She’ll discuss her pilgrimage to the Vietnamese village of My Lai last year and how artists, individuals and society respond to places of trauma, including such emotionally charged sites  such as My Lai and the more recent Ground Zero.

On the morning of Mar. 16, 1968, 150 U.S. soldiers, on a “search and destroy” mission led by Lt. William L. Calley, invaded the South Vietnamese hamlet of My Lai, an alleged Viet Cong stronghold. Four hours later, in one of the most tragic moments in the history of the Vietnam War, as many as 500 unarmed civilians-- old men, women, children—were massacred, raped and burned

The U.S. soldiers didn’t encounter a single enemy soldier during the mission, and only three weapons were confiscated. The only American casualty was a soldier who shot himself in the foot.

Calley, the only American tried in connection with the massacre, was convicted and sentenced by a court-martial to life imprisonment. He was freed after three years under house arrest when then-U.S. President Richard Nixon intervened.

Becker and two other faculty from The School of Art Institute of Chicago, along with a Vietnamese teaching assistant, took a group of student artist to Vietnam last January to tour the sites of the war. The trip was originally designed to study the war, contemporary Vietnamese society and Buddhist art.

Becker was so moved by the experience that she began working on a project about “social memory”—the collective remembrance and reconstruction of historical events. Becker investigates how art can productively shape social memory as a means to produce dialogue and introspection.

Becker, a cultural theorist, is the author of 17 books, including the recent  “Surpassing the Spectacle: Global Transformations and the Changing Politics of Art.”

Becker's visit is made possible by the 2002 MSUM Strategic Goals Initiative, the university’s Art and Design department, MSUM Visiting Scholars Funds, and the Radisson Fargo.  For more information, contact Anna Arnar 236-4631 or arnar@mnstate.edu.

The exhibition features the work from the 2001 University of Minnesota/McKnight Foundation Artist Fellowships for Photographers Program. Five photographers will exhibit their work.

Patrick Kelley utilizes high-tech tools and digital manipulation in his investigations into photographic, linguistic and natural phenomena. Jeff Krueger documents significant trees and trees that have witnessed history. Jeff Millikan creates unique, direct positive color prints of set-up scenes in his studio, which he transformed into a walk-in ‘camera obscura’—literally, a little ‘dark room.’ Thomas Rose draws on architectural renderings and construction guidebook vocabulary to create his large-scale impressions of what he terms ‘architectural space’. Paul Shambroom, following an earlier series on nuclear sites, has photographed meetings of business and political groups for several years.

An opening reception will be held Thursday, Jan. 16 from 4-6 p.m. in the gallery. George Slade, director of the McKnight Fellowship Program, will give a slide presentation at 5:30 p.m. in the Fox Recital Hall, next to the gallery.

Photographer Jeff Millikan will give a presentation on his work Thursday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. in the Fox Recital Hall, next to the gallery. All events are free and open to the public.

Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and by appointment. Call Jane Gudmundson at 218.236.2284.

This exhibit is funded by the McKnight Foundation of Minneapolis and administered by the University of Minnesota’s Department of Art. The fellowship program supports mid-career Minnesota photographers whose work demonstrates excellence. More information can be found at www.mcknightphoto.org

They met at MSUM in the early 1930s, when Russell, 91, was the freshman class president and Nina, 89, the class secretary.  After receiving their bachelor’s degrees in 1935 from the university, which was then called Moorhead State Teachers College, the Monsons taught school and later owned and operated apartment buildings.  Since their retirement in the late ‘70s, they have traveled extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Mexico and Canada.

In establishing a charitable gift annuity, the Monsons receive the income from their gift for the remainder of their lifetimes.  Charitable gift annuities are quite popular in today’s economy because of their guaranteed high interest rates. With benefits including a high annuity rate, charitable tax deduction, and tax-free income, the Monsons’ gift annuity will provide them with a guaranteed effective rate of return of 13.1%.

If MSUM faculty and staff would like to have a personal analysis of a gift annuity for themselves, contact Dennis A. Aune in the Alumni Foundation Office at ext. 2049 or aune@mnstate.edu.

