* The Amazing Rise, Fall and Rebound of Dale Barlage.....
* Alumnotes
* We remember...
* MSUM's first African-American student....
* Whirly Girls at the Grammy Awards
* Dragon National Wrestling Champions Reunion
* New 36-unit student apartment complex to open
* "You Can Call Me Al": MSUM prof is the origin of that Garfunkel tune?

Once one of the top brokers in the world, he stumbled badly. Now he’s on the rebound….
THE AMAZING RISE, FALL AND
REBOUND OF DALE BARLAGE
Dale Barlage was a high-flying juggernaut for financial giant Dean Witter during the go-go 1980s, his status legitimized when the now defunct Financial World magazine crowned him one of the top 10 brokers in the world.

Later, when his world collapsed, the media tried to paint him as a Minneapolis-nice version of the Michael Douglas character Gordon Gecko in the movie “Wall Street,” Hollywood’s take on the greed and rapacity that surrounded one of the greatest bull markets of the century.

From his humble beginnings as the son of a sewing machine and vacuum cleaner repairman in Wheaton, Minn., Barlage rose to the rarefied status of one of the most successful securities broker in the country at a time when investment wizards were considered the maharishis of the me-generation.

It was an era of junk bonds, mergers, acquisitions and insider trading that spawned a slew of literary reflections ranging from “The Bonfire of the Vanities” to “American Psycho.”

While Douglas won an Oscar for his role in Oliver Stone’s 1987 “Wall Street,” Barlage‘s performance was equally rewarding that year, earning more than $4 million in commissions as senior vice president for investments at Dean Witter (now Morgan Stanley Dean Witter & Co.).

At times, he sported a full-length mink coat, a $25,000 Presidential Rolex watch and a $10,000 diamond ring. The rare moments he wasn’t working, he’d prefer to hunt and fish, often with Minneapolis Star Tribune’s former outdoors editor Ron Schara.

“I was fascinated by him because he was so flamboyant and everything he touched seemed to turn to gold,” said Schara, now host of “Minnesota Bound,” a popular television outdoors shows. “I hunted and fished with him and ate at his parents’ home in Wheaton. I was surprised, no, amazed when things went bad for him. But I find it insulting when people start bad-mouthing him because they lost money from his investment advice. He was a high-roller, everyone knew that. Even I lost a little money on a couple investments. But nobody had a gun held to their head when they took his advice.”

Schara will never forget the day he spotted Barlage walking down the street in his full-length mink coat and invited him on a helicopter ride around the Twin Cities looking for ducks and deer. “I have no idea where he got the helicopter,” Schara said.

Barlage had broken bread with three presidents (Nixon, Reagan and Bush Sr., and met Clinton), bought his wife a new Jaguar for her birthday, owned 47 thoroughbred racehorses and both his daughters were enrolled in Breck, an exclusive private school in Golden Valley. In 1980, he was named one of MSUM’s Outstanding Young Alumni.

“Not only was he one of the most personable guys you’d ever meet, he was one of the hardest workers,” says Gene “Gino” Bakkum, who was a classmate of Barlage’s at MSUM and worked with him at Dean Witter. “Most days, Dale literally arrived at the office at 3 a.m.”

Twice Barlage was named Dean Witter’s top broker in its national network while serving an incredible 5,000 clients. His personal assets alone were in the neighborhood of $10 million.

“I did enjoy the fruits of success,” he said from his home in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. “But I really wasn’t motivated by greed, as some of the newspapers claimed. What drove me on more than anything was the thrill of making the deal.”

Two years later—after the stock market’s disastrous “Black Monday” crash of October 19, 1987, Ronald Reagan’s Tax Reform Act nearly decimated his real estate holdings??Barlage sat in the basement of his $1.6 million Lake Minnetonka home with a bottle of booze at his side and a 12-guage shotgun pointed at his head.

“At the time I was bleeding more than $200,000 a month and I was on the hook for $50 million in real estate loans,” he said. “Dean Witter just fired me and my wife was asking for a divorce. On top of that, I was drinking way too much and taking prescription anti-depressants and sleeping pills”

Adding to his misery, the FBI, the SEC., the IRS and a litany of other governmental acronyms were sniffing around his financial dealings, in part because “Moneyapolis,” as it was called then by some investigators, had become a web of insider trading and investment intrigue.
With all that hanging over him, Barlage said his $5 million life insurance policy made suicide seem like his last and only resort.

“I was down in that basement for two hours, pacing back and forth, thinking, trying to find a way out,” he said. “By the grace of God, I decided to do whatever it takes to preserve my relationship with my two daughters. I never looked back.”

That was in October of 1989. The next month, Barlage went fishing for two weeks with a friend on the Red Lake Indian Reservation, then checked himself in to the Hazelden Renewal Center for alcohol addiction. He’s been sober ever since.

“Sometimes you have to say you’re sorry, then move on with your life,” he said.

Fast-forward to 2002, 12 years after his fall from grace. Barlage, 55, now lives with his three dogs in tony Jackson Hole under the shadow of the Grand Teton Mountain Range.

The sign entering Barlage’s property reads: “Second Chance Ranch.” Harrison Ford is one of his neighbors. The president of the World Bank and Vice President Dick Cheney also call Jackson Hole home.

Barlage’s four phone lines ring repeatedly as he conducts business from his kitchen counter during an afternoon break to talk about his past. While he’s on the phone, two bald eagles watch from a tree branch in his backyard and a flock of trumpeter swans swoops by his panoramic picture window. Elk tracks lead through the snow cover.

“I’m still recovering,” said Barlage, who’s long abandoned his three-piece designer suits for more comfortable flannel shirts and blue jeans. “I still have a ways to go.”

In between calls, he starts lunch, following a recipe in a cookbook written by his childhood friend, John Schumacher, owner of Schumacher’s Hotel in New Prague, Minn.

“We grew up together in Wheaton,” says Schumacher. “He was my best friend. We’ve been through the best and worst of times together. As I see it, Dale was basically a cowboy in a suit then. He rode hard, drank hard and shot from the hip. He was a homerun hitter and that was his undoing. And everyone who made or lost money with him knew Dale was always swinging for the fence.”

But this time, Barlage struck out.

His problems began to snowball when the booming Twin Cities real estate market started to contract. Vacancies were rising and rents dropping.

Then the Tax Reform Act of 1986 literally cut the bottom out of his $50 million in real estate investments, including his $16 million holding in Vernon Terrace, an upscale senior housing development in Edina.

“Their total value dropped about 20 percent overnight,” he said.

The Tax Reform Act essentially took away many tax incentives for real estate investments, including eliminating passive losses and reducing the significance of depreciation in evaluating real property.

“You bet I was more aggressive than I should have been,” Barlage admits. “I got myself into one hell of a jam. I was literally gasping for air, working around the clock, watching my life go down the drain. I was looking at a negative cash flow of $200,000 a month.”

Also on the precipice were scores of friends and clients who followed his investment advice and may have lost, according to some estimates, a total of more than $10 million because of it.

“Here’s what happened,” Barlage said. “I was losing heavily in real estate, so I tried to make up for it by betting heavily in stock options on the takeover of USX Corp. stock by (corporate raider) Carl Icahn. The steel company’s stock was trading in the $30s and I figured it was going to the mid $40s.”

In options trading, the investor pays only a fraction of the stock price for the advantage of selling it later, hopefully at a higher price, on or before a given date.

Barlage said that in 1989 he secured two bank loans for $550,000 to stock up on USX options because he was certain a tender offer was imminent.
When the time ran out on his options, not only did his bank loans fall through, but Icahn hadn’t moved on USX. “I lost $3 million on that deal and my life came tumbling down,” he said.

It was a painful example of just how thin a line separates success and failure in the investment game.

Three weeks later, Barlage said, Icahn finally made his move on USX. “If I had three more weeks left on my options, I would have made $15 million.”

But when the $550,000 check he wrote to Dean Witter to purchase the USX options bounced, the company fired him on the spot. That happened one month after Dean Witter hosted a party for Barlage on a Lake Minnetonka houseboat celebrating his $1 million in commissions that year.

“No, I didn’t have the money,” he said. “And in the eyes of the law, I committed a crime. But that wasn’t my intent. I thought I had those bank loans secured.”

Six weeks later, Barlage said, he covered the check by cashing in his retirement.

“To this day I still can’t understand how I was charged with a crime without any intent on my part to break the law,” Barlage said. “Maybe I have a blind spot, but I’ll argue that forever. In any case, I pled guilty and accepted my punishment.”

