E-News - August 9, 2022
Beautiful day for the Kohawk Club's annual Golf Outing
At the 40th Annual Kohawk Club Golf Outing and Fundraiser, 104 golfers joined at Hunters Ridge Golf Course to enjoy the gorgeous and balmy day of July 28. Golfers were able to compete in contests, mingle with alumni, drink some beer and raise money in support of Coe Athletics. Golfers included alumni of all ages, Board of Trustees members, sponsors, athletics coaches and even one festive group in matching flamingo patterns.
Much like he did for Coe sporting events during his time as equipment manager, Dougie Peters ’81 and his signature wave sent the fleet of golf carts racing to the course to begin the day. Contests were scattered throughout the course, giving participants the opportunity to show off their longest drive, get closest to the pin, shoot for a hole in one and more. The day concluded with dinner, along with prizes and silent auction items.
This year’s Golf Outing raised over $28,000, which set a new record! This money goes directly to the Kohawk Club Fund, which holds unrestricted dollars for all of Coe athletics. It has an immediate impact on every student athlete and will be used for the highest need initiatives over the 2022-2023 season. The continued growth and success of Coe athletics is made possible by all those involved in the Golf Outing and especially the generous support of our sponsors!
To see more images from the day, take a look at the presentation shown at the dinner celebration.


Nursing alumna honored with surprise named scholarship
After putting in years of hard work caring for others, nurse Amanda Ott Pins ’01 was about to be recognized for her dedication, struggles and successes with an endowed scholarship established by her stepfather, Dr. John E. Thiel. She just didn't know it yet.
During her career, Amanda has proven to be a tireless crusader against Alzheimer’s disease, a pioneer in memory care and was selected as one of Iowa’s 100 Great Nurses in 2019. She has achieved these great accomplishments despite struggling with dyslexia in her life.
The Amanda Ott Pins Scholarship will support one or more annual awards for deserving students majoring in nursing. In honor of Amanda’s specific experiences, preference will be given to students with a learning disability and demonstrated interest in memory care when selecting scholarship recipients.
What’s even better about this gift is that it was a complete surprise to Amanda. Dr. Thiel organized a secret event at The Keystones of Cedar Rapids, senior living facility where Amanda is currently the Director of Nursing, to announce the scholarship. When planning the ceremony, Dr. Thiel said, “It’ll be a shock and awe moment for her. I had one once, and I hope she enjoys it as much as I did.”
At The Keystones, family and friends gathered to celebrate this event for Amanda. Professor of Nursing Heide Bursch said a few words about their shared interest in age and memory care and the importance of this scholarship in supporting nursing students with learning disabilities. It was an emotional experience to be surprised with this honor and the presence of Amanda's many loved ones.
The Amanda Ott Pins Scholarship will provide a lasting legacy for an alum who has demonstrated extraordinary care and compassion for their patients, and it also acts as a testament to the enduring generosity of the donors who support Coe College, its community and students.

Register for Homecoming!
Registration for Homecoming 2022 is officially open! We can't wait to welcome alumni to campus as we celebrate traditions old and new. All registrations received by September 16 will be entered into a drawing to win one of five (5) Homecoming weekend packages, so don't wait!
Register today at alumni.coe.edu/homecoming2022 and come celebrate with us!
Get ready for Phonathon
Fall Phonathon is just around the corner! Expect a call from 319-399-8507 between September 12 and October 12 and chat with a student about how you can invest in essential resources and services that promote Kohawk success. The Coe community looks forward to seeing your impact!

