Volleyball team splits

The Central Lakes College Raiders opened with a 3-2 win over Bismarck State and a 3-1 loss to Ellsworth Saturday during the Ridgewater tournament. With both opponents of the Division II variety, Raiders head coach Jane Peterson was pleased but said there is much work to be done. In the Bismarck victory, the Raiders' Melissa Widman (left) tallied 18 digs, 12 kills and three ace serves. Jenna Terhaar posted 12 kills, five digs and four blocks and freshman Nikki Pearson added nine kills, nine digs and three blocks. Sophomore setter Rachel Pfeffer finished with 37 set assists, 13 digs and two kills and Megan Rakow collected 26 digs. Against Ellsworth, Widman finished with 19 digs and 12 kills, Terhaar had 10 kills, five blocks and Kaitlyn Roerick added six kills and five blocks. Pfeffer registered 23 set assists to go with seven digs and two kills. Widman had 20 kills, two aces, and 18 digs in the opening day at the tournament. Terhaar added 14 kills, one ace and two blocks and Pearson 11 kills, one ace, 14 digs and one block as CLC lost to Rochester 3-0 and beat Dakota College 3-1. CLC (2-2) hosts Ridgewater 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Raiders win football opener

Nick Grewe rushed for 108 yards and a touchdown to help the Central Lakes College Raiders open their season with a 21-6 victory over Fond Du Lac Saturday at St. Cloud State University. Dominique Corder threw for 114 yards and a 2-yard touchdown on 11-of-15 passing. That allowed CLC to outgain FDL 361 to 163. Corder found six different targets, including Ryan Fay and Tyler Erickson three times each. Michael Iverson also rumbled in a 1-yard touchdown during the Raiders' 15-point second quarter. Kaleb Anderson and Stoney Burns picked off passes for the Raiders defense, which didn't surrender any points until the fourth quarter. The Raiders travel to Northland Saturday. Northland was blanked by Rochester 26-0 on Thursday. In other games Saturday at Husky Stadium, Itasca beat Ridgewater 7-0. Mesabi Range outscored Fergus Falls 33-13 and Minnesota West topped Vermilion 35-12.

Social entrepreneur

In 2002, when Simon Stumpf left Pierz Healy High School and took a year’s worth of classes at Central Lakes College, he was already embracing change. Advocacy was in his nature. In 2006 he graduated with honors from Yale University, majoring in anthropology and African studies. This academic path has led his good intentions to work for an organization that is creating meaningful social impact in the world. Stumpf is a change-manager for the non-profit organization Ashoka founded almost 30 years ago by Bill Drayton, a former Environmental Protection Agency official, in order to build an army of social entrepreneurs. Ashoka, with the support of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, is dedicated to helping create global justice through farming. Across Sub-Saharan Africa and India, rural communities that rely on agriculture for their food and income are facing increasingly complex challenges. Social entrepreneurs pioneer solutions to overcome systematic obstacles facing small farmers. Stumpf’s assignment as a manager is to assist with rural innovation and farming. “I believe in the power of engaged global citizenship,” he explained. He and his wife head to Kenya Sept. 16 for at least two years, perhaps longer, as part of the Ashoka commitment. For more information, go to www.ashoka.org

Band rehearsals

The Central Lakes College Community Band will begin its fall season with the first rehearsal Monday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Rehearsal Hall (E471) on the Brainerd campus. Rehearsals will continue on the following Mondays: Sept. 20, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25, Nov. 1 and 8. The fall concert is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in Chalberg Theater. Membership for the Community Band is open to brass, woodwind and percussion players from high school juniors and seniors through CLC students and adult musicians. Interested musicians may contact Steve Anderson, director, at 218-855-8215, 218-765-3756 or sanderso@clcmn.edu for information.

