Bags of Wishes and Village of Hope, November 15, 2010, Story #5

Tara Hjermstad

BSU Helps Bemidji Community

Bags of Wishes, House of Hospitality and Beyond

                This time of the year is special to many people; it’s also the hardest time of the year for others. Known as the “season to give,” it draws heavy burden on many families, especially lately with our economy being the way it is these days, with pressure to be a part of this generous, but expensive, time of the year.

                BSU, specifically the Social Work Club, teamed up with Bemidji’s House of Hospitality homeless shelter to put on the 10t^h Annual Bags of Wishes to support struggling parts of the community from November 8^th-12th. This non-profit organization puts together a drive advertising needed help for household, food and financial support, for one week usually around Thanksgiving.

                 Last year, over $1,000 dollars and 600 household items were donated, but sadly this year wasn’t quite as high, although the exact numbers aren’t ready for exposal yet. The Bags of Wishes was started 9 years ago by the Social Work Club at BSU and has gone on every year since.

                Each year, the Social Work club sends out emails to all the students in their department asking for volunteers to help with the drive and spread the word of this community drive. Of course any students that want to take part just have to contact someone in the Social Work program.

                Donation bins were placed throughout campus, along with plastic bags on the doors of faculty/staff with wish lists and any other information needed for the drive. The bins will be left on campus until Thursday November, 18 and any donation after that can go directly to the House of Hospitality. Any further information can be obtained from Cheryl Byers in the Social Work office.

                Bailey Wethern, a Social Work major at BSU and also Vice President of the Social Work Club, ran this year’s drive, with the help of co-chair, Megan Schmitz, also a Social Work major at BSU, and three volunteer students. Wethern plans on taking part in the Bags of Wishes program again next year, “whether it be as Vice President or simply as a volunteer.”  

                All proceeds from the Social Work Club at BSU this year will go to the new addition to Bemidji’s homeless shelter, appropriately called the Village of Hope.

                BSU doesn’t stop giving at the Bags of Wishes though. According to Rebecca Hoffman, Executive Director of Ours to Serve House of Hospitality, Inc./Village of Hope and who has worked with BSU for the past five years on the Bags of Wishes, says that over the years “several students volunteer with the House of Hospitality/Village of Hope projects.”

                Each year she works with several students from the Social Work general practice 1, 2 and 3, and this year worked with students of Trek North for the first time. She has also worked with students in the applied psychology and marketing departments in the past as well. They work so closely that a graphic design student actually designed the logo for the House of Hospitality in 1995.

                Right now they are looking for volunteers to assist with meal preparations, cleaning family units, and providing children’s activities on-site.

                Any students interested can contact the Village of Hope.  

                The Village of Hope’s mission statement: “We promote self worth and independence through the provision of temporary shelter and supportive services for families experiencing homelessness.”  Their vision is to help strengthen of families through identifying and achieving goals, with their three values being:  Family, Respect and Collaboration.

                BSU Social Work Club offers other community volunteer programs all throughout the year. Anyone interested can contact the Social Work program.

Lady Beavers Break Losing Streak

Duluth Falls for the First Time in Rival's History

By Jake Kelly and Zuzka Tomcikova
story #6

            Since the establishment of the women's hockey program at BSU the beavers have never won against the University of Minnesota Duluth. With a historical record of 0-47-2 (win, loss, tie) against the Bulldogs the Beavers accomplished what they had never done before, a 1-0 win over UMD. The Sanford center was electric as the Bulldogs and Beavers took the ice. The pregame music was deafening as the players took their positions.

           

            This was a big conference game for the beavers because they had never gotten that illusive first win against the Bulldogs. "I was pretty nervous before the game," said senior forward Erin Johnson. "This is my fourth year here and I wanted to know what it feels like to be the first BSU team to beat Duluth, and it happened to be the first time we played them this year."

            It was a back-and-forth game as neither team would let up. After a scoreless first two periods it was clear this was a defensive game and any score could be the one to win it. That moment came whensophomore forward Emily Erickson scored the first and only goal of the game with just over five minutes to play in regulation. "When I saw my shot go in I was so excited," she said. "It was probably the most important goal I've ever had, I couldn't be distracted by it, though, because we still had enough time left for UMD to score so the mindset went from offense to defense."

