SPRING 2013
Contents northern state university SPRING 2013 2 northern today 5 4 6 8 9 11 11 11 10 DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITY RELATIONS FOR THE NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION WRITTEN by Elissa Dickey Brenda Dreyer Lauren Weaver EDITOR Brenda Dreyer DESIGN Amanda Mahlke FOUNDATION PRESIDENT AND CEO Todd Jordre ADDRESS FOR MAGAZINE INQUIRIES: University Relations Northern State University 1200 S. Jay St., Aberdeen, S.D. 57401 brenda.dreyer@northern.edu About Northern State University Northern State University is a premier residential, liberal arts institution characterized by outstanding instruction, extraordinary community relations, and unparalleled co-curricular opportunities. In August 2012, NSU was again named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the best undergraduate public institutions in the Midwest. For more information about NSU, visit our website at northern.edu. SENIOR CABINET Dr. James M. Smith, President Dr. Thomas Hawley, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Ms. Debbi Bumpous, Chief Information Officer, NET Services Ms. Brenda Dreyer, Director, University Relations Ms. Veronica Paulson, Vice President for Finance and Administration Mr. Todd Jordre, Foundation President and CEO Mr. John Meyer, University Counsel Dr. Calvin Phillips, Vice President of Student Affairs Mr. Josh Moon, Athletic Director, University Athletics ESPN’s Buster Olney delivers spring commencement address A nationally known baseball expert – and friend of Northern’s nationally known basketball coach – returned to campus this spring. Capital Campaign to support johnson fine arts center Additional seating will allow the university to attract major touring companies. NSU GROUP TRAVELS TO INDIA The group traveled to the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune, visiting high school students at their schools. Sharing NSU and Aberdeen’s story in South Korea Even though Seung Jun Lee left Aberdeen five years ago, the community has never really left him. Looking back at 2012-13 Winter Sports The winter sports season came to a close in early March. Meuleners finishes his career as one of the most decorated wrestlers in NSU history. gypsy days Recognizing Distinguished Alumni and Hall of Fame. NSU Retro Night Games Basketball fans young and old had the chance to relive the glory of NSU basketball inside the Civic Arena Feb. 22 and 23 during Retro Weekend. Events held in newly remodeled Krikac Auditorium Northern State University had plenty of opportunities to show off the newly remodeled Krikac Auditorium this spring. upcoming events Please join us for an alumni gathering or celebrate NSU at the next Gypsy Days. One of the restored stained glass windows in Krikac Auditorium. on the cover
Letter from the president northern today 3 At the close of an academic year, it’s common to reflect on the accomplishments from months past. While we have plenty of those to celebrate, I’d like to instead begin by looking to the future and sharing extraordinary news about some of our recent graduates. Here are four shining examples of the exceptional students we have here at Northern: Megan Case won the largest scholarship possible for graduate studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, where she will study voice; Jennifer Kilber has been accepted into the prestigious Northwestern University’s graduate school for marketing; former Wolves volleyball star Jordan Schaffer has been accepted into Northern Arizona’s doctor of physical therapy program; and Joe Klipfel – whose outstanding academic work ethic is praised by our Honors Program director – is planning to work full time while attending graduate school part time through North Dakota State University. Congratulations to these fine young individuals – their success demonstrates how Northern truly opens a world of possibilities to its students! Speaking of students to be proud of, I’m sure everyone has heard of the astounding achievements of Wolves wrestler Matt Meuleners. Matt ended his career as one of the most decorated wrestlers in NSU history and as the Wolves’ only four-time All-American. He won back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012, losing his bid for a third straight national title, just weeks ago in Birmingham, Ala., in an extremely tight match. Matt also holds the NSU record for most wins in a career – impressive, indeed! Keeping with the sports theme, this spring, our campus hosted some exciting guests. Most recently, ESPN baseball expert Buster Olney returned to campus to deliver our commencement address. Buster has spent a tremendous amount of time in our area over the past several years, mostly working on his book about Coach Meyer; so he has essentially become part of the NSU family – in his own words, he feels like “an adopted son to the Northern community.” It’s always an honor to host him, and we appreciate the inspiring message he shared with our graduates and their friends and family in attendance. Also this spring, the campus – and community – bustled with activity from state high school wrestling and basketball tournaments. Considering how incredibly packed the Barnett Center was during those weekends, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that attendance here is as high, if not higher, than at tournaments in other communities across the state. Kudos to all who make these events function as smoothly as they do! Summer semester is now in full swing, and we are already gearing up for another solid enrollment year this fall. We continue to carefully focus our work on student retention to graduation. Thus, I encourage you to help us in our efforts by sharing what you love about Northern with any potential student you might know, as well as by continuing to make Aberdeen a welcoming community for our current and future students, as well – you’ll see in two of the articles enclosed, the student body is becoming more diverse and international in nature year by year. Thank you for all that you do to make NSU shine, and do have a wonderful summer! Go Wolves! We are already gearing up for another solid enrollment year this fall. president james m. smith The campus – and community – bustled with activity from state high school wrestling and basketball tournaments. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that attendance here is as high, if not higher, than at tournaments in other communities across the state. Kudos to all who make these events function as smoothly as they do!
