Morningside Connect

Greetings from Morningside College! The campus is a hive of activity as we get ready for commencement on May 9^th. This is a very busy, yet exciting time for our graduates. The class of 2015 is getting ready for finals, writing papers, finishing up internships, and student teaching positions. They are also getting ready to walk the stage and start a new chapter in their lives. We are excited to welcome the class of 2015, as they transition from being students to being alumni, and are looking forward to having them involved in all our events and activities around the country.

We are also working on launching another new chapter, our 5^th one, in Chicago. This chapter will be launched at an event on May 14^th. The event will be held at the Union League Club of Chicago located at 65 west Jackson Blvd. This chapter is being headed up by Patrick Murphy, class of 1997.

In addition to this chapter, we are looking at five additional metropolitan areas around the country to launch new chapters in the next fiscal year. We have also received inquiries from areas with smaller alumni populations about starting a chapter and are exploring opportunities in these areas as well.

If you are interested in more information about this program, or would like to volunteer to lead a chapter in your area please feel free to contact me: nathaniel@morningside.edu or 1-800-831-0806, ext. 5295.

Howdy!!

Wow! Since our last note to you – a great deal has taken place.

Tremendous progress has been made on the beginning stages of the remodel of the Dimmitt Residence Complex. Amber Burg, an aspiring photo-journalist, has been chronicling the progress. Please see her report on the “front-page” of our Alumni E-Newsletter.

In mid-March, President John Reynders, delivered to the campus community – the latest draft of the Strategic Plan. This plan is the culmination of a Strategic Planning Task Force formed last summer to look at where we are with the college and where we need to go by the year 2025.

As you know, the College recently polled alumni about a number of topics. Thank you to the hundreds of you that worked with us as we sought your input on how we did while you were here; what was important to you while here; how we impacted your life in some way. In the Spring-Summer issue of the Morningsider I want to direct your attention to President Reynders column. He will speak in some depth about the findings. At that same time, we will share with you – what you had to say to us and what it means.

All the best…until next time – SAVE THE DATE! HOMECOMING – 2015 – OCTOBER 9/10!!

Gene Ambroson

The Dimmitt Hall renovations are starting to pick up the pace and the work zones are spreading. The construction crew have been working on areas that are currently unoccupied or closed off to students. They have setup work zone areas around and throughout Dimmitt Hall.
They have even installed the first test window to see what it will look like on the building. They have also been busy laying new pipes for the building.

The front apartments on both sides of Dimmitt Hall have had work started on.

In certain rooms, trenches have been dug to lay out the new pipe.

This is the test window. All of the windows will look like this after the remodel is complete on Dimmitt Hall.

ODK, a national leadership honor society for upperclassmen, held Honors Convocation on April 8 to honor students, faculty, and staff that have been doing outstanding work during this year.

Faculty from each department come together to decide on which student has been excelling or doing outstanding work. The students recognized also are recipients of outstanding grades.

ODK members recognize an outstanding sophomore, staff member, faculty, and campus organization. This year’s winners were Jordan Heim was the Sophomore Cup recipient; Chris Spicer, associate professor of mathematics, received the Faculty Person of the Year; Gail Dooley, professor of music, was presented the First-Year Teaching/Advising Award; Donna Galati Huls, writing center consultant, received the Staff Member of the Year; and the Tommeraasen Award of Excellence was presented to two outstanding campus organizations, International Student Association and the Kiosk Magazine.

Jordan Heim, Sophomore Cup winner.

Donna Galati Huls, Staff member of the year.

The new officers for the 2015-2016 Student Government team.

Students being recognized for their outstanding work in the Business Department.

Jack Danks is a senior at Morningside College majoring in biology. Some might say he is the typical involved college student. He’s on the soccer team, in Beta Beta Beta, has held leadership roles in ACACIA, and participates in multiple other activities. However, he has a mindset and an outlook on life that’s different.

“I was raised in a household and an environment that taught me to always use the abilities that I have to help other people and to put other people’s needs in front of my own,” said Danks.

That mindset has taken him on a two-year journey that has had its ups and downs, but to him is worth it.

Jack started growing his hair out two-years ago, and not just for fun or for looks. It started because he wanted to help improve another person’s self esteem and outlook on life. He plans on donating his hair to Wigs for Kids once it’s long enough.

“By growing out my hair I feel that I am having a direct impact on another person’s life and that to me is the best thing a human can do for another human,” said Danks.

His hair is currently at twelve inches and he still has another eight inches to go.

His journey has not only allowed him to work towards helping another person but to grow as an individual.

“As a male with long hair some people think it is a little odd or feminine and occasionally I am even mistaken as a female,” said Danks.

