St. Cloud State Magazine Fall 2020/Winter 2021

FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021

ST. CLOUD STATE MAGAZINE

For children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and their families, much needed resources are made accessible with the help of our Applied Behavior Analysis program

FOR THE

GREATER GOOD MORE INSIDE:

NURTURING SOCIAL JUSTICE, ACTIVISM AND ADVOCACY Responsibility to empower all students to be effective citizens of the world

WE WERE READY Transitioning to alternative ways of teaching

twitter.com/stcloudstate facebook.com/stcloudstate youtube.com/stcloudstatehusky instagram.com/stcloudstate

18 FOR THE GREATER GOOD: For children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and their families, much needed resources are made accessible with the help of our Applied Behavior Analysis program.

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10 TABLE OF CONTENTS

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FROM THE PRESIDENT 4 Our time moving forward together NEWS 5 Biofluorescence in amphibians 6 Professor honored for contributions to Nelson Mandela University 8 The class of 2020 10 Admissions gets a refresh 11 Huskies athletics highlights 12 Designing lessons, learning skills

#FEATURES 14 Nurturing social justice, activism and advocacy on our campus 18 For the greater good: Program meets the needs of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder 24 We were ready to teach in a pandemic

ALUMNI NEWS 28 Class notes 30 Shereen Parsakalleh ’14 serves in New York during Covid-19 32 Alumni play key role in Nickelodeon production 33 Alumni awards 35 Jels Quiah ’19 is climbing the music charts

FROM THE PRESIDENT

DrRobbynWacker

OUR TIME MOVING FORWARD TOG…TH…R

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“Protect the Pack” and “It’s Time” are two phrases we’re hearing a lot on campus these days. The explosion of turmoil, tragedy and change in our world has demanded that we be ready –always – as a university to adapt and provide the best opportunities for students to achieve their educational goals in a safe environment.

“Protect the Pack” refers to the university’s extraordinary efforts this fall-ofCOVID-19 to bring Huskies home to a campus that safeguards the health of all in our community, being mindful of students’ social and emotional as well as their physical well-being. We are doing so with a solid but flexible plan to take good care of our campus community while offering safely modified aspects of a traditional campus experience.

“It’s Time” is the strategy St. Cloud State leadership has incorporated to transform the way we operate and solidify our priorities, building on our strengths and reimagining the way we achieve our mission of preparing students for life, work and citizenship in the twenty-first century. “It’s Time” will determine the future success of both our students and our university.

In the past few months, with tremendous collegiality our campus has moved forward in incredible ways, overcoming the unique obstacles of an unprecedented pandemic while reimagining the way we deliver coursework and student services.

All the while, we have been protecting the pack with a firm commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, a commitment that our administrators, faculty, staff and student leadership stepped up in a time of crisis. As we know, COVID-19 wasn’t the only incredible upheaval of these past few months to send shockwaves across the globe and in the hearts of many in our campus community.

As we watched George Floyd’s life taken by a violent police action, the ongoing reality of a 400-year-old, deep-rooted racism and bias repeated in the racial profiling experienced by members of our campus’s

African American community and other communities of color. We knew this reality isn’t a “Minneapolis problem”; it is the daily lived experience of racism that our friends, colleagues and students of color experience. His death laid bare the on-going pain, anguish and anger of having yet another discussion about how to stay safe.

“When will this change?” we asked.

Some in our campus community were called upon to share their insights as leaders among African-American administrators and faculty with media seeking commentary on the complex emotions and actions demonstrated in response to the deaths of George Floyd and countless others whose lives were ended in unnecessary violence.

Others in our campus community provided much-needed special counseling services for students troubled by the unexplainable events of the day. Student leaders of campus organizations provided discussions and forums for students to share their worries and insights about issues related to anti-racism; and they shared the anguish and fear they feel as African-American young adults wary of their safety.

Committed faculty already were working on anti-racism pedagogy, building on a history of efforts to dismantle systemic racism and all forms of discrimination to help others in our community and our state institutions to create a welcoming, nurturing environment that will allow all our students to thrive. Their dedication and their actions are greatly appreciated.

I believe that the troubling issues of the day must be a catalyst for us, as individuals and members of our university, to continue our work for diversity, equity and inclusion. As members of a higher education institution that prides itself in the power of knowledge to change our lives and our world for the better, we have a responsibility to not only educate ourselves about the historical and on-going issues of racism and prejudice but also to act to change this lived reality of people both known and unknown to us.

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When we declared “It’s Time” to redefine what a regional comprehensive university is to us, and how we can make St. Cloud State distinctive in order to be competitive in the new landscape of higher education, we pledged that we would do so with a firm commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

Adding to this commitment, and moving forward together, we will be recasting what is considered a regional university to a new St. Cloud State University of the future. Our strategy includes expanding recruiting areas to select states and countries.

We will become a recognized leader for our academic excellence, and firmly establish the reputations for nationally ranked and recognized degree programs, while growing our masters and doctoral programs. We will integrate the liberal arts education into our student’s academic path with intentional connections to personal and professional growth for all students.

It’s Time to think differently about our institution and how we create an intuition of choice for all learners. We will build on the strong foundation of who we are and the rich traditions of what it means to be part of St. Cloud State. We will promote a world-class education that St. Cloud State has been known for. Our time is now.

We are St. Cloud State University… resilient and ready to continue to protect our pack and take on the meaningful work of becoming an inclusive intellectual center for our students, the region, and beyond.

We stand ready to be the first and best choice for students today and in the future.

Robbyn Wacker President, St. Cloud State University

NEWS BIOFLUORESCENCE MAY BE WIDESPREAD AMONG AMPHIBIANS Research by professors Dr. Jennifer Lamb and Dr. Matthew Davis made a splash in February when it was published in Scientific Reports.

They found biofluorescence, where organisms emit a fluorescent glow after absorbing light energy, may be widespread in amphibians including salamanders and frogs.

Biofluorescence had previously been observed in only one salamander and three frog species.

Lamb and Davis exposed one to five individuals from 32 amphibian species to blue or ultra-violet light and measured the wavelengths of light emitted by the animals using spectrometry.

They found that all species examined were biofluorescent, although the patterns of fluorescence differed substantially between species ranging from fluorescent blotches and stripes to fluorescent bones or all-over fluorescence.

Above top: Cranwells frog Above middle: Belly of an alpine newt Below: Chinese fire belly newt

The findings suggest that biofluorescence may enable amphibians to locate each other in low-light conditions as their eyes contain rod cells that are sensitive to green or blue light.

Biofluorescence may create more contrast between amphibians and their environment, allowing them to be more easily detected by other amphibians. It could also aid amphibians in camouflage, predator mimicry or mate choice, as has been observed in other biofluorescent species.

The findings suggest that ancestors of modern amphibians were able to biofluoresce, resulting in the phenomenon being widespread among amphibians alive today.

Their research recieved worldwide attention and was broadly covered by the press including by the New York Times, Nature, Science News, Scientific American, Wired and others.

Lamb is an assistant professor of biology at St. Cloud State with research interests in herpetology, population genetics and conservation. She has done much work with salamanders and other amphibians.

Davis is an associate professor of biology at St. Cloud State with research interests in fishes, deep sea, bioluminesence, evolution, systematics, macroevolution, genomics and anatomy. He has previously studied bioluminescence in fish species.

Scientific Reports is an open access journal publishing original research from across all areas of the natural and clinical sciences.

ST. CLOUD STATE MAGAZINE

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NEWS PROFESSOR HONORED FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO NELSON MANDELA UNIVERSITY Dr. Mumbi Mwangi was appointed as an Honorary Professor at Nelson Mandela University in South Africa this spring.

Nelson Mandela University’s Centre for the Advancement of Non-Racialism and Democracy (CANRAD) conferred the title of Honorary Professor onto Mwangi in recognition of her intellectual and scholarly accomplishments in the development and application of knowledge that has a transformative impact on society.

Photo courtesy of Michael Klitzk (Spring 2004 program)

Dr. Mumbi Mwangi, professor of A professor of Gender and Women’s Studies at Gender and Women’s Studies St. Cloud State University, Mwangi’s work with Nelson Mandela University has helped CANRAD to create a more democratic, equal, socially just and sustainable world through her work on the intersections of gender, race, class and sexuality.

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Mwangi was the recipient of a Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship and served her fellowship in CANRAD at Nelson Mandela University in 2015. She is also founder and CEO of Ngatha International USA, a non-profit with the mission to restore hope and dignity to women and children through sustainable community projects in rural Africa.

Following her fellowship visit, she continued working with CANRAD and helped to guide and nurture the development of a Women and Gender Studies Center at Nelson Mandela University. She also serves as an external examiner evaluating doctoral dissertations for Nelson Mandela University graduate students and helps to facilitate study abroad exchanges between the two institutions.

Read more: https://scsu.mn/2ZTyRFN Photo courtesy of Amy Zenzen (Spring 2012 program)

REPOSITORY SEES 1 MILLIONTH DOWNLOAD TOP DOWNLOAD SINCE 2017

29,388 TIMES

Types of Homework and Their Effects on Student Achievement by author and Teacher Development alumni Tammi A. Minke ’17

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Student and faculty theses, dissertation and papers are being found and downloaded from St. Cloud State University’s Institutional Repository.

This June the repository saw its 1 millionth download. Established in August 2011, the Repository provides open access to a diverse collection of academic, scholarly, scientific, and creative content produced by faculty, students, and staff at the University. These scholarly materials have been downloaded by scholars across the world said Repository manager University Archivist Tom Steman.

“Knowledge is to be shared — sharing is good for all. And then to make that knowledge shareable worldwide is fantastic,” Steman said.

Editor Kathryn Kloby, PhD Contributing Editor Matt Andrew

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Content Producers Anna Kurth Mitchell Hansen ’17 John M. Brown Tom Nelson

Photo courtesy Rosalie Ferguson (Spring 2019 program)

ALNWICK STUDY ABROAD HISTORY BECOMES ART

Design Marie Madgwick ’91 Gary Bailey

When students return to studying abroad at St. Cloud State at Alnwick in 2021 they will be greeted by those that have come before them.

St. Cloud State University students have been living and learning at Alnwick Castle since the 1970s. Education Abroad is celebrating that history by decorating the student dorm rooms at Alnwick Castle with images from the past. The images will also be used to decorate the Center for International Studies offices.

Contact us: ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY 720 Fourth Ave. S. St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498

Alnwick study abroad alumni donated more than 130 images after St. Cloud State at Alnwick put out a call for images this spring. The images depict students in everyday life at the castle — enjoying a snack, studying, enjoying the castle grounds and going on field trips. Alumni submitted photos that represent some of the primary elements of their experiences as students — Academic Life, Field Trips and Excursions, Castle Life, and Engagement with the Community.

University Communications ucomm@stcloudstate.edu 320-308-3152 stcloudstate.edu/ucomm

More than 4,000 St. Cloud State students have studied abroad at Alnwick Castle since the St. Cloud State program began in 1976.

