The 19th season of Bemidji State University’s six-performance Bemidji Concert Series will begin on Sept. 5 with a performance by the Trombones of the St. Louis Symphony.

The quartet from the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) includes Timothy Myers, the Mr. and Mrs. William R. Orthwein principal trombone chair, Amanda Stewart, associate principal trombone, Jonathan Reycraft, utility trombone and Gerry Pagano, bass trombone.

Founding members Myers and Pagano formed the Trombones of the St. Louis Symphony in 2006, transitioning from the symphonic concert stage environment to chamber music settings across the United States. The SLSO, founded in 1880, is the second-oldest professional symphony orchestra in the U.S., preceded by the New York Philharmonic.

Bemidji State’s Department of Music began the Bemidji Concert Series in 2001 to reinforce Bemidji’s reputation as a cultural center in northern Minnesota and to provide the Bemidji region with local access to world-class musical performances. In addition to the Trombones of St. Louis Symphony, the Bemidji Concert Series’ 2019-2020 season will feature the Violetta Duo, the Bach Society of Minnesota, Sherrie Maricle, the Altius Quartetand the Minnesota Opera Resident Artists.

All concerts within the series will be held at 7:30 p.m. in BSU’s Thompson Recital Hall in the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex unless otherwise noted. Tickets are $20 for adults and free for BSU students with a valid ID.

Tickets are available in advance by visiting the BSU Department of Music office in Room 301 of the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex and will also be for sale at the doors.

2019-2020 Bemidji Concert Series

Sept. 21 — Violetta Duo

The Violetta Duo includes flutist Dorothy Glick Maglione and clarinetist Madelyn Moore. They are passionate about bringing new music to audiences by working with pieces from several current composers. They have given performances, masterclasses and lectures throughout the United States.

Oct. 11 —5 p.m. — First Lutheran Church Bemidji — Bach Society of Minnesota

Founded in 1932, the Bach Society of Minnesota (BSM) is a nonprofit organization that was the one of the first to take the legacy of composer Johann Sebastian Bach as an exclusive starting point for world-class performances. BSM

hopes to build a diverse community of music lovers who perform and appreciate the music of J.S. Bach and those he inspired.

Oct. 23 — Sherrie Maricle

Sherrie Maricle is the lead drummer in the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, the FIVE PLAY quintet and co-leads the 3D Jazz Trio. She runs a private drum set and percussion studio and is also a freelance performer and a published composer and educator. Maricle has performed internationally at locations including Germany, Portugal and Ireland.

Mar. 2 — Altius Quartet

Currently based in Boulder, Colorado, the Altius Quartet is determined to further the art of chamber music through performance, education, and outreach. Altius strives to communicate art to a diverse audience through community engagement and innovative repertoire. They maintain an active performance schedule, including performances at Carnegie Hall, Chamber Music Cincinnati, the Aspen Music Festival and more.

April 2 — Minnesota Opera Resident Artists

One of North America’s premier training programs, the Minnesota Opera Resident Artist Program offers a full season of employment for talented artists beginning their professional careers. Resident artists gain valuable experience through productions and community performances, while refining their skills off stage and mentoring with master teachers and staff. Resident artists are singers, coaches, administrators and directors who have completed their post-graduate education.

Contact

• Laura Holm, music office manager; (218) 755-2915, laura.holm@bemidjistate.edu

Links

• BSU Department of Music

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

2020-B-022

Bemidji State University’s Class of 2023 will experience their first taste of college during Bemidji State’s Orientation weekend, Aug. 23-25.

Orientation weekend welcomes all students who are new to the university, including first-time college students and transfer students from other institutions.

FRIDAY, AUG. 23

The first day of events begins with the BSU residence halls’ annual Move-In Day and will continue with a number of activities for new students and their families throughout the day. BSU’s traditional Convocation ceremony will take place in the afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

Residence hall move-in and orientation check-in will take place between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

Other scheduled activities for this day include:

• 9–11 a.m.—Student Center for Health and Counseling Open House:Students can get to know their on-campus health and counseling staff and learn about their options. Location: Cedar Hall.
• 1 p.m. — Parent Send-off: Location: Walnut Hall Upper Deck.
• 1–2 p.m. — Academic Open House:Students are invited to enjoy refreshments while visiting with the faculty members who will be guiding the student’s academic careers. Location: Crying Wolf Room, Hobson Memorial Union.
• 2:30 p.m. — Official Welcome to BSU and 101st Class Group Photo:Location: Chet Anderson Stadium.
• 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. — Convocation:This annual induction ceremony officially marks the beginning of a student’s academic journey as a member of the BSU community. Students will also receive a gift from the university. Location: Physical Education Complex.
• 6–7 p.m. — Welcome Picnic:Location: Walnut Lawn.
• 7:30 p.m. — Off-Campus Student Social:Off-campus students will have the opportunity to meet their peers. Location: Hobson Memorial Union, Terrace Lounge.
• 9 p.m. — Welcome Dance:A new orientation tradition, students can throw on their favorite floral shirt and a lei for a Hawaiian-themed dance. Location: Hobson Memorial Union.

SATURDAY, AUG. 24

The second day of orientation includes Beaver Family Time with students meeting in the courtyard between the Gillett Wellness Center and Tamarack Hall. Lunch at Walnut Hall will follow.

After lunch, students will attend “Take Back College,” a presentation by motivational speaker Ryan Penneau who will explore the often difficult transition from high school to college. He will also discuss the challenges that come from moving away from home, choosing a major, making new friends, adjusting to new-found freedom and more. Penneau’s message to students is to embrace their personal responsibility for their own education and commitment to lifelong learning.
Penneau’s presentation will take place in Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex room 200 at 2 p.m. and again at 3:30 p.m.

Students will also be able to participate in CampusQuest, an interactive scavenger hunt around campus where students will learn about student service locations while completing fun challenges for a chance to win prizes.

Lastly, BSU’s Campus Activities Board will offer interactive gaming, inflatables, crafts, carnival treats and more at a larger-than-life “CAB Presents” welcome event starting at 8 p.m. in the Gillett Wellness Center. At the event, students will also have the opportunity to participate in the United Way of Bemidji Area’s Backpack Buddies service project which providesnon-perishable and easy-to-prepare food to students in the Bemidji school district.

SUNDAY, AUG. 25

New students will gather at BSU’s Hobson Memorial Forest ropes course from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Students will be divided into groups and depart at various times throughout the day. Transportation will be provided from the John Glas Fieldhouse to the forest.

Other scheduled activities for this day include:

• 10 a.m. & 2 p.m. — Walking Tours: Orientation leaders will show students the ins and outs of navigating campus. Location: Bucky’s Guide Service Booths.
• 11 a.m. — Transfer Student Orientation: This session will be an opportunity to discuss the unique needs of transfer students and meet BSU staff who can help make a successful academic transfer to Bemidji State. Location: Bridgeman Hall 100.
• 1–5 p.m. — Sunday in the Park:Students can experience a fall day on the lake and around Bemidji with free rentals from the Outdoor Program Center. Location: Diamond Point Park.
• 8 p.m. Campfires & S’mores. Location: Residence Halls.

A complete schedule of Orientation and Welcome Week activities is available here.

Contact

• Office of Admissions; (218) 755-2040, admissions@bemidjistate.edu

Links

• Orientation & Welcome Week schedule
• Admissions

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

2020-B-023

Bemidji State University and its degree programs have recently received a variety of awards for quality and affordability from several websites specializing in college rankings.

• BSU ranked 32nd on the list “Top 50 Most Affordable Bachelor’s in Elementary Education or Early Childhood” by Top Education Degrees: https://www.topeducationdegrees.org/rankings/affordable-online-eled-early-childhood-bachelors/
• BSU ranked 7th on the list “2019 Best Ranked Nursing Programs” by RN Careers: https://www.rncareers.org/rn-programs/minnesota/#bsn-rankings-nclex-pass-rates
• BSU ranked 2nd on the list “15 of the Most Affordable Bachelor’s Degrees in Writing” by Affordable Schools: https://affordableschools.net/15-affordable-bachelors-degrees-writing/
• BSU ranked 10th on the list “25 Best Online Entrepreneurship Degrees” by Online Schools Report: https://www.onlineschoolsreport.com/best-online-entrepreneurship-degrees/
• BSU ranked 12th on the list “Top 20 Cheapest State Universities for Online Bachelor’s Degrees 2019” by College Values Online: https://www.collegevaluesonline.com/rankings/cheapest-state-universities-online-bachelors/

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

2020-B-020

Through a partnership with Otter Tail Power Company, Bemidji State University is set to save thousands of kilowatt-hours of energy in the coming years.