Senator at CLC

Minnesota Sen. Al Franken came to the Business & Industry Center at Central Lakes College today (Aug. 25) for a discussion with regional panelists about the state of the economy as relates to unemployment and business growth. Rebecca Best, dean of workforce, economic and regional development, was among the contributors of issues involving ways to help build a viable workforce and thus fuel economic stability. President Larry Lundblad of CLC was in the room, along with several other CLC administrators.

Auditions Sept. 11

Central Lakes College Theatre in Brainerd will hold auditions for “A Christmas Carol” on Saturday, Sept. 11 at 10 a.m. in the Bob Dryden Theatre. The Adventure ‘N Theatre production’s musical version needs 12 children in grades 3-8 plus six teenage performers from ninth grade-up (three male, three female). For information, contact director Dennis Lamberson at 218-855-8202 or email dlambers@clcmn.edu

Deployment

The 309th Engineering Company of U.S. Army Reserves found a lot of friends in their midst at Central Lakes College today (Monday, Aug. 23) as the fall semester began at CLC. The Brainerd campus hosted a deployment ceremony in the air-conditioned gym, where families and friends packed the bleachers and observed several flag presentations, including one from CLC to the unit for its time in Afghanistan. CLC President Larry Lundblad received a plaque from the 309th for hosting the event and showing continued support for troops and the returning veterans who may pursue educational opportunities following their discharge. Families had an opportunity to say good-bye to their beloved armed service relatives during the one-hour period that included the ceremony. The soldiers received an escort on their way to Fort McCoy, Wis., as member of the Brainerd Patriot Guard and law enforcement personnel assisted in a caravan of security and support for troops headed to Afghanistan. The Brainerd Police Department assisted with traffic control along College Drive, which ordinarily is a busy road on the first day of the term and will be an even busier thoroughfare when the Brainerd School District begins its school year Sept. 7.

Fall semester starts

The fall semester of the 2010-22 academic year began today (Monday, Aug. 23) with greetings from President Larry Lundblad at the front door of the Brainerd campus shortly before 8 a.m., and help for students finding their way to classes. Faculty were also greeting each other, as evidenced by Sandra Kaplan and Jim Russell near the gymnasium door. Joe Kavanaugh from the Admission Office helped a student at the south door. Kathy Blake enjoyed the arrival of students in the new, 48-person math computer lab.

Sept. 2 program on Haiti

Haiti is the Sept. 2 topic for the first Cultural Thursday program of the new academic year at Central Lakes College, Brainerd. The free, 50-minute public event starts at noon in the Lecture Hall (E354). It will showcase the work of a medical mission team that spent six days treating Haitian earthquake victims and other patients. Photographer Joey Halvorson captured much of the activity with her camera, and the images are part of this program. Halvorson accompanied the team of Sharon Kramer, Sharon Manion, Rosy Schanzenbach, Chris Rosinger and Donna Wahl, all registered nurses; Sue Hadland, nurse practitioner; Chuck Przymus, a nurse anesthetist; and medical doctors Dr. Paul Milloy, Dr. Troy Duininck and Dr. Perry Engstrom.

College in the Schools

Administrators from area school districts participated in the strategic planning session Aug. 19 for College in the Schools, a partnership among 26 districts and Central Lakes College. Instructors and counselors also attended the Duty Day event, meeting with their collegiate counterparts to discuss ways to improve the program that allows high school students to stay in their home district while earning college credits. For 2010-2011 school districts are scheduled to provide a total of 332 college course sections in collaboration with Central Lakes College. Lorie Floura, Paynesville High School principal, was among those attending.

Amy Rice exhibit

“Let Me Tell You a Story,” works by mixed media artist Amy Rice of Minneapolis, is the first exhibit of the academic year at Central Lakes College, Brainerd. The artwork will be displayed in the CLC Gallery Aug. 25-Sept. 23 during regular campus hours. Rice’s style mixes cute with quirk in tones that are easy on the eye. “I am definitely and unabashedly inspired by other artists,” she said. “Luckily Minneapolis is overflowing with outrageously talented artists and almost enough venues for displaying to keep them up. A 1993 graduate of Augsburg in Minneapolis, Rice founded Spectrum ArtWorks in 2003. It is an award-winning, non-profit fine arts organization dedicated to assisting adult artists living with a mental illness integrate into the larger arts community. Since 2000 she has been visual arts coordinator for Spectrum Community Mental Health in Minneapolis.