The photos will be placed in student rooms, which were refreshed in 2015, to give the rooms a personalized St. Cloud State touch. Photos will be displayed with the name and program year of the alumnus submitting the image.

“Scholars from all over the globe find that information and use it to advance their knowledge, complete their tasks, or whatever they want to do with it.”

The Repository collects, organizes, distributes, and preserves the scholarly and cultural record to: »» promote interdisciplinary research »» maximize research impact »» support local, regional, and global development and interests

This record is selected and curated by the colleges, schools, and departments of the University in coordination with the University Library. The Repository contains 2,274 papers including: »» 925 electronic theses and dissertations (ETDS) »» 185 objects from faculty that highlight campus scholarship »» 203 papers from three IR-specific journals, 350 campus newsletters »» 207 papers related to Economics »» 269 other papers and historical materials

Alumni Relations alumni@stcloudstate.edu 320-308-3177 or 866-464-8759 stcloudstate.edu/alumni St. Cloud State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, status with regards to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or status as a U.S. veteran.

The Title IX coordinator at SCSU is Dr. …llyn Bartges. For additional information, contact the Office for Institutional …quity & Access, (320) 308-5123, Admin. Services Bldg. Rm 102.

ST. CLOUD STATE MAGAZINE

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NEWS

Master’s candidate GaBrina Cornelious hugs her father Sgt. 1st Class Gary Cornelious as he surprises her on stage during the August commencement ceremony.

HUSKIES SCHOLARSHIPS TURN 90

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St. Cloud State University’s first scholarship was for $5,000 donated in December 1930 by Mary Atwood in memory of her husband Clarence Atwood.

Clarence Atwood was an 1880 graduate of St. Cloud State who served as resident director from 1911-1921.

Atwood Memorial Center is named for his son, Allen A. Atwood.

Mary Atwood’s donation turned into a tradition of donating to support Huskies scholars that continues today through Huskies Scholarships. In 2020, Huskies donated $1.2 million for future scholarships and the funds awarded $1.16 million in scholarships to St. Cloud State students.

A scholarship in the Atwood name still exists today. The Atwood Memorial Center Student Scholarship is awarded to a student who displays leadership, involvement or employment at Atwood Memorial Center.

Learn more about Huskies Scholarships at www.stcloudstate.edu/foundation/ onlinegiving.aspx

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ST. CLOUD STATE CELEBRATES THE CLASS OF 2020 ALREADY LIVING IN A PANDEMIC, RAINSTORMS AND A TORNADO WARNING DELAY WEREN’T ABOUT TO STOP SPRING AND SUMMER 2020 GRADUATES AUG. 14 AS THEY RETURNED TO CAMPUS TO CROSS THE COMMENCEMENT STAGE.

Almost 500 spring and summer graduates participated in a series of six ceremonies held in Ritsche Auditorium throughout the day. Graduates in their caps and gowns streamed through the sidewalks of the once quiet campus as they arrived to celebrate their graduation at physically-distanced commencement ceremonies that included plenty of applause and cheers.

The six ceremonies drew in graduates from all of the colleges and schools and was a special time for students and their families and friends.

The 7:30 p.m. ceremony was extra special for GaBrina Cornelious, a criminal justice master’s candidate, who was surprised on stage by her father, Sgt. 1st Class Gary Cornelious, who she hadn’t seen since Thanksgiving due to COVID-19 and his military service. Sgt. Cornelious missed her undergraduate ceremony in 2017 when she graduated with her bachelor’s degree, but was able to get a 48-hour leave to see her cross the stage in August.

The ceremonies were capped at 250 for each event with graduates limited to two guests each. With masks required, and physical distancing observed, the ceremony reflected the continued realities of graduating during COVID-19. In July the university also sent grad boxes to each of the Spring 2020 graduates, many of whom originally registered for commencement but were not able to make the return in August.

For those who did return, it was a chance to celebrate all they had accomplished with their families and friends.

Each 45-minute ceremony began with faculty leading the graduates into the auditorium to the sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance”.

Vice President Jason Woods delivered opening and closing remarks. Provost Dan Gregory welcomed the class and presented a video of messages submitted by the graduates. President Robbyn Wacker addressed the graduates at each ceremony.

She spoke about how delighted she was to finally be able to celebrate with the graduates and their family and friends.

She invited graduates to reflect back on their educational journey prior to spring break and all they experienced during their education prior and how that prepared them to complete their studies and begin their post-graduation careers in a pandemic.

“With a lot of caring faculty, staff, friends and family behind you, you prevailed and adapted, you figured out how to finish your studies in a remote format and how to live through weeks of staying home … you could have let this derail you, but you didn’t.” Wacker said. “Do not underestimate the extent to which you had to adapt and what you have accomplished.”

Not only did the graduating class need to transition online to finish their degrees, they also witnessed the death of George Floyd as a horrific and heart-wrenching reminder that the nation still has much to accomplish to fulfill its pledge for “liberty and justice for all,” she said.

“Today, I see before me a group of graduates who are just what the world needs to help bring together the changes we need to not only rebuild the economy, but to reimagine our cultural and socio-economic structures and to commit to ‘really seeing each other,’ so we can create a more equitable future for us all,” she said.

After completing her speech, Wacker invited the graduates up to the stage to

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walk across and hold up their diploma cover, and presented the graduates to their families and friends watching in the auditorium and through a live stream link.

Following the recessional, graduates spread across campus to take physically-distanced photos in their cap and gown and staff members diligently cleaned the auditorium to prepare for the next ceremony.

“Go out there today and celebrate,” Wacker told each set of graduates. “Always remember that you are the St. Cloud State University Class of 2020, the class that has the right to say with confidence — bring it on!”

ST. CLOUD STATE MAGAZINE

ADMISSIONS GETS A REFRESH PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS TO ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY HAVE AN UPGRADED VISIT EXPERIENCE THANKS TO RECENT UPGRADES TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES FIRST FLOOR, WHERE VISITORS ENTER THE UNIVERSITY TO BEGIN THEIR TOURS.

The renovations included updates to the building’s first floor common and student recruitment areas to make the building more accessible and welcoming for visitors and current students alike. In addition to providing a new front door to prospective students and their families, the renovation offers improved navigation for current students to access offices such as Financial Aid and Records and Registration.

GLT Architects developed the renovation plans and work was done by KUE Contractors Inc. last academic year with the finishing touches completed during the summer.

NOTABLE WALL CELEBRATES ACCOMPLISHMENTS The Notable Alumni Display was put together by RealEyes Displays under the direction of University Advancement and is an interactive touch screen display system that recognizes alumni for having made a noteworthy advancement in their profession, service to the community or country. It is designed to highlight the early career successes of our alumni to showcase the difference a St. Cloud State degree makes for recent graduates to prospective students and their families who are visiting campus. It features the stories of alumni engaged in successful careers who are making a difference in communities throughout Minnesota, across the United States and around the world.

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NEWS HUSKIES ATHLETICS HIGHLIGHTS Competition for Huskies Athletics paused in March when the NCAA canceled tournaments and competitions. St. Cloud State University’s Division II athletes are expected to resume competition in January. In the meantime, get ready to root for the Huskies by downloading the new SCSU Huskies fan app in Google Play or the App Store and celebrating these 20192020 season highlights: »» Wrestling finished the season as the nation’s No. 1 ranked team with a 16-0, 8-0 record.

The team won the 2020 National Wrestling Coaches Association Division II National Duals team title and the 2020 NCAA Division II regional title, had nine wrestlers advance to the NCAA Division II championships, and eight wrestlers earning All-America honors. Head Coach Steve Costanzo earned NWCA Division II National Coach of the Year honors, and first year Joey Bianchini earned NWCA Division II Rookie of the Year honors. »» Women’s Swim and Dive captured its second consecutive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) championship in 2019-20 and its fifth NSIC title since 2012-13. Coach Jeff Hegle earned NSIC Coach of the Year honors, Kayla Deters earned NSIC Diving Coach of the Year and Senior Rebekah Stone earned NSIC Diver of the Year honors. »» Women’s Basketball captured first in the 2020 NSIC postseason tournament and earned a bid to the 2020 NCAA Division II regional tournament. »» Volleyball qualified for the NCAA Division II tournament for the first time since 2004.

The team advanced to the championship game of the NSIC postseason tournament and received a bid to the 2019 NCAA Division II Central Region tournament. Senior Clara Krenz earned NSIC’s Libero of the Year, and Head Coach Chad Braegelmann earned NSIC Coach of the Year.

11 SWIM CAPTAIN SAVES LIVES A St. Cloud State University couple were vacationing in the right place and the right time this July when they answered a cry for help and saved three swimmers from a Lake Superior rip current.

Swim Team Captain and communication studies major Marena Kouba and her boyfriend business economics and finance double major Dayton Nash were vacationing in Presque Isle in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan July 19 when they heard the cries.

Nash recognized the distress of the man and two children struggling in the current and Kouba took action. As she put her swimming skills to work to reach the trio, Nash called for emergency assistance.

Kouba helped calm the swimmers and pulled them back toward shore as more help arrived. The following Monday Kouba was back on campus at St. Cloud State working at the Admissions welcome desk when President Robbyn Wacker, Vice President Jason Woods and Athletic Director Heather Weems stopped by to congratulate her for her heroic actions.

“On behalf of the entire St. Cloud State leadership we wanted to come down and say how proud we are of what you did and the courage, the selflessness, the leadership you exhibited,” Wacker said. “We just wanted to say how much we appreciate you and thank you for being a Husky.”

ST. CLOUD STATE MAGAZINE

NEWS

New ways to share art and music

School of the Arts students found new ways to unleash their creativity this spring through compilations shared through YouTube and elsewhere online.

DESIGNING LESSONS, LEARNING SKILLS EDUCATION STUDENTS SUPPORT 21ST CENTURY LEARNING CENTERS

St. Cloud State University’s 54th annual Juried Student Art Exhibit opened virtually in May with a virtual reality gallery and an online format.

The exhibit showcased the work of a number of senior art students. In all, 22 works are included in the exhibit by 20 students in a variety of mediums.

Dr. Bill Gorcica and students Bigyan Lama Thing and Ben Toftey, worked in consultation with Mark Gill from the Visualization Lab to develop the virtual exhibit. Juror Mary Bruno viewed the work online and chose the juror’s choice awards for the virtual show.

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Music students also worked together to present their talents virtually before the end of the academic year.

Senior music composition students presented personal compositions in a Virtual Composers Convocation on Zoom, while Dr. Terry Vermillion directed two virtual compilation performances by the Contemporary Music Ensemble. Student Jack Wald helped compile the videos for presentation.

St. Cloud State University Concert Choir singers also presented one of their 2020 performances virtually.

Twenty-seven students came together to perform composer Sydney Guillaume’s “Kanaval” virtually. The singers recorded themselves performing separately and alumnus Jeff Kantos ’12 combined the video and audio into a single performance.