Bemidji State facilities managers have worked jointly with Otter Tail’s Minnesota Conservation Improvement Program to complete energy saving projects across campus. Projects during the 2018-19 school year included replacing fluorescent light with LED bulbs in Deputy, Walnut, and Sattgast halls, the John Glas Field House, the A.C. Clark Library, the book store, Tamarack Hall elevators, the Gillett Wellness Center and other miscellaneous spots across campus.

“Facilities managers at BSU have been collaborating with Otter Tail Power Co. and Franklin Energy to determine methods to better manage energy resources,” Jordan Lutz, sustainability project manager, said. “Understanding where we can improve our energy efficiency has led to various projects, mostly involving control upgrades for lighting or heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.”

In the Gillette Wellness Center, approximately 199 light fixtures were replaced with LED lights. Estimates suggest the renovations in the wellness center alone should have a simple payback around three years and the potential to save the university over 300,000 kWh annually.

“Upgrading old metal halide fixtures to LED lights in the Gillett Wellness Center is particularly impactful, as it substantially reduces our
annual electrical consumption yet requires little to no behavior change. This is comparable to the electricity consumption of about 30 American households according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration,” Lutz said. “Not only does the switch save electricity and money, the new lights make the facility look great.”

For the 2019 school year, BSU plans to complete projects around campus to continue its energy saving initiatives. Projects this year include new lighting in renovated areas across campus and upgraded HVAC controls.

“We want to get as much done in 2019 as we possibly can,” Travis Barnes, director of facilities, said. “Our goal by the end of next year is to have about 85 percent of the campus completed.”

Minnesota Conservation Improvement Program

The Minnesota Conservation Improvement Program offers Ottertail Power customers the opportunity to save money and energy. Benefits extend to all customers through deferred utility infrastructure investments and less energy consumed.

Ottertail designed the program in 2016 to comply with The Next Generation Energy Act of 2007. The act sets an aggressive statewide energy-conservation goal of 1.5 percent of average annual Minnesota utility retail sales.

During 2016 Ottertail invested more than $7.8 million into the program and returned more than $49.7 million in lifetime net benefits to customers. Energy savings reached a record-breaking high of 57.6 million annual kWh of energy and more than 17.3 megawatts of demand. For the year, that is 2.75 percent of annual retail sales. At a lifetime cost of less than 14 cents per kWh conserved, the energy-efficiency programs continue to be a cost-effective resource for customers.

About Otter Tail Power Company

Otter Tail Power Company is an investor-owned electric utility that provides electricity for residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The company is named after the Otter Tail River, which provided the first source of electricity when they became an operating utility in 1909. Hundreds of years ago the Ojibwe noted that a large sandspit follows the contour of the shoreline of a lake where the river flows into it. Because they thought this sandspit resembled the tail of an otter, the Native Americans named the lake Nigagwanoe, Otter Tail. By doing so, they also named a river, a village, a township, a county, anda power company.

Contact

• Jordan Lutz, sustainability project manager; (218) 755-2979, jordan.lutz@bemidjistate.edu

Links

• BSU Sustainability
• U.S. Energy Information Administration

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

2020-B-024

Bemidji State University invites Bemidji and surrounding community residents to join faculty, staff, administrators and students on campus Aug. 29 for its 14th annual Community Appreciation Day, held from 4:30–6 p.m.

Community Appreciation Day, presented by Paul Bunyan Communications, is a way of thanking the greater Bemidji community for their support. The annual family event will include food samples from local restaurants, games and educational activities for kids, photos with BSU mascot Bucky the Beaver, live music and more.

The event will again feature “A Taste of BSU”, a free sampling of food items from local restaurants and organizations. This year’s food and beverage sponsors include Aramark, Big River Scoop, Culver’s, Harmony Natural Foods Co-op, Lueken’s Deli & Grill, Jimmy Johns, Minnesota Nice Cafe & Catering, Mediterranean Gyros & Hummus, Nei Bottling, Paul Bunyan Broadcasting, RP Broadcasting, Sanford Center, Subway and Tara/Slurp.

Community Appreciation Day activities will be held in a new location this year. The event will take place on the 19th street courtyard between Tamarack Hall and the Gillett Wellness Center with a free shuttle from the parking lots at the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex and the John Glas Fieldhouse available.