            The Bulldogs are ranked third in the country and have a roster that includes four Olympians. This is the second time this season the Beavers have beaten a ranked opponent. The first victory was over, at the time, number one ranked Mercyhurst. This is a big accomplishment for BSU's women's hockey program and marks a turning point in their season. "Even though we tied the series with Duluth, the fact that were capable of beating anyone gives us a lot of confidence," said junior defender Montana Vichorek. "If we continue to play at the high level we're at now, I think this could be one of the most successful seasons we've ever had."

            Head Coach Steve Sertich is in his fifth year at BSU, and since his arrival, the team has improved significantly, allowing them to compete with anyone. "We had a great season last year when we made it to the final four, which was another first for us," said Sertich, "and I knew that the girls wanted to maintain the momentum we had from last year. I believe that with our constant improvement we are earning respect in our league." 

            Erin Cody, a senior forward and team captain, was the top scorer last year and has continued to put pucks in the net this year. She was the offensive player of the week, scoring seven points against St. Cloud State on Oct. 29th and 30th. "I credit any goal I have to my team, because every time I or anyone else gets an opportunity it's because everyone is doing their jobs," said Cody. "Each goal is a team effort and it doesn't matter who scores it as long as we work together."

            Though excited about the win the Beavers look to move forward with their season squaring up against the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota University. Some players hope that this big win doesn't distract the team from the task at hand. Sophomore forward Sadie Lundquist said " It's great that we won last week but we can't let that define our season. We have a lot of really good teams left to play and we can't let ourselves get over-excited especially when we have to play North Dakota."

            North Dakota is ranked seventh in the country and has a lot of talented players. The games are set to be played at the Sanford Center Nov. 12/13 at two p.m. "I always tell the players that the points you get from the wins are the most important," Said Sertich. " We just need to find a way to stay focused and keep winning." 



Senior Forward Erin Cody taking a shot at goal against UMD. Photos from bsubeavers.com



Emily Erickson scores the only goal of the game. photos from

bsubeavers.com

Head coach Steve Sertich. Photos from

bsubeavers.com

The team celebrates after Erickson's goal. Photos from bsubeavers.com

Time Goes By

The International Clocks have Been Forgotten

By Natalie Reque

Going through the halls of BSU, a visitor will be able to take in many beautiful sites. Whether it is from the many pieces of art work, sculptors and paintings, to the many plants and flowers that make the campus more lively, Bemidji State University has variety. To add to this variety, found in the halls throughout the campus are clocks of international time.

These clocks were first brought to Bemidji State University under the President Quistgaard’s supervision. He wanted to bring about more variety to the school and open up the feeling of being a part of something bigger. “Dr. Quistgaard was very interested in international studies, relationships, and students, and thought that keeping the campus community aware of what time it was in other parts of the world would remind us of our global village,” said Vice President of Academic Affairs Nancy Erickson.

However, now some of these clocks have been neglected and are just sitting on the walls without a proper battery in them. Originally, the upkeep of these international clocks was assigned to a group of foreign exchange students about five years ago when the clocks first arrived. Unfortunately, these students have now graduated or moved away, and the clocks lay untouched.

 “Dr. Jon Quistgaard asked if I would undertake the project to order clocks,” said Nancy Erickson. “I was actually under the impression that our general maintenance staff was in charge of keeping the clocks on the correct time. Perhaps this is a project that could again be undertaken by the International Students group, or a segment of that body. There would then be no issues of how the clocks would be changed.”

When asked in an interview whether maintenance now takes care of them, Physical Plant manager Jeff Sande said that they have never taken care of them and that no one above him has said anything. “We haven’t been assigned to them, but if the school wants to assign them to us we would be more than willing to fix them.”

Even though these clocks add personality to the school, they have been forgotten. “Growing up in the cities, you tend to see this kind of thing more often, the different times. But it’s really neat to be able to come up to a small town that you would think would have it and see them,” said Freshman Tyler Grove. “I just think it’s sad because the school seems to have forgotten them, and acting like they aren’t important because they are international times. I highly doubt they school would just let our regular clocks die out like that.”

Saanya Chopra Dua is an international student who was born in India and had lived in the United Kingdom. Being a student who is studying international studies, she enjoys the simple leisure of knowing international time. “I don’t know who is responsible for the clocks, but I do think it’s cool to have these clocks around campus because it just keeps everyone well informed. As for being an international student it’s a feeling of being close to home.”