See the work https://scsu.mn/2Fzjnig

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Four education students spent the summer thinking about math and children. They thought about what lessons are most needed and how children first understand and absorb concepts from the simplest concepts to preparations for advanced math.

Elementary education majors Cailey Titrud and Aria Reitter worked with secondary math education majors Anna Panek and Bethanie Barrios to develop math lesson packs for 21st Century Learning Centers, a grant project to support learning outside of the regular school day across the St. Cloud Area and Sauk Rapids-Rice school districts.

The project is led at St. Cloud State University by Dr. Melissa-Hanzsek-Brill.

Work began this spring and continues for the next two years. Each math activity pack fits into a backpack and includes all the materials, instructions and supporting activities need to do the lesson. Most are designed to be game-like, so they can be taught one-on-one or include other students, Barrios said.

The students and Hanzsek-Brill created instructional videos to accompany the written instructions in order to support all learners and make the material more accessible.

The 21st Century Learning Center project is funded by a three-year $2.3 mil-

THE EXPERIENCE WAS LIFE CHANGING. Bethanie Barrios

From left: Cailey Titrud, Aria Reitter, Anna Panek and Bethanie Barrios

lion Minnesota Department of Education grant administrated by the United Way of Central Minnesota to help students get extra academic and socio-emotional help in an after school setting. In addition to St. Cloud State, 50 Central Minnesota community organizations came together to help evaluate needs and plan for the services.

The grant focuses on African American students, students with a language other than English spoken in the home and students on free and reduced lunch.

Ten centers throughout the St. Cloud and Sauk Rapids-Rice school districts are providing services for children. The centers reach children with after school programming in their neighborhoods with programming that address their needs.

The 10 centers are expected to help almost 2,000 children, said 21st Century Learning Center Grant Administrator Clarinda Solberg.

St. Cloud State is providing programming in math and science.

Professors Dr. Felicia Leammukda, Dr. Rachel Humphrey and Dr. Dave Blanchard, recruited a second set of student workers this fall to plan science lessons.

These students include Reitter and Titrud, who will work with science education major Brandon Morris and elementary education major Ashlee Gibson.

Similar to the math students, science lesson planners looked at the Minnesota Department of Education data to see where student skills in the science can be strengthened, and met with partners from the school districts to learn about the needs of their students. They are now working together to design and assemble kits to support these learners with explanation videos for instructors and low-cost equipment that will be easy for the centers to replenish, Blanchard said.

The kits will be designed to support understanding of key concepts and to spark an interest in science and keep that interest evolving, he said.

For the science students, the project is giving them a chance to develop understanding of how to plan a lesson, how to safely introduce chemicals into a school environment, and how to plan a low cost or no cost lesson, Blanchard said.

Students learn about lesson planning in class, but through this project they are having a chance to plan lessons that will actually reach students and improve their understanding while collaborating with their fellow students, he said.

“As undergraduates their work is being used in a real scenario,” he said. “They are not just planning them to demonstrate, they are doing it. They are able to see their

finished product and get high-quality feedback as the products are rolled out in the learning centers.”

Barrios, Titrud, Reitter and Panek agreed that it was an irreplaceable experience and an honor to create the lessons.

“I enjoyed it so much,” Reitter said.

“We had the flexibility of choosing what standards to focus on, it was so enjoyable being able to use our creativity in how we worked on these skills. It was so much fun, and I was so happy to be asked to be a part of it.”

The experience was life changing, Barrios said.

As a student preparing to teach secondary school math, the ability to think about how elementary students first learn and interact with math concepts has been invaluable, she said.

The experience has made her think about the basics — how to teach kids to count, how to describe a circle, how to think about the concepts from a child’s perspective.

“As a result I see that the more we pay attention to those concepts at the early ages, changes how they receive math at higher levels,” she said. “If we can make that experience better. If we can expand the ways of thinking for these young children, they will be very successful in the future.”

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Nurturing social justice, activism and advocacy on our campus

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St. Cloud State leadership, faculty and staff have long agreed that it is the university’s responsibility to empower all students to be effective citizens of the world … with a commitment to helping students succeed as engaged members of a diverse and multicultural world by nurturing social justice, activism and advocacy on our campus.

Now, at this time when deepening humanitarian concerns and troubling violence call for action, the university is making anti-racism education in all aspects of campus academics and life an even higher priority.

On a strong foundation of decades of work from university leaders, faculty, staff and students committed to making St. Cloud State a campus where all students feel welcome and safe, leadership is putting greater focus on the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and engaging in intentional actions to address systemic inequities throughout the university. DEI values, practices, and strategies will be embedded into the fabric of the institution and campus community.

In reminding faculty and staff of programs this fall open to them on incorporating anti-racist pedagogy in all teaching and learning, Professor Mary Clifford of the Criminal Justice Department and interim director of the CARE Initiative, said: “You may not know this, but SCSU has been formally offering information and resources on anti-racism education since 2004 through the CARE Office on the SCSU campus.

“The CARE Team is expanding offerings and resources, building networks and advertising to other local resources and professionals, and working to educate and train groups within our campus community and beyond,” Clifford said.

It’s time. Minnesota and the world watched in horror the stunning video of a police officer’s knee pressed down on George Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, resulting in Mr. Floyd’s death before our eyes. People around the globe reacted, taking to the streets in an unprecedented show of emotion and support for addressing racism as we never had before. Many were moved for the first time to demonstrate their frustration and anger at such a blatant show of racism.

The campus community too was shaken and moved to action by the vivid image of the heartbreaking end to Mr. Floyd’s life.

Faith Epps-Harper, president of the Council of African American Students and a senior majoring in social work and minoring in criminal justice, joined the post-Floyd-death demonstration at the Minnesota Capitol. CAAS has been having bi-weekly meetings instead of the usual weekly since the pandemic.

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From left: Faith Epps-Harper President of the Council of African American Students Hakeem Mustapha CAAS community outreach director

It’s necessary to keep the conversation about equality and human rights alive.

– FAITH EPPS-HARPER

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OC T. 1 5, OC 201 T. 1 8 20 5, 18

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President Robbyn Wacker Webster Hall named for Ruby Cora Webster.

The first cohort of students from announces “A commitment to Nankai University Binhai College Dr. Robbyn Wacker, St. Cloud State's 24th president, diversity, equity & inclusion” arrived on campus to attend classes was inaugurated as the first permanentlyas one of the five points at the Herberger Business School appointed female president to lead the university of the University’s through a new 2+2 Bachelor of Science and is a member of the LGBTQ community.

“It’s Time” initiative. in Finance program.

“We’re taking safety precautions, but everybody has an opportunity to come and educate themselves,” said CAAS community outreach director Hakeem Mustapha, a sophomore biomedical sciences major. “It’s necessary to keep the conversation about equality and human rights alive.”

“We have ‘hot topics’ meetings, where anyone can bring up current event conversations and all will listen,” said Mustapha.” It’s a place for everybody to be heard in our community. We’re listening to each other. We’re also having podcasts and postings on social media.”

Epps-Harper, who believes that people have a choice – that one family can include both racist and non-racist members – said it’s important to have discussions and forums with students to allow productive conversation. “Not just putting things in place – really listening.”

“Students – a mixture of students of color and white students – had a need to talk about it, to talk about racial inequities,” said Dr. Jason McCarthy, a psychologist with St. Cloud State’s Counseling

and Psychological Services (CPS). “The killing of George Floyd caused a seismic change across the board. It became a primary variable in their lives. It was on their mind and they were bothered by it.”

Dr. Rose Stark-Rose, also a psychologist in CPS, began running drop-in Zoom sessions for students of color who were troubled by the aftermath of Mr. Floyd's death.

Leadership among students of color agree that they would like to see more people of color on campus. Student Government President, Surkhel Yousafzai, said this year’s leadership board is the most diverse in the university’s history. “It is now time that we, as a community, undertake serious and meaningful action to begin undoing structural racism and its presence within – and impact on – our community.”

“The recent murder of George Floyd and many others at the hands of police officers has resulted not only in widespread protests in urban and rural communities across the country but I believe it has laid bare with absolute clarity to anyone previously unwilling ST. CLOUD STATE MAGAZINE

The Community Anti-Racism Education (CARE) Initiative is founded leading to the Anti-Racist Pedagogy Across the Curriculum (ARPAC) Project and the St. Cloud Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast and Day of Service.

or unable to acknowledge the unabated impact of structural racism on American culture,” said Yousafzai, an international student from Islamabad, Pakistan.

“I hope that we not divide but unite the community moving forward,” Yousafzai said. “The conversations would be tough and the actions tougher, but they are long due!“ Both Yousafzai and Mustapha said they have felt targeted because of race. “Not everybody is born racist,” Mustapha said.

“Obviously they are learning from somebody and we have to learn where they’re getting it and break it down. Since the beginning I have asked, ‘What did we do to make people hate us’?”

On the subject of racism, Criminal

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Lawrence Hall reopens as a residential hall for international student and domestic students to live together and exchange culture.

American Indian Center founded

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Dr. Roy Saigo becomes St. Cloud State’s first president of color.

Under his seven-year leadership person’s of color employed by St. Cloud State increased by 36 percent.

Engaging as a member of a diverse and multicultural world as one of its six commitments of Our Husky Compact

Study abroad expands Members of el Movimiento Estudiantil to Africa with a Chicana/o de Aztlán begin a hunger strike partnership with Nelson with support from the Student Coalition Against Mandela University Racism, the Council of African American Students in South Africa and First Nations presenting 13 demands.

Justice faculty member Dr. Shawn Williams has his own philosophy about how to approach the subjects of white privilege and the effects of racism on people of color. “Are students reserved when it comes to race? Depends on how you give them questions,” Williams said. “As I teach critical intelligence the material has to be thrown out in the way to get people to look at it through other’s experiences. It can’t be finger-pointing. … I have to revamp how the message is dispensed. You can’t expect to change people at the drop of a hat. You have to give them information so they will not be offended.”

Williams, who has 15 years of police experience, said in order to get students who have had little exposure to persons of

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color and interracial situations to understand what white privilege is, it’s good to start with a story about a real-world situation – real world for a person of color, that is.

“Ask the student, when was the last time your family took a road trip,” Williams said. “Ask if they thought about how it is to stop at the hotels and gas stations in small towns along the way.” Then he reminds them that when his family is taking a trip, especially in the south, these are always concerns – concerns that white people just don’t have to think about.

Some of his students have never known a person of color, Williams said. But as they become educated to go into law enforcement work, they don’t have a choice

The Minority Cultural Center opens in Shoemaker Hall as the university’s first center for students of color.

but to look at the differences in culture among African Americans, Somali, Hispanic and others. “That’s policing, seeing life through other people’s lenses.”

“My job is to bring down that shield so we can have a conversation.” To give that information in a way that can be critically thought about rather than being defended against.”

