may 2005news

News releases/Summer 2005

Minnesota State University Moorhead

Index:
Orientation begins Aug. 17, classes start Aug. 22
Willians named interim Tri-College provost
Tuition up 7%, fees up 6%, room and board up 7%
Star Party on the Prairie
Catch a falling star at Planetarium
Alumni participation award
Dale Carnegie course starts in Sept.
Leadership program for non-profits starts in Sept.
'Our Moon' showing at Planetarium
Parsons named new Education & Human Services dean
28 faculty promoted, 18 tenured
Two campus construction projects begin
Borchers named associate dean
Aquatic animals, the Sun at Scence Center
Math Learning Center earns state award
MSUM prof gets Bush Foundation fellowship
MSUM announces first Read Aloud Book Awards
Alum to address graduates May 13
Persistence pays off for MSUM grad
Alum nominated for Tony Award
Read Aloud Children's Book awards May 15 at Moorhead library
Straw Hat season
Summer Cinema series
Annual Old Fashioned Fourth of July
Planetarium & Science Center summer events

MSUM ORIENTATION BEGINS NEXT WEDNESDAY.
Orientation for new students at Minnesota State University Moorhead runs from Wednesday, August 17 through Saturday, August 20.

MSUM is expecting 1,200 new freshman and 650 new transfer students this fall, with total enrollment estimated the same as last year.

The “Dragon Move-In Crew” will help move new students into the residence halls from 9 a.m. to 2.p.m. on Wednesday. The crew consists of President Barden, the MSUM football team, alumni, deans, faculty, staff and Student Orientation Counselors.

Orientation check-In runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17. Students will meet their Student Orientation Counselors and other students during SOC Talk from 3 to 4:30 p.m .in the courtyard outside Holmquist Hall.

On Thursday, August 18, the University Welcome Convocation, featuring MSUM alum Corey Elmer of Vogel Law Firm, runs 9:15 to 10:15 a.m. in the Roland Dille Center for the Arts Hansen Theatre. This is the first meeting for the incoming class of 2005 aimed at introducing new students to academic life.

Many other events will take place during the week, including dances, BBQ, a rock show, a comedian, breakout sessions, volleyball tournament, eating challenge, and more.

Classes begin Monday, August 22.

TRI-COLLEGE NAMES SUSANNE
WILLIAMS INTERIM PROVOST
Tri-College University (TCU) Board of Directors announced last week the appointment of Susanne Williams as the TCU Interim Provost.

Williams is currently assistant to the president for university communication at MSUM, where she was also tenured and promoted to associate professor of mass communication. Prior to joining MSUM in 1998, she was an assistant professor of communication at North Dakota State University, and before that, the information officer for the Wayne State University College of Nursing in Detroit.

The search for the permanent TCU provost position will begin in August. Applications will be available in September via the TCU Web site at www.tri-college.org. Inquiries regarding the search and position may be directed to TCU Communications Coordinator Sonia Hohnadel at (701) 231-8170.
Incorporated in 1970, the Tri-College University promotes cooperative efforts by its three member institutions to enrich the academic and cultural environment for the benefit of students, faculty and the community. The TCU Board of Directors is chaired by Pamela Jolicoeur, president of Concordia College. Board members include Joseph Chapman, president of NDSU; Roland Barden, president of MSUM; and community members Bruce Furness, Shirley Montgomery, Douglas Sillers, Mary Davies and Ryn Pitts.

MSUM tuition up 7%
BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES TUITION/FEE
INCREASES RANGING FROM $126 TO $355
Students will pay an additional $126 to $355 a year in tuition and fees to attend Minnesota State Colleges and Universities this fall under a budget approved last month by the Board of Trustees.

The increases bring the average tuition and fees to $5,252 for a full-time state university student and $4,021 for a full-time two-year college student. Overall, tuition and fees for the system’s 32 colleges and universities will rise an average of 5.8 percent. Under the package approved by the board, tuition increases at all the colleges and universities will not exceed 7 percent.

MSUM’s annual tuition for a typical student taking 30 credits a year will jump from $4,172 to $4,464, up 7% or $292. Combined tuition and fees will jump from $4,590 to $4,894, up 6.6% or $305. Cost per credit for tuition is $148.80.

Pres. Barden said he’s pleased about the diminished impact this tuition increase will have on students. “It’s much less than the rate of increase (15%) for each of the prior two years,” he said.

Fees for MSUM students are up about 6% and average $30.85 per credit. In a regressive fee structure, the first credit a student takes is assessed $88.85 (which includes fees for the new Wellness Center and an environmental fee for a “green” campus initiative), the 2nd through 6th credits are assessed $30.85 each, and the 7th through 12th credits are assessed $22.74 each. Over 12 credits cost 39 cents each. Fee income goes to support the student union, student activities, athletic activities and health service. It also includes an events fee, which allows students free admission to all home athletic events and free or reduced admission to all theatre performances, and a student technology fee, which supports updates and purchases of computers, printers and software on campus and funds technical support.

Room and board costs are also up, about 7%. For the typical MSUM student with a double room and 21 meals a week plan, the cost is $4,922 a year. Room rates include local phone service, Internet access and cable TV.

"This is a smaller tuition increase than we originally expected. Trustees are concerned that growing student debt burdens from the last four years of double-digit tuition increases make it difficult for students to earn their degrees in a timely manner," said Board Chair Robert Hoffman.

A recent Minnesota State Colleges and Universities survey shows significant numbers of students dropping classes or stopping out all together because they have incurred so much educational debt.

