Morningside Connect

Catelin Drey, 2010 graduate, spent many hours backstage in Klinger Neal Theatre managing productions and serving as the president of the theatre fraternity, Alpha Psi Omega, her senior year. After graduation she remained active and involved with Morningside College and still holds great relationships with her professors.

To this day, she is asked to return to the theatre department to photograph productions for the archives and has also given presentations to photography classes about art and business. Professor Betty Skewis-Arnett from the theatre department was present at her wedding to Tyrel Drey in 2010, and she still maintains contact with Terri McGaffin and Dolie Thompson in the art department for various art and photography functions.

When asked why she stays involved with the college, Drey said, “I valued the real-world connections I was able to make while in classes and hope to provide the same to current students.” Since her graduation in 2010, Drey has seen the college change with an explosion of new development and building projects that has remarkably transformed the campus appearance.

Drey double majored in photography and Spanish. She initially chose to focus on photography because of her enjoyment for creating art. She chose Spanish because it would make her more employable. In retrospect, she chose these majors because of the connections that she is able to make with different people.

In order to increase her Spanish fluency and broaden her worldview, Drey spent the year after her graduation teaching first grade at a bilingual school in Honduras.  She returned to Sioux City in 2011 and was employed both in banking and social work. Both of these positions were based on her ability to speak Spanish.

Drey then started working part time for the City of Sioux City in order to focus more energy on photography.

In 2014 she officially opened a portrait photography business, Shirley Chic, and has steadily grown her services and client base in Siouxland.   In 2015 she was able to combine both of her degrees when she photographed two weddings where the majority or all of the family members spoke Spanish as their first language.

The 13^th annual Palmer Student Research Symposium was held Wednesday, April 13, on campus. Students from all departments had the opportunity to present their projects and research to campus.

Throughout the day students will share their projects and research results with the campus through oral presentations, poster presentations, or panel discussions.

This year’s Palmer Student Research Symposium keynote speaker was David Thoreson. He presented his speech, “New Horizons: Exploring the Edges of a Changing Planet.” Thoreson grew up in Iowa and is an international photographer, sailor, and the only American explorer in history to sail the Northwest Passage in both directions. Thoreson’s presentation used photography, storytelling, and personal experience and focused on the issue of climate change.

On Sunday, April 10, alumni gathered in the Twin Cities for good food and company at an alumni event.

The Department of Mass Communication has been busy these past few months with a variety of events. Most recently, visiting Woodrow Wilson Fellow Ms. Eleanor Clift was on campus the week of April 11. In addition to her public lecture on April 13, she spoke to many classes, including Introduction to Mass Communication and the Mass Comm Capstone Seminar.

Student-run Fusion 93 KMSC Radio, 92.9 FM, recently hosted its annual Community Connection. During this daylong broadcast from the lobby of the Olsen Student Center, Mass Comm students interviewed representatives from many Siouxland area nonprofit organizations, providing those organizations with some much-needed exposure to KMSC listeners and to students, faculty and staff who happened to be walking by during the day. Mass Comm sophomore Taylor DeVary was the organizer of this year’s event, assisted by many KMSC staffers.

A new chapter of the National Broadcasting Society (NBS) has been formed on campus, with 20 Mass Comm students signing up as our first members. NBS also has a national honor society, Alpha Epsilon Rho, to which three graduating seniors have been elected: Derek Krayenhagen, Channing Pick and Jenni Theisen. Mass Comm Department Chair and Professor Dave Madsen is advisor to NBS.

In March, two Mass Comm students, sophomore Zach Schoenecker and freshman Derrick Curtis, attended the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System’s annual convention in New York City. They participated in several sessions designed to improve college radio stations, like our KMSC. They brought back a Golden Microphone Award for best play-by-play of a women’s basketball game, which was awarded to Mass Comm December 2016 graduate Jennifer Theisen. Dr. Mark Heistad is advisor for KMSC. He’s been on medical leave this semester, recovering from treatment for esophageal cancer. He’s been doing well, and has come to campus a few times this semester just to check in.

