Kevin Fisher has been hired as the new head men’s and women’s golf coach at Morningside College.

He replaces former head coach Michelle Bailey, who resigned earlier this academic year after her husband was relocated to Arkansas.

Fisher is also the head golf professional at Dakota Dunes Country Club in Dakota Dunes, S.D. He inherits a Morningside women’s golf team that is ranked 19th nationally in the NAIA and has qualified for this spring’s NAIA Region IV tournament after a second place finish at last fall’s Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Championships. He also takes over a Mustang men’s golf team that won three tournaments last fall and whose top three players were freshmen.

“I am excited about the opportunity to coach the Morningside golf teams because there were left in very good standing,” Fisher said. “It’s exciting that the women’s team is nationally ranked and that the men’s team has so many good players who are underclassmen. There are some young players on both teams that have good ability, and I look for them to make some good progression over the next couple of years.”

Fisher has prior collegiate coaching experience as an assistant men’s golf coach at Northeast Missouri State University.

Fisher, a graduate of Northeast Missouri State, was a four-year varsity letterwinner and played at the No. 1 position as a junior and senior during his collegiate career. He was a two-time Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association performer and helped the school qualify for the national tournament. Fisher finished fourth in the individual standings at the 1993 University of Northern Iowa Spring Invitational when he set a tournament 18-hole scoring record with a six-under par 66.

He has been a three-time PGA Pro/Assistant Pro Sectional champion and finished third at the 1998 Assistants Championships during his professional career.

Fisher became the head professional at Dakota Dunes in 2003. He was previously the first assistant golf professional at Wakonda Club in Des Moines, Iowa, and the associate golf professional at Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville, Ill.

The “Save a Life” tour will make a stop at Morningside College on Monday, Jan. 26, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Randolph Room of the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Avenue.

The event is sponsored by the Morningside Activities Council (MAC).
The “Save a Life” tour addresses the national problem of alcohol-related fatalities caused by impaired driving.

“Save a Life” is a state-of-the-art interactive driving simulation that can impact decision making by allowing participants to experience first-hand how alcohol impairs driving skills. All participants begin the simulator as “sober witnesses” of other drivers’ faulty judgements and deteriorating driving skills as the result of alcohol consumption. Two additional large screen displays reveal what each driver sees, the face of the driver, an aerial view of the driver’s vehicle in traffic, and an indicator level of the driver’s impairment as it gradually worsens. The drives usually end in a serious accident. Each driver is served with a simulated citation and given a recording of their driving under the influence as evidence.

“We hope this event will raise the awareness of the dangers of driving while intoxicated,” said D.J. Pick, assistant director of residence life and director of student activities at Morningside College. “The students who participate will feel the effects of what it is like to drive while intoxicated. The program progresses through different levels of difficulty. The higher they go, the slower their reaction time.”

For additional information, contact D.J. Pick at (712) 274-5335.

Dr. Jann E. Freed, professor of business management at Central College in Pella, Iowa, will discuss a collection of 30 photographic images of women leaders in Mexico that are currently on display in the college’s Hickman-Johnson Furrow Library on Friday, Jan. 23, at 10 a.m. in the UPS Auditorium of the Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Avenue.

The public is invited to the free event, which is sponsored by Morningside’s Academic and Cultural Arts Series (ACAS).

The photo collection is on display in the library during the month of January. The collection will be on display during the next year at small colleges and other galleries throughout Iowa.

The photograph collection is part of “Daring to Be,” a research project of ordinary women doing extraordinary things in Yucatan, Mexico, being conducted by Freed and George Ann Huck, also a professor at Central.

They define leaders as “women who are working to make a positive difference in the lives of others.” Their project weaves together women in government and political office, the arts, education, business and commerce, and social service agencies.

Freed and Huck have taught and conducted research in Merida, Yucatan, since 1998 while participating in Central’s International Study Program. Iowa and Yucatan are sister states in the Partners of Americas Program.

Their research project is partially supported by grants from Central College, the Iowa Arts Council, and Humanities Iowa.

Freed holds a bachelor’s degree from Central, a master’s from Drake University, and a doctorate from Iowa State University.

Dr. Heather Reid, associate professor and department chair of philosophy at Morningside College, will present the lecture “The Olympic Virtues” on Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 10 a.m. in the UPS Auditorium of the Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Avenue. The public is invited to the free event, which is sponsored by Morningside’s Academic and Cultural Arts Series (ACAS).

Reid’s lecture will focus on the connection between the modern spectacle of the Olympic Games and the ancient festival that inspired it. She will discuss the virtues of reverence, courage, self-control, justice, and wisdom from the perspective of sport, Greek philosophy, and the Olympics.

Reid has lectured and published in the areas of ancient Greek philosophy, Olympic studies, and philosophy of sport. She was a national collegiate cycling champion and Olympic hopeful when she attended the University of Virginia. Her last book, “The Philosophical Athlete,” was published in 2002.

Reid, a 1986 graduate of Virginia, has been at Morningside since the fall of 1996. She earned her master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1994 and 1996, respectively.

Students who have been nominated for a Morningside College Celebration of Excellence (COE) Scholarship are invited to attend one of three COE Scholar Weekends the college will host this winter.

COE Scholar Weekend dates are Friday and Saturday, Jan. 17 and 18, Jan. 30 and 31, and Feb. 27 and 28. The COE Scholars Weekends are open to students who have been accepted for admission and nominated for COE scholarships.

“It’s not too late for high school seniors to still participate in the COE Scholars Weekends,” said Joel Weyand, Morningside’s director of admissions. Prospective students who wish to participate must apply for admission, be accepted, and meet the scholarship eligibility requirements.

The weekends feature social events, panel discussions, interviews and auditions or evaluations with faculty, financial aid appointments, and campus tours.

COE Scholarships include President’s Scholarship Awards, Dean’s Scholarship Awards, Mustang Co-Curricular Awards, Talent Achievement Awards, Morningside Connections Grants, Travel Grants, Athletic Grants, Young Educators Scholarships, Natural Science Foundation Grants, International Student Scholarships, and Transfer Student Scholarships.

