Resignation - top
- Karen Cook, librarian, Library Learning Center
Crooks returns to BHSU after
deployment with the National Guard - top
Cal
Crooks, director of graphics and media at Black Hills State
University, is back on the job after spending four months on
active duty with the National Guard
as a part of the 129th Public Affairs Detachment from
Rapid City.
Crooks,
longtime BHSU employee who has been employed there for 35 years,
is glad to be home and back in a routine at BHSU. His unit was
called due to the threat of a national emergency and assigned to a
reactionary task force for |
 |
| Homeland
Security as a part of Enduring Freedom/Noble Eagle.
“Whether
it [terrorism attack] be nuclear, chemical or biological, the
taskforce had the duty of responding to any possible |
Cal Crooks, director of graphics and
media at Black Hills State University, is back at work preparing
equipment after serving four months of active deployment with the
National Guard. |
| national
terrorism acts. Fortunately, that didn’t happen,” Crooks said,
“and although the task force remains in effect, we were taken
off the taskforce.”
Looking
back on the experience, Crooks says his unit used the active duty
time as an opportunity to take part in advanced training
opportunities. After the initial first month spent on combat
training, Crooks and his unit were given the opportunity to
produce a weekly news show that aired on a public access channel
in Ft. Riley, Kan. In addition to videotaping and producing that
program, press people in the unit put together an entire travel
magazine.
“Our
unit got training and experience that we wouldn’t get
otherwise,” Crooks said.
Crooks
said his unit was deployed the quickest of any unit. They were
alerted on a Wednesday and activated a week later. Crooks said the
most frustrating part of the experience was not knowing where they
were going, what they would be doing, or how long they were
expected to remain activated.
“The
hardest thing was not knowing,” Crooks said. “For me, as first
sergeant, it was difficult.” He indicated that others would come
to him for explanations and although he would tell them what he
knew, the plans would change frequently. First, the group expected
to go to Iraq, later they were told they would be located
somewhere else overseas and eventually they ended up at Ft. Riley,
Kansas.
Although
his unit is currently off active duty, he indicated that the
Public Affairs unit could still be mobilized to serve in Iraq.
Crooks
said one of the highlights was serving as an escort for Patrick
Miller, one of the early POWs in Iraq, and the family of another
soldier who was killed. These people were honored during a
football game military appreciation day at the University of
Kansas in what Crooks describes as a very emotional ceremony.
Crooks met the group before the game, accompanied them as they
took the football out to the field, sat with the group in the
press box during the game, and participated in the half-time show.
Crooks even had the honor of calling the unit to attention to
present arms during the national anthem. He then remained in the
receiving line as people met Miller and the family members of the
deceased soldier.
“People
were thanking us for serving our country. I am by no means a hero.
These people were the heroes and I was honored to be there,”
Crooks said.
After
serving his country through active deployment, Crooks now returns
to serving BHSU as he prepares for the fall semester and returns
to a routine at work and home.
|
Black
Hills State will hold ribbon cutting for Meier Hall - top
 |
| Clare and the late Josef Meier |
A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held Thursday, Aug. 28 at 3 p.m. for the newest building on the BHSU campus, the Clare and Josef
Meier Hall, named to honor the founders of the Black Hills Passion Play.
The ribbon
cutting and brief program, including a musical performance by BHSU
faculty, will be held outside the main entrance near the southeast
corner of the building. Johanna Meier, daughter of Clare and Josef
Meier, will speak on behalf of the Meier family.
Clare and Josef Meier Hall, located in the center of the campus, is
an $8.25 million 44,919 square foot building which includes a 300-seat
recital hall, choir and band rooms, faculty studios, classrooms,
soundproof practice rooms, conference rooms, instrument storage areas,
keyboard, listening and piano labs and faculty offices. The building
will be in use for the fall 2003 semester.
For more
information contact Steve Meeker, vice president for Institutional
Advancement, at 642-6385.
Registration
for Black Hills State University is Sept. 2 - top
Black Hills
State University is preparing for the fall 2003 semester. Classes begin
Wednesday, Sept. 3.
Registration
for students who have not yet registered for fall classes will take
place Tuesday, Sept. 2. BHSU representatives will be available to help
students register from 8 a.m. until noon in the Market Place of the
David B. Miller Yellow Jacket Student Union.
Students who
have preregistered may continue to make changes to their class schedule
through Sept. 12 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. in the Student Union Market Place.
The last day to drop a non-block course with a refund is Sept. 12.
With the
continued use of the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) system, the payment
and financial aid disbursement time frame only includes two days.
Students who completed all the paperwork for admissions and financial
aid, including loan counseling, by Aug. 15 will receive refunds at fee
payment if their aid is greater than their bill.
Students who
have confirmed enrollment (with the enrollment verification card) and
taken care of their bill in advance won’t need to check in. All other
students should go through the payment and financial aid disbursement
process. To keep payment lines as short as possible students are advised
to follow the schedule, which is sorted by last name. If the schedule
conflicts with a class, students should go through fee payment during an
open time slot. All payments or financial arrangements must be made
before 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4 or a late fee will be assessed. Classes
will be released for students who have not checked in or returned the
enrollment verification card by Sept. 4 at 4 p.m.
New students
can move into the residence halls Monday, Sept. 1 at 8 a.m. Returning
students may then move in Sept. 2 at 10 a.m. All students must check-in
outside the Student Union before going to a residence hall for move-in.