The Alumni Foundation is a private, non-profit corporation involved in developing alumni and community relationships, promoting the university and providing funding for academic excellence. It is governed by a 24-member board of directors..

Grover will take over responsibilities from Doug Hamilton, who’s been splitting his time as  Alumni Foundation executive director and director of university advancement since joining the MSUM administration five years ago. Hamilton will switch his focus full time to university advancement, overseeing campus publications, public relations and marketing.

Don Meidinger, president of the Alumni Foundation Board, said the decision to hire Grover was based on the need for a full-time person to direct university’s growing fund-raising efforts.

“Doug was essential one person filling two full time positions,” he said. “The board decided that it needed a full-time executive director if we were to become effective in raising support for the university.”

Grover will supervise seven employees, including the staff of the Alumni Association.

Originally from Maine, Grover has lived in Fargo for the past three years, working as a fund-raising consultant. Before moving to Fargo, she served as senior staff associate for an executive recruitment firm in San Francisco.

Her previous fund raising experience includes working as an assistant vice president for development at Northern Kentucky University, senior major gift officer at the University of Toronto, assistant director of development at Assumption College, Worcester, Mass.; and assistant to the president of the woman’s fund for the Jewish Home for the Aged in Providence, R.I.

After graduating from the University of Maine with a history degree, she taught junior high school for three years.

Her husband, Charles, is the former president and CEO of Clarica U.S., previously headquartered in Fargo. They have two grown children.

The first show Feb. 1 is a 20th anniversary special, a celebration of the first two decades with interviews, anecdotes and updates from Campus News alumni now working around the country. Regular news programming will begin the following week.

Hartmann, the daughter of Dave and Shirley Hartmann and a 2000 graduate of Alexandria High School, is a transfer student who started her college career at Southwest State University in Marshall, Minn. A guard on the Dragon varsity basketball team, she anchored a daily news show at Southwest State. In 2001 she won the James C. Wychor Scholarship for Outstanding Talent presented annually by the Minnesota Broadcasters Association

The half-hour newscast focuses on local and regional colleges, including some stories from campuses around the world. It’s written, reported, photographed and produced by MSUM students.

About 50 students are involved in the production of Campus News. They are supervised by Martin Grindeland, an MSUM mass communications professor and executive producer of the program.

The Alumni Foundation is a private, non-profit corporation involved in developing alumni and community relationships, promoting the university and providing funding for academic excellence. It is governed by a 24-member board of directors.

Boberg is the advertising director for The Forum; Cichy is the relocation director for Park Company GMAC Real Estate in Fargo; Quick is a sales associate at Park Company GMAC; Salzwedel is a senior lender for US Bank; and Statvold is an attorney with the McLarnan, Hannaher and Skatvold law firm.

The board members, who meet quarterly, are elected to three-year terms.

Entertainment includes an authentic Chinese Dragon Dance (as seen in Chinese festival parades), martial arts demonstrations, Ribbon Dance, Taiwan Aborigine Dance, Xinjiang Folk Dance, Chinese music, and a traditional Chinese costume show featuring more than 25 costumes. Snacks and drinks will be served, and door prizes given away. It’s free and open to the public.

For more information, contact Jenny Lin at 236.2913 or linjj@mnstate.edu.

The exhibition features the work from the 2001 University of Minnesota/McKnight Foundation Artist Fellowships for Photographers Program. Five photographers will exhibit their work.

Photographer Jeff Millikan will give a presentation on his work Thursday, Jan. 30 at 6 p.m. in the Fox Recital Hall, next to the gallery. It’s free and open to the public.

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

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 218.236.5935 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 pandemonium in their well-ordered lives.

It will be presented at 7:30 p.m. Feb.19-22 in the Hansen Theatre of the Roland Dille Center for the Arts.

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.

The Heartland Arts Fund, a joint venture of regional arts organizations, Arts Midwest, and Mid-America Arts Alliance, serves a 15-state region (Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wisconsin) and helps presenters of music, theater, opera and dance introduce professional artists from outside their home states to local audiences. The Heartland Arts Fund received more than 625 applications for the 2002-2003 season, of which 348 received funding for a total of $685,821 in funds designated.