Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | fall 2006

FALL 2006
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Cover Story:
Good Chemistry

Feature Story:
An Exemplary Leader

Feature Story:
Special Olympics USA National Games

Feature Story:
Alumni Days 2006

Alumni Profile:
The reigning queen of concrete

Alumni Profile:
Major wager

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LETTERS

Go the distance
The article in the most recent VISIONS magazine (“Go the Distance,” summer 2006) captured my attention. I’ve been participating in various outdoor activities for several years, and my next big event will be the Hawaii Ironman that I qualified for with my result from the 2006 Arizona Ironman.

In the published results to these races, you can see names and times, but unfortunately there is not enough room for a biography of the participant.
I always want to know what I have in common with my fellow athletes and what has brought them to the sport.

I now know a little more about one other entrant: Joan Hellman. Hopefully I will get a chance to meet her while in Hawaii and experience her positive attitude first hand!

Mark Brooker**
’90 mechanical engineering
Houston, Texas

It was fun to read this issue of VISIONS. Awesome scholar athletes! I hope you will let readers know when Megan Sweeney completes her Pacific Crest Trail adventures.

Betty Johnson*
’52 home management
Minnetonka, Minnesota

The series of stories in the summer issue of VISIONS was interest-ing. May I suggest another grouping that might be worthwhile?

When I was on campus – 1950-1953 – there were a great many students using the GI bill to further their education. Many of these were men with wives
and children, living in the old quonset huts on the campus, working part time and mostly doing very well scholastically.

If you could invite stories from this group I believe you would find much success, since these were highly motivated and mature people.

For the record, I was not a GI, but I was almost the oldest student in my graduating class and I had a wife and five children, so I related to them very well. A few years ago I read of a study about the correlation between being married with children and grade point average. The researcher found that married students had above-average scores, and the score increased with the number of children. Interesting! I can accept that because I was first in ME and 18th in college at graduation. Five kids, remember. (Ignore my bragging, please.)

Continue to publish your good magazine.

Roger Haines*
’53 mechanical engineering
Laguna Woods, California

Editor’s Note: GIs from the early 1950s – let us hear from you! We will definitely consider this story for a future issue.

Recruited by visions of Iowa State
My niece, Rachel Bell of Vandalia, Ill., was looking at college options last year during her senior year. Her interests were in nutrition, anatomy, and kinesiology. When I received the fall 2005 issue of VISIONS, there was information about the College of Human Sciences (“College Close-up: New program combines diet and exercise to promote health”). I passed along the information to her, and this fall 2006 she will be a freshman at ISU. I have also passed along other issues of VISIONS, and her family has been impressed with the magazine and learned a lot about Iowa State. She is fired up to become a Cyclone.

Jill Foley Kaltenthaler**
’82 ag journalism
DeWitt, Michigan

Editor’s Note: We’re excited that we played a part in making Rachel’s college choice a little easier!

Intriguing people followup
I just thought I would give you an update (“The 20 most intriguing people on campus” feature, spring 2006: “Rescue K9-1-1”). Talyn and I passed our next level of certifications so we are now a nationally certified Type II area search team and also passed our Human Remains Detection Level III (Land) certification. That one had four stations we had to pass.

Robin Habeger
’93 community and regional planning
Ames, Iowa