Minot State presents 21st annual KMSU Auction
By Shalom Baer
Minot State Events Planning course student
Minot, N.D. — Minot State University’s Broadcasting and Professional Communication Department will host its 21st annual KMSU Auction on Thursday, Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m. The auction will be broadcast on local access KMSU Channel 19, accessible for SRT and MIDCO customers, and is streamed in real-time on YouTube Live. The auction pre-show starts at 5 p.m.
Two-hundred forty businesses have contributed to the auction with advertising trades, cash sponsorships, and item donations to be auctioned off live on KMSU Channel 19. Items ranging from gift certificates and gym passes to hotel stays and fine jewelry are organized into packages. Those packages are auctioned off as viewers call in to bid.
“Oak Park Theatre donated a party for 60 people to get into a movie for free and they get a popcorn and a pop. There’s a car detail from Minot Automotive Center, Fiance and some downtown businesses did a promposal package,” said Janna McKechnie, director of alumni and annual giving and instructor of the Events Planning course.
Students enrolled in Events Planning, as well as other broadcasting students, plan the event.
From donation-gathering and event promotion to working as on-air talent the night of the KMSU Auction, the event is student run.
“It’s a completely student-run production,” said McKechnie. “The students gather donations and get the information together and we put the packages together and auction them off.”
Devan Shumway, KMSU station manager, is heading up the production team for the auction.
“This will be my first year directing the auction. We’re getting close to crunch time. I’m very excited,” Shumway said. “We’ve put a lot of work into the auction this year. From a production standpoint, our backroom team is ready to go.”
Ninety percent of the proceeds from the auction go to the broadcasting and professional communications department to fund student scholarships, conference submissions, and equipment. Each year, students vote on a charity to donate the other 10% of the money to. This year, students chose the Domestic Violence Crisis Center located in Minot.
“The auction is one of my favorite nights of the year,” McKechnie said. “I think it’s so fun to see the culmination of all the students’ hard work come together that night and to see them be excited about their final product, and what they’ve done and just the pride they have in what they’ve accomplished is really fun for me.”
About Minot State University
Minot State University is a public university dedicated to excellence in education, scholarship, and community engagement achieved through
rigorous academic experiences, active learning environments, commitment to public service, and a vibrant campus life.
| Published: 12/04/19 |
