Michael Moore attributes book’s success to her….
LIBRARIAN HERO OF ‘STUPID WHITE MEN’
PUBLICATION SPEAKS AT MSUM MARCH 10
New Jersey librarian Anne Sparanese, who played an unlikely role in the release of filmmaker Michael Moore’s best-selling book, “Stupid White Men,” will be featured in the second annual Livingston Lord Library Lecture Series at 3 p.m. Monday, March 10 in Minnesota State University Moorhead Center for Business 109.

HarperCollins had printed the first 50,000 copies of Moore’s book on the eve of the 9/11 disaster and decided it would be untimely to distribute a book containing an open letter to President Bush asking him if he was ever a drunk, felon or illiterate.

“It wasn’t mean spirited,” Moore said. “Even I’m two out of those three.”

HarperCollins halted distribution of Moore’s book in light of President Bush’s high approval ratings and America’s temperament following the 9/11 disaster.

Later, HarperCollins asked Moore to re-write about half the book. Moore refused and HarperCollins backed out of the deal.

That December in New Jersey, Sparanese was in the audience when Moore addressed a group of citizen activists about his publishing troubles.

Despite Moore’s announced appeal that he’d fight the battle on his own, Sparanese started a letter writing campaign directed at the publisher, including a e-mails to librarian chatrooms and listserves. Under pressure from an ensuing flood of librarian complaints, HarperCollins eventually relented and “Stupid White Men” became a best seller.

Today Moore attributes the publication of the book to the efforts of a lone librarian, Ann Sparanese.

At MSUM, Sparanese will discuss how involvement in such issues has shaped her work as an activist librarian, and she will share her views on the responsibilities of thoughtful, informed citizens in troubled times.

Sparanese, after earning her master’s degree in library science from Rutgers University, worked her way up from a page at the Englewood Public Library to the head of Adult & Young Adult Services. She’s now an elected Councilor-at-Large of the American Library Association.

Wilson has been admitted to the University of North Dakota Law School, where she plans to focus on education law. She’ll take a one-year sabbatical during her first year in law school, and will then spend the next two years commuting from Moorhead while helping MSUM institute a sports administration masters program.

MSUM Pres. Roland Barden said the university will bring together a group of staff, students, administrators and alumni to help find a successor.

But finding a replacement could take several months due to Minnesota’s current hiring freeze for state employees.

“She’ll be with us through the summer,” Barden said. “So we have time to get things together and do it right.

Wilson was promoted to director of intercollegiate athletics in 1993 after serving two years as women’s athletic director and five years as women’s assistant athletic director. She was the first MSUM director of athletics to oversee the men’s and women’s programs. During her tenure, according to the university, the base for athletic scholarships tripled and the full-time athletic staff grew from eight to 27.

Wilson successfully directed the university through its transition from NAIA to NCAA national affiliation  membership, acting as point person in resolving a federal Title IX  complaint. She also supervised the $7 million renovation of Nemzek Hall.

In 2002 she completed her term as president of Division II ADA of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics.

Before becoming athletic director, Wilson coached MSUM softball and posted a 115-97 overall record with two trips to the NAIA national championships in eight seasons.

The object of the event is to build a model span bridge by gluing together roughly 500 round, wooden toothpicks.

The bridges should be strong enough and built to support nine-inch metal weights while clearing a 56-centimeter span. During the contest, weights are stacked on top of each model and the one that supports the heaviest load before collapsing wins the contest.

Any student—elementary through college—who would like to enter the contest, or receive detailed rules, should write or call Ron Williams at the MSUM technology department, (218) 236-2480, or check out the event’s web site: web.mnstate.edu/bridge.

The contest, held in conjunction with National Engineering Week, is a unique introduction to some basic concepts in engineering design, weight distribution and problem solving.

He’ll present the lecture,  “What I’m Learning as I Read,” at 3 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24 in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts Gaede Stage.

 Enger, a 1979 MSUM history and mass communications graduate, has been teaching here since 1993. He also holds a degree in English education from the University of Minnesota and an MFA in creative writing from the Writers’ Workshop at the University of Iowa.

