Wednesday, March 03, 2010

MSUM prepares for flood fight

Kelsey Roseth, Staff Writer

One look at the thermostat tells students that the F-M area is still in the depths of winter.
Despite the overwhelming evidence of the winter season, the campus community is already panicking over the approach of spring. Walking around campus, any student is bound to hear the worried question, “What’s going to happen when the river rises?”
Last year, the Red River swelled to a whopping 41 feet, one and a half feet higher than the catastrophic 1997 flood. Students at MSUM logged countless hours of community service as they raced the clock, attempting to sandbag the city of Moorhead into safety. The National Weather Service estimates that this year there is a 90 percent chance the F-M area will reach or exceed the major flood stage.

Lommen Hall renovated to be ‘more desirable and efficient’

Andrew Jason, Staff Writer

Since early last year, students and staff have witnessed the transformation of Lommen Hall from an almost 80-year-old structure to a modern building. The new Lommen is designed to be the perfect place to learn and work.
According to Dan Kirk, vice president of administration and facilities, the first half of the project was completed in January of this year and as anybody that has walked by Lommen has noticed, the second stage was started immediately afterward. The second stage includes the two-story section on the eastern side while the first stage included the one-story building on the western end. 

Benefit to raise money to support medical funds for art director

Megan Nitschke, Editor

Family and friends of Graphic Arts Director Dave Wallace will be hosting a benefit for him at 5:30 p.m. on Monday at the Hotel Donaldson.
In June of 2009, Wallace was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL). 

Theater Arts director joins cast of “Spelling Bee”

Megan Nitschke, Editor

Music Theatre Fargo-Moorhead (MTFM) will be presenting a musical-comedy this weekend at the Fargo Moorhead Community Theater.
“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” by William Finn and Rachel Sheinkin, will feature MSUM theater director, Craig Ellingson; two MSUM alums; an MSUM theater and arts major, Katie Adducci; a stage manager, a lighting designer and several students in the orchestra, which is directed by MSUM music professor Julie Adams.

Film festival artist visits MSUM

Conor Holt, Staff Writer

Renowned filmmaker and festival programmer Skizz Cyzyk visited MSUM last week as part of the visiting artist program in the film department.  Cyzyk spoke at several film classes and gave a seminar on entering film festivals and screened several of his award-winning short films, along with footage from his current film projects.

Reading program focuses on core values

Holly Lavecchia, Columnist

Graduating college students often leave school without a written-in-stone plan. One Minnesota Americorps program can ease grads into the work force and give them a rewarding, real-life experience.
The Minnesota Reading Corps is a program that can be found in hundreds of grade schools across the state, and enables tutors to work with children age three to grade three on improving their reading proficiency. 

Men’s basketball ends season Novak contends for freshman of the year, team looks toward future

Timothy Stulken, Sports Editor

The Dragons men’s basketball team ended its season on a high note, winning three of its last four games.
The Dragons lost their last home game to Northern State 66-60 on Feb. 24, but defeated Crookston 77-69 Saturday in the final game of the season.
Head coach Stu Engen said that the team improved toward the end of the season.

Nash-Gerlach leads women Rettke hits 1,000 career points, team to compete in NSIC tournament

Michael Smith, Assistant Editor

MSUM senior Alison Nash-Gerlach was named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the second time this season.
Nash-Gerlach averaged 22.5 points and 15 rebounds per game over the last week, while tying the single-season record for free-throws made in a season with 160.

Editorial: Stay strong through flood fight preparation

Editorial Staff

Students were the heroes of last year’s flood fight. The Red River Valley was in crisis and it was the students who answered the call of the community.
Are the expectations the same for this year?

Letter to the Editor: Response: red flags raised?

Letter to the Editor

Tiegen Kosiak / Professor

The editors of The Advocate have accused me of “running blindly with (my) own personal ideas” and have assumed that the class I teach does not follow the guidelines required to move my students forward in their education. 
In response I’d like to say that while my essay in “The Yellow Bicycle” did portray me as a film-lover, it did not once say that I have thrown academic reading or writing by the wayside.  In fact, the essay detailed how I use all four films viewed in my class as prompts for composing papers, papers that my students organize, draft, revise and polish before placing in my dedicated, educated hands.