Attendees can also check out the Gillett Wellness Center from 4:30-8 p.m. during this event. The pool, climbing wall and activity courts will be open free to the public.

Student-athletes from BSU’s varsity intercollegiate athletics programs will lead games, activities for kids, and “Meet the Beavers” sessions. BSU’s legendary mascot, Bucky the Beaver, will also be available for photos.

In addition, the event will feature dozens of booths from various campus departments and local businesses, a variety of games for children, a bounce house and BSU washable tattoos. Booth spaces are still available; businesses or organizations wishing to participate in Community Appreciation Day are encouraged to contact BSU Alumni and Foundation.

Bemidji State University’s 14th Annual Community Appreciation Day is sponsored by Paul Bunyan Communications; the Bemidji Pioneer; Paul Bunyan Broadcasting, which includes radio stations Z99, KB101, KZY95.5, and KBUN 1450 AM; and RP Broadcasting, which includes Real Country 98.3, Mix 103.7, WMIS 92.1 The River, Talk Radio 1360 AM and 1300 AM The Legends.

Contact

• Jana Wolff, director of annual giving programs, BSU Alumni & Foundation;(218) 755-2872, jwolff@bemidjistate.edu

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

2020-B-025

Dr. Faith C. Hensrud, president of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College, announced faculty members who have been promoted or newly tenured at the start of the fall 2019 semester. She also announced faculty who will be pursing their research interests during sabbaticals during the 2019-20 school year.

Tenures and Promotions:
College of Arts, Education & Humanities

• Dr. Porter Coggins, professor of professional education, promoted
• Dr. John Ellis, associate professor of history, tenured and promoted
• Scott Guidry, associate professor of music, tenured and promoted
• Dr. Michael Lund, associate professor of technology, art & design, tenured and promoted
• Dr. Sonia O’Bryan, associate professor of professional education, tenured and promoted

College of Business, Mathematics & Science

• Dr. Kelly La Venture, associate professor business administration, tenured and promoted
• Dr. David Massaglia, associate professor of accountancy, tenured and promoted

College of Individual and Community Health

• Dr. Jessica LeTexier, associate professor of nursing, tenured and promoted
• Dr. Shannon Norman, associate professor of human performance, sport & health, tenured and promoted
• Dr. Tara Pierce, assistant professor of nursing, tenured
• Dr. Jeffrey Ueland, professor of sustainability studies, promoted

2019-2020 Sabbatical Leaves
Academic Year

• Dr. Jessica Durgan, associate professor of English
• Dr. Mary Fairbanks, professor of nursing
• Dr. Mark Fulton, professor of biology
• Dr. Timothy Goodwin, associate professor of professional education
• Dr. Daniel Guentchev, associate professor of philosophy
• Dr. Sachel Josefson, associate professor of technology, art & design
• Dr. Kate Larson, associate professor of psychology
• Dr. Katie Peterson, associate professor of chemistry
• Dr. Cory Renbarger, associate professor of music
• Dr. Debra Sea, associate professor of integrated media
• Dr. Mehdi Sheikholeslami, professor of accountancy
• Dr. Halbana Tarmizi, associate professor of business administration

Fall Semester 2019

• Dr. Janet Heuer, associate professor of criminal justice
• Dr. Sheila Paul, professor of nursing
• Dr. Carol Ann Russell, professor of English

Spring Semester 2020

• Lyle Meulebroeck, associate professor of technology, art & design

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

2020-B-026

Bemidji State University’s American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) is planning a variety of events to welcome students to campus August 22-30.

These events will give students a number of ways to connect with AIRC staff, faculty and other students as they settle in at BSU. Students will also be able to learn about the types of resources that the AIRC has to offer.

All events will be held at the AIRC.

Schedule of events

• Aug. 22, 7 – 9 p.m.— Move in Parfait & Preparation
• Aug. 23, 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.— American Indian Student Orientation
• Aug. 24 & 25, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.— American Indian Resource Center Open Hours
• Aug. 26, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.— When College Gives You Lemons: Lemonade!
• Aug. 27, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m.— Chips & Chill
• Aug. 28, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. — AIRC Day of Welcome, featuring a retention fair and drum feast.
• Aug. 29, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.— Lunch with AIRC Staff
• Aug. 30, 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. – AIRC Picnic & Check-in

The AIRC strives to ensure that students have the tools they need to be successful in school, while also learning and connecting with their American Indian peers, heritage, culture and language.

