Tom Hueners in the SD COOP Hall of Fame

Thomas E. Hueners might have retired to his farm south of Winfred, but he’s not finished winning awards.  Hueners was inducted Tuesday night into the South Dakota Cooperative Hall of Fame at Cedar Shore Resort in Oacoma.  Accompanied by his family and fellow coop members, Hueners accepted the award for his 40 years of service on the board of directors for TrioTel Communications (formerly McCook Cooperative Telephone Company). 

Tom’s father John served on the same board for almost 20 years, with Tom taking his place after John passed away in 1973.  Together they represent six decades of service to TrioTel, located in Salem, providing telephone, internet, television, and surveillance services, supporting the communications needs of the region for more than 60 years. 

Hueners was inducted into the Hall of Fame with two others this year, John D. Johnson of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota, and Loren Noess, of Mitchell.  Hueners  and the other two join only 61 other members in the Hall of Fame. 

As anyone who has worked with Tom Hueners knows, he works hard to make life better for his family, friends, and neighbors.  That desire is a good fit for a local cooperative, which functions to help the community prosper and grow.   This dedication was noted in the letters written to support his nomination to the Hall of Fame.  “With a calm, quiet disposition, he has led one of the smallest cooperatives in the state of South Dakota to a prosperous and one of the most advanced telecommunications providers in the U.S.,” wrote TrioTel general manager and CEO Bryan Roth. 

Hueners has been a farmer for more than 50 years, living and working the farm that his grandfather and his father worked before him, one of the South Dakota Century Farms.  He also spent 32 years as a rural mail carrier, driving a route west of Madison. 

Hueners recently celebrated 50 years of marriage to his wife Karen, and their three children still live in the area.  He and Karen have eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.  Hueners devotes time to St. John’s Lutheran Church in Howard and spends time working around the farm and enjoying his growing family.   

In his acceptance speech, Hueners pointed out what a pleasure it was to serve on the board, noting the support of his family and the other board members. He gave special thanks to his wife Karen, whose support helped make up for time spent traveling and working on board duties.   

Hueners continues to serve on the board at TrioTel and serves as the secretary/treasurer, along with Roth, Ron Sandine, Kenny Klinkhammer, Kevin Erikson, Terry Schroeder, Bob Matthaei, and Richard Dewald.  C

Back to School Again

Here we are at the end of the first day of classes for the fall semester.  I reminded my students on this hot August day that they should think of the person they will be in December, someone who will appreciate the good work that their past self did in August, September, and the months to follow.  Wednesday they'll show me what writing they can do in 50 minutes, responding to a standard assignment and trying to provide an overview, launch into a discussion, and bring in some resources to support and develop their ideas.

This semester I'm looking at some additional work, including a major campus committee, serving on a search committee, and finding time to (perhaps) jump out of an airplane.   I hope to do better with my own writing, and contributing to this blog.

The blog helps me pay attention to what's going on around me, from the reaction of students to their new situations, to seeing the leaves in our yard begin to dry and curl and fall into the yard.  So, here we go again.

Bears and the BWCA

Just heard a story the other day about the BWCA and bears.  We're looking at a camping and canoeing trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and have been hearing all kinds of things, good and bad, about the bears up there.  Some say they're small, no problem, just follow the directions and don't tempt the bears with food and other goodies.  Others say they can be a real danger.  So we're cautiously optimistic and telling people about our plans.  That gives them a chance to report back with a story like this one.
Some guys from SD were up in that area canoeing, fishing  and drinking.  They didn't follow the guidelines.  They caught some fish and cleaned them in the camp.  So here comes a bear, bothering the campers.  Since they've got firearms along, they shoot the bear.  Bad news.  So they've got a dead bear in their camp now and realize they will be in trouble with fines to come.  They roll the bear down to the lake, tie it to the canoe, and row the carcass out to the middle of the lake, where they weight it down with rocks.  When they see the bear sink, they also see that the bear is still visible, at the bottom of the shallow lake, good clear Minnesota water, and the chains, rocks, and bear are there for anyone in a boat (or probably a plane) to see.
Smart guys.

Picking Up the Pieces

I helped yesterday as a friend here in Madison was faced with the task of cleaning out his mother's room after she passed away over the weekend.  The job was a simple one--clear away all of her things from the room, load it in our vehicles, and deposit it in his garage.  Simple.  But clearing away the last remnants of a person's effects, even after they have dwindled to what fits in a closet and a few drawers, is never easy.
She was already disappearing from the home when we got there.  The letters of her name had already been taken off the directory.  Her name had been wiped from the board outside her door.  A few items did have address labels with her name on them, preparation for this moment when the person is not their to claim their possessions.  They have none any more, not even the physical form they once inhabited.  They're gone.  I imagine the room there now, 9 West, cleaned and ready for the next traveler.
His mother had been fading for a while, and there were few signs of what might have been important to her at one time.  No vacation photos, no shots of children or grandchildren.  No portraits of her and her husband when they were younger.  No signs of hobbies or treasured keepsakes.  She had been reduced to the simplest of lives until I suppose it was easy to leave it.
My own mother spent the afternoon preparing for a trip of her own, a physical one that meant she had belongings to attend to, objects to gather up for the journey or prepare to leave behind.  She too is reducing, eliminating objects to allow herself to move quickly and lightly.  Having just turned 80, she is not ready to give up this life, and she enjoys the messy ends of it still.  So do I.

Senior Games in Madison--and More

The weekend passed with some significant physical activity, beginning with a 10K time trial on my bike, part of the Madison city Senior Games for us over-50 crowd.  The wind was howling that evening from the south, which meant we got to ride with the wind as we headed out, whisking along like the breeze until the turn, when we turned south into the gale.  Then it was like one of the mountainous climbs on the Tour de France, a constant pushing against a steady gravitational wind. The last uphill push to the finish was enough to bring you to tears.  But it's that kind of thing that makes you feel alive.

Then Saturday the wife and I went for a little canoe ride out at Lake Herman, about our fourth or fifth as we prepare for a canoeing adventure in northern Minnesota.

Finally then it was back to the Senior Games for the 1500 meters up at Trojan Field, where I managed to run a 5:49 time, which translates (sort of) to a 6:16 mile.  Not bad, but I couldn't help thinking that a little practice could peel some time off that.