In the end, there are many possibilities of who can take over the responsibilities of these clocks. Nancy Erickson could assign it to the maintenance that is willing to take over them; they just need permission. Or the international department could take it upon themselves to restore the clocks. Saanya Chopra Dua is also part of the international student committee, and will bring the issue up at their next meeting. “I’m the festival of nation’s coordinator for this term. Last year I was technical director for the committee. I think with the international students being more aware of the situation, I believe that they will feel more of a responsibility to step and just take the task into their own hands.”

Word count: 736

Former President Quistgaard had originally ordered the international clocks. He retired in the spring of 2010. Photo curtesy of Bemidji State Web site.

Nancy Erickson had the clocks installed, but is not sure who should be responsible for them.

To the left, Saanya Chopra Dua is enjoying the nice weather with her friends.

Beaver Football Ends Season in Dominating Fashion - Eric Story - Story #6

Beaver Football Ends Season in Dominating Fashion

Missed opportunities hamper 2010 campaign despite milestones

Beavers take the field for final game of season
Photo by : BSU AMR

Eric Story

Story #6

On a cool overcast Saturday afternoon the Beavers were anything but, hanging 45 points on the Golden Eagles. In the final game of the season, the senior class extended their win-streak to a perfect four for four over the University of Minnesota, Crookston. The Beavers extended their all-time record to 17-1 against Crookston.

“It really hasn’t sunk in yet,” said senior wide receiver Adam Berg. “It feels good to finish off strong and we came out today and got a nice victory. It feels like yesterday I was a redshirt freshman, coming in being a boy among men. It goes by so fast and I wish I could start over and do it all again.”

The win over Crookston gave the Beavers a 6-4 record in conference action tying Winona State for fifth place. The Beavers were picked to finish fifth in the 2010 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Coaches’ Poll to start their season, but that’s not where the team felt they would finish.

“We didn’t plan on our season ending today,” stated defensive lineman Bryan Syrstad. “We had high hopes for this season, we thought we had a good shot at making the playoffs. Things just didn’t pan out.”

In their season opener BSU took to the road for their only non-conference game, with a matchup against the Minot State Beavers in the annual Beaver Bash.  BSU has dominated the annual matchup and this game was no different.

Bemidji State opened the scoring on its second drive of the game, moving the ball 91 yards that was capped by a 62-yard touchdown catch and run by junior wide receiver Adam Berg from senior quarterback Derek Edholm.

The lone bright spot for Minot State came from kick returner Johnny Lester, who broke multiple tackles and returned the kick-off from two yards inside the end zone to put MSU on the board and close the first quarter at 10-7.

Every time you thought the Beavers where going to get a win-streak rolling, a crushing defeat lay waiting around the next corner. In the home opener against Augustana, the Beavers suffered a devastating 10-0 loss in which the offense mustarded a measly 106 yards of total offense. Beaver kicker Jesse Sundby finished the afternoon with 11 punts for 394 yards.

Even with senior quarterback Derek Edholm, the school’s all-time passing leader at quarterback, leading the way the Beavers offense sputtered at times.

BSU responded the following week with a road win over Southwest Minnesota State, looking to take the momentum into their matchup on the road against nationally ranked No. 2 Minnesota Duluth.

With a chance to make a statement and knock off perennial conference power Duluth, the defense couldn’t slow the opposition and the offense couldn’t match blow for blow falling 44-24.

Lead by senior wide receiver Andrew Schults and is career milestone, the Beavers blew past Upper Iowa University 51-12. Shults past the 1,000 career reception yards mark on a 19 yard touchdown reception as head coach Jeff Tesch improved to 11-4 in homecoming games.

“I couldn’t have written the script any better,” said Tesch. “Everybody got to play, everybody got in the lake, no one was injured, it was a beautiful day, it really couldn’t have been more of a perfect day. We controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides and played a complete game on both sides. It was a well rounded game by everybody.”

Costly mistakes lead to a yet another close loss, this time on the road against Concordia-St. Paul 20-14. The loss ended a four-game win streak against CU.