In 1990, Barlage filed for bankruptcy—considered the biggest personal bust in Minnesota at the time??and moved to Jackson Hole, where he’d owned land for10 years.

“My entire 20-year career went up in smoke,” he said. “I went from making a million dollars a year to unemployment. All the doors shut on me, lifelong friends abandoned me, my wife hated me, the press smeared me.”

He still owed $1 million after all his assets were liquidated in the bankruptcy. “Thankfully,” he said, “a friend in Minneapolis, Paul Klodt, loaned me $1.6 million, which allowed me to buy back some of my assets lost in bankruptcy and get on my feet. I’ve already paid him back.”

But Jackson Hole didn’t shield him from the long arm of the law. Barlage had to travel back to Minneapolis three or four times a month to deal with lawyers, courts and investigators surrounding his securities dealings, real estate and his divorce.

Finally, in 1996, Barlage pled guilty to buying stock options without the ability to pay for them, a federal offense. He was sentenced and served six months in the Duluth minimum-security prison and paid a $50,000 fine.

Said Minneapolis FBI agent Paul McCabe, who led the investigation of Barlage and several other securities cases during the late 1980s: “Barlage was a super salesman, a bright guy and very hard working. He did the right thing by cooperating with us. Nevertheless, he’s still a felon. But I’m not surprised that he got back on his feet. He impressed me as a survivor.”

Barlage makes his living today as a consultant and deal-maker. “I don’t have a license, I’m not a broker, I have no professional certification other than my experience,” he said. “And I’m basically operating in handcuffs because of my felony conviction. It always comes up. In fact, I’m very open with my business associates about my past. I have to be. All I have is my credibility.”

That credibility must still carry some cache, because during a two-day visit his phone never stopped ringing. And the conversations always seemed to revolve around big dollar signs.

That’s because Barlage is involved in more than a dozen business interests, ranging from a land development in Arizona to farms and other investments. He also has a growing list of business associates who call him for financial advice and counsel.

Barlage’s father, now deceased, served as mayor of Wheaton for 25 years while his mother, Vivian, did the books for their family vacuum cleaner and sewing machine repair shop.

“Dale was the kind of child who ran before he crawled,” she said. “He was always into something.”
Vivian still lives in Wheaton, but spends the winter in Arizona with Dale, who moves south of Jackson Hole before the snow flies.

Barlage worked his way through high school in all kinds of part-time jobs. He played trumpet in the school band, spent most of his spare time hunting and fishing, and became student president of his Wheaton High School class.

At MSUM, he majored in mathematics, joined Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity, eventually becoming its president. Later, he was elected MSUM student senate president.

To help put himself through school, Barlage worked for the university grounds crew, took photographs for student I.D.s, drove bus for the Moorhead School District, and did heavy labor on state highway department crews and at Wheaton area farms

“I really learned a lot about leadership at MSU,” he said. “I was basically a B student, but it was what I learned outside the classroom that changed me. The university gave me a jump-start on life.”

Prof. Derald Rothmann from the MSUM math department, who was Barlage’s advisor his first two years on campus, remembers him as a bright and hard-working student. “He stood out because he was very respectful and personable,” Rothmann said.

After graduating in 1968, Barlage taught math one year at the high school in Upsala, Minn., then joined the Central Intelligence Agency in Washington, D.C. as a mathematician and photogrammetrist, extracting scale drawings and measurements from aerial photographs.

He was part of a CIA team that uncovered the first nuclear capabilities in the People’s Republic of China. And at the age of 23, he was part of the same team that briefed President Richard Nixon at the White House on China’s advent into the nuclear race.

“But sales was always in my blood,” he said. “I started selling real estate part-time when I was with the CIA and took night classes at American University and later attended Drake Law School. When I finally decided that I wanted to become a securities broker, no one would hire me because I didn’t have much sales experience.”

Then Dean Witter in Minneapolis took a chance and sent Barlage to its investment school in San Francisco, where he met and later married Kathleen Wright, the daughter of a wealthy California builder.

“I started out with a desk and a telephone doing cold calls,” Barlage said. “I wasn’t from a wealthy family and I didn’t have any influential contacts. But I was on the phone seven days a week. Six years from my first day on the job, I was Dean Witter’s top broker in the world. No one gave it to me. I earned it.”

He credits his rapid rise to persistence, a desire to succeed and a positive attitude. “And I guess I was a natural born salesman. I’ve always felt a real sense of achievement making deals, the kind of rush an athlete must get after a spectacular performance.”

His clients ranged from small investors to huge pension funds. But he also had outside interests, buying a bank, a travel and health care business, a car leasing company, restaurants, several farms in Minnesota and the Dakotas along with dozens of other enterprises. He and his wife took 17 luxury trips around the world.

And while he was at the top of his game, he pledged $300,000 to the MSUM centennial campaign, designated for the university’s Regional Science Center. At the time, it was the largest individual gift ever received by the university, and officials here soon dubbed its outdoor education preserve near Buffalo River State Park the Barlage Center for Science.

That was in September of 1987, the year when the real estate market crashed and the beginning of Barlage’s fall.

During the opening of the science center, Barlage arranged for his friend Wally Schirra, one of the original seven astronauts chosen for the United States space program, to speak at the dedication. Before leaving, Schirra agreed to become the honorary chairman of the Barlage Center for Science.

That same week, Barlage rode in a convertible with his wife and children as part of the university’s Homecoming parade.

“I was disappointed when the university took my name off the science center,” he said. “I wanted badly to honor my commitment. It hurt. But when push came to shove, I just didn’t have the money.”

Barlage’s reputation, meanwhile, was taking a drubbing. But he fought back, filing a $44 million wrongful dismissal suit against Dean Witter.
It all came to an end in a closed-door hearing with his bankruptcy trustee, when three FBI agents barged in, handcuffing and arresting him on the spot. He suspects the well-connected executives at Dean Witter set him up.

Rumors about Barlage were ricocheting around the Twin Cities, implicating him in several other high-profile brokerage investigations. Barlage denies involvement in any of the schemes and believes the FBI. initiated the gossip as part of an attempt to indiscriminately cast a wide net over as many suspects as possible.

Hoping to mitigate some of the damage, Barlage wore a wire for the FBI. For 21 months, using his securities expertise working undercover. He even had a code name: Remington Steele.

Barlage said he recorded 185 tapes for the F.B.I. and helped investigate scores of illegal financial transactions across the United States.

But when it came time for his sentencing hearing, the judge wasn’t impressed by Barlage’s cooperation with the feds. “You’re a crook and a thief and you’ve been hanging out with crooks and thieves for the past two years,“ the judge told Barlage. That’s when he was sentenced to six months in the Duluth Minimum Security Prison.

“I was very disappointed in the judge’s decision,” Barlage said. “I thought my cooperation with the FB.I. would keep me out of jail. But prison was an eye-opener. I spent my time there as a baker in the kitchen. It was a humbling experience.”

Don’t talk to Barlage about lawyers, the justice system or big government agencies. “America is the greatest country in the world,” he said, “but my advice is…well, I better not say anything here. I don’t want to get in any more trouble.”

Gazing into his backyard, where cutthroat trout flourish in his four private ponds fed by two mountain streams, Barlage said: “It’s with me every day. It’s as if I wake up in handcuffs every morning. I can’t shake the burden.”

Then his phone rings again. This time it’s not a business associate, but one of his daughters. His face brightens as he shifts from financier to father.
When he’s done talking, Barlage gets serious.

“I’m not afraid to face God for anything I’ve done,” he said. “I have a good relationship with my daughters (Gia and Neysa) and I’ve managed to keep my spirit. That’s what matters most.”