Sunday we spent some time at the wife's folks' place, enjoying some social time with family and folks from Sioux Falls and beyond.  Not a bad weekend at all.

Remembering the Fourth

Having just read the book Founding Brothers by Joseph J. Ellis this summer, I'm starting the day today, Independence Day, mindful of the significance of that day in history.  I imagine the anxiety and commitment by those who signed the Declaration of Independence, anticipating the difficulties that lay before them.  They were visionary men.

But the day is also one filled with my own memories of celebrations and events, from throwing firecrackers as a kid to being an adult who watches others take the risks of explosives.  It's also about the time of the beginning and end of my military commitment, going into and coming out of the Army.

In any case, I mark the day as one filled with memories of celebrations good and . . . interesting.

Father-Son Roofing Teamwork

Here's a late note on one of this summer's projects.  We got a new roof on our giant porch, courtesy of son Casey Nelson and some hard work.  It turned out to be an easier project than I had feared, and it gave me and Casey a chance to connect over working side by side for a while.  We also got a chance to  cruise around town looking for stuff to gather from the city-wide cleanup (mostly bikes) and to knock down Grandma Rose's rickety shed in the back yard, helped by my brother Jim.  It was an excellent visit and I look forward to the next one.

Wenks' Chicken Nightmare Warehouse

I just saw this ad on Craigslist for a set of buildings that I run past often south and west of Madison, out past the grain elevators.  It's the old Wenks Chicken Factory, a series of corrugated metal buildings that have been abandoned ever since I've been in Madison.  It always looks to me like the set for some apocalyptic horror movie, like some disaster struck and everyone disappeared suddenly, or maybe an evil scientist set up  an assembly line for building some world-domination gizmos.

I'm struck by some of the pictures that have been uploaded to the Picasa web album the ad links to; it's available here:  https://picasaweb.google.com/109076386369885516606/SD?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKHp5Y7v0afy5gE&feat=directlink

Check out this pic, for example:

Explain to me how this photo makes you want to buy the buildings, despite those nice rafters.  

The Picasa album is identified as being owned by Scott Mahar, who is not listed in the Madison directory.  I found a Scott Mahar in Fargo who's in engineering.  There must be a new factory of some sort coming in here.  Maybe the one from Arlington?  I thought that one was going in at the industrial park.  

Tell me, though, don't some of these pics look like they would be great for a horror movie?  My friend JH says working there was a horror in itself.  I can see it.  Ever been in a chicken coop?  Imagine that times 10,000.  Or more.  Nasty.  

All the Way to Toronto and Home Again

Guess what city is the fourth largest city in North America.  I mean, after Mexico City, New York, and Los Angeles.   Got it?  Toronto?  You're right!

My colleague Stacey Berry and I returned from a great trip to the big city on Sunday after spending three days and nights, conferencing with folks from HASTAC, the Humanities, Arts, Science and Technology Advanced Collaboratory.  It was the best tech/humanities conference I've been to, with great speakers, great demonstrations, and great ideas.  Below, one of the pictures shows a project by York University librarians allowing you to "Digitize or Destroy" a book.  Select a book, and you can shred it or save it.  Or both!

Speakers included the following:

Kia Ng,  Director and co-founder of Interdisciplinary Centre for Scientific Research in Music (ICSRiM), University of Leeds

Joseph Tabbi, a leading authority on the effects of new technologies on contemporary  fiction and Professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Paola Antonelli, Director of Research and Development and Senior Curator of Architecture and Design at the Museum of Modern Art

Stacey and I came away with many ideas that we have in mind to implement in future classes.  Good deal!  

Digitize or Destroy?  Your librarian lets you choose.  

A cool computerized motion thing.

One of the presentations under way.  

How to Edit

A great e-book shared by one of my students shows how to kill a word.  Not just one--many.  Watch them fall.
 

How to Kill a Word from Patrick McLean

A Snow Day. Relax!

The snow kept coming down today, and we just got a notice that there won't be school tomorrow, so it's an opportunity to relax a bit (just a bit!) and go back over some pictures from the past weekend in Minneapolis.
One of my favorite photos is this one from my visit to the Highland Grille in Minneapolis with my daughter, her boyfriend, and their little bundle of joy.  She was a good little trooper and already is a little sweetheart.

Standing There with the Fridge Open

Freezing rain and snow this morning has closed places all over the state, and as I sit comfortably in our "Red Room" on our comfy couch with a considerable amount of coffee in a cup, I'm hoping my students are not slipping and sliding all over the road trying to get to my 9:30 class.
The grass was just beginning to turn green.  Lilac buds were heavy.  Frost, like our spirits, was rising and disappearing from the ground.  My heavy coat was getting its first few days of dust.
Forecast today?  Freezing rain and sleet.  Tonight?  Snow and sleet.  Tomorrow?  Snow.  Tomorrow night?  Occasional snow.  Thursday?  Snow likely.  Thursday night?  A slight chance of snow.
In all, it might be as much as four inches of snow.  Highs in the 20's.
There's always something to be said about the weather.  We'll get to that point in the year when it's good words, but for now, we can only say we're tired of this winter and wish it was leave us a little more spring.  We haven't had much yet.

Thank You, Molly Freier, Wherever You Are

When I inherited my office and my desk from my predecessor, way back in 1996-97, I found a number of items in the main drawer that were left, perhaps as a courtesy to a person new to DSU (but not to teaching). Among the items there, I found a little basic sewing kit in a little plastic sleeve, marked Dakota State College with our address.  Hence, before DSU became DSU and was still DSC.

In the kit is a little folding scissors, a needle, a threader (don't know what that is?  you will when you turn 40), and a bit of cardboard that is wound with six colors of string:  black (almost gone), white (not much there), blue and tan (which seem to have been used a little) and pink and yellow.  The last two colors seem almost untouched.

The item became useful today when my nice flashy Jerry Garcia brand tie (what's that Dead member doing on a tie, anyway?) popped it's little holder loose.  You know, the little panel on the back of the main tie that you tuck the skinny end of the tie in?  That had one loose mangy stitch in it, and it failed.  Now it's back in order.

I can't imagine that sewing kit being much of a swag item, but perhaps in those days students still might mend their own clothing.  It could have been part of a "welcome to college" kit they handed to students.  Still, it's nice to know if the time comes when I NEED some yellow or pink thread, all I have to do is whisk my desk drawer open, get out my little sewing kit, and proceed.