For Williams and the many other faculty and staff who are incorporating anti-racist education into a St. Cloud State education, success is having students walk across the stage to get their degrees, confident that they are ready to be part of the increasingly diverse and multicultural society here in St. Cloud and anywhere else in the world they go to live and work.

“I want you to leave St. Cloud knowing what humanity and decency is,” Williams tells his students.

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Women’s Center opens

St. Cloud State becomes a sister school with Akita University in Japan.

Members of the Black Students Ruby Cora Webster United for Racial is the first known Equality (B-SURE) student student of color to group occupy President attend St. Cloud State.

Robert Wick’s office.

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LGBT Resource Center opens and a new requirement has new students earn at least 12 credits in courses that expose them to multicultural, gender and minority concerns.

Lillian Moore and Alma Baird, Six Japanese American students the first known American Indian attend St. Cloud State through students to attend St. Cloud State, a U.S. education program for present on issues facing Japanese students otherwise American Indian communities. held in internment camps.

Surkhel Yousafzai Student Government President

I hope that we not divide but unite the community moving forward. The conversations would be tough and the actions tougher, but they are long due!

– SURKHEL YOUSAFZAI

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For children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and their families, much needed resources are made accessible with the help of our Applied Behavior Analysis program

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or the growing number of families with a child diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, it’s fortunate that the world’s top-ranked academic program for educating practitioners to help their children develop and thrive is right here in Central Minnesota. Even better, St. Cloud State’s distinctive Applied Behavior Analysis program is developing progressive on-site services to support the tremendous need for more resources.

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is widely considered the most effective type of therapy for autism spectrum disorder, and St. Cloud State has in recent years been ranked the number one academic ABA program in the world, based on first-time pass rates of the board certification exam. The faculty who teach in the program are nationally regarded for their teaching and research in ABA. “We’re the only ABA program of its kind in Minnesota,” said Dr. Shonda Craft, dean of the School of Health and Human Services at St. Cloud State. “Our faculty really live and breathe their field.

To them it’s not just about doing the work. They really care about how we can best educate our students to meet those needs.”

The pass rate for St. Cloud State graduates applying for board certification has been at or near 100 percent, with the average pass rate being 62 percent, said Dr. Benjamin Witts, chair of our ABA program. “We’re really proud of that.”

Obviously, with such stellar pass rates for its graduates, St. Cloud State’s academic reputation is excellent. But for Witts, the job of preparing students for this work goes deeper. “What makes our program special is we are driven by values and standards that will give students the quality education they need to be the best,” he said. “I fully believe that our students are going out there to save lives.

GREATER GOOD

BY MARSHA SHOEMAKER

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PREPARING STUDENTS TO SAVE FAMILIES “We’re saving families when they receive services,” Witts said. “As clients they receive the help they need to have peaceful family dinners, to go out together, go on vacations – many of the things they thought were gone from their family lives.” In addition, he said, “for autistic children our work can be the difference between an adulthood of dependency and one of living and working – of enriching their lives so they can live them to the fullest extent.”

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“My approach to teaching my students is preparing them to become practitioners I would trust to work with my own children,” Witts said. “I want students who are okay with tough programs that will help push them farther than they would push themselves, who understand that their work carries great responsibility; that they understand they will have a tremendous effect on the children they will work with and the future of their families.”

It’s estimated that one in 54 American children between the ages of 3 and 17 is diagnosed as autistic, and their families are clamoring for services. “All over Minnesota there are wait lists,” according to Kyle Pollard, who earned his master’s degree in ABA from St. Cloud State and is a behavior analyst at Northway Academy Sartell, an autism service center primarily for children.

Until recently in Minnesota, most of the services for autistic clients have been centered in the Twin Cities and Rochester.

AMERICAN CHILDREN IS DIAGNOSED AS AUTISTIC, AND THEIR FAMILIES ARE CLAMORING FOR SERVICES. (Diagnosis made between the ages of 3 and 17)

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Dr. Benjamin Witts Professor in the Applied Behavior Analysis program

Dr. Michele Traub Professor in the Applied Behavior Analysis program

For autistic children our work can be the difference between an adulthood of dependency and one of living and working – of enriching their lives so they can live them to the fullest extent.

One of the things I love about teaching in the distance program is seeing the different perspectives of everyone in the class. The vast majority of these students work in the field in their home countries.

– DR. BENJAMIN WITTS

– DR. MICHELE TRAUB

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TOP-RANKED PROGRAM HAS INTERNATIONAL REACH

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n a growing field with limited training programs, St. Cloud State’s top-notch online Applied Behavior Analysis classes are brimming with students signing on from every corner of the globe. Since its inception in 2002, ABA’s online programs have educated students from every inhabited continent except Antarctica and every province in Canada.

“We don’t advertise it much, and yet we have to reject 60-70 percent of the online applicants because we can’t accommodate them all,” said Dr. Benjamin Witts, chair of the ABA program. It’s one of only a few ABA programs accredited through the Association for Behavior Analysis International offering an all-online master’s degree. Combine that with the fact the St. Cloud State’s is the number one ABA program in the world and it adds up to a winning combination for faculty and students.

“We’re at the top of the line,” said assistant professor Dr. Michele Traub. “The way the program is designed we keep the cohorts small enough that we can succeed at making excellent connections with all our students.”

This fall Witts has formed a cohort of 34 students for his Experimental Analysis of Behavior, which is about as high as he would go for a class. He designs his own customized materials tailored to their needs. “A student in Singapore gets the same experience as the student in Iowa.”

“One of the things I love about teaching in the distance program is seeing the different perspectives of everyone in the classes,” Traub said. “The vast majority of these students work in the field in their home countries.

“They are really able to bring their experiences with state/provincial/national laws and regulations for the work that we do and for autism services into class, so everyone sees not only how our procedures and principles work in theory, but also how they are put into practice,” Traub said.

“That is something I purposely work into my distance courses: having the students share the barriers to treatment – or the benefits available – in their countries or regions. It incorporates information they could never get out of a textbook, helps them see the possibilities that are out there for their own work, and, as a teacher, I learn new ways to put the work into context.”

Witts agrees. “I’ve loved working in that program,” he said. “It helps make you rethink how to teach essentials and informs teacher assessment.”

“This summer I taught a class on global perspectives on autism treatment, and it was great to hear how people all around the world view the disorder, think about treatment, and advocate for families,” Traub said.

“I had made several international connections in the summer of 2019 with autism professionals in Jakarta, Indonesia; Prague, Czech Republic; Accra, Ghana; Nairobi, Kenya; and Guayaquil, Ecuador, among others,” Traub said. “To have these practitioners share their experiences with our students, and to hear the students’ own experiences working in their communities and how similar many of the struggles are, was fascinating and inspiring all at once.”

Of course, Traub said, the logistics of the distance program also pose a lot of unexpected challenges. “We had a student in Hawaii who was affected by the typhoons a couple years ago; I got an email apologizing for a late assignment because the internet in the evacuation shelter went down. I reassured her that nobody was expecting her to turn in work that week!”

“We’ve had students impacted by the California wildfires, the riots in Hong Kong, and, most recently, the travel restrictions due to COVID,” Traub said. “It is humbling to work with students who are so dedicated to their careers and their schooling that they don’t want to ask for accommodations, even when the world is throwing them through the gauntlet.”

St. Cloud State has in recent years been ranked the number one academic ABA program in the world.

– DR. BENJAMIN WITTS

IMAGE BY BOVYNILIN / SHUTTERSTOCK

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While centers like Northway are expanding, there’s still not enough space or staff to serve Minnesota families, Pollard said.

St. Cloud State’s Applied Behavior Analysis program is in the midst of a three-phase pilot program to better serve Central Minnesota families with assessments and helping them develop skills in their children that permit a better daily life and more independence.

BUILDING CONFIDENCE THROUGH EXPERIENCE As a student in the St. Cloud State ABA master’s program, Pollard appreciated the rigors of his courses and the expectations of his professors. “I chose St. Cloud State because of its excellent reputation.”

“I definitely got a good education,” said Pollard, whose undergraduate degree from Central Michigan University was in psychology. “In my master’s program there was a huge emphasis on keeping up on the latest research in the field, on being able to read through it, understand it and think critically.”

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Shonda Craft Dean of School of Health and Human Services

Our faculty and students thoroughly research their evidence-based work as they are doing it, creating customized interventions with families.

– DR. SHONDA CRAFT

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Pollard also gained field experience working at Northway while he was a master’s student. Many of St. Cloud State’s ABA students have internships or work experiences at local providers.

For Pollard, the depth of his master’s program helped him build confidence he displays in his work as a practitioner. He serves clients from ages 2 to 21 with a wide variation of needs. “Some come needing social skills or communication skills. Most involve common behaviors demonstrated by the autism population that can affect families.

“For example,” Pollard said, “elopement, mostly running away from parents, is a behavior that we deal with for many clients. This can result in families not wanting to bring their child out into the community, to parks, the grocery store, church, and so forth.”

This behavior may have a variety of causes – running toward something they see and want to pursue or running because they enjoy being chased by their parents. Whatever the cause, elopement behavior can pose dangers to children if they run into traffic or get lost, said Pollard. “We’ll work on having them walk next to their staff and also work on getting them to communicate what they want verbally.”

OFFERING SERVICES, MEETING DEMAND St. Cloud State’s phased pilot program is already helping to ease the demand for services to families with autistic children in the area.

The first phase was offering on-site workshops, where parents and children could come and learn how to adapt to everyday situations like getting through a meal together without disruptive behavior.

During each workshop, a team of ABA students and faculty would get to know the children and do light assessments, then bring in parents to give them information on ways to build skills in a loving and caring way at their children’s pace, Witts said.

Last year in the second phase, families were identified that ABA students could work with in their homes, providing more tailored services to families. Students worked directly with clients thanks to an Autism Clinical Training Grant funded by a generous gift to the SCSU Foundation for the ABA department.

A new phase of the pilot program this fall is a telehealth clinic to help respond to families during the limitations created by the coronavirus, providing targeted information and giving feedback to participating families on coping with their challenges.

“Our faculty and students thoroughly research their evidence-based work as they are doing it, creating customized interventions with families,” Craft said.

“The department is working toward an on-site autism clinic that serves students with experiential learning and serves our community,” she said.

EXPANDING AND GROWING The clinic would be a significant addition to St. Cloud State’s outstanding ABA program, expanding its ability to prepare practitioners with the broad range of knowledge and experience they need to work with clients throughout the autism spectrum.

The clinic, being referred to under the working title of “The Husky Applied Behavior Analysis Training Clinic,” would be an actual ABA clinic on site on campus in the near future. Students would run it under supervision of faculty.

Besides the clinic, the department is looking forward to launching an ABA Doctorate program, bringing in its first class in fall of 2021. “It will be the only program like it to exist in the world,” Witts said. “We’re excited about that.”