To register for a scholar weekend, call 712-274-5111. More information about the scholarships can be found at www.morningside.edu/admissions/scholar.cfm

Morningside College Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College William C. Deeds released the Dean’s Honor List for the fall semester this week.

Each semester the Dean’s Honor List recognizes students who achieve a 3.5 grade point or better and complete at least 15 hours of course work with no grade below a “C.” Each student received a letter of recognition from the Dean.

The following students have been named to the Morningside College Dean’s Honor List:

Sioux City—William Allen, Michael Bennett, Cari Clayton, Brittany Cole, Luke Comeau, Rodney Doenhoefer, Angela Dunlop, Jennifer Dziurawiec, Jill Ellickson, Camille Farley, Grant Garbe, Jason Goergen, Michael Hackett, Zachary Hindman, Jaclyn Jorgensen, Lindsey Kellen, Katie Kinney, Adam Lang, Sarah Loffswold, Holly Martin, Jessica McKeever, Brooke Niles, Beth Nimmo, Amanda Norby, Angela Phillips, Jessica Plueger, Cindy Rasmussen, Barbara Rohlena, Melissa Rowe, Nima Sabet, John Steele, Alethea Stout, Andrew Walker, Brenton Watkins, Rachel Weinmann, Fawn Woiwood, and Heidi Young.

Iowa—Laurie Amick, Bronson; Amy Anderson, Estherville; Christy Anema, Sanborn; Amanda Annan, Atlantic; Stephanie Bettin, Mapleton; Natalie Biede, Council Bluffs; Brianna Blake, Wiota; Kate Boeve, Doon; Alissah Brosamle, Holstein; Savannah Bruce, Adel; Michael Clement, Marshalltown; Lisa Cunningham, Anthon; Jenna Davis, Cedar Falls; Ashley Dirks, Alta; Alisa Eich, Glenwood; Emily Evans, Glenwood; William Foval, Orange City; Connie Frank, Fontanelle; Leah Godberson, Arthur; Hilary Hansen, Atlantic, Lindsey Heiliger, Sheldon; Janae Jacob, Nevada; Angela Kern, Hawarden; Kamila Kloth, Breda; Mariah Laver, Harlan; Eric Lawson, Harlan; Erin Leonard, LeMars; Theresa Loveall, Sergeant Bluff; Melanie Mahr, Denison; Kristina Marshall, Clarion; Karen Mathistad, Lawton; Maggie McDermott, Oto; Adrienne McElderry, Council Bluffs; Bridget McElderry, Council Bluffs; Lindsay McFarland, Pella; Nicole McGrain, Mapleton; Jennifer McNeill, Vinton; Kara Mickelson, Odebolt; Himi Mizutani, Paullina; Michael Nicodemus, Aurelia; Adam Orban, LeMars; Kimberly Parker, Cherokee; Matthew Phelps, Bondurant; Kelley Pruismann, Rock Valley; Cassandra Qualheim, Denison; Crystal Reinhart, Odebolt; Cody Rininger, Schaller; Kristine Sauer, Sheldon; Sara Schmidt, Moville; Tara Schubert, Galva; Ilisja Sheri, Des Moines; Mary Turner, Pocahontas; Mallie Vetter, Red Oak; Benjamin Washburn, Kingsley; Adam Webb, Grundy Center; Steele Welcher, Waterloo; Jayme Wetzel, Des Moines; Timothy Wheatly, Des Moines; Rebecca Wheeler, Kingsley; Amber Wiertzema, Little Rock; Abbey Williams, Villisca; Melissa Wurr, Holstein; and Jill Zeman, Ottosen.

Nebraska—Chad Agnew, LaVista; Jessica Alexander, Lincoln; Laura Andersen, Omaha; Matthew Armstrong, Bassett; Christina Bennett, Geneva; Jill Bottolfsen, Hartington; Hope Chapman, Omaha; Luke Comeau, South Sioux City; Allison Downs, South Sioux City; Valerie Gibson, Arnold; Melissa Johnston, Omaha; Elizabeth Kelly, Falls City; Angela Meyer, Lincoln; Kathryn Niedbalski, Kearney; Heather Push, Kearney; Jenna Rehnstrom, Hartington; Karen Skalka, Deweese; and Tara Wortmann, Hartington.

Other States—Stacy Baldus, Grand Meadow, Minn.; Robert Deutsch, Eden Prairie, Minn.; Jonathan Fisk, Olathe, Kan.; Blake Hardwick, Shawnee, Kan.; Kristin Hinkle, Shawnee Mission, Kan.; Julia Husk, Littleton, Colo.; Mikaela Johnson, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Briena Kappes, Horace, N.D.; Devon Kramer, Rochester, Minn.; Lane Madsen, Gettysburg, S.D.; Jennifer Nelson, Helena, Mont; Chanda Pederson, Big Lake, Minn.; Sherri Pucherelli, Pine, Colo.; Crystal Quibell, Blue Springs, Mo.; Alexander Stephens, Inver Grove Heights, Minn.; and Abby Wagner, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Thirty-two Morningside College students graduated at the close of the fall semester in mid-December. The graduates have the option of walking in the college's 106th commencement exercises this May.

Morningside College awards general honors based on undergraduate work completed at the college and according to the grade point averages designated as follows:

              *Cum Laude (with honor) at 3.50

              **Magna Cum Laude (with great honor) at 3.66

              ***Summa Cum Laude (with highest honor) at 3.81.

The graduates earning bachelor of arts degrees include:

From Sioux City--Timothy Harder*, Katherine Tremmel, and Cecilia Verzani.

From Iowa--Annie Dilocker, Missouri Valley; Leah Godbersen**, Arthur; Sarah Kruse, Anita; and Jason Uhl, Danbury.

From other states--Joy Delfs, Sioux Falls, S.D.