With wins over MSU Moorhead 14-6, University of Mary 23-22, and Northern State 41-13 the Beavers were finally able to put together much needed winning streak before falling at No. 25 St. Cloud State.

The Beavers entered the final weekend of action 5-4 overall, but they could hang their hat on the fact that all four losses were to the top four conference teams.

As snowflakes began to fall Edholm took his final snap at quarterback on guiding the Beavers and the seniors to one final win.

Edholm finished his BSU career as the schools most prolific passer.  He set school records for touchdown passes, passing yardage, passing attempts, passing completions, and total offensive yardage in a career.

“The guys did a lot for the program,” said Tesch. “We’re going to miss them in the locker room, the things they did in the community and just that camaraderie. They’re just a great group of kids.”

Word count: 753



Beavers look on from sideline
Photo by: Eric Story











City council comes to BSU

City council members have small debate

By Luke Landgraf

Word count:607

October 28th was the Thursday before the big election; Student Senate held a debate for the nominees for major roles in the local Bemidji government.  City council members and mayoral nominees came to BSU campus to inform the public and the students of their opinion.  Most of crowd attending the debate was BSU students, so most of the questions were orientated toward the BSU crowd.

The first part of the debate was the City council nominees opening statements and debating among each other, and that was the first hour and a half.  The second half of the debate was the mayoral opening statements and they started taking on questions.

The debate consisted of two question that came from the announcer and each nominee had two-three minutes to answer the question to the best of their ability.  After the formatted questions were asked the nominees took questions from people in the crowd.

There were six city council nominees for three positions.  Linda Lemmer and Jim Thompson for the at large position.   Rodger Hellquist and Richard Sathers for ward two candidates.    Jerry Downs and Rita Albrecht for ward four candidates.  For the mayor candidates there was Dave Larson and Ron Johnson.

“We don’t get to see debates every day, so it was really neat seeing the one that was here on campus,” said Paige Timm who is the freshman member of student senate.  “It was cool to see how candidates present themselves in a debate,” said Timm “ it was also interesting how they responded to each question on the spot like that, doing that is kind of difficult.”

The types of questions that were brought up during the debate were very diverse. Many of the questions involved students voting rights and how many residents don’t believe that they should be voting for members of the Bemidji community.  The residents think that students shouldn’t vote here because most students don’t live here year around. Most of the candidates said that they either didn’t realized that there was a problem with the people here having students vote.  Or they talked about how much income the students bring to Bemidji so they should be able to vote here.  BSU brings in a revenue of about 50 million dollars a year according to Richard Sathers who ran for second ward.  Other topics that were brought up included: the lakeside property, budgeting, and how Bemidji can go green.  Each candidate had their own spin on their responses.

Most of the candidates that were running for city council were involved in the Bemidji community at one point.  Those four candidates either went to school here at one point whether it was BSU or Bemidji High School.  Another candidate was a fire fighter and a cop here in Bemidji but all of the candidates that ran for these positions take active parts in the community.

“Some of the topics the candidate talked about were really interesting,  some of the topics really hit home and others were kind of lame,” says Tom Lalond who attended the debate.  “I never really knew that some of the people in Bemidji had a problem with us voting. That’s kind of disappointing because we are a big part of this community,” said Lalond “it was cool to see a debate though cause you don’t really see those kind of things live.”

The debate took place in Hagg Sauer 100.  The Candidates were seated up on stage in front of the audience.  The Candidates took questions from many of the people that were in attendance.

Dancing On-Campus Brings a Latin Flare to BSU

Faculty of the Spanish Department Bring Students Together to Dance

By Rhea Wawrzyniak

Word Count: 725   

Story #6



By Rhea Wawrzyniak

April Larson, Spanish instructor; and Edem Kegey
 ,sophomore at BSU, pose for a picture after the
 Latin dance class on Wednesday.



The sound of cumbia-semana line-dance music bounces off the walls and fills the gym. The room is warm and sticky from practicing the steps many times. The music plays until the song is over, then the gym is silent. There is some discussion, then April Larson, instructor of Spanish, presses play and the song replays to the point where steps are known without thinking.

This Latin dance class is available at BSU. One of their goals, says Larson is just enjoying dancing and the other goal is providing Latin dance for the people who want to do it. “There is just not a lot of dancing around here,” says Larson. “I would hope that eventually we could have a really well developed Latin club/dance club.”



