Four long-time MMU professors retire
By Vinny Rita/staff writer/May 21, 2025
As the 2024-2025 school year is coming to an end, it marks a significant transition in academics with the retirement of several long-serving professors.
The four retiring faculty members are Steve Gilmour, associate professor of accounting; Rob Rittenhouse, associate professor of business; Joe Sheller, associate professor of communication; and Mary Vermillion, professor of English.
The Times asked each about their memories of their time on The Hill.
Gilmour has been at MMU since 1985. The one person that Gilmour said he will miss the most is fellow business professor and retiree, Rob Rittenhouse.
“I will also miss many of my colleagues, most especially my business department colleagues,” Gilmour said. “I am extremely lucky to call my co-worker Rob one of my two best friends. We both started our careers at MMU at the same time and are both now 40 years later, retiring effective this May.”
Rittenhouse has also been at Mount Mercy since 1985, said this about his plans after retirement: “My main plans after retirement are to travel mostly around the U.S. and to golf more and ride my motorcycle more.”
Rittenhouse is known to be seen around campus riding his motorcycle and enjoyed seeing his fellow students out in public and having them come up to him and talk to him.
Sheller, faculty advisor for the Mount Mercy Times, noted what he will miss most at MMU: “I will also miss the teamwork with other faculty, such as creating and running the Fall Faculty Series for several years—helping other faculty share their expertise with a public audience was very rewarding.”
Vermillion joined Mount Mercy in 1996 and is the faculty advisor for Mount Mercy’s literary magazine, The Paha Review. “Mount Mercy has been very good to me,” Vermillion said. “I’ve met so many inspiring people, and I’ve taught so many different literature and creative writing courses. It doesn’t get too much better than sharing what you love with others.”
Queer support award named after retiring prof
Dr. Mary Vermillion honored at fourth Lavender Commemoration
By Keira Carper/news editor/May 13, 2025
Mount Mercy University’s fourth annual Lavender Commemoration April 25 marked the creation of the Mary Vermillion Queer Advocacy Award, awarded to Mary in honor of her retirement.
The award recognizes service to MMU’s queer community. MMU’s 2025 Lavender Commemoration featured musical guests, a spoken word poet and two keynote speakers.
The first speaker, Ashley Kullmer, a graduating graduate student in the Marriage and Family Therapy program, said she grew up in a time when queer people were assigned conversion therapy. Now, she utilizes her experience as a queer therapist-in-training to support and affirm LGBTQIA+ people.
“Your queerness is not an obstacle; it is an asset,” said Kullmer in her speech. “The world needs people like us.” said Kullmer.
The second speaker was State Rep. Aime Wichtendahl, an MMU alumni and the first transgender woman to be elected to public office in Iowa. She has served as part of Hiawatha’s City Council and now represents House District 80 in the Iowa House in the state legislature. Wichtendahl is a former editor of the Mount Mercy Times.
In her time as a member of the legislature, she has dealt with the stigma of being transgender, and how difficult it has been to see people actively voting to remove civil right from transgender people.
Through it all, Wichtendahl reminded the audience to stay positive. “No tragedy is ever permanent,” she said, “It’s an act of rebellion to stand up and say, ‘I am happy.’”
The musical trio Freegrass, a group of string players on various instruments, opened the ceremony with “Here Comes the Sun,” and later played “When She Loved Me,” in remembrance of people in the community that have been lost or silenced. The group includes MMU’s jazz band director, Blake Shaw, on cello and vocals.
A Lavender Commemoration is a graduation ceremony to celebrate graduating students who are in the LGBTQ+ community. The event started in1995, when Dr. Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish Lesbian, was unable to attend her children’s graduation ceremony because of discrimination for her sexual orientation.
The first Lavender Ceremony was held at the University of Michigan, with three students acknowledged. As of 2025, over 200 colleges and universities have Lavender Ceremonies, typically held the week before commencement ceremonies for the entire graduating class.
Success and struggle: How four athletes keep on top of academics
By Gianna Kittleson/staff writer/April 29, 2025
While all college students have to manage their time, the struggle can be particularly difficult for student athletes whose sport occupies so much of their time.
How do they manage the sports-academics-life balance? The Times spoke with four student athletes to find out how they approach this common issue.
“I would say working with my professors and talking to my coach,” said Taylor Varnes, a sophomore nursing student on the lacrosse team. “I’m able to balance it just by communicating. Also, by using ACE, they really want to help you succeed.”
Another student carefully tracks her schedule. “I make sure that I do a lot of time management,” said Taylor Wells, a junior on the woman’s basketball team. “I have multiple calendars, multiple planners where I keep track of my things and I mark when my free time is.”
There are many ways to stay on top of schoolwork when you are constantly on the road for athletics, but these ways can also apply to students that are not involved in athletics. For example, ACE aids student athletes, and any other student who needs help. Time management applies to class work, but time management for self-care is important too.
“The biggest challenge is just being tired, physically and mentally,” Madison Skelton, a senior on the women’s basketball team, said. “After long practices or games, it’s hard to focus on homework. What helps me is using small chunks of time wisely, like studying during bus rides or doing assignments in advance.”
Coaches also help their athletes.
Shareece Burrell, head womans basketball coach, uses grade checks every other month to help her athletes. She also uses check ins to have a personal, open conversation with them.
She says that creating a healthy balance is important. Having a good sleep schedule, a healthy diet, and good personal relationships are important for on and off the court.
“My biggest advice is for students to take everything one day at a time,” Burrell said. “There is going to be times when things are not easy, but sometimes it’s not one day at a time, it’s one minute at a time or one hour at a time.”
“Everyone is going to be stressed, or everyone is going to have their bad days, but just know that there’s another day that’s going to get better,” she added.
Sociology professor engaged during class
By Jenna Welty/Staff Writer/May 7, 2025
A whole new world opened up for one Mount Mercy Professor this spring as her life took a new path during a sociology class.
Dr. Megan Jones, assistant professor of sociology, was surprised by a marriage proposal while teaching her Marriage and the Family class on March 11.
While she lecturing, Jones’ partner, Shawn Gaulden, entered the classroom, with their dog. He started a recording of “A Whole New World” from Aladdin. With a magic lamp in hand, Gaulden had planned everything specially for Jones.
“The song he picked to propose to was one we used to sing karaoke (terribly) in my apartment for years throughout graduate school together,” Jones said. “The Aladdin’s lamp he had, Dr. Louison give me before the proposal, represented a promise I’d made to him to never lose our friendship no matter how far away we were, while standing in Times Square together the year I left Florida.”
At the close of her slideshow for the class Gaulden had arranged with a student to add a slide to Jones’ lecture asking: “Will You Marry Me?”
