Spring 2007 - Northwestern College

A publication for Northwestern College alumni & friends • Spring 2007Caring About CreationAre we ruling or ruining God’s world?

President’sreportNorthwestern ClassicDr. Bruce MurphyPresidentJoy in the Struggle“Going Deep.” The title leaped out at me as I was leafing through a stack of articles on my desk. Thesubtitle indicated the article wasn’t about hitting home runs or fishing—my first thoughts—but about aninvaluable kind of learning that has all but disappeared in many of our colleges and universities. I pickedup the article and began to read.DEEP is an acronym for Documenting Effective Educational Practices. In the article, the practices of20 higher educational institutions are described. The list is impressive. But more intriguing is the definitionof educational success underlying them all.The primary purpose of higher education, according to one official interviewed, is not to prepare studentsfor secure employment, or even to assist them in becomingexperts in a particular area of knowledge, but to help them clarify their values and connecttheir personal and professional goals.Earlier this school year, the Northwestern College Board of Trustees approved a newdocument designed to shape our campus for years to come. Entitled “A Vision forLearning” (www.nwciowa.edu/vision), it charges faculty and staff to help students trustGod, engage ideas, connect ideas and experience, and respond to God’s call. In other words, itchallenges us to go deep as a community of learners.Such learning is indeed invaluable, but it is also arduous. There is a reason many collegesand universities have chosen another course. Clarifying values and nurturing appropriatecommitments in today’s pluralistic world is not easy—even for Christians.Our temptation as Christian educators is to not go deep at all but simply to provide“God’s answers” to life’s meaning and purpose. A parable tells of a math student whonever became a mathematician. The reason? He looked up the answers in the back of thebook, and his answers were all correct!▼Our temptation as Christianeducators is to not go deepat all but simply to provide“God’s answers” to life’smeaning and purpose.To go deep and become a mature person of faith requires struggle—facing and overcoming confusion, doubt and evil. It isa rewarding journey, but not an easy one. Deep waters reveal a richness of life but as we navigate through them, obstacles oftenblock our sight, predators lie in wait, and we have to hold our breath to see.In our search for life’s answers, we must discipline our minds and hearts not to come up for air too soon, not to give upthe battle and settle for immediate but superficial versions of God’s truth. There is the joy of seeing—there are answers to life’sfundamental questions; there is divine guidance. But what we learn is that these answers and this joy have little meaning withoutthe struggle.It is in the struggle that we come, truly, to know ourselves and the gracious heart of God. To introduce students to this excitingbut difficult—sometimes even dangerous—adventure of faith is central to our calling as a Christian educational institution.The issue of global warming is one of those requiring deep study and discernment. Not all Christians agree aboutwhether this is even a problem, let alone how urgent it is and what our response should be. Last fall, the campus examinedthe claims and realities regarding climate change in a two-session forum. And now we bring it to you as this issue’s coverstory. Go deep …▲2 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicClassiccontentsclassicpeopleSpring 2007 Vol. 79, No. 1EditorDuane Beeson(712-707-7116,beeson@nwciowa.edu)13page4Campus newspage13Cool TimePhoto essaypage14Community 101Mission HouseWhat’s insideStaff WritersCarrie (Odell ’01) AndersonDuane BeesonAnita CirulisTamara FynaardtBethany Kroeze ’08Carrie (Carlson ’96) KrohnContributing PhotographersAssociated PressTom BeckerDuane BeesonDoug BurgAnita CirulisDan RossDesignersAnji BennettJohn Vander Stelt ’83The Classic is published quarterly––in April, June, October andDecember–– for alumni and friendsof Northwestern College. So namedbecause it served what was thenknown as the NorthwesternClassical Academy, the Classic wasthe school’s first student newspaper,begun in 1891. It has been analumni publication since 1930.Send correspondence or addresschanges to the Classic, NorthwesternCollege, 101 7th Street SW,Orange City, IA 51041-1996.page18Of coursepage20Creation CareCover storypage26GoodInvestmentAlumni profileTodd Carlson14page17Face valueEarl Woudstrapage28Sports updatepage30Looking backpage31Alumni newsVisit us on the Web at:www.nwciowa.edu20page39Looks LikeRice, TastesLike LoveClassic thoughtsCover photo: An iceberg floats in the bay in Kulusuk, Greenland, near the ArcticCircle. Scientists say global warming has an increasing effect on the Arctic region—with glaciers shrinking, water temperatures warming and permafrost softening—and that nations must take action.3 ▲ Spring 2007

CampusnewsNorthwestern ClassicNWC happeningsStudents continuerebuilding efforts inGulf CoastNorthwestern’s commitment to helping hurricane victimscontinued over Christmas and spring breaks.In December, 25 students and staff worked in the lowincomeNew Orleans neighborhood of Hollygrove, assistingthe ministry of Trinity Christian Community (TCC), demolishingthe interiors of houses and removing mold from them.“It might seem like finishing the mold remediationprocess in nine houses is insignificant,” says DaveNonnemacher, director of service learning. “Not so. I believe itserves as a huge encouragement for the people of Hollygrove.”For senior Kendall Huisman, this was his second trip toNew Orleans since the hurricanes; he went on a SpringService Project to TCC last year.“We saw God working in the hearts and lives of many ofthe residents who were grateful for our assistance,” he says. “Itwas an incredible part of my Christmas break.”Senior Rachel King concurs. “The people taught me somuch—especially about perseverance and hope. I was amazedat the community’s positive attitude. Even though they lost itall, they still had hope in the future and are willing to dowhatever it takes to get their lives back in order.”Another seven students spent part of their Christmasbreak in Lake Charles, La. These students worked withFaithshare Outreach Ministries, helping with ceiling and drywallreconstruction.A NorthwesternStudents in Free Enterprise(SIFE) project was among 12finalists in the 2007Pappajohn New VentureBusiness Plan Competition.Northwestern studentsAlla Miroshnychenko andAndrew Wismer presentedtheir proposal for a developingbusiness enterprise,Teach a Man to Fish, at thecompetition on the campusof Drake University inMarch.Teach a Man to Fishaims to manufacture and distributeself-sustaining aquaculturekits that wouldenable families in developingnations to raise fish and growvegetables. After more thanthree years of research,development and experimentation,the NWC group hasdeveloped a prototype thatrequires only sunlight andwater, operating on a 12-voltsolar system. SIFE seeks tosell 50 of the kits this year torelief agencies for less than$550 apiece.Northwestern again sent volunteer groups to the Gulf Coast region over Christmasand spring breaks this year. The college was named to the President’s HigherEducation Community Service Honor Roll for efforts to help Gulf Coast residentsclean up after Hurricane Katrina.Over spring break, two teams traveled to New Orleans toprovide continued hurricane relief through the ministries ofTCC and Urban Impact. In a service-learning project throughDr. Bob Hubbard’s Performance Studies class, one team of studentsaimed to support Hurricane Katrina survivors throughcommunity-based drama.Early in the week, the students interviewed 13 communitymembers who are trying to reclaim their homes. Northwesternstudents transcribed the stories and turned them into a 40-minute drama they spent the rest of the week rehearsing. Atthe end of the week, community members gathered for a mealand the performance of their survival stories.“We struggled over whether we should be cleaning stormdrains, like other work groups in the area, rather than producingthis show,” says Hubbard. But community members werevery moved. “They feel like the rest of the country has desertedthem,” says Hubbard. “They were grateful someone caresabout keeping their stories alive.”SIFE project finalist in business plan competitionRepresentatives ofNorthwestern’s SIFE teamwill travel to Moldova andRomania this summer towork with a mission organizationto provide kits toselected recipients. Talks arealso under way with agenciesregarding test marketing inKenya and Uganda.The goal, the studentssay, is to feed the hungry. Indoing so, recipients will havethe opportunity to becomeeconomically self-sufficient astheir time will be freed up toseek employment. Recipientsmay choose to sell some oftheir food or set up spawningtanks to provide fish forother systems.Sponsored by JohnPappajohn and EquityDynamics Inc., thePappajohn New VentureBusiness Plan Competition isintended for Iowa collegestudents with an interest instarting their own business.Plans are judged by thepotential investors based ontheir content and viability.4 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicCampusnewsFormer obstetrics unitbirths new nursing programNorthwestern’s newnursing program is getting itsstart in the same place thousandsof children did: theformer obstetrical unit of theOrange City Area HealthSystem’s downtown campus.The facility now housesNorthwestern’s nursing artslaboratory, which began hostingclinical labs and classesfor sophomores this semester.“In God’s grand design,this site has been transformedinto a setting for thebirthing of tomorrow’s healers—nursescommitted toJesus’ healing ministry,” saidDr. Ruth Daumer, chairpersonof the nursing department,at the facility’s dedicationin January.The 3,800-square-footlaboratory is designed toallow Northwestern’sBachelor of Science inNursing Department Chairperson Dr. Ruth Daumer uses a human patient simulatorto show students how to assess for heart murmurs. The nursing program dedicatedits new nursing arts laboratory in January.Nursing (BSN) students todevelop their nursing aptitudesand critical thinking ina state-of-the-art facility thatmimics the experiences theywill have in clinical settings.The facility includes fourpatient rooms, a task trainingroom, a conference room, amock home setting/lounge,an office and a high-technologyclassroom.“We are delighted tolocate our new laboratory atthe Orange City Area HealthSystem’s downtown campus,and we are grateful to thehealth system for their donationof medical equipment,”says Daumer. “Northwesternlooks forward to enhancingour collaborative relationshipwith the Orange City AreaHealth System as we bothendeavor to meet our region’shealth care needs.”Marty Guthmiller ’82,the health system’s CEO, sayshe is pleased the nursingprogram is able to use spacein his organization’s downtowncampus.“We’re very excitedabout Northwestern’s nursingprogram, and we’re anxiouslyawaiting its maturation—notonly to train future nursingstaffs but also to provide forthe continuing education ofour existing nursing staff,” hesays. “We anticipate partneringmore with the college inthe future.”NWC happeningsVocare influence felt across students’ NWC experienceVocare—initiatives to encourage a theological explorationof vocation, funded by $2.5 million in grants fromthe Lilly Endowment—has been a part of Northwestern’scampus ethos since this year’s seniors were freshmen.Exploring, discerning, and exhibiting wisdom andfaithfulness in one’s vocation, or calling, is discussed andmodeled for students in classes, chapel and co-curricularopportunities across campus.This school year, that exploration has engaged students,faculty and staff both on and off campus. In additionto supporting outside speakers, Vocare has funded networkingand mentorship opportunities for women studentswith women who are leaders in the Reformed Church inAmerica and for business majors with alumni who are businessleaders and entrepreneurs.Students have been able to explore vocation withintheir discipline during retreats for the Spanish House,Mission House and English department. Vocare also helpedfund the all-campus Black Hills retreat, a freshman retreat,and a stillness retreat. Several individuals were also supportedwhen they took solitude retreats to reflect and listenfor God’s voice and leading in their vocation.Nearly 20 students have utilized Lilly funds to visitgraduate schools, including Western Theological Seminary.And student-staff teams have attended and presented atconferences for faith development, multicultural affairs,piano performance and theology.Last summer Dr. Dean Calsbeek ’97, kinesiology, andDr. Heather Josselyn-Cranson, music, took exploratory tripsto China and Russia. This summer they are leading groupsof students on summer study abroad courses in those countries.5 ▲ Spring 2007

CampusnewsNorthwestern ClassicNWC happeningsNorthwestern develops Romanian study programNorthwestern is establishing a study abroad program inRomania. The Romania Semester, which will begin offeringclasses in fall 2007, will be the first semester-long studyabroad program operated by NWC.“Romania Semester will be a unique combination ofcross-cultural learning, theory about social development,practice, service, and adventure education,” says Dr. DougCarlson, associate dean for off-campus programs. “This programwill help students develop their intercultural competenceand act on their faith as they work with Romanianswho are trying to bring change to that post-communistnation.”The program will be operated in association with NewHorizons Foundation, a ministry that seeks to use adventureeducation and service-learning experiences to help youngRomanians develop responsibility, teamwork and trust. Oneof the organization’s ultimate goals is to aid sustainable developmentin Romania.New Horizons’ founder and executive director, DanaBates, will serve as on-site program director. Bates is a doctoraldegree candidate at the Oxford Centre for Missions Studies.He earned a Master of Divinity degree from Gordon ConwellTheological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree from GordonCollege.“We hope students will understand more about the postcommunisttrauma and why development is so complicatedhere,” says Bates. “It’s quite hard for an average American tounderstand the extent of the wound that communism inflicted,and its lingering effects. The positive side of this is thatstudents will better understand the importance of things likesocial capital, civil society and active media; the dangers ofcorruption and apathy; and how democratic engagement canhelp people flourish.”Romania Semester will include four courses: RomanianCulture and History, Eastern Orthodoxy, SustainableDevelopment, and Experiential Education: Theory andPractice. Based in Lupeni in a deprived coal-mining region,students will live with area residents for five weeks and haveconstant interaction with Romanians.The program will be offered every fall and is open to sixto 10 students each year. The cost will be the same as asemester on Northwestern’s campus, with a stipend for airfareincluded.The roots of the Romania Semester were established in2004 when Dave Nonnemacher, Northwestern’s director ofservice learning, spent a week exploring study abroad possibilitieswith Bates. Nonnemacher returned to Romania thenext summer to lead a four-week course for NWC students,and Bates met with college officials on campus in the fall of2005.Last summer, Nonnemacher led a small group of studentsin a cross-cultural immersion and service-learningexperience in Romania.“Dana has assembled a very gifted and intelligent groupof Romanians who seek to transform the culture,” saysNonnemacher. “New Horizons is doing the hard work ofincarnational gospel ministry, and working with that organizationwill provide our students a great opportunity to adjusttheir perspective and realize that one person can make a difference.”Students participating in the Romania Semester will have opportunities to interactwith Romanian youth through adventure education and service-learning programs.Here, junior Candi Fender is shown with two children she worked with on the NewHorizons Foundation ropes course during a 2005 short-term study abroad trip.Northwestern currently sends approximately 30 studentsa year to semester study abroad programs operated by theCouncil for Christian Colleges & Universities and otherorganizations. For several years, NWC professors have ledshort-term study abroad programs over summer and winterbreaks to countries including China, Ecuador, France, India,Oman and Russia.6 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicCampusnewsFormer Playhouse siteto be garden of tulipsThe site where the Northwestern theatre department producedhundreds of plays will produce something new in thecoming years: thousands of tulips.Last fall the property that housed the NorthwesternCollege Playhouse was purchased by Nora (Mouw ’83) andBrett Mulder ’85, who live next door. The building was razedso the Mulders can transform the marquee corner into abeautiful landscape of tulips.The Mulders recently purchased Vander Wel Tulip TestGardens from Mary Lou and Don Vander Wel ’58 in hopes ofusing the Playhouse property as a new venue for a dramaticdisplay of tulips. The Vander Wels have grown tulips and soldbulbs from their gardens—an Orange City Tulip Festivalattraction—since 1980.“The central location of the property is great,” says BrettMulder. “We want to keep the tulip tradition going in OrangeCity.”During this transition year, the Mulders will displayapproximately 3,100 tulips in their yard, as well as in theirneighbor’s yard. “Right now, the Playhouse property is amuddy mess,” says Mulder. However, by the 2008 TulipFestival, the Mulders plan to have tulips blooming on theirnew property.The Mulders purchased several salvaged pieces from thePlayhouse, which they hope to incorporate into a new businessstructure on the site. Their purchases include bricks,limestone, a stained-glass window and several vintage lightfixtures.The original American Reformed Church, which became Northwestern’s Playhousein 1970, was razed in December.During the demolition process, other items were salvagedfrom the Playhouse as well. Some were sold to individuals;others, to salvage companies. Vice President for FinancialAffairs Doug Beukelman says the college kept possession ofthe large stained glass window at the north end of the churchand hopes to incorporate it into the learning commons whenit is built.The Playhouse, formerly the American Reformed Church,was purchased for $30,000 in 1970 for the theatre department’suse. George Bernard Shaw’s Arms and the Man was thefirst play to be staged in the Playhouse. Jeff Barker’s awardwinningKin closed the building’s run in the fall of 2003.Students to study in China and Russia this summerCourses led by Northwesternfaculty will take studentsto Russia and Chinathis summer.Dr. Heather Josselyn-Cranson, a music professorand director of music ministries,will teach a programthat focuses on Russian culture,music and language.The China program, led byDr. Dean Calsbeek ’97 of thekinesiology department, willexamine how different culturesview the body. Both arefour-week courses.Josselyn-Cranson spenttwo years in Russia as amember of the Peace Corpsand speaks Russian fluently.She and her students willstay in Artiom in easternRussia, taking day trips tonearby Vladivostok and a sixdayexcursion to Moscow.The course will immersestudents in the Russian wayof life by allowing them tolive with host families andstudy the Russian language.Participants will also attendconcerts, visit local museumsand churches, and tour theKremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedraland Lenin’s Tomb.Calsbeek’s class willstudy the Chinese approachto medicine, physical fitnessand sport, learning aboutpast and current norms andtraditions.Students will stay in theinternational dormitory at BeiWei University in Beijing,where they will interact withChinese students, studyMandarin, and learn Tai Chi,a Chinese martial art. TheNWC students will also hearfrom experts in medicine, fitnessand sports; visit the2008 Olympic venues inBeijing; and meet Olympicathletes and trainers.Excursions are planned tothe Great Wall and Tai’an.“I hope it changes theway students view their ownsociety and opens theirminds to things that are different,”Calsbeek says ofsummer study abroad. “Ihope it helps them understandthe way we do things isnot the right way—it’s just adifferent way.”NWC happenings7 ▲ Spring 2007