Educators convene at CLC

After a breakfast provided by the Central Lakes College Foundation to all in attendance, Educational Forecaster Jim Brazell presented the keynote address today at Central Lakes College for more than 100 high school administrators, instructors, and counselors from 26 school districts. They joined CLC educators for the prelude to a new academic year. Also in the audience for this Duty Day was State Rep. John Ward, who has been an educator in the Brainerd School District as well as a lawmaker. Brazell has traveled the United States and internationally advocating the importance of cooperation across the disciplines – especially career and technical education, academics and the arts. He presented his talk from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Brainerd campus gymnasium, speaking about next-generation education, work, and technology . . . and what is next. The audience included educators from the schools that offer college credits through classes in the CLC College in the Schools program. The Duty Day included break-outs among collaborators and others implementing the college's revised Strategic Plan as the new academic year arrives on Monday, Aug. 23 with record enrollment expected for 2010-2011. The event concluded with an all-employee pig roast/potluck on the Brainerd campus at the close of the work day.

Military Friendly

Central Lakes College, Brainerd and Staples, is among the nation’s top 15 percent of colleges, universities, and trade schools doing the most to embrace America’s veterans as students. Victory Media, the veteran-owned publisher of Military Spouse and Vetrepreneur magazines, in its publication G.I. Jobs, named CLC with 30 other Military Friendly Minnesota schools earning the designation. CLC and others on the list provide additional benefits to student veterans, such as credit for military experience and the College Level Examination Program. CLC offers on-campus resource centers in Brainerd and Staples and a network of support services and academic accreditations. One reason the college is “an excellent choice for military members,” according to G.I. Jobs, is a course called “From Combat to the Classroom – the Transition of Combat Veterans and Their Families.” Don Pfeffer, instructor, teaches the course for veterans, family members and anyone else with a strong interest in the military. The Military Friendly Schools list can be viewed at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/2011list and includes 1,222 institutions across the U.S. The Veterans Resource Center provides information and support to veterans, military members, their families, and community members. The Center is staffed by college staff, student employees, and volunteers and is open 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday and other times by appointment. For information contact Deb Dewey in the Center at 218-855-8279.

Keynote speaker

Jim Brazell, a 26-year leader in technology and innovation, will present a keynote address Thursday at Central Lakes College for high school administrators, instructors, and counselors from 26 school districts. Brazell has traveled the United States and internationally advocating the importance of cooperation across the disciplines – especially career and technical education, academics and the arts. From 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. in the Brainerd campus gymnasium, Brazell will speak about next-generation education, work, technology and communities that understand that the key to solving the financial crisis is to invent and innovate our way to what is next. The audience for his presentation is expected to include all faculty at CLC, Brainerd and Staples, as well as officials from the schools that offer college credits through classes in the College in the Schools program. The schools and number of College in Schools course sections each offers for 2010-11, are Aitkin (19), Belgrade (7), Brainerd (17), Browerville (5), Crosby-Ironton (20), Deer River (8), Freshwater Education District (connected to Bertha-Hewitt, Eagle Valley of Clarissa, and Staples-Motley- 8), Holdingford (1), Infinity Online (2), Isle (2), Little Falls (24), Long Prairie-Grey Eagle (34), Nashwauk (2), Northland (Remer - 17), Onamia (8), Parkers Prairie (5), Paynesville (2), Pequot Lakes (25), Pierz Healy (26), Pillager (11), Pine River-Backus (21), Royalton (7), Sauk Centre (26), Staples-Motley (21), Swanville (3), and Upsala (13). The fall semester at Central Lakes College starts Monday. Most high schools begin the fall term on Sept. 7.