Often people will stare at him as he walks or make comments. Danks throughout the process has adjusted to the stares and comments. After awhile, he stopped noticing them.

His advice for those who want to join in and grow their hair out to donate is to make sure you have lots of shampoo and conditioner. Also, if you’re a male, have female friends that can help you.

Danks plans on going to vet school after he graduates. If his future school and job allow it, he plans on taking this journey again and again.

Graduation is quickly approaching! As students get ready to graduate, they are starting to look at the next step in their lives and analyzing their options. This is a great time to add quality staff if your organization needs to fill a position or expand. Here are a couple of tips on how to help our students, yourself, and your organization by making employment referrals.

1. Talk to your organization about openings – If you are not a hiring/staffing professional, it is easy to lose touch with the needs of your organization, particularly if those needs are not in your area or department. Check your organizational website, or talk with human resources, or other department staff to determine if you have immediate needs. This time of year is the best time to hire new grads, so if you think you may have a need in the near future, consider posting a position soon so you don’t miss out on the very best candidates!
2. Make connections to Career Services or offer referrals to do so – Reach out to me at hays@morningside.edu or via phone at (7120 274-5032. I’m happy to talk to you about students/majors that might meet the criteria you are looking for. This can be done informally, with an alumni informing me of potential openings, through an introduction to Human Resources, or through a referral where an alum provides the hiring manager with my direct information. If your company offers a referral bonus for new employees hired, we can work to funnel all applicants to you first, and even provide faculty recommendations so you feel good about the referral you are making.
3. Learn about the recruiting process – At Morningside, we post all positions on our job posting site at collegecentral.com/morningside. Once posted, we tweet all full time openings on the Morningside College Career Services twitter account (msidecareers), and post them on the Morningside College Career Services LinkedIn Group (as well as on the Morningside College Business Department LinkedIn group if applicable). I also send direct e-mails to upcoming grads with the desired major, as well as the department chair of the applicable area. This ensures the student has multiple opportunities to see what positions are available. The best benefit of this process is that is completely FREE! There are no costs to promote your position on campus.

No one knows better than our alumni the kind of quality education our students receive. Time after time, I receive personal phone calls, e-mails, and in person visits from employers who are impressed by our students’ efforts. By making a targeted referral of a Morningside graduate to your organization, you can benefit by making an immediate and positive impact to your company. I would love to talk with you about your organization’s needs!

Stacie Hays

Playing Life by Ear is a collection of poetry and prose that doesn’t cover the story of one’s life but the multiple stories that make up a life. Author Doris Markland writes about the odd things that happened, the funny things, the challenging things, and thoughts that rhyme and bring on a smile.

Doris Markland is a 1946 graduate of Morningside College. Her major was English. Upon graduation she was offered many writing jobs including offers from Hallmark Cards Inc. and a chief editor position at Mayo Clinic. Markland chose to take her career in a different path and headed out to become a high school teacher.

Later in life, she did write greeting cards for Hallmark Cards Inc. along with various other companies. This is the first book she has written but she has been published before in multiple magazines including Good Old Days, Mature Living, and the Saturday Evening Post.

“My poetry is very down to earth,” said Markland. “Many of these poems echo my search for meaning in life, but I write about ordinary things too and most with a touch of humor.”

Playing Life by Ear covers her years of smoking and how she quit and taught hundreds of people how to quit, about being a young parent, the real experiences of aging, how people learned to hug in the 70’s and 80’s, and cultural journeys. It is a collection of writings that have been written throughout the years.

“We learn not only by what we experience in life but also by observing the odd moments and the bright moments of our siblings and parents,” said Markland.“

Markland says her book will appeal most to seniors because she writes about things that they experience and think about. She writes for the sharp older generation and their middle-aged kids.

“Most of the material is either very thoughtful, comforting, inspirational, or very funny,” said Markland. “There’s some of everything.”

Markland’s book has 182 pages and is currently offered in softcover. It is available to purchase at http://bookstore.iuniverse.com. In the future, it will be available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other bookstores.

We had multiple good answers for last months trivia question, How many students is Dimmitt Hall capable of housing?

The correct answer is 385 students. Dimmitt Hall has 15 floors and has two-, three-, and four-person rooms. However, the housing capacity number might change this summer as the $14 million renovation of Dimmitt starts in May and ends in August.

The Women’s basketball team brought home a National Championship March 19. The final match was played against Concordia. The final score was Morningside 59, Concordia 57.

Following the championship game, the team and fans went to Bob Roe’s to celebrate their victory.

Photos Courtesy of the Collegian Reporter.

The Morningside College Jazz Band performed at El Fredo’s. Photos Courtesy of Beth Anderson.