Going on Tour

I'm looking forward to heading for Minneapolis for the MnWE (Minnesota Writing and English) Conference.  This will give me another chance to talk about the great English for New Media program at Dakota State University and the work that people do here.  Goodo for us!

The Busy vs. the Happy

Keep calm.  Think about the now.  Be in the moment.  Carry no baggage.

I'm thinking about the characteristics of happy people, having read a recent blog post on Successify:  http://successify.net/2012/10/31/22-things-happy-people-do-differently/.

I've said yes to so many things that my April, as I face it here on the first, is proving to look like a month-long gauntlet, finishing up as it will with a trip to Toronto to present at the HASTAC Conference, which I am definitely looking forward to.

In the meantime, it's worthwhile to consider how I got here, feeling a bit overwhelmed (and so early in the morning!).

• I'm doing the ACT prep session for high school kids tonight.
• My daughter's 30th birthday is Wednesday.  
• I'm helping some with the DSU play, Xanadu, this week.
• I'm presenting at a conference in Minneapolis on Friday.
• I've got committee duties that I'll have to get caught up on when I get back.  
• The last day to drop a course is Wednesday, so my grades need to be up to date.
• My grandaughter's first birthday is the 13th, with a birthday party in Minneapolis. 
• I'm the advisor for Sigma Tau Delta at DSU, and our spring banquet is on the 18th. 
• I'm doing a reading for a performance with my Indian dancing colleage Shreelina Ghosh on April 20 (Saturday).  (We are practicing today).  
• Shreelina, Stacey Berry, and I are presenting at the HASTAC Conference on the 26th.  
• Last days of classes
• Finals

Plus, there is the day to day.  I have papers to grade.  I have classes to prepare for.  I'd like to finish the back entry.  I'd like to get out my motorcycle.  I'd like to get my OTHER motorcycle working right.  I'd like to have some happy simple days at home.  I'd like to get together with my colleagues and friends.

So, anyway, I'm busy.  But we had a good weekend with my daughter, her man, and their little babe.  And we spent time with the wife's family, something we haven't done a lot of recently.

Meanwhile, I'll try to do the things that happy people do.

Center of the Community

My trip to the Madison Community Center this evening was a reminder of just how much the place plays in the life of the community.   From people on the track and in the pool, to a class in the workout room, to the guy sitting on a machine reading his Kindle while he worked out his legs, it was a busy evening there.  The handball courts were busy, and some folks were lifting weights.  All the treadmills were busy.  But the real crowd was down in one of the gyms, where it was Dr. Seuss night, which brought families with the young ones, lining up to get tattoos, make hats, and pick up some green eggs and ham.

I'm reminded of much of the resistance that the proposal for the community center had when it was still in the planning stages.  "Nobody will go there," some said.  But there they are!  If you look at the photos, you can see the lines go out the door, kids waiting with their parents to come into our Madison Community Center.

It's Smoothie Country

Two Healthy Smoothies

After we got our new Ninja blender at Christmas time, it sat in the pantry without being used.  But that changed when the wife and I decided we needed to change our eating habits and do something different to be more healthy.  So it's had a lot of use in the last three weeks, and we have taken in a lot more fruits and vegetables since then.
On most mornings, we start with some pineapple, bananas, berries, yogurt, and a variety of other things we find rummaging around in our refrigerator.  We've made a staple of kale, for example, grinding it fine and freezing it in ice cube trays which we can throw in with the fruit.  Spinach, too.  It made a difference to blend those leafy veggies beforehand; the first ones we made were bulky and chewy and too much like a salad.
The Ninja makes good work of it all; it's no-nonsense and blends things well, its whirling Ninja blades getting the mixture to rise and blend and fall until the consistency is good and thick, but not chewy.
So far it seems to have done us good, and the flavor is super tasty.

Morning View, Ash Wednesday, Writing

View from my office, 2/13/13

Every morning I come down the stairs and look out the east window of our big old house and see the view beyond our yard, the neighbor's yard, and across the park.  It's a good view, summer and winter, and the sky is often a treat as the sun comes up and the colors rise and glow and fade with the morning.  It's a good view, this morning of Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, the period of denial and contemplation of sacrifice.  At least for some.
But of course tomorrow is Valentine's Day, a day to celebrate love, relationships, tenderness and passion.
Today I'm working on a story I plan to read tomorrow for the memoir series at the Smith-Zimmermann Museum, following some of the others that have read and talked about their own stories.  It's coming together, but I'm sure wishing it were more finished than it is now.
Apparently the story of my reading is on the front page of the Madison Daily Leader (print edition).  This morning I'm working on family background.  I'm reading a piece I've tentatively called "Have You Heard the One about the Cowboy and the Farmer's Daughter?"  It's about my mother and father's courtship and early marriage.  We'll see how it goes.  Today will be a test.  If you're interested, it's at noon at the museum, February 14.

A Marlin on the Wall

Our birthday present to a young fisherman has found its home.  Kudos to his mom and dad for taking the time and effort to find the fish a spot and get it hung up in the garage.  It's just the kind of spot he needs to hang!

Thanks too to friends Andre and Stacey, who decided the poor decrepit fish was too much to handle and were looking to give him away.  It all turned out great!

Bringing a Big Fish Back to Life (sort of)

The marlin after. 

     When friends Stacey and Andre offered a seven-foot stuffed marlin to me, I knew it was the perfect gift for a young nephew who loves fishing.  The poor marlin was in pretty rough shape, though, with some of his hide missing, the coating gone, and his tail broken off.  He also had his one eye painted over with a silver star.
     I looked on the internet for tips on how to restore the poor beast, but there wasn't a lot available.  Apparently, people rarely work with the carcass of the fish any more when they want a mount.  Rather, they make a cast of the fish and simply have a replica of the fish they caught to hang on the wall.
     But this boy is the real deal, real fins, real scales, real spike up front.  I suppose it makes the whole thing a little more difficult to deal with.
      I didn't end up with a perfect fish, but it does look okay in the photos, and once it's hung on the wall, far enough up that you can't see the flaws so vividly, it will look good.  And I think the boy is a happy camper.

