For the first time at Minot State University, the International Student Organization will host Mr. and Ms. MSU International Sunday in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall at 5.30 p.m. Entrance is free with a $2 charge for an international meal.
Contestants will represent their countries through music and dance at the pageant. Student will perform in addition to the contestants.
"Our international students are truly talented, and we want to showcase them to the community," said Boma Brown, International Student Organization president. "Our event will showcase 10 different countries from five continents, which we hope promotes a broad-minded spirit of multicultural interest and acceptance."
A silent auction will be conducted during the event to raise funds for the international students' cultural excursion to Minneapolis in April. Donated items from various Minot businesses will be auctioned. Dates with the newly crowned Mr. and Ms. International are also up for auction.
MSU faculty members are amply represented at the event with faculty members airing their views on diversity on campus via video. Amina Escalera and Jean-Francois Mondon, foreign language department, and Daniel Ngugi, social science, will be the three judges for the night.
Newly revamped, the MSU International Student Organization promotes cross-cultural understanding. It strives to unite students by building quality relationships between students from very different backgrounds and creeds.
"We want to get students exposed to diverse experiences and want them to achieve their full potential across many different dimensions, academically, physically and socially," Brown said.
For more information, contact Brown at 340-6301 or by e-mail at boma.brown@my.minotstateu.edu. Alternately, Virginie Vournas, international student coordinator, can be reached at 858-3348 or by e-mail at virginie.vournas@minotstateu.edu.
---------------------------
Candle light vigil set at MSU
A candle light vigil to honor and remember victims of crime will be held at 7 p.m. April 13 in Ann Nicole Nelson Hall on the Minot State University Campus.
The event is open to victims, family and friends of those impacted by crime and community members. The event is being held in conjunction with National Crime Victims' Rights Week.
Heidi Smith, Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation victim coordinator, said the event will include speeches by victims of crime and victims' advocates, musical entertainment, and an honor guard. Booths will be set up at the event with information about programs that help victims of crime.
Last year was the first year the event was held. Smith said they received a grant to expand the program. A similar program is to be held in Bismarck.
The event is being held in collaboration with the Minot State University Student Social Work Organization and the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
---------------------
Student group to speak at MSU
Sigma Tau Delta students at Minot State University will speak today at 3 p.m. about their experiences attending their annual conference last month. They will speak in room 306 of Hartnett Hall.
Student members of the Sigma Tau Delta, the International English Honors Society, took part in the group's annual conference in Pittsburgh, Pa., March 23-26.
MSU students Ashley Brossart, Pamela Clarkson, Joseph Davis, Kristi Epperson and Lauren Wood presented academic works to other scholars both in literary criticism and creative writing, accompanied by their faculty adviser Patti Kurtz.
Funds for the travel were provided by MSU's Center for Engaged Teaching and Learning. The presentation is free and open to the public, and refreshments will be served.
-----------------------
Minot State goes to the mall
The fifth annual Minot State University at Dakota Square Mall will be held from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday in the Sears court at the mall.
There will be booths set up for people to learn about MSU's academic programs, services and student organizations.
Featured events include a robot demonstration, activities on speech and hearing problems, tattoos, face painting, a paper-shredding activity, a fish pond, a drawing for College for Kids camps, screen printing and blood-pressure testing. There will also be interactive activities to increase public awareness related to communication, autism and sign language.
------------------------
Global Nursing Gala event planned
The inaugural Global Nursing Gala Event is planned for Tuesday from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the Carnegie Center in downtown Minot.
The event will include a fashion show, a silent auction and hors d'oeuvres. The show will feature Minot State University students as fashion models and study-abroad students as speakers.
Those attending will be able to mingle, enjoy food and beverages and be eligible for door prizes. Dress is business casual.
Three MSU students and several area nurses plan to participate in a cultural diversity health care experience in Arequipa, Peru, May 20-30. The event is a fundraiser for the group.
Tickets for the event are $20 each and all funds will go directly to offset travel expenses for the students. Call the MSU International Office at 858-4155 for tickets.
-----------------------
Aircraft modelers present exhibit
Minot Aircraft Modelers will hold their annual static show featuring many types of radio-controlled aircraft April 9 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Sears Court at Dakota Square Mall.