Witts explained that our approach to educating students differs from existing doctoral programs in the ABA field as we combine discipline-based knowledge with the applied skills they need to better serve families. “Currently PhDs are working in high level positions or starting their own companies, but their education didn’t prepare them for the other skill sets necessary to get a clinic up and running, supervise, work with families, put on workshops, or deal with administrative aspects as well as providing services,” he said. “With added courses from the Herberger Business School, our practitioner-focused doctorate will help professionals succeed in high level positions and succeed with the business aspects of starting a business.”

For an academic program that already is number one in the world, in a field where graduates are in great demand, the Applied Behavior Analysis program promises to be an increasingly rare and welcome resource for autistic clients and their families.

WE'RE SAVING FAMILIES WHEN THEY RECEIVE SERVICES The department is working toward an on-site autism clinic that serves students with experiential learning and serves our community.

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AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER CHALLENGES AFFECTED FAMILIES Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges, affecting ways of communicating, interacting, behaving and learning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “A diagnosis of ASD now includes several conditions that used to be diagnosed separately: autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), and Asperger syndrome. ... The learning, thinking, and problem-solving abilities of people with ASD can range from gifted to severely challenged. Some people with ASD need a lot of help in their daily lives; others need less.”

A child’s autism diagnosis affects every member of the family, according to the Autism Society. “Parents/caregivers must now place their primary focus on helping their child with ASD, which may put stress on their marriage, other children, work, finances, and personal relationships and responsibilities. ... Parents now have to shift much of their resources of time and money towards providing treatment and interventions for their child, to the exclusion of other priorities.”

A child with ASD has needs that complicate relationships among family members, causing stress among parents, siblings.

A study in the Journal of Family Psychology states that parents of autistic children had a 9.7% greater chance of getting divorced than did their peers. According to a study featured in Pediatrics, families with an autistic child underwent an average loss of 14 percent in their entire family income.

Although ASD can be a lifelong disorder, treatments and services can improve a person’s symptoms and ability to function.

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Last spring St. Cloud State University joined schools around the world transitioning to alternative ways of teaching students sheltering in place – rising to the challenge of embracing and humanizing technology and online education for learners coping with a world in chaos.

Dr. Alan Srock and Dr. Rachel Humphrey co-teach a meteorology course together in AltspaceVR.

W… W…R… R…ADY

By Marsha Shoemaker

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MAKING THE TRANSITION When the global pandemic struck, St. Cloud State was prepared to mobilize.

University leadership, faculty and staff worked together – stepping up to ensure that teaching and learning were tailored to meet the needs of students accessing classes and studying in a variety of off-campus living situations.

Professors tell about students who moved easily into online learning, enthusiastically pivoting into new opportunities to be creative and successful in their classwork. And about others who faced obstacles that challenged their ability to move forward with the same ease.

As a community, we expressed deep concern about reaching out to students to understand their varied study situations and their individual abilities to succeed in this new learning-in-quarantine environment. Most began the transition by surveying students about their wants and needs, their hopes and their challenges.

All demonstrated the flexibility and resilience that they hoped to bring out in their students.

It was a challenge for all involved.

What eased the way was that St. Cloud State already was moving forward with plans to redefine how to meet students

evolving needs long before the pandemic got a grip on every aspect of our lives and every corner of the world.

In her July 2019 St. Cloud Times newspaper “To a Higher Degree” column, President Robbyn Wacker wrote: “We will face these challenges and new opportunities head-on. We will continue to listen, to adapt and to build a broader education ecosystem to offer more choice, more options and more innovative ways to be the University of Choice.”

“It’s Time,” President Wacker said, adding that the university was ready to be more specific about the direction we are headed. “While other universities are only responding to the fiscal challenges brought on by declining enrollment and COVID-19, we are, in contrast, making fundamental changes that will redefine what it means to be a Regional University.

“We are ready to build on a foundation of strength and move forward with bold, positive changes,” President Wacker said.

“It’s Time.”

By March, spurred on by the need to reach students where they were sheltering in place, faculty and staff were ready to take action to ensure their students would continue their classes and secure their educational goals.

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Above: Dr. Terry Vermillion leads a virtual World Drumming Group class with students connecting in Zoom from home.

St. Cloud State had just come out of its year-long Sesquicentennial celebration, looking back on the ways our school had grown and evolved to meet the changing needs of students and our communities.

There was talk about how our school had risen to the challenges of world wars, depressions and other historic circumstances.

But nothing in the school’s 150-year history prepared us for the upheaval, uncertainty and anxiety the out-of-the-blue coronavirus hurled at us all. Then the horror and despair that soon followed when right here in Minnesota a video captured the death of George Floyd by police action, inciting anger and advocacy for justice. The world was stunned; people were changed.

When COVID-19 hit, classes became predominantly online for virtually every educational institution. While the pandem-

Left: Dr. Christine Metzo teaches a hybrid class this fall with some students wearing facial covering and physically distancing in person and other students connecting virtually.

Dr. Geoffrey Tabakin teaches a course on the lawn in front of Centennial Hall as his students spread out to observe physical distancing.

ic was still ongoing and still unpredictable, many colleges and universities developed back-to-school fall plans to offer in-person, online and blended experiences.

With support from the Minnesota State system, university leadership and staff, St. Cloud State faculty successfully transformed their classes.

“It was really, really impressive how quickly the education community took up the challenge to do what’s right,” said Music Professor Terry Vermillion, whose students had special challenges making the transition to alternate formats. In addition to classes, the ensembles and performance groups Vermillion directs are required to have experiences involving live performances and performance juries. “It was an overwhelming amount of information and decision-making in just three weeks,” he

said of finding a balance by learning new ways of connecting, making videos, using Zoom, and editing performances.

Vermillion said it was a concern that some students had little or no appropriate technology to fully adapt to the alternative ways of teaching, or they were going home to finish the semester sharing space and technology with their families.

“Teachers are problem solvers,” Vermillion said. “We in higher ed know that face-too-face is the best method of instruction. … But I know the future of music education is some online. All my students have to know how to make technology work.”

Dr. Chris Lehman, chair of the Department of Ethnic, Gender and Women’s Studies, incorporated videos of his speaking engagements for his book

“Slavery’s Reach” to use as online lectures.

Criminal Justice Professor John Baker, pre-law advisor and 1999 St. Cloud State graduate, said, “I think the university before COVID-19 was really good about getting information out on putting classes on D2L and Zoom,” Baker said. “I was good at these platforms. Anytime I needed it, I had help. I think that gave me a leg up in the transition.”

But Baker continued to be concerned about the challenges students face. “The frustrating part is I could see my students online – knew they were doing the work – but I worried if they were okay,” he said.

When first COVID-19, then the news that Spring break would be extended a week, Counseling and Psychological Services – with guidance of Dr. Brent Nielson of St. Cloud State Health Services – closed for the safety of students, said CPS psychologist Jason McCarthy. Inperson appointments were replaced by appointments by phone. The American Psychological Association training was shared by all CPS faculty and staff, and in two weeks the whole department was up and running, helping students.

“It was kind of unbelievable how quickly that happened,” McCarthy said.

“I don’t think we missed any days of student appointments. As we got up onto Zoom clients we had been seeing continued with us, but we also reached out to students who had worked with us earlier to make sure they knew we were still open and taking appointments to meet their

The frustrating part is I could see my students online — I knew they were doing the work — but I was worried if they were okay.

– JOHN BAKER, CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROFESSOR ST. CLOUD STATE MAGAZINE

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needs.”

CPS office staff worked with IT to imbed a link on their website to allow students to request appointments online.

This summer McCarthy said, “more than a dozen students took part in the ‘Summer of Change’ series in which Zoom groups shared a series of three two-week summer workshop sets.

“Summer of Change” was developed around coping with the pandemic, McCarthy said. “But it also adapted to include the emotions and relations related to the killing of George Floyd.”

Biology Professor Matt Julius and other science faculty worked with their own “new normal” when it came to student lab work.

While he could go to campus to maintain the samples of various algae students normally help grow for use as a colorant in dietary supplements and to create nano-structural materials for medical purposes, Julius’s students were not allowed on campus for their usual hands-on lab work.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised,” Julius said of how well his students adapted to his creative ways of helping students continue to learn.

Danielle Protivinsky, a 2013 graduate of St. Cloud State who teaches community health classes as an adjunct professor in the Department of Kineseology, did what many instructors did when classes went online: surveyed her students about their

preferences for moving forward, setting them up for success by listening to them.

“I would say it took about a week for students to get their bearings,” said Protivinsky, whose full-time job as part of the Community Leadership Team of Stearns County Public Health informs her teaching, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic.

“Now they’re doing so well, thriving just like they would in the classroom. …“It releases a lot of anxiety for students knowing their instructors care.”

COVID AS A CREATIVE CATALYST FOR THE CLASSROOM

Dr. Maureen O’Brien, interim chair of the history department

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For many professors making the transition to alternative forms of delivering classes, the pandemic – the very cause of the shift – became a topic for creating compelling assignments. COVID-19 had seeped into every aspect of life, and faculty and students took advantage of its pervasive effect to become a tool for teaching and learning.

For Dr. Maureen O’Brien, interim chair of the history department, the pandemic became fodder for reassessing her curriculum as she switched mid-spring from totally face-to-face teaching to online. “I made the decision to engage students as historians and observers in their own times,” she said.

This fall O’Brien retooled her course on The Plague into Global Pandemics, a study of ancient, medieval and modern times.

“I am really excited for this course and hope to learn about the different pandemics that have affected humans throughout history,” said Lexie (“Casper”) Maul, a double major in anthropology and history.

When the pandemic hit, O’Brien was teaching a course History 101 Ancient Rome and two sections of Approaches to History.

“I encouraged students to collect information about the experience of living through a pandemic and incorporate information about how people in the past responded to their pandemic,” she said.

“Human beings are human beings. They respond in comparable ways no matter what the era.”

Anthropology major and history minor Daniel Muntifering has had an especially personal experience to apply to his observations.

“In May I had the virus, so a lot of my entries were also about my experiences,” he said. “I wrote of the different symptoms I had, the process to get tested, and the phone calls I had with the Minnesota Department of Health.”

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They're doing so well, thriving just like they would in a classroom. ...It releases a lot anxiety for students knowing their instructors care.

– DANIELLE PROTIVINSKY ’13 ADJUNCT PROFESSOR, DEPARTMENT OF KINESEOLOGY

In her course work with O’Brien’s classes, Maul found connecting her personal experiences within the historic context of a pandemic made her begin to think about many day-to-day things in a "bigger picture" sense.

“We were encouraged to focus on a particular topic, like our personal lives, politics, things like that,” Maul said. “Once I started thinking "bigger picture”, I stopped trying to justify why something I experienced was important enough to write down, and instead had to try to not write too much, because, technically, every piece of information could be important one day, or at least useful.

English Professor Shannon Olson, director of the creative writing program at St. Cloud State, also encouraged her students to combine personal narratives about COVID-19. Last spring her students’ first assignment after the pandemic hit was to observe, to do an accounting of daily life each week.