The marlin before

The New Me

I'm a fan of strange, odd, interesting, new (as well as the familiar, ordinary, boring, and old, but that's another matter), so my interest in all the cool Chrome Experiments is strong.  So here I am in one of them, a very intriguing portrait, don't you think?  It's the Web Cam Mesh.

Starting a Cold New School Year

I might have one of the least stressful jobs in the world (yeah, right), but the run up to the semester is never easy when you're trying to stay on the cutting edge of technology that is always changing and helping students prepare for a work environment that keeps changing right along with it.  I think of it being a bit like starting up the cold car in the mornings--a little reluctant, slow to fire, but ready to come to life once the big battery (the students themselves) kick in.  Looking forward to a good year, with four different classes on my docket, all with new textbooks and new technology.  No stress there, thanks!

Replacing Maxima Headlights

I wasn't satisfied with the photos in my automotive manual on how to replace the headlights on my 1998 Nissan Maxima, so I took a few photos while I was doing the job myself.  I hope if anyone sees this they find it useful. 

First Ski

Lake Herman ski trail, December 29, 2012

Last winter we didn't get enough snow to make it worthwhile to dust of the skis and bring them out of the garage, but this year it's a little different.  We've had some snow stay on the ground, and with a few sunny windless days, there has been an opportunity to get out to the park and have a little quiet time in the woods. A good way to end the year.

Exchanging Sweetness

The end of the fall semester often brings the opportunity to gather together and share, and this December was no different.  A group of cooks in our College of Arts and Sciences made goodies to share, exchanging half a dozen sweets to carry home, so that the wife and I were able to enjoy treats from colleagues, some of which appeared at that night's birthday party for yours truly.

Treats at the cookie exchange 2012

The cooks and their guests

Among the goodies were molasses cookies, Russian tea cakes, bourbon balls, and many other tasties.  Best of all was the sharing that goes with the exchange.  

Seeing The Hobbit in Only Two Dimensions

Peter Jackson's rendition of J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy was an astounding, mind-blowing, once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment, and certainly people had a reason to anticipate what he would do with The Hobbit.  But I have to say, after seeing the new film last night in our local theater here in little Madison, SD, it was something of a disappointment.

Yes, there were cool effects, and it was fun to see some of the same characters again.  And the story is a pretty good one.  But the results of stretching the journey into three feature films were a bloated narrative and gratuitous scenes for the 3-D viewer.

It made me a little sad.

For one thing, The Hobbit is a children's story, one Tolkien wrote and read to his children, and it was published in part on the recommendation of a nine-year old, the son of the publisher.  The movie is not one for children.  It taps into the same dark vision that Jackson rightfully employed for the LOTR films.  Even more sadly, the movie adds elements that were NOT in the novel.  For example, we see Saruman, the turncoat wizard in the later story, arguing against the continuation of the dwarves' journey, hinting at his later betrayal.  We see the dwarves hunted by a goblin king bent on revenge on Thorin.  We see the double personality of Gollum that was introduced in the LOTR movies.  Essentially, these elements were apparently added, perhaps to wed the story more tightly to the later works, but more probably to help sustain the length of the film series.

For another thing, the film just wasn't very interesting for several stretches.  The opening sequence, the unexpected party, took too damned long.  Nothing was happening, just a lot of silliness with food and the dwarves eating everything in Bilbo's larder.  I realized later that this, like some of the later battle and chase scenes, were there for their 3-D effects.  Watching them on a conventional screen made me impatient.  I guess it's worthwhile to see what 3-D will do for the movies, but it didn't do much for this movie.  It just made it longer.  Like I tell my students, it's either working for you or against you.  These long scenes weren't working for me.

Yes, I'll go to the next films in the series, but I'll try to keep my expectations low.

How to Kill a Snowman (and other helpful tips)

My students in Composition II at Dakota State University have completed their final project, a slam-bam project they completed in about a week.  It's a video essay with a pretty open subject.  Many of them, because of time restraints, choose to do a segment of their longer paper as a video, but some are ready to turn to more fun projects, like one student, whose "Ways to Kill a Snowman" sounds mighty interesting.  She was, perhaps, inspired by my mention of "How to Kill a Mustache " included here. Another student tells how to make orange chicken.  Yum!

My student's efforts are included on our blog here:  http://compdsu.blogspot.com/.  They include essays on securing a network, building a man-made brain, driving the car of the future, and other wide-ranging subjects.

Meet the Other Old Boss: Our VPAA Also Steps Down

Another big announcement today indicating change at the top:

Dr. Cecelia Wittmayer, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Dakota State University announced her retirement today, effective June 2013.

Dr. Wittmayer has been a part of the institution since 1986, when she was hired as an assistant professor in marketing.  After a marketing career in the direct-mail catalog industry, she taught marketing/ advertising at DSU from 1986-1990.  In 1990, she took a three-year leave to earn a Ph.D. in Business Administration/Marketing from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  She returned to her faculty appointment at DSU in 1993 and received a promotion to associate professor in 1995 and to full professor in 2001. In October 1998, she was asked to serve as interim vice president for academic affairs and was named to the position in June 1999 after a national search.

She has been responsible for the academic integrity of the institution and for the resolution of conflicts involving academic areas.  As VPAA, she supervised the deans and directors of the academic support areas; she also represented the institution on the system-wide Academic Affairs Council.  Most importantly, Dr. Wittmayer has shaped DSU’s academic programs and was instrumental in getting approval from the SD Board of Regents for master’s degree programs and in adding the doctoral program in 2005.  She also was responsible for moving the institution to the AQIP accreditation process, the adoption of the CQI perspective, and most recently wrote the university’s 2012 system portfolio for the Higher Learning Commission.  Dr. Wittmayer has been a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, Delta Mu Delta and the American Association of University Women.  In addition to being an AQIP Strategy Forum Facilitator and Peer Reviewer, she has published a number of articles spanning a 20- year period on a variety of topics.

Dr. Wittmayer’s influence at Dakota State University will be felt for a long time past her retirement.  I know you will join me in wishing her well as she spends more time in her gardens and reading on her front porch.

A national search for her replacement will begin shortly.

Here too, as with the change at the Arts and Sciences dean's position, we hope that change will go smoothly and the results will be good.

Meet the Old Boss: The Dean Steps Down

A big announcement came down at DSU today regarding the leadership we've had in the College of Arts and Sciences.  Our dean is stepping down.  