Jones gave an enthusiastic chorus of yeses.
The lecture itself was Jones’ favorite. She has given it over 100 times and guest lectured with it at four universities. It is the “most memorable of my career thus far,” Jones said.
“The fact that he knew to propose to me while (I was) teaching my favorite topic class, but waited to the end of the section, and listened so deeply to my offhand comments about what topics I’m teaching when that he knew that this day, this moment was the one made me feel like he completely understood me and saw me, completely.”
During the proposal, students held their phones up as spotlights. Jones said she loved how her students were able to be involved.
“I’m humbled and thankful to have established a relationship with that class to have them effortfully and eagerly participate in my engagement proposal,” she said. “I cried. My students made it the best proposal, and Shawn knew that it would when he planned it, because he gets me.”
Clarissa Araiza, Social Work & Sociology major, was contacted by Dr. Jones’ now fiancé to help facilitate the proposal. Araiza assisted with getting the class to participate, turning off the lights, changing the slideshow, and recording the engagement. Araiza supplied the Times with a copy of the video.
“I was honored that he would think of me to be a part of that special moment for them,” Araiza said. “I literally could not wait to be a part of arguably the best day of her life.”
Eager to help out, Araiza felt emotional when the day finally came.
“I held back tears as I witnessed one of my favorite professors begin a new chapter in her life,” Araiza said. “Dr. Jones has been a great mentor to me this past year and has helped me through a lot of the battles college students tend to go through.”
New to MMU this year, Jones said it was great to share this big moment with her students.
“I am living my best life here, despite the weather (lol!) makes me feel like this could be my forever home,” Jones said.
The couple is set to be married on June 21.
PAHA to mark 25th and 50th anniversaries
Advisor Mary Vermillion reflects as she nears retirement
By Gianna Kittleson and Carsyn Gallagher/
Staff Writers/March 3, 2025
A celebration of student writing is planned later this spring, as this year marks the 25th anniversary of the literary magazine, PAHA, as well as the 50th anniversary of student literary magazines at Mount Mercy University.
It is also the final year that Mary Vermillion, professor of English, is advising PAHA. Vermillion is retiring after this semester. She was questioned about PAHA by two MMU Times reporters during a Feb. 19 journalism class.
“So many students and faculty and staff have been a part of the magazine over the years that I just thought it would be nice to give them all a chance to kind of come together,” Vermillion said.
PAHA is usually distributed at the end of the spring semester, and Vermillion says she hopes the magazine can mark its double anniversary this year with a special event. She wants to bring Mount Mercy University students, alumni and former faculty involved in the magazine together to celebrate.
“We are hoping to work with the alumni office to invite alums who were in the magazine or worked on it and to have some of the faculty and staff come back and to just celebrate it more as an entity rather than just a single magazine,” she said.
The anniversary plans were influenced by questions in the journalism class
“I was poking around in my office, and I believe that Reflections (the magazine that preceded PAHA) started in ’75,” Vermillion said in the class.
It was pointed out to Vermillion during the interview that 1975 was 50 years ago, so 2025 would be a double anniversary.
“Oh my gosh,” she exclaimed. “This is why it’s good to work with other people!”
Vermillion came to Mount Mercy University in 1993, when PAHA was known as Reflections. She became involved with the magazine as a proof-reader, until she took over as the faculty advisor in 2009.
“It was very natural for me to want to do it,” she said. “I didn’t have to think about it.”
The name PAHA comes from a Lakota Sioux word for hill, used in English as the name of the kind of loess hill in Iowa that Mount Mercy University is built on. The name was changed to PAHA in 2000, because the English program also had a different magazine called Perceptions which many thought sounded too like Reflections. A contest was held to rename Reflections, and PAHA won.
The unusual capitalization of PAHA comes from Vermillion herself.
“You know, that might be my bad,” she said. “If you’re on social media, you can’t italicize, and I don’t want to do quotes, so I just capped it. Then, it kind of stuck.”
She noted the magazine has changed over the years. In recent years, with the advice of Jose Clemente, associate professor of art, the covers have become more graphically pleasing, with a color scheme that includes the back cover.
She also said student writing has changed over the years.
“Students are more courageous writers and are willing to be a lot more vulnerable and honest in their writing,” Vermillion said.
She adds that she hopes PAHA will continue after she retires, as it gives students valuable experience.
“Students get more experience with working in literal groups and teams which of course is what also people are going to need to do in the real world,” explained Vermillion.
International students showcase heritage at Multicultural Fair
By Mara Keller/ Staff Writer/ Oct. 13, 2024
When asked about what they miss the most about their home country, all international students answer the same: the food! The Multicultural Fair organized by MMU’s International Club gave students an opportunity to represent their country – including the typical food.
A vibrant atmosphere prevailed as many interested attendees strolled through the UC Commons on Wednesday, Oct. 3 to look at the various stands from countries all over the world.
Participants designed posters with pictures, interesting facts and cultural highlights about their home countries and many offered typical candy for visitors to try or brought traditional clothing.
“Track and field is everything for me so it made me move here,” explained Finn Damhoff, a freshman majoring in political science. He came from the Netherlands to the U.S. out of the passion for his sport which includes shot put, hammer and discus throwing and to “live the American dream.”
One of the biggest differences Damhoff noticed since coming to the U.S. is that almost everyone owns a car and barely anyone uses their bike.
“In the Netherlands, one person usually has around three to four bikes,” he said. “So instead of everybody owning a car, everyone rides bikes.”
Damhoff thinks that everyone should try a typical Dutch food – bread with some peanut butter and chocolate sprinkles – which he often enjoys for breakfast when at home.
Attendees could vote for their favorites in six different categories after informing themselves about the different nations such as “Best Art, Music and Dance” or “Most Interesting Country Facts”, for which the winners were awarded with prizes.
Ana Jimenez, a sophomore majoring in International Management, and her sister Flora won “Best Poster Board Presentation” with their display of Mexico.
“I came here to play lacrosse and to have better opportunities,” Jimenez said. Her sport is not very popular in her homeland and having an American degree will open a lot more doors for her in the future.
She names typical Mexican tacos as the food she misses the most and suggests people to visit the cities Acapulco or Guadalajara if they want to experience every bit of Mexican culture.
Jimenez shared an interesting fun fact with her listeners: the famous Mexican liquor ‘Tequila’ can only be called Tequila if it was produced in the small city Tequila, next to Guadalajara.
Ayra Aminuddin, who represented Malaysia, came to Mount Mercy almost six years ago for the bowling program. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she went on to earn a master’s degree in Business Administration and is currently a graduate assistant for the bowling team.
