Dr. Roe Address -- Don't miss President Roe's College Update 11 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 29, in Graham Banquet Hall

Jazzmania! — For its 25th anniversary, Central’s Jazzmania is bringing together three of the world’s greatest living legends of jazz to perform with the Central College Jazz Ensemble. Grammy-nominated percussionist Alex Acuña, trombonist John Fedchock and pianist/flutist Jovino Santos Neto are coming together for this once-in-a-lifetime performance. The concert, featuring performances by Central alumni Rusty Johnson ’03 and Jodi Vander Wilt ’01, is at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7, in Central’s Douwstra Auditorium.

Staley Lecture — The Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, general secretary of the Reformed Church in America, will speak at Central 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 29, in Graham Conference Center. He will be talking about “Leading from the Inside Out.” Granberg-Michaelson was installed as general secretary of the Reformed Church in America at the 1994 General Synod.

Piano Recital — Armenian-born pianist Hayk Arsenyan, the 2003 Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) state piano winner, will play a guest piano recital on Central’s campus, 3 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 24, in Douwstra Auditorium. As the young artist piano representative for Iowa, Arsenyan recently represented Iowa as the young artist piano representative at the MTNA division competition in Boulder, Colo.

Learn Sign Language — The Deaf Action Center in Des Moines will offer American Sign Language Classes here in Pella. Classes begin Monday, Feb. 9, 2004, and will meet on Mondays for eight weeks at 5:30 p.m. (level 1) or 7 p.m. (level 2) at Peace Lutheran Church. Cost for the course is $45. Registration forms are available in the human resource office in the lower level of Central Hall and in the college relations office on University Street across from Graham Conference Center. For more information contact, the Deaf Action Center at 515-266-5105.

Lend me a Tenor — Romanian tenor Florin Ormenisan will make his American debut 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Pella Opera House. He is currently studying this semester with Anne Petrie (music). He will perform at the Romanian Cultural Center in New York on March 18. Admission to his Pella debut is $10.

Tilly Woodward (art) recently donated a painting for the All Iowa AIDS benefit auction to help raise funds for support services for Iowans with HIV or AIDS. Her series, “The AIDS Portrait Project,” was installed at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Des Moines Nov. 30, and was on display through Dec. 26. The exhibit was organized in conjunction with a forum on AIDS issues at the church. Woodward also had an exhibit of more than 40 new oil paintings in her home on Dec. 6. Woodward provided professional services to the organizers of the traveling exhibit “Dan Eldon: Images of War, Celebrations of Peace” in December, assisting with repair to pieces damaged in handling and transit. She also worked to redesign shipping crates and presentation of the artworks so they would ship more safely and install more easily as they travel to Seattle, Taos and other locations through out the United States. Also, three sections of Gina Linn’s honors English class from Pella Community High visited the Mills Gallery on Dec. 16, for a presentation on Ken Esveld’s exhibit “A Memorial to the Family Farm” and the “River’s Edge” by Tilly Woodward.

Valerie Van Kooten (English) has articles appearing this month in the Des Moines Register, The Iowan, 50-Plus Lifestyles, Iowa Commerce and Christian Home & School.

Nancy McNee (Spanish) has had an article accepted for publication in the 2004 Central States Conference Report. In April she will be presenting at the Central States Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages in Dearborn, Mich. The topic will center on using folktales and legends from target cultures to teach foreign language.

Pat Westphal (French) has become an international media queen. A reporter for Radio Canada interviewed her by phone on Friday, Jan. 16, and two Swiss reporters came to her house in Des Moines on Jan. 17. They were, of course, looking for someone to explain the Iowa caucus experience in French to their listeners. She was careful to mention Central College on both occasions!