Coe College presents the 2022-2023 Thursday Forum lecture series
Coe College is excited to announce eight lecture topics for the 2022-2023 Thursday Forum series. For more than 30 years, Thursday Forum has been an engaging educational opportunity for adults in Cedar Rapids and the surrounding communities.
The public lectures are taught and curated by Coe’s award-winning faculty, covering a variety of topics in the arts, sciences, humanities and more. The line-up for this year includes:
- September 8, 15, 22 and 29: Byzantium Sails West: Eastern Heralds to the Italian Renaissance - The art of medieval Byzantine culture, recognizable by the abstract stylized forms seen in icons of Christ and the saints, often appears to contrast with the more humanistic art forms associated with the European Renaissance. In this four-week forum, Howard Hall Professor of Philosophy Jeffrey Hoover will trace artistic innovations within Byzantine art that ultimately found their way to northern Italy, where they inspired a new generation of medieval artists and provided an impetus for the Italian Renaissance.
- October 6 and 13: Critical Race Theory: Facts, Misconceptions and Opportunities for Engagement - A topic of study for decades, critical race theory recently has become a topic of public conversation, appearing in political debates and discussions about what should be taught in schools. But what is critical race theory? This two-week forum led by Assistant Professor of Communication Studies Antonio Spikes will define critical race theory and examine public debates involving it. The lecture will study misconceptions about critical race theory and why this long-established but little-known scholarly theory can be utilized to create a more inclusive and equitable society.
- October 20 and 27: More than Rebecca: The Life and Work of Daphne Du Maurier - Best known for her novel Rebecca, British author Daphne du Maurier’s work included short stories, plays, a biography, nonfiction and 17 novels beyond Rebecca. Often dismissed as a writer of “romantic” literature, present-day readers have begun to more fully appreciate the complexity of du Maurier’s wide-ranging body of work. This two-week forum, led by Adjunct Assistant Professor of English Kate Aspengren, will explore du Maurier’s life and literary works. The novels, short stories and plays to be examined include The Loving Spirit, The Parasites, The Years Between, September Tide, The Birds and Don’t Look Now.
- November 3, 10 and 17: Evolution Before, During and After Darwin - Long before Charles Darwin, many philosophers sought to explain the origins of life and the development of species. From Lucretius in the first century BCE to Lamarck during the French Revolution, these initial discussions were often forgotten or suppressed. This special three-week forum, led jointly by Assistant Professor of Biology Daniel Hughes and Professor Emeritus of Biology Floyd Sandford, will explore the study of evolutionary biology past and present and the life and work of Charles Darwin, the field’s most well-known scholar.
- February 2, 9, 16 and 23: Hidden in Plain Sight: Tourism and Commemoration in Paris, Martinique, Mexico, Colombia and Argentina - Travelers flock to iconic sites to connect with the past and other cultures. But what stories do such sites really tell, and whose stories do they overlook? This four-week forum will explore how narratives of post-revolutionary and postcolonial tourist sites often obscure as much as they reveal about the pivotal social and political conflicts that occurred there. Joanne H. Pochobradsky Associate Professor of French Joyce Janca-Aji, Assistant Professor of Spanish Laissa Rodríguez Moreno and Assistant Professor of Spanish Martha Torres Méndez will explore narratives of cultural and national identity observant travelers might better be able to see hidden in plain sight.
- March 2 and 9: Greek Olympians and Roman Gladiators: Divergent Notions of Sport, Spectacle and Violence in the Classical World - The ancient Greeks had the Olympics. The Romans had their gladiators. These events have left a disproportionate imprint on modern society’s impressions of these two ancient cultures. Interim Provost and Associate Professor of History Angela Ziskowski will examine how competition, public entertainment and sportsmanship varied among the ancient Greeks and Romans. Throughout the forum, attendees will explore what constituted socially acceptable forms of sport and entertainment in these two fascinating and influential cultures.
- March 23 and 30: The History of Sport in the United States - This two-week forum will introduce audiences to the history of sport in the United States focusing on the period between 1900 and today. Assistant Professor of Kinesiology Larry Atwater will explore how sport has long served as a reflection of American society as well as an agent of change in the nation. It will pay particular attention to themes of religion, race, ethnicity and gender in the construction of sport culture and the role of sport in broader events like racial segregation, the Great Depression and the two world wars. The forum will also examine how developments like television coverage, corporate sponsorship and globalization have influenced both sport and society.
- April 6, 13, 20 and 27: The U.S. Constitution - The United States is governed by its Constitution, the country’s basic system of law since 1789, making it the oldest national constitution still in existence. Neither sacred text nor outmoded artifact of the United States’ agrarian past, the US Constitution today functions as a guide to politics and government: it describes positions, articulates essential principles and establishes boundaries. During this four-week forum, Professor of Political Science Bruce Nesmith will discuss the historical origins and “living” nature of the U.S. Constitution.
Forum sessions are held Thursday mornings in Kesler Lecture Hall of Hickok Hall on the Coe College campus. Each session begins with registration and refreshments from 8:45 AM to 9:15 AM, followed by the presentation until 11:30 AM.
Admission to each four-week course can be purchased at the door or in advance. For more details or information, visit www.coe.edu/thursday-forum or call 319.399.8523.

Courier Class Notes deadline August 15
Do you have news you would like printed in the fall Courier? Send us your submission by August 15 using the Update Your Info form or by sending an email to courier@coe.edu.

We love to see our Kohawks making headlines for their accomplishments and contributions to their communities. Check out these alumni who recently made the news.
- Marv Levy ’50 was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, becoming one of only three people featured in both the Canadian and Pro Football Halls of Fame.
- Matthew Hemesath ’01 was nominated for an Emmy for designing the wardrobe for actress Viola Davis on the Showtime series “The First Lady.” This is Matthew’s second Emmy nomination.
- Boxer Mitchell LeConte ’19 won the US Mid American Lightweight title in Des Moines.