“I am looking forward to helping students really find their niche this year, whether it be academically, finding the right student organization or even picking the right major,” Ann Humphrey, assistant director of the AIRC, said. “We know that there will be bumps in the road but we are here to help students really find their way and their place here at BSU.”

About the American Indian Resource Center

Since opening in 2003, the American Indian Resource Center has offered academic programming for American Indian reservations and American Indian organizations throughout Minnesota. Because Bemidji State University is located between the three largest American Indian reservations in the State of Minnesota (Leech Lake is 15 miles south, Red Lake is 30 miles north, and White Earth is 50 miles west of Bemidji), we have access to a large number of fluent speakers, spiritual leaders, educators, and cultural offerings that are all within a reasonable distance to the university. The AIRC is also home to the first Indian Studies program in Minnesota and the first collegiate Ojibwe language program in the world.

BSU has awarded undergraduate and graduate degrees to more than 800 American Indian students. At any given time, BSU has more than 150 American Indian students who are majoring in a variety of fields including teacher education, business, environmental science, Indian studies, criminal justice, accounting, and social work. BSU is home to American Indian students from throughout Minnesota and its neighboring states, as well as from New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Canada.

Contact

• Ann Humphrey, assistant director of the AIRC; (218) 755-3353, ann.humphrey@bemidjistate.edu

Links

• American Indian Resource Center

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

2020-B-027

Dr. Faith Hensrud, president of Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College, officially kicked off Bemidji State’s 2019-20 academic year at the President’s Welcome Breakfast.

Several hundred members of the university’s faculty, staff and administration gathered to review the university’s achievements during the past year and to preview significant events on BSU’s horizon.

As BSU enters its second century, Hensrud commended the passion and dedication shown by members of BSU’s faculty and staff to create an enriching academic environment. She also shared five commitments for the 2019-20 academic year.

“Our focus at BSU is on the success of our students. That is the reason we are all here,” Hensrud said.

The five commitments unveiled by Hensrud were:

• to our future,
• to quality,
• to student success,
• to financial sustainability and
• to each other and the BSU community.

“As we enter our second century, our story will be to fulfill our mission and use the transformative power of education to bring change to the lives of our students and their communities,” Hensrud said.

Michelle Frenzel, executive director of enrollment management, provided a brief update on the preliminary enrollment outlook for the upcoming year. Official enrollment figures will be announced in conjunction with the 30th day of classes.

Karen Snorek, vice president for finance and administration, recapped the university’s Hagg Sauer Hall project, which includes renovations to the A.C. Clark Library, the Bangsberg Fine Arts Complex, and Bensen and Sattgast halls.

Hensrud closed with short recap of the BSU’s centennial celebrations and vision for the future.

“I believe, with the spirit of inspiration from the past and innovation for the future, BSU will be better than ever in our second century,” she said. “Working together, we will stay focused on our goal of educating the future generations of leaders for our state, country and the world.”

Startup activities continue throughout the week in advance of BSU’s annual residence hall Move-In Day on Aug. 23. Fall classes begin Aug. 26.

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

2020-B-028

Meet Mika Stone, a Niizhoo-gwayakochigewin — an Ojibwe phrase which translates to “two ways of making things right,” intern at Bemidji State University. Hear her experience of spending her summer at the Cass Lake Wildlife and Fishery.

Bemidji State University’s Teaching & Learning Center welcomed faculty back to campus with the second annual BSU Today! Conference, a day-long event featuring presentations from BSU faculty on resources that can aid in student success.

Sinda Nichols, director of member engagement and Minnesota operations for Iowa and Minnesota Campus Compact, opened the conference with a keynote presentation on the importance of community engagement and how it benefits students, communities, campuses and citizens.

Other presentations included a look at transfer and distance student admissions by Bonner Karger, associate director of transfer enrollment; a presentation on BSU’s Community Engagement Council plan by council leaders Dr. Debbie Guelda, professor of biology, Dr. Donna Pawlowski, professor of communication studies and Dr. Colleen Greer, professor of arts, education and humanities; and a presentation on teaching Native American students by Erika Bailey-Johnson, sustainability coordinator and Dr. Cornelia Santos, assistant professor of indigenous and environmental studies.

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

2020-B-029

Hundreds of new Bemidji State University students moved into their new homes in Oak and Tamarack halls and began their adventures as the university’s 101st incoming class.