“We have the tallest twin towers in the world in Malaysia,” Aminuddin shared. “But I would also recommend people to visit our many beautiful beaches.”
Her favorite food from home is Nasi Lemak – rice cooked in coconut milk. “We eat it with different side dishes like fried chicken and spicy sauce,” she said. “But it’s very hard to find Malaysian food in the U.S.”
Artists create positivity at first senior thesis art show
By Jenna Welty/Campus Editor/May, 2024
The first senior thesis show included sculptures, ceramics, collages, and paintings from senior art students at the Janalyn Hanson White Gallery, April 21.
This first show displayed the artwork of Brianna Riedel, senior art major; and Anessa Smith, senior art education major. Both students’ work highlighted the positive and empowering emotions that art can cultivate.
“My art reflects my healing journey,” said Riedel. “Like many others, these last couple of years has been a journey of growth, of healing my insecurities, of setting my boundaries; a lot of working on myself and I don’t think any of that would have been possible without my art.”
Likewise, Smith used her art to call attention to the beauty of women in opposition to the hardships they face in society, including specific statistics in her gallery talk.
“My work is trying to capitalize on the fact that everybody’s perfect, and no matter what your size, what your shape, women should uplift women,” Smith said. “At age 13, 53% of American girls are unhappy with their bodies, this grows to 78% by the time girls reach 17.”
Smith began her thesis with indecision, but ended with 45 ceramic figures, along with three painted canvases with five more bodies, which viewers saw right away when entering the gallery.[WJ1]
“I knew I wanted to make something about women and feminism; that’s just something I kind of lean towards a lot. Within the realm of feminism, I ended on this place of body positivity and how society attacks women’s bodies for how they look, if they’re not perfect,” Smith said.
The process of creating these figures did not run smoothly, which Smith jokes “just goes to show you what women face.” Her medium-sized bodies all cracked, “two of the big sculptures froze [and] these [paintings] fell on the ground when I was moving them,” Smith said.
However, her goal of crafting diverse and distinctive bodies was accomplished.
“My little figures are all different,” said Smith. “I have some women who have had a mastectomy and are missing a breast. I have women who are transgender. I have bigger women who are more curvy, some that are really small and short.”
Walking further into the gallery, viewers saw an assortment of items, rising from the floor and hanging from the ceiling. Framed collages covered the walls, along with a sparkly head, pink legs, and more eclectic sculptures.
Riedel also included an interactive piece for everyone to take part in. She had a variety of cut-out images and a board for people to pin whatever they wanted wherever they wanted.
“I have had so many people tell me, ‘Oh, I’m not artistic’ or ‘I can’t do art,’” Riedel said. “This is my way to kind of show all of you that everyone has that artistic spark inside of them. When this show’s over, I’m going to take out all the pushpins and glue everything on, so you guys will all have a part in creating a piece with me.”
Throughout her creative and healing process, Riedel has understood that “everyone is capable of creating their own future. You can manifest it and you can create what you want to create. It’s just the right mindset and the right heart.”
Recently in Reidel’s journey, she was selected as an emerging artist for the Marion Arts Festival, where she will be selling her collages on May 18.
Lavender speaker: Key to pride is ‘lean into one’s self’
By Jenna Welty/Campus Editor/May 9, 2024
At the third annual Lavender Ceremony April 25, the alumni keynote speaker described his struggles with his identity and said a clear sense of self if a key to queer and gay pride.
The third annual Lavender Ceremony, honoring LGBTQIA+ graduates, was held at the CRST Graduate Center with student and alumni speakers.
The crowd was welcomed with a performance by Aaron from the Iowa City band Early Girl, and by the two hosts, Heather Morgan-Sowada, associate professor of marriage and family therapy; and Joy Ochs, professor of English.
“By having this event we are joining forces with numerous colleges and universities across the country that see this as the rite of passage for their LGBTQIA+ graduates who, as part of a historically marginalized and oppressed group, have overcome numerous challenges to achieve the honor of a degree in higher education,” Ochs said.
The alumni keynote speaker was Cael Joens, secondary education major. Joens highlighted his struggles with his identity and being a teacher.
“My identity’s toxic relationship between roles as a teacher and guy with imaginary boyfriend could serve as a made-for-TV drama,” Joens said. “Throughout my student teaching at Mount Mercy University, I tuned in night after night to see inferiority, dysphoria, addiction … yet I still put on the teacher clothes, the teacher face, the teacher voice. But I walked around on the inside as queer old Cael Joens.”
Joens’ speech touched on the more profound feelings these frictions produced, recalling lunches with Adam Myers, assistant professor of philosophy, where they discussed what it means to be.
“My answer was: to lean into one’s self,” said Joens. “At that moment, I felt that this was a smart-alecky answer to one of my favorite professors, but now I realize that it was the answer to all of my queer neuroses. In fact, that’s how I would define pride.”
However, Joens noted that “pride is not an easy thing,” further discussing his conflicting role as a teacher in today’s world.
“I’m often advised and applauded for being an advocate, but now, by law, I have to out my students. Students who wrestle with the same questions I did at their age when I discovered my own identity. I know them. I see them. In some ways, I still am them. How can I hear them, without risking their lives or my own?”
Still, Joens does not lose hope. He recognizes the LGBTQIA+ community as a “radical force” that can cause meaningful change. This starts in the classroom, where Joens does not want his students to only be knowledgeable citizens.
“Knowledge serves no one if it doesn’t move, and it doesn’t move unless it’s unified,” Joens said. “As the ban on love persists, we cannot expect knowledgeable citizens, if we cannot acknowledge all citizens. For me, I would hope that students leave their public education to see that they move through a world full of beauty. It’s not a hopeless place.”
Pursuing this work at MMU has been student graduate keynote speakers Lucy Rood, nursing major, Jayde Watznauer-Chapman, nursing and sociology major.
As co-presidents of MMU’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), Rood and Watznauer-Chapman reflected on their beginning in the club during COVID-19 and being able to grow and expand after it. Both celebrated their collaborative work and accomplishments with GSA, including the launch of the Lavender Ceremony.
“I think our welcoming mindset has spread throughout campus, especially as we’ve added so many new events,” Rood said. “We have brought back Rainbow Fest, we partnered with Heather to start celebrating National Coming Out Day, and I am super proud that we were able to start up our Lavender Ceremony.”
Watznauer-Chapman also noted how impactful GSA has been at MMU.
“I got to be a part of the campus expressions policy committee through Alliance and that helped to shape a part of Mount Mercy in a way to help advocate for expression and creativity,” Watznauer-Chapman said. “It’s one of those things that shows how much we’ve left a mark on campus.”
Provost Tom Castle provided the official welcome from MMU’s administration.