Larson thinks this will give people a chance to get to know some music they might not be familiar with, and also give them some sort of cultural exploration.

“It is something that I look forward to on a Wednesday,” says Edem Kegey, BSU sophomore. “It gets me through the week.” 

Larson says that attendance is poor now, but they hope to get more participants to get something bigger started. They want to start doing choreographed dances, and bring form and repetition to the classes.

Last year the Latin dance classes were in the dance studio, in the Gillett Recreation-Fitness Center, and many people participated. This semester they couldn't get in the dance studio because of other events, but, they hope that next semester it will be in the dance studio instead of Memorial 100. The dance studio is filled with mirrors and Larson says they are great to have.  

Throughout the year, they are going to do many different types of Latin dances, including samba. There’s the traditional samba and modern ballroom samba, a partner dance, and when the music changes the moves do not.



By Rhea Wawrzyniak

April Larson, Spanish instructor; and Edem Kegey
,sophomore at BSU, are figuring out how to do
the cumbia-semana line dances they learned in partners.



They also may do the mambo. In the mambo, the movements of your body move with the music; when the music changes so do you.

The salsa dance is another form of Latin dance they would like to incorporate throughout the year. The salsa is a partner dance that either can be improvised or choreographed.

Another Latin dance they would like to dip their toes in is the merengue. The merengue is also a partner dance and is performed in two-beats. In this dance the partners circle each other and also step in lines.



Lastly, they would like to experience reggaeton, which is a Latin reggae. Reggaeton is a blend of many different types of music, and is usually combined with rapping or singing.

Kegey doesn’t know what her favorite type of Latin dance is yet because she is still learning, but she likes to mix Latin dance and hip-hop together.



It is Kegey’s second time coming to the Latin dance classes and she is hooked. “It makes me feel like I am somewhat back at home again,” says Kegey. She is from the Cities, where there are clubs to dance at and have a good time. So, when comparing her hometown to Bemidji it is a lot different.



These free, weekly Latin dance classes are open to the public. Larson and Dr. Mriam Rivera-Hokanson, associate professor, instructs the classes. This is their third time meeting.

The Latin dance classes will go till the end of the school year. The class may not be on Wednesdays during the spring semester but it will for sure be available. The day it will be scheduled on depends on spring semesters schedule.

Anyone in the community can participate. That means any age, and any level of dancing skills is welcome. “We just want people to be relaxed and have fun,” says Larson.



By Tom Hokanson

I am joining in on the cumbia-semana line dance
with Dr. Mriam Rivera-Hokanson, April Larson, and Edem Kegey.







Two Veterans Share Their Experiences

And Recall what Veterans Day is all About

By Casey Dainsberg (Story #6)

The waitress brought a plate full of food and set it down in front of Retired IBM Employee and Veteran, Paul Nast. Picking up his fork, he started poking at the eggs on his plate—prepared over easy. It brings a smile of recognition to his face as he hearkens back to his Army days. “I never liked my eggs done this way,” he recounts, “This is the way they used to serve our eggs in the army.” Picking up the salt and pepper shakers pushed to the far end of the booth, he gives the runny eggs a healthy dose of each and continued, “This is how I learned to eat them. I just had to make sure there was some egg with the salt and pepper.”

It wasn’t until the 1950’s that Veterans Day got the name it is referred to as today. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in the year 1918, World War I ended. According to a web article about Veterans Day on History.com, the day was first called Armistice Day. However, it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. Since that transition took place, the date no longer just represents the end of World War I. Veterans Day remembers the men and women who have served, and are honorably serving in the United States Military.

Nast is one of many Veterans who served during World War II. As a young man during the 1940’s, his experiences in the army shaped his future in things such as education, and vocation. It also established habits that would stick with him throughout the years of his life, such as a strong coffee habit and, how he ate his eggs.



Paul Nast, now retired enjoys fishing and spending time
with Friends and Family.
(Photo Submitted)



 Nast enlisted at eighteen years old and was assigned with the 445^th Ordnance Company Heavy Automotive Maintenance CO. (H.A.M. Co.) After Boot Camp he attended Track and Wheel Vehicle Electronics School. “I graduated with honor; the top student they ever had in the class.” He was sent overseas in November of 1944 where his first stop was in Marseilles, France. They stayed there for about a month while his Company waited for their gear, trucks, and equipment to catch up with them. During that time his company slept in pup-tents. A blanket and sleeping mattress (which also served a secondary purpose as a body bag) were all they had to separate them from the cold ground. Nast said he would trade cigarettes or candy bars with local farmers for straw to sleep on.