“I completely retooled my beginning creative writing class into a hybrid, incorporated assignments in writing personal narratives about COVID-19,” Olson said. Their first assignment was observing the world: What is different? What do you witness when you go out? She asked them to write

Dr. Chris Lehman, chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies, incorporated videos of his speaking engagements for his book “Slavery’s Reach” to use as online lectures.

This fall he’s teaching his Introduction to African American Studies course in person in the classroom aided by facial coverings and physical distancing.

about what they love, to do literary collages and combine experiential observation.

Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Studies Lindsey Vigessa has been discussing Coronavirus outbreaks within correctional facilities and the early release of inmates due to COVID-19 concerns in her Correctional Alternatives course this semester.

“I also teach a research methods course, during which students complete a research proposal, and a senior thesis course in which they execute proposed research.

Students are required to select a criminal justice-related topic of their choice, and many are interested in exploring current COVID-related events and how they are impacting various aspects of the criminal justice system,” Vigessa said.

For her psychology classes, Assistant Professor Michele Traub also focused assignments on observation. “COVID presented an opportunity to observe and analyze human behavior in a way we don’t normally get to do,” she said.

“I knew that students were anxious and unsure about what was happening, and it seemed silly to try to avoid the elephant in the room, so to speak.”

Rather than not talking about it, or talking

about how scared everyone was, Traub decided to turn it into an exercise in behavior analysis.

The class had conversations about risky behavior, what goes into decisions — what they learn as behaviorists and how behaviors put other people at risk.

“With my undergraduates, who were learning how to conduct assessments and analyze their data, we focused on some of the key behaviors we saw cropping up: they wrote short analytical papers on why people were hoarding toilet paper or why some people were so resistant to wearing masks, Traub said. “They were able to step outside of the chaos and apply what they learned throughout the semester.”

COVID presented an opportunity to observe and analyze human behavior in a way we don’t normally get to.

– DR. MICHELE TRAUB, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS

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ALUMNI NEWS SHARE WITH US

Births and adoptions Marriages and commitments Unless otherwise noted, cities are in Minnesota

’70s

meteorologist. / ’10 CLINT HILSGEN and Amy (Bosiacki) Hilsgen, Rogers, daughter, Layne Elizabeth, 6/2/2020. / ’12 KATY SCHUERMAN, St. Cloud, is principal at Five Hawks Elementary School. / ’12 JARROD WIGGINS , Greenville, South Carolina, is associate director of strategic communications at Furman University. / ’12 ’16 ’18 CHRISTOPHER ROGERS , St. Cloud, is interim principal at Afton-Lakeland Elementary. / ’13 ’15 ’17 DAVID WEDIN, Elk River, is superintendent for the Milaca School District. / ’13 ’14 ’18 JAIME (NELSON) GARAS and Kenneth Garas, Rochester, son, Kaleb Thomas, 4/23/2015. Sibling: Kylea Jeanne, 11. / ’14 JACOB CLABORN, Laramie, Wyoming, accepted a full-time coaching opportunity with Franklin (Indiana) College. / ’14 MEGHAN REISTAD, Elk River, joined the CBS 58 Morning News anchor team. / ’14 ERIC RUNESTAD, Decorah, Iowa, is vice president and treasurer for Carleton College. / ’15 AMELIA (ECKES) COLLINS and Troy Collins, Weyerhaeuser, Wisconsin, 10/5/2019. / ’15 MICHAEL WALKER , Walworth, Wisconsin, is lead performance coach and director of operations at Englebert Training Systems Sports Performance Center’s Coon Rapids location. / ’17 TREVOR BRINK , Minneapolis, reported for duty as the executive officer of his National Guard company and in charge of managing the Minnesota Department of Health’s personal protective equipment (PPE) distribution warehouse. / ’17 SHANNON KLINK , Mequon, Wisconsin, is head coach of girls volleyball at Hartford Union High School. / ’17 KRISTOPHER OLIVEIRA , St. Cloud, is director for The Center for Sexuality and Gender Diversity at the University of Kansas. / ’19 CLARK KUSTER , Eureka, Missouri, signed a professional hockey contract to play with Vancouver Canucks affiliate Kalamazoo Wings.

’78 PATRICK HENTGES , Mankato, is retiring after nearly a quarter-century in Mankato’s municipal government as city manager.

’80s

’87 ’93 ’98 CHARLES EISENREICH, St. Cloud, plans to retire from District 742 in July 2021. He will be junior high activities director for the 2020-21 academic year. / ’88 ROBERTA (GIRTZ) SCHULTZ, Sartell, has been promoted to vice president of operations at Meduit.

’90s

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CLASS NOTES KEY:

your milestones, experiences, changes or recent additions to your family.

Visit stcloudstate.edu/alumni to update your profile.

’91 ANTHONY HOLCOMB, Owatonna, is head coach of the St. Cloud Icebreakers. / ’92 STEVEN KING, Fergus Falls, professor of social science, was named Teacher of the Year at Valley City State University. / ’93 ’05 TRACI (ERICKSON) TOMAS-ERICKSON, St. Paul, is chief operating officer of Doran Companies. / ’94 LINDA (MASER) MATHIASEN, Willmar, is director of Granite Falls Economic Development Authority (EDA). / ’97 ARMANDO CAMACHO, St. Paul, is chief executive officer of the Wilder Foundation.

’00s

’00 ’01 EMILY (ANDERSON) HANSEN, Webster City, Iowa, was inducted into Nebraska High School’s Athletic Hall of Fame. / ’01 ZACHARY GORING, Farmington, stepped down as head coach of boys basketball at Apple Valley High School. / ’03 SVEN SUNDGAARD, Minneapolis, launched his own YouTube channel, “Explore with Sven” and is also

partnering with the Bring Me The News weather team. / ’03 ’08 MAREN GREATHOUSE, Nicollet, is associate director for diversity and inclusion education for the Medford/Somerville and School at the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA) campuses. / ’03 HEIDI (GARBER) PERKINS and Don Perkins, Owatonna, son, Xakezion Malcolm Xikiyus, 4/20/2020. / ’04 RACHEL (HUGHES) RUZZI, St. Paul, is principal of Thomas Lake Elementary School in Eagan. / ’05 ANDREW BUNKERS and Melissa Bunkers, Harrisburg, South Dakota, daughter, Reese Rose, 6/28/2020. Sibling: Kollyns Kay, 1. / ’06 GREGORY HENNING, Sartell, is head coach for Sartell High School boys and girls cross country. / ’07 AARON FULTON, Minneapolis, is head coach for boys hockey at Eastview High School. / ’07 MORGAN PHILIPPI, St. Joseph, is the artist behind the label designs for Bad Habit Brewing Company. / ’07 THERESA (WEIHRAUCH) TSCHUMPERLIN, Rice, is chief operations officer at St. Cloud Financial Credit Union. / ’07 ’15 ’17 SASCHA HANSEN, Avon, is pincipal at Sartell High School. / ’08 SAMANTHA (TERBEEST) BERHOW and John Berhow, Winona, son, Logan, 7/13/2020. / ’08 KARISSA (KUJAK) NOLL and Patrick Noll, New Hope, daughter, Grace Pearl, 10/24/2019. Sibling: Graham Michael, 2. / ’08 BRIAN GEIHL , Minneapolis, launched his own full-time art career under the name Dogfish Media. / ’08 ANNA (GRUHLKE) GRUBER , Sartell, is city administrator for Sartell. / ’08 ’15 GREGORY JAMISON, St. Cloud, is head coach of girls cross country at Cathedral High School.

’10s

’10 BENJAMIN DERY, Federal Way, Washington, joined Twin Cities TV station KARE 11 as a

’20s

CONNECT WITH US /scsualumni

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HT TP S://TODAY.STCLOUDSTATE.EDU/MAG | FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021

’20 JANNA HAEG, Lakeville, signed a professional contract to play hockey in Switzerland for the Thurgau Indien Ladies club in 2020-21.

Non-graduate

THOMAS ELLIOTT, St. Cloud, is working with the West Central Tribune in Willmar after more than 30 years with the St. Cloud Times.

ALUMNI NEWS

THE SCSU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION offers services and fun discounts to members of our alumni community.

DO YOU HAVE ANY INSURANCE NEEDS?

Contact USI Affinity at 800-922-1245 for a St. Cloud State alumnus quote on auto, home, dental, vision, long-term care or term life insurance.

DO YOU SHOP ON AMAZON?

Support the SCSU Alumni Association projects by going to smile. amazon.com and selecting St. Cloud State University Alumni Association. 0.5% of your purchase amount will go to the association.

MENTION YOU ARE AN ALUMNA/ALUMNUS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OTHER SELECT BENEFITS: Gear up with SCSU Huskies wear!

Watch for weekly sale items online.

www.scsuhuskiesgear.com Need a hotel or bed & breakfast location while visiting family or friends in the St. Cloud area?

stcloudstate.edu/alumni/benefits

MASS COMM GRAD HELPS WITH COVID-19 EFFORTS IN NORTH DAKOTA When Jesse Groettum ’18 began at St. Cloud State University, his passion came from the mass communications field with a vision of one day working at a public radio station.

A few years later, that passion shifted. Now, he finds himself helping the country battle the coronavirus pandemic.

Groettum graduated from St. Cloud State in December 2018 with a degree in mass communications and political science.

Groettum, who is pursuing his master’s degree in emergency management at North Dakota State University, works in the Joint Information Center for the State of North Dakota, a role he started at the end of March.

Groettum’s duties include pulling together public health information and talking points for state government officials and the general public, while making sure the state has a clear and consistent message.

Lately, that has been COVID-19.

“Currently, I am monitoring different cases in surrounding states or counties for North Dakota. I have created an expansive timeline,” he said. “... I have loved every minute of it. It is fulfilling and enjoyable work. I couldn’t think of a better thing to be doing right now than to be helping out with the COVID-19 response.”

ST. CLOUD STATE MAGAZINE

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SHEREEN PARSAKALLEH ’14 SERVES IN NEW YORK DURING COVID-19 SHEREEN PARSAKALLEH ’14 AND A FEW OF HER COWORKERS EMPLOYED AT REGIONS HOSPITAL IN ST. PAUL PUT THEIR LIVES ON HOLD THIS APRIL TO GO HELP OUT IN THE EPICENTER OF THE CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK IN THE UNITED STATES.

30

Shereen Parsakalleh ’14 and a few of her coworkers employed at Regions Hospital in St. Paul put their lives on hold this April to go help out in the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States.

Parsakalleh, and two friends from the Trauma Surgical Intensive Care Unit, took on the duty of travel nurse and made the move to New York to assist in their battle against COVID-19.

After resigning from their positions in St. Paul, the trio lived in the Big Apple for 10 weeks working 12-hour shifts in an ICU float pool at NYU Langone Health System. Parsakalleh, who graduated in 2014 with a degree in nursing, returned to Minnesota June 17.