News northern 4 northern today ESPN’s Buster Olney delivers spring commencement address “I feel like an adopted son to the Northern community...and will be proud to help celebrate the seniors on such an important day for them,” Olney said. A nationally known baseball expert – and friend of Northern’s nationally known basketball coach – returned to campus this spring. ESPN’s Buster Olney, who has written a book about Coach Don Meyer, was Northern’s 2013 spring commencement speaker. Olney, a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine, delivered the commencement address at theMay 4 ceremony in the Barnett Center. Olney’s book about Meyer, “How Lucky You Can Be,” was released in 2011. He is also author of the best-selling “The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty.” A former New York Times sports writer, Olney grew up in Vermont and graduated from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tenn. “I feel like an adopted son to the Northern community, after spending so much time there over the last five years, and will be proud to help celebrate the seniors on such an important day for them,” Olney said previously. NSU President Jim Smith said the university was honored to have Olney on campus for commencement. “He knows Aberdeen well; he enjoys life here on the Great Plains; and, of course, his friendship with Coach Don Meyer has evolved, in an exceptionally positive way, over the past few years,” Smith said. ABOVE: Left to right: Kari (Laubach) LaFave (’87), Dr. Alan LaFave (’85, dean, School of Fine Arts), Josh Moon (director of athletics), Bill Christensen (’75), Jim Thares, and Tracy Thares. ABOVE: Front row left to right: Glenn Leffler (’56), Maureen (Smith) Bohall (’58), Jane (Sheldon) Hawk (’56), Dorothy Sweet (’75), William Jones (’55). Middle row left to right: Jeannette Sorge (’69), Connie (Collins) Jones (’59), Pat Birgen, Max Hawk (’57), Lonn Sweet, Dr. Connie Ruhl-Smith (director of special initiatives), Helen Cooper. Back row left to right: Josh Moon (director of athletics), Jack Clark (’57), Louise (Ham) Clark (’58), John Beck (’55), Oscar Oland (’59), Jerry Birgen, Dale Cooper (’59), Dr. James Smith (president, NSU), Mike Birgen (’92, vice president of athletic major gifts and alumni relations). Alumni Event at the home of Mike and Barb Evans in Scottsdale, Ariz. alumni Event at the Hillcrest Golf Club in Sun City West, Ariz.