Every year on November 11, United States citizens celebrate a national holiday. For some, Veterans Day might be about getting a day off of school or work. For others, it is a day to honor and remember the men and women who are serving, and have served in our nation’s military. “I really do not see it as a holiday,” wrote retired Command Sergeant Major Reno Wells in an e-mail. “It is personal to me, not just remembering those who died but those who lived [and] how we as Marines and soldiers were able to be there for each other.”

In December of 1944, Nast and his company moved on to Cirey, France. “Our mission became the 7^th Army motor pool,” said Nast as he described the responsibilities of his company. It was their job to assemble motor vehicles for soldiers on the front lines. They would assemble the vehicles during the day, and at night go out as a convoy to deliver them under cover of darkness to the front lines. One of the youngest in his company, Nast was the sole electrician and responsible for setting up generators to provide lighting for the buildings as well as the electrical wiring for the various vehicles they assembled.



Only about seventy miles away from where the Battle of the Bulge was taking place, Nast recalled that officers came requesting 10 percent of his company to go fight on the front lines. Twelve men were chosen from his company to go. Nast was allowed to stay behind after his commanding officer demanded he remain with the company because of his skills as an electrician.

While some people are trying to decide which college they are going to go to, others are choosing the branch of the military in which to serve. Wells reminded readers that “Some body’s mom, sister, dad, brother, uncle, aunt, grandma and grandpa will probably die today,” and he questioned, “Does anyone other than a family member really care?” Many today have served overseas in Iraq or Afghanistan. Wells reminds students in his e-mail that “It is not a movie. Veterans are real people doing what they believe is right and doing everything they can to help and protect each other.”  He added, “We made a decision to serve our Country because of what we believe is important.”



“We were in Cirey [France] until March when the big push came through to end the war.” Nast wrote in a memoir. The pancakes and eggs gone, the now-cold coffee sat hardly touched as he continued to share his war experience. On March 28, 1945, his company headed for Germany. “Besides our own equipment we also has about two to three hundred other vehicles that we were processing” he said, “So moving was quite a project in itself.”



The Germans had left the day before, so as they came into Zweibrucken, Germany. They had to be mindful of snipers. Nast described the journey into Germany.“The first time we hit the Autobahn, it was unbelievable,” He said. The driver of the truck he was in “was zipping down the Autobahn and blew the engine on the truck!” On March 31, 1945, the company moved to Worms, Germany, where they set up in a former brewery. It was at this time that the war began accelerating and the company was moving every couple of days to keep up with the front lines.



Currently, war continues in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan. Wells encouraged readers to “Do something for the single parents left back here; they are struggling to make ends meet, dealing with the negative media as to how bad the war is and hoping and praying they don't get a visit to tell them something bad happened!” He also talked about protesting, saying that it “does not do much for those [soldiers] over there [in Iraq and Afghanistan] and sure does not extend the same love for our fellow human beings for those back here in the States.”





The day the war ended, Nast said his Company was in Augsburg, Germany. Along the way men in his company had picked up bottles of champagne, “As you can imagine, there was plenty of celebrating around there.” He continued to share about staying indoors in fear of getting hurt in the mayhem outside. “It was a few wild days before things settled down.” It was early May when the war ended with Germany. Nast and the younger members of his Company remained in Europe, waiting to be reassigned to serve in the Pacific Theatre. However, the war in the Pacific ended before they were officially reassigned. For the next year he was moved around Europe before, on May 20, of 1946, he received his separation papers and an Army Honorable Discharge and finally returned home.

Nast slid out of the booth, the cup of coffee still only about half gone, the plates long cleared. “Now you know my life story,” He said. The two restaurant staff bustled about serving customers while he paid, and made his way out the door. Age has slowed the pace of his gait and the length of his strides, yet the vivid memories and experiences he recounts from his war service proves his mind is still sharp and very much engaged. Having experienced a time in history that future generations can only imagine, he gives his listeners a snapshot into the lives of the countless men and women who have served.  May they never be forgotten.