‘30s
Erling Herman ’35 (math) taught high school math and band before retiring in 1975. In 1976 he joined the “Minnesota Over Sixty Band” and is looking forward to playing again this summer. Erling lives in Burnsville, MN.
'40s
Esther Griep Butler, ’43 (elem ed) lives in El Cajon, CA, with her husband Bill.  Esther and Bill, married since 1945, now own two home businesses: Butler Family Tree Video and Bill Butler Entertains. The Butlers produce videos with old pix, movies and slides. They are now performing in their original musical production about the life of composer Stephen Foster.
Drusilla Agnes Paskey Best ’44, ’47 (elem ed) is a retired elementary teacher. She lives in Faribault, MN, in the home that she and her deceased husband built.
Lucille Halstead ’46 (elem ed) lives in Granite Falls, MN, with her husband Harris. Their home was damaged and their garage destroyed in the July tornado, so they have moved to Granite Ridge Place.
Edna M. Carlson ’43 (elem ed) ’68 (reading) lives in Roseville,MN, where she is retired from what she calls an exciting and demanding career as a teacher.
‘50s
Edna Mae Borslien Hunnicutt ’53 (elem ed) spent 33 years in education as a teacher/elementary principal. She is now retired and lives in Wadena, MN, with her husband William. Edna says, “You know you’re old when all the buildings on campus are named after teachers you had who have now passed away.”
Stan ’57 (indus ed) and Shirley Scheer ’56 (elem ed) Motschenbacher are retired educators living in Forest Lake, MN.
William ’57 and ’74 (phy ed) and Patricia ’56 and ’63 (elem ed) Roy have retired after careers as teachers and now live in Santa Maria, CA, where they keep busy volunteering for their church and traveling.
Dick Seal ’59 (phy ed) lives in Sauk Rapids, MN. Although he is retired, he still works part-time for Friendship Ventures, a camp for children and adults with disabilities.
‘60s
Nancy Hettwer ’60 (secretarial sci) ’69 (MS), completed her Bachelor’s Degree at Kansas U. in 1997. She lives in Lawrence, KS, where she works for Kansas Univ. Athletics.
Deloros Aukes Petterson ’61 (elem ed) ’69 (MS), retired after 40 years of teaching in Wheaton, MN, where she lives with her husband Philip.
Charles ’64 (elem ed) and Barbara ’72 (elem ed) ’88 (reading) Schulstad retired from their careers with the Fargo Public Schools and are moving to their farm in Polk County, MN, where they will pursue their hobbies of farming and gardening.
Donna ’65 (elem ed) ’73 (MA)  and Arliss ’57 (indus ed) ’63 (MS) Fedje live in Moorhead, MN.  They are retired and now spend their summers traveling in their motor home.
Ron ’65 (spc st) ’70 (phy ed) and Lou ’67 (elem ed) Nealis live in Ocala, FL, where Ron is retired and Lou teaches 5th grade.
Rosemary Blaser ’65 (elem ed) lives in Mahnomen, MN, with her husband Arnold. She is retired, but keeps busy with volunteer work and some substitute teaching.
John W. Johnson ’66 (math) ’72 (MA) and his wife Carol, live in Warren, MN, where John loves his job as an advocate for persons with disabilities.
Lana Myers ’66 (Eng) is retired from teaching and living in Cloquet, MN. Lana enjoys volunteer work and substitute teaching.
Roger Olson ’68 (bus admin) is retired and lives with his wife Terri, on Wymer Lake, near Frazee, MN.
Roger Schwartz ’68 (health/PE) ’74 (MA) is retired after teaching Phy Ed for 30 years in Rochester, MN, where he lives with his wife Martha.
David Gaddie ’69 (bus admin) is President and CEO of Republic Bank in Duluth, MN, where he and his wife, Barbara, live.
Georgia (Rude) ’69 (math) and Steve ’69 (bus admin/mgmt) Gullickson live on the grain farm near Fertile, MN, that Steve owns. Georgia teaches math at Fertile/Beltrami High School.
Judy (Sperling) ’69 (art) and Marv ’68 (hist) ’78 (MS) Gunderson live in Elbow Lake, MN, where Judy is retired and Marv is a self-employed insurance agent.
Terry Waite ’69 (biol) lives in East Grand Forks, MN, where she has taught school for 24 years. Outside of school Terry is the facilitator for NASA Education Workshop at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.

‘70s
David Jellison (’70), vice president and city manager for Pennsylvania-based Liberty Property Trust’s Minnesota region (managing a 3.8 million-square-foot portfolio of office and industrial space) was recently named the 2002 chairman of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, a trade association with more than 9,500 members in 46 chapters throughout North America
Gerilinda (Geri) Bergh ’70 (speech) has been employed by PGA Tour, Inc., for 12 years. She lives in Jacksonville, FL, with her husband Jon.
Richard Jarrett ’70 (health/PE) lives in Beaufort, SC, with his wife Susan. After 6 years in the midwest, he returned to the south to teach in the Beaufort County School District.
David Jellison ’70 (hotel-motel-restaurant mgt) has been named national chairman of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, a trade group for members of the commercial real estate industry. He lives in Orono, MN.
Dorothy Doring ’71 (music) lives in St. Paul, MN, where she is a jazz singer and full-time music specialist for the St. Paul Public Schools.
Norma Kretzschmar ’72 (MA music) teaches private music lessons and substitutes for the church organist. She lives in Osceola, WI, with her husband Richard.
Keith Backhaus ’73 (fin) works for Multifoods, traveling from coast to coast in national sales. He and his wife Mary live in Ramsey, MN.
Mike Malony ’73 (indus ed) and his wife Connie live in Fargo, ND, where Mike owns Molony Construction, which builds single family homes in the FM area.
Connie Hetzler Weber ’73 (SLHS) lives in North Tazewell, VA. After 25 years as a speech language pathologist, she made a career change and is now a radio producer/writer for Wisdom Media.
Pam Herring Wettstein ’73 (elem ed) is a middle school principal in Tulsa, OK, where she and her husband Chuck live.
Elaine Spielman DeGroot ’75 (math) is a contract specialist for the U.S.A.F. in Warner Robins, GA, where she lives with her husband Mike. Elaine says she enjoys Georgia, but misses Minnesota.
Cathy Johnson ’75 (elem ed) teaches first grade at Campbell-Tintah Public School. She lives in Breckenridge, MN, with her husband Reed and their two children.
Robert Austin ’76 (bus admin) lives in Gunnison, CO, with his wife Betsy. He is the president of Gunnison Valley Hospital and asks his friends to e-mail him at raustin@adelphia.net.
Lucille G. Larson ’76 (indiv major) is a retired social services supervisor and now spends her time volunteering for the Senior Companion Program and putting in 40+ hours per month helping seniors remain in their own homes. She lives in Fergus Falls, MN.
Craig Ramsey ’76 (Am studies) lives in Excelsior, MN, where he is a self-employed financial planner. Craig, his wife Beth, and their two children enoy climbing, skiing and fly fishing at their cabin in Montana.
Wayne Solberg ’76 (fin) works for Applied Business Experience, in Bismarck, ND, where he lives with his wife Becky and their son.
Jeffrey Brunelle ’77 (comp sci) is a senior systems analyst for St. Paul Companies and lives in Shorview, MN, with his wife, Jan, and their three children. Jeff enjoys hunting, camping and doing Civil War Reenactments for the Union.
William “Rusty” Lowe ’79 (mass comm) lives in Atlanta, GA, where he is client services director for PriceWaterhouseCoopers.
Bobby Daniels /77 (health/PE) ‘86 (MS) and his wife, Ruby, live in Swainsboro, GA, where Bobby teaches at an alternative school and coaches basketball and track. His basketball team won the region championship two years in a row and he went over 400 career wins this year. Bobby says “Hello” to all his ex-teammates.
Bob Parent ’77 (elem ed) lives in Filer, ID, with his wife Susan. Bob teaches jr. high algebra and math and is serving his second term on the city council.
Lance Rivera ’77 (crim just) lives in Minneapolis, MN, where he works for Medtronic. He recently purchased a retirement home on the Gulf Coast to pursue his passion for sailing, He is also involved in missionary outreach throughout the tropics during his vacation time.
Emmi Vernon Nelson ’78 (Eng) is an office manager for a physician in Spring Lake Park, MN, where she lives with her husband Neil and their family.
Howard Olsen ’78 (voc ed) and his wife Myrna Field live in Haltom City, TX, where he is a licensed counselor and minister for CrossWays Ministries. Howard’s third book, Poured Out-Preparing Vessels Fit for Kingdom Use, was published in December, 2001
Rebecca Smidt Fredricksen ’79 (elem ed) teaches 6th grade in the Dodge Center/Triton Public Schools.  She lives in Stewartville, MN, with her husband Buck and their two children.
Lynette Haug Hintze ’79 (mass comm/German) is features editor for the Daily InterLake. Her claim to fame was breaking the story about widespread asbestos poisoning from the W.R.Grace vermiculite mine at Libby, MT. She and her husband Tim have two daughters and live in Whitefish, MT.