Fall sports

The fall sports season has arrived. Football and volleyball practices are under way at Central Lakes College, and the first intercollegiate athletic contests of the 2010 season are just around the corner. The football team opens its season Sat., Aug. 28 against Fond du Lac in the Minnesota College Athletic Conference Kick-Off Classic. The game is at 8 p.m. and concludes the 5-game MCAC event for all 10 teams in the league. It will be played at St. Cloud State University. The Raiders are ranked 24th in the National Junior College Athletic Association pre-season poll. The volleyball team opens its season at Ridgewater (Willmar) in an invitational that brings together several teams that don't otherwise meet. CLC plays Fri., Aug. 27 vs. Rochester at 2 p.m. and vs. Dakota at 6:30 p.m., and then the Raiders play Sat., Aug. 28 in the same event vs. Bismarck (N.D.) at 11:45 a.m. and vs. Dawson (Mont.) at 2:30 p.m. CLC is ranked third in the Top 10 NJCAA pre-season volleyball poll. In their home opener the Raiders will meet Ridgewater at 6:30 p.m., Tues., Aug. 31.

Healthy alternatives

Chef Derek Olson of Harvest Thyme Bistro, Wadena, prepared and served a local-foods meal for guests attending the Aug. 12 Energy and Horticulture Day at the Central Lakes College Agricultural and Energy Center near Staples. Derek created a Southwest-flavored main dish with locally raised chicken and assorted vegetables and complemented the menu with a fresh apple bake (ice cream optional). Sweet corn grown at the Ag and Energy Center was a bonus for diners. Derek and wife Shari are part of the area movement building a sustainable economy through healthy, organic food, from vegetables to meats to grains. The Ag and Energy Center is operated by Central Lakes College and provides research on and demonstration of crop varieties and new energy crop opportunities for the region, all focused on eceonomic development. For information, contact Director Bob Schafer at (218) 894-5160 or rschafer@clcmn.edu

The Hunt Family

What do you get when you cross world-ranked step dancing with champion fiddling and a family of nine? Answer: A high-powered energetic and refreshing experience with The Hunt Family! They will perform Friday, Sept. 10 and Saturday, Sept. 11 at the non-profit Central Lakes College Foundation fund-raiser at the Gull Lake Center, Grand View Lodge, Nisswa. They perform original, Celtic, bluegrass, inspirational and popular tunes, offering a unique blend of diversity to every show. The Hunts have produced and recorded five albums. Their latest CD, "Hearts Held High," is available and features eight exciting brand new original compositions. More on the Hunts: Completed 4 US tours; National Television debut on The Tony Danza Show; Multiple appearances at the World Championships for Irish Dance in Ireland, Scotland and Philadelphia; Performed for 3 seasons at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. "The multi-talented Hunt Family recently sang, fiddled, and toe-tapped across the stage to the delight of a standing room only audience. This community has never witnessed a more charming, captivating, thoroughly entertaining and energetic family of musicians in its concert history. It was a sight to behold and definitely left us all with hopes for a repeat performance." -- Nadine Goff, Lee University (Tenn.)School of Music. Tickets ($75) are available for the Sept. 10 or Sept. 11 dinner and concert at http://www.clctickets.com/, or call for information, 218-855-8135. A social/silent auction starts at 5:30, with dinner at 6:30, and the concert at 7:30.