 

WORD COUNT: 1,375

Story #6

Bemidji Boys and Girls Club, more than just a daycare

Club praises college work programs

By Andrew Pooch and Nick Jelacie

Word Count: 770

            It’s still morning and the Boys and Girls Club of Bemidji lies dormant.   “Mornings are when I get a chance to get to my administrative duties,” said Karl Mork, Program Director. Once the final bell rings to end class for the day, the Boys and Girls Club of Bemidji comes alive with children of all ages.  “When the kids get here, my job becomes supervisor and sometimes I have to play principal.”

The birth of the Bemidji Boys & Girls Club was made possible by a grass roots movement pioneered by dedicated citizens, local businesses, foundations, the school district, city, state and federal government entities and the non-profit community. The process started when a committee was formed by now Executive Director Leonore Potter, to address the possible reuse of the former Bemidji High School.

  “Former BSU President Jon Quistgaard and I met and decided that this would be a good spot for the Club and BSU would keep the land around it,” said Potter.  She realized there was potential and wanted to move out of their facility at the old Seventh Day Adventist School.

             According to the Boys and Girls Club Web site, Bemidji was the only town of its size in the region that did not have a Boys & Girls Club, YMCA, or a community center.

The mission of the club is to have core programs that support the development of children.  The programs help instill confidence in an environment that helps children achieve their full potential.  Children have the opportunity to participate in the technology center, gaming, sports activities, arts and crafts, and educational activities.

The club is located at the site of the old Bemidji High School on the B lot. The facility was built in 2003 to be a Boys and Girls club.  The two-basketball court gym and locker rooms are the only remaining pieces from the original 1960 structure. 

Since the action by the Club to move closer to BSU, a relationship has grown.  BSU has been able to form work-study, internship and volunteer programs with the Club and the programs are growing annually.  “We started with only one work-study spot when the program began in 2006,” said Mork.  “Last year we had six, and this year we have twelve.”  This gives more one-on-one time for each child and Mork believes the larger the pool, the better chance there will be someone that shares his or her experience with others.

            Sophomore Steve Mayer is a current work-study employee that has worked in the program for two years.  “I’m from Bemidji and did my Eagle Scout work here.  I liked the people I worked with and wanted to continue working here if I got the chance.”  He had the option to work in maintenance, tutoring, technology, lunchroom or supervising.  He chose maintenance work.  “I take care of random tasks that need to be done.”

            BSU is responsible for 75 percent of the wages and the Club pays the other 25 percent.  “It’s an advantage for BSU, because students with certain majors such as social work or education find it complimentary to their studies,” said Potter.

The Club is the second largest employer of work-study students in Bemidji behind the university.  Many students have also done unpaid internships with the club.  Majors that have fulfilled internships include: psychology, education, social work, criminal justice and business.

            Volunteers are also a crucial part of what makes things run at the club.  “We are very fortunate to be next to a college.  Not many clubs can say that,” said Mork.  “The students are young, talented, energetic and willing to make a difference.” 

             Mork explained that many students have come through the club to volunteer.  Many volunteered on a mandatory basis and others for enjoyment.  “The majority will put in their four to six hours then never come back,” said Mork.  “Out of the pool of volunteers there is usually someone who is positively affected and will turn their volunteering into 100 plus hours – that’s something special.”

            

BSU Sophomore Steve Mayer does one of his odd jobs at the Boys and Girls Club before the children show up.  Photo take by Andrew Pooch

The game room at the Boys and Girls Club allows students to participate in foosball, air hockey and a variety of board games.  Photo taken by Andrew Pooch

The Boys and Girls Club of Bemidji offers work-study, internships and volunteering opportunities for BSU students.  Photo taken by Andrew Pooch

Getting to know Phyllis St. Peter

Cook for exhibition line at Northwoods Dining Center continues to put smiles on students’ faces

By Caley Jorgensen

Story #6

November 10, 2010

Word Count: 849



Phyllis St. Peter was ready to make the featured dish of the day, the peanut
butter and jelly wrap. Photo by Caley Jorgensen.



