News northern Four speakers visit campus as part of NSU Common Read Empowering, inspiring, powerful – all are words that could describe the individuals who spoke at Northern State University this semester as part of the university’s second annual Common Read. Record-holding hiker Jennifer Pharr Davis presented “A Life of Exploration” on Oct. 15 in an event that was sponsored by the NSU Women’s Club and NSU Chapter of the American Association of University Women. A long-distance hiker from Asheville, N.C., Pharr Davis has hiked as far away as Africa and Australia as well as various locations around the U.S. She holds the record for the fastest through hike of the Appalachian Trail. She is the first woman to hold this honor, breaking the record in 2011. Her books, “Becoming Odyssa” and “Called Again: A Story of Love and Triumph,” detail her adventures on the Appalachian Trail, including her record-breaking trek. Pharr Davis, founder of Blue Ridge Hiking Co., was named National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2012. She has also been featured on various national television and radio shows and in numerous national publications. Myra Dahgaypaw, a human rights activist and former refugee, discussed issues in her homeland of Burma and the new Karen population in South Dakota. Dahgaypaw presented “A Conversation about Burma and the Karen” on Oct. 21 in an event sponsored by the NSU Center of Excellence in International Business and Entrepreneurship, Office of International Programs and NSU Honors Program. She also spoke Oct. 22 at the Huron Community Campus. Dahgaypaw spent about 12 years as an internally displaced person and 17 years as a refugee. She has lost many family members and friends to the brutality of Burma’s military regime, and she has played a strong role in her community as an organizer and a human rights advocate since age 13. Her goal is to make sure that genocide in Burma is not forgotten, and to bring more attention to such issues in order to help prevent genocide from continuing. Dahgaypaw is currently the campaigns coordinator for the U.S. Campaign for Burma inWashington, D.C. She has been a member of the KarenWomen’s Organization, a board member of the Karen American Communities Foundation, a former Burmese human rights advocate at the United Nations and a recipient of the Carl Wilkens Fellowship with Genocide Intervention Network. Nationally known author Jeannette Walls, whose best-selling memoir “The Glass Castle” has inspired millions, shared her tale of triumph over adversity in the main Common Read lecture on Nov. 20 in an event sponsored by the NSU Honors Program. More than 400 freshmen at Northern read “The Glass Castle” as part of their first-year seminar. In “The Glass Castle,” Walls describes growing up in the desert of the American Southwest and then in a West Virginia mining town with her three siblings and the brilliant but irresponsible parents who neglect their children but also love them and teach them to face their fears. The story is at times harrowing and at times hilarious as the children go without food and indoor plumbing yet are encouraged to read Shakespeare and dream of the beautiful glass house they will all one day build. Despite all her hardships, Walls develops the determination to leave West Virginia on her own at age 16, move to New York City, enroll in college and eventually become a wellknown columnist and television personality. Critics have called this inspirational memoir “spectacular,” “extraordinary,” “incredible” and “riveting.” The story gives hope to those facing challenges and makes them realize anything is possible. “The Glass Castle” has spent more than four years on the New York Times best-seller list and has been named one of the “Top 10 Books of the Decade” by Amazon. It has sold 3.5 million copies in the U.S. alone, and has been translated into 22 languages. Its numerous awards also include the Christopher Award, the American Library Association’s Alex Award and the Books for Better Living Award. In 2012, Lionsgate purchased the rights to The Glass Castle and will be producing the movie, starring Jennifer Lawrence from “The Hunger Games” and “Silver Linings Playbook.” NSU graduate Dr. Darryl Tonemah helped new students envision all that their college experience can be at a Common Read lecture on Aug. 25 in an event hosted by the NSU Honors Program and Native American Student Association. Tonemah, who graduated from NSU in 1989, has accepted a contractual opportunity to work with NSU Student Affairs to help with recruitment of Native American students from the region. Tonemah, who is also a graduate of AberdeenCentral High School, is of Kiowa, Comanche and Tuscarora heritage. He is an active advocate for American Indian affairs, and he sits on numerous state and national boards addressing disparities in education and health care among the Native community. Tonemah recently joined the Stephen Covey group as a trainer for “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.” He is also an actor and award-winning recording artist. 14 northern today
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