CampusnewsNorthwestern ClassicNWC happeningsElaine Hofland, shown in this picture from the 1990s, was a familiar sight in the mailroom.Hofland retires from mailroom careerThe woman known tomany students simply as“The Mailroom Lady” deliveredher last package inDecember. Elaine Hoflandretired after 27 years as themailroom supervisor.When Hofland beganher job in the late 1970s, themailroom was in VanPeursem Hall. “The boxeswere open; they had nolocks,” she recalls. After sometime in VPH, the mailboxeswere transferred to theRowenhorst Student Center.With the current remodelingin the RSC, the mailboxesreturned to VPH last fall, inessence completing the routefrom which Hofland began.Hofland says her careerin the mailroom was wellworth the holidays andweekends she worked. “Ienjoyed seeing the studentsand working with them,” shesays. “It was so much fun tosee the youth. I always especiallyenjoyed Valentine’s Dayand seeing all the prettyflowers that would arrive.”Hofland says Northwestern’sChristian commitmentprovided a great environmentin which to work.“That was the first thing thatappealed to me when Iapplied for the job. I enjoyedthe opportunity to work withfellow believers.”In retirement, Hoflandplans to spend her weekendsand additional free time withher grandchildren. An avidcrafter, Hofland seeks todevote more time to herhobby, including attendingcraft shows with her daughter.“I love to make dolls,”says Hofland. “Larger dollsare actually my favorite.”Hofland was succeededin the mailroom by DebWolthuizen ’85, who previouslyserved as assistantregistrar.PerformersrepresentNorthwesternon spring toursNorthwestern’s performinggroups represented thecollege in California, Mexicoand the Midwest duringspring tours.The Symphonic Bandperformed concerts andserved in soup kitchens andorphanages in Chihuahua,Mexico, over spring break.Touring under the auspices ofChristian Outreach International,the band’s performancesincluded a joint concertwith the State PhilharmonicOrchestra.The Drama MinistriesEnsemble performed SiouxCenter Sudan in churches,Christian high schools and anassisted living center inCalifornia over break.The A cappella Choirsang in churches in Iowa,Nebraska and South Dakotaduring a short tour.Theatre majorselected tocompete innation’s capitalElizabeth Grim, a seniorfrom Huxley, Iowa, won theBarbizon Design Award forher scenic design for JamesJoyce’s The Dead at the RegionFive Kennedy CenterAmerican College TheatreFestival (KCACTF). She willcompete in the nationalKCACTF at the KennedyCenter in Washington, D.C.,April 16–21.8 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicCampusnewsNorthwesterntheatre toursoverseasFor the first time sinceNorthwestern’s DramaMinistries Ensemble (DME)began taking summer toursin 2000, the troupe will performoverseas. The tour,which runs from May 14through Aug. 7, will includetwo weeks in Japan.Tour planner Kelly(Huizenga ’02) Van Marel hascollaborated with Ron ’46and Ruby (Barth ’53) Korver,missionaries who live inZushi-shi, to schedule performancesin Japanesechurches and schools May27–June 9.The company will performSioux Center Sudan, anoriginal worship dramaabout Sioux Center residentArlene Schuiteman, who wasa missionary to the Sudan inthe 1950s. Schuiteman wasthrown out of the Sudan in1963 when civil war began,but while she ministeredelsewhere, her heartremained with her Sudanesefriends. Eventually they weremiraculously reunited.This summer’s theatretour will also include performancesat conferences forRCA women and Christiansin Theatre Arts in Chicago, aswell as the Network ofBiblical Storytellers inAtlanta. Between conferenceThe Drama Ministries Ensemble will perform the story of African missionaryArlene Schuiteman during a summer tour that will include two weeks in Japan.performances, the companyis planning to tour in theeastern United States thissummer.DME members will alsoperform ancient Israelite dramasfrom the Old Testamentand enacted prayer. Companymembers, all of whomare skilled in the developmentand performance ofworship dramas, are alsoavailable to lead workshopson topics such as storiedworship and writing real-lifedramas for churches thatwant to learn more aboutintegrating the arts with worship.Van Marel is still acceptingperformance requestsfrom churches in the easternand southeastern U.S. Forinformation about hostingNorthwestern theatre at yourchurch this summer, contacther at 712-707-7257 ortheatretour@nwciowa.edu.Auction helps build scholarship fundsNWC happeningsThe Northwestern College Gala Auction on Feb. 3raised more than $40,000, bringing the total raised through24 years of auctions to nearly $600,000.Proceeds will help fund $1,000 Alumni ScholarshipsThe Rowenhorst Student Center gym was decorated with a construction theme asalumni and friends bid on nearly 450 items at the Gala Auction.for 35 to 40 students next year, the $1,500 NorthwesternCollege Teaching Excellence Award, a fall workshop for faculty,and student life programs.More than 750 people attended the event, which featureda construction-zone theme. Bids were submitted onnearly 450 items.Items that secured generous bids included a four-nightstay at the Rainbow Trout Ranch in Colorado, deep-sea fishingoff the coast of California, a Chicago Bears autographedfootball, and a 42-inch LCD TV.“Other electronics and the golf packages also broughtgood bids,” says Aletha Beeson, who helped coordinate thisyear’s auction.Beeson praised the warm spirit and giving of Northwestern’ssupporters who braved subzero temperatures toattend the live event. “It was a great night. Even though itwas so cold, people still came and supported our students.It’s wonderful to have that kind of commitment.”9 ▲ Spring 2007

CampusnewsNorthwestern ClassicNWC happeningsGrad wins prestigious fellowshipBeginning next fall,Northwestern will offer threenew majors in the communicationsdepartment. Themajors of cinema and digitalvideo, journalism, and publicrelations replace the generalcommunication studiesmajor.“We’re responding tostudents’ desires,” says JameyDurham, department chairperson.“We’ve had a lot ofstudent-initiated majors inpublic relations, studentshave been asking for moreadvanced video productionclasses, and a number of studentshave been seekingmore in-depth preparationfor careers in journalism.”All three majors willOne of the communications department’s new majors, cinema and digital video, israre among small private colleges in the Midwest and Christian colleges nationwide.give students significanthands-on experiences, suchas writing for the studentnewspaper or communityDaniel Berntson ’06 has been named oneof two recipients of American GraduateFellowships, which provide winners up to$50,000 a year for two years of doctoralstudy at one of 23 top-tier private researchuniversities.The competition, a new initiative by theCouncil of Independent Colleges, isDaniel Berntsondesigned to promote doctoral study in thehumanities. The award is contingent uponadmission and full-time enrollment in a humanities doctoralprogram at one of the eligible universities, which includeinstitutions such as Brown, Columbia, Princeton and Yale.Berntson graduated summa cum laude with majors inEnglish and philosophy. He has already been accepted intodoctoral programs in English at Northwestern University andNotre Dame, and into the philosophy programs at Duke,Georgetown and Syracuse.Berntson, who is spending this year working on his family’sfarm near Paullina, Iowa, says his Northwestern educationgave him good preparation for the fellowship competition.“I felt particularly well prepared from the close interactionI had with my professors,” he says. “They helped me tailormy studies for what I wanted to do in graduate school—doing independent studies and honors research in bothEnglish and philosophy. A lot of what prepared me well wereother students. I found a lot of students at Northwestern whowere engaged in the discussion of ideas.”While he is not yet sure whether he will study English orphilosophy in graduate school, Berntson says he would like tobecome a college professor. “I would like to work for awhileat a graduate institution where I could focus more onresearch. Eventually, though, I’d like to teach at a Christianliberal arts college like Northwestern, because I really appreciatedmy relationships with the professors at NWC and wouldlike to have those kinds of mentoring relationships withundergraduates.”At Northwestern, Berntson was a Norman Vincent PealeScholarship recipient, Honors Program graduate and SigmaTau senior honor society member. He assisted philosophyprofessor Don Wacome with research and proofreading for abook project, played piano in the Jazz Band, helped found theJuggling Club, studied in Germany, interned at the NationalEndowment for the Humanities, served as a worship internon the Campus Ministry Team, and was an editor for theBeacon.Northwestern to offer new communications majorsnewspapers; producing pressreleases, brochures and marketingvideos for area nonprofitorganizations; or writingtheir own scripts andcrafting short films.Another common themefor the majors is theiremphasis on preparing studentsto tell compelling stories.“Storytelling really transcendsall the differentmedia: film, Web, newspapers,print,” says Durham.“Our main goal is to teachstudents to become goodstorytellers.”The new majors alsodraw on the strengths ofother academic departmentsat Northwestern. All threeinclude a number of Englishcourses. Art, business andtheatre courses are alsorequired, depending uponthe major.10 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicCampusnewsSIFE team beginsmicrofinancingprogram in NicaraguaPublications win awardsPublications produced by Northwestern’s publicrelations office received awards this winter.The search piece developed for the admissions officereceived a Silver Award, and a series of publications producedfor the Imagine capital campaign received aBronze Award in the 2007 Council for the Advancementand Support of Education (CASE) District Six awardscompetition.In addition, the search piece received an Award ofMerit for schools with fewer than 2,000 students in theAdmissions Marketing Report’s national competition.The search piece was developed by The ImageGroup of Holland, Mich., in conjunction with DuaneBeeson, Anita Cirulis and Tamara Fynaardt ofNorthwestern’s public relations office. The publicationincludes a number of photographs taken by Tom Beckerof Orange City and Jim Heemstra ’72 of Des Moines.Northwestern’s campaign publications weredesigned by Ryan James of Orange City and written byFynaardt, with project management overseen by Cirulis.The series featured photographs taken by Heemstra.This is the fourth consecutive year Northwestern’spublic relations office has received recognition in theCASE district competition.A Northwestern Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) teamis piloting a new microfinancing program in Bluefields,Nicaragua. Team members spent spring break in the CentralAmerican country, where they have begun ChristianInvestment Action Outreach (CIAO!) to provide opportunityto low-income entrepreneurs who have no access to regularbanks or financing.SIFE team members Angela Jiskoot and Alla Miroshnychenkotaught over 40 economically disenfranchised womenabout free enterprise, marketing and budgeting. The womenwere then encouraged to form peer groups to develop ideasand receive group training.Representing the groups formed, eight entrepreneurswere given low-interest loans to bring their ideas—most ofwhich involve the manufacture or sale of food products—tothe marketplace.The Northwestern students and faculty adviser Dr. MikeAvery also hired an on-site manager in Bluefields. The manager,a university student, will offer weekly training to thewomen and oversee group accountability and communitybuilding, two cornerstones of the CIAO! system of economicdevelopment.The roots of CIAO! began two years ago when Avery participatedin a Spring Service Project in Bluefields. Learning ofthe area’s high unemployment rate and low standard of living(the average person of working age makes significantly lessthan $1,000 per year), Avery talked to a group of women togauge their interest in working together in entrepreneurialendeavors.“I tried to find an organization that would go toBluefields and begin a microfinancing program, but theimpression I got was that it wasn’t a big enough market,” saysAvery. “I decided we have a vested interest in Bluefields sincewe’ve been sending service project teams there for five years,they have really good people there, and we should try to dosomething ourselves.”Avery, developing the program in conjunction with studentsJiskoot and Miroshnychenko, chose CIAO! as the organization’sname because it is an international term of eithergreeting or farewell. He says the CIAO! motto of “Hello tonew business. Goodbye to poverty!” may be directly translatedin most languages.CIAO! is modeled after the Grameen Bank concept of2006 Nobel Prize in Economics winner Muhammad Yunus,and adapted to area cultural considerations. The project isfunded by private donations and intended as a pilot programfor other Latin American sites.“This is an opportunity for the women and their familiesto participate in a dream,” says Avery. “Not one of them hasever been to a bank. We feel confident that through theseloans, the women can increase their standard of living, attaindignity through work, gain a sense of hope and build up theircommunity.”The SIFE representatives were among a group of 15NWC students and staff members involved in a Spring ServiceProject in Bluefields. The group also painted part of a clinic,poured concrete for a new well and conducted six Bibleschools for children.NWC happenings11 ▲ Spring 2007