‘80s
Joan Greving ’81 (mass comm) works as a sales rep for McLeod USA Publishing. She says that once she moved into a sales career, she could never leave! Joan lives in Fargo, ND, with her husband Dick and their three daughters.
Kirsten Olson ’81 (bus admin) lives in Fergus Falls, MN, with her husband Brian and their son. She is a programmer for Otter Tail County.
Gregory Loeschke ’82 (mass comm) and his wife Stephanie live in St. Louis Park, MN, where Greg is the vice president-business development for Harvest States Foods division of CHS Cooperatives.
Toni Henke Plante ’82 (soc wk) lives in Shorwood, MN, with her husband Allen and their two children, who were adopted from Guatemala. She is a senior vice president for Burnet Home Loans.
Curt Sagehorn ’82 (bus admin) lives in Golden Valley, MN, with his wife Lori, and their four children, including  triplets. Curt is a process auditor in the sales division of Carlson Companies, Inc.
Dennis Schwecke ’82 (computer sci) owns Prairie View Consulting, which provides systems integration and project management services to companies around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. He lives in Buffalo, MN, where he is involved with his three children and does volunteer work for children’s issues.
John Weispfenning ’82 (mass comm) is assoc. professor and chair of the communication department at Otterbein College in Ohio. He and his wife Christine live in Westerville, OH.
Julie Verworn ’82 (bus admin) lives in Warroad, MN, where she and her husband David own Warroad Chiropractic Clinic. They have three children.
Linda Veiseth Boraas ’83 (phy ed) and her husband Dave live in Goodhue, MN, where she is a site manager/case coordinator for Interstate Rehabilitation Center. In her spare time she coaches high school volleyball and basketball, and the 6th grade girls traveling team, which her daughter is on.
Chris Kowanko ’83 (art) just released a new CD entitled “spell”, on his own label, Swimming Records. It’s available online at his website, www.kowanko.com, Amazon.com, CD now, and retail outlets. Chris lives in Seattle, WA.
Jackie Nelson ’83 (speech comm) lives in Broomfield, CO, with her husband Geoff Eliott and their son. Jackie is a recruiter for Medical Express.
Kevin Stewart ’83 (crim just/pol sci) and his wife Kim live in Bismarck, ND, where he is the community services and training director for the American Red Cross. He was active in training volunteers going to New York and Washington, DC, after Sept. 11, and he encourages all alumni to help their local Red Cross Chapters.
Theresa Farris Thoman ’83 (bus admin) lives in Johnston, Iowa, with her husband Mark. She owns Medical Records Review Service, which provides consultants who translate and analyze information in medical records for attorneys.
Dan Clites ’84 (Eng/mass comm) lives in Becker, MN, where he is lead pastor at Rejoice Lutheran Church. Dan and his wife Joanne have two daughters.
Miriam Strutz Danielson ’84 (lib arts) ’91 (soc wk) is a social worker with Clay County Social Services and a Pampered Chef Consultant. She lives in Fargo, ND, with her husband Scott and their two daughters.
John ’84 (ind ed) and Suzann ’85 (math) Olson live in Silver Bay, MN, with their three children. Both teach at William Kelley High School. John also coaches football and baseball.
Julie Piggott ’84 (acctg) is assistant controller at Burlington Northern Sante Fe, and is finishing her last year of an executive MBA program. She lives in Southlake, TX, with her husband and two children.
Karen Larson Colbenson ’85 (elem ed) teaches visually impaired students at Stanley Community Schools. Karen and her husband Jeff live in Stanley, ND, with their three children.
Kathy Freise ’85 (Eng/mass comm) lives in Albuquerque, NM, where she is completing her dissertation in American Studies at the U. of New Mexico and working at NetChahhel.com, a web development firm.
Denise Paulson ’85 (mass comm) lives in Moorhead, MN, with her husband Dan and their two children. She is an at-home Mom who stays involved in the community by volunteering for her church, the Moorhead school district, serving on the MeritCare Children’s Hospital advisory board, and on MSUM’s alumni relations committee.
Dana Berglund Strese ’85 (office admin) and her husband Terry live on a beef farm near Evansville, MN, with their three children. Dana is an office manager/legal assistant for an attorney.
Steve Urness ’85 (mass comm) lives in Red Lake Falls, MN. He is the news director for KCNN Radio, news/talk/sports format, in Grand Forks, ND.
Pam Anderson Ness ’86 (fin) is a bookkeeper in Thompson, ND, where she lives with her husband Rick and their three children. In the summer months Pan sells produce from her strawberry farm and gardens.
Pam (McDaniel) ’87 (fin/mgt) and Russ ’86 (fin/int’l bus) Bushman live in Plymouth, MN, with  their two children. She is a systems analyst for Wells Fargo Services Corp. and Russ is chief credit officer for Minnwest Corporation.
Becky (Bladow) ’87 (legal asst) and Bob ’87 (indus tech) Cox and their two daughters live in Apple Valley, MN. Becky is a litigation paralegal and Bob is part-owner of an industrial painting company.
Sara Gullickson McGrane ’87 (Eng) has been named one of the “Rising Stars” of 2002 by Law and Politics Magazine. Sara is employed by the Twin Cities law firm of Felhaber, Larson, Fenlon and Vogt PA.
Kimberly ’87 (bus admin) and Scott ’86 (acctg) Hess live in Sioux Falls, SD, with their three children. Kim is a product development analyst for Berkley Technical Services and Scott is a portfolio manager for SD Investment Council.
Pamela S. Johnson ’87 (social st) is a customer service rep for American Nat’l Bank of MN, in Fergus Falls, where she lives. Pam volunteers for Habitat for Humanity, Special Olympics, and Read for the Blind.
Perery Palm ‘87 (mktg) lives in Fargo, ND, with his wife Kimberly and their son. Perry works for Williams Energy and enjoys hunting, fishing and photography in his spare time.
Chad Sapa ’87 (acctg/fin) and his wife Roberta live in Dilworth, MN, with their two children. Chad is chief financial officer for Cass County Electric Cooperative.
Grace Vomhof Adams ’88 (speech comm) is a senior account exec. for Glovia International in Eagan, MN, where she lives with her husband Frank. She is currently finishing her masters degree in international management.
Jeanne Beare ’88 (nursing) is a family nurse practitioner for the Family Healthcare Center. She lives in Moorhead, MN, with her husband Barrie March.
Robert Cameron ’88 (social st) lives in Goodlettsville, TN, with his wife Robin and their two sons. He is purchasing manager for Vaughan Printing Company. He will be running the Music City Marathon this year, which he calls 26.2 miles of fun!
Ellen Karels Helgeson ’88 (music) and her husband own and operate a horse ranch where they breed, train and sell registered Paints, Quarter Horses and Pintos. Ellen also works part-time in a middle school and directs and plays trumpet in a community “big band”. Ellen lives near Ortonville, MN, with her husband Harley and their four children.
Leslie Gengler Norman ’88 (mass comm) lives in Lakeville, MN with her husband Matt and their two daughters (they’re expecting a third child soon). She enjoys being an at-home Mom involved in community activities.
Lori Hyneck ’88 (elem ed) teaches grades 6 ? 8 English at the middle school in Clinton, MN, where she lives with her husband Mike and their daughter.
Sharon TeBeest Boyum ’89 (music) teaches music and sings in the contemporary worship group at her church in Peterson, MN, where she lives with her husband Nate and their three children.
Gregory ’89 (lib arts) ’92 (math) and Deirdre ’92 (lib arts) Falla live in New Britain, CT, with their three children. Greg teaches math and Deirdre teaches elementary school. Their daughter, Caitlin, is going to Scotland to compete in the irish Dance World Competition after placing third in the New England Regionals for her age group.
Diane Lynn Hillstad Spaeth ’89 (elem ed) and here husband Bob own a bison ranch near Mahnomen, MN, where they live with their four children. Diane is a math instructor and girls golf coach at Mahnomen High School.