“Thank you for letting us grow with each of you,” Castle said. “As you leave Mount Mercy, may you always open your hearts in hospitality, and may you remember that the doors of Mount Mercy will always be open to you.”
The event sponsors included MMU’s faculty Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA), the undergraduate GSA, Hands Up Communications, Prism Therapy Group, The Olson Marriage & Family Therapy Clinic, the office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, the department of Psychology, Sociology, and Social Work, and the English program.
“Events like this take many hands,” Morgan-Sowada said. “We couldn’t have done it without all of that support, and of course we couldn’t have done it without our graduates.”
Exploring business:
Guest speakers give insights at networking event
By Mara Keller/Staff Writer/May 9, 2024
A total of 82 business major students attended the Business Career Night on April 11, where 22 guest speakers shared their own experiences and gave advice about the business working world to interested listeners.
The event featured presentations from local professionals, alumni, and MMU professors who represented each of the four discussions that attendees could choose between: marketing & sales, finances & accounting, HR management & healthcare administration, and management.
“Marketing is exciting because it changes every day,” said Christa Nelson, assistant professor of business and marketing at Mount Mercy.
Nelson’s advice to students is to take opportunities and be adaptable to change. She also saisd she believes that although AI is currently deemed a controversial topic, it can bring many opportunities.
Jillian Nafziger, an MMU alumni and former marketing major explained that her main goal for this event was educating students and showing them opportunities in the marketing world post-graduation.
“The most important qualities someone should have when going into marketing are being detail-orientated, being open to change and net-working with many people in order to get different visions and opinions,” said Nafziger.
She was one of the five guest speakers in the marketing & sales room, who gave students advice on how to prepare for a marketing job, what employers are looking for and how to decide exactly what career path they want to take.
Students were given the chance to engage in a networking opportunity after the presentations by having individual conversations with guest speakers.
“Management is a very broad major and not too specialized,” Sarah Watson, MMU alumni said on why she chose her major. “I wanted to have a variety of options after graduation.”
She noted that communication, relationship building and the ability to look at the bigger picture play a crucial role in management.
Watson added that managers, especially in modern society, must be empathetic and respect the private life of their employees as many people value a good work-life balance.
Chess Club brings ancient game to The Hill
By Kev Nelson/ Staff writer/May 9, 2024
One of the world’s oldest board games, beginning in India almost 2,000 years ago, is also the focus of one of the newer clubs on The Hill.
Chess Club was introduced in the fall of 2023. Joshua Lauer, president, said he is continuing to work to grow the club, which was founded by Landen Freeman, a student who transferred from MMU to pursue a degree in physics.
Lauer became president in October of 2023, and in March, the club hosted its first tournament. Diego Sequenda Marcano won that tournament and received the prize of $25 Door Dash gift card. J
“The Chess Club is going to have at least one tournament per semester” from now on, Lauer said.
The club, which has about nine active members who show up regularly to play chess, also hosts “Beginner’s Days” for students who want to learn this ancient contest of strategy, tactics and spatial reasoning.
The idea is to make time for Mustangs who want to learn how to play chess, to be able to do so in a casual and relaxing way, Lauer said.
Former professor invites everyone to create poetry
By Jenna Welty/Campus Editor/April 4, 2024
Poet and professor emerita at MMU, Carol Tyx, led a workshop and reading for the Visiting Writer Series on March 19.
Tyx began the event with a poetry workshop, using poems from her most recent book, “Rearranging Myself,” for inspiration. She also emphasized the inclusivity of poetry.
“You don’t need to be in a creative writing class, you don’t have to be an English major to be able to try your hand at writing poetry,” Tyx said. “Poetry is for everybody.”
Tyx recalled her teaching days when students would arrive and feel that poetry was not for them. She reasoned that those in this case “just haven’t read the right poems. There’s so many kinds of poems, and they express such a wide array of what it means to be human.”
The workshop session was then dubbed “Armchair Poetry,” after Tyx’s poem “Winter Still Life,” to introduce a more easygoing manner of writing.
“Writing poetry is not meant to be a test,” Tyx said. “It shouldn’t be grinding your teeth. It should be something that you can relax into. That there’s no wrong way to do it and everybody can write poems.”
She then introduced multiple writing prompts to “invoke the poetic spirit.” Attendees jotted in their notebooks or typed on computers. Some shared pieces about objects and things they practice.
Tyx ended the workshop by speaking about her book “Remaking Achilles: Slicing into Angola’s History” and how poetry can also work to connect us to other people.
“There’s so much going on in our world. You can think about where you feel a connection in something larger than your own life, that a poem might emerge from,” she said.
She included examples of college student’s experiences in Ukraine and Gaza.
“What’s happening to their college experience? What are ways that poetry can help bring us together with people we don’t even know, but people we are reaching out to through poetry and finding some connection with?”
In the subsequent reading section, Mary Vermillion, director of the visiting writer program and professor of English, welcomed Tyx to new and returning audience members. Tyx then read many poems from her latest book, Rearranging Myself, which follows her life from seventeen to seventy.
Tyx included inside descriptions of some of the pieces and delved into her decision to write the first section in the third person.
“When I was working on these poems about my young adult life, it was almost as if it felt like a different person. It just felt right to say, ‘she’ rather than ‘I’ because I’m observing her over a space of many years,” Tyx said.
After reading several poems, Tyx took requests from the audience and read from her other book as well. To conclude, she took questions and read a final poem about feeling jealous of other writers.
“It does no good to be jealous of these poems…Your lexicon is not theirs. You hold your pencil with a pressure all your own…and when you can ease envy over to the other side, you can be grateful someone built these poems—a house where you can find shelter,” she said.
MMU Times Editor-in-Chief urges for student engagement
Times celebrates at ‘spring fling’ in U Center
By Nasharia Patterson/Staff Writer/April 4, 2024
An important lesson to be learned as a young adult is that connections will take you far in life. Offering students the chance to make connections was a theme of a Mount Mercy Times event held recently.
Speakers a the MMU Times’s Spring Fling, held Tuesday March 5, 2024, made it clear that the connections we make on campus are what drive the success of this university. It was a moment to recognize the success of the Times and each individual who makes it special, but it was also a call to encourage more students on campus, regardless of their major, year on campus, or experience to join the Times.
“Elevate yourself and continue to elevate this university,” said Joe Sheller, as he took a moment to reflect on his experience working with the student editorial staff. The Times was celebrating its Iowa College Media Assocation awards, which included Sheller winning the John Eighmy Service Award for service to media edicaiton in Iowa.
Delcie Sanache, editor-in-chief, also spoke and was recognized for winning awards for editorial writing and sports photography.