                Whether the chicken Caesar wrap is being served or the chef salad, students wait patiently in the exhibition line at Wally’s. As Phyllis St. Peter carefully prepares the featured dish for each student, she starts conversations asking students how their day was, or about their weekend plans.

            The students know her as Phyllis because it’s embroidered on her uniform. She wears a black, collared top with a white apron over it to keep it clean. St. Peter works every weekday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. She can be found behind the glass serving wraps, salads, or deserts. “They call me the Exbo Cook,” she said. “It’s short for exhibition.”

            Phyllis St. Peter has worked at Northwoods Dining Center, or Wally’s, for 11 years. She was born in Chicago, Ill., and at the age of six months, she and her family moved to the small town of Puposky, Minn., where she grew up, about 15 miles north of Bemidji. St. Peter is number three of the four sisters. She grew up with many childhood memories. “We were country kids,” she said. “The neighbors had a barn and we played for hours, we rode the cows in the pasture, played in the creek, we had a really good time.”

            St. Peter has not always worked on BSU’s campus. Before working in culinary, St. Peter attended a trade school in Thief River Falls and was a licensed cosmetologist for several years. She has also worked at Thunderbird Graphics, an embroidery and screen-printing store west of Lake Irving.



Along with the Homecookin and Vegetarian Entree, the Grill Special,
the Grain bar, and the ice cream line, the exhibition line can by found
with St. Peter serving in Wally's. Photo by Caley Jorgensen.



            St. Peter started working with food when she worked at the Beltrami county jail as a cook and then found a job at BSU. “I had to work every other weekend there,” she said. “This job came up and there were no weekends.” St. Peter explained how she first supervised the Upper Deck when it was serving pizza from Pizza Hut. After a couple years, she started working in Wally’s and has been there ever since.

            “It’s nice to talk to Phyllis when I’m waiting in line,” said BSU sophomore Tom Alexander. “It’s not like high school where they just slap food on your plate, because she’s willing to talk and she makes it a better experience.” Students can find a variety of wraps and salads at the exhibition bar. Dishes, including the chef salad, Santa Fe wraps, chicken Caesar salad wraps, fajitas, and even smoothies, can be found where St. Peter serves.

            St. Peter starts out with an empty plate, a smile, and asks her customers, “What can I get for you today?” The wraps, one of the most frequently served dishes in the exhibition line, start off with a flour tortilla. St. Peter then carefully lays lettuce, meat, and other toppings students ask for. She is very neat as she prepares and rolls up the wraps. She hands off the finished product, along with a comment such as, “Here you go!” or “Have a nice day!”

To find out what's being served in St. Peter's line, as well as
the other lines, BSU makes menus that are posted around
campus (top). A black board in the entrance of Wally's
makes it easy to glance at what each line is serving (bottom).
Photos by Caley Jorgensen.

            BSU sophomore Anna Connelly enjoys eating the food St. Peter prepares. “She absolutely makes the best chicken Caesar wraps and she’s super nice,” she said. BSU alumnus Tom Bornetun remembers St. Peter serving him. “She’s very polite and she always puts in the right portion of food for the hungry students,” he said. St. Peter likes talking to students as she prepares the dish. “She always has a smile on her face and brightens your day by the way she makes our wraps and salads with love,” said BSU sophomore Christine Bauer. “She’s like a little piece of home up at school!”

            St. Peter lives with her husband of 38 years and has two sons who live and work in Bemidji. She also has five grandchildren. In her free time she likes to get in touch with her creative side. “I love to go to flee markets and find old pieces of furniture to strip down and refinish, and I also do some dry floral arrangements,” she said. “I have given some away to relatives and I like to keep some myself.”

            St. Peter still enjoys her job, even after a decade of serving college students. “I get three weeks off for winter break and summers off. It’s great,” she said. Her favorite part of the job is serving the students. “I love the kids,” she said with a smile. “It’s something about them that gets me.” BSU sophomore Brandon Buske thinks she fits the job perfectly. “She’s a great worker for this environment,” he said. “You can tell she really enjoys her job and loves serving us.”

            When St. Peter retires she plans to spend time with her husband, who is also retired. “I’m going to have him take me traveling, anywhere we can drive,” she said. “I don’t like to fly.” She plans on working at Wally’s for a couple more years. Until then, she can be found behind the counter in the exhibition line, serving with a smile on her face.