Chancellor James H. McCormick said, “Even with the modest increases, the state colleges and universities still provide more choices and better value than any other system of higher learning in the state.

“And, the quality of our programs was the most frequently cited reason that students gave for choosing our institutions in a recent survey,” he said.
Each of the 32 state colleges and universities proposes its own tuition and fees for approval by the Board of Trustees.

PARTY ON THE PRAIRIE AUG. 12
Come join the fun at the MSUM Regional Science Center’s “Star Party on the Prairie” Friday, Aug. 12 from 9-11 p.m. at the Buffalo River site, located 15 miles east of Moorhead, off Highway 10, adjacent to Buffalo River State Park.

Away from city lights and in the prairie darkness, participants will learn how to find constellations, and view the Milky Way, nebulae and star clusters through our telescopes. Some August meteors may also be visible. Participants can bring their own binoculars or telescopes if they wish. If it’s cloudy, an indoor presentation will begin at 9 p.m.

The program is free and open to the public. Visitors are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes and to bring insect repellent.

In addition, the Science Center hiking trails are open to the public from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily for birding and hiking. Science Center attractions include the nature trails, native plants garden, “Cluster of Prairie Grasses” sculpture, and the interpretive center’s bird observatory and special exhibits.

For more information or special group activities, call 218-477-2904.

'CATCH A FALLING STAR' FEATURED IN MSUM PLANETARIUM SHOW
“Catch a Falling Star" will be showing at the MSUM Planetarium every Thursday at 7 p.m. Aug. 4-18.

Every August, like clockwork, the Perseid meteor show appears. This show explores where these celestial visitors come from and demonstrates how to observe a meteor shower. Free star maps of the August sky will be distributed.

Admission to the Planetarium 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.

ALUMNI HELP UNIVERSITY EARN PARTICIPATION AWARD
The MSUM Alumni Foundation has received the “Greatest Alumni Participation Award” from the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System (MnSCU) for fiscal year 2004.

MSUM’s Alumni Foundation enjoyed 18.4 percent alumni participation in annual gifts to the university from July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004. This is the first time the MnSCU office has collected this information in its annual gifts and grants report of the seven state universities. No additional information about alumni participation was collected in this report.

MSUM had the highest alumni giving participation with 18.4 percent. The average participation rate of the seven state universities was 12.4 percent, with the lowest being 7.8 percent.

"This award is a real tribute to our alumni. They had wonderful years here as students, and now they are giving back as a statement of their appreciation for the education and social activities that made up their MSUM experience,” said Patrick Hundley, Executive Vice President for the MSUM Alumni Foundation. “The award also speaks highly of our alumni and annual giving staffs. They have done the right things to keep in contact with our alumni and to offer them the opportunity to give back to their alma mater."

Joyce Petsch, program director for development for MnSCU, said, “The reason we collected this information is that alumni are becoming bigger potential donors to each of our institutions. We want to show that alumni are an important resource in the fund raising arena.”

The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system comprises 32 state universities and community and technical colleges serving the higher education needs of Minnesota. The system serves about 240,000 students per year in credit-based courses and an additional 130,000 students in non-credit courses.

DALE CARNEGIE TRAINING BEGINS SEPT. 21 AT MSUM
MSUM will host a 12-week Dale Carnegie course beginning Sept. 21. The training meets Wednesdays from 1:30-5 p.m. in MSUM’s Comstock Memorial Union.

The results-oriented course focuses on improving self-confidence, strengthening business and personal relationships, controlling stress and worry, and enhancing leadership and communication skills.

‘Practice Makes Permanent’ describes the Dale Carnegie teaching methodology. After identifying breakthrough goals and vision, participants will make weekly progress toward achieving them.

Dale Carnegie training is taught by certified trainers from Eide Bailly who demonstrate energy, enthusiasm and excellence in their facilitation of the course.

For more information on this Dale Carnegie course, contact: MSUM Customized Training Coordinator Kathleen Paulson at 218.477.5051 or paulsonk@mnstate.edu.

LEADERSHIP PROGRAM BEGINS IN SEPTEMBER FOR NON-PROFITS
MSUM, in partnership with United Way of Cass Clay, will host a nine-month leadership program on “The Essentials of Nonprofit Administration” beginning Sept. 14, 2005. The class meets the second Wednesday of each month from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the MSUM campus.

Each month a different topic is covered, such as nonprofit governance, human resource administration of staff and volunteers, marketing programs and services, strategic planning, program development, legal issues and leadership, among others. The morning session showcases subject matter experts while the afternoons will be interactive discussions among colleagues and other nonprofit professionals.

Presenters are academic and nonprofit professionals recognized as experts in their fields. Program cost is $300 per participant. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged.

For more information on this leadership program, contact: MSUM Customized Training Coordinator Kathleen Paulson at 218.477.5051 or paulsonk@mnstate.edu, or visit the Web site at web.mnstate.edu/ontinue/nonprofit.

“OUR MOON” FEATURED IN MSUM PLANETARIUM SHOW
”Our Moon” will be showing at the MSUM Planetarium every Thursday at 7 p.m. July 7-28.

The full moons of summer ride low in the sky, often appearing larger than the full moon at other times of the year. Come and learn more about our closest neighbor—its phases, features and lore—and learn how to use a star map to identify summer stars and constellations.

Admission to the Planetarium 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 218-477-2904.

PARSONS NAMED MSUM'S NEW DEAN OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN SERVICES
Michael D. Parsons, chair of the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies department at Florida International University in Miami, has been named dean of Education and Human Services at Minnesota State University Moorhead.