‘90s
Kindra Larsen Schultz ’90 (crim just) is a police officer and volunteer ambulance EMT in Barnesville, MN, where she lives with her husband Scott and their two boys.
Darin Skiple ’90 (energy mgt) lives in Glencoe, MN, where he is an electrical lineworker for McLeod Cooperative Power. He received a AA/AS degree in electrical linework in 1996.
Stacey Hendrdickson Benson ’90 (psych) has her doctorate in clinical psychology and is currently the chief psychologist for Southeast Human Services in Fargo, ND, where she lives with her husband Richard and their daughter.
Tracy Aswege Zach ’90 (mass comm) and her husband Ron had their first child in January. They live in Eden Prairie, MN, where Tracy is an account supervisor for Gabriel deGrood Bendt.
Bob Olek ’91 (acctg) is director of finance at Winthrop & Weinstine, PA. He lives in Woodbury, MN, with his wife Wendy and their two daughters.
Sheila Wanderi Roberts ’91 (acctg) lives in Menahga, MN, with her husband Tim and their two sons. She is a loan assistant at United Community Bank in Perham.
Laurie Thirsk Supplee ’91 (mass comm) works parat-time for Acosta Sales & Mktg., and is a Mary Kay Cosmetics consultant. She lives in Savage, MN, with her husband Todd and their daughter.
Samantha Prust ’92 (Eng) lives in Fort Collins, CO, where she is an editor for Cottonwood Press and Style Magazine.
DeeAnn Schmid Chan ’93 (elem ed) is the principal at AmeriSchools Academy in Phoenix, AZ, where she lives with her husband Bobby.
Bruce Fuhrman ’93 (soc studies) lives in Staples, MN, with his wife Becky and their four children. Bruce is a photographic imaging instructor at Central Lakes College and operages a small game bird farm.
Chris Hillier ’93 (mass comm) and his wife Kathleen live in Woodbury, MN, with their dog Max. Chris is a sales rep for Purdue Pharma.
Kurt Jaeger ’93 (elem ed) lives in Maple Grove, MN, where he teaches and coaches at Providence Academy.
Colleen Rowe Kenyon ’93 (pol sci) and her husband Rodney live in Bloomington, MN, where she is a risk management assistant for G & K Services.
Jennifer Vizina ’93 (mass comm) lives in Astoria, NY, where she is an account supervisor for FCB Worldwide. She is planning a spring wedding to Keith Biesma.
Jon Zeipen ’93 (soc wk) is a teacher/trainer for Hazeldon Foundation and is enrolled in a post grad. Program to become a certified and licensed addiction counselor. He lives in Chisago City, MN.
Mike ’93 (biol) and Meg ‘95 (biol) Zinda live in Belmont, MA. Mike is a scientist at Astra_Zeneca Pharmaceuticals and Meg is a senior research associate for Millennium Pharmaceuticals.
Janeen ’93 (spec ed) and Corey ’93 (fin) Walther live in Chanhassen, MN, with their two children. Corey is vice pres. of marketing for US Allianz; Janeen is a special ed teacher at Oak Point Elementary.
Michael Anderson ’94 (mass comm) and Carmen Perrin ’95 (chem/lib arts) live in Champlin, MN. Mike is an electronic production artist for Target; Carmen is a scientist for Boston Scientific.
Stacey Rolandson Larson ’94 (legal asst) lives in Grand Forks, ND, with her husband bill and their children. She is a certified legal assistant.
Eric Hullstrom ’95 (acctg) lives in St. Paul, MN, where he is completing his second year at Luther Theological Seminary. He will intern in the fall and hopes to be an ordained youth pastor by 2004.
Julie Hullstrom Schultz ’95 (spec ed) and her husband Andrew live in Apple Valley, MN, where she is a special needs coordinator for Head Start.
Tara Kettner Mattson ’96 (biol) works for the Dept. of Natural Resources teaching the public about the environment and also teaches piano, flute and voice lessons. She lives in Duluth, MN, with her husband Roger and their children.
Kimberly Pollary ’96 (graphic comm) owns her own graphic design, mechanical and electrical engineering and industrial inspection firm called The Design Group, Inc. She lives in Hibbing, MN.
Melissa Wickstrom Sirek ’96 (SLHS) is a self-employed medical transcriptionist in Edina, MN.
Lisa Tappe-Plummer ’96 (Eng) lives in Prior Lake, MN, with her husband Christopher. She is a teacher and owner of Tappe Travel.
Lynn Holland Berg ’97 (spec ed) is a special ed. teacher in Hawley, MN, where she lives with her husband Aaron and their four children. She was recently awarded her second grant from the Education Minnesota Foundation for Excellence in Teaching and Learning for demonstrating innovative classroom instructional practices.
Stacie Caldwell ’97 (psych) lives in Baton Rouge, LA, with her husband David and their cat Genesis. She is an architectural and contract sales exec. with Armstrong World Industries. Stacie says she loves the warm Louisiana weather!

2000s
Jaime Goldsmith ’00 (health ed) teaches health and coaches volleyball and basketball. She lives in Wahkon, MN, and plans to get married this June.
Mike Richter ’00 (music ed) lives in Seattle, WA, where he works at the U of W in the office of minority affairs counseling center. In July he’ll move to Japan to teach English with the JET program.
Shannon Rose Heglund Schaffenberger ’01 (SLHS) and her husband Joshua live in Fargo, ND, where she is a pharmacy clerk at MeritCare.

’28 Jean Martha Howie Douglas, Education, Fargo, ND
’30 Ethel E. Larson, Elem. Educ., Ada, MN
’31 Dorothy Lawrence, Elem. Educ., Fargo, ND
’31 Esther Nelson , Elem. Educ., Moorhead, MN
’32  Ihla Barton Ellingson, Elem. Educ., Rochester, MN
’33 Winona Edna Urdahl, Elem. Educ., Jamestown, ND
’33 Lorena E. Hartman, Elem. Educ., New Richmond, WI
'34 Martha Costain, Science, Minneapolis, MN
’35 Marion I. Iverson, Elem. Educ., Perham, MN
’36 Esther M. Gjerde, Elem. Educ., Pelican Rapids, MN
’38 Edwin M. Erickson, Jr., English, Fergus Falls, MN
’40 Paul Hagen, Englewood, FL
’40 Lorraine A. Haugen, Phys. Ed./Soc. Studies, Oakes, ND
’40 Audrey L. Helmeke, Elem. Educ., Moorhead, MN
’42 Harriet Thornby, Phys. Ed./Soc. Studies, Littleton, CO
’43 Harriette Ewert, Elem. Educ., Underwood, MN
’44 Edna Stenberg, Elem. Educ., Moorhead, MN
'47  Marian Metcalf Blackmore, Phy Ed, Medford, OR
’48 Orville J. Austin, Social Studies, Sunnyvale, CA
’51 Bernon Lloyd Carlson, Math/Physical Education, McIntosh, MN
’55 Denis E. Hanson, Music, Minnetonka, MN
’60 Lucille A. Hammer, Elem. Educ., Twin Valley, MN
’65 Sharon Vagle, Elem. Educ., Bemidji, MN
’66 Betty Jean Jansson, Elem. Educ., Fargo, ND
'66  Steven B. Olson, Bus. Admin., Moorhead, MN
’67 Shirley Christensen, Elem. Educ., Fargo, ND
’67 Helen Margaret Beck, Elem. Educ., Clinton, WI
’69 Ted Bieganek, Business Admin./Marketing, Brainerd, MN
’71 Erna L. Amundson, Elem. Educ., West Fargo, ND
’71 Anne V. Egan, Elem. Educ., Wahpeton, ND
’72 Corrine L. Lemke, Philosophy, Moorhead, MN
’72 Ron Wick, Healh-PE, Crookston, MN
’77 Vera Rutton, Elem. Educ., Brooksville, FL
’78 Barbara DiCicco, Philosophy, Grand Forks, ND
’80 Hope Erickson, Elem. Educ., Austin, TX
’83 Richard A. Larson, History, Tucson, AZ
’86 Vanessa Eva Ouse-Grindberg, Bus. Admin., Fargo, ND
’91 Keith A. Onstad, Marketing, West Fargo, ND
’94 Janice M. Plath, Sociology, Barnesville, MN
’98 Daniel D. Giedt, Physical Educ., Moorhead, MN

No graduation date was given for the following:
Maybelle P. Thorssen
Norma L. Peterson
Paul Bernstrom
Vivian P. E. Froemke
Leatha M. Walline
Donna Satherhagen
Lloyd R. Bohnsack
Marilyn Ricord
Margaret D. Johnson
Ervin E. Kaiser

Retired Faculty
Richard Y. Reed

Gloria West was just 15 years old when her father put her on a train in Chicago and sent her off to get an education at what was then called Moorhead State College.

“It wasn’t my choice,” said West, who now teaches at Lake Forest Academy, an independent prep school outside of Chicago. “I wanted to go to Fisk University, an all-black campus in Nashville. But my dad insisted that I go to this place way up north. I still don’t know how he picked Moorhead State. He never told me.”