At check-in, new students will receive their student ID, room assignment
card and other information. Residence hall move-in continues until 2
p.m.
Students can
make arrangements for meal plans, parking permits and email and internet
accounts Sept. 2-5 in the Student Union Market Place. Student IDs
from last semester will be activated when students enroll. Replacement
IDs are available in Woodburn Hall room 214 for a $10 charge.
For more
information about fee payment or registration contact the enrollment
office at 642-6044.
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PAYMENT &
FINANCIAL AID DISBURSEMENT
(According to last name)
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Hour
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Wed
9/3
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Thurs
9/4
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8-9
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U,V,W,X,Y,Z,A
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S
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9-10
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F,Q
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open
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10-11
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H,J
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K,P
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11-12
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open
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R
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12-1
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G,I
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L,N
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1-2
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D,E
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B
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2-3
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T,C
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M,O
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3-4
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open
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open
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Professor emeritus adds
more than 2,000 specimens to large fungal collection at BHSU herbarium
- top
| The
herbarium at Black Hills State University recently received 2,000
specimens of macrofungi, lichens and slime molds from professor
emeritus Audrey Gabel and former students Elaine Ebbert, Kristie
Lovett, Sarah Herrins, and Steve Mullen. The specimens represent
many of the collections made in the past five years in Gabel’s
study of the fleshy fungi of the Black Hills and surrounding area. |
 |
More than 250 new records
of fungal
species from the
Black Hills and the surrounding area and nearly all of the South
Dakota state records are represented in the collection. Other
herbaria of the state
and surrounding region have
no collections, or very limited |
Dr.
Audrey Gabel, professor emeritus at Black Hills State University,
and Elaine Ebbert, BHSU science graduate who now works for the
Nature Conservatory, examine one of the fungi specimens in the
BHSU Herbarium. Gabel recently added 2,000 specimens of macrofungi,
lichens and slime molds to the collections. Gabel is also working
on a field guide describing the mushrooms and other fungi of the
Black Hills. |
| collections
of fungi. The fungal collection will serve as baseline data for
all future studies in the region, and as an indicator of forest
health, climate and distribution of the fungi during the years of
the collection.
This
donation is a major contribution to the BHSU herbarium and
increases the usefulness of the collection for current and future
generations of students, land managers and researchers. Gabel
expects the collections to become even more useful as DNA analysis
becomes more prevalent.
Gabel
explained that fungi are extremely important to the balance of
life on Earth. They, along with bacteria, serve as the major decomposers and
recyclers of organic material. In addition, most fungi and nearly
all plants have intimate relationships (mycorrhizae) that allow
the plant to better take up water and essential elements. Fungi
also protect plant roots from some other organisms. Many forest
trees will die without the fungal association. The types of fungi
present are good indicators of the health of the forest.
Gabel and a
former student, Elaine Ebbert, are preparing a field guide
describing the mushrooms and other fungi of the Black Hills. Steve
Babbitt, BHSU associate mass professor, is serving as the photo
editor. Linn Nelson, BHSU assistant mass
communications
professor, is design editor for the book which will be published
by BHSU.
The field
guide should be available from the BHSU Bookstore and other
bookstores throughout the region in the spring of 2004.
The
university’s herbarium was established shortly after the
establishment of Dakota Territorial Normal School (which is now
BHSU) in 1883. The earliest specimens in the collection date
to the 1880s. The herbarium now holds more than 30,000 specimens
and is growing rapidly. The general collection includes a large
number of specimens from the Black Hills and the surrounding
region. Most of the specimens are angiosperms (flowering
plants) with some gymnosperms (mostly conifers). Almost all
of the 1,500 species of plants from the region are represented in
the collections. Grasses are especially well-represented.
Many of the
early specimens of the herbarium were collected by Frank L.
Bennett, a faculty member from 1917-1949. Other collectors
include James Rominger, a faculty member in the late 1950s, and
Myrtle Kravig, who added nearly 1,000 plants to the collection.
Her collection of botanical books is also housed in the
herbarium. J. R. Thomasson, a faculty member from 1977-1982,
contributed a number of extant and fossil specimens.
Collections of about 3,000 specimens by retired professor Mark
Gabel are also present.
In addition
to specimens from the Black Hills and the surrounding region, the
herbarium contains specimens from many countries throughout the
world. Many plants from the Hawaiian flora were given to the
collection by Otto Degener. Degener is noted for publishing Flora
Hawaiiensis. Another well-known contributor is P.A. Munz,
author of California Flora.
The BHSU
herbarium is home to one of the largest collections of Miocene age
plant fossils from the Great Plains of North America. At least
10,000 individual fossils from throughout the Great Plains are
housed there. Type collections of several fossil species from J.R.
Thomasson and Mark Gabel are held in the collection. Grasses (Poaceae),
hackberries (Celtis, Ulmaceae)
sedges (Cyperaceae) and borages (Boraginaceae) are well
represented.
The
herbarium has grown rapidly in the last decade. An additional
small room has been added which was immediately filled with
specimens. Fossil plants were added to the collection beginning in
the 1980s with the Mark Gabel collections. Beginning in the
late 1990s Audrey Gabel added specimens of macrofungi, lichens and
slime molds.
For
information about the herbarium contact the College of Arts and
Sciences at
642-6420.
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