The graduates earning bachelor of science degrees include:

From Sioux City--Chad Ballard, Michael Bennett**, Jennifer Benson**, Heidi Christensen**, Scott Fish, Lindsey Kellen, Justin Kruse, Molli Laing*, Haley Thiele, Jana Tufty, and Hilary Whitcomb.

From Iowa--Michael Clement, Marshalltown; Abby Christianson, Spencer; Clint Harrison, Salix; Joan Kessenich**, Le Mars; Stacey Meadows, Correctionville; Mindy Miller, Odebolt; Courtney Peyton*, Merrill; Clint Pudenz, Auburn; Sean Saunders, Hinton; and Nichole Wilridge, Moville.

From other states --Melissa Johnston*, Omaha, Neb.; and Julie Skoruppa**, Portland, Texas.

Michael Eldridge of Denison, Iowa, graduated with a bachelor of music education degree.

For information about attending Morningside College, contact the Admissions office at (712) 274-5111 or visit the college's Web site at www.morningside.edu.

Students from Morningside College’s “Advertising” class developed marketing strategies that they recently presented to representatives from several Siouxland businesses.

The presentations followed a semester of research and planning by the 36 students in the class. The students were grouped into eight teams to develop marketing campaigns that were presented to the organizations earlier this month.

The businesses and their representatives were as follows:
Body & Soul Salon and Spa, Patty Sterling, owner.
Central Skateboards, Dave Hall, co-owner.
Dakota Dunes Country Club, Mike Birkel, marketing and membership director.
Lewis Bowl & Sports Bar, Dan Lewis, owner.
Pflanz Electronics, Scott Pflanz, general manager.
Sportsmans Inc., Bobby Rogers, owner.
Super Nails, Tracy Vo, owner.
Woodland Media Productions, Chris Mansfield, president.

The eight campaigns were presented over a period of three days. During their presentations, the teams offered examples of print ads, commercial radio spots, brochures, new logos, billboards, public relations events, and campaign slogans to their clients.

The class is taught by Dr. Pam Mickelson, professor of business administration and economics. This is the sixth year that students in the class have presented their marketing strategies to Siouxland businesses.

For more information on Morningside’s business program, contact Dr. Pam Mickelson at 712-274-5473.

Morningside College has awarded the first annual Thomas S. Thompson Staff Excellence Awards to Dr. Mary Leida, dean for advising; Cathee Phillips, director of public relations; Beth Sibenaller, associate director for athletics; Rosalyn Smith, director of administrative computing; Larry Walters, manager of the print shop and mail room; and Joel Weyand, director of admissions. Phillips was also named the Staff Employee of the Year.

The annual awards are funded by a $500,000 endowment established by Margaret Thompson, wife of the late Dr. Thomas S. Thompson, who served as president of Morningside from 1969 to 1978. He passed away in 1999.

Morningside President John Reynders presented the awards at the annual Christmas banquet held Thursday night at the Olsen Student Center on campus. The recipients will each receive a bonus of $4,000. As employee of the year, Phillips will receive $5,000.

The recipients were selected based upon their demonstration of outstanding dedication, service, and commitment to Morningside and its students during the 2002-03 academic year. Criteria for selection included the nominees’ contributions to their respective departments, their representation in campus organizations, and their service and volunteer efforts towards fulfilling the college’s mission statement.

Leida, who also serves as professor of biology, has been at Morningside since 1987. She was appointed dean of advising in 2002 and previously served as associate dean for academic affairs and chair of the biology department. She was the 1997 recipient of the Lucille and Charles Wert Award for excellence in teaching and was voted the 1994 Faculty Person of the Year by student members of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK).

Leida has served as co-chair of the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) steering committee since fall 2002. She coordinated Morningside’s participation in the National Survey for Student Engagement (NSSE) and the Faculty Survey for Student Engagement, which are used as assessment tools by institutions of higher education. Leida, who is a member of the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), holds a bachelor’s degree from Texas Lutheran College and a master’s degree and doctorate from Oklahoma State University.

Phillips came to Morningside in 1999 as a writer in the office of public relations. She was promoted to communications team leader in 2000 and to director of public relations in 2002. She became editor of the college’s bi-annual alumni magazine, The Morningsider, in the fall of 2000.

She has served on the college’s Diversity Task Force, the HLC self-study steering committee, and the Friday is Writing Day Committee and is chair of the college’s marketing team. She is a member of the Sioux City Press Club. Phillips holds a bachelor’s degree from Morningside.

Sibenaller, who also serves as compliance officer and college judicial officer, joined Morningside in 1992 as assistant women’s basketball coach and residence hall director. She was named assistant athletic director and senior women’s administrator in 1996 and served as athletic director from 1999 to 2001, when she was appointed associate athletic director. She has also served as interim cross-country coach, chair of the Administrative Council, and in many other roles at Morningside.

Additionally, Sibenaller teaches a course on coaching ethics at Morningside and serves as a high school official for volleyball and basketball. Sibenaller holds a bachelor’s degree from Briar Cliff University and a master’s degree from Morningside College.

Smith has been at Morningside since 1985. She has held many positions in information services through the years. She has served as staff representative to the Finance and Facilities Committee, co-chair for the United Way campaign, a staff advisor for one of the freshman seminars, and contributed to the college in many other ways.

She serves as treasurer for First Christian Church, Sioux City, and previously served as stewardship chair at the church. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree from Morningside and a master’s degree from the University of South Dakota.

Walters came to Morningside in 1980 as the supervisor of central duplication and communications. In 1984, he was promoted to communications center director and in 1998 assumed responsibilities as the print shop and mailroom manager.

He is an active volunteer on campus, helping with such events as Homecoming, track meets, and Honors convocations. He has done volunteer work for the Council on Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence, the Siouxland Shakespeare Company, the Central Dance Theatre, and other organizations. Walters holds a bachelor’s degree from Morningside.

Weyand joined Morningside as development specialist for athletic fundraising in 1998. He was appointed associate director of admissions in 1999 and became director of admissions in 2000. Under his leadership, the college has realized record-setting first-year student enrollment for the 2002 and 2003 fall semesters.

