SUMMER 2019 CENTRAL CENTRAL COLLEGE CIVITAS ALUMNI MAGAZINE 14 RURAL STUDENTS UNDERREPRESENTED? NOT AT CENTRAL! 20 TAYLOR SCHUELKE ’12 FINDING SUCCESS AS A FILM PRODUCER 24 STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS 40 WAYS TO GET INVOLVED PRESIDENT’S CORNER CURATING AN EDUCATION BY: MARK PUTNAM, CENTRAL COLLEGE PRESIDENT One of my happy tasks each year is to have played in the life of the campus. conversation of personal and professional write letters of recommendation for These students commonly have multiple life planning. Each student in his or her seniors. Some seek employment, others academic interests. They are often Student way combines the impressive resources of are applying for admission to graduate or Senate members, music ensembles officers, this college to curate an experience that professional school and a few are pursuing athletics team leaders or participants in presses for more. special opportunities like the Peace Corps. student activities and organizations. They Our young alumni test and validate Their professors are in the best position to are experiential learners who have studied their learning in new academic and comment on their academic achievements, abroad, done undergraduate research, professional settings. “Were you prepared?” so I reflect on their leadership qualities, completed internships and participated I ask them. The answer is almost always the commitment to service, personal character in service learning. Virtually all did same: “Yes!” But the reasons why almost and future promise. volunteer service. always vary. Paradoxically, Central Often these are student leaders I have What makes this curating process produces consistent outcomes precisely grown to know well. It’s such a privilege possible? Often, it is strong advising because each student’s experience is to watch students mature as they embrace and mentoring, either from a single different. Each one’s experience is curated expanding responsibilities, mentor younger individual or via a series of interactions just for them. students and gain confidence. in which the voices change but the These students are multidimensional, underlying messages stay the same. For with a curated array of experiences a few, the continuing chorus of faculty designed to achieve their unique goals. adviser, coach and administrative leader The recommendation letters seem to write combines to bring diverse thinking yet themselves as I detail the various roles they coherent understanding to the unfolding 2 | CIVITAS SUMMER 2019| 3 SUMMER 2019 CENTRAL COLLEGE CIVITAS TABLE OF CONTENTS ON THE COVER ALUMNI MAGAZINE Ed Henning ’20 Photo by: Linda Stelter Summer 2019 | Issue 1 FEATURES EDITOR AND CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Dan Weeks [email protected] SENIOR DESIGN DIRECTOR Melody VanderLeest [email protected] 14 20 24 CONTRIBUTING EDITORS A SHINING REALITY STUDENT Jeff Bersch EXCEPTION DOESN’T BITE ORGANIZATIONS Jordan Bohr ’15 Students from Taylor Schuelke ’12 Forty ways students Cyvannah Vecchio rural areas are rewrites the ’90s get involved underrepresented cult hit film by finding in campus life. PHOTOGRAPHER in higher ed. success as a young Paul Joy Not so at Central. film producer. [email protected] LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 4 NEWSNOTES EDITORS Mary Benedict COMMENCEMENT 5 Lisa Thurman Fyfe ’87 AROUND THE POND 6 Lynne Petty ATHLETICS 10 Peggy Johnson Van Den Berg ’83 CENTRAL SCENE 12 [email protected] ALUMNI NEWSNOTES 28 SPORTS EDITOR PROFILE 34 Larry Happel ’81 PARTING SHOT 35 [email protected] DIRECTOR OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA Denise Lamphier [email protected] [email protected] CIVITAS.CENTRAL.EDU 812 UNIVERSITY ST., PELLA, IOWA 50219 DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING AND ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT 800-447-0287 Corey Falter [email protected] VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT Sunny Gonzales Eighmy ’99 Civitas is published by the Central communications office for alumni, parents and friends of Central College. For information on the Civitas mission, visit civitas.central.edu. [email protected] Civitas (USPS 096-840) is published quarterly by Central College, 812 University St., Pella, IA 50219-1999. Periodicals postage paid at Pella, Iowa, and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes (PS 3579) to Civitas, 812 University St., Pella, IA 50219-1999. Address changes also may be sent to [email protected]. 10% 10% Post-Consumer Fiber 2 | CIVITAS Production notes: Civitas is printed with a vegetable-based ink by Town Crier, Pella, Iowa.SUMMER 2019| 3 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR In response to an increasing number of your letters, we’re launching a new Letters to the Editor section. To send us one, see “Write Us!” below. 