northern today 5 News northern Additional seating will allow the university to attract major touring companies in dance, music and theater to make the university a stopping point on their national tours. In the early 1970s, Northern State University opened the Johnson Fine Arts Center, and the building was a jewel of NSU, Aberdeen and northeastern South Dakota. Over the years, and especially in the last 10, the School of Fine Arts has grown. This growth has yielded a great challenge for NSU: the need for additional space. Now, NSU is embarking on an ambitious renovation and addition of the JFAC. The NSU Foundation – in conjunction with NSU President Dr. James Smith and NSU Dean of the School of Fine Arts Dr. Alan LaFave – is launching a capital campaign to raise the necessary funds to complete the JFAC project. NSU has recognized that as the 21st century unfolds, support is needed so that the School of Fine Arts can continue to lead the curve in providing a world-class educational experience for its students. This future expansion and renovation of the JFAC will help meet the growing needs for the School of Fine Arts as administrators plan for continued enrollment growth and increased quality in the program. “The Johnson Fine Arts Center has served the university and community well for the past 40 years. This renovation and expansion will help meet the programming needs of the university, School of Fine Arts and entire community for the next era of students and patrons, and will solidify NSU as the cultural hub of the region,” said Alan LaFave, dean of the School of Fine Arts. “The renovation will include a completely redesigned main theater space, expanded lobby, art gallery, black box theater, ticket office, new classrooms, rehearsal space, music faculty teaching studios and additional student practice rooms.” The stage facilities will include high-quality sound systems and advanced lighting systems. A new shell system would accompany the stage improvements. This will create an acoustically superior environment and will give the appearance of an elegant, permanent structure. Additional seating will allow the university to attract major touring companies in dance, music and theater to make the university a stopping point on their national tours. Also, the extra seating will make it possible to host South Dakota All-State Band and other high school fine arts events. LaFave said the current facility was designed for a program much smaller in size and scope than the current needs.The number of fine arts majors has doubled tomore than 250 students with nearly 600 students participating in fine arts activities and ensembles. “We are confident and excited that this renovation will provide state-of-the-art facilities for our current and future students and will provide room for continued growth of all of the fine arts programs. The support of our patrons, community and region will be critical to the successful completion of the project.” The overall cost of the project will be around $10 million. The source of the funds will be $5 million from the South Dakota Board of Regents, with the remaining $5 million to be raised through the previously mentioned capital campaign. Additionally, the School of Fine Arts provides approximately $100,000 in scholarship assistance through a combination of endowed and annual scholarships. While the dollar total given and total number of scholarships available have risen dramatically over the past few years, the cost of education and the pure number of students interested in studying the fine arts have surpassed the available scholarship dollars. This creates the need to increase the number of endowed scholarships. An added goal of this campaign is to amplify the total endowment by $1 million, which would yield approximately an additional $40,000 per year in scholarships. If you are interested in supporting this capital campaign, please contact Todd Jordre at the NSU Foundation at 605-626-2550 or todd.jordre@northern.edu. Capital campaign to support School of Fine Arts, renovation of the Johnson Fine Arts Center
News northern A trio of Northern State University administrators embarked on the university’s first-ever student recruitment trip to India this winter. Dr. Bill Broucek, dean of the NSU School of Business; Dr. Connie Ruhl-Smith, director of special initiatives; and Dr. Jim Smith, president, experienced a brand new culture and received a warm welcome during their January visit. Northern is reaching out to that country because, though it has international students from 16 different countries, the university currently has no students from India. “We are working hard to rectify that missing piece of the international puzzle by actively recruiting in India and through other venues, such as EducationUSA,” Ruhl-Smith said. The group traveled to the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune. Visiting high school students at their schools (Podar International School; Tridha School of Mumbai, a Rudolf Steiner school; Oakridge International School; NSU GROUP TRAVELS TO INDIA Northern is reaching out to that country because, though it has international students from 16 different countries, the university currently has no students from India. Venkateshwar International School; St. Mary’s School, Dwarka) was one of the best parts of the trip, Ruhl-Smith said. Other highlights included meeting the people and getting a better understanding of their culture; and witnessing the way that the Indian people celebrate events, especially weddings. Like any trip abroad, this one came with some surprises – including the level of poverty they witnessed. “Up and down the sides of the roads are people living in cardboard boxes and leantos,” Ruhl-Smith said. Traffic in Mumbai and Delhi, they said, was horrible. “You are competing with bicycles, ox carts, auto-rickshaws, motorbikes and other cars/trucks/buses on the roadways,” RuhlSmith said. “The traffic can also include people walking down the street (maybe the middle or maybe the side) carrying items on their heads that they are transporting and animals roaming everywhere. The cows run free and will stop traffic (and the traffic does stop for them) – so too will pigs.” 6 northern today The group traveled to the cities of New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Pune, visiting high school students at their schools.