CampusnewsNorthwestern ClassicNWC happeningsProfessor’s filmpremieres in Orange CityThe Prairie Pirates, written,produced and directedby communications professorJamey Durham, premiered toa full house at the HollandPlaza Theatre in Orange Cityon March 16.Described by Durham asa “comedy with heart,” themovie tells the story about ahidden pirates’ treasureburied in, of all places, Iowa.A group of adventurous childrenstumble onto a treasuremap and must rely on theirwits to solve its riddle,unearth the loot and savetheir town.Durham calls it the ultimatefamily movie becausehe, his wife and their threekids all acted in the 80-minute feature.The movie was filmed innorthwest Iowa, with principalphotography taking placeduring the summer of 2005.It was a community-wideevent, Durham says, withover 100 people from thearea involved in some way.The production cost $15,000and was supported by fundingfrom Northwestern’s LillyGrant.Theatre professor KarenBarker, John Hubers ’76 andDrew Schmidt ’05 also hadtitle roles in the film. Thesupporting cast included registrarCharlie Couch and theatreprofessor Jeff Taylor.Becky (Fanning ’05) andVaughn Donahue, a senior,were the production assistants.Senior Amy LeighLightfoot designed the costumes.During its week’s run inOrange City, The PrairiePirates sold out 10 shows.The Prairie Pirates alsoKang to record CD of classical piano musicNorthwestern music professor Dr.Juyeon Kang is an accomplished pianistwho performs internationally and whoseconcerts have been aired on National PublicRadio. Beginning this fall, her music will beavailable on CD, thanks to the college’s2007 Endowed Research Fellowship.The $10,000 grant is intended to fundDr. Juyeon Kang substantive summer research that contributesmeaningfully to the faculty member’sdiscipline. It is provided through the generosity of ananonymous donor and awarded by the Faculty DevelopmentCommittee after an external review process.Kang will use the money to prepare for and record a CD,as well as to explore the relationship between her art andTwo years of planning, work and emotion went into Professor Jamey Durham’sfirst full-length movie, which debuted in March.played at Promenade Cinema14 Theatre in Sioux City.Durham will enter ThePrairie Pirates in several filmfestivals, including theHouston World Fest; Gloria,a family-oriented festival inUtah; and Creation Art, aChristian film festival inCanada. He’s also seekingdistribution arrangementsthat could place the movie inbookstores, video rentalstores or on cable television.To learn more about themovie or to sign up to purchasea DVD when theybecome available, visitwww.theprairiepirates.com.Christian faith. The CD, entitled Joyful Noise, will feature aclassical piano repertoire by composers such as Bach, Mozart,Chopin, Brahms, Debussy, Rachmaninoff and Scriabin.Kang’s plans are to record the CD in August, workingwith renowned recording engineer Peter Nothnagle of IowaCity. She will also research the spiritual beliefs of the composersand how their compositions reflect their faith. Theresults of that research will appear in the program notes onthe CD jacket.Kang earned a doctorate in piano performance and literaturefrom the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. Shealso received the prestigious Artist Diploma in piano performancefrom the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston,where she was on the faculty in the college division.12 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicPhotoessayCoolTimeGreat White NorthGreat White North traditioncalls for a group pictureon the steps ofZwemer Hall, completewith a sign indicating theday’s temperature.Still warm from their start at Colenbrander Hall, Great White North participants head across campus.A tradition since 1982, Great White North was celebratedagain this Super Bowl Sunday. Fifteen Colenbrander Hallresidents ran across campus wearing only shorts, shoes andhats.“It’s one of our best bonding experiences,” says this year’s“Major Cold” (leader), Rich Meekhof.Unlike past participants, this year’s runners weren’t peltedwith snowballs or doused with cold water. They did, however,get their typical reactions in the women’s dorms.“At Fern (Smith), they’re pretty excited,” says Meekhof,who led the group in serenading coeds with “You’ve Lost ThatLovin’ Feeling.” “At Stegenga, they’re a little reluctant, butthere are a few girls who will get involved. At Hospers, notmany want to have anything to do with it. They lock theirdoors.”When the run is complete, the guys take a hot shower.After 45 minutes or so, they’re warm again.13 ▲ Spring 2007

ResidencelifeNorthwestern ClassicMission HouseCommunity 101Students and professor learn the struggles of living together in Mission Houseby Tamara FynaardtDuring their first missionexperience in Cameroonin the 1980s, religion professorDr. Rod Spidahl and hiswife, Alice, lived in a mudhut with a tin roof, just liketheir neighbors. They servedtheir new friends by diggingwells and planting trees.When the Spidahls werelonely or sick, people fromthe village served them bycoming to sit with them.“Not just one, but two,three, four,” remembersSpidahl. “They didn’t saymuch, just sat there, lovingnot by doing, but by being.”Spidahl shares storieslike these from his missionfield experiences to illustrateto students in his theologyand missiology classes howdependent mission efforts—both abroad and at home—are on being able to live inIn Cameroonian dress, religion professor Dr. Rod Spidahl shares a Fulbe meal anddiscusses current mission efforts in Cameroon with the 13 students he lives with inthe college’s new themed residence, Mission House.true community with thosearound you.Spidahl explains, “InCameroon, I learned somethingmy Western, individualisticculture hadn’t taughtme: I came to understandthat when we follow Jesus,we’re not to follow himalone. We’re expected to followhim in the company ofother people.”This year the Spidahlshave a different missionfield: Northwestern’s newthemed residence known as“Mission House.” Some ofthe 13 students living withthe Spidahls in the two campuscottages are preparingfor overseas missions. Mostsimply want to learn how tolive with other Christians ina way that serves others andthe kingdom no matter whatvocation they pursue.▼Serious Christians who are putin a community for the firsttime will often bring withthem a very definite image ofwhat Christian communal lifeshould be, and they will beanxious to realize it …Life Together,Dietrich Bonhoeffer▲The Spidahls and thestudents—all upperclassmenwhose majors include art,communications, education,music, nursing, political science,religion, sociology andtheatre—discussed theirexpectations last spring andkicked off the school yearwith a retreat.They defined their purpose,in part, to live as anopen and truthful community,depending on faith inChrist, dedicated to challengingeach other to learnabout God, the world, andhow God has gifted each toserve.They committed togather at least three timeseach week: Thursday morningsfor breakfast and prayer,Sunday evenings for a mealof ethnic food and learningabout mission efforts inanother culture, and Tuesdaynights to study Scripture andLife Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer,a Christian martyredby the Nazis.Everyone came homefrom the idyllic retreat eagerto begin living with eachother and serving one anotherand the campus more inthe way Christ intended.14 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicResidencelifeMission HouseSenior art major Ruth George, who lives in the Mission House, hopes this year of learning to live in true Christian community will be good preparation for next year.George has applied as a missionary with Servants to Asia. If accepted, she will live in a shanty town among the people she’s serving.▼… but God’s grace quicklyfrustrates all such dreams.We must be ready to allowourselves to be interrupted byGod, who will thwart ourplans and frustrate our waystime and again by sendingpeople across our path withtheir demands and requests.Bonhoeffer▲In one of three journalskept in the common areas ofthe Mission House, someonewrote: “[Theologian] HenriNouwen defines communityas ‘the place where the personyou least want to livewith always lives.’” Thewriter continues, pointingout that Nouwen says weusually surround ourselveswith people we most want tolive with, forming a club orclique. “Anyone can form aclub,” says Nouwen. “It takesgrace, shared vision and hardwork to form a community.”Mission House residentshave found Nouwen isright—frustratingly so. Thetruth is, living in communitymight be a lot easier if itweren’t for the people you’reliving with.▼“Anyone can form aclub. It takes grace,shared vision and hardwork to form a community.”▲“I expected we’d beopen and honest with eachother right away becausewe’d all said that’s what wewanted,” says Ruth George, asenior art major from SanJose, Calif., who hopes to bea missionary in Asia nextyear. “It was definitely notlike that.” It turns out thewhat and how of formingintentional community meansomething different to everyone.Chris Rensink, a senioreducation major from Clinton,Wis., echoes George’s15 ▲ Spring 2007

ResidencelifeNorthwestern ClassicMission House▼“Individualism is the Achilles’ heel of WesternChristianity, I think. We emphasize my spirituality, mypurpose in life, my salvation.” The Trinity is God incommunity, and we, who are made in God’s image, aremeant to live in community too.experience. “Some came inready for Mission House tobe their ultimate Northwesterncommunity. Othersembraced it as yet anothercommunity, in addition tocommunities they are alreadya part of on campus.”Rensink explains thatsome Mission House residentshad ideas for a lot ofservice projects, others forplenty of socializing andbonding. And some, likehim, who already are heavilyinvolved across campus,resisted any additional obligations.How could they servethe campus when theycouldn’t even agree on howto serve each other?Within weeks, theMission House residents’plans for a year of harmonious,grace-filled communityseemed misguided andunachievable. Spidahl listenedto their struggles andwondered himself at times ifthe Mission House wouldcome apart. “Students said,‘This isn’t what I thought itwould be. Everyone’s not likeme. I’m being asked to givetoo much.’“The students have gonethrough a shaping, a bending—evena breaking—that’s▲been painful,” Spidahl says.They’ve experienced disillusionment,suffering and astubborn unwillingness tosacrifice for the sake of community.For Spidahl, itproved something positivewas happening. “Struggle isfoundational to learning,” hesays.▼The community of faith doesnot need brilliant personalitiesbut faithful servants of Jesusand of one another.Bonhoeffer▲Spidahl and the studentsagreed not to quit—to betenacious in their pursuit ofloving and serving oneanother. The students madeconcessions, compromisesand attempts at sacrificingtheir time and other commitmentsfor the sake of theMission House community.When someone wasangry or misunderstood,they made second, third andfourth attempts at seekingforgiveness and understanding.George says she tried toimprove her willingness tobe vulnerable. “We have thisidea that we don’t have toshare problems we’re facingbecause it only affects me.‘I’m going to retreat and fixthis myself.’ That individualismpulls a communityapart.”Mission House residentsstill sought to serve beyondthe house—to reach thewhole campus—so instead ofadding new projects, theydecided simply to serve oneanother as they fulfilled thecommitments they alreadyhad as athletes, campus ministryparticipants and performers.They helped Corinnafind boxes for her Hunger/Homeless Ministry’s Night ina Box event. They attendedKatie’s concerts, Cori’s plays,and Jess’s and Megan’s athleticevents. “We realized thatwhat we were trying toachieve was more fundamentalthan a service project,”says Rensink.▼Christians can live with eachother in peace; they can loveand serve one another; theycan become one. … Christiansexperience the presence ofGod in the reality of the other.Bonhoeffer▲“You start as a servant,”says George. “You need to behumble.” Mission House residentsKatie Gard, a juniormusic ministry major fromFergus Falls, Minn., and herroommate Preeti Elaiyavalli, asenior nursing major fromIndia, were models of serviceand humility when Katiedeveloped tendonitis lastsemester.“It was beautiful,” saysSpidahl. “Katie, who’sextremely driven and accomplished,suddenly neededPreeti to tie her shoes.”Spidahl adds that honesty,a willingness to learn,and an unending capacity forforgiveness are also necessaryfor true Christian community.George says learning tolisten is essential. “Our individualisticmentality of everyonebeing equal has come tomean that everyone has aright to say what they think,”says George. “We tend tostart with talking, rather thanlistening.”She says one of her challengeshas been learning notto talk—not to always stateher opinions, no matter howwell-founded or insightful.“I’m always trying to fix people’sproblems,” she says.“But I’m learning to let thingsmature in Christ’s own time.”Elaiyavalli urges a teachablespirit—“because you’regoing to be broken in waysyou haven’t before,” she says.“Individualism is theAchilles’ heel of WesternChristianity, I think,” saysSpidahl. “We emphasize myspirituality, my purpose inlife, my salvation.” TheTrinity, explains Spidahl, isGod in community, and we,who are made in God’simage, are meant to live incommunity too.The true Christian communityvalues everyone,George explains. Everyonehas a meaningful role. “Itlooks a lot like a body.”16 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicFacevalueEarl WoudstraRaider, winsome, wiseDescribe yourself in threewords.Competitive, committed, loyal.What kind of athlete wereyou?In college, I played baseball,basketball, tennis and golf, butI wasn’t much of a varsity contributor.In fact, when I realizedI wasn’t going to play much asa senior on the basketball team,I quit. Thinking back, that’sprobably why I value the playerwho sticks it out, even whenshe has to accept a role with littlerecognition. It shows a lot ofcharacter.What do you enjoy aboutbeing a Raider coach?It’s a blessing that while wewant competitive teams, andwe want to excel, I don’t feelany pressure from Northwesternthat a winning programdefines my job performance.We do what wesay we do: try to impact andbuild into the lives of theyoung people we work with.The pressure to win is selfimposed.Someone once toldme, “It’s not that you reallylike to win so much, it’s justthat you can’t stand losing.”That’s probably not healthy,but it’s true.What’s the most importantpart of your job?Relationships. That’s whatfuels me to keep doing it. Itreally makes it fun when youhave the kind of high-qualitykids we get to teach andcoach here.What part do you enjoymost?When I was coaching withLes Douma, he told me heenjoyed the practices morethan the games, and I thoughtthat was the dumbest thing Iever heard. Now I understand.As a young coach, itwas all about the games. NowI enjoy the preparation andrelationships of the practices.What’s your unique perspectiveon Northwestern?Because I’ve been here as astudent, employee and parent,I’ve seen people who arewholly devoted and loyal toNWC. There’s nothing wrongwith being here for a timeand then leaving, but it’s theRon Juffers of the world whomotivate me.What was your favoritecoaching moment?Sharing the national championshipin 2001 with mydaughter Jaime. And it’s prettyspecial to have my kids [assistantcoach Jaime and studentassistant coach Brady] outthere helping me this year.They probably think if theywant to have a relationshipwith me, they have to find mewhere I’m at. That’s how itwas with my dad. If I wantedto have a relationship withhim, I had to meet him at hisplace, the meat market.What goals do you have forthe rest of your coachingcareer?At some point—and I don’tknow when that will be—Ihope I recognize when it’stime to quit. I want to finishwell and pass the baton well.What’s something you’dchange about the wayyou’ve lived to this point?I wish I would’ve listenedbetter when I was a student.I would love to take BillKennedy’s class now, insteadof just trying to get throughit. Or to go back and reallyappreciate all Dr. Scorzacould teach me. Not regrets,really—just realizations.A 1978 Northwestern alumnus, Earl Woudstra has been head coach of thewomen’s basketball team for 13 years.Earl Woudstra17 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicOfcourseThe Gift of Writing(by Nika Anderson, writing a letter fromLawrence Van Roekel)I have realized that what I thought theArmy would be like was just an illusion. … Icelebrated my 19th birthday on the ship whenthe bombs hit Japan. … When I got here, Icouldn’t believe the destruction. There werepeople using little pieces of metal scraps forhouses. Others were lying in the gutters dying.People are people all over the world; theydidn’t want to go to war any more than wedid. … It’s so strange over here, but I’m glad Icame. Don’t worry about me; I will make itthrough this, and I’m coming home soon.At a gathering of World War II vets and students who wrote their stories, Dick TeBrink responds with amazement as he reads the book prepared by his group ofstudents.Class: ENG 124: Basic WritingInstructor: Deborah Menning, instructor in EnglishOn an overcast day at the end of the semester, VermeerSouth Dining Room is humming with activity. Students talkexcitedly with their guests—people the age of their grandparents—andproudly show off their projects after eating horsd’oeuvres and desserts.It feels more like a family reunion than a class project asstudents in Deb Menning’s Basic Writing class meet with areaWorld War II veterans and their wives. The gathering is theculmination of a service-learning experience in which studentshone their writing skills while telling the vets’ stories.Today, the final products are being presented.The service-learning project, accounting for about 20percent of the semester grade, includes several writing assignmentsin different genres. After interviewing their veterans,teams of students compose an introduction to that individual,his war biography, and a variety of other writings.Students may write in the form of a short story, personalreflection, journal entry, news article, letter, poem or songlyrics. They also develop a devotional for their veteran, write a(by Bryant Wieking, writing a journal entry forDick Te Brink)July 18, 1945Although the sun was shining, the eventthat took place today involves nothing bright orenjoyable. I have been continually asking God,“Why not me?” and the only answer I canderive from this horrible situation is that he hasgreater plans for me. … We had been encounteringenemy fire all day, and I was with oneother man in the foxhole. The only thing wecould do was sit low, hoping the adversarywould not be able to get to us. I attempted tomake conversation with my foxhole mate totake our minds off the perilous conflict facingus. I received no reply. Thinking he did nothear me, I rolled over to speak once more. Atthe moment I turned over, there was heavy firefollowed by a large explosion. I looked into thesoldier’s eyes, and there was nothing.page about themselves, and gather paintings,poems or songs that connect with their vet. The final work ispresented in a binder, scrapbook or other packaging.When students first encounter the service-learning project,they often feel overwhelmed by its many assignments and18 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern Classicapprehensive to write about someone they’ve never met. Afterinterviewing their subject, though, “students are bubblingwith ideas that link to their vet, clamoring to tell me how neatit was to visit with an elderly person who isn’t their grandparent,”says Menning.“They discover that writing has meaning—it isn’t simplya dreary assignment required by teachers to torture them,” theprof says of the project. “Instead, it becomes a valuable workwith a real audience. Usually, most students have not thoughtabout writing as a gift, but that’s what it becomes to them—and to their vet—when they see the smiles, tears and amazementon the vets’ faces. It makes all writing take on enrichedmeaning for them.”Menning has received a number of thank-you notes fromveterans. Many share the sentiments of Marion and WilmaJasper: “We treasure the book very much. Some articles bringa tear, but we aren’t ashamed of that. It is all so meaningful tous.”(Personal reflection by Inisha Scott after meetingRich Van Donge)Rich allowed me to see the older generationdifferently. I’ve always liked to listen tomy grandparents tell stories, but after payingattention to Rich, it gave me a greater understandingof all I can learn from them, besidesthe fun legends. People like Rich have somuch to share with us; we just need to openour ears and listen.They have been there before us, and sowe can learn from their mistakes and accomplishments.I hope one day I can be like Richby contributing my story and wisdom to thefuture generation.Students are encouraged to creatively package the gifts for their veterans. Pete VanMuyden, a retired trucker, received his binder in the bed of a small wooden truckcreated by his group. Basketball was the theme of the binder cover for ArnieVermeer ’42, who played the sport while at Northwestern.The students often write about their veterans’ faith andcourage, and about the effects of war on loved ones backhome. Their stories also tell of a lighter side of being a soldier,including a squadron’s rebellion against Spam in the mountainsof Burma and a jackrabbit that set off a trip wire duringa tense night in France.The students say they have learned a lot from the experience:about World War II, about the value of life, that it’s OKfor men to show emotion, that military service is a great sacrifice.They’ve also learned much about the techniques of writing—andits purpose.“A person who knows grammar and the proper way towrite a paper still is missing something,” says Bryce Book.“What I learned is that you have to write from your heart.When you do that, the reader will see the passion you havefor the story you are telling.”Classmate Nick Jones concurs: “This project made me abetter writer in almost every aspect of my writing, but what Ilearned above all was how to write with feeling and purpose—andthat some things we write mean so much more toother people than we realize.”World War II veteran Pat Wright shares memories with student Jason Martens.19 ▲ Spring 2007