Most of the editorial staff shared similar reasons for joining the Times. It gave them a creative outlet. In the words of Alea Hoof, the opinion editor for the Times, “It keeps student voices alive,” allowing them to express their personal opinions.
For Jenna Welty, campus editor, it offers a new perspective and way of capturing events.
Working in an environment like this can also supply as a steppingstone for future careers. Grady Smith, sports editor, is an example of this as he is on the path to becoming a sports Journalist once he graduates from Mount Mercy.
These writers have been able to achieve great work earning them awards from the Iowa College Media Association. During the event, Sheller talked briefly about the success of the student media team as he acknowledged his ICMA Eighmey Award, one of the highest non-student honors to those who show great support to student media.
“Student media is an important element in the life of any college where it exists,” said Sheller. “It’s not always comfortable for administrators to deal with, nor should it be, but it serves the community by doing what journalists do—being a watch dog on the powers that be… And students hearing me today—your student media exists for you and because of you. The Mount Mercy Times requires a lot from you, but working in student media rewards you, too.”
The purpose of the Times has been to give the campus community a voice to express concern, spread the word on events, showcase new perspectives of what’s happening on The Hill, and celebrate student accomplishments. As Sheller closed out his speech, he called for the students of MMU to get involved with their student media today.
Paper advisor reflects on award, future of Times
By Brooklyn Miller/Staff Writer/March 1, 2024
Joe Sheller, associate professor of communication and faculty advisor of the Mount Mercy Times, recently won the Eighmey Award and has new hopes that the Times can go back to its roots.
Reacting to the award and the recent ICMA convention, Sheller wrote posts on two of his blogs about the experience.
The Eighmey Award is named after Dr. John Eighmey, who was a professor at Iowa State University, and he was the first one to win this award. This award is to recognize a person who supports student media at Iowa colleges and universities. Even though Sheller is nearing the end of his career, he is not content after winning the award and thinks there is still a lot of work to be done.
“It was a heartwarming moment for me, and I appreciate the recognition from my peers,” said Sheller in one blog after winning this award.
This year, the Mount Mercy Times won many awards, including four first-place awards. Sheller is most proud of their profile stories and staff editorials, and these stories tend to be the Times’ traditional strength, hence the awards.
The Times has not written many of these stories this year, and it is unfortunate because these stories’ key role is to show students’ authentic voices.
“I would hope that the ICMA convention will encourage and energize students at all Iowa colleges to tell the important stories on their campuses,” said Sheller about advice he would give to fellow advisors after receiving the award.
Sheller says he believes it is important as a professor to help students have the motivation to write stories, and if a professor helps create an environment where the students care about what they are writing, they will write good stories.
Sheller’s blog posts about the ICMA convention and Eighmey Award:
Annual Instagram show
You can submit your pictures
By Karlie Lee/Staff Writer/Feb. 21, 2024
Do you have great pictures that you want to share?
An annual Instagram art show is a great place to share them. The show, called MMU InstagramJam2024, will include images submitted by any Mount Mercy student, faculty member or staff member, said John-Thomas Richard, special appointment art faculty and director of the Janalyn Hanson White Gallery in Lundy Hall.
“This is an exciting show that all of Mount Mercy can be part of,” said Richard.
Images shared using Instagram are featured. Some of the submitted works will be printed and hung on the gallery walls while others will be shown digitally on TV slideshows.
This annual show is always early in the spring semester, and images can be submitted until Feb. 23 for printing. To submit photo, tag them with #mmugallery2024 on Instagram or email them to mmugallery@gmail.com
You can view the images at the reception Feb. 29 from 4-6 p.m. in the Janalyn Hanson White Gallery. The reception gives viewers a chance to see all images and enjoy conversation and snacks.
Annual MLK Day breakfast inspires people to end violence by breaking silence
By Delcie Sanache/Editor-in-chief/Jan. 25, 2023
“It’s not the violence of the few that scares me, it’s the silence of the many.”
This is one of many famous quotes by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the theme of this year’s annual MLK breakfast.
DEI held its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast on Jan. 15 in Betty Cherry Heritage Hall themed “Silence Is Violence,” complementing this month’s concern, non-violence.
Sister Linda Bechen, vice president for Mission & Ministry, opened the event with a prayer. This was followed by a performance of the Black National Anthem from Houston Hamlett, junior BSU president and SGA vice president.
Institutional remarks consisted of speeches given by President Todd Olson, Dean of Students Dr. Danielle Rudd, junior SGA President Amelia Frimml, and junior JEDI Student Assistant Nathalie Primbs.
Primbs shared a video showcasing a variety of MMU students, faculty and staff promoting welcoming hospitality on our campus to fight hate.
Next in the order of events was MMU community reflections. Brooklyn Johnson, 2026 class president, recited the “I Have A Dream” speech. After this, Darrel Michael Jean, freshman, read his piece, “What does MLK Jr. mean to me?”
Hamlett then performed “A Change Is Gonna Come” by Sam Cooke.
Shareece Burrell, women’s basketball assistant coach and residence hall coordinator, and Dr. Joe Hendryx, assistant professor of English, shared their reflections on Dr. King’s legacy, as well.
“He refused to let the cruelty manifest in its silence,” said Tiara Muñoz, graduate assistant for enrollment operations, in her speech where she described Dr. King as her role model.
This event’s keynote speaker was Dr. Charles Martin-Stanley II, director of DEI, and he began his presentation by showing pictures of nuns, Catholic sisters, and priests marching for civil rights in the 1960s.
“I want you to think about how you have focused on our five critical concerns,” he said to the audience before asking everyone to pick one word for the new year that represents how they will end the silence and be inclusive.
Amongst the audience’s choices were engagement, love, truth, and vulnerability.
Dr. Martin-Stanley shared his book, “The Theory of Being: Practices For Transforming Self and Communities Across Difference,” which he is co-editor of. The fifth chapter, titled “Silence,” focuses on a case study of Martin-Stanley’s own experience with homophobia.
While in college, his friend did not want to open a barbershop that cut both women’s and men’s hair because he believed it would cause others to view him as being a part of the LGBTQ+ community. Dr. Martin-Stanley recalled wanting to speak up but, instead, stayed silent.
“There is no perfect way to do this,” he said. “All we can do is our best and speak up when we are given the opportunity.”
He accounted for the possibility of some not knowing how or having the resources to do this; his response is it takes practice and work and recommends using Garcia and Hoelscher’s “Four R” system. He believes if he had used this system to challenge his friend’s harmful statement, he would have been more prepared to break the silence.
Dr. Martin-Stanley’s presentation received a well-deserved standing ovation.
