Creative Writing students to offer thesis presentations

Waldorf seniors in the Creative Writing program will present their thesis works on two days next week in the Salveson Ballroom.

Four students are set to make presentations on Tuesday, April 26, and three will present on Wednesday, April 27.

Each presenter will read from his or her thesis and take questions from the audience, said Joe Wilkins, assistant professor of English and creative writing.

The following is the presentation schedule with the presenter's name, genre and name of his/her thesis:

7:30 p.m., Tuesday, April 26

• Anna Eggebraaten, poetry, "Fighting Forms"
• Molly Lumley, mixed genre, "Broken Mirrors"
• Josh Otterman, fiction, "Finding Asylum"
• Lauren Trembath-Neuberger, mixed genre, "How All of It Felt Like Praying"

7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 27

• Brian Anderson, poetry, "Web Spinner"
• Rebekah Morgan, mixed genre, "Saying Aloud in the Night"
• Kara Searcy, poetry, "The Spaces Around Them"

Gallery will host Student Show soon



Students who will be featured in the April 1 show include:  Back row from left, Gabe Vasquez,
Dean Safe, Jane Luecht-DeBoe, Sara Soto and Jillian Eischen; front row from left,  Josh Calteux and Darius Leopaul.



No foolin', the Student Show 2011 kicks off Friday, April 1 in the Waldorf College Gallery and will feature the artworks of about 13 students.

According Kristi Carlson, associate professor of art and director of the gallery, the Student Show is traditionally held near the end of the school year. The exhibit will feature students' drawings from the first semester and paintings from the second semester.

Students in the show are:

Josh Calteux – Chandler, Ariz.

Jillian Eischen – Forest City, Iowa

Sharon Hadacek – Forest City, Iowa

Marissa Hopper – Keystone, Iowa

Barbara Johnson – Forest City, Iowa

Brad Johnson – Lubbock, Texas

Darius Leopaul – Lafayette, La.

Jane Luecht DeBoe – Forest City, Iowa

Brandon Porter – Columbus, Ga.

Dean Safe – Cannon Falls, Minn.

Sara Soto – Susanville, Calif.

Brianna Thomas – Colorado Springs, Iowa

Gabe Vasquez – El Paso, Texas

The Student Show runs through April 20 and gallery hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. The gallery, which is free and open to public, is located in the Campus Center. For more information, contact Carlson at carlsonk@waldorf.edu.

Bookstore employees honored for their work



Terri Van Hove (left) and Karla Schaefer are employees
in the Waldorf Bookstore, the Department of the
Month for February.

 Waldorf Bookstore director Karla Schaefer was shocked to learn that she and her staff members were honored as the Department of the Month for February.

“I just couldn’t believe that we were named Department of the Month,” she said. “We really felt honored. I just didn’t realize that people knew how hard we work in here, and it really felt good to know they must. Thanks.”

The bookstore is run by two full-time employees and three student workers. Joining Schaefer is Terri Van Hove, bookstore assistant, and student workers Holly Gilbertson, Jessica Fiebig and Nadean Krueger. Gilbertson also helps out part time during the summer.

The Waldorf employee who nominated the bookstore for the award wrote the following:

“Karla, Terri and staff keep a smile on their faces as they help students and staff members find what they need in the bookstore: books, supplies and clothing. The Bookstore supports Waldorf College’s athletic teams and other causes such as breast cancer and Kids Against Hunger.”

The bookstore also provides a variety of merchandise.

“We supply textbooks, school/office supplies, Waldorf clothing and imprinted gift items for all students, staff, faculty and the surrounding community people,” Schaefer said. The store also offers food items, including new gluten-free chips and bars, and Hot Pockets.

The store also features outgoing UPS shipping.

Each month, the President's Council accepts nominations for the Department of the Month award, which honors department workers for their stellar work.

Facilities Department honored for going above and beyond



Members of the Facilities Department take a moment for a picture before
 being treated to lunch with President Joe Manjone.
Not pictured are Dave Mull and Lynn Osterkamp.