CoverstoryNorthwestern ClassicClimate changeCreation CareHumankind’s influence on the environment becoming an issue for Christiansby Anita CirulisDr. Laurie Furlong’s computer is full of colorful charts and graphs tracking the impact of global climate change on the environment. The Northwestern biology professorand ecologist says scientists overwhelmingly agree that humans are contributing to increased amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.Wind chill readings were24 below one morning whenDr. Sean Cordry arrived oncampus to teach his firstclass. Subzero temperaturesin February aren’t unusualfor northwest Iowa. Whatwas unusual was Cordry’smethod of transportation. Ona day when many people inOrange City were leavingcars running to warm themup while getting groceries,the Northwestern physicsprofessor had ridden his biketo work.Cordry’s willingness totrade comfort for chilly feetstems, ironically, from environmentalconcerns aboutglobal warming. His concernsare shared by more andmore people—including anincreasing number of theworld’s scientists.“The data coming backnow are confirming what wasa little more theoretical in thepast,” says Dr. Laurie Furlong,a biology professor andecologist at Northwestern.“The evidence has becomestronger and stronger that weare contributing to increasedamounts of carbon dioxideand other greenhouse gasesin the atmosphere.”Such increases are a concernbecause of the relationshipbetween carbon dioxidelevels and temperatures. Bystudying clues to the earth’sclimate dating back to whatexperts say is over 400,00020 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicCoverstoryyears ago, scientists havefound that the more carbondioxide was in the air, thewarmer the earth was.Measurements of carbondioxide levels are made fromair bubbles trapped in icecores drilled in the Antarcticand Greenland. Plotted on achart, those levels fluctuateover the millennia but spikesharply upward in the lasthalf century.“It goes up with theindustrial revolution,”Furlong says, “and it goes upeven more after World War IIwhen fossil fuel consumptionreally took off. Basically, it’shigher now than it’s been atany time in the measurablepast.”MountingconcernAs early as 1965, a scientificadvisory board underPresident Johnson warnedthat increases in atmosphericcarbon dioxide could leadto “marked changes in climate”by the end of the 20thcentury. Two decades later,the Intergovernmental Panelon Climate Change (IPCC)was established by theUnited Nations. The panel’sfirst report, issued in 1990,noted the earth’s averagetemperature had increasedby 0.5 to 1 degree Fahrenheit—anamount that couldbe due to normal fluctuationsin climate.The IPCC’s secondreport in 1995 noted “thebalance of evidence suggestsa discernable human influenceon global climate.” Thatreport was the basis for the1997 Kyoto Protocol, aninternational treaty thatassigns mandatory targets forreducing greenhouse gasemissions to signatorynations. To date, more than160 nations have signed andratified the treaty. The UnitedStates isn’t among them, inpart because Kyoto doesn’trequire developing countrieslike China and India toreduce their carbon emissionsas well.The IPCC’s fourth reportwas issued Feb. 2 of thisyear. In its strongest languageyet, the panel says the increasein globally averagedtemperatures since the mid-20th century is “very likely”caused by humans—estimatingthat likelihood at 90 percent.Days earlier, PresidentBush acknowledged the realityof global warming in hisState of the Union address,calling for technologies thatwill help America “confrontthe serious challenge of globalclimate change.”What thefuture holdsFurlong prefers the term“global climate change” to“global warming,” as it’s abetter description of a complexproblem.“You have a month ofcold weather in Iowa, andpeople say, ‘What’s all thisabout global warming?’ It’sreally not that simple,” shesays. “Some places are goingto get colder and wetter;some places may get warmerand drier.”Europe, for example,may experience a mini iceage if the Greenland andpolar ice caps continue meltingat what Furlong calls an“alarming” rate. That’sbecause ocean currents playa major role in moderatingEurope’s climate. Smaller icecaps mean more solar energywill be absorbed by theocean rather than reflectedby the ice. And warmer,rather than cooler, oceantemps around Greenlandcould change the direction ofthe ocean currents that flowpast Europe’s coastline,impacting the continent’s climate.Other possible results of▼“Our economy is based onconsumption. If we’re notconsuming, our economy isnot growing. But I don’tknow how we can sustainthat. If everybody lives likewe live in the United States,there aren’t enoughresources to go around.”▲global warming—some ofwhich are already beingobserved—include the disappearanceof glaciers; sea-levelrise and coastal flooding;shifts of plant and animalranges; loss of ecosystems;the spread of insects and thediseases they carry; andincreased frequency andintensity of extreme weatherevents.Skeptics of global warmingsee such scenarios asalarmist and contend currenttrends are within the range ofnatural climate variations.They also question the accuracyof computer modelsdesigned to predict future climateand argue there’s noconsensus among scientistsregarding the reality of globalwarming.Furlong admits that thefurther models project intothe future, the more roomthere is for error.“I don’t think scientistsare saying we know exactlywhat’s going to happen in theyear 2100,” she says, “butnone of the models areshowing carbon dioxide levelsgoing down.” In fact,some models are beingadjusted upward becausewhen they were first developed,no one knew the roleChina would play. Thatnation is now the world’s secondbiggest energy consumerand produces 13 percent ofthe world’s greenhouse gasemissions—second only tothe United States’ 26 percent.As for normal climate,“history would suggest weshould be entering a coolingphase,” says Cordry, “butwhat we find is just theopposite.” What’s more, therate at which the climateseems to be altering is“unprecedented,” he says. Inthe past, it took centuries—rather than decades—foraverage global temperaturesto raise or cool a few degrees.Now changes are takingplace too quickly for ecosystemsand species to adapt.Furlong also takesexception to claims that scientistsare divided aboutglobal climate change. “If it’s100 to 1, I guess skepticscould say there’s not consen-Climate change21 ▲ Spring 2007

CoverstoryNorthwestern ClassicClimate changesus,” she says, “but as a scientist,I would say it’s weightedvery heavily” toward theview that humans are influencingthe world’s climate.DifferingopinionsMuch of the debateabout global warming centersaround possible solutions tothe problem. As Furlong putsit, scientists and economistsspeak two different languages—andboth economicsand politics play a role inproposed responses. Particularlycontroversial is theidea of government-mandatedreductions in greenhousegas emissions—the verything called for by the KyotoProtocol.Those opposing Kyotopoint out nearly all of thecountries that have signedthe treaty have failed to meettheir goals for reducing suchemissions. They argue evenfull compliance would makean insignificant impact onfuture temperatures. Theyalso believe the treaty’s estimatedannual costs of $200billion to $1 trillion wouldhave a damaging effect onthe global economy.Economist William Cline ofthe Institute for InternationalEconomics calculates that forevery $3 of benefits to begained by emission restrictions,$4 of costs will beincurred.Christians are amongthose who don’t agree on thebest course of action.Dr. Calvin Beisner, a theologyand social ethics professorat Knox TheologicalSeminary, is a founder andspokesman for the InterfaithStewardship Alliance (ISA).He is also co-author of theCornwall Declaration onEnvironmental Stewardship,a treatise signed by Dr. JamesDobson, president of Focuson the Family, and ChuckColson, chairman of PrisonFellowship Ministries.Members of ISA believepresent temperature trendsare part of natural fluctuationsin climate—and thathumans are responsible foronly a “minute fraction” ofthe warming that hasoccurred. Any warminganticipated from a doublingof atmospheric carbon dioxideover the next century,they contend, will have beneficial,rather than catastrophic,consequences.Beisner warns that somepolicies aimed at stoppingglobal warming may actuallyharm the world’s poor. “Ourwisest response,” he says, “isto promote economic andtechnological developmentthat will increase energy efficiency,reduce pollution, andenable us to adapt to themodest cyclical variations intemperature the best scienceprojects.”The Rocky Mountains can be seen in the distance as windmills generate electricity at the Ponnequin Wind Farm near Carr, Colo. A clean source of electricity, wind energyis growing rapidly. The U.S. has a wind capacity of more than 11,600 megawatts, enough to power at least three million homes.22 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicCoverstoryBeisner is joined by otherswho believe the obviousneeds of vulnerable peoplesupersede the possible needsof a vulnerable environment.Jerry Taylor, director of naturalresource studies for theCato Institute, a libertarianthink tank headquartered inWashington, D.C., arguesthat emission restrictions willdeny the developing world“the opportunity to bettertheir lifestyle and standard ofliving.”Some evangelicalChristians, however, are joiningthe call for national legislationto reduce carbon dioxideemissions. In February oflast year, 86 evangelical leadersgave their support to theEvangelical Climate Initiative.Among those signing the “callto action” were the Rev. RickWarren, pastor and author ofThe Purpose-Driven Life; theRev. Bill Hybels, pastor ofWillow Creek CommunityChurch; Dr. Timothy George,executive editor of ChristianityToday; the leaders ofWorld Vision and the SalvationArmy; and approximately40 college and seminarypresidents—includingNorthwestern College’s president,Dr. Bruce Murphy.Taking acloser lookLast October, Northwesternstudents, faculty andstaff learned more about theglobal warming debate whenthe college hosted a two-partforum. The brainchild ofMatt Hulstein, a juniorpre-law student from SiouxCenter, the forum took oneevening to examine the scien-Even during the winter, Dr. Sean Cordry, a physics professor, rides his bike to work. He cautions that renewable energy alonecan’t meet consumption demands and that people need to drastically change their mindsets about how they live.Ways to make a differenceMuch of what you cando to combat global warmingbegins with the productsyou buy and how youuse energy. Dr. Sean Cordryhas these practical suggestionsfor ways to make adifference:• Use (and buy) less stuff.Follow Alternatives forSimple Living’s motto:“Live simply, that othersmay simply live.”• Don’t be in such a rush.The pace of our Americanlifestyle wastes hugeamounts of energy. Youcan take back your timeand find your sanity.• Park your car and leave it.Walk, bike and ride-share.• Buy locally or regionallyproduced food and otherproducts whenever you can.• Recycle—and encouragethose around you to recycle.• Buy things with less packagingand avoid “disposable”items. We need tothrow away our throwawaymindset.• Don’t let money be theonly thing you considerwhen making a purchase.Where did the productcome from? What are thecosts to the environmentduring the item’s useablelifetime? Be willing tospend more to get somethingthat will last longerand use less energy.• Use less energy yourself.Turn off lights, computersand other machines whenthey aren’t being used.Adjust your thermostat to68 degrees or less in thewinter. See how long youcan go in the summertimewithout using air conditioning.Install fluorescentbulbs instead of incandescentbulbs.• Use your physical energy.Walk. Take the stairs.Exercise instead of watchingTV.• Ask questions and learn asmuch as you can abouthow the earth works andhow to be a good stewardof resources.Get more tips and find outwhat your planetary impactis at www.nwciowa.edu/climate.Climate change23 ▲ Spring 2007