Glow Night brings MMU students together during Homecoming
By Dominic McCain/Staff Writer/Sept. 29, 2023
Axe throwing, miniature golf, tattooing, and laser tag were enjoyed at Glow Night, bringing excitement and electricity to Homecoming Week on Sept. 21.
Set up next to the entrance of the UC was the miniature golf course, one of the main attractions of the night. It was set up for multiple students to use at a time, plus it was highly competitive and an all-around entertaining event for participants and viewers.
Nearby was the axe-throwing station.
“The axe throwing was a great way to relieve stress during this semester,” said Angelina Weaver, nursing major.
On the second floor of the University Center, students played laser tag. The game’s objective was to aim for the colors on the barrel of the laser gun of the opposing team. The winner was determined by the number of “kills” you had, and the objective was to stay alive as much as possible.
“I felt like the game was rigged,” said Grace Irwin, nursing major. “It felt like the red team always won.”
Although it seemed like the red team won often, the experience awas a popular feataure for the Mustang community’s homecoming week.
Resident nuns honored as they prepare to leave the Hill
By Jakayla Staab/Staff Writer/Sept. 19, 2023
The Sisters of Mercy are preparing to move out of the Sacred Heart Convent later this month and were recognized with a gathering on Sept. 15.
For more than a century, the Sisters of Mercy, who founded Mount Mercy Academy, later Mount Mercy College then Mount Mercy University, have resided on the Hill with the educational institution that bears their name.
The remaining nine resident nuns of Sacred Heart Convent, adjacent to Busse Library, will become residents of HallMar Village, a new facility opening on C Avenue Northeast, on the northern edge of Cedar Rapids. It is an integrated community that was funded by Mercy Medical Centers and Presbyterian homes.
At the “Blessed are They” assembly, around 50 staff, faculty and students of Mount Mercy gathered on the circle drive of the Sacred Heart Convent to honor those sisters and note the beginning of a new era.
“You, our dear sisters, have been the lifeblood of Mount Mercy,” said Todd Olson, MMU president, speaking to the nuns seated on chairs by the convent entrance, facing the crowd. “The Mercy vision continues because of the foundation you have laid for us.”
The ceremony opened with Sister Linda Bechen, VP of mission and ministry, recounting the 117-year history of the sisters on The Hill, starting in March 1906, with the purchase of 10 acres of what was then Mount Farm for $10,000. Over the years, the sisters added to the property until it grew to today’s campus.
Although the Sacred Heart Convent building has undergone many changes and sustained the sisters’ presence, Sister Bechen acknowledged that HallMar Village will be able to provide the sisters with the care and support they need as they get older.
She expressed MMU’s gratitude for the sisters’ impact. After singing “This is Holy Ground,” the members of the community held their hands over the sisters in blessing.
“With time and reflection, as well as respect to the process of aging, the sisters believed they had made the right decision and will have the ability to lay a new foundation,” said Sister Sheri Sutherland, who retired as VP/director of Mission and Ministry in 2017. Sister Sutherland was among the nuns honored at the ceremony.
Sutherland said that the Sacred Heart Convent building will remain the same in spirit and tradition but will become a “brand new, beautiful place that will continue ministry and the legacy the Sisters of Mercy have created.”
Those who have been at Mount Mercy for many years have gotten to know the sisters personally. Due to COVID-19, many students and staff were not able to experience face-to-face contact with the sisters in recent years.
“It’s like saying goodbye to people you don’t know but that you did know because of their impact,” said Adam Myers, assistant professor of philosophy, who was among those attending the ceremony.
College officials and the sisters have not yet announced plans for the building.
Seeking inclusion
Priest uses Zoom to call for LGBTQ+ respect in Catholic church
By Joselyn Hildebrand/Feature Editor/April 20, 2023
Father James Martin (on screen at left) wrote a book calling for the Catholic Church to build bridges to the LGBTQ+ community following the deadly shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in 2016. He says reaction to his book revealed homophobia among some in the church. About 60, in-person and online, attended Father James Martin’s presentation (Times photo by Joselyn Hildebrand)
A message of inclusion and respect for the LGBTQ+ community was issued by a Catholic priest March 31. The department of DEI and the faculty Gender and Sexuality Alliance co-hosted Father James Martin for “Building Bridges in a Campus Community.” The virtual event watch party was in Flaherty Community Room. Nearly 60 attendees joined online and in-person.
Martin is a Jesuit Catholic priest known for several novels and his work in LGBTQ+ ministry. In his virtual visit to campus, he connects his book, “Building a Bridge: How the Catholic Church and the LGBT Community Can Enter into a Relationship of Respect, Compassion, and Sensitivity” to lived experiences of everyone, religious or secular. March 31 is transgender day of visibility, so Martin acknowledged that “it’s a great day to have this talk.”
He began the event with an introduction to what inspired him to write the book. After the 2016 Orlando massacre at Pulse nightclub, a gay bar, Martin posted a Facebook video speaking about the shooting. At the time, this was the largest shooting in U.S. history. He said this video went viral and he spoke at an LGBTQ+ ministry, which led to the writing of his book.
“Even in death, this community is largely invisible to the Catholic church,” Martin said.
Martin was shocked by readers’ reaction to the book. He didn’t expect it to be a strong manifesto, nor challenge church teaching, but a resource for parishes and colleges. He says the initial reaction was very positive.
“I think there was something about having someone in a collar talk about this,” Martin said.
Martin received some pushback for his book. He spoke about receiving personal attacks, homophobia, protests and name calling. It revealed a level of homophobia in the church that he didn’t expect. He reveals that even outside of the Catholic church, there are secular reasons to protect at-risk populations.
“One of the primary reasons that youth are homeless is because they’re LGBTQ+ and rejected from their family,” Martin said.
He also refers to Catholic social teaching, which asks individuals to “stand in solidarity with those on the margins,” and says, “there is really no one in the church that feels as excluded as LGBTQ+ people.”
Martin briefly read Gospels and dissected them to explain how they relate to treating LGBTQ+ individuals with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. He shared that the community is no less human than any other human being, and they have to go to great lengths just to do what everybody else does. He says it is important for individuals in the church who hold power to do something.
“It is the responsibility of the one who has power or privilege to raise them up, listen to them, bring them into the community,” Martin said.
There was time for questions at the end of the event. Martin answered one question about how we can be a welcoming campus for the LGBTQ+ community regardless of religion.
“Take them seriously, as you would any group that feels marginalized, right, befriend them, listen to them, celebrate them when life is good, cry with them when life is bad, and advocate for them,” Martin said.
Flashback :
Memories of the MMU Times SGA is organized, Regina Hall opens
Compiled by Delcie Sanache/Editor-in-chief/April 20, 2023
1945: 78 years ago
Student government gets under way.