Weyand volunteered for United Way making preliminary calls this past summer and serves on the advisory board for Project HOPE. He is the treasurer-elect of the Iowa Association of College Admissions Counselors.  Weyand holds a bachelor’s degree from Morningside.

Morningside head men's and women's track & field coach Dave Nash has been named 2003 Master's Male Athletic of the Year by USA Track & Field.

Nash was the men's 35-39 age group national champion in the mile run and the 800-meter run at the 2003 USA Track & Field Indoor Championships at Boston, Mass., and was the men's 35 to 39 national champion in the 800-meter run and the 1,500-meter run at the 2003 USA Track & Field Outdoor Championships at Eugene, Ore.

He also ran legs for first place relay teams in the 4x400 and 4x800 at the indoor championships and in the 4x400 at the outdoor championships.

Nash, a 1990 Morningside graduate, was an All-American in the 800-meters during his collegiate career.

Senior thesis art exhibitions by Morningside College students Andy Lemrick, a graphic design major from Sidney, Iowa; and Jason Uhl, a studio art major from Danbury, Iowa; will be on display from Monday, Dec. 8, to Sunday, Dec. 14, in the Eppley Auditorium Art Gallery, 3625 Garretson Avenue.

Lemrick’s exhibition “Luck of the Draw” will include works in graphic design, advertising, and photography along with works from his involvement with the Morningside Activities Council and Morningside’s Creative Edge student advertising club. A majority of the pieces will portray commercial art in his attempt to break into the advertising field.

Uhl’s exhibition “Recent Works – An Artist’s Exhibition of Form, Function, and Movement” will include creative landscape photography, paintings, and functional and non-functional ceramics.

A reception for the artists, open to the public, will be held Sunday, Dec. 14, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the art gallery.

The Eppley Auditorium Art Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Dr. Jane Hey, professor and department chair of biology at Morningside College, will give a poster presentation at the 2003 Midwest Fish & Wildlife Conference to be held Dec. 7-10 at the Westin Crown Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Hey will present the poster in collaboration with Dr. Eugenia Farrar, associate professor of zoology and genetics at Iowa State University. The poster will describe the Owego Westland Complex Restoration Project and show the project’s results to date.

The two professors and students from Morningside and Iowa State have been working on a study of amphibian colonization of the Owego Wetland Complex Restoration Project. The 1,300 acre wetland, located southeast of Sioux City, has been planned and developed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Woodbury County Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The research is part of an ongoing study to document and monitor amphibian and reptile diversity, distribution, and success in the restored wetlands.

The theme of this year’s conference is “Voyage of Discovery: Exploring the Past, Present, & Future” in honor of the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark expedition. The conference will feature hundreds of technical paper and poster presentations covering a wide variety of topics that advance the science of fish and wildlife management.

The conference is hosted by the Missouri Department of Conservation, University of Missouri School of Natural Resources, Missouri Chapter of the American Fisheries, and the Missouri Chapter of the Wildlife Society.

Dr. Heather Reid, associate professor and department chair of philosophy at Morningside College, recently presented papers in Greece, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.

She traveled to Stagira, Greece, the birthplace of Aristotle, to present her paper “Philosophy as Piety” at the 15th International Conference on Greek Philosophy held in August. The conference, “Conceptions of Philosophy: Ancient and Modern,” was organized by the International Association for Greek Philosophy (IAGP). The IAGP is a non-profit academic organization with the purpose of cultivating and promoting the study of Greek philosophy at the international level.

Reid presented her paper “Athletic Competition as Socratic Philosophy” at the 21st World Congress of Philosophy also held in August in Istanbul, Turkey. The theme of the conference was “Philosophy Facing World Problems” and emphasized the need of philosophical and ethical knowledge in dealing with global problems at the start of a new century.

Reid presented her paper “The Hellenic Virtue of Sophrosyne in Ancient and Modern Olympic Sport” at the 31st annual meeting of the International Association for the Philosophy of Sport” held in September at the University of Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.

Reid, a 1986 graduate of the University of Virginia, has been at Morningside since the fall of 1996. She earned her master’s degree and doctorate from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1994 and 1996, respectively.

Morningside College will celebrate the 53rd anniversary of one of its oldest traditions, the Hanging of the Greens, at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9, in the Dimmitt Hall formal lounge.

The Hanging of the Greens is a three-fold ceremony first celebrated in 1950. The ceremony includes the burning of a Yule log, hanging of wreaths, and decorating the tree.

Holiday refreshments and beverages will be served. Students from Morningside’s chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the national professional fraternity for men in music, will provide entertainment and Christmas carols. Santa Claus and a Christmas elf will also be present.

The event is open to the public.

This year’s ceremony is being organized by students from Morningside’s Residence Hall Association (RHA).

The ceremony commences with the Yule log service, during which the Christmas story is told as the new Yule log is burned with a piece of the previous year’s log to symbolize the continuity in tradition. This part of the ceremony had its beginnings in
1925, when Agnes Doolittle, a teacher from Spirit Lake, invited junior and senior class women from the college to her home for the burning of a special log her family sent from England.

The Yule log came to Morningside in 1949 at the hands of seven freshmen class
women from Spirit Lake, who brought pieces of the old log to Dimmitt Hall to burn with a new log. The next year, wreaths were hung and a tree was decorated, and the Hanging of the Greens became tradition.

After the Yule log is aflame and the story told, a wreath is hung by each class as the meaning of the wreath is given. The first wreath is hung for the senior class for the thankfulness of joy during the holiday season. The juniors hang the second wreath, which symbolizes the hope for eternal life. The third wreath is hung by the sophomores for mankind’s wish for peace. The freshman class hangs the last wreath for the love God has for mankind and the love every person has for each other.

