The Minot State University Department of History and the Minot Public Library are partnering to offer a Scan Day Saturday (March 5) to digitize family history materials brought in by the public. The Minot Public Library (516 2nd Ave. SW) will host the session from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Community members are invited to bring in a wide range of items, including photographs, letters, diaries, scrapbooks, home movies and other artifacts related to family and community history.

Bethany Andreasen and Dan Ringrose, history professors, trained history students as digital ambassadors for Scan Day. These ambassadors will work with individuals to select items for digitization among their family history materials. The ambassadors will then digitize the items and record descriptive information and context. Contributors will receive a free digital copy of their items and advice on preservation and tips for handling damaged materials. To read the full news release, visit http://www.minotstateu.edu/pio/news/2016/02/msu-history-department-and-minot-public-library-welcome-the-public-to-scan-day-on-march-5.shtml.

A 1943 arial photo of Minot is shown. 

Jaileen Brodziak and Chelsea Geis, Minot State University students in Leadership in Special Education (SPED 379), are teaming up with Minot's Second Story, the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities, the Student Social Work Organization and the Beta Theta Sorority, to get the Minot community to join in the social movement, Spread the Word to End the Word, Www.r-word.org. It advocates the eradication of the use of the “r-word” in everyday language and medical language. Brodziak and Geis encourage everyone to sign the pledge Wednesday and Thursday (March 2-3) in the Student Center second-floor hallway, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Special Olympics College at Minot State University also has a booth on Old Main’s first floor, where individuals sign the pledge Wednesday through Friday (March 2-4) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. To read the full news release, go to http://www.minotstateu.edu/pio/news/2016/02/msu-students-and-partners-spread-the-word-to-eend-the-word.shtml.

Minot Symphony Orchestra continues its 90th season, “From the New World,” Saturday (March 5) with the pops concert, “Southern Flavors.” The concert, directed by Maestro Efrain Amaya, will begin in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall at 7:30 p.m.

Opening with the traditional Armed Forces salute, MSO will journey down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico with Ferde Grofé's Mississippi Suite "A Journey in Tones" and selections from the Grand Canyon Suite. MSO will also sample the most acclaimed pieces by Mexican composers. Mezzo-soprano Gabrielle Damschen, winner of the MSU Senior Honors Concerto Competition, is a special guest.

Erik Anderson, music professor, will host a preconcert lecture, "The Journey from 2D to 3D," at 6:30 p.m. Minot State University students, faculty and staff are admitted free with a current ID. Ticket prices for adults are $25 main floor and $30 balcony; senior citizen is $20 main floor and $25 balcony; students 12-18, $15; children, $10. For more information about MSO, visit www.minotstateu.edu/symphony/.

On Monday (March 7) in the Conference Center at 7 p.m., the Visiting Writers Series will bring well-known authors to discuss a new book, "Fracture: Essays, Poems, and Stories on Fracking in America." Featured authors, who include Debra Marquart, Alison Hawthorne Deming, Taylor Brorby and Kathleen Dean Moore, will explore the complexities of fracking through firsthand experience, investigative journalism, storytelling and poetry.

Minot State University’s College of Arts and Sciences, Division of Humanities and the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, along with the North Dakota Humanities Council, sponsor the event. Admission is free. For questions, contact Ash Bowen, assistant professor of English, at ashley.bowen@minotstateu.edu.

The Northern Lights International Film Series continues Monday (March 7) with the 1985 Swedish dramatic film, "My Life as a Dog." The film begins at 6:30 p.m. with a social preceding the film at 6 p.m. The film follows the life of a 12-year-old boy sent to live in a country village when his mother falls ill. Warmhearted eccentrics give him a refuge from misfortune. Matthew Eddy, assistant professor of sociology, will lead discussion

The screening is free and open to the public. There will be a door prize drawing for a gift card to local restaurant supporter of the film series. For questions, contact Eddy at matthew.eddy@minotstateu.edu.

Evelyn Klimpel and Annette Mennem, University Diversity Committee members, and Ron Fischer, English associate professor, will lead discussion during a book talk Thursday (March 3) in the Conference Center at noon. The book is “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian” by Sherman Alexie. This event is free and open to the MSU community and the public. For questions, contact Mennem at Annette.mennem@minotstateu.edu.

The Minot State University Division of Science is hosting a regional Science Olympiad March 14 from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. Area middle school and high students will participate.

“Minot State’s Science Olympiad is one of five North Dakota regional events, and the winners advance to state competition in April,” said Robert Crackel, chemistry associate professor and Science Olympiad regional coordinator.

Twenty sessions are planned for participants from Bishop Ryan, Des Lacs Burlington, Drake-Anamoose, Garrison, Glenburn, Leeds, Minot, Nedrose, Rugby, Surrey and Velva.

For questions, contact Crackel at robert.crackel@minotstateu.edu or JoAnn Schapp, Bishop Ryan Catholic School science teacher and Science Olympiad regional coordinator, at Joschapp@brhs.com.

The photo shows students from last year’s Science Olympiad.

Minot State University welcomes Penny Belgarde, northwest region career resource coordinator with the North Dakota Career Resource Network. Belgarde works for Dakota College on MSU’s campus and serves educators and counselors in northwestern North Dakota in education and career development. She previously worked at Burdick Job Corps and has been in this position since November 2014.

March 2-31 — MSU Art Faculty’s Biennial Exhibit, Hartnett Gallery.

March 10-April 7 — “Night Life” by North Dakota native artist Monica Tininenko, Library Gallery. 

The Office of Public Information proudly shares the many accomplishments of faculty and staff with the campus community in every issue.

Holly Pedersen, special education assistant professor, presented Feb. 10-13 at the annual conference of the American College Educators of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing in New York. She presented research with special education and communication disorders graduate students, Wendy Palmer, Nichole Desautel, Katelyn Larson and Lindsey Buxbaum. Buxbaum and Pedersen highlighted “Comprehension of Internet Humor by Adolescents with Language Disorders or Hearing Loss,” while Palmer and Pedersen showcased “The impact of Direct Instruction on the Decoding and Comprehension Skills of Deaf Readers.” Pedersen and Larson presented “What’s So Special About Dads? Supporting Fathers of Deaf & Hard of Hearing Children in Early Intervention,” and Desautel and Pedersen delivered “North Dakota General Education Teachers’ Knowledge of American Sign Language Interpreters in the Classroom.”