Although there were challenges along the way, Parsakalleh was happy to help fellow nurses elsewhere during a time of need.

“I don’t have any regrets of going out there and helping, and I know it was the right decision. I feel really privileged to have gone out there and helped,” Parsakalleh said. “I met so many strong and tenacious nurses that really held it together and showed grit through this whole situation.

“It was overwhelmingly humbling to

I DON’T HAVE ANY REGRETS OF GOING OUT THERE AND HELPING AND I KNOW IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION Shereen Parsakalleh ’14

walk in there and to offer my services and skills when I was sitting at home before that looking to find ways I could help.

I was so happy that I could have that opportunity to put my life on pause in Minnesota for two and a half months to go out there.”

HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING When Parsakalleh arrived in New York, she felt overwhelmed at a new hospital in a new site with a new staff surrounding her.

She had to hit the ground running and learn things quickly.

“It was overwhelming to be there and try to get my bearings in a new location with very sick patients. Because of how tight staffing was and how sick people were, it was really challenging the first month I was there to get into a flow,” she said. “I felt like I was thrown into craziness.

I did feel some pressure to start at sprinting speed, but as an ICU nurse you have to be able to function under pressure. I came ready to do that. It was an adjustment, but I feel like I adjusted OK under the circumstances.”

During her first day on the job, Parsakalleh and other travel nurses were

HT TP S://TODAY.STCLOUDSTATE.EDU/MAG | FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021

welcomed with open arms by the staff in New York. Something that immediately reminded Parsakalleh why she made this decision.

“It was such an overwhelming and humbling feeling to walk on the unit on my first day. Despite all the alarms going off and everyone running around, all the staff nurses did a cheer for all of us traveling nurses that came,” she said. “It brings you to tears because here are people who this has been their every day for the last month.”

After getting through the initial pressures, the last month slowed down for Parsakalleh and she was even able to train some new nurses into the ICU unit.

CONTINUING THE JOURNEY OF TRAVEL NURSING Initially, Parsakalleh had planned to return to Minnesota after her stint in New York, but after helping out in an area of need, Parsakalleh wanted to continue travel nursing and embarked on a journey to the east coast in July to serve as a travel ICU nurse in Baltimore, Maryland and will return to New York to assist with flu season.

ALUMNI NEWS SCSU FOUNDATION VIRTUAL GALA

Cranberry-Raspberry Thyme Syrup (to make 8 servings)

While COVID-19 has forced the St. Cloud State Foundation to scrap plans for its annual campus based Gala celebrating donor philanthropy it hasn’t stopped the celebration from being reimagined as a virtual event. Enjoy this signature “It’s Thyme Huskies” martini in the safety and comfort of your home as we celebrate all our donors do for St. Cloud State! Support your favorite program or sport: www.stcloudstate.edu/ foundation

INGREDIENTS: »» ½ Cup Water »» ½ Cup Cranberry Juice »» ½ Pack Fresh Raspberries »» 4 Sprigs of Thyme »» 6 Tablespoons Sugar

scsu.mn/homecoming2020

1 Bring water, cranberry juice, thyme,

IT’S THYM… HUSKI…S

“It's Thyme Huskies” Signature Cocktail INGREDIENTS: »» 2 Ounces Vodka »» ½ Ounce Fresh Lime Juice »» 1 Ounce Cranberry-Raspberry Thyme Simple Syrup or to taste (syrup recipe to the right) »» Splash of Fresh Cranberry Juice

1 In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine first three ingredients and shake for 10-15 seconds.

2 Strain into martini or coup glass, then add a splash of fresh cranberry juice.

3 Optional garnish is a sprig of thyme with two raspberries.

(For a mocktail, substitute sparkling soda, other clear soda or juice)

and raspberries to a simmer on medium heat. Crush raspberries during cooking with wooden spoon. Cook 6 min.utes. Make sure to stir often.

2 Strain liquid through mesh strainer to remover raspberry and thyme pieces.

3 Place liquid back into pan and add

sugar. Cook on medium heat for another 3 minutes. Stir continuously.

Cool before use.

The “It’s Thyme Huskies” Signature cocktail was created for us by our friends at Brick and Bourbon located at 119 Fifth Avenue South in St. Cloud exclusively for the 2020 Virtual Homecoming/ Foundation Gala. This signature drink is intended for our legal age Huskies. Please protect yourself and protect the pack – drink responsibly!

Jules’ Bistro owner Donella Westphal ’03 (pictured far left) has partnered with Huskies Athletics. The bistro provides pre-game meals for the Men’s and Women’s Hockey programs. In 2019 the Women’s Hockey team presented Westphal with a jersey to thank her for the meals she provides their team.

Learn more about Westphal’s unexpected journey to Jules’ Bistro owner at scsu.mn/westphal ST. CLOUD STATE MAGAZINE

31

ALUMNI PLAY KEY ROLE IN NICKELODEON COVID-19 PRODUCTION ST. CLOUD STATE MASS COMMUNICATIONS GRADUATES BEN PLUIMER ’04 AND MIKE OLIVER ’04 BOTH PLAYED PROMINENT ROLES AS PRODUCER AND EDITOR, RESPECTIVELY, IN A NATIONWIDE VIRTUAL TOWN HALL PRODUCTION TAILORED TOWARD CHILDREN IN MARCH.

32

Pluimer and Oliver helped create a one-hour special called “#KidsTogether” for Nickelodeon, which provided kids, parents and caregivers advice on ways to support each other with information and talking-points during the pandemic.

The town hall was hosted by actress Kristen Bell and featured celebrities such as John Cena, Alicia Keys, Ellen DeGeneres, Kenan Thompson and others. It offered an inside look at what families were doing during and directly addressed kids’ questions and concerns surrounding COVID-19 with insight from medical experts.

“At the time, a lot of kids didn’t know what COVID was and all the news was scaring everybody. I thought this could be cool to teach the kids and make something fun. There was nobody out there explaining this to kids,” Oliver said.

A production with multiple interviews and many guests appearing throughout is tough enough, but the entire production crew worked on the town hall from remote locations while working from home making it even more challenging.

“At one point, we had 12 editors spread all around Los Angeles and we had some in New York. We had a crew of about 30 people all working from their own homes,” Pluimer said. “TV productions like this had not been done before.”

As a producer, Pluimer and others put in some long hours to turn this virtual show around on a tight schedule — with information surrounding COVID-19 changing by the day. But in the end, they were able to accomplish something that not many have been able to before.

“It was a tight turnaround. We shot it on a Wednesday and had to edit it by Saturday, so it was ready for air that Monday. I had several 20-hour-long days to make sure everything was going smooth and getting it ready for TV,” he said. “At this point now, most networks are doing virtual shows. I can’t say we were the first, but I’m pret-

ty sure we were one of the first to figure this out and get something on TV. We built this from the ground up, this virtual production with virtual editing with no centralized production space.”

Pluimer and Oliver were proud with how the production turned out. They both credit their experiences in the mass communications program at St. Cloud State for helping them learn early on how to teach themselves and learn as they go with a new challenge lying ahead.

“In this field, you often have to build something and create something from the ground up. The best thing with St. Cloud State was it gave us the opportunity and experience to invent some new things and learn how to do it,” Pluimer said. “When you have that environment, it teaches you to be a self-starter and that is really important in the TV business.”

KIDS DIDN’T KNOW WHAT COVID WAS AND ALL THE NEWS WAS SCARING EVERYONE. I THOUGHT THIS COULD BE COOL TO TEACH THE KIDS AND MAKE SOMETHING FUN. Above: Mike Oliver ’04

Mike Oliver ’04

HT TP S://TODAY.STCLOUDSTATE.EDU/MAG | FALL 2020 / WINTER 2021

Right: Ben Pluimer ’04, producer

ALUMNI NEWS ALUMNI AWARD HONORS St. Cloud State University is honoring recipients of the 2019-20 Alumni Association Awards this fall. The awards are presented to St. Cloud State alumni who embody the spirit of St. Cloud State, who have shaped the world and those who have strengthened our global alumni community.

Nominations for Alumni Association Awards are accepted year-round. To submit a nomination, visit scsu.mn/2SunNrH

UNIVERSITY LEADERSHIP AWARD Michelle Schmitz ’05 is executive director of the St. Cloud State Career Center.

She has worked at the Career Center since 2005. Schmitz has over 20 years of experience in Higher Education, Business Operations and Human Resource environments. Her work has allowed her to strategize and build strong partnerships with staff, faculty, administration, employer partners and other community members, but most of all, thousands of students.

DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD TyRuben Ellingson ’81 ’82, chair of the Communication Arts Department at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Ellingson put his creative talents to work for Industrial Light and Magic and Lightstorm, contributing to numerous big-name films with both companies. Since 2013, he has served as a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth in the Communications Arts Department.

GRADUATE OF THE LAST DECADE Marie Pflipsen ’14, is community development director for the city of Becker and is certified as an Economic Development Finance Professional through the National Development Council. Pflipsen was awarded the Emerging Professional of the Year award from the Economic Development Association of Minnesota in 2019. Pflipsen has a passion for building community through community events.

ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD Lee LaDue ’84 ’92 served as a program coordinator for the Gender Violence Prevention at St. Cloud State since 1992 and recently retired in July.

LaDue has spent almost 30 years in the field of victim services, having worked with physically and sexually abused children in residential settings, volunteering at the local battered women’s shelter in addition to her work with the St. Cloud State Women’s Center.

HUSKY PLAZA Purchase an engraved brick for the plaza and add to the 650 bricks already purchased.