CoverstoryNorthwestern ClassicClimate changetific evidence and another todiscuss possible solutions.Participants were shownAn Inconvenient Truth, theAcademy Award-winningdocumentary by former VicePresident Al Gore. They thenheard from a panel of scientists—includingCordry;Furlong; Todd Tracy, anotherNorthwestern biology professor;and Dr. Dave Arnett, oneof the college’s chemistryprofessors—who discussedthe scientific merits of thefilm. The second evening, apanel discussion focused onwhat people can do aboutglobal climate change. Dr.Michael Andres, one ofNorthwestern’s religion professors,was among the panelists.“As a liberal arts college,we’re in a unique placewhere we can begin to discussthese things,” he says,“so as a theologian, I can talkto a physicist and a biologistand an economist, and wecan see the interrelatednature of an issue like globalwarming.”Hulstein says it washelpful to hear from Christianscientists who are lookingat global climate changefrom a faith perspective. Infact, for many panelists,what’s happening to the environmentis intricately connectedwith issues of socialjustice and consumerism.America’s use of fossilfuels per capita is higher thanany other nation in theworld. “Our economy is▼“As a liberal arts college, we’re in a unique placewhere we can begin to discuss these things, so as atheologian, I can talk to a physicist and a biologist andan economist, and we can see the interrelated nature ofan issue like global warming.”▲based on consumption,” saysFurlong. “If we’re not consuming,our economy is notgrowing. But I don’t knowhow we can sustain that. Ifeverybody lives like we livein the United States, therearen’t enough resources to goaround.”How thenshould we live?Whether or not onebelieves global climatechange is a reality, much lessa threat, there is no denyingGod cares about his createdworld and how we as hisstewards use our resources tocare for it.“It’s becoming more andmore acceptable to talk aboutissues of environmental andeconomic justice in evangelicalcircles,” Andres says. “TheBible has thousands of versesabout how we use ourmoney and possessions.We’re people of the Bible. Ifthe Bible talks about economicjustice, then weshould too.”Andres says the key tochange is to make things personal—torealize the impactlifestyle choices have on therest of the earth’s inhabitantsand the environment. Cordrybelieves those in more economicallydeveloped countriesmust choose to livemore simply.“Others could have abetter life if we would just bewilling to inconvenience ourselvesa little more,” he says.Cordry and his familyset the thermostat at 65 duringthe day and 60 at night.They wash their dishes byhand because a dishwasheruses so much energy. They’veinstalled flow-restrictingshower heads, air dry theirclothes, collect rainwater fortheir garden in a cistern, anduse a reel mower to cut theirgrass. Cordry even built asolar oven in which to cooktheir meals. And, becausethey’ve chosen to own justone car, he rides his bike towork.For Cordry, however, thesolution involves more thanswitching to compact fluorescentlight bulbs and buying ahybrid vehicle. Those actionsalone, he says, are like tryingto pay the rent by scouringthe gutter for loose change.“The things that aregoing to make a differenceare when people stop drivinga mile to work or making a20-mile commute from hereto there,” he says. “Yes, weneed to develop renewableenergy, but to think we can’tor don’t have to drasticallychange our mindset abouthow we live is false.”Furlong shares Cordry’sconcern about the future,and it motivates her to reachtoday’s students, who will bethe leaders of the next generation.“I want those leaders tobe able to get at informationand look at it criticallythrough a lens of faith,” shesays. “What does their beliefmean in terms of that issue?That’s what we’re trying totrain students to do; that’swhat we all have to do.”With more Christiansequipped to think criticallyabout both the science ofglobal climate change andGod’s mandate to care for hiscreated world—including themost vulnerable—Andressees hope for the future. Hethinks the evangelicalChristian community is asleeping giant with tremendouspotential for making adifference.“If Christians were ableto reform ourselves and recognizewhat Scripture has tosay about this and be true toour best theology, it wouldbe a wonderful witness,” hesays. “We’re lagging behind.But what a beautiful pictureit would be if the churchwould lead the way on caringfor the environment.”Learn more about climate change, your impact on theworld, and ways you can make a difference atwww.nwciowa.edu/climate.24 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicCoverstoryGoing GreenClimate changeEnvironment an issue on nation’s college campusesConcerns about climatechange are affecting the waycolleges operate—whether it’sthe energy they buy, the academicprograms they offer, orthe facilities they build. Andexperts say students are thedriving force behind thosechanges.Maine’s College of theAtlantic is the first to implementa “net-zero carbon emissionsplan.” In addition toreducing its use of fossil fuelsand electricity, the college iscompensating for its ownenergy usage by paying forwindmills that are generatingelectricity in South Dakota.New York Universityplans to purchase 118 millionkilowatt hours of windpower—the largest of anyAmerican college—and hasestablished an environmentalstudies major. Arizona StateUniversity is launching a newSchool of Sustainability thisfall.Colleges are hiring environmentalexperts to join theirstaffs and constructing “green”buildings on campus. Nearly300 institutions have begunseeking LEED (Leadership inEnergy and EnvironmentalDesign) certification for theirfacilities.Northwestern CollegeTim Swart manages Northwestern’s recycling program through his work-study positionwith the maintenance department. Swart, a senior biology-ecological sciencemajor from Oostburg, Wis., is also a member of Terra Nova, an environmentalstewardship club for students at NWC.doesn’t track its carbon emissions,but it does monitor itsenergy usage. Frugality, saysVice President for FinancialAffairs Doug Beukelman,comes naturally to Midwesterners—andespecially residentsof Iowa’s Sioux County.Last year, when oil priceswere skyrocketing, a campuswideeffort was made to saveenergy. Building thermostatswere set back, reducing bothdaytime and nighttime temperatures2 degrees. The collegealso turned temps downto 55 or 60 degrees in unoccupiedbuildings duringChristmas and spring breaks.Students, faculty and staffwere encouraged to shutdown their computers at nightand on weekends and to turnoff lights.“It costs merely a dollar aday to run a computer,”Beukelman says, “but if youtake that times the number ofstudents we have on campusand multiply that by the numberof days in a school year, itturns into significant dollars.”The result of such conservationefforts? Northwesternused 10 percent lessnatural gas and consumed 7percent less electricity.Northwestern’s recyclingprogram is promoted on campusby students in Terra Nova,an environmental stewardshipclub. The college also donatesits used mattresses to Justicefor All, buys energy-efficientappliances, and compostsleaves and grass clippings.Bathrooms are equipped withlow-flow showerheads, andenergy management systemsare added whenever a buildingneeds a new heating system.The college consideredpursuing LEED certificationfor the new learning commonsit plans to build, butmost of the points for suchcertification come frominstalling a heating and coolingsystem that is “green.”Because Orange City has amunicipal utility, energy costsare low enough that such asystem wouldn’t pay for itselfover the course of its life cycle.Environmental considerations,however, are still part ofthe learning commons’ constructionand design. Materialswill be produced as locally aspossible to avoid using dieselfuel for long-distance shipping.Workers will separateand recycle constructionwaste, and the building’s airquality will be improvedthrough low-emission carpetand adhesive.Extensive use of windowson the building’s south sidewill promote solar gain, and araised, window-rimmed roofwill facilitate “daylight harvesting”—allowingnatural lightinto the building’s interior.25 ▲ Spring 2007

AlumniprofileNorthwestern ClassicTodd CarlsonTodd Carlson helped turn around the fortunes of Cadillac Casting, an iron foundry. Also part owner of several other companies, he says integrity is one of the main keys tobusiness success.Good InvestmentEthics and character contribute to alum’s entrepreneurial successby Amy ScheerThe front page of TheDes Moines Register showedtwo Northwestern studentssitting back to back. One,Todd Carlson ’89, holds anopen Soybean Digest. Both ofthem, perhaps, mask aneagerness to end the photosession and return to theirdorm room to study.To study soybeanquotes, that is. Pork belliestoo.Carlson, now a successfulentrepreneur living inRochester Hills, Mich., metwith a Register reporter in1988 to discuss his and GregWestra’s success in the AT&TCollegiate Investment Contest.The two students madea name for Northwesternafter skillfully playing thestock market during a fourmonthperiod with an imaginary$500,000.Though Westra, also an’89 grad, became a finalist inthe national competition, thereporter scrapped the originalstory for a better onewhen he learned the studentswere dorm room day traders,handling not only pretendcommodities but real onestoo.At a time when therewas no Internet available toaccess real-time stock marketquotes, Carlson and Westraconnected their computer toa satellite dish. They staggeredtheir class schedules totake turns tracking marketactivity, calling out updatesas they passed in the hall.The work paid off; thetwo subsidized their schoolingwith the profits.Carlson received his firstlessons in trade in a stockyardnear Storm Lake, Iowa,where as a young boy he’daccompany his father, a livestockbuyer and entrepreneur.This object lesson insheep laid the foundation forCarlson’s future career, which26 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicAlumniprofilebegan in banking.From 1991 to 1999,Carlson was a commercialbanker in Detroit andOmaha. Clients sought hisadvice on their side projects,and eventually he left hisposition to become an independentinvestment banker.“Most investmentbankers work for a fee. I hada different philosophy,” saysCarlson. “Instead of workingfor fee income, I did it forequity—a piece of ownershipin the company. If my compensationcomes from theownership of the deal, I onlyget paid if it’s successful. Thatphilosophy was very differentthan the typical approach. Itresonated with people whowanted to do business withme.”Today, Carlson ownsequity in seven companieswith 800 employees and$180 million in aggregatesales. Diversifying the choiceof companies (from autoparts to real estate) ensuresoverall success if one of theindustries falters.“Not that we’re planningon failing,” Carlson says.The ratio of moralresponsibility rises proportionatelywith each success.“Daily—hourly, almost—there are opportunities toadvance at the expense ofothers,” he says. “There areso many moral and ethicaldecisions to make every day.”Perhaps to counter thesepressures, Carlson devoteshis limited spare time toVision 2020, a church-plantingorganization he developedwith fellow members atKensington CommunityChurch in Troy, Mich. Theirmission is to launch 40churches by the year 2020,with help from partneringchurches and organizationslocated throughout Michiganand in East Africa and India,as well.Any type of business hasits share of financial risk, yetCarlson’s wife, Jill (Erwin’91), models patience andtrust in his decisions, hesays. This is necessary duringdeals like the one Carlsonmade in December 2005,when he and his partner,Dan Minor, approached theowner of a foundry slated forclosure in Cadillac, Mich.The foundry, which makessteel products for primarilyFord and Chrysler vehicles,was in financial ruin butdidn’t qualify for Michiganstate tax credits, which thepartners knew they neededto help them turn the businessaround.They approached theirlocal state representative,who drafted an amendmentto the Michigan EconomicGrowth Authority Act. Thestate legislature passed itunanimously, and the governorapproved it a day later.“We literally changedthe law,” Carlson says proudly.“The headlines said, ‘400Jobs Saved.’”A parade of politiciansvisited the newly namedCadillac Casting, andFeeling Discon-NET-ed?Plug in toNWC’s ’netconnections.Net News, an alumni e-mail newsletter, provides thelatest news from Northwestern College and informationon upcoming alumni events. Visit www.nwciowa.edu/alumniupdate and click on the Net News box to subscribe.Parent Partners, an e-mail newsletter for students’ parents,offers information and advice for supportingyour kids at NWC. Read Parents Partners and subscribeat www.nwciowa.edu/parentpartners.Both Net News and Parent Partnersare sent three to four timeseach year.▼“Most investment bankerswork for a fee. I had a differentphilosophy. Instead ofworking for fee income, Idid it for equity—a piece ofownership in the company.If my compensation comesfrom the ownership of thedeal, I only get paid if it’ssuccessful. ”▲Michigan’s government websitecelebrated the success. Ayear later, Carlson says thefoundry is in the black andhiring 40 new employees in2007.Carlson is reminded ofhis dorm room dealingswhen he visits Northwesternto speak in business classes.With such early successes,his perspective then was a bitmore carefree than it is today.“I thought, ‘Life’s easy.Business is easy. No problem.’I can tell you now, at39, I have a whole appreciationfor and clarity about thevalue of experience.”It’s all about integrity, hesays.“If you have unchallengeableethics and characterin business, people gravitatetoward that,” Carlsonsays. “You get a reputationover time; trust and historybuild that. Stay reputable,and people will want to dobusiness with you.”Todd Carlson27 ▲ Spring 2007