Also in March, students in Mass Comm finished up production of the local high school Quiz Bowl program in our MCTV studio. Two Mass Comm students, junior Jordan Heim and sophomore Rachel Potter, served as producer and director for this series of 15 half-hour programs which are produced in our TV studio, and then broadcast on the local ABC-TV station, KCAU-TV.

Mass Comm students have had a full schedule this semester of radio, TV and online streaming coverage of Mustang men’s and women’s basketball games, a softball game, a men’s volleyball game, and the GPAC Dance & Cheer competition. In addition, students provided online streaming for a Business Department “Entrepreneur in the Classroom” forum.

And students under the guidance of Dr. Ross Fuglsang continue to provide coverage of many events on campus for our online student newspaper, The Collegian Reporter.

Rosanne L. Plante, class of 1993, was crowned Mrs. Iowa International on February 7^th at Woodbury County Extension Service. Plante will go on to compete for the title of Mrs. International 2016 during the final competition in Jacksonville, Fla., July 22-23, 2016.

Plante is an attorney and lead instructor/advisor of the paralegal studies program at Western Iowa Tech Community College. She enjoys gardening, antiquing, and crafting in her spare time. She also devotes her time and talents to numerous professional and charitable organizations.

Plante is a certified Iowa Master Gardener, having been awarded her 10-year and 500+ community service hours lifetime achievement awards. She is also a member of the Iowa Bar Association, president of the Iowa State Bar Association’s Public Service Project, and a founding and continuing planning committee member of the Siouxland Garden Show.

During her reign as Mrs. Iowa International, Plante will promote the healthy and family advantages of home and school gardens. She has created the “Green Ambassador” program and will be working with the Sioux City Gospel Mission. Her goal is to encourage 100 individuals/families to plant a row/portion of “hope” in their gardens and provide fresh produce to the Gospel Mission’s soup kitchen and pantry.

“I am honored and thrilled to represent my local community and state as Mrs. Iowa 2016,” said Plante. “My year of service will be dedicated to my passions of horticulture education and raising awareness about how each individual can contribute to ending hunger in their community.”

Students, organizations, faculty, and President John Reynders stood on the ‘M’ for the stand against human trafficking, taking turns over a 24-hour period. This event, organized by students in the political science course Human Rights and Women’s Rights, was held to raise awareness and support for the Siouxland Coalition Against Human Trafficking. The Siouxland Coalition is attempting to establish a restoration house in Sioux City for trafficking survivors.

Students were invited to stand on the ‘M’ with blue T-shirts that bore the number 4.5 million, which signifies the total number of victims of sex trafficking. The ‘M’ was decorated with informative signs and statistics about the issue of sex trafficking locally and globally.

Members of the Morningside College Choir joined the stand and piqued additional interest with a vocal performance.

A panel discussion on the topic of sex trafficking was held Tuesday, April 5^th. The panel included four different areas of expertise, including representatives from the Centers Against Abuse & Sexual Assault, Bruce Hogel from the Sioux City Police Department, Bernadette Rixner from Siouxland Coalition Against Human Trafficking, and Libby Claeys from Sk8 to End Sex Trafficking.

The Stand Against Human Trafficking will become an annual event to continually raise awareness and gain support for victims of human trafficking.

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Judy Bennett, Jeff Bennett, John Knepper, Marty Knepper, Marilyn Van Ausdall, John Van Ausdall, Mike Schmidt, and Jane Schmidt.

Some Morningside College graduates got together in Des Moines, Iowa, for a theatre alumni reunion. They went to see the Hollywood in the Heartland exhibit.

Marty Knepper by the ’57 Chevy with video of her commentary on the windshield at Hollywood at the Heartland exhibit.

Lorenzo Sandoval and Marilyn Van Ausdall.

Mike Schmidt, Marilyn Van Ausdall, Jeff Bennett, and John Van Ausdall.

The Morningside College Choir went on its five-state tour over spring break. The choir performed at Faith Bible Church in Mapleton, Iowa; Overland Park Christian Church in Overland Park, Kan.; King of Glory Lutheran Church in Arvada, Colo.; United Presbyterian Church in Laramie, Wyo.; and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Omaha, Neb.

The choir was directed by Tim Watson, assistant professor of music and director of choral activities.