Dr. Kari Forbes-Boyte announced today that she will be stepping down as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences as of June 2013 to pursue full-time teaching here at Dakota State University. She plans to teach in the areas of geography and cultural anthropology starting Fall 2013.
 Since Dr. Forbes-Boyte began her career at DSU as Dean in 2005, the College of Arts and Sciences has grown to include new cutting-edge programs and has fostered research activities for both faculty and students.  The programs in Digital Arts and Design and Computer Game Design, developed while Dr. Forbes-Boyte was dean, have quickly become some of the largest programs at DSU. The cross-college approach to the Computer Game Design degree has built a challenging program that brings the art and technology of gaming together for well-rounded educational experience. The College of Arts and Sciences has also fully implemented the Math Emporium for pre-general education math courses since Dr. Forbes-Boyte has been Dean.
 The research culture within the college has also flourished under Dean Forbes-Boyte’s leadership, with faculty in the college awarded almost $300,000 in grant funds last year. These grants and the active publishing agendas of college faculty have helped build a college where research in both liberal arts and natural sciences is greatly valued.   During her tenure, the Science Center underwent a massive renovation and reopened for classes in 2010.  And, under Dean Forbes-Boyte’s leadership, the college has developed a culturally rich program of speakers and has sponsored a wide variety of learning activities for students outside the classroom, including student participation in regional and national competitions and conferences.  Dr. Forbes-Boyte has also been key in developing a multi-cultural campus through her work with the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe.
 Dr. Forbes-Boyte is a tenured, full professor at DSU.  She has also served on the faculty at Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska, where she taught American Indian studies, geography and anthropology and on the faculty at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kansas.  Before coming to DSU, she served as the Dean of the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Sacramento City College in Sacramento, California.
 A national search for her replacement will begin shortly.

Things change, and we always hope that things change for the better.

No Sense of Decency

I can't help thinking that it's about time, and it looks like soon, that some may stand up to Mr. Grover Norquist in the manner that others finally stood up to Sen. Joseph McCarthy when he attacked recklessly in a hearing concerning the U.S. Army.  McCarthy seemed to sniff out Communists anywhere there were people.  Joseph Welch, an attorney for the Army, uttered the lines, "You have done enough.  Have you no sense of dignity?"
A similar charge might be brought against Norquist soon, as Republican signatories to his no-new-tax pledge are beginning to chafe under the binding of his threat to come after them if they reneged.  But these public pledges to a figure not elected to office are helping drag the country to the so-called "fiscal cliff."  It's time they pitch their pledges into the burning barrel and pledged to solve the budget problems first and let Grover grumble.

Snow Queen Competition Update

Who knew what I was thinking when I agreed to be a judge for the 2012 Snow Queen competition that was held in Howard, SD, last night?  Nothing all that critical, I would guess.  And so there I was, spending my Saturday afternoon and evening with some intelligent, lovely young women and two other judges--Dan Bohl and Allison Malone. This competition, which sends its winners on to a state-wide contest, has been held since 1958, and once featured the wife as a contestant.  Turned out to be an interesting day.

Scoff as you might at such contests, the event puts the young women--from middle and high school--on the spot, with interviews with the judges and a pageant at night.  Judges were tasked with ranking the three senior and six junior candidates on several criteria, including poise, sincerity, personality, and other factors.

The interviews and the evening's competition resulted in the crowning of Sidney Thompson as the Senior Snow Queen and Kayla Pardy as Junior Snow Queen.  Each will move on to the state competition in Aberdeen in January.  Both will represent Miner County well.

It might come as a surprise that perhaps 300 people attended the event, and they were enthusiastic with each of the announcements of the winners.

The evening also included a talent show (not connected to the Snow Queen contest) where a very young Faith Genzlinger strutted away with the title of the Junior Talent division with a rendition of "These Boots Were Made for Walking."  Derick Burghardt was unopposed in the Senior Talent division.

Would I do it again?  I suspect I'd be tempted.  The event organizers treated us well and nobody egged the car or threatened to punch me out.  And it's not every day that a guy gets so many lovely smiles from attractive young women or gets to enjoy so much glitz and glitter.

Test Pie/Go Pie

Here's what comes from volunteering to make a "real" pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving at the in-laws.  It's a risky business, since pumpkin pie is, for some people, the linchpin of the entire meal.  So, it's not clear yet whether the pie will hold up under the scrutiny of the pie aficionados at the Hueners household, but from what I could tell from the pies in progress, it looked like I managed to hold my own.  

I started by walking out on to the front porch and plucking one of the display pumpkins--maybe not the best source of pumpkin flavor, but it made me feel real and practical.  Then I cut it in halves, baked it to softness, peeled and sorted it, then zapped it in the processor until it was smooth.  That was yesterday.  Today I chose a recipe that supplemented the pumpkin with yams for an even pumpkinier taste.  Lots of milk and cream.  Made the crust with a modified Nancy Moose recipe (changing some water to vodka), then filled the cooked crust with heated filling.  

Waited for the jiggle to move only to the center, and here we are.  I'm ready for a taste.  

GPACW and the Future of Computers and Writing

Word is that the next Great Plains Alliance for Computers and Writing Conference will go big next year, being hosted by none other than the University of Minnesota at their main campus in downtown St. Paul (or Minneapolis--stay tuned).  After the success of the event yesterday at Mankato, it's sure to be a conference that brings in even more people curious and willing to share about the work that people are doing in this field.

My own session had a small but interested group that heard from Matt Barton of St. Cloud about what we could learn from Kickstarter and similar crowd-funding opportunities.   They heard me talk about our growing English for New Media program at Dakota State University, and they heard Danica Stith of Iowa State talk about using political ads in a swing state for doing rhetorical analysis.  That group lingered and talked and shared more ideas as the conference wound down to a close.

Kudos to Lee Tesdell and his crew at Mankato State University for a job well done.  I look forward to next year!

Living in Red

Mr. Obama's election victory came as a welcome gift from those who made that choice in places mostly far from where I live, and mostly far from where I have ever lived.  In the end, those who voted for him in South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Kansas--all states I once and do call home--were essentially uncounted. Their electoral college votes all went to Romney. In fact, despite our hopes for a continuation of the President chosen four years ago, we could only watch as people in other places, most of them far from Lake County, South Dakota, overcame those who chose Obama's opponent.

