Prairie Plains Banquet on 23 January 2010

On Saturday, 23 January, I rode with Bill and Shirley Snyder to UNL for a fun evening.

Based in Aurora, NE, the Prairie Plains Resource Institute celebrated thirty years of working to preserve prairies with the organization's first ever fund-raiser banquet.

As visiting the Prairie Plains web site indicates, the group maintains an active involvement with Nebraska communities and does some excellent work.

As the opening image indicates, the organization also has very cool shirts, and I made sure to get one.

The organization's first auction raised a lot of money, and I look forward to another Prairie Plains banquet. This one featured "Nebraska" food, featuring Beets, Barley, and Bison, and other non-alliterative fare.

I also enjoyed the keynote speaker's presentation. Since 1984, Jim Richardson has contributed stories and photographs to National Geographic.

Check out his blog, Working Photographer, and his web page, Jim Richardson Photography, that features his photographs taken all over the world.

You can see other pictures from the evening in Lincoln.

The evening was very special, too, because I got to photograph the new member of the Prairie Plains Resource Institute's Board of Directors, Peru State College's own Dr. Bill Snyder, featured on the far right in the following image.

Congratulations to Bill!

PSC Commemorates Martin Luther King Day

Diversity discussions and a talk by Holocaust survivor Elane Norych Geller help the PSC community celebrate Martin Luther King Day.

On Monday at 11:00 am in the Student Center, the Black Student Union celebrated Martin Luther King day by sponsoring diversity discussions during the lunch hour.

Members of the Peru State College community joined President Dan Hanson, Elaine Hanson, and Tuesday's guest speaker, Elane Norych Geller, at tables throughout the cafeteria to discuss various diversity issues with students.

And at 5:30 that evening, students and others wore blue to commemorate Martin Luther King and gathered for a group photograph.


On Tuesday at 11:00 a.m., Holocaust survivor Elane Norych Geller spoke about the dangers of bigotry, racism, and hatred to large crowd gathered in the Peru State College Theater.


One of the youngest of holocaust survivors, Elane Norych Geller was only four when the Nazis invaded her native Poland in 1939.

She shared with the college community some of the horrors at the hands of the Nazis--and both her aunt's loving care and Geller's own determination that led to the speaker's survival when British troops liberated Bergen-Belsen on April 15, 1945.

Geller shared as well her experiences as a survivor, articulating both the psychological scars that mark her days and her iron determination to confront all forms of hatred, "to recognize the disease of racism and bigotry and empower people to say something."

As she noted, "I believe passionately that activism is the only way to go." By confrontation and action, she insisted, "we can relegate those who hate to the back rooms and basements where they belong."

Geller lectures as one of a small group of "Survivor" volunteers at the Simon Wiesenthal Museum of Tolerance in Santa Monica, CA, and travels with her message of both tolerance and activism across the country.

"When you're silent," she emphasized, "you become part of the problem."

I posted some photographs from the preceding events.

Hoarfrost and Soybeans

Today, January 15, a spectacular hoarfrost coated the campus, elegantly aging the bobcat stationed in front of the Administrative Building on the Campus of a Thousand Oaks.

As the following shot indicates, the frost spiked the trees on campus--this tree looks like a magnet that attracts iron-white filings and sits in front of the CAATS Building.

I took a stroll around campus, taking a series of photographs and posted a few; you can tell which shot came from my falling in the snow.

From hoarfrost to harvest:

The photograph of the combine comes from November, when Mark Moody allowed me to accompany him as he harvested Daryl Long's soybeans.

I had never stuck my head inside the cockpit of one of these machines and so appreciated both the ride and Mark's enthusiastic explanations and his detailed description of the process.

Mark invited me along to harvest Daryl's corn, so I held off posting these photographs; however, the wet weather precluded using the combine.

I look forward to the fall harvest to experience the corn.

Madrigal Dinners, December 11 and 12

On the evenings of Friday, December 11, and Saturday, December 12, the college hosted the annual and always colorful Madrigal Dinner.

This year's fanfare attracted impressive crowds on both nights, and Dr. Tom Ediger's Madrigal Singers provided beautiful voices and a fun-filled new opera, Nerdwell: From Clod to King.