Russ Goodman, Al Hibbard, Tom Linton and Mark Mills (math) attended the annual American Mathmatical Society/Mathematical Association of America joint mathematics meetings in Phoenix, Ariz., during the first week of January. The four contributed to the life of the conference in a variety of ways. Mills gave two talks titled “Introducing Students to Mathematica within a Context” and “Central College Mathematics Placement: A Homegrown Approach.” Hibbard offered and taught a minicourse titled “Using Interactive Labs to Explore Abstract Algebra Topics.” Goodman was a panelist on a panel discussion titled “Balance Between Academica and Life Outside of Work.” Linton co-organized a session on student oral presentations titled “Oral Presntations: Let's Talk About It” and attended the MAA’s CTUM (Committee on the Teaching of Undergraduate Mathematics) meeting.

Gabriel Espinosa (music) spent Christmas break in Merida, Yucatan, producing the new Los Deltons CD. He had the opportunity not only to produce, but to be the guest artist with his brothers. He recorded a couple of tracks and Los Deltons recorded four songs of his own band Ashanti. The new CD will be released some time in June, and he has been invited to conduct a 25-piece orchestra for that concert. On Jan. 21, Espinosa went to New York to the IAJE jazz convention. Dave Kobberdahl, assistant music professor, and Espinosa were there for four days.

George Wares (athletics) spoke at the 15th annual Best in The Midwest Baseball and Softball Coaches Clinic in Perrysburg, Ohio, Nov. 13–15. Wares’ topic was “The Short Game.” He was the only Division III speaker among a host of Division I speakers at the conference. Wares also attended the National Fast Pitch Coaches Association National Convention Dec 3-6, in Montgomery, Texas. He spoke on “Maximizing Offense Strategy.” Wares was awarded the Speedline/NFCA Division III softball coaching staff of the year award at the hall of fame banquet.

The Campaign Casebook, the publication that makes the case for donating to The Campaign for Central, received a gold award — the highest honor — from the Des Moines Club of Printing House Craftsmen, a member of the IAPHC (International Association of Printing House Craftsmen), at their annual banquet held Jan. 17. Congratulations to Cyndi Atkins and Eric Bumgardner (college relations) for their work on this project.

Lois Smith (library) and husband Dave want to thank the Central College community for the expressions of concern that you showed when Dave’s mother passed away in December.

Nolan Russell Clayberg was born Dec. 23 to Brett and Megan Clayberg (athletics).

Luciana Hope Laidlaw was born Jan. 1 to Gina and Garry Laidlaw (athletics).

Tim Hoekstra’s (media center) grandmother, Lily Mae Minium, passed away Jan. 14.

Dan Morgan’s (computer services) stepfather and mother both died Dec. 29, about 15 hours apart, of cancer and a sudden heart attack respectively.

Central welcomes Kristin Siewert as visiting instructor of biology. She began working at Central in January and will be with us through May 2004. She earned a M.S. from Iowa State University and a B.A. from the University of Northern Iowa.

David Jansen has joined the physical plant as the new custodial event facilitator at Kuyper complex.

Dana Hendrix has joined physical plant as a custodian.

Tammy Van Heukelom has joined dining services as the night snack bar worker.

Kris DeWild has joined campus ministries as an office assistant.

Monica Jansen has joined campus ministries as an office assistant

Joy Rankin has joined dining services as the catering event coordinator.

Over winter break, 60 Central students devoted a week of their time to go on a mission trip to Reynosa, Mexico. This is the fourth year the Reynosa trip has been offered and has grown from 20 students to 60 students (with a cap at 60!). Chaplain Joe Brummel explained the increase in numbers saying, “This has been a trip that students have begun anticipating knowing that they will have the chance to bless other people but will in return be blessed by the families and children they work with.” A special “early bird” trip for 15 students was offered this year to arrive a week ahead of the others to Mexico. These student leaders helped to plan out the following week’s activities and worksite details.

After traveling 26 hours in the vans, students arrived in Mission, Texas, where they stayed at Melody Lane, a missionary housing facility. Each day students received their work assignments and loaded the vans to cross the border into Mexico. The different worksites varied from building two one-room houses, teaching Bible stories to children in an orphanage, running Bible school in remote Mexican churches and delivering quilts, baby blankets and toys to needy children. This year, any education majors going on the trip were also asked to bring along teaching units and lesson plans they had prepared for class. They had the opportunity to teach their lesson plans at a Christian school in Reynosa to give the teachers there a break from their hectic schedules.