So a guy has to reflect on living among a majority whose views are so different from his own.  So I look back on places I have lived to see how far out of synch from the majority I am, at least on choosing a president:
RED:  Stanley County, SD:  Obama 28.2%, Romney 69.0%
RED:  Lawrence County, SD:  Obama 35.0%, Romney 61.8%
RED: Albany County, WY:  Obama 46.4%, Romney 48.9%
RED: Yellowstone County, MT:  Obama 39.0%, Romney 58.6%
RED: Ford County, KS:  Obama 30.5%, Romney 67.5%
BLUE:  Roberts County, SD:  Obama 54.1%, Romney 44.2%
RED:  Lake County, SD:  Obama 43.3%, Romney 54.4%.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?  It is nice to know, however, that my three children are all living in areas more friendly to Mr. Obama and the Democrats in general:  Hennepin County, MN, went for Obama 62.4% and Romney 35.6%.  They're among those who chose the President.  Thank you, people in blue. 

All figures are from the "President Map" on The New York Times.

Sunset on Election Day

Sunset on Election Day

We've watched and listened and read all about the candidates and the issues on the ballot, and now it's time to put that work to rest and watch the results come in.

Let's hope, whatever our choices, that we've made things better for ourselves and our neighbors.

Election Day

It's election day across the country, like the day we open the presents beneath the tree, ones that have been sitting there for a year and a half, one we want, one we don't (at least we think).  The sun came up like it does every day, and it will again tomorrow, no matter how it all turns out.

I can't help thinking, though, that the consequences of our presidential election will be big.  Two very different paths on the agenda.

Zombie Life Meets Gangnam Style

One of the more popular shows on television today depicts a post-apocalyptic world of a few survivors facing hoards of walking zombies, the AMC program "The Walking Dead." Our DSU campus is celebrating its own version of the dead versus the living in a game of HvZ--Humans versus Zombies. In a backdrop to these developments, PSY is dancing his ass off, gangnam style.  Which leads to the following.  You've been warned:

Soul Mates?

Nice little video of love buzz.

Hey Kobrinsky, Check Out the Dead Man

Sister-in-law Sarah Kobrinsky (and fictional detective) has a new short piece in The Molotov Cocktail:  Dead Man! 

October 25, A Day to Celebrate

When the wife's birthday comes around, we take the chance to get out and do something a bit different to make the day special and to celebrate the event.  So, this year we buzzed out of town and did some things that she likes to do, which, in this case, involved eating some good food, doing a little shopping for clothes and other stuff, and feeling lots of different kinds of yarn.  Anything the wife wants to do, I'm her man. 

Crawford's in downtown Sioux Falls

We also did some things for yours truly, which involved picking up some new tires for the bicycle and having a good "old-fashioned" down at Crawford's, where we had some excellent food (blackberry ribs and walnut-encrusted pork chop) and dessert (midnight chocolate cake).  Yum!  Beautiful place, too. 

We also picked up a copy of the new Joe Walsh album, "Analog Man," but we forgot it in the trunk and haven't listened to it yet. 

First Snow, 2012

First Snow, Fall 2012

Schoolchildren across parts of South Dakota are rejoicing today (or at least going back to sleep) as snow has accumulated enough to cause schools to open a few hours late, from Bon Homme to Scotland to Bennett County. 

Rejoice, young people, and enjoy those few extra hours of sleep! 

Investing in the Zombie Future

Doesn't this look delicious? A zombie documentary, sort of, from the makers of THE PEOPLE vs. GEORGE LUCAS. Featuring Simon Pegg and George A. Romero.

Russell and Me

I don't have a picture of me and Russell Means, who died yesterday at the age of 72, like I do have of me and George McGovern.  But our paths did cross, several times.  I was a young kid working on a ranch down in southwestern South Dakota, just off the Rosebud Reservation, and the American Indian Movement was in full swing in that area.  I was working with some Lakota ranch hands on the place, but I was afraid of those wild AIM guys.  At that time Russel Means was active on the reservation, trying to revive some traditions that were being lost, and there was a sun dance planned near Ghost Hawk Lake, between Parmalee, SD, and St. Francis.

It just so happened that the ranch where I was working was north of Parmalee and my boss wanted me to drive a tractor to St. Francis, where we were going to work some land.  That meant I had to drive the tractor past where the sun dance was being held.  And it didn't have a road gear.  So, I remember full well the anxiety I had as I crossed bridges marked with spray-painted AIM lettering and other "Red Power" slogans.  And fearing what might happen as I neared the sun dance.  But nothing did.  Russell Means, the warrior/trouble-maker, in our view, was supposed to be there.  I couldn't see much.  Later, as I passed a little settlement of houses, some kids began to run out from their yards, and they could have caught me easily, even easier on bicycles, but they apparently had little interest in me.

Years later, I talked with Russell Means on the phone when I was researching the reaction of Indians to the popularity of "Dances With Wolves."  He denounced that film as one of the most racist movies ever, and although I agreed that there were problems with the film, there wasn't much of a chance to convey that to him.  He wanted to be heard.  Shortly afterwards I learned that he had been filming "Last of the Mohicans" about that time, and I was impressed with his role in that--a very non-stereotypical character.  But at that same time, what many do not know, was that he was also playing a very stereotypical role in a computer game, "Under the Killing Moon," one of the first computer games to include live action video.

I also seem to remember that my grandfather, who lived in Sioux City, once rented a house to Russell Means, which was right next door to him.  I remember a woman coming to the door, paying the rent, and my grandfather telling me, "That's Russell Means, in the car."  We knew who he was then.  That was maybe 1970 or so.  

So, another of these iconic figures for me is gone. 

Borofsky Chosen as Dakota State University President

Just came from the meeting where the SD BOR announced that they were finished searching for a new president for DSU:  

MADISON, S.D. – David B. Borofsky, interim president at Dakota State University since February, has been chosen by the South Dakota Board of Regents to become the 22nd president of the university. The board took action on the permanent appointment at a special meeting today on the Madison campus.

He succeeds Douglas Knowlton, who left the South Dakota public university system earlier this year for a higher education position in Minnesota. “President Borofsky has done an outstanding job at Dakota State during this interim,” said Regents President Kathryn Johnson. “We crafted a series of expectations for him as interim president and he has far exceeded those. He has excelled at building relationships between the campus and the Madison community and at raising private funds for the university,” Johnson said.

