefieldRachel and Charles MoserVirginia MoyerJoyce and Frank NestorStanley and Alice OmmenOSF Saint Francis Medical

Center Romeyn OyerRita PellClaranne PerkinsSabrina and Alan PetersenLois PhilpottJudith PikeA. Darlene and Joseph

PoindexterTeresa and David PrattSusan and Robert ReadNancy and William ReiterCecille ReyesDr. Nancy Ridenour and

Ed Mason Marlisa and Brian RiekeNicole RileyBernice and Michael

RobinsonAnna RoppPauline and Keith RothRuth and Schley RudolphJanice and Philip RushRobert and Annette RushJuliana and Frederick

RusherVada and Keith SafferAmy and Brian SajkoEdith and Paul SanckenMarjorie and Donald SappSchertz Countryside Sales Phyllis SchieberRoy SchillingRita and Eugene SchlomerLaura and Michael SchmiedMerry SchmiedNancy and Michael SchulzCarol and Paul Selman

Karen and Robert SessionsJoseph SetterCaroline SeverRuth ShafferMabel and Maynard ShifferGeorgette and Christopher

G. ShupePamela and Robert SinnettMary and Bernard SmithRose StadelDonna and Ivan StanwoodAlma StoddardJill and Daniel StoopsJeanette and Donald StorckLaura and Daryl TolanSally TraylorLori and Bill TroyerJanet and Frank TuleySam Van ScoyocRuth Ann and Rick VanceCarol and Richard VignaliDeanna VivianErin and Andrew W. WaiteShirley and William WalkerJennifer and Dane WardMarsha and Steven WarsawMarlene WeichmanDr. and Mrs. David B.

WilliamsDawn WilliamsLarry and Annie WilliamsDorothy WitteWendy and Kenneth L.

WoithDeAnn and Richard WorthDoris and Robert

WortingerSally and Lynn YoungSandra and David YoungCarolyn and W. Jay Zehr

Jenny Ward