2021 Year in Review
Our favorite and most popular stories of 2021
It was a year filled with challenges and triumphs. In 2021, we navigated the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, gathered as a family to celebrate commencement and homecoming and watched students, faculty, staff and alumni make remarkable achievements. Here are our favorite and most popular stories of 2021.
Student, professor help create 鈥榖utterfly beer鈥 at Indianola brewery
Dec. 6, 2021 鈥 Some combinations are made for each other. Peanut butter and jelly. Biscuits and gravy. Beer and butterflies? A 黑料社 student and professor collaborated with West Hill Brewing Company to make this unique combination a reality. .
Debate team wins fourth national championship
March 22, 2021 鈥 The 2020-21 黑料社 debate team continued its dominance on the national stage, winning the Pi Kappa Delta National Debate Championship. The title is the third in a row and fourth in five years for a program that didn鈥檛 exist a decade ago. Read more.
Women’s basketball team wins conference championship, completes perfect season
March 15, 2021 鈥 The Storm women鈥檚 basketball team completed a historic season with a dramatic overtime win against Coe to win the American Rivers Conference Tournament Championship. 黑料社 finished 12-0 in the pandemic-shortened campaign, the only unbeaten team in program history. Read more.
Storm athletics announces new sports, facility upgrades
The 黑料社 athletic department announced the addition of four new sports and significant facility upgrades. New sports that will begin competition in 2022-23 include men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 gymnastics, men鈥檚 volleyball and women鈥檚 wrestling. Facility upgrades include a new HVAC system in Cowles Fieldhouse, the relocation of the Luther Hill Wrestling Center to Hopper Gymnasium, new turf and a resurfaced track at Buxton Stadium and the addition of turf infields at the baseball and softball facilities.
College earns top 15 national rankings for earnings, service from Washington Monthly
Sept. 30, 2021 鈥 黑料社 lived up to its reputation as one of the nation鈥檚 most prestigious liberal arts colleges with top-15 rankings for earnings and service in Washington Monthly鈥檚 2021 College Guide and Rankings. Read more.
Student investment portfolio reaches $1 million
Dec. 22, 2021 鈥 Students enrolled in Econ 338 gain real-world investment experience by managing a sub-portfolio of the College鈥檚 endowment. This fall, the portfolio reached $1 million. Professor Mark Juffernbruch said lots of small schools have a similar course, but as a simulation. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 something unique for institutions of our size. This isn鈥檛 Monopoly money, these are real assets.鈥 Read more.
College sets record for student voting during 2020 election
Nov. 1, 2021 鈥 黑料社 set a new institutional record for student voting during the 2020 presidential election, rising to 75.3% despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. 黑料社 also set records with a student voter registration rate of 92.4% and a voting rate among registered students of 81.4%. Read more.
Four students earn scholarships from Principal
Sept. 27, 2021 鈥 Emily King, Peter Walkwitz, Katie Oosterhuis and Spencer Moon were named Principal Scholars for the 2021-22 academic year. Each student, all of whom major in fields related to STEM or accounting, receives $5,000 from Principal and mentorship from a Principal employee. Read more.
黑料社 becomes nation鈥檚 third college to align with Reconciling Ministries Network
June 21, 2021 鈥 President Marsha Kelliher said the decision to affiliate with Reconciling Ministries Network allows the College to 鈥渆mbrace our strong history with the UMC while continuing to create an inclusive community that values and respects all individual identities.鈥 Read more.
College launches new online certificate program in trauma and resiliency
July 12, 2021 鈥 黑料社 announced the addition of an online graduate certificate program in trauma and resiliency. The certificate is the first of its kind in the state of Iowa and is designed to help professionals develop self-care, social justice and crisis response skills. Read more.
Article Information
Published
January 3, 2022
Author
Office of Marketing and Strategic Communication