News releases/December 2005

Index
Documentary photo exhibit Dec. 12-16
MSUM employees give $55,463 to Combined Charities Campaign
450 graduate during winter commencement
MSUM offers spring New York City theatre tour
Documenting the 'Multicultural Midwest'
'Star of Behlehem' showing at MSUM Planetarium
NR Press gets $30,000 Jerome grant

MSUM WILL GRADUATE 450 DURING WINTER COMMENCEMENT FRIDAY
MSUM will award degrees to more than 450 graduates during its winter commencement program at 2 p.m. Friday, Dec. 16 at Alex Nemzek Fieldhouse.

WDAY television reporter and 1984 MSUM mass communications graduate Kevin Wallevand will deliver the commencement address.

A reporter at WDAY-TV for the past 22 years, Wallevand won an Emmy Award––the first for any television station in North Dakota––in 1997 for the documentary “The Quilt: Hope From the Heartland,” following a quilt from a church basement in Minnesota to a refugee camp in war-torn Angola.

The recipient of MSUM’s 1998 Outstanding Young Alumnus Award also received a national Edward R. Murrow Award in New York City two years ago. His reporting on local people and issues has taken him around the world, from Vietnam and Haiti to Mongolia, Kosovo, the Gulf Coast and Kuwait.

A reception for graduates, faculty, parents and guests will follow the recessional.

MSUM'S 2005 COMBINED CHARITIES CAMPAIGN COLLECTS $55,463
The MSUM Minnesota State Employees Combined Charities 2005 Campaign donation total is $55,463.

This would not have been possible without the dedication of 60 MSUM volunteers who cared and contributed not only money, but also their time, creativity and energy. Their contribution of time made it possible for state employees to reach the lives of thousands living in Minnesota and North Dakota, aiding the communities in which we live and work.

The following volunteers deserve our appreciation and thanks for a job well done: Jeanne Alm, Information Technology; Jan Atchison, CSIS; Rose Bakke, Alumni/Foundation; Dieter Berninger, AMCS; Darlene Braun, Chemistry; Ellen Brisch, Biology; Kim Brosdahl, Housing; Ken Brown, Art & Design; Louise Chase, Social Work; Sheila Coghill, English; Rinita Dalan, Anthropology; Jim Danielson, Political Science; Ron Duval, Bookstore; Jan Fiola, Sociology; Oscar Flores, Economics; John Gaffrey, CSIS, Jarilyn Gess, Corrick Center; Steve Grineski, Education; Jane Gudmundson, Art & Design; John Hall, Languages; Carol Halverson, SLHS; Dawn Hammerschmidt, HPE; Doug Hamilton, University Advancement; Paul Harris, History; Shelly Heng, English; Theresa Hest, CSFT;  Janet Hohenstein, Physical Plant; Penny Klein, Health Center;  Terry Kroke, Library; Deb Lewis - Campaign Coordinator,  Human Resources; Deb Lien, Science Center; Steve Lucero, Heating Plant; Terrie Manno, Music; Barb Matthees, Nursing; Don Mattson, Math; Linda Motzo, College of Arts & Humanities; Judy Mrosla, Continuing Education; Larry Nicholson, Building Services; Teri Nyhus, Security Darel Paulson, Instruction Media; Tom Pearce, Business Administration; Judy Peterson, Alumni/Foundation; Peg Potter, Psychology & Campaign Co-chair; Deb Radke, Financial Aid; Kim Raftevold, Human Resources Assistant; Gloria Riopelle, Athletics; Peggy Rittenhouse, EECE; George Sanderson, Accounting; Kathy Schmidt, CMU; Cliff  Schuette, Counseling Center & Campaign Co-chair; Sandy Schuette, Counseling Center; Andrea Scott, Athletics;  Scott Senn, Philosophy; Ananda Shastri, Physics; Steven Street, Special Education; Wade Swenson, Technology; Ivy Thompson, Records; Greg Toutges, Disability Services; Teri Walseth, Field Experiences; and John Woleske, EECE.

Additionally, MSUM  now has a total of 42 United Way of Cass/Clay Key Club Members who individually contributed more than $500 each.

DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT AT MSUM DEC. 12-16
“Found Communities,” an MSU Moorhead documentary photography exhibit in four parts, will run Monday, Dec. 12 through Friday, Dec.16 in the student union ballroom.

The exhibit includes work made by students of the fall 2005 documentary photography class taught by Prof. Wayne Gudmundson. It’s a hands-on exploration of documentary photography, starting with brainstorming, researching, establishing project overview, shooting, editing, re-shooting and exhibiting. For more information, contact Gudmundson at (gudmund@mnstate.edu).

An open house will be held from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14. This event is free and open to the public.

MSUM DRAGON FIRE DIVAS LUNCHEON TO BENEFIT WOMEN’S ATHLETICS
Dragon Fire and Women’s Athletics will hold a Dragon Fire Divas’ Luncheon Buffet at noon Monday, Jan. 9 at the Courtyard by Marriott Moorhead Conference Center.

Guest speaker Heidi Heitkamp, a practicing lawyer and consultant, will talk about getting involved in community projects you care about. She is a graduate of UND and Clark Law School in Portland, Ore. Heitkamp served as North Dakota’s Tax Commissioner from 1986-1992, when she became Attorney General of North Dakota, a position she held until 2000. She received the Kelly Wyman Award that year from the National Association of Attorneys General’s National Attorney General of the Year. 

In 2000, Heitkamp ran an unsuccessful campaign for Governor of North Dakota. She now looks for ways to be involved in North Dakota’s future outside of politics. She currently sits on several corporate and organizational boards, including Dakota Gasification Company Board. Heitkamp is also on the advisory committee and is a consultant for ALIS, a for-profit company that provides consulting services to governmental entities on homeland security.