1 2 3 4 5 6 MY RESIDENCE HALL WAS THE GYMNASIUM I just read “Central Residence Halls” [Winter, became quite famous as executive director of Mr. Burns’ reports that his education as a 2019 issue, pages 20-22] and felt the need to the NCAA for many years. How proud I am scientist began with him burning a hole in his comment. Since I was in the Class of 1950, it to have known him. new bedspread with magnesium ribbon when he brought back wonderful memories—sufficient 5. Three of us from Alexandria Bay, New was 10, continued with the study of chemistry to have me go back to my scrapbook and York, enrolled at Central at the same time; at Central and Syracuse University and retrieve some photos. left to right is me, Beverly Reynolds Parslow concluded with a Ph.D. in biochemistry from 1. What a surprise to find that my ’50 and Una Cornwall Parker ’50. Purdue University. A long publication- and residence hall was the gymnasium. My 6. And finally, for your amusement, is a patent-studded career followed, most recently double-deck bunk bed was shared by one of picture taken of me when I turned 90. The as a senior scientist at Los Alamos National my roommates. birthday present came from my daughter, Laboratories. He’s also been a private pilot, a 2. The new men’s dorm [Gaass Hall] was Trudi, who substituted a bouquet of Great Lakes mariner and a musician. While at under construction at that time. doughnuts for flowers. I’ve just taken a bite Central, he used to sneak in through an open 3. It was completed a few weeks later. out of one of them. window at night to practice the organ. Someone 4. A bit later, I was photographed with Those years at Central are the most eventually gave him a key, literally opening the two of my three roommates in front of it; left memorable of all my education. The contents door to a lifetime of part-time work as a church to right is Paul Telford ’50, me and Charles of my scrapbooks verify that. Keep your organist. – ed. Powleske ’50. Believe it or not, my other publications coming; I’d hate to miss one. roommate was Richard Schultz ’50, who – Don Burns ’50, Los Alamos, New Mexico RETHINKING THE ART HEIST collection might be there. Your article be found! I was the Pella Police Department officer reminds me how much I think of that case. – Lori Ferguson, Sarasota, Florida who caught the Brower case [“Central’s – John Frank ’72, Ankeny, Iowa Great Art Heist,” spring 2019 issue, page Interesting piece on the Brower Collection. 33-35]. After I went to the Marion County I just read the fascinating piece “Central’s The former CEO of the Rijksmuseum Sheriff’s Office, a recluse was captured in Great Art Heist.” As an art historian by Amsterdam suggested contacting Arthur Ottumwa. He had a huge collection of training, I’m always intrigued by stories Brand, a famous art detective with a valuable items, mostly classic and antique such as these. I still harbor hope that the great track record on recovering lost art. books. I suggested to Pella it should follow paintings stolen from the Isabella Stewart I forwarded the piece about the heist to up on his arrest and see if the Brower Gardner Museum in Boston will someday Brand. If I receive a reply I’ll let you know. – Ton Sels, The Netherlands WRITE US! Civitas welcomes letters and emails from readers concerning the contents of the magazine or issues relating to Central College. Please include the author’s name, city and state; anonymous communications will be discarded. Letters selected for publication may be edited for length, content, clarity and style. Address letters to Civitas, Central Communications, Central College, 812 University St., Pella, Iowa 50219 or email Dan Weeks, Civitas editor, at [email protected]. 4 | CIVITAS SUMMER 2019| 5 COMMENCEMENT THE CLASS OF 2019 BY THE NUMBERS THE MEASURE OF 238 graduates from 17 states completed 28,175 credits and majored in 32 different subjects. 42 SUCCESS double majored. Commencement speaker Steven Van Wyk ’81 grew up just a few blocks from Central’s campus but found that “hard work gets you places…. It eventually got me to Wall 1 triple majored. Street, New York City,” where by 2001 at age 43 he was managing director and head of information technology at the financial firm Morgan Stanley, with an office on the 67th floor of Tower Two of the World Trade Center. “I was literally on top of the world,” 81 he says. had one minor, That world came crashing down Sept. 11, 2001, when his office was obliterated and 19 had two. seven of his colleagues died in the terrorist attack. After that day, he told the graduates, “all that really mattered was the people…. That is the day that I changed how I measured success. … I came to realize that life is more about what you give than what 30 you receive.” He ended his speech with “I urge you to focus on living lives to serve were children of alumni. others if you want to experience the measure of success.” 4 were twins.