Aircraft included will be trainers, gliders, helicopters, aerobatics, jets, military and civilian planes. Plane sizes range from 2 feet to 9 feet wing spans. Most are powered by 2-cycle or 4-cycle glow fuel engines, developing speeds up to 150 miles per hour. The jets use jet fuel and can fly as fast as 200 miles per hour. Some have electric motors.
These radio-controlled aircraft are hand built by model airplane enthusiasts from Minot, other North Dakota cities and Canada. There will be radio-controlled flight simulators on hand and those interested can try their hand at flying a radio-control model.
The co-chairman of the mall show are Steve Bueschel and Wally Aannerud.
The Minot Aircraft Modelers club has 80 members. The club-owned flying field is located northeast of Minot at 100th Street and 100th Avenue Northeast comprising 15 acres including grass runways, a pit area, spectator area, camping with RV hookups, bathrooms and landscaped areas.
Membership information will be available at the Mall Show. Information can also be found at (minotaircraftmodelers.org).
--------------------
Former child soldier to talk
Michel Chikwanine will speak about his experiences as a former child soldier in the Democratic Republic of Congo at 7 p.m. Thursday in the conference center of Minot State University's Student Center.
The speech is sponsored by the MSU Student Government.
Chikwanine was a speaker on Oprah Winfrey's O Ambassadors Roots of Action Speaking Tour and is now a regular motivational speaker. From the time he was 5 years old, he experienced torture and oppression caused by a war which claimed 5.8 million lives.
The speech is free and open to the public.
----------------------
Camera club names winners
Minot photographers Betty Nordstrom and Ryan Gosche took top honors this past week when the Minot Camera Club had its monthly competition. The subject was "Old Barns/Buildings" with 48 photographs entered.
Nordstrom took first in color with her photo titled "Stairway to Nowhere" Nordstrom also took first in the open class with her picture called "Where Art Thou Romeo?" Gosche took first-place honors in black-and-white with his photo called "A Dying Yesterday."
Other members having pictures that placed were Richard Debertin of Berthold; Pius Klein, Ellen Fenner, and Helen Otto, all of Minot. Aaron Jaeger of Minot served as the judge.
Extensive planning and preparation for the 2011-12 year will take place at a meeting set for Monday. The theme for the next monthly competition will be "Minot."
----------------------
DL student named youth correspondent
FAIRFAX, Va. -- Brandon Swanson of Devils Lake, a senior at Devils Lake High School, has been nominated to represent North Dakota as a National Youth Correspondent to the 2011 Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University July 10-15.
Swanson will have the opportunity to join a select group of students from all over the country for an intensive study of journalism and media. Swanson was chosen based on academic accomplishments and a demonstrated interest and excellence in journalism and media studies.
National Youth Correspondents will participate in hands-on, experiential learning through decision-making simulations that challenge them to solve problems and explore the creative, practical, and ethical tensions inherent in journalism and media. The experiential portion of the program is complemented by speakers who are well-known leaders in the field. These presenters range from prominent journalists to CEOs of major media outlets and from researchers to recent college graduates already successful in the field.
The weeklong program will be held on George Mason University's state-of-the-art campus.
--------------------
Scholarships funded for tribal students
The American Indian College Fund has received a $10,000 grant from San Francisco-based Bank of the West to establish a scholarship program.
The Bank of the West Tribal College Scholarship Program will provide scholarship support to American Indian students attending South Dakota tribal colleges and universities.
Ten scholars will each receive a $1,000 scholarship for use during the spring 2011 semester. Scholarship recipients must be in good academic standing; have an interest in pursuing a career in business or finance; and attend Oglala Lakota College, Sinte Gleska University, or Sisseton Wahpeton College.
-------------------
Daughters of Norway to meet
An organization meeting is planned for the Daughters of Norway Lodge in Minot April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon in the Knights of Columbus Hall on North Broadway.
The group is open to all Nordic women from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and seeks women wishing to preserve their heritage and bond in friendship. Those attending are asked to bring an item that gives a sense of connection to their Nordic roots. For more information contact Karen at 838-1237.