ORDER YOURS TODAY!

scsu.mn/bricks

ST. CLOUD STATE MAGAZINE

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ALUMNI NEWS ALUMNI WE REMEMBER ’30s

’37 MARIAN (STROBEL) BARTON, 104, Boise, Idaho

’40s

’43 RUBY PETERSON, 96, Cokato / ’44 MARY (HEIMAN) BLENKER , 97, Albany / ’46 RUTH (VIGREN) WANDER , 95, Minneapolis / ’48 CHARLOTTE (WEST) ANDERSON, 93, New Ulm / ’49 RUTH (SWEDZINSKI) JACOB, Simi Valley, California / ’49 JOYCE LOCKS , 91, Winona / ’49 THOMAS ROBB, 92, Isle

’50s

34

’50 CAROLYN (PEIK) HOCHSPRUNG, 89, Glencoe / ’50 ’55 BERNICE BISTODEAU, 92, Oakland, California / ’51 CLEM COVERSTON, 93, Fridley / ’51 MARILYN GORDON, 91, South Haven / ’51 HAROLD SCHUCHARD, 94, Mankato / ’51 ’57 DONNA (DOLL) SCHNEIDER , 88, Rochester / ’52 RICHARD LENZ , 90, Northfield / ’52 JAMES ZAISER , 91, Bowie, Maryland / ’53 ROBERT MEYER , 89, St. Louis, Missouri / ’54 GLADYS (HISCOCK) LARSEN, 85, Minneapolis / ’54 CLARICE SJODIN, 94, Tulsa, Oklahoma / ’56 BARBARA FLYNN, 85, Payne, Ohio / ’56 ’81 ALYCE (ROEHL) PETERSON, 83, Riverside, California / ’57 PAT (WALKER) BOSTROM, 85, Golden Valley / ’57 LOIS (PORTER) FENNELL , 84, Danvers / ’57 BARBARA (BLOOMSTROM) MILLER , 84, Champlin / ’57 JAMES NORD, 87, Elk River / ’57 LUCILLE PESCHL , 96, St. Cloud / ’57 ROUL YALCH, 88, Brainerd / ’58 HAROLD DOTY, 86, Underwood / ’58 JACK KELLY, 84, Windom / ’58 JOANN (FARBER) KUIPER , 84, Rialto, California / ’59 DAVID GABRIELSON, 83, Litchfield / ’59 CONRAD MUZIK , Austin

’60s

’60 CHARLES NIKOLAI, 88, Isle / ’60 JOHN OTTO, 81, Chestertown, Maryland / ’61 JUDITH OLSON, 75, Rochester, New York / ’62 RODNEY JOHNSON, 80, Pelkie, Michigan / ’62 JOHN ZEHER , 91, Quarryville, Pensylvania / ’63 GERRY HAMANN, 80, Eden Prarie / ’63 JONI (WORTH) HYDER , 78, Los Alamos, New Mexico / ’63 JORDAN LARSON, 85, Willmar / ’63 DUANE OLSON, 80, Taylors Falls / ’63 RONALD PEOPLES , 86, Snyder, New York / ’63 REBECCA (LINDGREN) RUPP, 78, Tucson, Arizona / ’63 ELIZABETH (SEXTON) VONDERHARR , 78, Ramsey / ’64 DAVID ANDERSON, 81, St. Cloud / ’64 JOYCE (LARSON) JAROS , 89, Mokena, Illinois / ’64 RONALD SELLNOW, 70, St. Louis Park / ’64 BARBARA (PEEL) STREED, 77, Mankato / ’64 MICHAEL VOGEL , 79, Sturgeon Lake / ’65 LOUIS KILGARD, 76, Maple Grove / ’65 ROBERT TOMSCHE, 84, Sauk Centre / ’65 ’67 JUDITH (MCNAIL) SELLNOW, 77, St. Louis Park / ’66 ANITA (KUECHLE) VOSSEN, 76, Watkins / ’67 GEORGE CHRISTIANSEN, 74, St. Louis Park /

’68 ARLYS (KOMPELIEN) TILBERG, 74, Montevideo / ’68 JOHN WIK , 78, St. Paul / ’69 LOWELL BRITZ, 72, Oviedo, Florida / ’69 CLAUDE GREEN, 86, Long Prairie / ’69 RUTH (DOKKEN) JOHNSON, 73, Waite Park / ’69 ROBERT PETERSON, 74, Cordova, Tennessee / ’69 THURMAN WETTELAND, 86, Hawley

’70s

’70 SHIRLEY (BUCHHOLZ) HUBBARD, 77, Excelsior / ’70 HARRIET JOHNSON, 96, Osseo / ’70 HUGO SONBUCHNER , 82, Monticello / ’70 MARY SWEDBERG, 101, Cokato / ’71 DAVID GRIDER , 82, St. Francis / ’71 STEPHEN GUSTAFSON, 77, Lake Elmo / ’71 LINDA (MANSK) WENZEL, 70, Aitkin / ’72 RICHARD DONNAY, 79, Chanhassen / ’72 THOMAS NIEHOFF, 71, Naples, Florida / ’72 LEE ST. GERMAIN, 71, Burnsville / ’72 ’79 PAUL WARD, 71, Hackensack / ’73 JENNIE (HOLME) BUTTENHOFF, 69, Buffalo / ’73 MARCIA (WILSON) CASPERSON, 69, Ankeny, Iowa / ’74 FRANCES (WRIGHT) CALLAGHAN, 92, Minneapolis / ’74 WILLIAM GORDON, 73, Minneapolis / ’74 LEROY PAULEY, 78, St. Cloud / ’74 CAROLYN (DORAN) SORENSON, 68, Spring Valley, Wisconsin / ’75 ROBERT HOYE, 67, St. Cloud / ’76 REBECCA (KNOLL) AMSDEN, 67, Olivia / ’76 CHRISTINE (WEDL) FOX , 64, Cold Spring / ’77 JOHN FRANCOIS , 70, St. Cloud / ’77 SUSAN (DANZL) MAY, 71, Grand Marais / ’77 WILLIAM PIRAM, 67, Annandale / ’78 MICHAEL LOFTUS , 63, Lakeville

’10s

’10 Wesley Skeie, 32, Elk River / ’16 WILLIAM ELLENBECKER , 28, St. Cloud

’20s

’20 ASHUTOSH DAHAL , 24, St. Cloud

FACULTY WE REMEMBER

’55 DAVID JERDE, 85, Fayetteville, Arizona / ’63 ’67 ’70 ANTHONY BUHL , 81, St. Cloud / JOHN CARPENTER , 91, Burnsville / DANIEL GOHL , 96, Clear Lake / SHIRLEY HUSKINS , 92, Minneapolis / CHARLES KALSCHEUER , 66, St. Cloud / JOHN KASPER , Maple Grove / RICHARD KLOEPPNER , 89, Clearwater / BETTY (BLOOM) MERZ, 87, Elk River / EVAN MERZ, 92, Elk River / Steven Muntifering, 69, Royalton / CHARLES NELSON, 73, Clearwater / GERALD NESTEL , Sartell / Leonard Onyiah, Rockville / GEORGE TORREY, 87, Sartell / PAUL VAUGHTER , 88, Sauk Rapids / JEROME WOIT, 92, St. Cloud

’80s

’82 BRYAN JENSEN, 61, Savage / ’82 BLAIR SEARS , 77, Helen, Georgia / ’83 DAVID MONN, 62, Little Falls / ’83 DAVID PFANNENSTEIN, 60, St. Louis Park / ’83 RUSSEL SETHRE, 82, Fergus Falls / ’84 DANIEL BROOKS , 66, Sauk Centre / ’85 LAURA STUDER , 60, Hopkins / ’86 THOMAS DAHLBACK , 56, Apple Valley / ’86 SANDRA PIANO, 82, St. Cloud / ’88 JACQUELINE FRENCH, 71, St. Joseph / ’89 JEAN DAVIDSON, 68, Edina / ’89 GAIL FOKKEN, 45, Canby / ’89 PATRICIA (MCMORROW) JOHNSON, 74, Minneapolis / ’89 JOAN (ADKINS) QUINN, 72, Spicer / ’89 JENNIFER (BECKLIN) SCHLENKER , 53, Cambridge / ’89 ’15 KEVIN BENEKE, 53, Princeton

’90s

’91 GREGORY BECHTOLD, 62, St. Augusta / ’92 MICHAEL GRINNELL , 57, St. Cloud / ’92 Richard Mallum, 53, Cambridge / ’95 ERIC LARSON, 48, St. Paul / ’98 MICHAEL DANIELSEN, 45, Maple Grove / ’98 DANIEL ZALAZNIK , 47, Millbrae, California / ’98 ’00 JANE (KLEIN) MAIER , 53, Fayetteville, Arkansas / ’99 AMY (BAKER) PFARR , 52, Shakopee

’00s

’00 AMANDA CONNEALY, 42, Eden Prairie / ’03 THOMAS KLEIS , 54, Sauk Rapids / ’03 ’05 JENILEE (HESS) ERICKSON, 38, Willmar / ’08 JESS FORD, 37, St. Cloud / ’09 MAXINE (LAURENCE) WURTZ, 55, Hutchinson

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THANK YOU SCHOLARSHIP DONORS! BECAUSE OF YOU IN 2019-2020:

992

SCSU students were awarded

$1.16

MILLION

in scholarships

CLIMBING THE POP MUSIC CHARTS AT A YOUNG AGE, JELS QUIAH ’19 HAD A STRONG INTEREST IN MUSIC AND KNEW HE WANTED TO PURSUE THAT INTEREST LATER IN HIS LIFE. BY THE TIME HE WAS 14 YEARS OLD, QUIAH — A REFUGEE FROM LIBERIA WHO CAME TO AMERICA AT 5 — BEGAN TO SERIOUSLY PURSUE HIS PASSION.

Photo by James Davis Jr.

Quiah published his first song on iTunes when he was 15 and continued to produce music on his own on arriving at St. Cloud State University. In 2019, Quiah graduated with degrees in business marketing and public relations, but his love for music remained, and he has seen his career take off.

“I didn’t know just how seriously I wanted to do music, but I fell in love with it,” Quiah said. “Fast forward to my college days at St. Cloud State, I started doing everything myself. Every chance I got, I recorded music videos and just started. I first started in my dorm room (in Case-Hill Hall), then moved to Third Avenue where I had access to a recording studio.

“It’s an amazing feeling. The recent success is amazing. To see how things happen when you don’t give up is a blessing.”

FROM ST. CLOUD TO LOS ANGELES When Quiah arrived at St. Cloud State he immediately became involved at UTVS and credits the award-winning student-run television station for preparing him for life

after school.

“Working at UTVS, it prepares you for a lot of things in the real world. I worked there with amazing people,” he said. “It’s amazing what St. Cloud State does. It’s an amazing place.”

After graduation, Quiah moved to Los Angeles where he is a social media marketing specialist for UrbanbuzzToday, an online news media blog.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS While attending St. Cloud State, Quiah released his first song “On a Monday,” followed by “10k” in 2018, which was streamed over 1 million times on SoundCloud.

His success continues. He recently signed his biggest management deal yet while becoming the first Liberian artist to trend on Apple Music and iTunes.

His journey has put him in contact with notable artists from around the globe, including popular African singer Akon and well-known African singer-songwriter

Davido. In August, Quiah was featured on a billboard in Times Square in New York.

“When I was younger, people always told me I sounded like Akon. I looked up to him,” Quiah said. “He was the first African to blow up in America. Now that I got to meet him and know him, it’s amazing. He oftentimes comes and gives me advice. He’s like a big brother.”

In July, Quiah released a remix of his latest single “Unction” featuring Davido and others. That single has climbed the charts throughout the world, reaching as high as the No. 2 song on iTunes in Sweden, No. 8 in Switzerland, No. 21 in Canada and No. 24 in the United States.

With his career success, Quiah wants to use his platform to help others. He is working on scholarship programs in his home country to give back and provide the next generation with their own path to success.

“From here, I see myself as more than just an artist and a businessman,” he said.

“I’m all about wanting to help the youth and other people achieve their dreams.”

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Here, an education is about unlocking your unique potential.

It’s about letting loose your dreams and your drive to make a mark on the world.

UNLEASH AMAZING Apply today or refer a student to unleash their future at St. Cloud State University.