A student government association was organized this fall, and Marcella Schott, secretarial science student, was chosen as president.
Oct. 5, the Student Council of the SGA held its first meeting to elect officers and start writing the constitution. Virginia Becker was elected as vice president, Helen Toale as secretary, and Marjorie Burger as treasurer.
SGA plans on meeting once a month; each member is able to express their concerns and opinions regarding student life on campus.
1965: 58 years ago
New Regina Hall to open in fall.
A new dormitory named Regina Coeli Hall will open in September and will provide dorm rooms for 189 girls in seven stories.
A reception lounge, parlors, offices, guest rooms, some dorm rooms, a student infirmary, and a large recreation lounge will all be located on the main floor.
The building is being paid for by a $1,085,000 loan, while furnishings and equipment will be covered by college funds and donations.
2005: 18 years ago
Never-ending job hunt plagues graduating seniors.
Graduating seniors who are excited about obtaining their college degree are stuck in what seems to be a never-ending job hunt.
“I’m going to be graduating, but I don’t have a stable job to go with it,” said Chanda Burds, senior communication major, “But, I do feel that my schooling here has helped me become a successful individual.”
Burds has been busy sending out resumes and believes many seniors have mixed feelings about graduating.
“I’m hopeful because I had an interview at the end of March. Since I haven’t heard any bad news yet, I’m hoping that’s good. If that doesn’t work out, I’ll just keep looking. That’s all you can do,” said Christina Smith, senior.
Divided we fall?
Olson argues in book that political schisms threatens democracy
The increasingly sharp divide between left and right, red and blue, Republican and Democrat isn’t just a problem—it puts the future of our democracy in peril.
That’s the central point of a new book recently co-authored by Dr. Todd Olson, Mount Mercy University president. In “A Liberal Democracy in Peril: Where We Stand and Where We Must Go,” Olson co-writes his observations about liberal democracy in higher education with engineer and businessman Gjalt Smit.
Any complex policy question has more than two answers, and regardless of a person’s political place on the liberal-conservative spectrum, it’s important to preserve the ability to communicate and make rational policy choices that are not based on that spectrum. The idea of having two sides of the spectrum Olson saw as “impoverishing our national discourse and conversation and it was holding us back from the ideals of liberal democracy.”
He wanted to further understand what is happening and suggest his ideas for what could be done to mend the divide.
The first part of the book Olson begins with his analysis of liberal democracy, in the present sense, interviewing students and people in leadership from both the U.S. and across Europe about their perspectives on democracy. Smit finishes the book’s second half with a look at where liberal democracy can take society and how it can affect the world on a socio-economic and political view with his knowledge in industry and sciences.
The pair were united by Olson’s brother. Smit, originally from the Netherlands, lives in Switzerland. Smit was also intrigued by the conversation about liberal democracy and saw a role it played both in the U.S. and in Europe.
The two met prior to COVID, in February 2020, and spent hours talking about ideas and their prior observations and knowledge from their respective occupations.
Olson describes liberal democracy to be “about a system of government and economy and individuals, both rights and responsibilities: it is about separation of powers and limitations on government, both individual responsibilities to making institutions work and based on free market economy but not an unlimited free market. It is about responsible approach to economy and politics that features free and fair elections, free expression.”
It is not about having two sides, but about having and understanding of all options, Olson said.
“A conservative republican can support liberal democracy; it is not about one side of the political spectrum,” he notes.
Inspiration for the book came when Olson was working with many student leaders and local governments. The idea of having two sides of the spectrum Olson saw as “impoverishing our national discourse and conversation and it was holding us back from the ideals of liberal democracy.”
During his career at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Olson said he felt unsettled by what he saw and heard around the country and at his school. At Georgetown, Olson interacted with the Georgetown Bipartisan Coalition – a student led, intentional effort to bring together students with varying political views to have conversation and to “build understanding and to help people think more openly and benefit of listening to multiple perspectives.”
Braver Angels is another group that encourages bringing various sides and creating conversation in a respectable and progressive manner.
Olson had the chance to interview both the students of the Bipartisan coalition and one of the founders of Braver Angels on where they see liberal democracy today. Olson notes that a section of his part of the book is a statement from the Bipartisan group, which he finds very “valuable and pragmatic.”
When drafting the book, Olson addressed challenges. The idea was sparked before COVID-19 and was finished during the pandemic. Through the pandemic, Olson and Smit interviewed sources via telecommunications such as Zoom and connected via emails. The process of the book came together after two editions, multiple interviews, and one face-to-face interaction between the authors.
Klein is leaving MMU at end of spring term
By Joselyn Hildebrand/Feature Editor/March 2, 2023
Yet another transition in Mount Mercy leadership was recently, unexpectedly, announced.
“It is just time for me to try something new,” said Nate Klein, VP for student success, after nine years serving the Mount Mercy community.
The news from the president’s office was announced via email Feb. 21. Klein also serves as assistant professor of business. Previously, he has served as advisor of Enactus and JV men’s soccer coach. Klein graduated from MMU in 2007. Earlier this month, it was announced that Dr. Tom Castle will serve as interim provost, replacing Dr. Tim Laurent who will focus on external grant support.
Some of Klein’s most enjoyable memories from the Hill include sledding down the hill on lunch trays with students, UC takeovers like Vegas Night, and the record-breaking slip-n-slide this past year.
“Other memories took me away from the hill on international service trips to Belize in 2016, to build a home for the Coba family with 20 students, and then this past year to Guatemala, with 11 of our students to build two homes while becoming immersed in the culture,” he said.
Most of the work Klein does is usually behind the scenes. However, his ability to make personal interactions impactful for those on campus is what makes him well-known around MMU.
“Some of the most memorable moments will be the one-on-one conversations I had with first-year students to learn about their aspirations, my monthly lunches with the Sisters down at Sacred Heart Convent to learn about their courage, service projects with the Student Services team, hugging it out with seniors that have walked across the stage realizing their dreams at commencement including my dad, my wife, and my brother, as well as the colleagues that I’ve had the joy to work alongside these last nine years, hopefully making an impact on their lives as they have on mine,” Klein said.
Klein’s accomplishments at MMU include helping to establish the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusivity, working to develop the JEDI room, and crafting the Mustang Leadership Program.
While Klein is unsure what his next step may be, he says “it will be important that I’ll be able to continue to continue to live out my values that I’ve shared often with students: Learn every day, inspire those around me, volunteer my time, and enjoy what I do.”
Many communities’ members value Klein, as his role serves as a bridge between students and faculty and staff. His role will have some big shoes to fulfill, although he is confident that the professionals have students at the center of why they are here.