The final part of the ceremony is the decorating of the tree. As tradition holds, each hall hangs an ornament on the tree, which will be displayed for four years. As the years pass, the ornaments from previous years invoke the memories of the “families” formed on each hall. Students from Dimmitt Hall, Roadman Hall, the Residence Complex, and the Joan L. and Norman W. Waitt, Sr., Apartments and Donald E. Poppen Apartments will participate in the hanging of the ornaments.

Morningside College awarded the first Sharon Walker Faculty Excellence Awards to Dr. Bruce David Forbes, professor and chair of religious studies; Dr. Gregory P. Guelcher, associate professor of history and political science; and Dr. Douglas C. Livermore, professor and chair of business administration and economics.

Morningside President John Reynders presented the awards during a special banquet held Wednesday, Dec. 3, at the Sioux City Country Club. The recipients, selected from a field of nominees by a panel of three outside evaluators, will each receive a $10,000 honorarium and $3,000 to use for the purpose of faculty development.

The Sharon Walker Faculty Excellence Awards, which were presented for the first time this year, are funded by a $500,000 gift from Morningside alumni Jim and Sharon Walker, of Wayzata, Minn.

Criteria for selection, in order of importance, include: teaching excellence; effective advising; extraordinary service to Morningside College in support of the strategic plan of the institution; and scholarship. The awards, presented in December, are based upon the accomplishments and activities of a faculty member during the previous academic year.

This year's evaluators were Dr. Stephen F. Davis, professor emeritus, Emporia State University, Emporia, Kan.; Dr. Kevin Kraus, associate dean and professor of biology at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa; and Dr. Raymond Brady Williams, professor emeritus in the humanities and director emeritus of the Wabash Center for Teaching and Learning in Theology and Religion at Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Ind.

Forbes, a 1970 Morningside graduate, has been at the college since 1978. He was the 2002 recipient of the Lucille and Charles Wert Award for excellence in teaching and was voted the 2002 Faculty Person of the Year by student members of Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), the national leadership honor society.

He is a director for Morningside's Interdepartmental Honors Program and has served on many college committees.

He is an ordained minister with the United Methodist Church, and his writings have been widely published. He received a master of theology degree from Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, and a doctorate in history of American Christianity from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Guelcher, who just returned from a one-month research trip to India, joined Morningside's faculty in 1996. He specializes in Asian history and culture and has studied in Tokyo, Yokohama, and Hong Kong.

He has served as a visiting research scholar at the University of Tokyo's Institute of Oriental Culture. He has been a guest lecturer at the Toyama City International Center's International Speech Academy in Japan, Mercyhurst College, in Erie, Penn., and at conferences for the Association for Asian Studies and the American Anthropological Association.

He has served on Morningside's Curriculum Policies Committee (CPC) since 2001. He received his master's degree and his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Livermore has taught at Morningside since 1980. He was the 2000 recipient of the Lucille and Charles Wert Award for excellence in teaching and was voted the 1984 Faculty Person of the Year by student members of ODK.

He has served in a number of campus leadership positions, including Faculty Senate president, chair of the CPC, and chair of the Chief Financial Officer Search Committee. He has also served as faculty representative on several college committees.

He completed the week-long seminar "Faculty Development in International Business" at the University of South Carolina in 2001.
His writing has been published in several editions of the textbook "Great Ideas for Teaching Marketing" by South-Western Publishing Company.

He received his master's degree from Wayne State College and his doctorate in education from the University of Northern Colorado.

Igor Joloud, a Russian native who was an officer in the Soviet army and is currently an adjunct professor at Morningside College, will lecture on life in present-day Russia on Wednesday, Dec. 3, at 10 a.m. in the UPS Auditorium of the Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Avenue.

The public is invited to the free event, which is sponsored by Morningside’s Academic and Cultural Arts Series (ACAS).

Joloud, an instructor for students who take English as a second language and Russian at Morningside, will present the lecture “The Big Thaw: Life in Post-Perestroika Russia.” During his presentation, Joloud will discuss the 20th century history of the USSR/Russian Federation, political changes during the late 1980’s under Mikhail Gorbachev, economic reforms under Boris Eltcin and their consequences, the educational system of the Russian Federation and its current transformation, the impact of United States and Western values on a new generation in Russia and their influence on traditional values, and how people in Russia and the United States view each other.

Joloud has been an adjunct professor at Morningside since 2002. He is also an independent contractor for translation and interpreting. He has done a wide variety of translation and interpretation for Daewoo Telecom, Daewoo Motors, and Daewoo Electronics and was selected as the interpreter for the company chairman during his visits to Russia. He was an officer in the Soviet army in central and far eastern Russia from 1976 to 1993.

Joloud holds an engineer degree in aeronautical control from the Military Academy in Kazan, Russia; a graduate degree in English language, literature, philology, and adolescent psychology and pedagogy from the Institute of Foreign Languages in Kazan; and a graduate degree in management and economics from the Institute of Finance in Kazan.

A thesis art exhibition by Morningside College student Leah Godbersen, a senior graphic design major from Arthur, Iowa, will be on display from Tuesday, Dec. 2, to Sunday, Dec.7, in the Eppley Auditorium Art Gallery, 3625 Garretson Avenue.

Her exhibition will include graphic design, scuplture, photography, ceramics, and painting. Godbersen’s work will portray the image of travel through areas such as Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah and the fictional Italian Garden and Western Ranch that she created.

A reception for Godbersen, open to the public, will be held Saturday, Dec. 6, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the art gallery.

The Eppley Auditorium Art Gallery is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Morningside College will host its annual “Christmas at Morningside” celebration on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 5 and 6.

The eighth annual Festival of Voices concerts will be held at 7:30 p.m. both Friday and Saturday evenings in Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Avenue. A Christmas Banquet will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday in the main dining room of the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Avenue.

The Festival of Voices concerts are sponsored by Morningside College’s Academic and Cultural Arts Series (ACAS).

