Meeker honored with national
fund-raising award - top
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| Meeker |
Steve Meeker, vice president for institutional
advancement at Black Hills State University, was recently selected to
receive a national award recognizing his fundraising work.
The officers and executive committee of the National
Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD) selected Meeker
along with five other recipients to be honored this summer at the at
group’s annual convention in New Orleans, La.
Meeker will be presented the College Division Fund Raiser of the Year award. Meeker has worked at BHSU, his alma
mater, for 20 years. He oversees an effort that has increased the annual
athletics scholarship program from $44,000 in 1990-91 to $435,000 this
year. He has brought in close to $3 million in athletics scholarships
and, in the last five years, has increased the amount of scholarship
money awarded by 92 percent. In 2005-06, he secured a $100,000 pledge
for football scholarships and, to create equality, he secured a matching
gift for the women’s department. He has also cemented close to $1
million in future gifts to BHSU athletics.
Recently he initiated an effort to raise funds to
create the Yellow Jacket Hall of Fame room which opened this spring.
When he served as the university’s athletics director,
in addition to fund raising, he guided the department to six individual
national champions, one national champion runner-up, five Region III
team championships and six conference championships. Meeker was honored
in 2001 when he was selected as the National Association of Collegiate
Marketing Administrator’s Marketer of the Year. Prior to his development
work, Meeker worked with the BHSU admissions department for four years
as the enrollment management coordinator and director of admissions and
records. He received his bachelor’s degree in speech from BHSU in 1984.
Other recipients include: Robert Wakefield from
Brigham Young University as the Volunteer of the Year; Brian Mackin from
the University of Alabama Birmingham as the University Division Fund
Raiser of the Year; George and Frances Wilkins of Northern Illinois
University as the University Division Donor of the Year; and John and
Erika Lockridge of Colorado School of Mines as the College Division
Donor of the Year. Additionally, Kristina Meissen of the University of
Wisconsin La Crosse received the NAADD Postgraduate Scholarship.
NAADD is the first organization of its kind to provide
educational and networking opportunities, enhancement of acceptable
operating standards and ethics, and establishment of the overall
prestige and understanding of the profession of athletics development
and fund raising. NAADD, now in its 41st year, is the professional and
educational association for more than 6,100 college athletics
administrators at more than 1,600 institutions throughout the United
States, Canada and Mexico.
Klug gives commencement address
at Minnesota College - top
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| Klug |
Jane Klug, director of student services at Black Hills
State University, recently presented the commencement address at her
alma mater Willmar Community College (WCC) in Willmar, Minn.
Klug, who earned an associate’s degree in business
administration at WCC before transferring to St. Cloud State University,
says she was honored by the request to address the graduates at WCC.
Klug advocated two major ideas during her address: the
need to keep learning and the advantages of getting involved. Klug used
anecdotes from her own personal experience to illustrate the importance
of life-long learning and discussed how being involved in activities led
to interesting and successful professional opportunities for her.
“While I was a student at WCC, I became active with
the student senate and the social activities committee. Due to my
involvement, I was able to get involved with the professional
organization National Association for Campus Activities; little did I
know that I was beginning my career in student affairs,” Klug said.
Klug encouraged the students to keep learning, whether
it be by reading trade magazines and professional journals or attending
conferences. She stressed the importance of learning and the value of
information for all professionals. She also discussed the importance of
using skills and knowledge in community volunteer service.
“I believe that in smaller communities like the one I
grew up in, volunteerism is a way of life and survival. It was through
my volunteerism that I was able to find my profession in student
affairs, and WCC was the first stepping stone which has had a lasting
impact on my life.”
Klug expressed her surprise at the changes at WCC
since she graduated. The community college has since consolidated with
the area vocational and technical schools and has grown in enrollment.
“When I agreed to make the commencement address,
little did I know that there would be 3,000 people there for the
celebration,” Klug said.
Klug joined the BHSU student life staff in 1992. She
has a bachelor’s degree from St. Cloud State University and a master’s
degree in student personnel administration from Central Missouri State
University.
Cremean one of the first to
publish article on recent McCarthy novel -
top
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| Cremean |
An essay by Dr. David Cremean, assistant humanities
professor at Black Hills State University, was one of the first six
scholarly articles published on the most recent novel written by
acclaimed American writer Cormac McCarthy.
Cremean’s 20-page essay, “For Whom Bell Tolls:
Conservatism and Change in Cormac McCarthy’s Sheriff from No Country
for Old Men,” is featured in the Volume 5, 2006 issue of The
Cormac McCarthy Journal, a peer-reviewed annual publication of the
Cormac McCarthy Society.
In the essay, Cremean argues through various critical
approaches that the 2005 book should not be seen as using the character
of Sheriff Ed Tom Bell merely to reflect McCarthy’s own views, despite
the fact that numerous reviewers have done just that. The essay also
rebukes some of those reviewers for factual errors in their reviews.
Cremean has also published several reviews of his own
recently, including one on this novel.
He earned his Ph.D. in English at Bowling Green State
University and has been a tenure-track faculty member at BHSU since
2002. He has taught at BHSU since 2000.
Powwow has positive
economic impact on Spearfish - top
Dancers perform at the BHSU Lakota
Omniciye annual powwow. BHSU recently released key findings from a
survey conducted during annual event.
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Black Hills State University has released key findings
of a survey it conducted during the Lakota Omniciye Wacipi (Powwow),
which was held annually in the spring on the BHSU campus. The survey
showed that the annual event has a positive economic impact in the
Spearfish community.