The Aug. 23 Move-In Day kicked off the university’s Orientation & Welcome Week, which included BSU’s traditional Convocation ceremony and a variety of activities meant to help new students adjust to life in college.

Housing and Residential Life staff helped students register and answered questions while BSU student-athletes were on hand to help students move in. BSU President Faith Hensrud also stopped by to meet students and their families.

Bemidji State University’s Niizhoo-gwayakochigewin — an Ojibwe phrase which translates to “two ways of making things right” — program is offering a new area of study. Students can now pursue a major or minor in indigenous sustainability studies in the fall of 2019.

The indigenous sustainability studies major and minor will combine indigenous perspectives with environmental sustainability initiatives to create a unique academic program.

Classes for the major and minor include an even balance of environmental and indigenous studies classes, complimented by five unique courses:

• Food Sovereignty: Health and Indigenous Environments
• Environment, Wellness and the Sacred Connection to Place
• Sustainable Communities: A Global Indigenous Perspective
• Sustainable Communities: A Local Indigenous Perspective
• Indigenous Environmental Knowledge: A Global Perspective

Students can learn to appreciate and use the multiple worldview provided by understanding western and indigenous knowledge perspectives to help create long-term sustainable changes in the world.

About Niizhoo-gwayakochigewin

Niizhoo-gwayakochigewin, created in spring of 2018, draws from the university’s Sustainability Office, Department of Languages and Indigenous Studies, Department of Environmental Studies and American Indian Resource Center to create a single co-curricular program.

It is a three-year, grant-funded program that aims to expand the understanding of sustainability and have students use both scientific and indigenous perspectives to help bring long-term, sustainable changes to the world. They also look to expand the cultural awareness of the BSU community and faculty in regards to Indigenous students, culture and history.

Contact

• Erika Bailey-Johnson, Niizhoo-gwayakochigewin and sustainability office director ; 218-755-2560, Erika.Bailey-Johnson@bemidjistate.edu

Links

• Niizhoo-gwayakochigewin Program
• Indigenous Sustainability Studies

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

2020-B-031

Bemidji State University’s class of 2023 concluded orientation weekend festivities with Sunday in the Park on Aug. 25. The Outdoor Program Center hosted students at the BSU Waterfront in Diamond Point Park for a variety of free beach and lake activities.

About BSU’s Outdoor Program Center

The Outdoor Program Center is dedicated to providing the university community with outdoor experiential learning opportunities which allow us to enjoy the outdoors, explore our personal potential and develop a respect and understanding of the earth’s natural systems and our responsibilities within them.

Dr. Angela Fournier, professor of psychology at Bemidji State University, has been featured in several news publications and articles for her research and presentation at the American Psychological Association. Her research details how veterinarians and others who work with animals face stressors that may contribute to poor mental health, compassion fatigue and burnout. Fournier reports that because professionals in this field are witness to animal suffering and death on a routine basis, they are at a greater risk for depression, anxiety and even suicide.

Fournier says it may be necessary to focus on the big picture and the fact that these professionals are making a difference and animals have been saved, rather than dwelling on individual stories of crisis and loss. She believes self-care is also critical to ensuring the mental health of those who work and volunteer with animals.

Contact

• Dr. Angela Fournier, Professor of Psychology; (218) 755-2530, angela.fournier@bemidjistate.edu

Links

• American Psychological Association
• News Medical Life Sciences
• Science Daily
• KTIV
• Medicine News Line

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

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Bemidji State University’s American Indian Resource Center held the 12th annual Day of Welcome on Aug. 28. The event started with a welcome and honor song, a pipe ceremony and a blessing.

Attendees were also invited inside the AIRC to attend a student services fair and have a taste of mannomin (wild rice).

Contact

• Ann Humphrey, assistant director of the American Indian Resource Center; ann.humphrey@bemidjistate.edu, (218) 755-3353

Links

• American Indian Resource Center

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

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Bemidji State University’s Talley Gallery will begin its 2019-20 exhibition calendar with the “linebyline” art exhibit featuring selected works from the Lillie M. Kleven collection.

Kleven’s collection has been an educational resource for BSU students since the 1970s and has grown to more than 500 works by an array of artists. The “linebyline” exhibition will shine a spotlight on intricate works accomplished using simple drawing tools and techniques. Showcased artists include Gendron Jensen, Maki Haku, Dale DeArmond and others renowned for their use of line variations to create a visual story.

