In October 2023, I had the pleasure of presenting a paper at the North American Division’s Women in Adventist History Conference. My paper, “The Invisible Seventh-day Adventist Medical Cadet Corps: Women in a Man’s World,” briefly explored the lives of four women who at one time or another were involved in the Medical Cadet Corps between 1938 and 1958. Limited to only twenty minutes in which to speak, my research retrieved far more material than I had time to share then. Thus, it is my privilege in this article, and in others in this series, to more fully explore the lives and contributions of these four women in addition to two more women who should have been included in the original presentation. Part 1 explored the life of Verna Lucille Robson and Part 2 introduced Kathryn Luella Jenson Nelson. It is my privilege to share part 3 below.  Between 1934 and 1938 a number of Adventist colleges in the United States experimented with Medical Corps or Medical Cadet Corps training for their young men who might be subjected to military conscription in the near future. These were low-budget classes, and the teachers either volunteered their time or had it added to their existing workload. In October 1939, the General Conference adopted the program as the Seventh-day Adventist Medical Cadet Corps (MCC). While the General Conference voted a set of twelve recommendations to organize the training across the nation, not one of the recommendations addressed finances. Thus, MCC commanders were left to recruit whatever local expertise they could find, often on a volunteer basis. Very little is known about Josephine Stone, RN, but this single photograph suggests that she was among the staff for the combined Central Union MCC Camp held on the campus of Union College from June 3 to 23, 1940. Josephine Rose Steinkraus was born on January 6, 1911, in Albion, Michigan. Her parents, Charles E. and Bertha (Wilke) Steinkraus, were both the children of German immigrants. The family joined the Adventist church in Michigan around 1895, thus, Steinkraus was raised in an Adventist home. Steinkraus attended Cedar Lake Academy from which she graduated in 1929. She then moved to Wabash, Indiana, where she enrolled in the nursing program at the Wabash Valley Sanitarium and Hospital. Whether her training at this time reached the level of registered nurse, or she furthered her education later is unknown. While training as a nurse at Wabash Valley Sanitarium in Indiana, she became friends with Cecelia Stone, who introduced Josephine to her brother, George Preston Stone, a school teacher. George and Josephine were married on September 1, 1935. At the time of their marriage, George was an elementary school teacher. After George completed his bachelor’s degree at Emmanuel Missionary College in 1937, in the autumn of 1938 the couple moved to Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, where George continued to teach elementary school. Josephine took a nursing position at Lincoln General Hospital. It was also in Lincoln that the Stones became close friends with Everett and Opal Dick. In 1940-1941, George was second in command of the MCC at Union College, often taking over leadership as Dick was more frequently called away to help organize the MCC in other places in the United States. Between their friendship with Everett Dick, and George’s own leadership role, Josephine was apparently called upon to assist with medical instruction for the Central Union Camp in the summer of 1940. However, her contribution went undocumented apart from this single photograph. It is unknown whether or not she was paid anything for her time and expertise. In 1940, Everett Dick was director of MCC training for the central part of the United States, encompassing what is now the Mid-America, Lake Union, and Southwestern union conferences. Seventy-three young men from fifteen states attended the three-week camp either in part or in its entirety. According to Dick, who served as camp commander, “the program [was] run as nearly like a military camp as possible, with every appointment announced by bugle call, inspection of living quarters, guard duty, military salutes on the proper occasion, and even a few court martial cases,” which were “necessary to ensure the proper discipline and to teach the vital principles of obedience and cooperation.” While the training they received was intended to prepare them for military service, Dick was carefully pointed out that it was also practical in civilian life. “Only one fourth of the time [was] given to drill. A second quarter [was] given to first aid, another quarter to emergency nursing, and another quarter to the organization of the army and the principles underlying army duties” (Dick, “Union College Medical Corps Camp”). In his report, Dick did not indicate who taught each segment of the training, but from other events, we can surmise that his assistants, Orason Brinker and Walter Howe, led the drills. Dick himself may have lectured on army organization and duties. A certified Red Cross instructor would have taught first aid. As a registered nurse, Josephine Stone would have taught emergency nursing. As the manpower demands of World War II increased the upper age-limits of the draft, church leaders decided to move George Stone into conference leadership where he could be exempted as a minister. Thus, in 1942, the Stones moved to the Atlantic Union Conference, where George served as Education and Missionary Volunteer Secretary, and promoted the MCC. It is not entirely clear what Josephine did, although she was home with her children for some years. Their children were born in Massachusetts, a baby girl who died in 1943, Allan Preston in 1945, and Suzanne Kay in 1948. Just after Suzanne’s birth, the family relocated to Maplewood Academy in Hutchinson, Minnesota. In the following years, Josephine moved with her husband to Iowa before returning to Union College, where he finished his career as a professor of education. While it is difficult to track her employment history, Josephine was consistently identified as a nurse, registered nurse, or a retired nurse until Josephine Rose Steinkraus Stone A Hidden Figure in the Story of the Seventh-day Adventist Medical Cadet Corps Part 3“>Read more…