News northern NSU GROUP TRAVELS TO INDIA northern today 7 “We know that most of the international students have a very good experience while here at NSU; we would like students from other countries, such as India, to have the opportunity to have some of the same positive experiences,” Ruhl-Smith said. The positives of the trip, however, far outweighed any challenges. Broucek said the people they met were very friendly and accommodating. “We were made to feel welcome and shown great hospitality everywhere that we went,” he said. They also got to sample delicious dishes. “We had very few items we did not care for and, personally, I could live on Hyderabadstyle Biryani,” Smith said. “It is a rice and chicken dish that is truly spectacular.” Though recruitment trips involve long days of work, they did get a chance to visit tourist sites such as the Taj Mahal, Kingdom of Dreams and Hanging Gardens. With the first successful trip completed, work continues. Northern is partnering with colleges and universities, including Wadia College and KIIT School of Law; Broucek, Ruhl-Smith and Smith continue to get feedback from the high schools they visited; and marketing teams are assisting with overall student outreach. NSU hopes to finalize a memorandum of understanding soon with a major institute in India for a 2+2 program in business. A Northern representative will likely attend country-wide college fairs – which allow thousands of students to visit a booth targeted at NSU’s program offerings – in India next year. Dates and locations are not yet finalized, but details will be announced at the EducationUSA Forum 2013 in Washington, D.C., in June. Ruhl-Smith, along with Stacey Schmidt, international student advisor; Brendan Carson, English as a Second Language/Intensive English Program director; and Richard O’Rourke, Northern’s new international recruiter, will attend. NSU’s international team will also be working on a plan to determine the next targeted countries for expanding Northern’s international footprint. “We know that most of the international students have a very good experience while here at NSU; we would like students from other countries, such as India, to have the opportunity to have some of the same positive experiences,” Ruhl-Smith said. “And we would like our domestic students to have the experience of interacting with students from other parts of the world and expand their awareness of what life is like in other lands through their interactions.” NSU Foundation receives $425,000 estate gift from former Redfield hospital administrator The Northern State University Foundation has received a gift of $425,000 from the estate of NSU graduate and former Redfield hospital administrator Laurel Winjum. Winjum was born in Frederick and graduated from Frederick High School. She graduated from Northern in 1948 with a degree in teaching and minors in history, economics and sociology. Winjum then moved to Redfield, where she taught business classes at Redfield High School from 1948 until 1956 while working part time at the Redfield hospital. While working at the hospital, she developed a keen interest in lab and X-ray science and returned to Northern State to obtain a degree in lab science and obtain her American Society for Clinical Pathology certification. She served as administrator of Community Memorial Hospital for several years until retiring in 1989. She wintered in Mission, Texas, for several years. “Over the years I had the pleasure of visiting with Laurel on numerous occasions. She was a fun and exciting individual who really lived life to its fullest. In fact, Laurel was well-known as a fine marksman, spending a lot of time in the fields hunting pheasants!” said Michael Bockorny, vice president of investments and annual fund. “By leaving a gift like this, her legacy of helping others will continue on in perpetuity, something I believe Laurel would be most pleased with.” Bockorny said the funds will support Northern’s WolfPACT Scholarship Program and help the students of NSU, both present and those yet to come, achieve their goal of obtaining a college degree. The WolfPACT is the highest four-year guaranteed scholarship in the state of South Dakota. For more information on NSU or the WolfPACT, visit northern.edu or call the Foundation at 605-626-2550.
Even though Seung Jun Lee left Aberdeen five years ago, the community has never really left him. Lee studied for one semester at Northern State University in spring 2008, and he enjoyed his time here somuch that he named his business back in his home country after the city. Lee and his wife, Claire, are owners of Aberdeen Story, a coffee shop in Seoul, South Korea. “He enjoyed NSU so much that he has always kept it close to his heart,” said Stacey Schmidt, NSU international student advisor, whom Lee calls his “American mother.” Indeed, Lee said he chose the name for his business because it keeps him connected to his past time in Aberdeen – his “precious memory.” He also has good memories of time spent studying in Northern’s Williams Library. Schmidt said his store has a large area that has study rooms for students to rent – a popular practice in South Korea. Schmidt has worked with employees of the NSU bookstore and post office to send Lee some Northern and Aberdeen materials to display at his business. The items from Aberdeen are perfect, Schmidt said, because they contain the city’s slogan: “Write your story.” Lee said he displays these souvenirs and brochures so his customers will know “the small and peaceful town in the Midwest.” He said he misses the lifestyle on the Northern campus, attending class wearing a hoodie and shopping for groceries at WalMart. He also enjoyed taking a bus tour of other cities, such as the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Lee, who works at a bank in Seoul, said NSU helped prepare him for his career as both a banker and a business owner. “The sense of self-confidence was the biggest asset that I learned at Aberdeen – not to mention the speaking English,” he said. “I am still proud of myself for having an NSU student ID card.” For more on Lee’s business, Aberdeen Story, visit: www.aberdeenstory.com 8 northern today News northern “The sense of self-confidence was the biggest asset that I learned at Aberdeen...,” Lee said. Sharing NSU and Aberdeen’s story in South Korea “He enjoyed NSU so much that he has always kept it close to his heart,” said Schmidt Alumni Event at the home of Mike and Barb Evans in Scottsdale, Ariz. Left to right: Carol Leach and Jim Leach.