“President Borofsky has been building a positive momentum for Dakota State University, and no one wanted to break that momentum,” she said. “I am excited to be named permanent president of Dakota State University,” Borofsky said. “I am impressed with the university faculty and staff and their commitment to quality education and superior service for our students, as well as to the success of Madison,” he said. “The Madison community has extended a warm and inclusive welcome and has been open to new ideas and change. I look forward to serving DSU and Madison for years to come.”

While the Board of Regents initially said Borofsky would not be a candidate for the permanent president’s position, Johnson said the board reconsidered and “responded to a groundswell of support from the campus and community.” She noted that Borofsky had been chosen for the interim position after a competitive interim search process that involved multiple candidates and applicant interviews.

Borofsky previously served as provost and chief academic officer of Westwood College, a for-profit college with 18 physical locations in six states. His resume also includes time as president of Bates Technical College (Wash.) and as a vice president and dean at Colorado Mountain College. He has served communities as a member and president of the local Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce, as well as working with the United Way and a variety of economic development organizations.

His passion is working with local communities to help spur economic development and interest and growth in the arts and culture. Since coming to Madison, Borofsky has become a member of the Madison Rotary Club, is a board member of the Lake Area Improvement Corp., and has been an active member of the Madison Community Center. He also serves on the Mundt Foundation’s board of directors. Borofsky holds a doctorate degree in educational administration and supervision from Rutgers University (N.J.) and a master of education degree and B.S. degree in psychology, both from Springfield College (Mass.). His family includes his wife, Mady, and a daughter, Alexis, who lives in Portland, Ore.

So,  congratulations to Dr. Borofsky, and we hope for a great relationship with him as we move forward at DSU.  

George McGovern Gets Peace

George McGovern and me in Mitchell, June 2008, at the Obama Rally.

George McGovern was my introduction to politics when he was running for President of the United States in 1972 and I was a high school student.  I knew little about government or politics but became engaged about some of the issues as our native son became the Democratic candidate for President.  He stood then, as he always was, as the candidate for peace.  His passion and commitment to that cause was always tempered by kindness and compassion, and he lived with a dedication to peace all of his life.  I take great pleasure in having crossed paths with him; his brand of leadership is something we can all aspire to and hope for in our elected officials. 

DSU Announcement Monday

Friday afternoon is not a friendly time for getting information out to employees, so it's an odd time for South Dakota Board of Regents head to send out the following message to the DSU campus:

Dear Dakota State University Community, The South Dakota Board of Regents will meet Monday, October 22, 2012, at 10 a.m. (Central Daylight Time) in the Straatmeyer Auditorium of the Tunheim Classroom Building (TCB 203) on the campus of Dakota State University for an announcement regarding the presidential search at DSU. Immediately following the regents’ meeting, at this same location, a campus-community forum will be held.

More contact information, but no additional hints, are provided on the Board of Regents website here:  http://sdbor.edu/documents/101912Advisory.pdf. 

Looking back through previous news releases, I see the meeting is in keeping with the timeline set for the search when Dr. Doug Knowlton stepped down as DSU head and Dr. David Borofsky was appointed interim president.  Announced in December of last year, the press release states, "The search process will launch officially in October 2012, once the new academic year is under way."  So the meeting may be simply to reveal the job description and indicate the rest of the search timeline.

Meanwhile, the search for a president for SD School of Mines is under way, with committee members chosen. 

Stephen Colbert's Investigative Reporting Uncovers Corn Palace Nightmare

The Colbert Report
Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive

My friend TQ informed me of this amaizing story.

We Live in a Strange World

Today Felix Baumgartner rode a capsule into the sky, buoyed by a helium-filled balloon, up 25 miles into the very thin atmosphere, and then he stepped out and began the long, four-minute fall to earth, when he unfurled his parachute and stepped back onto solid ground.  He was falling, for a time, at over 800 miles per hour in his little space suit, looking like someone out of "2001 A Space Odyssey."  I'm not sure what we learn from such feats, even thinking of a man moving faster than the speed of sound, any more than people a century ago trying to figure out how to survive a leap over Niagara Falls. But learn we do, and we keep moving on, discovering new territory.
Others have tried such feats of altitude.  A note came in today from the alumni people at St. Mary of the Plains College, where I used to teach, that an alumnus there, Nick Piantanida, made his own attempt in 1966, which ended in his death four months later.  He had made other attempts, from early in life to this final dive, to challenge the gravitational field--not bad for a truck driver.  You can read more about that 1966 attempt in the article linked above.
The real tragic stories, though, are the failure not of an individual, but of a people.  I can't help shake the sense that it's just wrong to put a person to death for crimes they have committed.  About 24 hours from now, the State of South Dakota will put Eric Roberts to death.  I almost wrote "will kill Eric Roberts."  Same thing?  Sounds worse, doesn't it?  Roberts is a convicted murder and rapist.  He'll come to earth too, in his own way.  His death will bring some closure to the families of his victims, perhaps.  I hope so, because all South Dakotans share in the responsibility for what will now happen to Roberts.
Too bad these events are oddly linked in my thoughts; the triumph of Mr. Baumgartner is remarkable and inspiring, and his success is to be celebrated.  Congratulations, Felix.

Putting On The Hat and Animation

Interesting recording of the singer John Reuben confronting his animators about a change he has in mind for an animated video they've been working on for several months.  Having taken to wearing hats, Reuben suggests that the cartoon character of him wear a hat.  "It's just semantics," he says, thinking that putting a hat on the thousands of frames of him is as simple as putting on and taking off his hat, which he demonstrates for the animators.  Hat on, hat off.  Easy.  So, here's the interview as the video is in progress (which I can't help thinking is a bit of a setup), and then the music video "Word of Mouth."  Hat? No hat?  See for yourself. The confrontation: The resulting video:

Craigslist Warning Light

Who looks at a bike like this and says, "I want it!" ??