As one of four academic deans at MSUM, Parsons will supervise the university's teacher education unit, divided into separate academic departments: Elementary and Early Childhood Education; Counseling, Education Leadership, Foundations and Field Experiences; and Special Education.

He'll also oversee the departments of Nursing, Social Work and Health and Physical Education along with the MSUM Center for Early Childhood Education.

He's replacing Dorothy Suomala, who has returned to her previous position of associate dean of Educational Leadership and director of Graduate Studies after serving two years as interim dean.

A native of South Charleston, West Virginia, Parsons earned his undergraduate degree in Industrial Relations and Labor Studies from West Virginia Institute of Technology and a master's in Industrial Relations from West Virginia University.

He later completed his doctorate in Higher Education from Indiana University, where he taught education and labor studies for 22 years at both the Bloomington and Indianapolis campuses.

He then moved to Florida International University, first as a higher education professor, and for the next three years as chair of the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies department.

A specialist in higher education and public policy, he was a Fulbright Lecturer at Karaganda State University in Kazakhstan in 1999, and later acquired a $200,000 USIA grant to form a partnership with Indiana and Taraz State University in Kazakhstan.

He and his wife Alla have two daughters, April, who recently completed her doctorate at Rutgers University, and Maria, who may enroll in MSUM this fall as a PSEO student.

28 MSUM FACULTY PROMOTED; 18 TENURED
Twenty-eight MSUM faculty members have been awarded promotions, 10 to the rank of professor and 18 to associate professor. Eighteen were also granted tenure.

Promoted to professor status: Anna Arnar, Art & Design; Timothy Borchers, Communication Studies, Film Studies and Theatre Arts; Wes Erwin, Counseling, Educational Leadership, Foundations & Field Experiences; Jan Fiola, Sociology; Glenn Ginn, Music; Elizabeth Nawrot, Psychology; Joseph Provost, Biology; Rodney Rothlisberger, Music; Sue Severson, Special Education, and SuEllen Shaw, English

Promoted to associate professor: Joni Baldwin, Special Education; Jane Bergland, Nursing; Steven Bolduc, Economics; Elizabeth Evenson, Counseling Center; Yahya Frederickson, New Center; Charles Howell, Counseling, Educational Leadership, Foundations & Field Experiences; Michelle Malott, Biology; Phyllis May-Machunda, American Multicultural Studies; Michael McCord, English; Takanori Mita, Languages & Cultures; Kristine Montis, Mathematics; Amy Phillips, Social Work; Joann Segovia, Accounting; Ananda Shastri, Physics and Astronomy; Benjamin Smith, Languages & Cultures; Tom Strait, Music; Pam Werre, Library; and Camilla Wilson, Mass Communications.

Receiving tenure: Joni Baldwin, Special Education; Steven Bolduc, Economics; Jenny Dufault, Music; Elizabeth Evenson, Counseling Center; Charles Howell, CELFFE; Michelle Malott, Biology; Michael McCord, English; Kristine Montis, Mathematics; Jimmie Park, Art & Design; Amy Phillips, Social Work; Regene Radniecki, Mass Communications; Sharon Scapple, English; Joann Segovia, Accounting; Ananda Shastri, Physics & Astronomy; Benjamin Smith, Languages & Cultures; Tom Strait, Music; Gregory Stutes, Economics; and Camilla Wilson, Mass Communications.

TWO CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS START THIS SUMMER
Two construction projects will begin on campus this summer.

The first project is the replacement of water mains that are too small to adequately serve our campus fire protection system. The State of Minnesota and the federal government are providing funding funds for new 12” water mains. The work will begin after the Fourth of July. The water main construction area will extend east on Sixth Avenue South to 20th Street and along 11th Street South between Sixth and Ninth Avenues. The work will progress in stages to minimize traffic disruptions.

Also this summer, construction will begin on the renovation of Hagen Hall, the academic building on the corner of Sixth Avenue and 11th Street South. The project is expected to take a minimum of 18 months to complete. The University has received permission from the City of Moorhead to close Sixth Avenue South between 11th and 12th Streets to provide access to the work site. This is the same staging area that was recently used for the Science Laboratories Addition.

For Arts & Humanities and Natural & Social Sciences
BORCHERS NAMED ASSOCIATE DEAN
Deans Ronald Jeppson and Kathleen Enz Finken announced the appointment of Timothy Borchers to the position of associate dean of the Colleges of Social and Natural Sciences, and Arts and Humanities effective July 1.

In his new role, Borchers will oversee and coordinate the assessment efforts of departments in the two colleges in preparation for the NCA accreditation visit, and develop public relations efforts. The position is a two-year appointment with administrative rank.

Borchers joined MSUM in 1996, and has recently been promoted to professor in the department of Communication Studies, Film Studies, and Theatre Arts. He served as chair of that department this past academic year, during which time he led the faculty and staff in a major strategic planning effort, and wrote the Biennial Report. He has been involved in departmental and campus assessment of student learning, and is currently serving on the Liberal Studies Task Force, the Institutional Assessment and Effectiveness Committee, and the Steering Committee for the MSUM’s application for re-accreditation to the North Central Association of Colleges of Arts and Sciences.

Borchers received his undergraduate degree in Speech Communication at the University of Nebraska, and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Speech Communication with an emphasis in Rhetorical Theory at Wayne State University. He is the author of two textbooks—Rhetorical Theory, An Introduction (Wadsworth Thomson, 2005), and Persuasion in the Media Age (McGraw-Hill, 2002, now in its second addition)—a book on public speaking used as a companion to all MSUM Speech Communication 100 classes, and numerous articles and book chapters.