News northern Meuleners finishes his career as one of the most decorated wrestlers in NSU history. The winter sports season came to a close in early March with both NSU basketball teams in post-season tournament competition and two individual wrestlers competing on the national stage. Both the NSU men’s and women’s basketball squads hosted first-round NSIC tournament games by virtue of their Top 4 finishes in the NSIC North Division standings. The women’s squad hung on through the end of the regular season to finish fourth in the North, earning them a first-round match-up with Wayne State. The two teams also met in the first round of last season’s NSIC tournament when WSC was the regular season champion and NSU claimed the No. 8 seed. WSC got the upper hand in that game, but it was the Wolves who turned the tables in 2013. NSU moved on to face regular season champion Concordia-St. Paul on the road in the tournament quarterfinals. The Wolves were the only team in the NSIC North to hand the Golden Bears a loss in the regular season, but were unable to replicate the outcome in tournament play, falling 80-65. The Wolves ended the season at 16-12 overall. The men picked up the No. 2 seed in the North Division, securing themselves home-court advantage for both the first and second rounds of the tournament. The Wolves took advantage, surviving a physical back-and-forth battle with the University of Sioux Falls in the first round before falling to a nationally ranked Augustana squad in the quarterfinals. The post-season home games were the first for the Wolves since the 2008 conference tournament. The first-round win over USF – a conference newcomer – gave the Wolves their first 20-win season under head coach Paul Sather. NSU ended its season at 20-9 overall. In wrestling action, Northern State sophomore Anthony Bruno and senior Matt Meuleners stamped their tickets to the national tournament via their finishes at the NCAA Super Region 3 meet in late February. Bruno, making a return to his native state of Alabama, went 1-2 at 125 pounds and just missed a shot at what would have been his first All-American certificate. Meuleners set out to defend his back-toback titles at heavyweight and marched through the early competition before falling 4-3 to Tyrell Fortune of Grand Canyon University. Meuleners hit a flurry of late shots, including one on the edge of the mat late in the third period, but was unable to finish any for the win. A native of Young America, Minn., Meuleners finishes northern today 9 his career as one of the most decorated wrestlers in NSU history, becoming the Wolves’ first four-time NCAA Division II All-American. Northern State senior hurdler LukeHauert closed out his indoor track and field career as the bright spot for the Wolves’ program. Hauert hit the NCAA provisional qualifying standard in the 60-meter hurdles in every meet he competed in this season, but barely missed the cut to qualify for the national championships field. Hauert, a native of Plankinton, S.D., was the NSIC champion in that event and the NSIC Indoor Championships. Looking back at 2012-13 Winter Sports ABOVE: Left to right: Mike Birgen (’92, vice president of athletic major gifts and alumni relations), Josh Moon (director of athletics), Mike Evans (’72), Barb Evans, Dr. Alan LaFave (’85, dean, School of Fine Arts), Kari (Laubach) LaFave (’87), Mike Bockorny (’97, vice president of investments and annual fund). ABOVE: Left to right: Carol Ward, Dr. Connie Ruhl-Smith (director of special initiatives), Dr. James Smith (president, NSU), Gerald Ward (’70). Alumni Event at the home of Mike and Barb Evans in Scottsdale, Ariz.