I've got a friend who's convinced that I need to buy another motorcycle and fix it up.  I'm not sure he remembers that the last couple have not panned out.  But he seems to be having as much fun searching for me as I sometimes do myself, looking for two-hundred-dollar bikes that need my lovin'.  But I just sold an old 1982 Kawasaki Spectre 750 (see pic) for half what I paid for it after I had worked on it and tried to get it to go.  And a little Vespa moped is sitting in the garage waiting for my magic touch.
So, I told him my Craigslist warning light was on.  Blinking.  Alarms will sound.  I'm not buying another motorcycle after I've put the storm windows on.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Not Running

My daughter, her man, and her daughter live only a few blocks from Mile 14 on the Twin Cities Marathon course, where the flag marking that milestone is right across the street from an aromatic coffee and doughnut shop.  Because of my injured foot, I decided, late on Saturday evening, that there would be no marathon for me--no run, no medal, no finisher t-shirt.  And no regrets. 

Christopher Kipyego wins the TCM--from Star Tribune

It was fun to watch the runners come by; I'd never seen the front runners on the course before, and they were clicking along like clockwork, finishing in 2:14 for the men, 2:32 for the women.
I've been reading Haruki Murakami's book on running.  He's the author of several works of fiction, and although I have enjoyed them, this one seemed self-indulgent and meandering in a way that I didn't care for, but it kept my interest well enough to finish.  He deals with his own injuries in the book. 
On the drive back from dropping off the pooch for care while we were gone, we had a surprise when a coyote dashed out of the ditch and got clipped by the front of our car (knocked out the fog light!).  He wasn't to be seen afterwards, so his injury was not fatal, at least not instantly.  But his running certainly would be hampered.  I hadn't seen a coyote for a long time. 
It's been tough to deal with the injury to my foot; I didn't think too much of it the day it happened, out on a last long run two weeks before the marathon.  But as my foot rolled, something popped, and it had me instantly worried, but it didn't seem too bad.  And there were no real lingering effects.  But then another run and some time on my feet out in the garage seemed to bring it back a week later.  It's been hurting since, but getting better. 
Still, a short jog along Lake Hiawatha and the after-effects of that seemed to say, "don't run."  So I didn't.
But the trip was a good one, and we got to see the growing little granddaughter, a real peach.  The weather was good, and we enjoyed some good company and a little fun shopping.  Then, as usual, we made a stop at the cool apple place on highway 169 and picked up some tasty root beer. 

Two good root beers.  My Dang! was better.

So, when we talk, we can talk about all that, and not so much the not running. 

A Cold Slap in the Back Yard

We've been enjoying beautiful fall weather here in Madison, South Dakota, but today took a change for the colder, bringing wind and a temperature that will stay in the 40's or 50's today, thirty or more degrees below the highs over the past few days.

The wind has convinced many of the leaves that have been decorating our aerial views to now move on to more earthy things.

Twin Cities Marathon Prep (and Electronic Tracker Service!)

This fall I'm in the ring again for the annual Twin Cities Marathon, hoping to survive the race again.  It's not looking great this year due, once again, to a mishap shortly before the race.  On my last good Sunday run, on September 30, I twisted my left foot and heard a pop as I navigated the gravel road just south of our house.  I gingerly kept moving, noting the degree of pain there, and decided it wasn't bad, so I kept going for about a ten-miler, out to Johnson's Point on Lake Madison and back.  For several days I could tell there was something there in my foot, but it didn't really hurt.  The following Thursday I took a good run out at Lake Herman, feeling good and fast, no pain.  Then Thursday night as I was in the garage, it started to ache, so I came in and got off of it, but it's hurt since, but getting gradually better.  So, we'll see.

In the meantime, I've been checking out the web site for the marathon, and it seems they've put in place a tracking and notification system for runner fans to get updates on their runner(s).  The system will not only send a text when the runner passes a tracking point; it will also predict when the runner will get to the next spot.  So,  IF I manage to heal up sufficiently to toe the starting line, I can look forward to broadcasting my progress as I go along.  See the video above for an overview of the service.

Where We're Headed

I'm preparing students for an essay on popular culture, and I ran into this cool vision of the future of electronic gadgetry meets dating.

Heartstrings

I liked this little stop-motion love story.

Harvest Time

It's that time of the year when gardens are bursting with produce, especially tomatoes at our house, and the wife has been bravely facing the perils of harvesting into the darkening hours.  Just last night she made a haul that filled several cake pans, bowls, and soup pots.  Take a gander at that tomato harvest!  Peppers large and small are coming in, and the one big tomatio plant is threatening to take over the yard, with its long reach adorned with its fruit on the make.   

Raspberries galore

Peppers small and large

Tomato invasion

We were also able to score quite a haul of raspberries from a friend's garden while she was away (with permission, of course).  So now the wife has set herself a task of preserving this haul, using a borrowed juicer, our dandy stove, a kitchen, her pots and pans, and her many wily ways. 

All this while we're also into the first weeks of classes AND cleaning up a mess that our deadbeat renters made before they skipped out. 

Those raspberries, though, should put new life into both of us. 

This is Ground Control to Neil Armstrong

To a twelve-year old space nut, Neil Armstrong's setting foot onto the moon was a giant leap.  He made us all believe we were going there. I was one of those with a new smart line, "What do you think I am, an astronaut?"  We all talked about astronauts, from adolescent girls to old men, we saw the moon differently and were lifted by the possibility of our walking there, bouncing from one place to another like giant wingless birds.  The moon was our new back yard, a place where we would soon be setting up camps, driving dune buggies in our space suits.

Like many kids, I hung posters of the astronauts on my bedroom wall, watched all I could of the launches, landings, space-walks, maneuvers, returns to earth.  I built a Mercury rocket, then an Apollo, I built the moon lander, gluing the tiny little struts to the feet, painting the rocket cone, and sliding the decals to the right locations on my finished product.  I had relatives that worked at Cape Canaveral, later to become Cape Kennedy, and I pestered them for any kind of space memorabilia they might be able to get their hands on.

But that moment faded, and before long I was turning my attention to less grand hopes, a speedy motorcycle or a cool car.  From time to time that dream of space flight might be inspired again by a song like "Rocket Man," or "Space Oddity," even if the songs did seem to reflect a sad end for their subjects.

Still, hearing that Neil Armstrong has died, it takes me back to that moment where, even for a short time, we all felt like we were walking on the moon.  Thank you, Mr. Armstrong.

Driving on the Other Side

View Larger Map
Some of our travels on the Green Isle.  The map won't let me add another destination, but there were more.