Former Sen. Culver visits SimpsonFormer U.S. legislator John C. Culver visited Simpson on Thursday for meetings concerning the future of the policy center in his name.The John C. Culver Center of Public Policy is set in place to benefit students in the future for serving the community and entering politics and shaping policy. The official announcement of the policy center was introduced last fall in Washington, D.C., and this spring former Representative Culver met with faculty to shape this exciting new program.In attendance at the dinner included Culver and his wife; First Lady of Iowa Mari Culver; Iowa Sen. Staci Appel; Simpson College President John Byrd; Steve Griffith, senior vice president and academic dean; and other faculty and students.After a short meet and greet between students, faculty and alumni there was dinner and celebration for the policy center. John Epperson, department chair and professor of political science, talked about the hard work and excitement around Simpson’s newest addition and the great things in store for Simpson students in the future.Culver served in the U.S. House of Representatives for Iowa from 1965-1975, and in the U.S. Senate from 1975 -1981 before falling to Republican Chuck Grassley for re-election.

Kelsey Knutson, Perspectives Editor

Finalists chosen for faculty awardGraduating seniors received their ballot to vote for the 2010 Distinguished Teaching Award that honors faculty members that have exhibited outstanding qualities at Simpson College.This year’s nominees include Jackie Brittingham, associate professor of Biology and department chair, Mark Freyberg, professor of sociology and department chair, and Jennifer Nostrala, professor of theatre arts and head of the division of visual and performing arts.Faculty will be evaluated on their ability to demonstrate their ability as a professor, exhibit concern for students’ personal development, is viewed as an intellectual leader on campus and upholds the mission statement of the college. Last year’s award went to Jim Palmieri, professor of economics.Votes for the Distinguished Teacher Award will be taken until April 21 at 4 p.m. to the Office of Academic Affairs in Hillman Hall.

Allison McNeal, Copy Editor

Simpson alum wins Pulitzer PrizeA Simpson graduate learned Monday she was the recipient of a prestigious Pulitzer Prize. Christine Willmsen who graduated from Simpson in 1994, is a member of The Seattle Times staff, which won an award for Breaking News Reporting on their “comprehensive coverage, in print and online, of the shooting deaths of four police officers in a coffee house and the 40-hour manhunt for the suspect,” according to the award’s Web site. It was the eighth Pulitzer Prize for the newspaper, but the first for Willmsen. She has been named as a finalist for the award in the past. The prize also carries a $10,000 award.Willmsen graduated from Simpson with degrees in journalism and Spanish. She went on to work at newspapers in Sheldon and Waterloo, Iowa, Farmington, N.M., and Dayton, Ohio before joining The Times.

Emily Schettler, Editor in Chief