He has served on APAC, the Master Plan for Technology Ad Hoc Task Force, the Instructional Technology Advisory Committee, and chaired the College of Arts and Humanities Public Relations Committee.

SCIENCE CENTER EVENTS FEATURE AQUATIC ANIMALS, THE SUN
“Awesome Aquatic Animals” will be the featured program at the Minnesota State University Moorhead Regional Science Center Saturday, June 25 from 2 to 4 p.m. The program will take a look into the world of wetland creatures large and small while participants will observe and search for signs of local aquatic critters. This program takes place at the Buffalo River State Park swimming area.

“Solar Extravaganza” will be the featured program on Sunday, June 26 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the MSUM Regional Science Center Buffalo River site. This program examines our star, Sol, and how it affects our planet Earth. Participants will look at the Sun through a specially filtered telescope and enjoy activities for the whole family that reveal more about this shining member of our solar system.

Both activities are free and open to the public.

Hiking trails open…
The hiking trails at the Regional Science Center’s Buffalo River site are open to the public from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily for birding and hiking. For information on special group activities, call the Science Center Office at 218.477.2904.

The Buffalo River Site is located off Highway 10, 15 miles east of Moorhead, adjacent to Buffalo River State Park.

MSUM’S MATH LEARNING CENTER EARNS MnSCU EXCELLENCE AWARD
MSUM’S Mathematics Learning Center won this year’s Minnesota State Colleges and Universities’ Academic and Student Affairs Award for excellence in curriculum programming.

The Math Learning Center was developed duing the summer of 2000 in response to growing concerns that too many students were not successfully completing entry level mathematics courses.

Of the 40 programs and administrators nominated in the state system, only 10 received awards based on a review by a panel of college and university academic and student affairs administrators.

The MSUM award was accepted by Derald Rothmann of the mathematics department here.

How the MLC works: Entering MSUM students who score below a certain level on the MnSCU Mathematics Placement Exam and/or the mathematics portion of the ACT are placed into Beginning Algebra and Intermediate Algebra classes. The curriculum uses both new materials first presented in a lecture setting, then, in the MLC. Students are encouraged to help each other with assigned problems with the guidance of the lab director, the lecture instructor and a student tutor.

The result:
* Before the MLC was developed, only 47% of the students enrolled in college algebra received a D or higher in the course.
* After the MLC was developed, nearly 70% of students enrolled in college algebra here successfully completed the course.
* During spring semester 2002, 91% of Learning Center alumni completed college algebra successfully and 78% of those students who completed work in the Learning Center in 2001-2002 returned to MSUM for fall semester 2002.
* Many of the MLC student tutors are mathematics education majors. These future teachers, as a result of the center, have had the opportunity to experience teaching on a one-to-one basis.

BUSH FOUNDATION NAMES MSUM
PROF BUSH LEADERSHIP FELLOW
Yolanda L. Arauza, an instructor in MSUM's American Multicultural Studies department, has been named one of 20 Bush Leadership Fellows for 2005 by the Bush Foundation in Saint Paul.

Arauza will pursue a doctorate degree in history at North Dakota State University. She said she hopes to be in a position at the university where she can recruit and enroll more Latino students from the Red River Valley area.

“I am determined to gain my credential and then use it to open doors for youth in the Latino community. With a fellowship, I will be a better model, mentor and leader,” she said.

Bush Leadership Fellowships support full-time study in academic or self-designed educational programs. The program’s goal is to help individuals in mid-career prepare for greater leadership responsibilities and enhanced contributions to their communities.

MSUM ANNOUNCES ITS FIRST READ ALOUD BOOK AWARDS
“I Like Myself!” and “Elena’s Seranade” won the first Read Aloud Book Awards for children’s literature, sponsored by the Curriculum Materials Center at Minnesota State University Moorhead,

The awards program is administered by the staff of the MSUM library’s Curriculum Materials Center, which holds a large collection of children’s books and resource materials for in-service teachers.

“At the beginning of last year, we asked publishers to send us copies of picture books published in 2004 that they’d like to nominate for the awards,” says Carol Sibley, MSUM’s Curriculum librarian. “We received more than 400 of them, which our committee first screened, then selected 190 to be field tested.”

The 10-member committee included university students and faculty, local librarians and community members.

Regional teachers and librarians, along with about 150 MSUM Elementary and Early Childhood Education majors, read these books aloud to about 15,000 children last year.

“Based on the readers’ own opinions and the responses from the children,” Sibley said, “we picked the top books for each of the award categories along with an honorable mentions for each category.”

Sibley said the intent of starting this awards program is to recognize outstanding authors and illustrators, to promote reading aloud to children and help anyone who reads to children with the selection of quality picture books.

Called the Comstock Reading Aloud Initiative, this new project supports two annual awards for children’s literature:

* The Wanda Gág Book Award, for the best read aloud picture book for younger children (preschool to age 8). It’s named in honor of Wanda Gág, a children’s book author, illustrator and artist who grew up in New Ulm, Minn. She’s best known for “Millions of Cats” (published in 1928), which is considered the first American picture book.

* The Comstock Book Award, for the best read aloud picture book for older children (ages 8-12). It’s named in recognition of the pioneering Moorhead family headed by Solomon G. Comstock, a Moorhead State Senator and U.S. Congressman who’s considered the father of the Moorhead State Normal School (now MSUM).

