Morningside Connect

Morningside College celebrated Homecoming September 30 and October 1 and 2. It was great to see so many alumni and friends back on campus. We hope you had a great time attending events, reuniting with your friends and making new ones. If you were unable to experience Homecoming in person, we captured some great photos so you can share in the experience.

We’d love to see the photos you took.  Please share your Homecoming photos with us by sending an email with them attached to alumni@morningside.edu.

1956 and 1966 Class Reunions

Dinner with the President

Members of the 1956 and 1966 classes were invited to socialize at a dinner at President John and Robin Reynders’ home. Graduates enjoyed reminiscing and looking at old yearbooks. Click here to see more.

Friday Night Festivities

Alumni & Friends Gathering

Alumni and friends gathered Friday night at Bev’s on the River to reconnect. The reunion class of 1991 and the affinity groups AOII, Cross Country & Track and the Jazz Band reunited and reminisced over dinner.  Alumni also enjoyed a performance by the Morningside College Jazz Band. Click here to see more.

Morningside College Volleyball

Morningside vs. Grace

Morningside’s volleyball team scored five wins in its last seven matches with a 25-18, 25-19, 25-9 sweep of Grace University in Friday’s non-conference match in Allee Gymnasium.  Click here to see more.

Amazing Mustang Race

Campus-Wide Obstacle Course

The inaugural Amazing Mustang Race kicked off Saturday’s Homecoming festivities.  Teams of alumni, faculty, staff, students and families followed clues through campus and completed six challenges before racing to the finish line at Elwood Olsen Stadium.  All seven teams that competed won tickets to spend at the Taste of Morningside. The race was followed by a pancake feed for all alumni and friends.  Click here to see more.

Campus Tours

Explore the Campus

On both Friday and Saturday, campus tours were provided so alumni and friends could see the changes across campus and share stories about their days at Morningside. All tours began and ended at the Dimmitt Alumni House. Click here to see more.

M-Club Luncheon

Alumni Athletics Celebration & Awards

The annual M-Club Luncheon was Saturday morning in the Yockey Family Community Room to induct new members into the M-Club Hall of Fame. The 2016 M-Club Hall of Fame inductees were Dani Gass ’09, Chris Johnson ’06, Ken Stripling ’60, Dan Travaille ’66 and the undefeated 2008-09 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship Team.   Click here to see more.

Morningside College Football

Morningside vs. Concordia

No. 6-ranked Morningside celebrated Homecoming with a 55-13 victory over Concordia (Neb.) on Saturday at Elwood Olsen Stadium. Spectators were able to enjoy the Marching Mustangs, who provided half-time entertainment and extra support from the stands. Click here to see more.

Taste of Morningside

Post-Game Party

Students, alumni, family and friends enjoyed food from local favorites and beverages of all kinds. Children had fun with games and activities for just them. The Massive Brass Attack provided musical entertainment. Click here to see more.

Morningside College Soccer

Morningside vs. Concordia

The Morningside College women’s and men’s soccer teams battled Concordia on Saturday at Elwood Olsen Stadium. Fans watched the Mustang women get edged out 2-1 by the Bulldogs.  The men also suffered a 3-0 loss. Click here to see more.

A Look Around

Campus Photos

Morningside College was founded in 1894.  During the past 120 years, the campus has grown into one of the most beautiful spaces in Siouxland. Take a moment to see if you recognize any of your favorite buildings. Click here to see more.

Here’s the answer to last month’s trivia question: the construction of the fine arts building started in the spring of 1965. It was completed and dedicated to Eugene C. Eppley on October 9, 1966.

Congratulations to David Wagner, Patricia Lyn Nieland, Glenda Den Herder, Geraldine Day, Barbara Eckerman, Elizabeth Swanson Bushard, Marianne Cole, Bette Day Stern, Dale Howard, Lynne Boulden, Sharyn Cook, Delbert Christensen and Steve Hansen.

Here’s this month’s trivia question:

“Subject to editorial fallibility, the best will be printed.” In what literary magazine and what year did this quote appear? What is this name of the magazine today?

The first 10 individuals with correct answers will be given a prize.

Bill Zahren, a 1986 graduate of Morningside College, majored in mass communication with a double minor in English & history. Zahren’s new novel Paper Trail was released by Mill City Press in late September. Paper Trail continues with the story of the lead characters from Zahren’s debut novel, Officer Involved: Assistant Woodbury County Attorney Hillary Reed and Sioux City Sentinel-Leader reporter Tom Kingman. The fictional Kingman is a Morningside College alumnus.

Officer Involved was published in the fall of 2015. The characters Kingman and Reed were inspired by Zahren’s time as a journalist for the Sioux City Journal from 1988 to 1995.

 “It’s fun to be a sort of super-reporter in print with Tom Kingman,” Zahren said. “Some of the stuff he does, real reporters probably wouldn’t or couldn’t do for various reasons. But some of the stuff that ran through my head — but didn’t come out of my mouth — during my years as a reporter continues to show up in my books.”

Both of Zahren’s novels were influenced by his time at Gateway Inc. from 1995 to 1999.

“Working at Gateway was one of the best jobs I’ve ever had. I still feel camaraderie for my former colleagues. In fact, the book is dedicated to all my co-workers at Gateway. I hope they enjoy the nuances in the book that were inspired by the big cow-spotted building in North Sioux.”

In Paper Trail, characters Kingman and Reed stay a week in Kingman’s hometown of Council Bluffs so he can go undercover at Cryptotech, a technology-oriented corporation in Omaha.

Another focus of Zahren’s novel is faith.

 “Hillary is a serious Christian and Tom is a serious skeptic, so their exploration of each other’s beliefs or lack thereof will continue to be an element in my books,” Zahren said.

Zahren’s goal is to make Tom Kingman Morningside’s most famous fictional alumnus. He has two more manuscripts featuring Kingman and Reed in varying stages of editing with plans for a fifth. He hopes to publish the next book, Avenging Angel, set back in Siouxland, in the fall of 2017, followed by Tipsy House, set in Okoboji, a year later.

Signed copies of Paper Trail are available at Sioux City Gifts, 1922 Pierce St., Sioux City. Both Paper Trail and Officer Involved are available on Amazon.com, on BN.com,  or through any Barnes and Noble bookstore.

Learn more at billzahren.com.