The Facilities Department is the Waldorf Department of the Month for January.

The Facilities Department is made up of 20 employees and four work-study students, who work part-time. Director Al Eggebraaten was pleased to be recognized by coworkers.

“We were honored. We were very honored that we were noticed,” Eggebraaten said.

Two Waldorf employees from other departments nominated the Facilities Department for the award. Each month, the President's Council accepts nominations for the award that recognizes department workers for their stellar work. Department staffers were honored with a lunch with President Joe Manjone.
“Facilities always work hard,” one employee wrote in the nomination. “They have all the regular upkeep and then have to respond to all the unexpected challenges and needs each week, often times getting little or no notice. This year, like us all, they have had to adjust to more buildings to prepare/maintain and lots of additional setups for events around campus. I think they do a good job and the best they can with the number of workers they have.”

Another employee offered this comment: “Having once been part of that department, I can definitely say they do jobs that no other department would touch with a 10-foot pole, especially in the dorms.They work very hard to help in any way they can.”

Eggebraaten said in addition to routine maintenance and housekeeping, his staffers tackle many of the big projects on campus, such as their current project of building locker rooms in the Denny Jerome Athletic Center.

“With the given budget, we try to do the best and make things look nice,” he said.
Facilities Services employees (all work full time with the exception of Jane Luecht-DeBoe, part-time housekeeper, and work study students) include:

Facilities staffers
Justin Benjegerdes, housekeeping
Dave DeBoe, maintenance
Jane Luecht-DeBoe, part-time housekeeper
Al Eggebraaten, director
Lydia Gray, housekeeping
Bryan Juenger, maintenance
Kris Juenger, housekeeping
Gary Kadlecik, groundskeeper
Shannon Kesler, housekeeping
Diane Korte, housekeeping
Sherman Meyering, maintenance
Darlene Miles, maintenance secretary/office manager
Duane Moe, boiler operator

Dave Mull, maintenance

Lynn Osterkamp, maintenance/bus driver

Justin Thompson, housekeeping

Tim Severson, Al’s assistant/maintenance

John Staley, housekeeping

Mike Tjaden, housekeeping

Phuoc Van Truong (Lucky), maintenance

Facilities work-study students (part-time)

Cody Barnes, maintenance

Keisha Chelberg, laundry

Nicole (Nicki) Gray, laundry

Quinn Hesterlee, maintenance

1,000 pairs of socks donated by employees delivered to needy

Waldorf employee Dawn Ramaker (center) delivers socks
to workers at a shelter in Mason City.

Waldorf employees donated hundreds
of pairs of socks during
the holiday season.
(Jason Eck)

Approximately 1,000 pairs of socks donated by Waldorf College faculty and employees during the holiday season have been delivered to agencies that will get them to those in need.

Waldorf employees Dawn Ramaker and Cindy Carter recently delivered approximately 750 pairs to an emergency shelter in Mason City. The socks will be distributed to five shelters, Ramaker said.

“They were very grateful and appreciated the donation,” she said. “A woman, Jan, helped us. She was recently dislocated from her home along with her two children due to a house fire where many of their personal belongings were destroyed. Another woman told us that she would be moving out as she had secured housing in Garner.


"It was a humbling experience, as you just never know what life is going to throw at you and what you might need even down to a pair of socks,” Ramaker added.

The remaining socks will be donated to local schools and daycares in Forest City, Lake Mills, Garner and West Hancock, Ramaker said.

Waldorf employees more than doubled the goal of 450 pairs during the sock drive that culminated during an employee Christmas party Dec. 14. Staffers were encouraged to wear their favorite pair of socks or slippers while donating to the drive. They also decorated paper stockings with creative themes.

Staff members from Columbia Southern University in Orange Beach, Ala., also participated in the drive. CSU, an online university, and Waldorf are owned by Mayes Education.
Waldorf took part in the drive through the non-profit organization Hannah’s Socks. It gives new socks to people in need and serves homeless and domestic violence shelters in the Midwest.