WANDA GÁG BOOK AWARD
“I Like Myself!” written by Karen Beaumont, illustrated by David Catrow and published by Harcourt is the first book to receive the Wanda Gág Book Award.

It’s the story of an African American girl who celebrates her uniqueness. Beaumont’s rhyming text describes a confident, joyful and silly child who appreciates everything about herself. Catrow’s surrealistic illustrations––created with watercolor, ink, pencil and collage––playfully interpret and extend the story. An illustration of the girl and her pet dog splashing in a bird bath is a good example:

I may be called a silly nut
or crazy cuckoo bird—so what?
I’m having too much fun, you see,
for anything to bother me!

Author Beaumont lives in San Martin, Calif., and illustrator Catrow is from Springfield, Ohio.

The Read Aloud Committee also named two honor books:

* “Kumak’s Fish: A Tall Tale from the Far North” written and illustrated by Michael Bania and published by Alaska Northwest Books. Bania, who worked and lived in the Arctic Circle for nearly 20 years, now lives in Soldotna on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula
* “Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale” written and illustrated by Mo Willems and published by Hyperion Books for Children. Author/illustrator Willems, who lives in Brooklyn, took photos of his own neighborhood for the book.

COMSTOCK BOOK AWARD
“Elena’s Serenade” by Campbell Geeslin, illustrated by Ana Juan, and published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers as an Anne Schwartz Book imprint is the first book to receive the Comstock Book Award

It’s the story of young Elena, who leaves her home to embark on a magical journey to Mexico to follow her dream of learning the art of glassblowing. Later, she returns home to her father, who had refused to teach her his trade because no one had ever “heard of a girl glassblower.” Now Elena and her father work side by side; he produces typical bottles and glasses, while Elena combines song with her glassblowing to create “birds, stars, butterflies.” The storycelebrates Elena’s uniqueness as an artist and a person, as well as the importance of pursuing a dream.

Author Campbell Geeslin lives in White Plains, N.Y., and illustrator Ana Juan resides in Madrid, Spain.

The Read Aloud Committee also named two honor books:

* “Mr. Maxwell’s Mouse Mouse” written by Frank Asch, illustrated by Devin Asch and published by Kids Can Press. Frank and Devin Asch are a father-son team. Frank Asch lives in Middletown Spring, Vt., and his son Devin is from Los Angeles.

* “Mighty Jackie: The Strike-Out Queen” written by Marissa Moss, illustrated by C.F. Payne and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers as a Paula Wiseman Book imprint. Author Moss is from Berkeley, Calif., and illustrator Payne lives in Cincinnati.

The book award project is partially funded by a grant from the Solomon G. Comstock Memorial Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation and MSUM’s Wanda Gág Book Award Fund.

970+ EXPECTED TO GRADUATE FRIDAY
Kristen Harris, a professor of neurology at the Medical College of Georgia and a 1976 MSUM graduate (Biology), will deliver the commencement address for the university’s spring graduation ceremony at 2 p.m. Friday, May 13 in Nemzek Fieldhouse.

More than 970 students are expected to receive degrees that day.

Of that number:
* 805 are spring graduates
* 104 are summer graduates
* 62 will receive master’s degrees
* Of the undergraduates: 16 will receive associate degrees, 217 bachelor of arts, 508 bachelor of science, 18 bachelor of fine arts, 2 bachelor of music, 19 bachelor of nursing and 24 bachelor of social work degrees
* About 650 are expected to attend the ceremony
* 85 will graduate summa cum laude (with the greatest praise)
* 99 will graduate magna cum laude (with high honors)
* 90 will graduate cum laude (with honors)
* Top 10 majors, in order of popularity: Mass Communications, Elementary Education, Biology, Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Accounting, Art, Finance, Physical Education and, tied at 10th: Special Education and Speech/Language/Hearing Sciences.

Recognized as one of MSUM’s Outstanding Alumni in 2003, Harris has risen to prominence as one of the leading researchers in the field of neurobiology. A professor of neurology at the Medical College of Georgia in August, Ga., she is also the Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar at the campus and director of its Synapses and Cognitive Neuroscience Center.

The Moorhead native’s first academic appointment after completing her postdoctoral training at Massachusetts General Hospital was as an instructor in the neuropathology department at the Harvard Medical School. She held several positions there before moving to Boston University as a professor of biology and later co-director of the neuroscience program.

A reception for parents, family and friends of graduates is scheduled after the ceremony.

Persistence her key to recovery…
A DEBILITATING STROKE DOESN’T DETER
MSUM SENIOR FROM GRADUATING MAY 13
It was a sunny fall day when 21-year-old MSUM sophomore Krista Ott left the Fargo Library after paying a few bills on the Internet.

“I just wasn’t feeling right,” she said. "I wanted to get back to my apartment and sleep before going back to class."

She only made it a few blocks, hitting a parked car near Broadway, then backing up and hitting another car.

A college rugby and high school soccer player in the peak of health, she just had a stroke.

The next day, after six hours of brain surgery, she awoke at the Mayo Clinic’s St. Marys Hospital, the left side of her body paralyzed.

“I couldn't do anything,” she said. “I couldn't stand, swallow, walk, sit up or remember what happened.”

While the MeritCare LifeFlight Helicopter was in the air flying Krista to
the Mayo Clinic, a Fargo emergency room physician, in a telephone call, told her father in Grand Rapids, Minn., that his daughter was in a deteriorating coma.

“He asked me about organ donations and life support, and told me to be ready to make some difficult decisions,” her father, Marvin Ott, said.