10 northern today News northern Ryan Miller, B.S. in physical education ‘01 Ryan Miller has a Bachelor of Science degree in physical education. He ranks 10th on Northern’s all-time scoring list after leading his teams to four straight conference championships and the 1998 regional title. He was named a Division II AllAmerican in 1997-98. Miller was drafted into the CBA in 1999 and played professionally for the Fargo-Moorhead Beez of International Basketball Association that season. Currently, Miller is in his first year on Coach Tony Barbee’s staff at Auburn University. Miller is considered one of the top recruiters in the country. He has contacts throughout the U.S. as well as in countries including Australia, where he also played competitively. Frank Birch, B.S. in chemistry and B.S. in environmental science, ‘97 Frank Birch earned a B.S. in chemistry and environmental science from NSU in 1997. A standout with the football team from 1993 to 1996, Frank was a First Team All-NSIC selection in 1995 as a defensive tackle and in 1996 as an offensive tackle. He was a national qualifier for the wrestling team in 1995 and won the NSIC heavyweight title that year as well. He is the only undefeated wrestler in the history of NSU. Frank and his wife, Suzanne (Landreth), live in Byron, Minn., with their three children: Wesley, Lucas and Francesca. He is a quality engineer for Crenlo in Rochester, Minn. Dr. Jami Jo (Fiechtner) Peterson, B.S. in biology, ‘97 Dr. Jami Jo Peterson earned her Bachelor of Science in biology in 1997. At NSU, Jami was a nine-time All-NSIC performer and nine-time NSIC All-Academic selection. She became the first NSU female athlete to earn four straight all-conference honors in cross country. A veteran of Operation: Iraqi Freedom, Jami has an Army commendation medal and an Army Achievement Medal. She currently resides in Jacksonville, Fla., with her spouse, Kelley, who is a major in the U.S. Army Reserves. Jami is currently a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy and works as an internal medicine physician at Naval Hospital Jacksonville, where she is the department head of internal medicine. Shari (Carney) Kvistero, B.S. in elementary education and B.S. in special education, ‘98 A four-year member of the Wolves’ basketball team, Shari Kvistero ended her career as a member of NSU’s elite 1,000-point club. Shari holds NSU’s single-season field goal percentage at 71 percent after going 73-for-105 during the 1993-94 season. She was a First Team All-NSIC pick in 1997 and was a member of NSU’s NAIA national championship team in 1994. She also helped NSU to a 45-game win streak, including 32 straight to end the 1993-94 season. Shari and her husband, Aaron, reside in Sioux Falls with their twin boys, where she is a teacher. Dr. Connie (Waletich)Westhoff, B.S. in medical technology ’72 Dr. Connie M. Westhoff’s interest in medical sciences was inspired and fostered by mentors in biology and chemistry at Northern. In 1998, Westhoff received a National Institutes of Health Fellowship in Transfusion Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2006, she established the first laboratory for blood typing by DNA methods for the American Red Cross. In 2010, she assumed her present position as director of immunohematology and genomics at the New York Blood Center. Her current research focus is on improved matching of patients with blood donors for blood transfusion. She also leads an initiative to develop a web-based system to provide electronic access to rare blood types for patients in need. Connie lives in Manhattan, N.Y., with her husband, Dwane Wylie, and between them they have four children and four grandchildren. 2013 Gypsy Days Hall of Fame Inductees 2013 Gypsy Days Distinguished Alumni Inductee