About the Talley Gallery

Bemidji State University’s Talley Gallery was dedicated to the memory of Ila Mae Talley on Sept. 27, 1975. Talley joined the Bemidji State Teachers College faculty in 1946 and taught at the college until her death in 1963. During her tenure, she organized the Bemidji Creative Arts Center and the Minnesota Art Education Exchange, now known as the Art Educators of Minnesota. At BSC, she taught a variety of students in elementary art, techniques of weaving, introduction to art and methods of teaching art.

The Talley Gallery’s exhibits, collections and programs have supplemented BSU art education and cultivated a greater understanding of and appreciation for creative expression in the Bemidji region. Each year, the gallery hosts six visiting professional artists and juries three BSU student shows – two senior art shows and one scholarship show. All Talley Gallery activities are supported by the Bemidji State student activity fee.

Located in Bridgeman Hall room 140 on the campus of Bemidji State University, the Talley Gallery is barrier-free and open at no charge to the public. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Contact

• Laura Goliaszewski, Talley Gallery director; (218) 755-3737, laura.goliaszewski@bemidjistate.edu

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

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Several Bemidji State University mathematics and computer science faculty members presented at the 15th International Conference of The Mathematics Education for the Future Project held in Maynooth, Ireland at Maynooth University Aug. 4 -9.

The Mathematics Education for the Future Project was founded in 1986 as an international non-profit body encouraging innovation in mathematics, statistics, science & computer education. Since 1999 there have been 14 conferences throughout the world. The goal of the conferences are to support and enhance the work of teachers, promote the learning of mathematics, and represent and promote interests in mathematics education.

Dr. Jenna O’Dell, assistant professor of mathematics and computer science, and Dr. Todd Frauenholtz, professor of mathematics and computer science, presented initial results from their research with middle school students titled “An Unsolved Graph Theory Problem: Comparing Solutions of Grades 4, 6, & 8.”

Dr. Derek Webb, professor of mathematics and computer science and department chair, presented a paper, co-authored with Dr. Porter Coggins, professor of professional education, and Dr. James Barta, dean of the College of Arts, Education and Humanities, titled “The Mathematical Culture of Ojibwe Students – An Ethnographic Study.”

Dr. Heidi Hansen, associate professor of mathematics and computer science, presented a paper, co-authored with Marta T. Magiera, associate professor of mathematical and statistical sciences at Marquette University, titled “Working Together: A Cross-cultural Study Addressing Mathematics Anxiety in K-8 Pre-service Teachers.”

All papers were also published in the conference proceedings.

Contact

• Dr. Todd Frauenholtz, Professor of Mathematics & Computer Science; (218) 755-2817, todd.frauenholtz@bemidjistate.edu

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

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Bemidji State University invited Bemidji and the surrounding community residents to join faculty, staff, administrators and students on campus Aug. 29 for its 14th annual Community Appreciation Day.

The event featured dozens of booths from various campus departments, local businesses and organizations, along with a variety of games for children, a bounce house and BSU washable tattoos. Student-athletes from BSU’s varsity intercollegiate athletics programs also led games and activities for kids and “Meet the Beavers” sessions. Community Appreciation Day again featured “A Taste of BSU”, a free sampling of food items from local restaurants and organizations.

This year’s food and beverage sponsors include Aramark, Big River Scoop, Culver’s, Harmony Natural Foods Co-op, Lueken’s Deli & Grill, Jimmy Johns, Minnesota Nice Cafe & Catering, Mediterranean Gyros & Hummus, Nei Bottling, Paul Bunyan Broadcasting, RP Broadcasting, Sanford Center, Subway and Tara/Slurp.

Bemidji State University’s 14th Annual Community Appreciation Day was sponsored by Paul Bunyan Communications; the Bemidji Pioneer; Paul Bunyan Broadcasting, which includes radio stations Z99, KB101, KZY95.5, and KBUN 1450 AM; and RP Broadcasting, which includes Real Country 98.3, Mix 103.7, WMIS 92.1 The River, Talk Radio 1360 AM and 1300 AM The Legends.

Bemidji State University, located amid the lakes and forests of northern Minnesota, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling more than 5,100 students, Bemidji State offers more than 80 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degrees encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. The university’s Shared Fundamental Values include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and international and multicultural understanding. For more, visit bemidjistate.edu or find us at BemidjiState on most of your favorite social media networks.

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