This year's opera also featured the first death scene in the many years the Madrigal Singers have entertained at the semester's conclusion.

And the king's multiple final breaths--I lost count--certainly proved, well, operatic.


In addition to including a first death scene, this play featured what you see in two of the preceding images and the one that follows here: Megan Katz created

PUPPETS.

I had the good fortune to attend each of the two performances and took multiple photographs and some video for your enjoyment:

Photographs: First Night Action and Second Night Action; at the conclusion of the first night, we gathered everyone for a series of posed shots that include the ritual of kissing the pig, a time-honored tradition that is, well, pretty disgusting.

Though as the photograph on the right indicates, some find the repelling compelling.

In addition to the photographs--and you can download single shots or the entire albums--I posted on You Tube the following videos from the second evening.

Four Scenes from Nerdwell: From Clod to King.

Prince Nerdwell of Geek (David Norris) Sings about Breaking Up

The Madrigal Singers Perform PDQ Bach's Renaissance Hit, "Throw the Yule Log on Uncle John."

Enjoy the fanfare.

I include here a video with music from "Silent Night" and images from various band and choral performances from Fall Term--the various music groups at Peru State College wish one and all a wonderful holiday season.

Click on the Image to Read the Cast

Many Thanks to the Graduating Seniors for Their Years of Excellence

First Real Snow of the Year

Snow Day!

Blizzard-like conditions prevailed for most of the afternoon; the snow lets up a bit at 4:00 PM when I post this link.

I did not get the message last night about Peru State's closing for the day, Tuesday, 8 December--the old-model computer I worked with here did not for some reason register the information.

Well, I tried to go to school at 11:00 AM for Student Senate but realized quickly what had happened.

Determined to take some photographs of the birds that gathered at my bird bath and feeders, including ten or so Blue Birds, I discovered that my cameras lacked batteries, which recharged in the office.

So, at 11:30, I walked and stumbled through the beautiful snow to school and, cameras charged, took photographs of the snow and the happy faces that greeted me here and there.

To see what you missed today or to view the beautiful campus in a place of warmth, take a look at the images from Peru State College during a rather heavy snow. You should be able to download all or selected photographs with a click.

I am pretty sure that I managed to photograph the requisite Bobcats. In addition, over the past two days, many birds visited my feeders, including a surprise Yellow-rumped Warbler; I uploaded images and will add to them over the next few days.

PSC Fall Band Concert

On Sunday afternoon on December 6, the College Band and the Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble entertained an appreciative crowd in the Peru State College Theater on an otherwise miserable day of chill and then snow, a harbinger of the blizzard that hit Tuesday.

The hearty who weathered the chill enjoyed a special treat, for the College Band and the Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble warmed thing up quickly.


The College Band opened the program, and I recorded for your listening and viewing pleasure their spirited rendition of "They Went ThataWay," a medley of great music from Westerns, including "How the West Was Won."








Then the Hoyt Street Jazz Band took the stage and helped everyone forget longer the nasty weather.

I recorded two of their excellent offerings, "Song For My Father" and Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

And for your viewing fun, I posted quite a few photographs from
the afternoon performances.

Next up: Madrigal Dinner Friday and Saturday evenings, December 11 and 12.





If you want to listen to more, tune in to last year's Fall Band Concert. And enjoy these stills from Sunday's concert.

Matthew "Sitting Bear" Jones

Matthew "Sitting Bear" Jones

To help celebrate Native American Heritage Month, Native Historian and Storyteller Matthew "Sitting Bear" Jones spent Tuesday, November 17, at Peru State College.

The program commemorating national Native American Heritage month was brought to campus courtesy of the Education Department of the Durham Museum in Omaha, NE.

The Durham Museum is a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving the American heritage and to the enrichment of area citizens through sharing world-class exhibits and speakers.

The Durham enjoys reciprocal relationships with the Chicago Field Museum, The Smithsonian Institute, the National Archives and the Library of Congress. You should visit the museum's web site.

While on campus, Matthew visited two classes and talked with members of the college community in the College Theater.

You can view and download images from Matthew's discussions and stories from the collection I posted.

I was thrilled to see Matthew "Sitting Bear" Jones back on campus, for Matthew is an entertaining and seasoned teller of Kiowa tales.