But the most difficult decision was ultimately made by Krista herself.

On Friday, May 13, Krista will receive a degree in Mass Communications from MSUM, three years after her debilitating stroke. Still in recovery, she’ll walk up on stage with a slight limp and a sluggish, but quickly improving left wrist, to accept her diploma.

“I want to close this chapter of my life and move on to a new one,” she said. “During my recovery, I’ve seen so many hospital patients who need encouragement and hope. That’s how I’d like to use my degree.”

The stroke wasn’t her first contact with the Mayo Clinic’s emergency room.

“When I was an MSUM freshman, I worked the late shift on the Campus Security staff and stayed up late studying for a math exam,” she said. “While I was taking the test, I kind of yawned and stretched my arms. The next thing I know, I’m lying on the floor with 50 students and the paramedics looking over me.”

She had a grand mall seizure caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a relatively rare short circuit in the blood vessels of her brain. A congenital disorder, it increasingly puts pressure on the brain’s arterial vessels, which may eventually lead to a stroke.

That summer Mayo clinic neurosurgeons were able to remove about a quarter of the AVM, but decided not to excise the entire tangle because of the potential risk of more severe brain damage.

“The doctors said I’d live a normal life and everything would be fine,” Krista said. “Little did I know that it would eventually turn my life upside down.”

Following her life-threatening stroke, however, surgeons removed the entire AVM. “At that point,” her father said, “the doctors told me there was nothing to lose.”

The traumatic experience for her parents began when the county sheriff’s car drove up to their doorstep14 miles outside of Grand Rapids, informing them of Krista’s situation, followed by a tense five-hour drive to Rochester.

“Thank goodness our pastor volunteered to drive us,” her mother Mary said.

At 2 a.m. that morning, doctors allowed her parents, along with her brother and sister, into the recovery room.

“I was in shock,” said her mother, who works in a Grand Rapids clinic. “There were tubes and equipment attached all over her, she was bandaged like a mummy, and she was so swollen from the surgery. The incision in her head was sealed with more than 50 staples.”

The next morning, Krista’s boyfriend, David Roberts, also an MSUM student (they’re still together) and 10 friends from MSUM arrived at the hospital to visit Krista.

“The doctors both in Fargo and Rochester were tremendous and encouraging,” Krista’s mother said. “But with brain surgery, they just couldn’t predict what the outcome would be.”

With her mother at her side throughout, Krista remained in intensive care for a week, then began a grueling routine of therapy for the next three months, both in the hospital and as an inpatient at St. Marys.

That involved a minimum of eight rehabilitative sessions a day, ranging from physical and speech to vocational and cognitive therapy.

“I even had facial therapy because when I smiled, only the right side of my face reacted,” she said. “But I was determined to walk out of the hospital on my own, without a wheelchair.”

On December 12, she did just that, using a leg brace and a cane.

The following week she was back in Fargo, working with MeritCare doctors and therapists to continue her recovery.

“There was no question about returning to MSUM to get my degree,” she said. “Fargo-Moorhead had become my home, and I was determined to finish college. Actually, I didn’t have an alternative.”

Krista’s academic advisor, Susanne Williams, described her as “strong, spunky and a fighter. She really didn’t want any help from the university.”

Returning to campus with a leg brace and a cane was awkward for the former athlete. But within a year she was walking on her own.

”I needed some help in my computer classes,” she said. “Hitting option click is difficult if your left hand doesn’t work well.”

Last fall, she finally got her driver’s license back. “That was the hardest part for me,” she said, “not being able to drive myself around, depending on friends and the bus.”

Since returning to MSUM, some tingling has returned to Krista’s left hand and leg, the first signs that nerves are beginning to repair themselves.

“I’m in a wedding this summer,” she said, “and I’m determined to have that left hand back to normal.”

Krista describes herself as persistent in recovering from the stroke. A testament to that is a wheelchair that sits in her parents’ house, unused.

But not unexpectedly, on rare occasions she did lapse into despair.

“I was one of Krista’s cheerleaders throughout the ordeal,” her father said. “But I remember one day we just sat in her hospital room and cried together. I felt so inadequate, and didn’t think I had the strength of character she had to overcome so much.”

He has, however, noticed a marked difference in his daughter. “She certainly is more mature now,” he said. “Once you’ve been to the edge like she has, it gives you a better perspective on life.”

FORMER MSUM THEATRE ARTS STUDENT NOMINATED FOR TONY AWARD
There wasn't any wake-up call Tuesday to tell Jan Maxwell she'd been nominated for a Tony Award.

The West Fargo native and daughter of retired federal Judge Ralph and Elizabeth Maxwell was alone in her New York home, watching television, when the announcement came.

"I was kind of shell-shocked," she said. "Being from North Dakota, if anything good happens to me, I think it's a mistake."

Maxwell, 48, an established Broadway actress, has been nominated for a Tony for her role as Baroness Bomburst in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

The play, based on the 1968 children's movie, opened April 28 on Broadway. Baroness Bomburst is one of its villains, a woman with a deep phobia of children.

Maxwell's nominated for best performance by a featured actress in a musical, the equivalent of the best supporting actress Oscar, along with Joanna Gleason of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"; Celia Keenan-Bolger of "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee"; Kelli O'Hara of "The Light in the Piazza"; and Sara Ramirez of "Monty Python's Spamalot."

The winners will be announced June 5.

The Tony nomination comes as no surprise to those who knew Maxwell at Minnesota State University Moorhead, where she received her early training.