SportsupdateNorthwestern ClassicGo Big RedWintersportsMen’sbasketball• Advanced to the NAIA Div.II Final Four, losing toeventual national championMidAmerica Nazareneand finishing with a 26-9record.• Shared the Great PlainsAthletic Conference(GPAC) regular-season titlewith a 14-4 mark.• Chad Schuiteman (junior,Sioux Center) was nameda first team All-American.Curt Schilling (junior,Ellsworth, Minn.) receivedhonorable mention recognition.Mark DeYounge(junior, Mountain Lake,Minn.) was named aScholar-Athlete.Schuiteman and Schillingwere selected to the allconferencefirst team.Schuiteman averaged 16points and 10 rebounds,compiling 22 double-doubles,while Schilling contributed14 points pergame.• Schuiteman and KaleWiertzema (sophomore,Hills, Minn.) were namedto the all-tournament teamat the national event. EricKruger (senior, Paullina,Iowa) received the HustleAward.• Schuiteman was twicenamed the GPAC player ofthe week.Women’sbasketball• Advanced to the Sweet 16at the national tournament,finishing with a 24-9 record.• Went 14-4 in the GPAC,sharing the regular-seasontitle with three otherschools.• Deb Remmerde (junior,Rock Valley, Iowa) brokeNWC’s single-game scoringrecord when she poured in45 points against DakotaWesleyan. She also brokethe school’s all-time scoringrecord and currentlyhas 2,712 career points.She led the nation inthree-point field goal percentage(51.5) and freethrow percentage (94.2).• Remmerde, who averaged25 points per game, wasnamed the GPAC player ofthe year and earned firstteam All-American honors.She also was selected tothe all-national tournamentsecond team. JaimeHoegh (senior, Atlantic,Iowa), who averaged 13points, joined her on theconference first team andwas an honorable mentionAll-American pick.• Remmerde was the GPACplayer of the week twice,and Hoegh received thathonor once.• Remmerde and CrystalAlgood (junior, Brookings,S.D.), Laura Bahrke (senior,Kingsley, Iowa) andAmy Larson (junior,Denison, Iowa) receivedScholar-Athlete distinction.Wrestling• Sophomore EnockFrancois (Lake Park, Fla.)was named an All-American after placingfourth at nationals.Receiving honorable mentionrecognition were juniorAndrew Lundgren(Orange City), who placedseventh, and freshmanJordan Keckler (Modesto,Calif.), who placed eighth.• Six other wrestlers qualifiedfor the national meet.• The Raiders received theTeam SportsmanshipAward at nationals for thesecond consecutive year.• Seniors David Bray(Colorado Springs) andChris Ernster (Sioux Falls)were named NAIAScholar-Athletes.• Francois, Keckler andLundgren were named firstteam all-conference.Sophomore Levi Price(Cannon Falls, Minn.) andsenior Chris Keating(Aztec, N.M.) were selectedto the second team.Sophomore Enock Francois (left) set a new school record for most wins in a season with 45. His mark eclipsed the previousrecord of 37 set by Lyle Lundgren in 1981 and Tracy Ping in 1990.28 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicSportsupdateIndoor track• Senior Robbie Cundy(Madison, S.D.) receivedAll-American honors afterplacing fourth in the 60-meter hurdles at thenational meet. SeniorsNick Fynaardt (NewSharon, Iowa) and AndrewOrtmeier (Osmond, Neb.)placed eighth and 16th,respectively, in the shotput. Ortmeier finished14th in the weight throw.The women’s 4x400-meterrelay of Laura Jacobson(junior, Galva, Iowa), JessRegan (junior, CouncilBluffs, Iowa), KristenBecker (senior, Osage,Iowa) and Megan Harding(senior, Newcastle, Neb.)placed 16th.Four former NWC athleteswho received accoladesduring their playing dayswere honored again thisFebruary by the NorthwesternCollege Red RaiderClub.A fivetimeAll-American intrack, Hall ofFamer JacobKoczman ’01was the nationalchamp in the 600-meter run (indoor) and the400-meter run (outdoor) as asenior. He set the GPACrecord in both the 600 andSeveral receivenational honorsSeveral Raiders received national honors at theconclusion of the fall season.Senior Austin Janssen (Orange City) was named anAll-American in football. Receiving honorable mentionwere senior Mike Ten Clay (Albuquerque, N.M.) andjunior Blake Wieking (Sioux Falls) in soccer and seniorKatie Schnoes (Sheffield, Iowa) in volleyball.Named NAIA Scholar-Athletes in football were seniorsKeith Sietstra (Boyden, Iowa) and Iver Mettler(Ridgeway, Iowa) and juniors Blake Reinke (Spirit Lake,Iowa) and Scott Stahl (Bridgewater, S.D.). Junior MeganMeyer (Aplington, Iowa) received the honor in volleyball,as did juniors Sarah Korver (Orange City), LauraJacobson (Galva, Iowa), Anthony Ebert (Lynnville,Iowa) and Jon Woehl (Ankeny, Iowa) in cross country;Matt Van Heuvelen (senior, Urbandale, Iowa) in men’ssoccer; and Liz Reynen (senior, Orange City), MichellePower (junior, Grandville, Mich.), Macy Rozeboom(junior, Chino Hills, Calif.), Hannah Stanfield (junior,Camp Verde, Ariz.) and Carrie Vander Horst (junior,Grandville, Mich.) in women’s soccer.Four honored by Red Raider Club400, clocking a 1:19.23(indoor) in the 600 and a47.36 (outdoor) in the 400.He also broke Northwestern’srecords in the indoor 400-and 600-yard runs and the4x400-meter relay, as well asthe outdoor 400 and sprintmedley.A member of theIndiana Invaders elite team,Koczman placed eighth inthe 800-meter run at the2004 Olympic Trials. He isnow a medical student at theUniversity of Iowa in IowaCity.Hall ofFamer Rachel(Binneboese’01) Nettestadof Mokena,Ill., led theRed Raiders tothe national women’s basketballchampionship in 2001and a national runner-up finishin 2000. Named a secondteam All-American as a freshmanand a first team All-American each subsequentseason, she was the nationalplayer of the year her lasttwo seasons and the nationaltournament MVP in 2001.She finished her collegiatecareer as Northwestern’s alltimeleader in scoring with2,517 points, in reboundingwith 1,119, and in stealswith 291.Nettestad is a mathteacher and dean of studentsat Lincoln Way High School.Ben Gerleman ’01 ofRock Rapids,Iowa, wasnamed the2006 Coachof the Yearafter leadingGeorge-LittleRock High School to theIowa Class 1A boys’ basketballtitle in 2006. TheMustangs’ skipper since2001–02, he led his lastthree teams to a combinedrecord of 56-19. While atNorthwestern, Gerlemanearned All-American status,was conference player of theyear in 2000, and was amember of the nationalchampionship team in 2001.The lateHeidi Altena’97 ofSpringfield,Mo., was honoredposthumouslywiththe Barnabas Award, given toa former Raider who encouragedothers to strive for theirbest performance athletically,academically and personally,and who used sport as a wayto bring others to a knowledgeof Jesus Christ. Altena,who died in December 2005,played on Northwestern volleyballteams that qualifiedfor nationals from 1994 to’96 and that finished asregional champs in ’95 and’96. She earned honorablemention all-conferencerecognition her sophomorethrough senior seasons.Go Big Red29 ▲ Spring 2007

LookingbackHogs and corn,dedication andcultureby Tamara FynaardtEditor’s note: As part of Northwestern’s 125th anniversary celebrationin 2007–08, the Classic will present a series of articles exploringthe institution’s history.“The grasshoppers took the hopes for an academy withthem,” said the Rev. Seine Bolks, after fields were strippedclean by the insects in the fall of 1875. Three years before, thestern-looking man whose beard hung down like a bib hadaccepted a call to First Reformed Church in Orange City—inpart because he wanted to help establish an academy, as hehad already done in Holland, Mich., for the children of Dutchsettlers in the West.Bolks and other of Northwestern’s first visionaries wouldwithstand several more harvests compromised by grasshoppers,hailstorms, floods and droughts before, in 1882, theyfinally drew up articles of incorporation for NorthwesternClassical Academy and made plans to grow a school on landdonated by Henry Hospers.Classes didn’t formally convene until Sept. 23, 1883. InFrom Strength to Strength, historian Gerald De Jong recounts:“On that memorable day, 12 young people assembled forKnown by students as the “Rink” and “Noah’s Ark,” this former skating rink indowntown Orange City was Northwestern’s home from 1886 to 1894. It includedclassrooms, a chapel/auditorium, and a few sleeping rooms for male students.The four-classroom Pioneer School housed Northwestern Classical Academyfrom 1884 to 1886.instruction, and by the end of the first week of classes, thenumber had risen to 17 and to 25 by the close of the secondweek.”Students met in First Reformed Church’s consistory roomand the public schoolhouse until a two-story frame buildingwas ready for classes in 1884. Situated on Orange City’s highestelevation, the Pioneer School, as it was called, was latermoved to another campus location and remodeled into ahome for the academy’s principal.In the March 1892 Classic student publication, academyprincipal James Zwemer reminisced about the humble structure’shistory and significance:“This building has always stood [as] a testimony to the importanceof higher education, a protest against ignorance andmaterialism … as a ballot box, where [one] could cast hisvote ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on the important question for these parts:whether we would be a people only for hogs and corn, or alsofor dedication and culture.”By 1886, academy enrollment had already outgrown thePioneer School, so trustees bought an abandoned skating rinkin downtown Orange City. The four-year-old building—constructedin response to a short-lived, nationwide skatingcraze—was purchased for $3,500 and remodeled for $1,200more.“If the cradle of the academy was the Pioneer School, itwas in the rink that we learned to walk,” said Zwemer.Eight years later, the rink was sold back to Orange City,and academy students moved into Northwestern’s first permanentbuilding, Zwemer Hall.30 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicAlumninewsAlumnicornerLori (Burris ’92)Van BeekMember, NationalAlumni BoardDeathsDr. Carl Van de Waa ’37, age 88,died Dec. 9 in Sioux Falls. Aftercompleting dental school at theUniversity of Iowa, he served as adentist in the Army and then inKnoxville, Iowa. He joined the staffat the Royal Johnson VeteransMemorial Hospital in Sioux Falls in1948 and later was named chief ofthe dental clinic. He was a memberHave you seen the new Ford Mustang?I don’t know about you, but I can’t help butstop and take a good look when I see one.I have always loved Mustangs, whetherthe old classics of the ’60s (my personalfavorite is the ’68) or the new 2007 models.The designers have gone to great lengths tokeep the old look and nostalgic feeling ofthe ’60s, while at the same time incorporatingtoday’s technology and contemporaryelements.I feel the same way about NorthwesternCollege. Wonderful memories come streamingback when I think of my four years at NWC. (Nothingcould ever compete with the majestic architecture of ZwemerHall.) But as I’ve visited the campus, I’ve discovered that thesame old place I knew and loved has evolved and advancedwith the years. What a wonderful thing it is to be able toremember the “good ol’ days,” but also to know NWC isexcelling at accommodating the students of today.I applaud all of those who have worked so hard toenable Northwestern to keep pace with an ever-changingmodern world and preserve, simultaneously, the essence ofwhat NWC is and stands for.Just as the years have been good for the Ford Mustang,they have also been good for Northwestern. And as we alumnitake a moment to savor our memories of NWC, I trust thatwe have grown and changed—and that yes, in many ways,the years have also been good to us.Take time to find those old friends you came to knowand love at your alma mater. Use the alumni e-mail directory(www.nwciowa.edu/alumnidirectory) to find out how to keepin touch with your friends. I think you will be pleasantly surprisedat what you get when you take a high school senior,add a little Northwestern College, then send them back intothe world. You will find the same friend you knew before,just “new and improved.”of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church,the Elks Club and the AmericanLegion. His survivors include hiswife, Charlotte, and his sister, RuthGrether ’32, ’62.Harriet (Muyskens ’42) Maassen, 84,of Venice, Fla., died on Jan. 6. Afterattending Northwestern, she graduatedfrom Hope College. She taughtin South Holland, Ill., and workedin the education department at theCrystal Cathedral in Garden Grove,Calif. She was a member of VenicePresbyterian Church. She is survivedby her husband, the Rev.John; five children; and three siblings,Lois Hector ’43, Paul ’48 andJoseph ’49, ’51.Christine (Nelson ’57) Tolman, age89, died Jan. 11 in Orange City.She taught school in Orange Cityand the nearby communities ofMaurice, Hospers and Remsen. Amember of American ReformedChurch, she participated in itswomen’s ministry. Among her survivorsare two children.Bertha (Bosman ’61) Moret, age 95,died Oct. 26 in Sheldon, Iowa. Shetaught for 38 years in Boyden,Iowa. She was a member of FirstReformed Church in Boyden, whereshe taught Sunday school. She wasa former trustee of the BoydenPublic Library and a lifetime memberof the Iowa Teachers Association.Among her survivors is adaughter.Sylvia (Anker ’64) Bretveld, Momence,Ill., died Jan. 4 at the age of64 from complications following aliver transplant. She was an activemember of First Church of theNazarene in Momence, where shesang in the choir, participated inmany Bible studies and taughtSunday school. She is survived byher husband, Bennet ’65; three children;and two sisters, Sharon Kleis’67 and Charlotte Ebbers ’73.Jim Vermeer ’64, age 65, died of cancerNov. 3 in Sioux Center. Ateacher and basketball coach in theFloyd Valley School District for 10years, he then worked as a NewYork Life Insurance agent in SiouxCenter. He was involved in manycommunity activities, includingLion’s Club, Kiwanis, PheasantsForever and the planning committeefor Sioux Center’s centennial. Hissurvivors include his wife, Barbara;four children, including Joshua ’94;two brothers; and two sisters.Arlys (Pannkuk ’69) Rens, age 58,died of cancer on Sept. 22 in AppleValley, Minn. After graduating fromNorthwestern, she taught elementaryschool for four years in Collins,Iowa, and Edina, Minn. She was anactive member of Hope Church.She is survived by her husband,Don ’70, and three children, includingElise Binsfeld ’96.Jim Johnson ’72, age 56, died Jan.26 in Sioux Center. An Englishteacher, football coach and athleticdirector for several years, he servedSioux Center High School andBattle Creek-Ida Grove HighSchool. He was named the NorthwestIowa Athletic Director of theYear in 2005. He sang in the gospeltrio His Light for 20 years, recordingseven albums, and founded arecording studio, White Dove. Hissurvivors include his wife, Bonnie;two daughters; a son; and his father.Sharon (Mol ’79) Smits, age 50, diedof cancer Oct. 23 in Orange City.After graduating from Northwestern,she was director of educationand youth at First ReformedChurch in Maurice, Iowa, and atLincoln Avenue Reformed Churchin Pomona, Calif. After earning amaster’s degree in social work fromthe University of Nebraska atOmaha, she worked as a counselorat the Siouxland Mental HealthCenter in Sioux City and BethesdaChristian Counseling in OrangeCity. She was a member of TrinityReformed Church, where sheserved as a care elder and youthgroup leader. She and her husband,Jim, were named Northwestern’sParents of the Year in 2003. Amongher survivors are Jim and five children,including Angela Kim ’98,Andrea Hydeen ’04, Maria Simmelink’06 and Melinda ’07.Stacey Goodrich ’91, of Manly, Iowa,died Nov. 17 at age 39 in Rochester,Minn. She was employed by Cherokee(Iowa) Work Services for severalyears. Her survivors include herparents and two siblings.Class notes31 ▲ Spring 2007