I recorded a couple of Matthew's tales, including this one, "How the Bobcat Got its Tail," a fitting story about the mascot of the Campus of a Thousand Oaks.



In addition, I filmed Matthew's performance of a story about "How Death Entered The World," the telling of which he began in his native language, Kiowa.

I filmed this story from the balcony, but since Matthew performed on the floor and not on the state, his hat hides his eyes.

PSC Fall Choral Concert

Concert Choir

On Sunday afternoon, November 15, the Peru State College Concert Choir, Madrigal Singers, and Misty Blues, entertained a large gathering in the Peru State Theater.


Conducted by Dr. Tom Ediger and as the groups did in previous years, the three performances filled the theater with a delightful array of songs and wonderful voices.


You can, in fact, still enjoy some music and numerous pictures from 2008 and 2007, the year I first began this blog.


As usual, I posted photographs of the fun; feel free to download the entire "package" or individual shots.


The afternoon's festivities began with the Concert Choir's performance, which included a challenging twelve-minute number; I will include the name of this piece in the near future.


As he did last year, the talented Russian pianist Denis Plutalon joined the Concert Choir. Denis completes his PhD in Music at UNL. We welcome him back to PSC.


Enjoy a short sample on You Tube of the excellent performance.

PSC Madrigal Singers

The Madrigal Singers entertained with a fun variety of melodies, a couple of which I posted on You Tube for your pleasure.


Tom Ediger and the Madrigal Singers invite one and all to attend the pageantry, music, voices, and fun at this year's Madrigal Dinner that features a new opera, "Nerdwell: From Clod to King.

Just click on the following image of the poster for contact information.


Get your tickets now and join the Madrigal Singers in the Peru State cafeteria.


As they always do, the colorful and energetic, not to mention talented, Misty Blues completed another successful Fall Choral Concert.

Misty Blues

The Misty Blues performed a couple weeks ago at the Show Choir Festival here at the college. For fun, check out the group's pre-costume performance of Eli's Coming from the October 29 show.

And then view the group's new look and the same talented singers and dancers in this brief video from the Sunday afternoon entertainment.

The Woman in Black

Last Thursday night at 11:oo PM, 13o people gathered in the Peru State Theater to enjoy opening night of The Woman in Black's gratifyingly successful run, culminating in a matinee performance on Sunday, November 1.

Directed by Josh Young and featuring Peru State College Students Madison Ferris as "The Actor" and Michael Casvant as "Kips," the engaging and at times frightening play, a "Ghost Story," fit well with the Halloween season and also the Homecoming theme, "Nightmare on Hoyt Street."


After this successful and well-attended production, we all look forward to the next Peru Theater Company production and thank the cast and crew for all their efforts.

Thanks to everyone involved for a tingling and entertaining effort.

You will find a number of photographs posted for your enjoyment. As always, download individual images or the entire album.


Take the time to watch the short video that offers a look at three scenes from the chilling production.




And watch for the Spring Term play--No Sex Please, We're British--for you might just fine a role just waiting for your talents.






I also put together for Josh Young a short trailer for the play that you might enjoy:

Ted Harshbarger's Transformation

In the preceding photograph, Ted Harshbarger poses with the 1971 Peru State College Homecoming Queen, Vicki (Hall) Beilke.

As many of you might have noticed at Homecoming, Ted has gone blond.

I asked Ted the genesis of this new do, and he wrote me the following description:

Nebraska Phi Beta Lambda does a Husker Raffle every year which I provide all of the prizes for annually. Each year, as a little incentive, I usually offer some type of challenge for them. Three years ago, they finally raised enough to have my mustache shaved. This year, if $1500 was raised statewide, I said I would go blond.

If they raised $1,750, I said I would do a blue mohawk. Well, they raised $1,824 so you have the results. Obviously, my hair was not long enough to do a true mohawk so we compromised with the blue mini-mohawk which turned purple and black. But, you have the pictures to see it was blue at one point.

Well, I think that he just wants to have fun.

Peggy Groff supplied me with a series of photographs from which I made a film posted on You Tube and supplied here for your amusement.

Oh, enjoy the song.