He’s received James Michener, Minnesota State Arts Board and Jerome Fellowships, and his fiction has been published in several literary journals. In collaboration with his brother Leif, Enger has also published five mystery novels and is currently at work on both a novel and a collection of short stories.

This completes the seventh set of awards funded by the Dille Fund for Excellence, a permanent endowment fund managed by the MSUM Alumni Foundation. The endowment honors former MSUM Pres. Roland Dille and his wife Beth.

The discussion will explore past and current stereotypes and myths about the elderly with regard to sexuality and intimacy, and the implications of these myths for older people.

Smedman, a Benedictine sister with a doctorate in English, is a Paterson scholar and past president of the Children’s Literature Association.

Paterson, one of the most widely honored and prolific contemporary children’s authors, has published dozens of award-winning books that are taught in first grade through college classrooms. A favorite among librarians, children and Best-Book-of-the-Year lists, including those compiled by Parents’ Choice and the New York Times, her books range from historical fiction and short stories to literary fairy tales and modern realism.

Paterson, born in China to missionary parents in 1932, usually writes value-driven stories about outcast or alienated children, who survive because or in spite of their status.  With topics ranging from foster care and death to abused children and civil unrest, her overriding themes revolve around peace, hope and the power of the written word.

Among Paterson’s major awards: two Newberys (for “Bridge to Terabithia” and “Jacob Have I Loved”); two National Book Awards (for “The Master Puppeteer” and “The Great Gilly Hopkins”); and in 1998, the Hans Christian Andersen Award, presented every other year for lifetime contributions to children’s literature. She is one of only five Americans since 1956 who have won this award, equivalent to a Nobel Prize for children’s literature.

“Bridges for the Young,” edited by Smedman and Joel Chaston, a professor of English at Southwest Missouri State University, includes 18 essays from a variety of international children’s literature critics and Paterson scholars, including a final essay by Paterson herself, written specifically for this book.

The title comes from Paterson’s own allusion, comparing fiction to a bridge that allows young readers to experience life at a safe distance while preparing for adulthood.

Smedman’s research on the psychological, moral and religious aspects of children’s and young adult literature includes her essays “A Good Oyster: Story and Meaning in ‘Jacob Have I Loved’” and “In God’s Delightful Company: Katherine Paterson’s Feminist Theology.” She’s been teaching children’s literature at elementary schools, high schools and colleges for more than 30 years.

MSUM curriculum librarian Carol Sibley compiled an annotated bibliography for the book.

IMPACT OF EMERGING ANIMAL
DISEASES ON PEOPLE FOCUS
OF FEB. 24 TALK  BY U OF M PROF
“Emerging Animal Diseases and Their Impact on People­­including Ebola, West Nile Virus and Mad Cow Disease­­is the focus of a visiting lecture by University of Minnesota Veterninary Medicine  professor Jeffry Bender at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 24 in Minnesota State University Moorhead’s King Hall Auditorium.

Bender was the former State Public Health Veterinarian at the Minnesota Department of Health, Acute Disease Epidemiology Section. His research interests include emerging diseases and food safety.

The talk is in response to media coverage during the past year on a variety of emerging diseases, most having an animal reservoir. Many of these new diseases also have an impact on animal populations.

The talk is supported by the Comstock Fund.

Intrinsic Bioprobes, a private company, is developing ways to instantly detect a person’s risk of developing certain diseases. It also conducts high-level research for pharmaceutical companies.

Klernan’s research for the company might lead to a reliable, cost-effective method of rapid screening proteins for early cancer detection, increasing the chances for successful treatment.

Artist John R. Guenther is a professor of fine art at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Ind. He earned degrees from Purdue University and Indiana University, and he’s a member of the Potters Guild of Indiana. Guenther has exhibited his work nationally for more than 20 years with collections in Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, Japan, Norway, The Czech Republic, Switzerland and France.

An opening reception will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11 in the gallery. Guenther will talk about his work at 5 p.m. The reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.

Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or by appointment.

As Valentine’s Day is synonymous with romance, the ball will live up to expectations by offering an evening of allure, amour, and time to spend with your inamorata, filled with good food, good friends, and plenty of great music.

The MSUM Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble 1 will perform and complement the night of fine dining, champagne and, of course, waltzing.

Proceeds will benefit MSUM music students. Order your tickets early, as they are available through advanced sales only. Tickets are $35 per person or $70 per couple. For reservations or more information, call the MSUM Alumni Office at 299.5935 or email stenseca@mnstate.edu.

The story begins with an accident in the doorway of a prosperous Midwestern family’s home. The pompous, larger-than-life radio personality and critic Sheridan Whiteside has come to the Stanley house on a publicity stunt, but he slips on a patch of ice and is confined to a wheelchair and forced to remain with the family all winter, causing hilarious pandemonium in their well-ordered lives.

The Man Who Came to Dinner will be presented in the Hansen Theatre of the Roland Dille Center for the Arts on the MSU Moorhead campus for four evening performances, February 19-22, 2003 at 7:30 p.m.

Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on performance weekdays, and noon until 6:30 p.m. on performance weekends.

Monday, Feb. 10
“Paul Robeson,” Mixed Blood Theatre’s acclaimed biography of the multi-talented athlete/actor/singer/activist, will be presented Monday, Feb. 10 at 8 p.m. in MSUM’s Comstock Memorial Union Ballroom. It is free and open to the public.

Paul Robeson is one of our country’s most remarkable historic figures. He was the country’s first Black All-American athlete; he was a successful attorney; he originated “Old Man River” on stage and screen; his “Othello” was Broadway’s longest-running Shakespearean production; and he stood up to the McCarthy-era witch hunts, even though it cost him his career.

Mixed Blood Theatre’s production covers all facets of Robeson’s life, capturing the warmth, power, humor and independence of this great African American, and also includes many of the songs closely associated with Robeson.

Warren C. Bowles, the talented actor featured in “Paul Robeson,” has toured for Mixed Blood since 1981. He also portrays Jackie Robinson and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for the Theatre. His credits also include “The Boys Next Door,” “Cyrano de Bergerac” and “Oleanna.”

Mixed Blood Theatre produces “Paul Robeson” from its home in a century-old Minneapolis fire station. Founded in 1976 and dedicated to the sprit of Dr. King’s dream, Mixed Blood is a multi-racial professional company promoting cultural pluralism, individual equality and artistic excellence.

Wednesday, Feb. 12
Comedian Troy Thirdgill * 8 p.m. * CMU Ballroom
Originally from Portland, Ore., where comedy club audiences pack his shows, Thirdgill is one of America’s hottest young comedians.

Wednesday, Feb. 19
BSA Favorites on KMSC Radio * Noon-1 p.m.

BSA Movie Night “Bamboozled * 6:30 p.m. * CMU TV Lounge
“Bamboozled” by acclaimed director/producer Spike Lee is a preachy and pretentious social satire, featuring black-faced minstrels that are quite embarrassing and never funny.

Race Relations Expert Daryl Davis * 8 p.m. * CMU Ballroom
Author of Klan-Destine Relationships, Daryl Davis is infamous for his close contact with the Ku Klux Klan. His stories of setting up surprise meetings with Klan leaders unaware of his skin color and attending KKK rallies, has the suspense of Hitchcock, keeping audiences riveted to their seats in disbelief.

Wednesday, Feb. 26
Legacy of Hip Hop and R&B on KMSC Radio * Noon-1 p.m.

BSA Movie Night “Higher Learning” * 6:30 p.m. * CMU Lounge
“Higher Learning” examines mid-1990s university politics from racial, sexual and economic standpoints. At fictional Columbus University, three freshmen arrive to find a campus ready to explode.

Black History Month events are sponsored by MSUM Cultural Diversity Events, MSUM African American Programs, MSUM Black Student Alliance, and MSUM Campus Activities Board.