"Jan was a very fine actress when I worked with her and she still is," said Delmar Hansen, retired head of MSUM's theater department.

"She had a tremendous versatility. She can play any kind of role."

Roray Hedges, who knew Maxwell first as a fellow student and then when he was MSUM's technical director, said the actress's versatility is just part of what makes her good.

"Her genuine personality and her heart came through onstage," Hedges said. "Whoever she meets, people like her and they want to work with her again - and she's got the talent to back it all up."

Sunday, May 15 at Moorhead Public Library
MSUM TO ANNOUNCE FIRST
READ ALOUD BOOK AWARDS
The first Read Aloud Book Awards for children’s literature, sponsored by the Curriculum Materials Center at Minnesota State University Moorhead, will be announced at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 15 at the Moorhead Public Library.

Children are invited to attend the event, where the award-winning books will be read aloud.

Called the Comstock Reading Aloud Initiative, this new project will support two annual awards for children’s literature:

The 10-member committee included university students and faculty, local librarians and community members.

Regional teachers and librarians, along with about 150 MSUM Elementary and Early Childhood Education majors, read these books aloud to about 15,000 children last year.

The book award project is partially funded by a grant from the Solomon G. Comstock Memorial Fund of the Minneapolis Foundation and MSUM’s Wanda Gág Book Award Fund.
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Summer at MSUM
Straw Hat Summer Theatre, 4th of July celebration, Planetarium shows, Regional Science Center events....
STRAW HAT FEATURES FOUR SHOWS THIS SUMMER
The Straw Hat Summer Theatre Company at Minnesota State University Moorhead will open its 42nd season with four hit shows on its marquee: the musicals “Hair” and “Chicago,” the Noel Coward comedy “Blithe Spirit” and Shakespeare’s classic “Romeo & Juliet.”

All shows start at 7:30 p.m.

Season tickets to all four shows are $42. For MSUM alumni, senior citizens and MSUM faculty, season tickets are $39. Student season tickets are $30.

Single show tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for children (17 and under); $12 for senior citizens, faculty and alumni; $10 each for groups of 10 or more; and $10 for Tri-College University students.

For ticket reservations, call the MSUM Box Office at 218-477-2271.

“Hair”
June 14-17 & June 21-24 (Roland Dille Center for the Arts Gaede Stage)
The American hippy musical "Hair" ran on Broadway until July 1972, when it closed after 1,742 performances. The show, released during the Vietnam War, questions the standards of morality, sexuality, individualism, racism, violence, drug use, loyalty, and social acceptance through the eyes of Berger, Claude, Sheila, Woof, Hud, and Crissy. Billed as an American tribal love-rock musical, it features such classic songs as “Good Morning Sunshine,” “Aquarius” and "Easy to Be Hard."

“Blithe Spirit”
July 5-8 (Roland Dille Center for the Arts Hansen Theatre)
Noel Coward's classic masterpiece of high spirits and ghostly goings-on became one of the longest running comedies in the history of British theatre. With Coward's trademark wit and sophisticated banter dovetailed with moments of high humour, this sparkling revival is a winning combination that has rarely been bettered.

Author and socialite Charles and his second wife Ruth decide to hold a seance as an after-dinner entertainment. When the wildly eccentric medium Madame Arcati inadvertently conjures up the ghost of Charles' deceased first wife who wants her husband back by fair means or foul, hilarious confusion ensues...

“Romeo & Juliet”
July 12-15 & July 19-22 (Roland Dille Center for the Arts Gaede Stage)
Shakespeare's tragic drama of the "star-crossed" young lovers who eventually take their own lives because of misunderstandings. It’s the classic love story—a boy and girl from two feuding Verona clans attempt to transcend their families’ history of violence.

“Chicago”
July 27-30 (Roland Dille Center for the Arts Hansen Theatre)
The John Kander-Fred Ebb-Bob Fosse musical is a story, described in its opening number, “of murder, greed, corruption, violence, exploitation, adultery, and treachery—all those things we hold near and dear to our hearts. It features such memorable hits as “And All That Jazz,” “Mr. Cellophane” and “Razzle, Dazzle.”

EIGHT CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD FILMS
SHOWING AT MSUM THIS SUMMER
Eight Hollywood film classics featuring some of the greatest stars and scenes from the silver screen will be showing in Minnesota State University Moorhead’s 29th annual “Summer Cinema 2005,” a series of weekly film programs beginning June 6.

Including some rare, seldom-seen movies along with masterpieces of American cinema, the series offers a special film every Monday evening through Aug. 1. Show time is 7:30 p.m. weekly in the air-conditioned Weld Hall Glasrud Auditorium. Admission is $2 and each feature runs about two hours. Tickets are available at the door.

In vintage Hollywood tradition, each film is preceded by a short subject. Pre-show pipe organ music and scores for the silent pictures are performed by members of the Red River Chapter of the American Theater Organ Society.