Not only was West one of the youngest members of the Dragon freshman class of 1962, she was its only African-American.

“I really didn’t notice,” said West, who became a pom-pom girl, student senator and president of the Pep Club on campus. “Everyone was so nice that color never became an issue.”

She had no idea at the time that she was the first African-American to both enroll and, four years later, to graduate from Moorhead State.*

It was a different story that same fall at the University of Mississippi, where Gov. Ross Barnett, ignoring a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, personally blocked James Meredith, an African-American, from registering as its first African-American student.

On Sept. 30, federal marshals and Civil Rights lawyers escorted Meredith onto campus. Stationed on or near the campus to protect him were 123 deputy federal marshals, 316 U.S. border patrolmen and 97 federal prison guards.

Within an hour, the federal forces were attacked by a mob that grew to 2,000, fighting with guns, bricks, bottles and Molotov cocktails. The violence continued until President Kennedy sent 16,000 federal troops to campus.

When it was over, two people were dead, 28 marshals had been shot and160 people were injured. And Meredith became the first African-American freshman at the University of Mississippi.

In contrast, West was met at the local train station, not by a crowd, but by Mr. and Mrs. Walt Walton and their daughter Nancy, who was designated as Gloria’s roommate in Dahl Hall. No protests, no media coverage, no fuss .

She arrived two weeks early and lived with the Waltons before school started.

“I was a young African-American who had never been away from my parents or Chicago,” she said. “But the Walton family helped me through the transition and made life so easy for me.”

(Mr. Walton, who owned Walton’s Standard Service station for 50 plus years in Moorhead, passed away in 1977 at the age of 79. Mrs. Walton, who will be 98 this May, lives at the Glenwood, Minn., Care Center.)

“Living in the dorm with Gloria as my roommate was and still is one of the highlights of my life,” said Nancy, who worked 15 years as an office and medical secretary for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota in the St. Cloud District office after raising her two children. She lives in Glenwood, Minn., with her husband Ken Moe (’66, Industrial Studies), who recently retired after 34 years with the St. Cloud Public School System.

“Gloria had a magnetic personality and everyone loved her,” she said. “There was only one incident involving racism that I remember, and that involved our sorority. All of the members  of my sorority at Moorhead State wanted her in our sorority, but our national organization wouldn’t allow it. As I remember it, the national office said it couldn’t be done because it wouldn’t be fair to chapters in the rest of the country. We were all very upset with that decision.”

As for Gloria, she can’t remember a single uncomfortable moment here. “My third day in Moorhead it rained and my hair—I had a lot of it then??needed to be straightened. Nancy, Mrs. Walton and I looked all over town for a hair salon that could work with my hair. Couldn’t find one. But I remember a lot of people staring at me that day. I honestly couldn’t figure it out. I remember a small child asking his mother why my face was so dirty. But it was funny.”

Only when she returned to Chicago??during holidays and after graduating??did she experience the simmering hatred and separatism that surrounded the issue of race at that point in American history.

Gloria’s father was a dentist, her mother a teacher for the hearing impaired. “Dad worked at the post office nights while he put himself through dental school,” she said. “I was the oldest of three daughters and because Dad was still struggling financially at the time, my brother and I went to public school. After us, my other sisters went to private schools.”

Although she’s unsure why her father picked Moorhead State, she believes he did a lot of research and chose the campus because of its educational standards and its location, which wouldn’t offer too many distractions.

He was the dominant force in the family, Gloria said. “Education was absolutely everything to him. You know, I wasn’t allowed to go to one football game during high school. And Dad picked me up for lunch everyday in high school. I didn’t have a choice about where I was going to college.”

During her first year at MSUM, her parents divorced. “It was a very difficult time for me,” she said.

But just as difficult was keeping up with academics. “While I was an excellent high school student in Chicago (skipping two grades ahead of her class), when I came to Moorhead State I was shocked,” she said. “My school just didn’t have the science and English curriculum that would prepare me for college. So I was always playing catch-up.”

Worse yet, she planned to become a doctor and was majoring in pre-med biology. “The science and English teachers spent a lot of time with me, otherwise I wouldn’t have made it,” she said.

But she never thought of quitting. “I learned early on that you can do most anything if you put your mind to it.”

While she admits she probably spent most of her time here studying or in labs, she did socialize. “I just loved to dance,” she said. “I honestly believe if I didn’t go to college I would have become a dancer.”

In her sophomore year, two other African-Americans enrolled at Moorhead State, Mabel Phillips, who stayed here two years and was named freshman week Beanie Queen, and Curt Dixon from The Bronx, who played basketball one year for the Dragons and retired 10 years ago after 26 years with the New York City police department. Gloria lost track of Mabel, but still keeps in touch with Curt.

After graduating (her brother and mother came up for the ceremony and were amazed at how few African-American faces they saw), Gloria didn’t have the grades to get into medical school. So she took a job as a substitute teacher for the Chicago Public School system while taking night classes in education at Loyola University. After a year, she became a full-time teacher in Chicago, where she taught until 1989, earning her master’s degree from Chicago State.

In between, she married and had a daughter, Ricquel, a Duke University graduate who’s now an MBA candidate at the University of Chicago. “Unfortunately my husband, Richard, died young,” she said. “But my daughter remains my pride and joy.”

For the past 13 years Gloria has been teaching biology and serving as a dorm director at Lake Forest Academy, a co-educational boarding school in one of the wealthiest school districts in the country.

The year Gloria graduated from MSUM, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, making racial discrimination in public places??such as theaters, restaurants and hotels?? illegal. It also required employers to provide equal employment opportunities.

Two years later, in 1966, then MSUM Pres. John Neumaier offered scholarships to three black students from Minneapolis following racial violence in that city. Then a week before the death of Martin Luther King Jr., in April 1968, Neumaier appointed Lois Selberg (now retired, but still taking classes at MSUM) to chair a steering committee to recruit minority students under a program called Project E-Quality.

That fall 35 African-Americans, eight American Indians and seven Mexican-Americans enrolled at the university under Project E-Quality, a program with a philosophy that new MSUM Pres. Roland Dille championed throughout his career here.

By 1974, Project E-Quality brought more than 120 African-American students to campus. But the moral fervor behind the civil rights movement had waned and Project E-Quality was folded into the Office of Student Affairs. Minority recruitment and retention are now under the umbrella of the Multicultural Affairs office.

Today, about 50 African-American students attend MSUM.

Gloria never forgot her experience in Moorhead. For the past six years, she’s chaired the Midwest Diversity Committee and served on the board of directors of the Independent Schools of the Central States. She also served as one of 10 members of  the National Association of Independent Schools Advisory Group on Equity and Justice and was recently appointed dean of Multicultural Affairs at Lake Forest Academy. She’s co-chairing and planning the 15th NAIS People of Color Conference in Chicago next December.

“Attending Moorhead State changed my whole outlook on life,” Gloria said. “I never had given much thought to diversity, or equity and justice issues, until I spent those four years in Minnesota.”

* (Sebastian Isola Kola-Bankole from Lagos, Nigeria, in 1951 apparently was the first black student to enroll in the university, spending a year here before transferring to the University of Minnesota.  Four years later his brother, Rufus Bankole, also from Lagos, arrived on campus. He was one of three Dragon wrestlers who became the first ever to place in the nationals. Another black, Allan Brown, a Jamaican native from Winnipeg, enrolled here in 1963 and earned a biology degree in 1965.)

She’s a Whirly Girl having a whirly gig of a time.

While working two full-time jobs is a whirlwind adventure, Susan Neuenschwander is ready to take her hip, new and aspiring jewelry company—Whirly Girls—to the next level.

It already received a big boost when one of her company’s bracelets was selected to be included in the thank you gift basket given to this year’s Grammy performers and presenters.

Snuggled in between Donna Koran perfume, DKNY jeans, a Casio computerized wristwatch, and platinum diamond earrings, were the Whirly Girls’ handmade bracelets featuring solid silver beads from Bali and French swavroski crystals. They were packaged in a luxury-priced Tumi suitcase filled with about $15,000 worth of free gifts. Whirly Girls donated 250 bracelets that retail at $140—a generous donation that will hopefully reap some big rewards.

During Grammy week, a number of talk shows opened the gift baskets. Rosie O’Donnell opened the Whirly Girls gift can and commented on how beautiful the bracelet was, Neuenschwander said. “Having that exposure is what allowed us to get local press and a very short window of opportunity to get the word out. We’ve received many (hundreds?) emails as a result of radio interviews of women wanting to be a Whirly Girl.”