“I have faith that President Olson will work with the leadership team to identify someone that will continue to build trust and connect with students in a way that helps them feel a sense of belonging here on the Hill,” he said.
Prez’s lecture Speaker seeks ‘original’ feminism
By Elaina Sanders/Assistant Editor/March 2, 2023
Erika Bachiochi delivers the spring President’s Lecture Feb. 23 to a packed University Center. (Times photo by Elaina Sanders)
With the University Center packed Feb. 23, Erika Bachiochi, a fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center and a Senior Fellow at the Abigail Adams Institute where she founded the Wollstonecraft Project, gave a lecture by invitation of the president of Mount Mercy. Bachiochi proposed that “sex realist” feminism is the single best way to grow women’s rights in our society.
Bachiochi started off her lecture by describing how Plato and Aristotle both had a misunderstanding of what a woman is, “For a woman is not a malformation of a man, nor is she incapable of intellectual thought,” like Plato and Aristotle assumed.
Women of their time and after also disagreed with this thought process calling to high moral principles. Since both women and men are human, they are called to the same moral and intellectual capacities, including all virtues, for this is what differs human from animals.
Pre-industrial economy gave great opportunities for women with them not only having a hand in family business but also acting as “guardians of the private realm.” Yet with the rise of industrial work and with men leaving trades and rural environment, the asymmetry between the sexes became more apparent. Women lost the security in the family and ‘the work of the home’ became devalued greatly.
The first feminist not only called for women to have the right to vote, but also for discrimination in the workplace to end, and for the value of women at home to be respected. These first wave feminists also called for men to participate in chastity to allow women to be voluntary mothers to decrease the asymmetry between the sexes when it comes to the responsibility of the child.
After the birth control pill was invented, promiscuity of both men and women along with the pill not being perfectly effective lead to the increase of unintended pregnancies, she said. In conclusion, this brought feminism to the idea that for women to be successful, they must be like men. Bachiochi calls for society to go back to the ideas held by original feminists where the responsibility of pregnancy and the correction of asymmetry between men and women are acknowledged. That being a man or a woman are diametric parts of being a human who is called to moral and intellectual virtues, she said.
Rapid rise Bread Club quickly gains 60 students soon after start
By Tiara Muñoz/Staff Writer/Feb. 16, 2023
Various Mount Mercy clubs and organizations signed up prospective members at the Spring Involvement Fair, Jan. 24, in the Sisters of Mercy University Center. (Times photos by Delcie Sanache)
What started with a baguette from Target, quickly rose into something larger.
Some suite mates in Andreas House were with Eric Heitland, sophomore, biochemistry major, when he was eating the fateful bun.
Bread Club started that night in November, as Heitland’s friends, bored, were wondering what they could do to pass the time. As Heitland was eating his baguette, the idea of Bread Club was born.
First greeted with laughter and jokes, the idea of a club was quickly kneaded into something more. The friends researched what is needed to become a club, following SGA guidelines, and how they can make Bread Club a real thing.
“It started off as a joke,” Heitland said. But later, it became more serious.
“We want to bring a sense of home for students,” he said.
Heitland and his friends saw many possibilities they could create to make Bread Club about more than just bread. Bread has a history and culture, and with the various international students and diverse population on campus, Heitland and his friends saw an opportunity to bring students together through baking.
“If international students miss home, some foods can bring them back,” Heitland said. “We hope that creating foods such as breads can give them that taste of home.”
Heitland also emphasized the opportunity to give back to the community by creating bake sales and giving proceeds to local food banks and even possibly donating bread to food banks in Cedar Rapids.
As Bread Club continues to rise, Heitland hopes to see it teaching students valuable cooking skills, learning about cultures they may not have known or had much information about and bringing the community together.
Right now, Bread Club has permission to use the McAuley Dining Center kitchen for meetings and the kitchen to make the bread. Heitland hopes to see students taking the skills they learn in these meetings and using them in various places across campus such as the Penthouse, Regina Hall basement and Andreas House kitchen.
The club rose quickly, going from the November conversation to gaining SGA official status in December. Members simply spread the word directly to other students, and now, Bread Club has 60 members as it continues to grow like live, yeasty dough.
Bread Club meets once a month, nothing is required to be involved and anyone can join. The next meetings are Feb. 20 and March 20, at 8:30 p.m. in the McAuley Dining Center.
Heitland notes that even if you’re not an experienced cook, there are many opportunities and connections you can create by joining. If you are interested, you can contact any of the Bread Club executive team: Eric Heitland, Caleb Rutherford, or Will Davidson, and your name will be added to the email list for information about Bread Club events and meetings. As Heitland said, Bread Club can bring you “a taste of home.”
MMUANS hosts LGBTQIA+ speaker
By Kevin Fiedler/Staff Writer/Feb. 16, 2023
MMUANS hosted a public event and invited a guest to come speak about providing health care to members of the LGBTOIA+ community.
Francis Kuehnle (they/them) is a psychology nurse at the University of Iowa who visited students on Feb. 6. MMUANS met Kuehnle when they attended the Iowa Association of Nursing Students conference last year in October. Francis was a guest speaker there and they made an impression on MMUANS president Jaelin Berger.
“The speech they gave left a lasting impression on me and the members of MMUANS, so much so that I asked the MMUANS board if Francis can come to Mount Mercy and speak to us again,” said Berger.
Kuehnle shared their knowledge with nursing students and faculty about providing compassionate care to members of the LGBTQIA+ community.
They communicated that you should always ask your patient about their pronouns, so not to offend them. This is the first step to making sure that patients feel comfortable and safe in their environment. They talked about their own personal experiences, not only as a nurse but also as a patient. They ended their speech by answering questions from the audience.
New SGA president seeks to improve campus communications
By Delcie Sanache/Sports Editor/Feb. 16, 2023
The new leader of student governments says she will emphasize student engagement.
SGA held elections for new executive council members in November. Taking over as secretary is junior Nathalie Primbs, sophomore Autumn Puffer as treasurer, sophomore Houston Hamlett as vice president, and sophomore Amelia Frimml as president.
“I ran for SGA president because I love everything, we were able to accomplish as a team last year,” said Frimml. “Therefore, I wanted to continue to lead our team to advocate for the students in continuation of making MMU a great university to attend.”
Frimml is a secondary education major with endorsements in instructional strategist and in social services. She has already created many goals.
“First, we want to create better engagement with students,” she said. “Within this, it includes bringing the feeling of belonging, advocating, and promoting more involvement and school spirit within all MMU students.”
To dig deeper into their main goal, Frimml has more specific ambitions. She said she wants to improve communications, particularly through social media. She also wants to foster better relationships with MMU employees.
Mount Mercy Times 