On the marquee this summer:

Monday, June 6: “Broadway Melody of 1940,” a musical romance featuring Fred Astaire and Eleanor Powell in this fourth film in the “Broadway Melody” series that began in 1929. The plot is simple: a couple of hoofers have a heated rivalry for leading parts and leading ladies. Original music written for the film by Cole Porter includes the classic “Begin the Beguine.”
Monday, June 13: “Tillie the Toiler” (1927), a lighthearted comedy based on one of the most popular comic strips of the Twenties. Starring Marion Davies and Matt Moore, it’s the story of a young office girl who has a habit of attracting the interest of many suitors. Lance Johnson will perform an original score for this silent picture on the Ted Larson Wurlitzer Pipe Organ.
Monday, June 20: “The Lady Eve” (1941), a romantic comedy with Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda. A modern version of Adam and Eve, it’s the story of a ring of petty confidence artists who use Stanwyck as the bait to lure a young millionaire, played by Fonda, into a trap. Selected as the top comedy film of 1941 by The New York Times, the film was also among the top moneymakers that year.
Monday, June 27 : “The Enchanted Cottage” (1924), a fantasy that starts out as the story of a World War I soldier returning to his former life then morphs into a rich tale that explores the power of the human spirit to survive. Starring May McAvoy (Al Jolson’s costar in the 1927 film “The Jazz Singer”) and Richard Barthlemess (a veteran of the D.W. Griffith stock company), the film will be accompanied by an original score performed by David Knudtson.
Monday, July 11: “Sinbad the Sailor” (1947), an adventure featuring Douglas Fairbanks Jr. and Maureen O’Hara in a high seas romance taken from the pages of The Arabian Nights storybook. Anthony Quinn and Walter Slezak are cast as villains in this film.
Monday, July 18: “Daddies” (1924), a comedy farce starring Mae Marsh and Harry Myers. The plot revolves around five bachelors whose club of women-haters is shamed into adopting war orphans. Light entertainment from the golden era of silent film, it will include an original score performed by Lance Johnson.
Monday, July 25: “Random Harvest” (1942), a romantic drama with Ronald Colman and Greer Garson. Often cited as “one of the most romantic films ever made,” it’s based on James Hilton’s best-selling novel about a World War I vet who suffers from amnesia.
Monday, Aug.1 : “So Long Letty” (1920), a long-lost comedy starring Colleen Moore and T. Roy Barnes. Based on a popular Broadway musical comedy from 1916, the plot involves two seemingly mismatched couples living next to each other. David Knudtson will perform an original score for this silent picture.

Summer Cinema Series is sponsored by the university’s Communication Studies, Film Studies and Theatre Arts department.

MSUM THROWS ITS 33rd ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
MSUM will hold its 33rd annual 4th of July celebration at 1 p.m. on the campus mall, beginning a Monday afternoon of family entertainment followed by fireworks at dusk over Nemzek Field.

The 4th of July celebration—free and open to the public—features continuous stage entertainment all afternoon, along with children’s games, Dragon Express and barrel train rides, stagecoach and covered wagon rides, a climbing wall, bingo, music, and a variety of food booths.

Prior to the festivities, MSUM will host a 10K run starting at 8 a.m. at Nemzek’s north gate entrance. Kiddie Races begin at 11 a.m. in this same area. Runners and kiddie racers should contact Mark Rice at MSUM, 477-2062, for details and registration.

Campus mall events begin right after the 1 p.m. opening ceremony, which will include a flag raising and music by the Lake Agassiz Concert Band. The children’s decorated bike parade starts at 1:30 p.m. Kids and parents should assemble at the mall flagpole right after the opening ceremony.

Stage entertainment is scheduled all afternoon on the mall. Cartoons will be shown in Weld Hall auditorium on the hour, and the MSUM Planetarium (located on first floor Bridges Hall) will feature a show at 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m., 3 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.

For more information, contact the Office of Administrative Affairs at MSUM, phone 218.477.2156, or go to the Web site at web.mnstate.edu/july4

At the MSUM Planetarium:
“Summer Planets” every Thursday at 7 p.m. from June 9-30. The Sun sets late over the Red River Valley in June. As it grows dark, four planets can be seen in the deepening twilight. Learn how to use a star map and how to identify the bright naked-eye planets during this show.

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.

“Our Moon” every Thursday at 7 p.m. July 7-28 The full Moons of summer ride low in the sky. They often appear larger than the full Moon at other times of the year. Come and learn more about our closest neighbor—its phases, features and lore––and learn how to use a star map to identify summer stars and constellations.

"Catch a Falling Star” every Thursday at 7 p.m. Aug. 4-18. Every August, like clockwork, the Perseid meteor show appears. However, there’s no need to get your umbrella out. Where do these celestial visitors come from? Learn how to observe a meteor shower. Free star maps for the August sky will be distributed.

Regional Science Center family events:
* Saturday, June 25 from 2 to 4 p.m.: “Awesome Aquatic Animals!”
This program offers a glimpse into the world of wetland creatures, large and small. It will take place at the Buffalo River State Park swimming area.
* Sunday, June 26, 2 to 4 p.m. “Solar Extravaganza”
Sometimes we forget that the Sun is a star. By studying it, we can learn about its more distant cousins. Look at the Sun through specially filtered telescopes. Special activities for the whole family will help you learn more about this shining member of our solar system.
* Thursday, July 14 at 8 p.m.: “Our Moon”
A special telescope viewing of the summer Moon will be held in conjunction with this show. Guests are invited to see “Our Moon” at the Planetarium at 7 p.m., then join the volunteers and staff to view the Moon through telescopes set up on the MSUM campus starting at 8 p.m.
* Friday, August 12 from 9 to 11 p.m.: “Star Party on the Prairie"
Come to see the beautiful summer sky interpreted for you. Learn how to find the constellations, see the Milky Way, nebulae and star clusters through telescopes. Maybe you’ll see a meteor. Bring your own binoculars or telescope if you wish. If it’s a cloudy night, there’ll be a short indoor presentation at 9 p.m.

The Regional Science Center is located 15 miles east of Moorhead on Highway 10, adjacent to the Buffalo River State Park. For more information, call 218-477-2904