The Festival of Voices concerts will feature traditional and classic Christmas music such as “The First Noel,” “Silent Night,” and “Away in a Manger.” The music will be performed by the Morningside College Choir, the Bel Canto Women’s Chorus, the Singing Men of Morningside, the Morningside Choral Union, the Morningside Recorder Consort, the Morningside Brass Quintet, soprano Dr. Gail Dooley, the Siouxland Youth Chorus Cadet Choir, and the Siouxland Youth Chorus Concert Choir.

The Morningside College Choir, Singing Men of Morningside, an all-male chorus consisting of students from a variety of majors and disciplines on the Morningside campus, and Choral Union are conducted by Tim Watson, visiting assistant professor of music and choral director at Morningside. The Bel Canto Women’s Chorus, an all-female choir comprised of Morningside students, is conducted by Joan Enockson, an adjunct music faculty member and director of the Siouxland Boys Choir. The recorder consort is conducted by Esther D’Agrosa, assistant professor of music at Morningside. The brass quintet is conducted by Dr. Peter Wood, assistant professor of music at Morningside. Dooley is associate professor of music at Morningside. The Siouxland Youth Chorus Cadet and Concert Choirs are conducted by Shirley Luebke.

Rick Darrow, a 1971 Morningside graduate and owner of Darrow Pipe Organs in Onawa, Iowa, is the concert’s organist. The Rev. Gary Landsness, senior pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Le Mars, Iowa, will be the concert’s narrator.

Ticket prices for the concert are $10 for adults and $7 for senior citizens and students ages 18 and under. Family packages are available for $25. Call the Morningside College Music Department at (712) 274-5210 to make reservations. Tickets will also be available at the door on the nights of both performances.

The menu for the Christmas Banquet will include chicken breast with wild rice, carved ham, beef stroganoff with noodles, seafood linguine, oven roasted potatoes, green bean casserole, Corn O’Brien, salad bar, bread bar and dinner rolls, pecan pie, and pumpkin dessert.

Ticket prices for the banquet are $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 10 and under. Reservations are required for the banquet and can be made by calling (712) 274-5210. Reservations must be made by Wednesday, Dec. 1.

Morningside College’s Mike Bennett, a senior linebacker from Sioux City, has been named to the 2003 CoSIDA Academic All-America District VII College Division Football First-Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Bennett has a 3.78 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a major in business administration. He is among 24 student-athletes named to the academic all-district first team.

He is the Mustangs’ second leading tackler this season with 34 solos and 54 assists for 88 total tackles. Bennett leads the Mustangs with 5.5 quarterback sacks, three forced fumbles, and nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses of 57 yards. Bennett, a three-year starter, is the Mustangs’ active leader with 11 career quarterback sacks.

Bennett received third-team Verizon Academic All-America All-District VII honors in addition to Daktronics NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete and NAIA second-team All-America honors last year.

He has made the Morningside Dean’s Honor List and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll after each of his semesters at Morningside. Bennett is a member of Omicron Delta Kappa national leadership society, Alpha Kappa Delta national sociological honor society, and Phi Eta Sigma honor society.

Members of the CoSIDA Academic all-district teams must be a starter or important reserve of sophomore or higher status with a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.

Morningside’s football team will take a 3-6 record into this Saturday’s season’s finale against Concordia University at Seward, Neb.

Timothy Orwig will give a presentation about the history of Morningside College on Friday, Nov. 21, at 10 a.m. in Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Avenue.

The public is invited to the free event, which is sponsored by Morningside’s Academic and Cultural Arts Series (ACAS).

During the presentation “Creating the Past: Telling Morningside Tales,” Orwig will use slide images of faculty, students, and events important to Morningside’s history and discuss how historians “create” the past by bringing meaning and order to random documents and stories.

Orwig, a 1980 Morningside graduate, is the author of “Morningside College: A Centennial History,” published in 1994 by Morningside College Press.

Orwig will also present the program “Writing History to Record and Preserve” for Friday Is Writing Day (FIWD) at noon in the Hickman Dining Room of the Olsen Student Center, 3609 Peters Avenue.

During the FIWD presentation, Orwig will read brief passages from his Morningside centennial history book, as well as other writings in environmental and historic preservation and architectural history. His presentation will be followed by an informal discussion about the centrality of writing to activism and scholarship.

Orwig was one of the founding members of the FIWD series, now in its 16th year, while he was an employee at Morningside. The FIWD series is held almost every Friday at noon throughout the school year. FIWD was designed to feature writers and their works, from journals to published pieces. Writers of all types from the campus and community read their work, followed by informal discussions of the writings.

The public is invited to bring their lunch and attend the free FIWD events, which are usually held in the Hickman Dining Room.

Orwig is currently an adjunct instructor at Boston University, where he is working on a doctor of philosophy degree in American Studies with an emphasis in architectural history.

He was employed at Morningside College from 1986 to 1999 as director of foundation relations, assistant dean of the college, director of the learning center, and as an adjunct faculty member.

Orwig is on the board of directors of the New England Chapter of the Society of Architectural Historians.

He received a bachelor of arts degree from Morningside in 1980 and received a master of arts degree in English language and literature from the University of Arkansas in 1982.

Dr. Gail Dooley, soprano and associate professor of music at Morningside College, and Dr. Peter Wood, trumpeter and assistant professor of music at Morningside, will perform a faculty recital on Sunday, Nov. 16, at 7:30 p.m. in Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Avenue.

The recital is free of charge and open to the public.

Wood, with collaboration from Sioux City pianist Michelle Grossman, will peform the Iowa premier of Massachusetts composer Robert Bradshaw’s “Sonata for Trumpet and Piano.” The peformance is part of the Fifty-State Premier Project, an event where the composition will be performed for the first time in each of the 50 states during the month of November.

Wood will be joined by The Euclid Quartert for a performance of Eric Ewazen’s “Quintet for Trumpet and Strings,” a neo-tonal work in four movements for the rare combination of trumpet and string quartet.
Dooley will sing John Corigliano’s “Three Irish Folksong Settings” with collaboration from flutist Martha Councell of Sioux City. The compostion includes the songs “The Salley Gardens,” “The Foggy Dew,” and “She Moved Through the Fair.”