Getting in the basket
During the last few months, Whirly Girls sales have been mostly through the Internet or word of mouth. One lucky sale was to a woman in Spokane, Wash., whose daughter owns a Hollywood company called Distinctive Assets that puts together gift baskets for award shows. The mother, who purchased the breast cancer awareness bracelet, knew the Grammys were a big supporter of breast cancer research so she encouraged her daughter to contact Whirly Girls. The daughter called Neuenschwander and asked for a sample. Neuenschwander said she initially wasn’t sure who she was talking to, but she and her business partner, Shelly DeMotte, Kansas City, created a bracelet that symbolized breast cancer awareness. It featured a pink rhinestone, the awareness ribbon and the Whirly Girls logo, along with individually handmade, star-shaped beads that create a rounded look.

“I really didn’t think this was going to be expensive enough or of the caliber they were looking for, but she called back and said she absolutely loved them,” Neuenschwander said. “She liked the fact that they are unique, cause related and that our company is philanthropic, just as hers is. They also like to represent small companies that no one knows anything about, and they like to give the stars things they haven’t seen anywhere else.”

Food to Jewelry
As a professional marketer, Neuenschwander knew the value of the Grammy experience was the potential exposure they could get from the story.

“We didn’t expect to get phone calls from stars telling us they loved our bracelets, but we knew the potential exposure PR wise would help us get the product out there and into the hands of the right people,” Neuenschwander said.

It’s a wave they’ll continue to ride for as long as they can.

Neuenschwander (1978, individualized major, business relations) began her marketing career with General Nutrition Corporation, filling a variety of executive positions and helping the company grow from 144 retail stores nationally to more than 1,400. She then worked for several other food companies, including American Italian Pasta, where she met her Whirly Girls business partner DeMotte. Neuenschwander is currently the regional sales director for private label cookies and crackers for Bakeline Products, a subsidiary of Keebler Company.

The start of Whirly Girls
The Whirly Girl idea began when business associates and good friends, Neuenschwander and Demotte (who owns her own marketing firm) were shopping for a spiritual bracelet for a friend’s daughter’s confirmation but came up empty. “We wanted to create a spiritual bracelet that was fun,” Neuenschwander said. “So we did.”

After shopping for beads, they created their first bracelet featuring a crucifix and an adventurine (CORRECT SPELLING?)—the stone of healing. Then they decided to create another bracelet in honor of Neuenschwander’s best friend who died of breast cancer at age 39.

“We found an awareness ribbon and started making bracelets. We thought wouldn’t it be great if we made a bracelet for breast cancer survivors or people who are working for a cause and give a percent of the proceeds back to research,” Neuenschwander said.

They began selling the bracelets to friends, cancer patients and survivors. “We only sold a few at a time but we gave our first donation to the Susan Komen Foundation in Dallas, the largest foundation dedicated to breast cancer research,” Neuenschwander sad. “Our mission is to give a percent of our profits back to the causes we’re passionate about.”

These Whirly Girls are passionate about many things. Their line of jewelry has grown significantly since they started the company in February 2001—each piece representing a worthy cause.

They have about 30 different designs for breast cancer alone, along with bracelets for AIDS, Alzheimer’s, and heart disease. They’re currently working on a new design for diabetes. They were recently asked to create about 100 bracelets for the Huntington Korea disease, a neurological disorder that affects about 10,000 people in the country. She says they’ll try to find a design that works.

Where does she draw the line? “We haven’t drawn the line,” Neuenschwander says. “We’re just getting started. Where we might draw the line is when we can’t find something that’s unique to that cause.

“We get asked by foundations to make a bracelet that represents them,” Neuenschwander says. “The difficulty is tying their slogan into the charm. The Alzheimer’s Foundation’s slogan is “Forget me not” and a forget me not silver charm is central to the Alzheimer’s bracelet. The Diabetes Foundation’s slogan is   ‘care, cure, commitment,’ so we’re developing a cure charm—something that’s unique to that foundation.”

It’s the connection to a cause and the contributions toward the cause that makes Whirly Girls stand out.

“What’s really touched us is the testimonials we’ve received from women who’ve bought the bracelet or been given a bracelet and the thanks and gratitude for having something special like this for them. It’s been really rewarding,” Neuenschwander says.

TESTIMONIALS

“My partner dragged me kicking and screaming into this business,” Neuenschwander said. “I didn’t know anything about jewelry, I didn’t want to know anything about jewelry. I love jewelry but I didn’t know anything about the industry.”

But Neuenschwander knew they needed to be unique to stand out. So creating jewelry in the name of a cause and giving back to the cause, is the philosophy they live by.

“Many of the bracelets were received as gifts and because the company gives back to the causes it represents, it’s an emotional purchase,” Neuenschwander said. “We really didn’t understand the power of that until we started hearing from people that they loved the jewelry but also appreciated the fact that we gave back to the cause. It really has surprised and overwhelmed me.”

Gearing up for the future
Neuenschwander knows what needs to happen to make this company grow. The partners were initially both designing and creating their original and handmade bracelets. Now they’ve divided responsibilities—DeMotte is in charge of manufacturing, designing and sourcing of materials; Neuenschwander has taken over the finance, sales and public relations responsibilities. It’s a system that works, despite the miles between them.

“She’s playful, artsy and funky,” Neuenschwander says. “I’m a little more serious. We’re in touch constantly through the phone, email and Fed Ex. She sends me her designs and I give my opinions, but all of the manufacturing takes place in Kansas City.”

A crew of stay-at-home moms makes each bracelet and necklace. However, they are investigating other manufacturing possibilities to be prepared for future growth.

Sales growth is what Neuenschwander is concentrating on now. Most of their sales have been word of mouth or over the Internet. Selling through a home party system seems to be ideal for this young company. One of her customers in Minneapolis hosted a party attended by 40 women. All 40 women purchased a piece of jewelry, while some guests bought several pieces.

Priced between $35 for a bracelet, to $140 for the Grammy bracelet, or $150 for a two-strand mother’s bracelet, this is not a small purchase for most people. “People haven’t blinked an eye at buying at those prices because they know it’s gold and silver, and they know it’s quality jewelry,” Neuenschwander said. “Actually, most of the women who’ve come to these parties say they can’t believe how affordable the jewelry is. I really think we found a niche we didn’t know we were going to find in looking for a spiritual bracelet.

The party system is catching on. There are Whirly Girls in Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Boston, New York City. And Fargo-Moorhead.

Dawn Hammerschmidt, an assistant professor health and physical education at MSU Moorhead, heard Neuenschwander on the radio one day and was intrigued by what she heard. Hammerschmidt called Neuenschwander who brought her collection of bracelets and necklaces over to Nemzek Hall. A few women bought jewelry on site while others ordered custom designed jewelry.

“I heard that they were designed for a cause and that meant a lot to me because my mom died of breast cancer when I was four years old,” Hammerschmidt said. “I thought it was a huge selling point and an innovative way to give something back to the causes they were passionate about. It also feels good to know that in a small way I’m also helping give back to the community.”

Hammerschmidt, who owns the breast cancer awareness bracelet and the faith bracelet, says the jewelry is unique and of high quality.

The beauty of Whirly Girls jewelry—besides beauty in their own right—is the ability to customize bracelets or necklaces for their customers.

One of their big sellers is a mother’s bracelet which can feature children’s names or birthstones in several possible designs—from one to four strands—each strand costing about $75.

“Mother’s rings or a mother child charm can cost hundreds of dollars,” Neuenschwander said. “Our pieces are personalized, handmade, and cost much less.”

Whirling has become a family affair for the Neuenschwanders. Son Paul, 15, is “very opinionated about the jewelry,” Neuenschwander said. “He’s aware of what’s fashionable and he has great taste. I like to ask him what he thinks about our designs.” Son Justin, 17, tends to the many details that are required of developing a business. “He’s beginning to see what it takes to run a business.” Husband John, a financial analyst with Merrill Lynch and a 1978 MSUM business administration graduate, sits on the sidelines and cheers. “He thinks I’m crazy,” Neuenschwander admits.

If anyone can make Whirly Girls a national sensation, it will be Neuenschwander. But first, she needs to devote herself full time to that task. Where does she see Whirly Girls in five years?

“I think we’ll be a very successful little jewelry company with a network of sales people, and hopefully I’ll eventually end up on a national board of one or more of the causes that we represent.”