New member

Lt. Col. Scott St. Sauver, since June the post commander at the Camp Ripley National Guard Training Site, is a new member of the President's Regional Advisory Committee at Central Lakes College. CLC President Dr. Larry Lundblad welcomed Scott to the group at its Aug. 10 meeting on the Brainerd campus. Scott holds a Bachelors of Science Degree in Agriculture and Park Management and Masters Degree in Education from South Dakota State University. He is responsible for the day-to-day operation of Camp Ripley, the 53,000-acre state-owned complex that is one of the largest of its kind in the country. He commands about 200 soldiers of the training support unit running Camp Ripley. He considers the camp to be "Minnesota's jewel," enhanced over the last seven years with improved facilities. Scott began his career by enlisting in the South Dakota Army National Guard in 1980. Among Lt. Col. St. Sauver's military awards: the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with two Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Commendation Medal with four Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Component Achievement Medal with six Oak Leaf Cluster, National Defense Service Medal with one Star, Armed Forces Reserve Medal with Hour Glass and M Device, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
Scott has been married to Debra for 29 years. They have four children -- Christopher, Anthony, Blake and Ashley -- and two grandchildren.

'The Rock Farm'

The Finnish actors who were part of the cast, accompanied by directors Tuire Hindikka (left) and Patrick Spradlin, met with CLC President Larry Lundblad on Aug. 9 before returning to Finland. Playwright Donna Salli of the CLC English faculty, stands behind her young Finnish acting friends, Susanna Kohonen, Kerttu Pyy, and Emma Mustaniemi.

Central Lakes College instructor-author Donna Salli's play "The Rock Farm" was performed for a full house Aug. 5 in the Dryden Theatre on the Brainerd campus, marking the next chapter in a continuing collaboration between area theater artists and those from Joensuu, Finland. The play, which is about the Finnish-American culture of the Upper Penninsula, was staged for 225 guests in Ironwood, Mich., two nights later. It has gone through three separate production cycles. "What started out as a vague notion talked about at the dinner table has become an international phenomenon," said Patrick Spradlin, CLC Theatre director. "The Rock Farm" began with essays and poems written by Donna and never intended for the stage. The collections of stories from her childhood, along with poems inspired by an extended Finnish family living in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, were discovered by Finnish theater director Tuire Hindikka during a visit to Brainerd. Tuire brought a group of actors from her Floppi and Fiasko theater companies to CLC for a weeklong residency in 2007. While in Brainerd Tuire read Donna's writings and urged her to adapt them to a script. "The Rock Farm" was translated into Finnish and given its world premiere performance in 2008 -- in Finland. Tuire returned to Brainerd last October with a troupe of actors to perform "The Rock Farm" for local audiences. The play also was performed in English by a group of local actors under the direction of Erik Steen. Playgoers first saw the play in English, then witnessed the Finnish language version.

Conference presenters

Central Lakes College employees Connie Frisch (right), director of nursing, and Pamela Nelson, online learning coordinator, presented at the international “Fusion 2010: Architects of Education” users conference July 12 at the Marriott Hotel and Conference Centre in Chicago. Accompanied by Michael Amick, dean of academic and technology service at CLC, Frisch and Nelson presented “Your Student Nursing Clinical Orientation Begins in Desire2Learn.” Their audience included attendees from Canada and Australia as well as the U.S. They have developed a new service for nursing students in collaboration with area health-care providers of clinical training sites. The result is a clinical orientation done online before students reach the clinical site. Valuable clinical time is saved by providing orientation materials through Desire2Learn course tools. Partners include Brainerd Lakes Health, Brainerd; Lakewood Health System, Staples; Cuyuna Regional Medical Center, Crosby; Riverwood Healthcare Center, Aitkin; and Community Behavorial Health Hospital, Baxter.

International students

Central Lakes College is hosting nine students in the Community College for International Development program during the 2010-11 academic year. They arrived Aug. 1 to meet their mentor families, who maintain regular contact with the students and participate in activities to augment the time at CLC. The students reside near the Brainerd campus. The students include (front) Jaka Mahendra, Indonesia; and from left standing, Bradley Van der Zandt, South Africa; Jose’ Sergio Cardoza Salguero, El Salvador; Hugo Ruano Diaz, Guatemala; Renata Barreto, Brazil; Muraty Harsono, Indonesia; Dulce Perez Herrera, Guatemala; Miguel Porras Cruz, Guatemala; Djamaluddin Paratmadi, Indonesia. They are pictured with Student Activities Director Erich Heppner (third from left) at the home of CLC Admissions Rep John Richardson, where they introduced themselves to one another and got acquainted with their mentor families. Two German exchange stduents are also coming to CLC, arriving on Aug.10. Joan Jenkins is the international student coordinator, working out of our Admissions Department.