Dooley and Wood will join together to perform the Georg Frideric Handel arias “Eternal Source of Light Divine” and “Alle voci dl bronzo guerriero.”

Dooley joined Morningside’s music faculty in 1995. Dooley, who earned her doctorate in voice performance from Florida State University in 1995, was previously a voice instructor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Chattanooga State Technical Community College, and Cadek Conservatory of Music.

Wood, a member of Morningside’s faculty since 1998, is a 1989 graduate of the University of Illinois. He received a master of music degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1991 and his doctorate in trumpet performance from the University of Indiana in 2000.

The Euclid Quartet, comprised of violinists Jameson Cooper and Jacob Murphy, violist Luis Vargas, and cellist Jennifer Vaughn, was appointed Resident String Quartet of the Sioux City Symphony and faculty at Morningside College in 2001. At Morningside, the quartet members coach chamber music and teach instrumental lessons and string pedagogy.

Councell is an adjunct faculty member at Morningside. She graduated from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music in 1998 and earned a master of music degree from Rice University in 2000. Councell received first prize at the 1993 Hartford Symphony Orchestra Concerto Competition, first prize at the 1996 Central Ohio Flute Association Competition, second place at the 1997 Flute Talk Competition, and second place in the 2000 National Flute Association Young Artist Competition.

Morningside College’s theatre department will present the Jean-Paul Sartre play “No Exit” at 8 p.m. Thursday to Saturday, Nov. 20 to 22, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 23, at Klinger-Neal Theatre, 3700 Peters Avenue.

The performances are sponsored by Morningside's Academic and Cultural Arts Series (ACAS).

The one-act play “No Exit” is the story of three people who are condemned to hell for their treatment of others while on Earth. Instead of being tortured by the devil, the people’s demise comes from the memory of their sins and the presence of each other.

Cast members are Dan Bossman, a freshman from Sioux City, as Garcin; Jessica Alexander, a sophomore from Lincoln, Neb., as Estelle; Lesa Gillespie, a freshman from Belfast, Northern Ireland, as Inez; and Iris Seaman, a freshman from Sioux City, as Valet.

The director is Art Moss, instructor of theatre at Morningside College. Katelin Saufley, a Morningside junior from Sioux Falls, S.D., is the assistant director.

General admission is $5. Reservations can be obtained by calling the Klinger-Neal Theatre box office at (712) 274-5196.

Morningside College’s Crista Rustwick, a senior defender from Sioux City, has been named to the 2003 Academic All-District VII College Division Women’s Soccer First-Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Rustwick has a 3.99 cumulative grade point average (GPA) with a major in English education. Her 3.99 GPA is the second highest among the 11 student-athletes selected to the first team.

Rustwick, a four-year letterwinner, received second-team Verizon Academic All-District honors in addition to NAIA All-America Scholar-Athlete laurels as a junior. She has made the Morningside Dean’s Honor List and Athletic Director’s Honor Roll after each of her first six semesters at the college.

Members of the CoSIDA Academic all-district teams must be a starter or important reserve of sophomore or higher status with a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher.

Morningside’s women’s soccer team has a 10-11-1 record this season.

The Morningside College Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble will present a fall concert on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 3 p.m. in Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Avenue.

The concert is open to the public and free of charge.

The symphonic wind ensemble is directed by Dr. Peter Wood, assistant professor of music at Morningside. The jazz ensemble is directed by Dr. Gerald Bouma, professor of music and chair of the department.

The symphonic wind ensemble's program will include "Early Light" composed by Carolyn Bremer, "Symphonies of Gaia" by Jayce John Ogren, "The Gum Suckers' March" by Percy Aldridge Grainger and R. Mark Rogers, "Serenade, Op. 22a" by Derek Bourgeois, "Cloudburst" by Eric Whitacre, and "Little Ripper" by David Stanhope.

The jazz ensemble's program will include "Emancipation Blues" composed by Oliver Nelson, a Dee Barton arrangement of "Here's That Rainy Day," "Gospel John" by Jeff Steinburg, a Dale Anderson arrangement of "My Romance," "Cute" by Neal Hefti, a Bob Washut arrangement of "Caravan," and a Gerald Bouma arrangement of "Sentimental Journey."

Morningside students Sam Kruse, Mike Nicodemus, Alissa Reeves, Michelle Schneider, Tyler Schnuckel, and Stephen Wheeler will all perform solos during the jazz ensemble's program. The ensemble's program will also feature a trumpet solo by Wood and a trombone solo by John Kolbo, an instructor of art at Morningside.

For more information about the Morningside Music Department, call 712-274-5210.

Female singers from 12 high schools will participate in the Women in Song Festival hosted by the Morningside College music department on Thursday, Nov. 6, in Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Avenue.

The singers will rehearse from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. before they present a short concert at 7 p.m. The concert will conclude with a performance by the Bell Canto Singers, a choir comprised of female Morningside College students directed by Joan Enockson, an adjunct faculty member at Morningside. The Morningside College Jazz Choir, directed by Timothy Watson, visiting assistant professor of music and choral director, will perform prior to the concert at 6:45 p.m. Watson is also the director of the Women in Song Festival.

The concert is free of charge and open to the public.

The female singers who will participate in the festival are from Battle Creek/Ida Grove, Des Moines Hoover, Lawton-Bronson, Maple Valley/Anthon-Oto, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Westwood, and Woodbury Central High Schools in Iowa, Minnesota New Country and Worthington High Schools in Minnesota, Homer High School in Nebraska, and Avon and Wakonda High Schools in South Dakota.

Watson, in his first year at Morningside, was previously a vocal music instructor at Le Mars Community Schools, where he also served in an administrative position as music coordinator of the school district’s music department. Watson holds a master of music degree in vocal performance from the University of South Dakota and a bachelor of arts degree in music education with an emphasis in vocal from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa.