It is not very often you have an opportunity to work with someone who checks pretty much all the boxes in terms of their work ethic and love for the Lord. For 10 years I have had the opportunity to work with Dr. Vinita Sauder as president of Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. She has a brilliant mind, incredible work ethic, is a visionary, is gracious and kind, and above all, loves the Lord and the Seventh-day Adventist Church. She has led us through some of the most difficult years for our school, as it has had to deal with Covid 19 and a demographic which shows fewer young people are out there to attend higher education. But despite all this, she has led our school with excellence and a heart of gold. As a result of her leadership, we have a new fitness center for our students, several new graduate programs, and a new name as of May 5, 2024—Union Adventist University—just to share a few highlights. We have been unbelievably blessed to have her as our college president. As she has chosen to retire, we needed to begin a new search last year for a new leader for our school. As we began our search, many, many people prayed throughout the whole process of selecting our next leader for Union Adventist University. We prayed for someone who foremost loves the Lord and is excited to be a part of the Adventist Church and its mission. We needed someone who had experience with higher education, who could articulate the beauty of and need for Adventist education, and someone who loved our young people and wanted to help them know our Savior and prepare them for a life of service. We believe the Lord has answered our prayers as our search led us to Dr. Yami Bazan, who is currently the associate dean for the school of medicine at Loma Linda University in California. Dr. Bazan comes to us with a rich background of working with young adults in a church setting, as a conference youth director, and in two separate higher education settings as well. She is known as someone who is a visionary and works well even in difficult situations. I ask that we all pray for Dr. Sauder as she begins a new chapter in her life and Dr. Bazan as she will soon be with us as the next president of Union Adventist University.   Gary Thurber is president of the Mid-America Union Conference headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska, and chair of the Union College/Union Adventist University Board of Trustees.  

Cell phones have revolutionized the way we connect with those around the world. The introduction of cell phones opened the doors to instant communication. We can make a video call to Mom and Dad from miles away or text someone who is on a different continent.  Cell phones have made us a digital society, and we do almost everything with our phones. With the passage of time, however, we have come to realize that by connecting digitally new challenges were created regarding how we understand one another.  Before the existence of phones, we connected with people face-to-face. We met up with friends, family, co-workers or significant others to catch up with them. When we connect face-to-face, we can analyze facial expressions, tone of voice and posture. These things are essential to know if the person we are talking to is paying attention and is interested in what we are saying.  Connecting digitally took away the visual aspect of seeing how the person we spoke to reacted —unless we made a video call, but it still isn’t the same. Liberty University, one of the largest private universities in the US, states that “Online interactions as convenient, advanced, and as helpful as they have been during this time, have also sometimes left us feeling more drained than energized.”  If we go back to 2020 when we were in quarantine, we can remember the Zoom calls we made. Whether it was to attend school, work or see family members we all agreed that a video call wasn’t the same as being in that specific place in person. There were moments when we weren’t mentally present in that Zoom call. It was easy to open other tabs on the computer and play games, read an article, or do other work on the side.  When I came to Union College, I remember how excited I was to be on campus and that I would be attending in-person classes. I was tired of Zoom calls and being home all day. I realized how important it was to me to be outside and see other people. Attending gatherings began to look exciting after being told that I could only stay home.  I appreciate that we live in a world where technology has advanced to help us connect from wherever we are, but I can say that an online class isn’t the same as an in-person class. When I am in a classroom I get to interact with my classmates and do group projects. We can laugh and argue about topics that are talked about in class. Attending school in person allows us to create memories that we can look back on years down the road.  Mental health has also been impacted now that we connect digitally more often. Psychiatrist Alan Teo observes that “[People] who regularly met in person with family and friends were less likely to report symptoms of depression.” When we stop connecting with people face-to-face, we become more attached to a digital connection. We could be afraid to meet new people and may wonder how to talk to them.  Some of us may question how important social connections are to us. Dr. Stephen Braren, a researcher in developmental psychology, states that “Loneliness is a vital warning signal that tells us that our basic need for social connection is not met.” We may feel lonely when we move away from our family, or we travel to a new area to go to school or work. This leads us to attend events that happen around us such as small groups or gatherings. If we haven’t made connections yet we search for places that will create those connections for us. Maybe we don’t want to physically participate in an event, so we turn to digital communities. Facebook offers communities that are about a well-known individual, hobbies such as art or photography, or a variety of careers. We can join these groups and relate to others because of a common interest.  Being part of a virtual society isn’t a bad thing. Through cell phones we have many different avenues to connect with people in some way. I am not saying we should get rid of our cell phones and forget about phone and video calls or text messaging. Yet we must take time to reflect on how much time we spend on our cell phones and the way we connect with those online.  We should always remember the importance of having face-to-face connections as well. Through whatever channels, we are meant to connect with others and to have meaningful relationships.    How to have a great in-person conversation  Starting a meaningful conversation with someone you don’t know well can feel daunting, but with a few simple tips, you can foster genuine connections and meaningful interactions. Begin with a friendly greeting and a warm smile to create a welcoming atmosphere. Introduce yourself and repeat your name and their name.  Give a compliment about what they’re wearing or an achievement they had if there are any you know about.  Listen attentively and show interest in the conversation you are having.  Ask open-ended questions about their family, work, hobbies or other things.    Katie Tahay-Martinez is a senior at Union Adventist University in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is majoring in Language Arts Secondary Education to teach high school students.  