Catch the whirl at www.whirlygirls.com

This spring the Dragons sent four wrestlers to the NCAA Division II National Wrestling Championship in Kenosha, Wis.  As the new fundraiser/promotion coordinator for MSUM Athletics, I was fortunate to be able to attend this fascinating tournament, traveling with the wrestlers and coaches. I learned many lessons about the sport of wrestling.

One of these lessons involves past Dragon wrestlers who attended a Dragon wrestling reunion put together by Frank Mosier. I was amazed at how many alumni attended this reunion, and most of all, what great shape they are still in. Even though many of these wrestlers hadn’t seen each other for years, it seemed like they shared a special bond with one another. They reminisced about the days when Dragon wrestling was a powerhouse and the 1964 National Wrestling Championship Team.

Bill Garland, their coach, attended the reunion with them as well. These wrestlers and their coach epitomized what every student-athlete ever dreams of: Work hard in their chosen sport, develop teamwork, establish long-term relationships, and eventually win.

This reunion was a fun time for these past Dragon wrestlers and their coach, and I believe it will continue for as long as wrestling is an NCAA sport. Thanks very much to those Dragon wrestlers who made me feel so welcome. Your inspiration will leave a lasting impression on future Dragon wrestlers.  This reunion will be an annual event for all Dragon wrestlers.
 

Back Row:  Left to right:  Joe Jovonovich, Bob Billberg, Bill Garland, Bob Maughan, Bucky Maughan, John Rotella, Banks Swan
Front Row:  Left to right: Rick Kelvington, Bo Henry, Raph Gonshorowski, and Frank Mosier
 

Back Row:  Left to Right: Raph Gonshorowski, Don Pate, Bill Garland, and Bucky Maughan Front Row:  Left to Right: Frank Mosier, Bob Billberg, and Bo Henry

The Clay County board last summer authorized $2.5 million in tax exempt conduit bonds for MSUM to build the 144-bed structure on campus.

The 5,500 MSUM students who live off campus make up three-fourths of the university’s 7,600-student body.

“We have so many students that go to Fargo or West Fargo to live, we’d like to get them back,” David Crocket MSUM Vice President for Administrative Affairs told county commissioners.

According to the 1999 consultant's report, the campus, which now has 1,680 beds, could support up to 500 more if they're built like suites or apartments that would appeal to upper class, married and older-than-average students.

Private, non-profit organizations commonly use conduit bonds to finance public projects. In essence, the county is lending MSUM its bond rating, but doesn’t take on any financial or legal responsibility for repaying the debt.

Both city and county governments in Minnesota can issue up to $10 million in bank qualified, tax exempt bonds each year.

MSUM initially asked Moorhead to authorize the bonds, but the city had already issued the $10 million maximum.

The need for more campus housing surfaced when the 400-bed Neumaier Hall was demolished in 1999 because of structural problems.

By Al Davis, English

There was a time in the mid-eighties when I hung out on weekends in Manhattan, usually on the West Side near Central Park, close to the friends who put me up. I lived in North Carolina, in Charlotte, and could catch a flight to JFK for nineteen dollars one way on standby. Those were the days. What was the name of that airline? The small ones come and go so fast.

One day, in the spring or summer of 85 I think it was, I hung out near the Dakota Building, the coop where John Lennon lived until his murder.  It was a kind of pilgrimage with the park nearby as a bonus.  There were bookstores, cafes, coffee bars, lots of pubs. Revisiting the building, I could remember standing in line in the late seventies at a sandwich shop and waiting patiently to order prosciutto and goat cheese on multi-grain with pesto, a concoction the shop made famous.  The place was chaotic with shouts and clatter - New Yorkers full of appetite, ambition and gossip, tourists like me soaking it up - when John and Yoko, chattering like magpies, had walked in. You could hear a pen drop. I know because I dropped mine.  Yoko stared at me and then at the pen and smiled.

All of us in the deli became voyeurs.  John and Yoko didn’t miss a beat.  Who cared about prosciutto or corned beef?  John, probably dosed with caffeine, spoke fast.  All of us listened.  “Yoko,” he said a little snidely, “ you doing meat this week or being dodgy?”  She said something back I didn’t hear.  He snickered.  “You want that with mustard on rye?”  Yoko, in a leather jacket with a fur collar, shivered.  “Where do we queue up? Is it anti-clockwise?” John said.  I should report to you that Yoko had unbelievable sex appeal.  For the first time, I saw why John gave up the Beatles for her. I couldn’t stop staring while they stood in line.  When it came my turn to order, I was almost tongue-tied, not because of John, one of my heroes, but because gland and body I had Yoko on my mind.  Yoko, oh Yoko.

That was a long time ago.  In the mid-eighties, in Manhattan again, I missed John, or at least the thought that he could be round the next corner.  I stood before the Dakota, an ugly Gothic edifice dark enough for a spook show, and said a sort of prayer, though that’s not the right word for what I did.  John had ordered corn beef on rye with plenty of mayo.  Yoko had disapproved.  “Hold the mayo,” she had told the sandwich maker, a teenaged boy.  Yoko had the goat cheese special without the proscuitto.  Now that John was dead, the memory disgusted me.  I walked off with time to kill.  the skies were black, a storm brewing, so I ducked into a pub, one with leather stools, mahogany décor and  a dizzy array of bottles.  The bartender, tall and gaunt with a hawk nose, reminded me of the sandwich maker, though he was way too old to be the same person.  He had a way of smacking his lips that put me on the defensive.  “What will it be?” he said.  I squinted at the bottles and bit my lower lip.  I wanted something special and remembered a phrase.  “Single malt Scotch,” I said.

“Ah,” he said.  He rattled off a dozen names.  I recognized none of them.  One was eighteen years, he said.  I told him I wanted that one.  “A double,” I said.  “Water on the side.”

“That’s thirty bucks of Scotch in this joint,” a man sitting beside me said.

Yipes, I thought, though I had the bucks in my wallet.  I turned to the man.  It was Paul Simon. He grinned.  He had on a tee-shirt and looked like he’d put on some weight.  “Yep,” he said.  “I’m getting soft in the middle.”

I must have blushed, because he laughed.  “No, you didn’t say anything,” he said softly. “I could see it in your eyes.”  He motioned to the bartender, who put my double Scotch on his tab.

“Thanks,” I said.  I took a sip.  It was better than any Scotch I had ever drunk.  “Wow.”   I thanked him again and told him my John Lennon story.  He relished it and nodded appraisingly.  “You really thought Ono was sexy?”  I nodded, still convinced.  “God,” I said.  “She had this incredible erotic energy.  Incredible.”  I took another sip.  “I’ve never forgotten it.”

“I can see that.”  He shook his head.  “I’ve met her here and there.  Never felt it.” He stared at me again.  “She must be your type.”

I shrugged.  “Maybe so.”  It started to rain outside and we sat and sipped our drinks and talked for an hour or two.  We started with some stuff about Lennon.  Paul told me that John could be a prick.  He told me some stories about being a pop music success and I told him about Louisiana and Lafayette, Cajun country where I grew up. “Those dark-haired French girls who dance in the streets cannot be beat,” I said.  “Huh,” he said, and then we talked about sports and women.  I told him about trying to make a living on hangdog wages as a university teacher in North Carolina, about being a young husband and father and what that was like.

We got along, in other words, and he was kind enough to pick up the tab.  “That’s a first,” the bartender said and then showed his teeth.  “What the hell,” Paul said.  “I’ve had a writing block.  I have material, tunes, this and that, but I need a line, something to get me going.  Know what I mean?”  I told him that I did and we got up to leave.

The storm had passed over.  He was a little dizzy from drink.  It took him a minute, standing up, to get his bearings.  “Sorry,” he said.  “I’ve had more than my share.  Waiting for inspiration, you know?  One of those days.”

“I know what that’s like,” I said. I remembered that I had agreed to meet an ex-girlfriend for a drink before joining my other friends, the ones who were putting me up.   I told him that and he shook his head with sorrow.  “You better watch out,” he said.  “I could tell you stories.”
“I will,” I said.  “Watch out, I mean. Good luck finding that line.”
He nodded.  “It’ll come.” We shook hands.  “By the way,” he said, “ you know my name.  What’s yours?”
“You can call me Al,” I said.
“You can call me Al,” he repeated.  He snapped his fingers.  “You can call me Al.”  He shook his head, grinning to beat the band.  “Okay, then.  I’ll call you Al.”

(Note: Simon returned to the pop charts in 1986 with his hit, “You Can Call Me Al.”