Jill Ellickson, daughter of John and Joan Ellickson of Sioux City, will present a soprano voice recital on Sunday, Nov. 9, at 7:30 p.m. in Eppley Auditorium, 3625 Garretson Avenue.

Ellickson, a senior at Morningside College who is majoring in music education, is a past graduate of Sioux City North High School.

Ellickson will perform songs composed by Paul Bowles, Johannes Brahms, John Dowland, Gabriel Faur, Geroge Frideric Handel, Felix Mendelssohn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Gioachino Rossini.

Emily Faber, a mezzo soprano from Le Mars, Iowa, who is a junior music performance major at Morningside, will join Ellickson to perform Rossini’s “Duetto Buffo Di Due Gatti.”

Mabel Huldeen, a collaborative pianist for Morningside’s music department, will accompany Ellickson.

Morningside College nursing student Shawna Simmons of Des Moines, Iowa, was one of 50 students selected out of more than 500 applicants nationwide for the U.S. Navy’s Nurse Candidate Program (NCP).

The “swearing-in” ceremony recently took place in the Helen Levitt Art Gallery of the Eppley Fine Arts Building.

The NCP is a path within the Naval Nurse Corps pipeline that upon graduation, leads to a commission as an Ensign in the Naval Reserve Officer Corp. The program is designed for those individuals who are a freshman or sophomore at a university that has an accredited Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program. The NCP allows an individual to complete his or her BSN within two years.

Dr. Grant Tracey will appear at Morningside College to read from his new book “Parallel Lines and the Hockey Universe” on Monday, Nov. 3, at 7:30 p.m. in the UPS Auditorium of the Lincoln Center, 3627 Peters Avenue.

The public is invited to the free event, which is sponsored by The Sioux City Readings Series and Morningside’s Academic and Cultural Arts Series (ACAS).

“Parallel Lines and the Hockey Universe” is a fiction novel about the lives of the Traicheffs, a Canadian family of Macedonian descent. One son stays in Toronto as a cab driver, while another moves to Waterloo, Iowa, where he writes about hockey for the local newspaper. Tracey writes about the players on the team, their coaches and fans, and about the kids the brothers knew while growing up in school.

Tracey, who was born in Toronto, grew up in a hockey culture. “Hockey Night in Canada” was regular television viewing in his home on Wednesdays and Saturdays as his family cheered on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Tracey is the fiction editor of the North American Review and an associate professor of English at the University of Northern Iowa, where he is the coordinator of creative writing. His work on actor James Cagney and director Samuel Fuller has been published, and he is the author of “A Filmography of American History.”

Tracey has been at Northern Iowa since 1996. He is a graduate of Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario. Tracey holds a master’s degree from Kansas State University and a doctorate from the University of Illinois.

The Sioux City Readings Series, which began in 1998, brings nationally published poets, novelists, and short story writers to Sioux City. Its creator and coordinator is Dr. Stephen Coyne, professor of English at Morningside College.

Morningside College 's women's swimming team made a triumphant debut in the varsity swimming ranks with an impressive 134-61 dual meet victory against Buena Vista University on Oct. 24 in Sioux City.

The Mustangs, who competed in their first-ever women's swimming meet, won 10 of the 11 events.

Buena Vista won the men's dual 114-21. Morningside is fielding a varsity men's swimming team for the first time since the 1968-69 season.

The Mustang women had four athletes win two events. The Mustangs' multiple winners were:

Cori White , a freshman from Sioux Falls, S.D., who won the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 5:48.36 and the 1000-yard free style with a time of 11:58.49.

Ally Stepp , a freshman from Orange, Calif., who won the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:03.69 and the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:05.99.

Amanda Thompson , a freshman from Mariposa, Calif., who won the 50-yard freestyle with a time of 25.67 and the 100-yard freestyle with a time of 56.72.

Stephenie Lacine , a freshman from Camargo, Ill., who won the 100-yard breaststroke with a time of 1:16.11 and the 200-yard individual medley with a time of 2:26.98.

White, Stepp, Thompson, and Lacine also combined to lead Morningside to victories in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay with times of 2:00.21 and 3:58.70, respectively.

Morningside had one individual champion in the men's competition as Ryan Moseman , a freshman from Lincoln , Neb., won the 500-yard freestyle with a time of 6:15.35. Moseman also placed second in the 100-yard butterfly with a time of 1:01.20.

The Mustangs' other points in the men's competition came from Zach Martin , a freshman from Garland, Texas, who placed second in the 100-yard backstroke and the 200-yard individual medley with times of 1:08.84 and 2:33.51, respectively.

The Morningside women had five second place efforts in the individual events.  Rachel Shoup , a freshman from Houston, Texas, finished second in the 1000-yard freestyle (12:19.34) and the 100-yard backstroke (1:09.86). K.C. Steele , a freshman from Sioux City, placed second in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:20.60) and the 200-yard individual medley (2:32.67). Molly Musselman , a freshman from Sioux City, placed second in the 200-yard freestyle with a time of 2:19.08.

Michelle Handsaker-Joloud, learning disabilities tutor for student services at Morningside College and a 2003 graduate of Morningside, received first place in the Biographical Story category of the Spring 2003 Pictures & Stories Literature & Art Open Competition sponsored by the Gutenberg Litegrahic Society.

Handsaker-Joloud’s winning entry, “Cold War Dissolve,” chronicled her relationship with her father, a member of the military, and her father’s relationship with her daughters.

In addition to her first place submission, her entries “Portals Into Otherness” and “Resurrection” each received honorable mention in the Biographical Story category.

“Portals Into Otherness” detailed how she met her husband, a native of Russia, while “Resurrection” was about the first meeting between her husband and father and how it affected her relationship with her father.

The Gutenberg Litegraphic Society is a nonprofit 501©3 corporation dedicated to creativity, exploration, preservation, respect, courage and empowerment of creative individuals. The society’s mission is to create the finest online community of writers and artists in the world. It was named after Johannes Gutenberg, who invented the movable-type printing press in the 15th Century.