News northern Events held in newly remodeled Krikac Auditorium northern today 11 UPCOMING EVENTS Glenham, S.D. Wolves ontheWater New Evarts Resort and Walth Bay May 31- June 1 northernstatewolves.com Aberdeen Football golf tournament June 7, 9:30 a.m. Lee Park Aberdeen Football reunion June 8, 4 p.m. Barnett Center New Addition Tour 5 p.m. Barbecue Melgaard Park Rapid City, S.D. Alumni golf June 28, noon Red Rock Golf Course Aberdeen Wachs Golf Classic July 7 and 8 Moccasin Creek Country Club Aberdeen Gypsy Days Community Luncheon Oct. 3, 11:30 a.m., NSU Student Center 50 Year Club Luncheon Oct. 4, at 11:30 a.m., NSU Student Center Hall of Fame Banquet Oct. 4, at 5 p.m., Dakota Event Center Football Reunion Oct. 4, at 7 p.m., Dakota Event Center Wrestling Reunion Oct. 4, at 7 p.m., Dakota Event Center Baseball Reunion Oct. 4, at 7 p.m., Dakota Event Center Softball Reunion Oct. 4, at 7 p.m., Dakota Event Center Alumni Tailgate Oct. 5, noon, Swisher Field NSU Football vs. MSU Moorhead Oct. 5, 2:30 p.m., Swisher Field Aberdeen Northern Night Nov. 23 Dakota Event Center For more information or to RSVP to these events, please call the NSU Foundation at 605-626-2550 or email nsualumni@northern.edu. Soccer Futsal Tournament: Back row left to right: Josh Moon (director of athletics), Laura (Skog) Dewitt (’10), Lexi Jares (’12), Aleasha DeVaney (’10), Katie Anderson (’12), Kendra Titze (’11), Kira Wannebo (’09). Front row left to right: Maggie (Fedor) Becker (’11), Kirsten Saunders (’10), Summer (Swan) Jark (’11). NSU Retro Night Games Basketball fans young and old had the chance to relive the glory of NSU basketball inside the Civic Arena Feb. 22 and 23 during Retro Weekend. The step back in time took place as the NSU Barnett Center was being used for the state high school wrestling tournament. The games featured the return of the Bud Man and special T-shirts celebrating former players and current seniors. Northern State University had plenty of opportunities to show off the newly remodeled Krikac Auditorium this spring. The auditorium has already hosted numerous events, including a theater production, speaker, comedian and public tour. The tour, held by the Aberdeen/Brown County Landmarks Commission, was led by Earl Weisenburger, director of Northern’s purchasing department and project manager for the Krikac Administration Building remodeling project. The building was updated at a cost of $1.5 million from the Higher Education Finance Fund. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held Feb. 5. Work included window replacement and the addition of central air conditioning in Krikac and adjoining Spafford Hall. In the auditorium, flooring and chairs were replaced and stainedglass windows were restored. The historic auditorium, which also got a wireless sound system and new stage lighting system, provides an ideal space for classes and performances. The total seating capacity in the auditorium is 378, including 75 seats in the balcony. Also, 57 chairs are equipped with power, data connection and tablet arms. Another 57 are equipped with tablet arms only. Built in 1907, the Krikac Administration Building is named after the late William K. Krikac, a Northern graduate and former vice president for Finance and Administration. Members of the Krikac family were special guests at the event, helping to cut the ribbon. Northern State University had plenty of opportunities to show off the newly remodeled Krikac Auditorium this spring.
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Aberdeen, SD Permit No. 77 605-626-2550, northern.edu, 1200 S. Jay St., SD 57401-7198 n o r t h e r n s tat e u n i v e r s i t y f o u n d at i o n Search “NSU Alumni” 1200 S. Jay St. Aberdeen, SD 57401-7198 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED w i t h n o r t h e r n s t a t e u n i v e r s i t y v i s i t n o r t h e r n . e d u / a l u m n i Alumni Event at the Claim Jumper in Tucson, ARIZ. Left to right: Jerry Birgen, Pat Birgen, Dr. James Smith (president, NSU), Dr. Connie Ruhl-Smith (director of special initiatives), Mike Birgen (’92 vice president of athletic major gifts and alumni relations), Brenda Spitzer (’69), David Likness (’59), Larry Norton (’70), and Connie Norton. alumni event at the home of Judy (Peterka) Dylla and Bernie Dylla Front row left to right: Bev (friend of Paul Bellin), Paul Bellin (’60), Shelly Rudploh, Karen (Haug) Smith (’79), Cathy Rabenberg, Dave Bartels, Ann (Van Hatten) Bartels (’83), DeAnn Click. Back row left to right: Jim Smith (president, NSU), Connie Ruhl-Smith (director of special initiatives), Lena Bohlen, Earl Bohlen (’80), Rodell Rudolph (’78), Scott Smith (’79), Barry Jark (’77), Dana Rabenberg (’74), Judy (Peterka) Dylla (’77), Bernie Dylla (’77), Barb (Biedenfeld) Schaefer (’74), Gene Schaefer, Janell (Lambert) Sueltz (’82), Dan Sueltz, Jay Frink (’86).
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