Morningside Connect

In the long-standing tradition of mission work and trips at Morningside College, Campus Ministries again went out to serve. We went to Minneapolis, Minn., to work at Simpson United Methodist Church on the south side of town Oct. 14-18, 2015. This church runs a homeless shelter that houses 60 men and 40 women each night. They specialize in helping people transition from homelessness into mainstream society through the services and programs they offer.

The three students and I helped the church clean out the old choir room and the costume room during the two days we were there. The collection of things in each room had been piling up for more than 50 years, and the church was ready to use these spaces for something new, as it looks to expand its ministries in this ever-changing society. The church was very thankful because the work we were able to accomplish in two days would have taken the church two months.

One of the nights, we went out to dinner with three alumni: Marc Shriver ’00, TJ Stadem ’10, and Laura Seymour ’00. Each of them was able to talk to the students and share how life after college brought new and exciting things, as well as some of the unexpected challenges life brings. As the discussion continued, we started talking about what each student has been doing in college as they prepare for the next step. Each student was very thankful for the experience and I was thankful to meet some of our outstanding alumni.

As we move forward, we will be meeting with alumni on each mission trip, hoping that we can connect, give the current students a similar experience, and share and update alumni about how Morningside has changed and what we are currently doing at the college. Thank you for your continued support of our students and watch your email for us to come to your city sometime in the future! Spring 2016 will be in Nashville, Tenn.!

Ryan Russell

The articles in this series have focused on mentoring and providing advice to students as well as to others in your professional network.   I have exciting news!  Morningside College Career Services has added a feature to our job posting site, the College Central Network.  Alumni can now register for our Mentoring Network.  This platform is more geared toward information gathering for students than direct mentoring/interaction.  It is our hope that students can access information on a variety of careers from various alumni to gain more information on their chosen career path.

We would like to fill this platform with lots of information from alumni before opening it up to students.  If you are interested in answering just a few short questions, you can make a positive impact on a current student! These questions run the gamut from what is your current job to what was your first job after you finished school and how did you find it, as well as what aspects of your education best prepared you for your career.

Once you register on the site, you also have access to all the job leads and employment material advice and tips!  It’s a one-stop shop!  Keep an eye on the Morningside College Alumni Facebook page for instructions on how to register or contact me at hays@morningside.edu

Stacie Hays

Bill Zahren, class of 1986, is the author of the newly released book Officer Involved, a book that is set in Sioux City, Iowa, and features a main character that is a Morningside College graduate.

Zahren started writing the book in 1998 but took a break after he got discouraged by the number of hoops he had to jump through to get it published.

“Writing a book is a lot of work,” said Zahren. “Drafting 89,000 words is just a small part of it. Editing over and over and over is the real challenge.”

The book was revived in 2014 when Zahren started working towards self-publication. It was released by Mill City Press in Minneapolis on Oct. 6 and is currently available in paperback and eBook through Zahren’s website, billzahren.com. It can also be found at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

The fictional novel is set in Sioux City primarily because of Zahren’s fondness for the area.

“As in every novel, the characters are amalgams of characteristics and mannerisms of a lot of people,” said Zahren. “There’s definitely bits of people I knew in the county attorney’s office in Hillary Reed. Tom Kingman is the reporter I always fantasized about being but never was. Some of the stuff he does, real reporters probably wouldn’t or couldn’t do for various reasons.”

Office Involved is the first of four books in the series. The second book, Paper Trail, is tentatively planned to be published in the fall of 2016. The series continues on with the story of Tom and Hillary as they dig to discover the truth of crimes.

Zahren majored in mass communication with a double minor in English and history. After college he worked as a newspaper reporter for the Le Mars Daily Sentinel and the Sioux City Journal for nine years. He and his wife, Rhonda, now live in West Des Moines, Iowa. Rhonda is a registered nurse, and Bill works as a self-employed freelance marketing writer when he is not writing novels.

It is appropriate at this time of the year to pause and give thanks for the many blessings that come our way.

I am in my 30^th year at Morningside College and have been a part of so many wonderful moments with students, alumni, faculty, and staff. This is such a special place for students to grow in so many different ways. Growing, however, isn’t a one-way street. Those of us fortunate enough to serve in the various capacities that we do at Morningside College grow as well. Learning and growing lasts a lifetime for all of us!

Again, thank you for your continued love and support. May you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving.

Gene Ambroson

Life as a Morningside College freshman can be an eye-opening experience. First-time college students can come to college with different expectations.

Sophomore Travis Metzger recalls what he thought college would be like his freshman year, “I really wasn’t expecting to have this experience. I thought college would be go to class, hang out with friends, sleep and repeat. I never anticipated the level of difficulty, the amount of thinking I would be doing, or all the fun I would have. It’s been a much better experience than I thought it would be.”

He came in his freshman year as a vocal music education major but after the first semester he got burnt out. He took a calculus II class last semester and ended up enjoying it.

“I wasn’t for sure at the beginning of the semester if I really wanted to be a mathematics major,” said Metzger, “but going through the classes this semester has convinced me.”

He dedicates a chunk of his time to solving the puzzling math problems but also spends time in Eppley for voice lessons, practice hours, college choir, and brass ensemble. His schedule as a sophomore is jam-packed full of opportunities and experiences.

“I enjoy getting to experience a lot of things, and I’ve revamped my schedule, so it is even more filled this year,” said Metzger. “It’s great to do so much more and be involved on campus, but it can also stink sometimes when trying to hold yourself to a high academic standard.”

Along with being involved in the music department, Metzger holds a leadership role in the ACACIA fraternity. He is currently the treasurer of it and in charge of the recruitment process.

“It has taught me swaths of leadership skills, from planning events to organizing and increasing involvement,” said Metzger. “I’ve also learned many things about managing money for small groups.”

Despite his accomplishments of making the Dean’s List, participating in two general student recitals, and being elected Brother of the Week for ACACIA, Metzger says his biggest accomplishment this year is “waking up for my alarm. That outstrips any other thing I’ve done this year, hands down.”

Metzger is majoring in mathematics with minors in music and economics. He expects to graduate in May 2018. He plans on going on to graduate school for his master’s and hopes to eventually work towards his doctorate.