Also speaking at the luncheon will be TammyBlake,head women’s volleyball coach, MSUM compliance coordinator, and an assistant professor of athletics. Last fall her team made a spirited bid for the NSIC title before finishing 23-8 overall and 9-5 in the NSIC.

Cost is $15, with all proceeds benefiting Dragon Women’s Athletics. The program includes food, prizes, and a chance to mingle with area women.

For more information, call 477-2556, or register online at www.godragonfire.com by Jan. 3.

Dragon Fire is the official athletic scholarship fundraising arm of the MSUM Alumni Foundation.

This event is sponsored by 702 Communications, Carlson Wagonlit Travel and Dragon Fire.

MSUM HOSTS SPRING TOUR OF NEW YORK THEATRE DISTRICT
A six-day tour of the New York City theatre district will be offered this spring by Minnesota State University Moorhead.

Scheduled Tuesday, March 14 through Sunday, March 19, the tour will include an orientation seminar, accommodations in the heart of Times Square at the Edison Hotel, tickets to four shows and a Backstage on Broadway seminar.

Cost is $895 per person for quad room accommodations and $1,225 for twin rooms. Triple and single room accommodations are also available. Participants will have to book their own air travel.

Some of the shows being considered for the tour: "Sweeney Todd,” “The Color Purple,” “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “The Light in the Piazza,” “Doubt” and “Three Days of Rain”.

MSUM theatre director Craig Ellingson will lead the tour. For details, contact him at  (218) 477-4617 or e-mail ellngson@mnstate.edu. Eligible students can earn up to three credits. A deposit of $350 is due by Jan. 31.

AMERICAN STUDIES STUDENTS DOCUMENT THE MULTICULTURAL MIDWEST
MSUM students are helping to tell stories of diversity in Moorhead and Clay County.

For three years, students in Maureen Reed’s "American Studies 317: The Midwest" class have worked to create a substantial body of oral history research focusing on Latinos, African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and recent immigrants to the Moorhead area.

Students in the class conducted and transcribed interviews with leaders who have addressed issues of diversity in the local government or community organizations.

The students interviewed local leaders such as Sonia Hohnadel, Moorhead School Board member; Gladys Ray, a leader in the local Native American community; Minh Tran, former area coordinator for Lutheran Social Services, and Diane Wray Williams, Moorhead City Council member.

Reed explains the project was inspired by the 2001 publication, “The Status of Equal Opportunity for Minorities in Moorhead, Minnesota.” The report, Minnesota Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, prompted a great deal of community discussion about how to address the recommendations contained in the report.

“I wanted to find a way to address the recommendation that local museums make more of an effort to document the history of minority populations. I thought that perhaps my students and I could work to create documentation of recent history of diversity issues and how Moorhead community leaders have worked with them, explained Reed.”

Janet Hohenstein, a student in the course, agrees the project made an impact. “Taking Dr. Maureen Reed's American Studies Midwest class was an excellent way to help impress upon this community and other communities how important diversity is in our cities. We took the information that we gathered and placed it out on the web so others could see that our diversity is growing, and diversity is an important piece to developing a community."

The project also developed important skills for the students involved. "It gave us, as students, important skills to benefit our life’s experience such as interviewing skills, transcribing and working as a team," reports Hohenstein.

Tapes and transcripts will be donated to the Clay County Historical Society. Audio recordings of the interviews are also available on the Web at web.mnstate.edu/mcmdwest.

Reed is currently using the information in her American culture classes to teach about topics such as immigration, local history, and multiculturalism. Reed plans to continue the project and invites suggestions for future interviewees.

The Dille Fund for Excellence, the MSUM Alumni Foundation, and the College of Arts and Humanities supported the project.

PLANETARIUM SHOWING STAR OF BETHLEHEM
The MSUM Planetarium features the holiday show “Star of Bethlehem” at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Sundays, and at 7 p.m. Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays from Dec. 1-19.

The program looks at the mysteries surrounding one of the most famous celestial events in history. Was it a comet” A supernova” A triple conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn. Or was it a miracle? The stars and constellations of the brilliant winter sky will also be examined.

Admission is $3 for adults and $1.50 for students, senior citizens and children 12 and under.

The MSUM Planetarium is located in Bridges Hall 167 near the intersection of 11th Street and 8th Avenue South. For more information about this show or other Planetarium events, call 218-477-2920.

MSUM’S NEW RIVERS PRESS AWARDED $30,000 JEROME FOUNDATION GRANT
New Rivers Press, headquartered at Minnesota State University Moorhead, has received a two-year, $30,000 grant from The Jerome Foundation in St. Paul to support the production of six Many Voices Project books.

The Jerome Foundation, created by artist and philanthropist Jerome Hill (1905-1972), makes grants to support the creation and production of new artistic works by emerging artists living in Minnesota and New York City.

The Many Voices Project is an annual competition sponsored by NRP, inviting emerging writers of fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction to submit copies of their book-length manuscripts.

Each year the MSUM press publishes five titles, three of which are through the Many Voices Project: one chosen through a national competition and the other two selected from writers who reside in Minnesota or New York City.

Since 1968, NRP has published more than 320 books, becoming one of the oldest continuously publishing not-for-profit literary presses in the country. It has been located at MSUM since 2001, where it serves as a teaching press to provide learning experiences to students in a variety of academic area—from design and visual arts to editing and marketing.

NRP is interested in reading works of every character, especially by writers who emerge from under-represented literary communities. Go to http:// www.newriverspress.com for the required entry form and further details.