Choosing Higher Ground

Connections SPRING 2013 Choosing higher ground Surrogate parent, mother superior, frontier sheriff Exceeding early expectations Lessons learned: MSU science impacts Alumni Association & award winner Development Foundation PRESIDENT’S WELCOME University is focused on our students’ staff, students and faculty. Perry Olson success and their potential to lead and Shaun Sipma, both accomplished meaningful lives. graduates of Minot State University, Learning depends on knowing one’s worked tirelessly to help our community, sense of direction, appreciating our in spite of their personal needs. A familiar history, our people, our traditions, our name to many MSU alums is Garnet sense of purpose, and then doing some- Cox, a well-respected staff member and thing meaningful and important for the dean of women, who mentored countless good of others. In Vision 2013, MSU’s students. Roger Looyenga’s initial plans to vision for the future, one of our strategies teach business turned into notable corpo- is to know our place, not in a sense of rate successes and overtures to “As we approach our Centennial and remember those who have contributed to Minot State University, we should be proud of our great university and its traditions of learning and service.” hat’s rewarding and fun about the work we do at class or status, but in the sense of truly support his alma mater. Whether academ- Minot State University is understanding what it takes to contribute ic or athletic, stories about Penny Andrist, that we serve students with to others and the common good. Mike Leite, Neil Roberts, Scott Deibert Wmany different plans and aspirations. We witnessed this spirit every day and Jamie Council all contain wonderful We do our best to prepare them to reach during and after the devastating 2011 accounts of their notable destinations and their expected, and in many cases, their flood. The selfless way our faculty, staff successes. unexpected destinations. In the end, and students helped others was remark- As we approach our Centennial and what we are proud of is not necessarily able. This generosity was observed all remember those who have contributed the diplomas on their walls or the rewards across our city and immediate region. to Minot State University, we should they gather, but the quality of lives they The stories in this edition of Connec- be proud of our great university and its lead. Much of what we do at Minot State tions highlight many of our successful traditions of learning and service. DAVID FULLER, president 22 CONTENTS volume 22 — number 3 FeaTURES p. 4 COVER STORY: Choosing higher ground MSU alums Perry Olson and Shaun Sipma learn a hard lesson in the face of professional obligation and personal anguish. 11 ‘Above and Beyond’ brings Gellner full circle EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATON p. 8 14 KMSU Auction … more than a fundraiser Garnet Cox Surrogate parent, mother 15 Traveling troubadour teaches through music superior, frontier sheriff ATHLETICS 16 Timing is everything Scott Diebert p. 10 17 Atypical athlete Roger Looyenga Jamie Council Exceeding early expectations 18 DeVELOPMENT FOUNDATION 20 ALUMNI HAPPENINGS 22 OUR READERS REMINISCE p. 12 Mike Leite 24 CLASS NOTES Lessons learned: MSU science impacts award-winner 27 IN MEMORIAM Connections is published three times a year by the Minot State University Alumni Association and Development Foundation. 28 BABY BEAVERS Send comments, articles or photo submissions to Connections, MSU Alumni Office, 500 University Ave. West, Minot, ND 58707. Telephone 701-858-3399 or 1-800-777-0750. Fax 701-858-3179. Email: [email protected] Printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified stock. Third class postage paid at Fargo, ND 58101 3 Choosing higher ground MSU alums learn a hard lesson in the face of professional obligation and personal anguish or every generation, Poignant memories said. “Jim (Olson) got back there is an event so “I was standing in my back- and instantly went on the air.” memorable and life- yard on Father’s Day,” Perry Shaun Sipma (’01) remem- altering that it burns Olson (’05) recalled. “My dad bers things with a little less itself into our brain like (Jim Olson, KXMC-TV news clarity. “My memory gets a Fa cattle brand. When asked, director) had driven to Canada little fuzzy those first couple of people know instantly where to interview someone with days because, basically, I didn’t they were or what they were the Saskatchewan Watershed sleep for the first 72 hours,” doing at the time and sub- Authority (renamed the Water Sipma said. “We had to be at consciously recognize that an Security Agency). My phone