AlumninewsNorthwestern ClassicClass notesClass notes’54The Rev. J. David Muyskens, GrandRapids, Mich., is the author of FortyDays to a Closer Walk With God: ThePractice of Centering Prayer, publishedby Upper Room Books. Thebook introduces readers to contemplativeprayer and living, suggestingpractices of prayer and Scripturemeditation for each day.’69Cal Groen was appointed director ofthe Idaho Fish and Game Commissionin January. A 17-year veteranof the department, he served assupervisor of its Clearwater Regionfor the last nine years. He previouslyworked as an assistant director atwildlife agencies in Washington andKansas.’71Dan Boonstra underwent a successfulkidney transplant in April 2006.The organ was donated by a friend’sdaughter, who had died in an accidentin Colorado. Dan reports thathe’s feeling great and is back towork as a financial planner inCedar Rapids, Iowa.’73Myra (De Jong) Bowman, Britt, Iowa,recently retired after teaching musicfor 33 years. She spent the last 30years of her career with the WestHancock Community SchoolDistrict.’74Wayne Van Heuvelen was honoredas the 2006 citizen of the year forUrbandale, Iowa, in February. Hewas lauded for his volunteerefforts in city, school and youthathletic activities. A former mocktrial and Little League coach, heserves on the local planning andzoning commission and as treasurerof Endow Urbandale. He ispresident of Horizon Consultingand Investment Services.Writing Center tutor alumniWere you a Writing Center tutor while at NWC? A tutoropen house/reunion is being organized for the 125-YearAnniversary Celebration in October, but we do not have acomplete list of tutors. E-mail Jill Haarsma at jhaarsma@nwciowa.edu if you would like information about thegathering.’83Dean Koele, Le Mars, Iowa, works asthe information technology managerat Link Manufacturing and MaintainerCorp. He spent the last 16years working in information technologyat Harker’s Distribution.’84Col. Don Bacon took command ofthe Air Force’s 55th ElectronicCombat Group in Tucson, Ariz., lastyear. His organization has fivesquadrons and flies the EC-130HCompass Call aircraft. With a missionof information warfare, theunit is deployed in both Afghanistanand Iraq. In May, he will bereassigned to the U.S. Embassy inIraq, acting as the liaison betweenthe military and embassy staff. Hiswife, Angie, and four children willremain in Tucson during thisassignment.Gary Teunissen and his familyrecently relocated to Granite Bay,Calif., where he serves as vice presidentof finance for Shea Homes, thenation’s largest privately ownedhomebuilder. He previously workedas the company’s director of mergersand acquisitions.’85Bob Vander Plaats, Sioux City, is theauthor of a new Focus on theFamily book published by TyndaleHouse. Light From Lucas tells inspirationallessons Bob and his wife,Darla (Granstra), have learned fromson Lucas, who was born severelydisabled. Bob is president of MVPLeadership Inc.’87Ken Jensen, Coon Rapids, Minn.,has sold Snack Attack Vending andnow works as a pest control technicianfor Plunketts Pest Control inLake Minnetonka.Ann Walker serves as the assistantathletic director for compliance andsenior woman administrator atNova Southeastern University inFort Lauderdale, Fla. Nova Southeastern,a private institution, is anNCAA Div. II school and a memberof the Sunshine State Conference.’88Brian Bartle, Minneapolis, is a networktechnician at St. Paul PublicSchools, where he has worked fornine years.Ted Schultz received one of twomedia awards from the Iowa HighSchool Baseball Coaches Associationat its annual convention inCedar Rapids in February. He issports editor at the Clinton Herald.’92Ellen (Sikes) Sarchet, Humble,Texas, teaches English as a secondlanguage to third graders atRaymond Academy in Houston.’94Steve Eelkema, Merced, Calif.,teaches art at Golden Valley HighSchool.Cindy (Wiekamp) Prins and her husband,Corey, live in Marshall, Minn.Cindy is a stay-at-home mom fortheir three children. Corey workswith Northwestern FarmManagement.Joy Sterner, Ypsilanti, Mich., is anemergency room nurse at a traumacenter in Ann Arbor. She also servesas a writing tutor to nurses who arepursuing graduate degrees.Kent Wiersma, Eldridge, Iowa,recently accepted a position asaccounting manager of GenesisHealth System in Davenport. Hiswife, Amy (Vande Wall ’93), workspart time in the human resourcesdepartment at Guardian Industries.They have two children, Cora (8)and Colin (6).’95Steven Bogaard, Orange City, is onthe football coaching staff at UnityChristian High School. He is also ateam leader in bacterin productionand central services at BoehringerIngelheim Vetmedica Inc. in SiouxCenter.Dr. Jason Kanz, Eau Claire, Wis., is aneuropsychologist at MarshfieldClinic, serving patients withAlzheimer’s disease and relatedmemory disorders.’96Eileen (Ringnalda) Barron, Salt LakeCity, works as public involvementmanager for Parsons Brinckerhoff, aworldwide firm that provides programmanagement, planning, engineeringand construction managementservices.The Rev. Josh Blakesley, Newtown,Pa., serves as the minister of youthand discipling for the PennsylvaniaSoutheast Conference of the UnitedChurch of Christ. He is helpingdevelop multicultural ministries inPhiladelphia-area churches, and healso is an actor in Without a CueProductions. His wife, Maria, teachesSpanish at Bucks County CommunityCollege.Jason Kooiker, Sioux Falls, serves asassistant manager at WalgreenDrug. He is pursuing a master’sdegree in business administrationfrom the University of Sioux Falls.32 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicAlumninewsMiniprofileTheatre critic gives shout-out to alumby Tamara FynaardtIn the October 27Chicago Tribune, theatre criticChris Jones lauded fiveChicago stage newbies asactors with “real talent.” Onewas Cora Vander Broek ’00,who, as Drina in Dead Endby Sidney Kingsley, “lets outthe kind of howl of despairthat makes you want to wrapher up in a blanket.”Jones describes VanderBroek as “funny, self-aware,self-effacing, passionate andunflaggingly honest” andpraises her as an actress whoimproves every ensemble shefinds herself in. He says, “NoChicago fringe actress moredeserves a shot at the bigtime.”Vander Broek smiles atthe memory of the article.She also wryly admitsit’s a lot of poorly paid workfor “a shot.” But that’s acting.Stage and screen stars likeJohn Malkovich, Joan Allenand Gary Sinise, notablemembers of Chicago’sSteppenwolf Theatre Company,probably thought thesame thing back when theywere in Vander Broek’s shoes,Cora Vander Broek was named one of five up-and-comers in Chicago’s theatrescene in October.working “day jobs” for rentmoney and insurance benefitsand spending nights andweekends auditioning,rehearsing or performing.From her studio apartmentnorth of the Loop,Vander Broek rides the “L”45 minutes to MichiganAvenue. She scans the tradesfor auditions before startingher day as an editorial assistantat The Christian Centurymagazine, a go-to publicationfor intelligent Christianperspective on contemporaryissues.At 5:00 she heads torehearsals or performances attheatres like Griffin Theatre,The Hypocrites, NorthlightTheatre or Raven Theatre,where she’s acting now in aproduction of Chekhov’s TheSeagull.Since moving to theWindy City six years ago,Vander Broek has acted inone or two shows each year,a time commitment of two tofive months per show.“Sometimes I even get paid,”she says with a laugh.Discovering what shecalls her quirky style in the“edgy but real” Chicago theatrescene, Vander Broekmuses about roles she’d liketo play. She thinks she’dmake a good Stella in AStreetcar Named Desire. Sheaspires to play the more challengingBlanche in thatTennessee Williams play, orShakespeare’s Lady Macbeth.Vander Broek’s dreamsfor her acting career rangefrom simply making a livingon stage to being discoveredby Broadway or Hollywood.Perhaps she’ll be cast in acommercial or a TV pilot,and that’ll be her big break.And if not? “I’ll just waitfor something to happen,”says Vander Broek. Actingmay not put food on thetable, but it nourishes somethingdeeper.Class notes’98Trent Baatz teaches fifth grade inFort Collins, Colo. He and his wife,Christa (Hibma), have two children,Isaac (5) and Eden (1).Michael Waugh, Jacksonville, N.C.,recently moved from Hawaii, wherehe deployed with the 31st MarineExpeditionary Unit to easternAfghanistan in support ofOperation Enduring Freedom.’99Shane Jager has been named seniormanager at Cain Ellsworth andCompany in Sheldon, Iowa. Heleads the accounting firm’s efforts toserve the community bankingindustry.The Rev. Kevin Jansma serves asdirector of leadership developmentat Prairie Ridge Church in Ankeny,Iowa. His wife, Dr. Kelly (VanHaaften ’00), is an optometrist atEye Care of Iowa in Des Moines.Will Kooiker has written his firstnovel. Tower of Ruin, published bySunpiper Media Publishing, is inthe classic fantasy genre. More33 ▲ Spring 2007

AlumninewsNorthwestern ClassicClass notesinformation is available atwww.williamkooiker.com. Willteaches first grade at TussingElementary in Colonial Heights, Va.Nathan Kroesche, Sioux Falls, is ajuvenile corrections supervisor forMinnehaha County.Brian Pals is the new city clerk andadministrator for Hartley, Iowa. Heserved as the city clerk in nearbySanborn since 2003.’00Brian Kading, Anoka, Minn., servesas regional vice president for Trak-1Technology, a company that specializesin employment and residentialbackground checks. His wife,Amber (Smith ’01), teaches physicaleducation and outdoor education atSt. Anthony Village Middle/HighSchool.Lake, Iowa, received the GenevieveMauck Stoufer Outstanding YoungIowa Journalist Award from theIowa Newspaper Association inFebruary.’02Carrie (Tracy) Lowe, Fayetteville,N.C., teaches fourth grade forCumberland County Schools.Jeremy Nelson, Yankton, S.D., is ayouth pastor at Calvary BaptistChurch. His wife, Kirstin (Bulthuis),is a bookkeeper and stay-at-homemom.Darcie (Van Beek) Van Voorst, RockRapids, Iowa, is in her fifth year ofemployment with the Central Lyonand George-Little Rock school districts.Previously a tracking officer,she spent the last two years as aschool liaison officer.and accounting service to communitybanking and closely held businessclients.Tricia Henderson recently earned amaster’s degree in teaching Englishas a foreign language at the Universityof Costa Rica. She teachesEnglish at Colegio Monterrey, aChristian school in San José, CostaRica. She and her husband, JonathanPimentel Chacon, have adaughter, Isabel (2).’04Eric Haley completed a bachelor’sdegree in education at EmporiaState University last May. He nowteaches sixth grade at RidgeviewElementary School in Olathe, Kan.’05Melanie Algood teaches algebra andgeometry at Kelvyn Park HighSchool in Chicago.Humanities (Englishconcentration) major alumniDid you graduate with a humanities major with an Englishconcentration? Would you like to be included in theEnglish major reunion at the 125-Year AnniversaryCelebration in October? E-mail Jill Haarsma at jhaarsma@nwciowa.edu for more information.Dr. Kevin Noffsinger, a chiropractorin Denver, is a supporting providerfor One Minute Wellness, a New YorkTimes bestseller.’01Anitra Wolf, managing editor of theDickinson County News in Spirit’03Stacy (Wittler) Berck teaches secondgrade in Central City, Neb.Ellie Brenneman has been promotedto supervisor at Cain Ellsworth andCompany in Sheldon, Iowa. Sheprovides income tax complianceAlumni: What’s new with you?Jonathan Kraker is in his fourth yearas youth pastor at RosewoodReformed Church in Jenison, Mich.Joey Weber is a resident director atPacific Lutheran University inTacoma, Wash.Let us know so we can tell your friends and classmates. Send to: Office of PublicRelations, Northwestern College, 101 7th Street SW, Orange City, IA 51041. Ore-mail to classic@nwciowa.edu; fax number is 712-707-7370. Deadline for thesummer ’07 Classic is April 27.Ariel Emery, Northfield, Minn.,recently accepted a position as newseditor for the Northfield News.Angela (Trudeau) Schmidt,Hawarden, Iowa, recently graduatedfrom the Academy of MilitaryScience and was commissioned as asecond lieutenant in the AirNational Guard after six years ofenlistment. Her home unit is the185th Refueling Wing in Sioux City.Shanna Vetter works as a tour guidefor the White Pass and YukonRoute Railroad in Skagway, Alaska.’06Aaron Aberson is a Northwesternadmissions counselor.Name _________________________________________________________________Address _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Home phone ________________________________________ Class of ____________E-mail ________________________________________________________________Current employer(s) ____________________________________________________Sara Bensema teaches kindergartenin Katy, Texas.Dan Breen is a staff writer for IowaInformation Publications inSheldon, Iowa. His wife, Kristin(Westenberg), is a staff accountantfor Van Bruggen and Vande Vegte inOrange City.34 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicAlumninewsJeff De Haan works in sales andmarketing for IOS Office Solutionsin Storm Lake, Iowa.Justin Dowdy teaches second gradein Gothenburg, Neb.Amy Gartland, Fargo, N.D., teachespreschool at Nokomis Child Care.PresidentThe Board of Trustees of Northwestern College invites nominations and applications forthe position of president.The Board of Trustees appoints the president to serve as Northwestern’s chief executiveofficer. Working together with the board, the president provides overall leadership—developing, formulating and directing policy and governance in accordance with boardpolicies—and has the opportunity to develop the strengths of the leadership team, focusthe college’s vision, and implement the strategic plan.As the primary spokesperson for the college, the president must be adept at articulatingthe vision of Northwestern College, building relationships with all of Northwestern’sconstituencies, and raising funds.The president must be a maturing Christian who serves as a vibrant ambassador forChrist in every aspect of life and witness. Because Northwestern College is affiliatedwith the Reformed Church in America (RCA), it is expected that the president will joinand be active in a local RCA congregation.The ideal candidate will have an earned academic doctorate or terminal degree coupledwith significant leadership experience. The president is expected to have a reputation oftrustworthiness and integrity, be committed to a collegial and collaborative culture, andbe accessible and visible to students.Information about submitting application materials can be obtained by viewing thecomplete opportunity profile at www.nwciowa.edu/presidentialsearch.Northwestern College complies with all federal and state regulations for nondiscrimination in employment.Women and persons of color are encouraged to apply.Julie Goettsch, Manson, Iowa, teachesfifth and sixth grade special educationin the Manson NorthwestWebster School District.Andrew Gunter is an account managerfor IKON Legal DocumentServices in Minneapolis.Abby Haverhals teaches seventh and11th grade English in Rock Valley,Iowa.Katrina Hilberg teaches first grade inKaty, Texas.Missy McLeish is pursuing a Masterof Divinity degree at PrincetonTheological Seminary.Adam Mickelson works as an assistantsite supervisor for before- andafter-school child care programs atthe Waukee (Iowa) Family YMCA.Cassie Mings is working as anelectrics intern with CenterstageTheatre in Baltimore.Adam Mohr teaches 12th gradesocial studies at San Jose (Calif.)Conservative Corps Charter School.Sarah Mullin works as a milieutreatment counselor at OrchardPlace in Des Moines.Megan Northway, Camden, N.J., isworking with inner-city kidsthrough the Mission Year program.Kyle Osborne is the youth pastor atWest Center Baptist Church inMadison, S.D.Tyler Parson serves as pastor of studentfamily discipleship at ChristCommunity Church in SiouxCenter.Brent Paulsen serves as a psychiatricsecurity specialist at the MentalHealth Institute in Cherokee, Iowa.Ashley Ratliff works as a recreationleader for the city of Tustin, Calif.Christopher Roed serves as a computerprogrammer/analyst forDiamond Vogel Paints in OrangeCity.Cayla Schwendemann is a musiceducator for South of the RiverMusic in Lakeville, Minn.Ryan Simmelink teaches fourthgrade in Carroll, Iowa.Daniel Swier is pursuing graduatestudies in kinesiology at the Universityof Texas at Arlington. Hiswife, Morgan (Walker), teaches thirdgrade in Mansfield.Brent Town teaches seventh gradeClass notes35 ▲ Spring 2007