Remodeling on target

Jeremy Johnson of Gull Lake Glass placed new door-side window panels in the larger, high-tech classroom E318 on the Brainerd campus. The room had been E317 and E319 but now will accommodate 40 students with its increase of about 10 feet, said Bruce Eide of the maintenance staff.

Central Lakes College remodeling projects are nearing completion as the new academic year approaches. Almost $1 million in construction and renovation involves new heating and ventilation for much of the east side of the Brainerd campus as well as the Staples robotics and weight room areas. For the first time, rooms such as the physics lab and the gym will be air conditioned. A 48-person computer lab linked to the new math curriculum replaces E 313 and E314 in Brainerd, and a central handling unit for all the new HVAC occupies what had been the office of instructor Mark Platta (E311). A large, high-tech classroom (E318) replaces E317 and E319. There is new paint, new glass, and new carpet along with the new air handling system. The new Staples vidoegraphy production program gets an all-new, state-of-the-art studio and production space to use the latest technology. The Chalberg Theatre renovation will continue into October, but all other areas of construction are on schedule for completion by the first day of the fall term, Aug. 23.

Construction zone

The campsues of Central Lakes College, Brainerd and Staples, are in the midst of major renovation projects schedueld for completion for the Aug. 23 start of fall semester classes (with the exception of Chalberg Theatre, set to be ready sometime this fall). The east wing of the Brainerd campus, including areas in the math and sciences area and the gymnasium, are getting new heating and ventilation systems, with lots of ceiling work involved, as well as ductwork. A new math-oriented computer lab with 48 stations is taking shape in what formerly were rooms E313 and E314. Seats have been removed from Chalberg Theatre as part of that $500,000 project to make a high-tech classroom space as well as comfortable viewing for dramatic arts performances.

Enrollment up

Central Lakes College in Brainerd and Staples will start the 2010-11 academic year on Monday, Aug. 23 with a fourth straight year of enrollment growth. As of Aug. 2, 3,723 students had registered, including 2,305 full-time (at least 12 credits). More than 2,500 enrolled for the fall term are returning students. Fall enrollment is 12.7 percent ahead of the same point last year. New at CLC this year will be two-year degrees in theatre performance, videography production, child development/American Sign Language, applied engineering, viticulture, enology, and dental assisting. The latter program retains a diploma option, as do videography, viticulture (grape growing) and enology (wine production). The college has added an Honors Associate in Arts degree for qualifying liberal arts and sciences scholars. Several certificate programs have been added in a manufacturing-related collaboration with eight other schools in the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. Hands-on technical courses are available to earn certificates in automation, machining, manufacturing, production, and welding. CLC has added a mechatronics diploma program to put students on a path toward technician careers involving mechanical and electrical systems.

'Harvey' auditions

Central Lakes College Theatre in Brainerd will hold auditions for “Harvey” on Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m. in the Bob Dryden Theatre. The production’s cast will require six men and six women ages 16-65. The show will perform in the Dryden Theatre Oct. 6-17. This comedy, written by Mary Chase, is the story of easy-going Elwood P. Dowd and his imaginary friend Harvey, a six-foot, three-and-one-half-inch tall rabbit. It won a Pulitzer Prize in 1945 and was adapted into a classic movie starring Jimmy Stewart in 1950. This film version even landed on the American Film Institute’s “100 Years... 100 Laughs” list in 2000 at Number 35. For information, contact director Dennis Lamberson at 218-855-8202 or email dlambers@clcmn.edu