Suzanne Ócsai: Assistant Professor of Art and Design Suzanne Ócsai was three years old when she told her mother she wanted to be an artist. Since her father was a mechanical engineer, the house was always stocked with pencils and paper.  Ócsai had just finished teaching a computer design class when I walked into her office. She’s been a professor of Art and Design at Union Adventist University since 2022.  Ócsai offered two comments on what she believes makes art spiritual. “The entire process of creating art is spiritual. From the ideation process to even the practice.” She believes that in order to create something that will really have a profound effect on the viewer, the artist has to put themself into the piece. “That requires opening up their soul, which makes it a spiritual experience.”  Her second response was, “I think that honesty is the spiritual journey. You must be honest to even have a spiritual journey. Art, in its true sense, makes us question things. It makes us feel and confront what makes us uncomfortable.” She identified this as impacting people in either drawing them toward their journey or pushing them away. Dealing with things honestly can be uncomfortable. “Artists choose to live in that uncomfortable space of grappling with difficult topics and being vulnerable. They’re judged a lot. It means to show parts of yourself that, oftentimes, people try to hide.”  When I asked what art means to her, Ócsai laughed, telling me no artist wants to sound cliché. For her, art is about connecting with her heritage and meeting parts of herself that she’s never known. It connects her to God, as she stated, “I’m continuing to learn new things about myself every day, and it’s the same in my relationship with God. For me, art is how I process what I’m learning, whether that’s about myself or God.” In some ways, she’s found the closest connection to God has been through art. “Living as an artist is to look at the world differently.” It gives her the opportunity to be a part of a community that takes an idea and makes it into something tangible. She expressed how it’s something extremely special and validating to see a thought materialize.  Ócsai rose from where she was sitting at her desk and pointed to two art pieces depicting Jesus. They were pieces acquired from former art professors she regards dearly. Both contained dark imagery. One was of Christ on the cross, with dark clouds looming above. The other, a somber portrait. She studied them, stating that they were images of suffering, and she identified suffering as being a driving force behind why many artists create. She began explaining that “when you are an artist tapping into those parts of yourself that are dark and suffering, you can feel very alone and isolated. But when you’ve created something from that, there’s somebody who can relate.” Looking at the two paintings, Ócsai understands that on the cross, Jesus felt that suffering, and art is a way for her to connect to Him.  Alan Orrison: Art and Design Program Director When Alan Orrison was seven years old, he began taking photos on a little Mickey Mouse camera. However, it wasn’t until he was in undergraduate school that he created something he would consider art. For Orrison, his creativity is ignited by the process of solving and exploring solutions to problems, from the personal and small-scale things to the societal and bigger-level issues.  “God has given us art as one of the best tools to process this world and its challenges,” Orrison responded when I asked what art means to him. “God does amazing work through His church and other community organizations, but art has an often-overlooked ability to cut right to the heart of hard issues, raising awareness and lifting each other up. Sometimes as an individual artist you’re more free to speak truth into situations around you. If you see something, you can say something, and that is witnessing.” The spiritual nature of art has been a complex conversation for years. Orrison related how the history of art has evolved over time. “Looking back at art history, art was primarily a religious practice. Art was done for the church; it was religious and had to be done with a certain formula, which made it religious art. But I think it’s limiting God, in what we can and cannot talk about, when we have to abide by those set rules. Art is here to help us process all the things around us, the things we care about. There are other things that Christian artists can and should be portraying, talking about, and introducing to people that may be difficult and peculiar.” I was curious to know if Orrison has done any particular art that was especially impactful to him. He said there is an abstract series he created, highlighting the various and sometimes weird feelings a person gets at the ocean. He recalls feeling successful about this piece when a viewer told him that looking at that abstract art made them feel scared. Orrison felt content with this response because his goal in creating art is to give people the space to feel, question or think about something, especially in regard to nature. He stated that most of his work “is an attempt to help people think about their relationship to the natural world or the environment.” Orrison passionately spoke of how God uses artists to highlight the beauty of His creation in places unexpected or in the small and mundane aspects of life—those facets that aren’t the beautiful sunsets and peaks of mountains commonly associated with God’s creation. His views about art having a place within spirituality are very inclusive. “Good art gives space  for everybody to experience it, regardless of background. You can come to a work of art with all your baggage and enter into a dialogue.” This is the beauty that art has. As he Connecting Through The Arts Is art spiritual? Thoughts from two university professors “>Read more…