Waldorf departments had fun with the competition with playful e-mail campaigns to encourage one another to give. Staffers donated socks of all types and colors and for men, women and children.

The event was sponsored by the college’s Social Committee, a group of employees who plan a variety of social events for college staffers throughout the year, such as Halloween and Christmas parties.

Wellness Center expands hours for employees, students

The Wellness Center now has expanded hours for students and Waldorf employees.

The hours are as follows:
• 6-7 a.m., Monday, Wednesday and Friday
• 6-8 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday

The Wellness Center, a facility with weight-training and exercise equipment, was closed to non-athletes and employees earlier this semester because of increased demand by athletes.

The new hours went into effect on Thursday, Feb. 10. Students and employees also can use the YMCA facilities and take part in an open gym from 8-11 p.m. on Fridays in the Waldorf gym.

Wind Symphony to perform Sunday in Forest City

The Waldorf Wind Symphony performs during
Christmas with Waldorf. The ensemble will play at
Immanuel Lutheran Church on Sunday.

(Jason Eck)

The Waldorf Wind Symphony will present a free concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Forest City. The free concert is part of the Apollo’s Lyre concert series that features student musicians throughout the year.

The theme for the performance is “Old, New, Borrowed and Blue” and is filled with a variety of great music, said Brent Dodson, symphony

conductor and assistant professor of music. The ensemble of wind, brass and percussion players will perform music by John Philip Sousa, William Schuman and Warren Benson, among others.

The program also will feature Waldorf senior Jason Homard, who will perform “First Horn Concerto” by German composer Richard Strauss. Homard described the piece as challenging, and said his goal is to perform the music without making it sound difficult.

“We’ve all been working very hard to get the style that Strauss was looking for when he wrote the concerto,” Homard said. “It’ll be a lot of fun to perform this piece and listen to our hard work.”

The concert will conclude with an epic tone poem by William Francis McBeth titled “Of Sailors and Whales,” which musically depicts the principal characters in Herman Melville’s classic novel “Moby Dick.”

New hours for Wellness Center usage

The Wellness Center, a facility with weight-training and exercise equipment, will now be open from 6 to 7 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday for students and Waldorf employees, according to President Joe Manjone.

Students and employees also can use the YMCA Forest City facilities and take part in an open gym from 8-11 p.m. on Fridays in the Waldorf gym.

Bruce Mielke, executive director of the Forest City YMCA, said the YMCA is looking into buying new weight equipment and expanding into an adjacent room to help address recent demand. He estimated a completion by the end of March.

A YMCA membership is included in students’ fees to attend Waldorf. Waldorf now pays for a portion of an employee’s membership to the YMCA.

Tonight's basketball games postponed

The Waldorf men’s and women’s home basketball games tonight against Mount Mercy University have been postponed because of bad weather.

The games are rescheduled for Thursday night. The women’s game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. followed by the men’s game at 7:30 p.m. at Hanson Fieldhouse gym.

Fans are encouraged to wear black to the games in support of the “Black Out All Cancer” event.

Open forum set tonight on Wellness Center

An open forum about recent changes in usage 
of the Wellness Center is tonight.

Students and employees are invited to an open forum tonight about the recent changes in usage of the Wellness Center on campus.

The Waldorf Student Senate will host the event at 8 p.m. in the Breen Classroom. President Joe Manjone and possibly a representative from the YMCA will be present to answer any questions and concerns.

As of the start of spring semester, only Waldorf athletes are allowed to use the Wellness Center for strength and conditioning work. Students and employees, who used to share the facility with athletes, were encouraged to use the YMCA facilities and take part in an open gym from 8-11 p.m. on Fridays in the Waldorf gym.

“There have been some student concerns about the transition,” said Jason Ramaker, dean of students. Ramaker said some students have complained that the YMCA isn’t open as long as the Wellness Center and that the YMCA doesn’t offer some of the same equipment as the Wellness Center.

A YMCA membership is included in students’ fees to attend Waldorf. Waldorf now pays for a portion of an employee’s membership to the YMCA.