work 18 hours a day, and we invisible timeline will forever rang, I picked it up, and he still had houses to clean out.” mark future conversations said, ‘Get a U-Haul and get a A few days earlier, Sipma with references of “before” big one.’” had stopped moving his and “after.” During his interview, Jim furniture back into his house For our grandparents, it Olson learned that the amount after the first evacuation in was the bombing of Pearl of water soon to be released late May. Harbor. For our parents, it from Canada would be more “I was standing in my was the assassination of John than Minot’s levees could kitchen when my sister, the F. Kennedy. For the present hold. The flood was immi- acting Ward County emer- generation, it is the 9/11 nent, and the KX news team gency manager, called to tell terrorist attack on the World had a story to tell. me that they were preparing Trade Center. In Minot, our “In our family, we had four for a press conference to tell personal 9/11 is the 2011 houses to evacuate, and I wor- everyone, ‘We are going to Mouse River Flood. ried about that,” Perry Olson lose Minot.’” 44 Perry Olson (left) and Shaun Sipma in Sipma’s basement. Meteorologist Joe Goldade else, during the height of the (’11) was at Trinity Hospital chaotic exodus, they remained visiting family when he riveted to their jobs, engrossed received a call from Sipma in the responsibility of asking him to drop by the reporting the flood to tens station on his way home. of thousands of viewers, while “About 3:30 that after- their families sought refuge on noon, we were sitting around higher ground, and their homes Trinity with the television on sat immersed in floodwater. in the background, when Jim “The worst part for me came on the air. It was from was the time at the beginning, his broadcast that I learned before it actually flooded, about the flood. Everything when I had to worry about after that is a blur and a mess of work,” Perry Olson said. “I panic and emotions,” Goldade worried about my house; my said in a telephone interview. sister’s house and her family; my brother-in-law and his A difficult decision family’s house; and my parents’ The KX news team decided house that we all had to evacu- to continuously broadcast ate. Once we got all of the live flood updates as long as stuff out, I knew I could just necessary, with Jim Olson, work. We were lucky because Perry Olson and Sipma each we had tons of help.” taking eight-hour shifts. Sipma’s move was After confirming the schedule, orchestrated by his wife, Sipma had two hours to clear father, mother, brother and things out of his house before a few friends. he reported to work. Ultimately, “A lot of our stuff ended KXMC-TV would remain up going to our second floor on air for 171 hours straight. because we didn’t have time Both Olsons and Sipma to get everything out of the shared the same fate as house,” Sipma said. “I spent a thousands on the flood plain. lot of time at work going gray They evacuated — not once, because we had to focus on “I was standing in my kitchen when my sister, the acting Ward County emergency manager, called to tell me that they were preparing for a press conference to tell everyone, ‘We are going to lose Minot.’” but twice — heartbreakingly what we had to do, while, at watched their houses flood the same time, I worried about and returned to the filthy how my wife and family were aftermath determined to move handling things. The last day forward. Unlike everyone of the evacuation, I knew we 55 didn’t have everything out, before had social media played Even though the flood has and it was pretty bad. At that such a collaborative role in passed and memories begin to time, I’d been working non- news coverage of a major event fade, recovery — community, stop. I would go home and get in Minot. KXMC Facebook personal, physical and emo- a few hours of sleep, then if I friends had instant access to tional — continues on very had a half hour during the day, the coverage, and the opportu- distinct and unique timelines. I’d run home, do as much as nity to influence it, regardless “Going forward, many In September 2012, the I could to help haul stuff out. of where they lived. people want to put the flood Upper Midwest Chapter of The first 48 to 72 hours are “We had responses from to bed, and I think it’s impor- the National Academy of still foggy.” around the world — Hong tant that it doesn’t go to bed,” Television Arts and Sciences Kong, Japan, Russia,” Perry Olson said. “There are held its annual Emmy®Awards A community is Sipma said. “At one time, still close to 500 families living show in Minneapolis.

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