April 2010 Alumni E-News HighlightsEagles Win NCCAA Championship!Congratulations to our Northwestern College men's basketball team on winning the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division I National Championship! As Dr. Cureton summarized the events to the staff and faculty: "After defeating the tournament's Nos. 2 and 3 seeds, Northwestern--the No. 6 seed out of eight teams--defeated King College from Tennessee, the No. 1 seed. The championship game was truly a story of David and Goliath, in fact, all three of the Eagles' games were that way. Our team played with heart against teams that offer 11 and 12 full-ride scholarships and have multiple student-athletes who stand at 6'8" or 6'9". "The opportunity for the team to play in such a tournament was special, but to win was a blessing. I spoke to a number of the players afterwards and senior Eric Garst's comments summed up the experience. He said to me, 'It was fun, but it was all for His glory. He made this happen.' It is that kind of heart that reflects the spirit and character of a NWC student." NWC head coach Tim Grosz ('92) was honored with NCCAA Coach of the Tournament. The Eagles finished the 2009-10 season with a 22-7 overall record, winning 18 of its final 19 games. Downtown ConnectionOur last Downtown Connection of the 2009-10 school year will be held at Club 3 Degrees in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, April 6 at noon. Dr. Ed Glenny, Department of Biblical & Theological Studies, and Morgan Wood, KTIS Promotions Director, will share the exciting things happening in their respective areas. All alumni are invited. Whether you work in Minneapolis or simply want to venture that way, come join us for a fun noon hour with free lunch, great fellowship, and prizes! Please RSVP at alumni@nwc.edu if you plan to come. Hope to see you there! Dead Sea Scrolls ExhibitMichael Wise, Ph.D., Northwestern College professor of Hebrew Bible and ancient languages and chair of the Northwestern Department of Biblical & Theological Studies, serves as expert advisor for the Science Museum of Minnesota's exhibition "The Dead Sea Scrolls: Words That Changed the World" (March 12 through October 24 in St. Paul). Wise heavily influenced the creation of the supporting materials surrounding the scrolls exhibit--the largest and most expensive storyline ever presented by the Science Museum. In conjunction with the Science Museum exhibit, Wise is scheduled to give two public lectures at Northwestern College. Due to overwhelming demand, both lecture events on camps have sold out. However, we encourage you to take advantage of the remarkable opportunity to view the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Science Museum. For more information about Wise, visit nwc.edu/scrolls. Billy Graham Community Life CommonsThe Billy Graham Community Life Commons, which will house new dining facilities, campus store, mail center and common areas, is coming along nicely! It is exciting to watch the construction process on campus and see the building take shape. We continue to ask for your prayer and support as this project continues. If you would like to support this exciting project, visit nwc.edu/give. A Ring (for you) Every SpringNorthwestern students will be gathering each evening April 6-24 to reach out to alumni, parents and supporters of the college for the annual NWC Spring Student Phonathon. This fundraiser for the Northwestern Fund raises money for tuition assistance to bridge the gap between the tuition charged and the actual cost of education. This fund provided nearly $800 tuition reduction for every student this past year! The Phonathon also gives students an opportunity to receive prayer requests and share updates from Northwestern. When you receive your "ring," please answer the call and prayerfully consider a gift to help our students reach their Phonathon fundraising goal. In addition, generous supporters of the college have made a special Phonathon Challenge Pledge this year, so your gift will be doubled just by giving during this event! This year, we have a special "thank you" for our alumni and parents who give during the phonathon: For a gift of $100, you can become an inaugural member of the Northwestern College Mug Club and receive a mug for your contribution. You can give a gift online, anytime, too! Visit nwc.edu/give. Supercharge! Youth Workers ConferenceNWC is co-sponsoring the Supercharge! Youth Workers Conference, and it's a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn from some of the greatest minds in student ministry...all in the nurturing environment of beautiful Camp Lebanon. Prepare to have your heart encouraged, your thinking stretched and your strategy sharpened through top-notch presenters including Tiger McCluen, Kenny King ('85) and Matt Swigart ('01); inspiring worship with Guy Magno ('08); and valuable networking opportunities. The conference is May 7-9, 2010. Please send us an e-mail at alumni@nwc.edu if you would like a complete brochure and registration form. College Choir Bon Voyage ConcertsMay 7, 2010, 7:30 p.m. May 9, 2010 • 7:30pm Freewill Offering The 79-voice Northwestern College Choir, conducted by Timothy Sawyer, will travel to Latvia, Estonia and Finland for a late-May international concert and ministry tour. Their bon voyage concert, entitled "Sacred Bridges," features music with a Baltic flavor, as well as beloved hymns and soulful spirituals. The Northwestern College Choir will also present the the newly-composed O Crux Splendidior, by United States (Illinois) composer John Orfe, featuring guest artist Jeremy Kolwinska, trombone. Open Position in Northwestern MediaAfter over 30 years of service with KFNW in Fargo, Gary Herr will be pursuing other ministry ventures. We are thankful for his hard work and the relationships he has established over the years. Northwestern Media is looking for someone with experience in fundraising and development to take the baton from Gary. If you, or someone you know, are interested in the Director for Media Advancement position, more information can be found at nwc.edu/jobs. Beyond the ClassroomCampus Technologies loves their student workers! Twenty-two Northwestern students serve in computer support roles including Service Desk support, Web development, telephony support (phone installation), and staffing student labs. "We are trying to build a pipeline of students for professional careers," states Ray Kuntz, VP of Campus Technologies/CIO. Campus Technologies has created a comprehensive program developing student workers into experienced IT professionals. As a result, many students leave their student worker roles upon graduation from Northwestern and enter high test professional roles. Ray Kuntz cites that students enter the market as fresh NWC grads having the experience level of a second or third year employee. "This gives students a real advantage when they are job hunting." As a result, some students have landed professional roles prior to graduating and serve as interns in the months prior to their professional start date upon graduation. So, how are students developed? Through a thoughtful development strategy, affectionately known as the "arm strategy" among Campus Technology staffers. Raising their arm to a 45 degree angle, CT staffers explain how they migrate students "up" the pipeline in skills across their several year employment in Campus Technologies. Trevor Pope, the students' manager, explains it this way: "Each student is assigned a professional mentor who weekly fills out a weekly progress report that is reviewed with management and used to develop the student. Additionally, student workers attend weekly Student Worker meetings where outside executives are brought in to explain various work techniques and expectations of the workplace outside of Northwestern. Topics are discussed such as: dealing with the irate customer, time management, creating a professional resume, dealing with conflict, and many, many more. Students are then placed in roles matched to their capabilities, grown, and moved into roles of increasing responsibility." Several students perform in roles traditionally held by professionals. Work is not the only thing that this program focuses on. The program also focuses on workplace social development. Attending sporting events together, spending an evening on Lake Minnetonka in the summer, or working with NWC professionals on a community project (this year, helping a few World Relief refugee families) all create experiences that broaden the student's perspective and experience base. Besides, "these students are FUN," cites Ray Kuntz. "I would be proud to have any one of them as my son or daughter. They are incredible." |
