Oct. 5, 2009

Weather doesn’t dampen DWU Tiger spirit

Laura Wehde • The Daily Republic

Dakota Wesleyan University students Megan Carmody, left, and Abby Hemmer toss out candy during the DWU homecoming parade Saturday morning on Main Street in Mitchell. Despite the cooler temps, the sidewalks were lined with parade attendees. (Laura Wehde/Republic Photo)

What the weekend lacked in sunshine, Dakota Wesleyan University made up for with its homecoming festivities and school pride.

Saturday was a flurry of blue and white in Mitchell as the homecoming parade made its way down Main Street. DWU alums Earl and Rowena Nebelsick, of Howard, watched and cheered as the floats went by.

Earl, class of 1959, met Rowena, class of 1955, at DWU. All five of their children attended DWU, along with four grandchildren. A brother-in-law and a son-in-law of Earl’s also attended DWU.

“I think it’s kind of a family tradition,” said Earl, with a laugh. “I asked my oldest son why he went there and he said ‘because you did.’ ”

The Nebelsicks still make a point to attend many activities. They went to two alumni banquets over the weekend and planned to attend Saturday’s football game, which DWU lost 29-26 to Midland Lutheran.

“We go to a lot of basketball and football games,” said Rowena. “And you can walk into our house and see some DWU memorabilia,” added Earl.

Rowena remembers when College Hall burned on campus in 1955; Earl was in the military at that point. “I was in school and was around when College Hall burned,” she said. “My brother and friends were taking records out of the building when it was burning, it was pretty scary.”

Despite facility changes, the couple agrees that their alma mater still provides a quality experience and education.

A nursing major, Rowena worked in the field for 40 years.

“We had the Methodist Hospital and we took our science courses at Wesleyan and it was a very good program…they are improving it all the time,” she said.

Director of Alumni Jackie Wentworth visited with alumni during the parade at a DWU tent that was put up in the CorTrust Bank parking lot.

“We have had an exciting weekend here — the attendance for the reunions has just been great,” she said. “It’s very invigorating because (homecoming) is not only just about friends, it’s about family and when you put those two things together, it’s a great combination.”

At the homecoming football game, the grandstand was packed with fans supporting the Tigers.

Following the team up and down the sidelines was former Tiger quarterback Terry Kurtz, who attended DWU from 1963 to 1967. Kurtz, of Victorville, Calif., who worked as a CNN headline news anchor for 15 years, carried with him a video camera, making a highlight video of his weekend back.

“It’s great getting to see a lot of these people — some I haven’t seen for 42 years,” he said. “It’s incredible that you recognize the voice still.”

Kurtz has only been back to Mitchell one other time and noted how much the campus has changed.

“Now the university, the campus, is so beautiful — they have had so many improvements and changes that it’s almost not recognizable, and it’s all good,” he said. “It’s nice to come back and touch base with a place you spent four years of your life at, I’m just enjoying every moment of it.”