AlumninewsNorthwestern ClassicClass notesPrayercornerThe Rev. HarlanVanOort ’82ChaplainAs students begin college, they experienceextreme transition. There are at leastthree major areas: independence, crises, andweightiness of accomplishments.College students discover their identityfrom a new perspective apart from theirfamily. Certainly they will retain much ofwhat they learned at home, but now theywill decide what to own and what not to. Itis their identity, discovered with increasingindependence. They ask, “Who am I as achild of God, a family member, a friend, oran educated global citizen?”With this independence is also a transition into moresevere crises. There are challenges in academic rigor—collegeis more difficult than high school. There are challenges withrelationships that have become more intense. There are crisesin care of the self physically, emotionally and spiritually. Thereare also new ideas, some of which cause stress.College increases the number and weightiness of personalaccomplishments. Successes and failures lead to largerlearning opportunities with greater implications for thefuture. Everything is a bigger deal.College is not easy. That is why prayer is so important.Please pray for Northwestern’s students. Pray that God willgrant them the power of the Holy Spirit to endure this journeyof faith, learning and living. Pray that this journey will bea transformation toward Christ-likeness as they prepare forleadership in God’s kingdom.Julie and Steve Eelkema ’94, son,Gabriel, joins Emma (3).Corey and Cindy (Wiekamp ’94)Prins, son, Carter Dean, joinsKianna (6) and Kaylee (3).Amy (Verdoorn ’94) and AbeScheaffer ’93, daughter, ElisaAnne, joins Elliot (3) and Gracia(2).Derek and Kari (Sterk ’95) Anderson,daughter, Ava Ruth, joins Laura(5) and Max (2).Stuart and Kellie (Gregg ’95) Hogg,daughter, Elspeth Kathleen.Erica (Schuiteman ’95) and BrandonKamerman ’96, daughter, KinleyRae, joins Blake (8) and Lane (4).Deric and Rachel (Burgers ’95)Langenhorst, daughter, EllaGrace, joins Alex (9) and Mason(4).Erin and Bryce Armstrong ’96, son,Caleb Kent, joins Gabriel (3).Angie and Greg Smit ’96, son,Camden Gregory, joinsBrooklynn (6) and Alexys (4).Sally (Dykshorn ’96) and Scott TeStroete ’93, son, Kyle Scott, joinsKatie (2).Matt and Sheila (Jones ’96) VanRiesen, daughter, Aliesha Faith,joins Logan (3).Emily (Van Donslear ’97) and DaronDe Jong ’97, daughter, Ava Grace,joins Aden (4).Cory and Lynn (Bleeker ’98) Grimm,daughter, Alexandra Faith, joinsKester and Elizabeth.Henry and Kristie (Johanson ’98)Happeny, son, David Michael.Mike and Melissa (Krempges ’98)Henschel, daughter, Taryn Rose,joins twins Austin and Logan (4).Insoo and Angela (Smits ’98) Kim,son, Elliot James.Rogelio Gomez and RebeccaSchreuder ’98, son, AaronRogelio.Beth (Fisher ’98) and David Wenell’97, son, Nils Josef, joins Anders(2).Bill and Angela (Hoover ’99)Cunigan, daughter, BlessingFaith, joins Jubilee (2).Eric and Becky (Vermeer ’99)Hiemstra, son, Heydan Mykah,joins Jayden (5) and Teygan (3).Don and Shelly (King ’99) Johnson,daughter, Amelia Hope, joinsAustin (6), Emily (4) andSchuyler (1).Kristin (Meyer ’99) and Nathanhistory and social studies at MOC-Floyd Valley Middle School inAlton, Iowa.Sarah (Way) and Scott Treft live inCoralville, Iowa. Sarah is pursuing adegree in communication disordersat the University of Iowa, and Scottis substitute teaching.Kristy Wegman teaches first grade inCypress, Texas.Stacey Wilcox is a training counselorfor Jesuit Volunteer Corps/EsperanzaCommunity Services inChicago.’07Josh Menning is serving in the musicand worship school of Youth With aMission in New Zealand.New arrivalsLaura (Dykstra ’84) and SteveHeitritter ’86, daughters by adoptionfrom Ethiopia, Shaya (4)and Megan (1), join Paul (23),Joe (21), Emma (14) andThomas (8).Jennifer and Milton Holecek ’84,son, Garrett James Edward, joinsJessica (7).Jennifer and Brian Bartle ’88, son,Alexander Kelly, joins Luke (2).Alan and Jodi (Schmitt ’93) Hunter,daughter, Leah.Michael and Kimberly (Wilson ’93)Linson, daughter, Abby, joinsRobby (3).Searches are open for thefollowing faculty positions:Chemistry (tenure-track, bioanalytical or biophysical)Music (sabbatical replacement)Nursing (three tenure-track positions)Physics (tenure-track)Each position begins August 2007. Job descriptions andapplication details are available at www.nwciowa.edu/employment. Northwestern seeks individuals who areReformed and evangelical in theology and committed tothe distinctives of a Christian liberal arts education.Northwestern College complies with federal and state regulations concerning nondiscriminationin employment. Women and persons of color are encouraged to apply.36 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicAlumninews2007 Distinguished Alumni AwardsClass notesFor nearly 30 years, distinguished alumni awards have honored individuals who have magnified Northwestern’s reputationthrough their outstanding achievements. Please take some time to nominate candidates for the Distinguished ProfessionalAchievement, Distinguished Service to Humankind, and Distinguished Service to Northwestern College awards.Visit www.nwciowa.edu/alumniawards to suggest names of worthy nominees, or contact the alumni office: 712-707-7134 or alumni@nwciowa.edu.Kroesche ’99, son, PhinehasCooper, joins Isaiah (2).Mary (Dieck ’99) and Jason VandenBosch ’97, daughter, Allison Jean,joins Nathan (2).Joel and Christie (Rydell ’99) Vos,son, Josiah Daniel.Brianna and Kevin Noffsinger ’00,son, Ian Paul.Rachel (See ’00) and Jamey Valentine’00, son, Carson James.Carrie (Odell ’01) and Eric Anderson,associate dean of students forresidence life, son, NathanWalter.Gina (Wenzel ’01) and AndrewGreene ’06, daughter, AnnikaEsther.Jason and Jennifer (Schultz ’01)Hetrick, son, Nathan Thomas.Sheldon and Jamie (Hansen ’01)Nalos, daughter, Ashlyn Kate,joins Braden (3).Grant and Jami (Jelken ’01) Schmidt,son, Austin Luke.Michelle (Vander Molen ’02) andTom Didier ’02, son, NoahThomas.Bryan and Tisha (Templer ’02)Halverson, son, Carter Douglas.Kirstin (Bulthuis ’02) and JeremyNelson ’02, daughter, AnnikaClaire.Jeremy and Darcie (Van Beek ’02)Van Voorst, children by adoption,Austin (10) and Kaitlyn (5).Trisha (Van Klompenburg ’03) andJosh Dyvig ’02, son, CalebJoshua.Andrea (Smits ’04) and Steve Hydeen’02, son, Josiah Thomas, joinsLillian (2).Brian and Kacey (Van Dyke ’04)McQuilkin, son, Logan William.Cindy (de la Rosa ’05) and KurtCline ’05, daughter, Rebekah Joy.MarriagesRick Brannan ’93 and AmyThompson, Bellingham, Wash.Kevin Jansma ’99 and Kelly VanHaaften ’00, Ankeny, Iowa.Amy Timmerman ’01 and LukeVanasse, Bethel, Alaska.Carrie Tracy ’02 and Dan Lowe,Sixth Annual Red Raider ClassicFriday, June 8 • Landsmeer Golf Club,Orange CityAll former Raider athletes and friends of the athletic departmentare invited to participate in this four-person scramble, hosted bythe athletic department and the Red Raider Club. Each golferwill be able to designate the proceeds from their entry fee to thesport of their choice. The event includes a noon lunch, 1 p.m.best-ball shotgun start, and 5:30 dinner. For moreinformation, contact Karen Vander Pol: 712-707-7280or karen@nwciowa.edu.Fayetteville, N.C.Sara Brands ’03 and Phillip Johnson,Eagan, Minn.Karissa Carlson ’03 and AndyThomas, Wellman, Iowa.Stacy Wittler ’03 and Kyle Berck,Central City, Neb.Kelcee Foss ’04 and Matt Murphy’04, Urbandale, IowaThe couples reside in the city listed.37 ▲ Spring 2007

AlumninewsNorthwestern ClassicClass notesIt’s been a great ride …Celebrate Northwestern’s 125 years atHomecoming 2007On Saturday, Oct. 6, Northwestern will kick off a yearlong celebration that willculminate in the summer of 2008. Plan on joining your friends forNorthwestern’s 125-Year Anniversary Celebration.All-School Reunion5 to 7:30 p.m.RSC gymnasium(four-court area)With food vendors and classreunions by decades125-Year Anniversary Program7 to 7:45 p.m.Bultman Center gymnasiumWith a video, dramaticpresentation, and alumni choirAnniversary Dance8 p.m. to midnightRowenhorst Student CenterMark Oct. 6 on your calendars and watch for more information.38 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern ClassicClassicthoughtsLooks Like Rice, Tastes Like Loveby Grace Liu“May I have the recipe?” they askedat the potluck.“I do not have recipe. May I justshow you?” I answered. It was so surprisingto me; I am not a good cook. InTaiwan, I lived with my mother andthen with my mother-in-law. Theycooked for me, so I did not need tocook. I did not know Americans wouldlike fried rice.In my country, we eat rice two orthree times every day. It is the maincourse. It is also the main crop ofTaiwan. Because we eat so much of it, Ithink it represents our strength.Of course, when I came to America,I brought my rice cooker along. It isnatural. I don’t know how to makeAmerican food, so I make rice.The next time my church hadpotluck, I brought more fried rice.People said, “The rice is so good,” andall the rice was gone. So I made friedrice more and more.When I make fried rice, it is notjust cooking. This rice has a lot ofappreciation in it. Maybe that’s why therice tastes so good.First I stir-fry the eggs. Second, Isauté the onion that I have choppedvery fine. Third, I put rice with oysterflavoredsauce, salt and pepper, mixthem together and stir-fry all of it. Next,I add ham, corn, peas, carrots and eggsuntil all is mixed very well. The color ofthe fried rice is red, green and yellow. Itlooks so beautiful.When I cook fried rice now, Ialways think I am so lucky to have a lotof friends to love my three kids andme—to help us and be a blessing. Iwant our friends to have fried rice ifthey really like it. I like to cook for themto show my appreciation.A retired couple in Boyden, Iowa—A busy student and mom, Grace Liu expresses appreciationto her friends by cooking fried rice for them.Wendell and Caroline Rensink—arevery, very special to my family. We callthem Grandpa and Grandma. They say Iam their youngest daughter, and theyoungest always gets spoiled.They brought my family to theirson’s home in Minnesota for eight daysof vacation last summer. We swam,fished and boated all the time. The viewthere is so peaceful and beautiful. Icooked fried rice two times when wewere there. Their son, daughter-in-lawand two giant college grandsons lovethis fried rice too.At the end of the summer, theRensinks told me that while my kidsgrow up, they need to have a big spaceto live. (I was living in a small two-bedroomapartment.) I said, “I know, butwe have to wait for me to finish collegeand then find a nice job.” But the firstday of school, they called me; theybought a house for us!Four bedrooms, one study room,double garage, full-sized basement, newceiling, new electrical system, new windows,close to the school and church. Ijust cannot believe this big gift. I believea house is so important to a family. Theymake this possible now.I am busy with studying, and atnight, I am taking care of my kids.Grandpa and Grandma cleaned thehouse, painted, put in new carpet, andbought a new sink and new furniturefor us. I cannot help Monday throughFriday because of my school work. All Ican do is cook fried rice for them.Another special person is my bestfriend, Beth Sipma; she takes care of mykids in the daytime so I can focus onstudy. She came to paint at the newhouse on the weekend. Her motherpainted during the week. And hermother-in-law found a dining table andchairs for me and refinished them.I talked to Grandpa. I do not knowBeth’s mother-in-law. I have never seenher. Why did she come to help, andwhat can I do?Grandpa said, “She lives in Hull.Maybe she does not know you, butmaybe she has heard of the fried rice.Cook fried rice for her, and she willlove it.”Grandpa also said, “I am thinkingvery hard how to make this house, andI have lost 10 pounds doing it.”I said, “You need more fried rice.”Grandpa laughed and said, “Yes.”Now when I make fried rice for myfamily, it reminds me of how grateful weare for people who give real love to us.Grace Liu is an accounting major who will graduatein May 2008. She wrote this essay for Dr. CarlVandermeulen’s College Writing course last semester.Send your Classic thoughts to classic@nwciowa.edu39 ▲ Spring 2007

Northwestern College101 7th Street SWOrange City, IA 51041Ph. 712-707-7000 (switchboard)www.nwciowa.eduNon-ProfitU.S. PostagePaidSP&DChange Service Requested“When our students participatein short-term missions,they are there to love thepeople and be the presenceof Christ. As they return,they also bring new culturalperspectives and news ofGod’s work elsewhere backto our campus.”Jill Erickson ’96Director of MissionsI am NorthwesternI enjoy hearing students ask different questions about who they areand what they can do for others in God’s world. Preparing and sendingstudents across the country and throughout the world on Spring ServiceProjects and Summer of Service trips is just one way Northwestern ishelping to prepare students for a life of reconciling work in God’skingdom. We seek to equip students with the skills, knowledge andexperience necessary to be effective servants of the Lord—both nowand in the future. When you support the Northwestern Fund, youbroaden our students’ opportunities for service and learning worldwide.A whole education for your whole life.Contact Jennie Smith, director of the Northwestern Fund, to find out how you can helpstudents enlarge their worldview. Phone: 712-707-7110; e-mail: smith@nwciowa.edu;visit: give.nwciowa.eduLegacyA South Dakota farm boy, Lyle VanderWerff developed alove for learning—and a global vision. After graduating fromNorthwestern Junior College in 1954, he went on to earndegrees at Hope College, Western and Princeton seminaries,and the University of Edinburgh.He and his wife, Phyllis, served as missionaries in Kuwaitand also lived in India, Israel, Japan and Scotland. A memberof Northwestern’s religion faculty from 1967 to 1998, heis recognized as the architect of the college’s outreach tointernational students.It was natural, then, that when the VanderWerffs establisheda Northwestern scholarship in 1992, they designated it forinternational students. “He figured if he could support internationalsin this way, they could be an extension of him andrepresent Christ’s mission to the world,” says Phyllis.Dr. Lyle VanderWerff’s longstanding commitment to international reconciliationwill live in perpetuity, thanks to a scholarship he and his wife, Phyllis, establishedfor international students.For information about how you can make an impact by establishingan endowed scholarship, contact Cornie Wassink, director ofplanned giving, 712-707-7109 or cwassink@nwciowa.edu.40 ▲ Spring 2007