Bringing in the Corn

A couple years ago, I had the pleasure of riding in Mark Moody's combine while he harvested Daryl Long's soybeans.

At that time, Mark told me that I must experience harvesting corn, and so in late October, I joined Mark Moody in his combine for a couple hours as he worked his way through one of Daryl Long's corn fields.

Mark did not lie: harvesting corn is cool, especially for this fellow who enjoyed his first harvest.

When I told my wife of this fun, she said, "Tell me that you did not make a movie of riding in a combine."

Well, of course I made a movie, which those of you who have never experienced a combine's harvesting corn might find fun. And I uploaded some photographs.

Academic Honors for Athletes, and the PSC Pep Band in a Thriller

PSC Band in Zombie Attire

PSC Athletes Earn Academic Honors

Although the team eventually lost 13-0 on Saturday, October 29, the Bobcats played an excellent game against a highly-ranked opponent. And what a stunner of a fall day in the Oak Bowl.

The game featured academic honors and zany entertainment, part of which you can continue to enjoy by watching a slide show.

These images now appear on Flickr. To download files, just click on the photograph and then on "Actions." Next, click "View All Sizes" and then download the file size of your choice.

The Halftime Show began with President Dan Hanson and Elaine Hanson's congratulating each of the Peru State College athletes who had earned acknowledgement for their high academic achievements.

And to celebrate both the beautiful day and the Halloween season, the Peru State College Pep Band, resplendent and gory in their Zombie attire and trappings, entertained everyone with their tribute to Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

Enjoy the Pep Band's Walking Dead on You Tube.

Congratulations to both the student athletes for their success in the classroom and the talented members of the band who have entertained crowds all season.

The 40th Annual Show Choir Festival

Tuesday and Wednesday, October 26 and 26, Peru State College hosted for the fortieth time the Annual Show Choir Festival that features colorful and energetic show choir groups from Wahoo to Auburn, from Sabetha, to Bellevue West.

As the photographs suggest, these groups put on lively and often colorful, most certainly enthusiastic presentations.

This year, Guest Clinician/Adjudicator Robert Jones joined Director Tom Ediger to celebrate this special annual festival that has filled the college with music for two days each year these past forty years. Among many other activities connected with song and dance, Jones serves as the director of the Grand River Singers in La Crosse, WI.

Robert Jones and Tom Ediger

At 1:30 p.m. on both Tuesday and Wednesday, the Peru State's Misty Blues joined the festivities to give their first performances of the year. Ms. Charlotte Shields directs this wonderfully talented group of singers and dancers.


I posted a video on You Tube of the Misty Blues singing and dancing to "Don't Stop," the final sections of "Heal the World," and "Higher Ground."

In addition, you can enjoy a video that includes the opening song for the three final acts from Tuesday's fanfare by the following schools: Omaha South Magnet, Bellevue East, and Bellevue West.

And to further your enjoyment, give a listen to the music from last year's Show Choir Festival.

Visit to Toadstool State Park

This Friday, October 21, late in the afternoon afternoon on a beautiful day in the Panhandle area of western Nebraska, I visited one of my favorite landscapes, Toadstool State Park.

The area twenty-five miles north of Crawford, NE, is part of the Ogala National Grassland.

I have visited Toadstool a couple times, the last over a decade ago. This time presented a special opportunity, for I walked the one-mile loop for a couple hours alone except for the distant coal trains and the occasional rabbit.

This time around, I posted quite a few photographs, trying to capture something of Toadstool's special and stark beauty.

Next time, my plans include the three-mile walk from Toadstool to Hudson Meng Education and Research Center, another excellent location to visit.

Trip to Chadron with Student Senate Leaders

Drey Platt, Kathleen Niermann, Megan Botcher, Benjamin Rice, Mallory Sjuts, Elizabeth Zieo, Dan Perkins

On a beautiful morning, Thursday, October 20, I drove seven members of the Peru State College Student Senate to Chadron for the first Student Senate Leadership Conference, the first of many annual events, I hope, to follow.

Student Senate president Elizabeth Zito and vice-president Dan Perkins led the group of seven senate leaders to Chadron State College for this inaugural event.

The meeting brought together senate leaders from the three state colleges, providing these students the opportunity to share ideas and concerns from their perspective campuses.

The collected images come from the various leadership activities in which the students engaged, from an overview of activities and plans to some social events, which included both the serious and the silly.

And on Friday afternoon, Governor Dave Heineman flew into Chadron to address the senate members in attendance from Chadron, Wayne State, and Peru State College.

The governor also posed for photographs and engaged in a lively discussion with members of the audience.


Wayne State College plans to host this successful undertaking next year, and we all hope that this gathering will become an annual event, allowing these students to visit the other colleges and meet their colleagues.

Andrea Hariston and Pan Morigan on Campus

Pan Morigan and Andrea Hairston Perform in the Black Box at PSC

Thursday and Friday, October 27 and 28, special guests Andrea Hairston and Pan Morigan visited Peru State College.

I posted photographs from their two-day visit.

Andrea Hairston is the former chair of the Theater Department at Smith College, where she also serves as the director of the Chrysalis Theater.

An accomplished playwright and scholar, Andrea also writes speculative fiction, and her most recent publication is Redwood and Wildfire. To learn a bit about this exciting novel, watch this video about the novel's genesis.

Andrea's good friend, colleague, and wonderful and award-winning singer-musician Pan Morigan also performed at the college, and both experienced Nebraska for the first time.

To experience a sampling of Pan's music and voice, just watch and listen to Peach. Pan also serves as the musical director for the Chrysalis Theater. Her latest CD is Wild Blue (Listen to a couple compositions)

On Thursday at 9:30 in the CAAPS Conference Room, Andrea Hairston read from her latest novel, Redwood and Wildfire, and talked with students in an event sponsored by the PSC Creative Writing Series.

You can enjoy video from this presentation in two parts: Part One and Part Two.



And at 2:00 that afternoon in the Fine Arts Recital Hall, Pan Morigan gave a wonderful recital sponsored by Alpha Chi.

The World Music Class attended this exciting session. And you can enjoy parts of Pan's performance on You Tube: Part One and Part Two.

On Friday at 11:00 in an event sponsored by College 101, Andrea and Pan offered in the Fine Arts Recital Hall a dramatic and musical reading of sections from Redwood and Wildfire that held us all spellbound.

To experience something of the fun, take the time to watch selections from this riveting performance on You Tube, so give Part One and Part Two your attention.

Andrea and Pan enjoyed their time here in the Midwest, their first visit.
I took them to Spring Creek Prairie to enjoy the wonderful grass and to Indian Cave State Park for the beautiful fall colors.

And we also ate catfish and carp at the White Horse Grill in Johnson.


They both want to return, and we at Peru State College will be most pleased to host these talented performers.