An estimated 2,400 persons attended during the four
sessions of this year’s event. The survey was specifically designed to
assess attendees’ satisfaction with the powwow, estimate the impact of
the event on Spearfish’s economy, and measure attendees’ attitudes
regarding tourism on American Indian reservations. The Office of Native
Educational Endeavors at BHSU, along with the Center for Tourism
Research and the Enrollment Center, conducted the survey.
The results are based on data obtained from a sample
of 281 adult attendees. The survey yielded several interesting key
findings:
- South Dakota residents comprised 88.3 percent of
the sample.
- American Indians comprised 77.1 percent of the
sample.
- The majority of respondents (53.9 percent)
reported that they were an “enrolled American Indian in a South
Dakota tribe;” 16.6 percent reported that they were an “enrolled
American Indian from a tribe outside of South Dakota,” and 6.6
percent reported that they were of “American Indian ancestry but not
enrolled.”
- Among American Indians in the sample, 31 tribes
were represented, including members of the Apache, Cherokee, Cree,
Kiowa, Mohawk, Navajo, Pomo, Seneca, Seminole, and Shawnee Tribes.
The most frequently mentioned tribal affiliations were: Oglala Sioux
(32.5 percent), Cheyenne River Sioux (14.4 percent), Rosebud Sioux
(12.9 percent), and Standing Rock Sioux (4.3 percent).
- The mean rating of the hospitality of the
Spearfish community on a scale from 1 (“Poor”) to 5 (“Outstanding”)
was 3.63, or roughly between “average” and “above average” on the
scale.
- The estimated impact of the event on Spearfish’s
economy was about $259,000.
- Attitudes about the potential for increased
tourism on American Indian reservations were generally positive.
For more information about the survey, contact the
BHSU Office of Native Educational Endeavors at 642-6048.
The annual BHSU Lakota Omniciye powwow began more than
20 years ago as a class project. BHSU, which offers an American Indian
Studies major, has the largest percentage of Native American students of
the six state public higher education institutions in South Dakota.
Lowell Amiotte directs the Center for Indian Studies at BHSU which
administers four academic programs: the major in American Indian
Studies, leading to the bachelor of arts degree; a general minor in
American Indian Studies; a minor in American Indian Studies - teaching;
and an American Indian Studies minor, with an emphasis in
communications. The American Indian Studies major was first offered in
the fall of 1997 and it is cooperatively offered by BHSU and the
University of South Dakota. According to Amiotte, it is the only such
cooperative program in the United States. For more information contact
the Center for Indian Studies at 642-6578.
BHSU will host distance
running camp in July - top
Black Hills State University will host the sixth
annual Black Hills Distance Running Camp July 9-12. The camp, directed
by Scott Walkinshaw, ninth-year head coach for the BHSU cross country
and track and field teams, will also include current and former members
of the BHSU cross country team, as well as special guest clinicians.
Walkinshaw’s successful cross country program has won
six out of the last seven Dakota Athletic Conference (DAC) women’s
titles and five out of the last six DAC men’s titles. The women’s team
has placed in the top 16 at the NAIA national meet the last seven years
finishing runner-up in 2005 and third in 2002. The men’s team has earned
national runner-up honors twice (2000 and 2003) while placing in the top
17 the last six years. The Yellow Jackets were also NAIA Combined Team
National Champions in 2000, runner-up in 2001 and 2002 and third in
2005. Individually, 18 athletes have earned All-American honors in cross
country in the past eight years.
The distance running camp will feature sessions on the
following topics: technical analysis of running form; the human body and
running; strength training, proper nutrition, and goal setting; training
development and guidelines; a current fitness assessment; hydro
training; steeplechase training; and advice from special guest
clinicians. Each participant will receive a t-shirt and a water bottle.
The camp is open to high school boys and girls of all
abilities. Campers will stay in the BHSU residence halls and meals will
be provided. Check-in is Sunday, July 9 from 3 to 4 p.m. in Pangburn
Hall on the BHSU campus. Campers will check out Wednesday, July 12 at 11
a.m. For details contact Walkinshaw at 642-6486 or visit
www.bhsu.edu/bh/athletics.
RSVP volunteers assist in
preparations for preregistration day at BHSU -
top
 A
group of the Northern Black Hills Retired and Senior Volunteer Program
(RSVP) volunteers spent a day recently helping BHSU prepare to host
pre-registration days this summer.
Volunteers included, front row, left to right: Anna
Sherman, Ella Erickson, Lyla Peterson, Dorothy Smith; and back row, left
to right: Duane Erickson, Florence Papka, Marcia Smith, Rena Boersma, De
Johnson and Walt Johnson. The volunteers served three hours assembling
1,000 student packets that will be distributed to future BHSU students
this summer. The packets contain information about BHSU departments, and
Spearfish Community coupons and incentives.
Nancy Wietgrefe, Spearfish coordinator for RSVP, says
there are several volunteer projects planned for the summer including
assisting with a mailing for the BHSU Center for Tourism Research,
providing help for the Festival in the Park, serving as summer
museum/attraction volunteers, and helping with Sturgis Rally breakfasts.
The Northern Black Hills RSVP is sponsored by BHSU
with members in Butte, Lawrence, Meade and Perkins Counties. The RSVP
program provides opportunities for people age 55 and over to make a
difference in their communities through volunteer service. Kathy
Schneider, director of the Northern Black Hills RSVP, works to provide
senior volunteers to any non-profit organization that needs them. For
more information about the RSVP call Schneider at 642-5198 or Wietgrefe
at 642-6540.
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