Many members of the community help support campus ministries mission trips. A special thanks to DeVries Electric, First Reformed Church, Heartland Reformed, Otley Reformed, Ebenezer Reformed, Third Reformed, Jaarsma Bakery, VanderPloeg Bakery and many students’ home churches, all of whom donated food, money or the use of their trailers and vans. The following is a list of the students who participated:

• Luke Rasmussen, senior
• Sarah Soldner, freshman
• Sarah Vander Linden, senior
• Ethan Vaas, senior
• Michelle Van Ommeren, sophomore
• Emilie Elsamiller, senior
• Cathryn Henning, freshman
• Jennifer Stewart, senior
• Greg Applebee, freshman
• Brian Arnold, senior
• Chelsea Sandvik, freshman
• Liz Rasmussen, freshman
• Jill Rozendaal, junior
• Justin Van Soelen, junior
• Joanna Kunkel, freshman
• Lisa Slater, sophomore
• Scott Venteicher, senior
• Amber Brummel, senior
• Steph Schmaltz, senior
• Aleisha Brummel, freshman
• Ben Hartson, junior
• Giana Gallardo, senior
• Anna Hellenga, senior
• Sam Dishman, freshman
• Myra Appelgate, sophomore
• Michelle Bahl, sophomore
• Emilie Salmond, sophomore
• Jon Kalvig, junior
• Heidi Miksch, sophomore
• Sarah Schlager, freshman
• Austin DeHoogh, junior
• Gina Forbes, junior
• Eric Feenstra, sophomore
• Mike Holleman, freshman
• Stephen Barnes, sophomore
• Katie Loomans, junior
• Scott Mathes, sophomore
• Jenny Wood, junior
• Brad Rozenboom, freshman
• Jill Williams, sophomore
• Cathy Heaton, freshman
• Heather Kraayenbrink, freshman
• Emily Carlson, senior
• Kelly Graber, junior
• Sarah Van Zetten, senior
• Heather Chase, sophomore
• Liz Heard, freshman
• Randall Jarzombek, senior
• PJ Van Kley, sophomore
• Sarah Loan, sophomore
• Ryan Roy, senior
• Mark Fuchtman, senior
• Stephanie Van Ommeren, junior

Just the Facts

Home for Rent — A two-bedroom home owned by Central College is available for rent. Stove and refrigerator provided. No pets. $575/month. Available immediately. Contact Terri Vander Molen, ext. 7699, in the campus services office for further information.

Carver Trust — Each year Central College participates in the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust outside scholarship search. If you know of a sophomore who will be starting his/her junior year in the 2004 fall semester, and is an Iowa resident with a 2.8 or better GPA and shows a high level of financial need, please encourage them to stop by the student financial planning office and request an application. The Roy J. Carver Scholarship is a $7,600 average scholarship and is for students that have unusual social and/or other barriers to college.
The Carver scholarship deadline is Thursday, April 1, 2004.

Lunch & Learn — Financial Aid: Is it all a game? Google.com took 0.25 seconds to come up with 949,000 results on the “Financial Aid Game.” There are books on playing the game, winning the game and the changing rules of the game. Is it any wonder that financial aid accounts for 27 percent of the college budget? If you would like to know more about the thought process that determines how the aid budget is spent, this lunch and learn presented by Jean Vander Wert (financial aid), Thursday, Feb. 19, at 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in Graham Conference Center, Room 1, will give you the details you need. Watch for more information through e-mail or campus mail.

Staff Professional Development Retreat — “Don’t Die Until You’re Dead” will be presented by motivational speaker Steve Siemens, 10 a.m., Tuesday, March 16, in the Graham Conference Center banquet room. Watch for invitations in your mail.

Anger Management Training for all support and administrative staff will take place Wednesday, Feb. 4, from 7-8 a.m., 9-10 a.m. and again on Friday, Feb. 6, from 1-2 p.m. in van Emmerik Studio. The presentation will be by Jim Hibma of Crossroads. The training is not mandatory, but is strongly recommended and release time will be given to support staff.