Around Peru, Nebraska: Bill Clemente's Pictures, Video, and Links

Enrique's Journey at Peru State College

2012-01-23T08:01:00.022-06:00

One Tuesday, January 23, Sonia Nazario--Pulitzer Prize winning journalist for the Los Angles Times and author of the acclaimed book Enrique's Journey--visited Peru State College.

For good reason, Isabelle Allende describes Nazario's book as "a 21st century Odyssey."

To learn more about the book and the people whose trials and travels the narrative chronicles, including updates on their lives since the publication of Enrique's Journey, just follow the preceding link.

Sonia Nazario won a Pulitzer for her newspaper articles on the subject of Enrique, and photo-journalist Don Bartletti won a Pulitzer Prize for his photography; this interview with Jody Hammond, a journalist for Stories de la Frontera, features Bartletti and his photographs taken for Nazario's articles for the Los Angles Times.

And this recent story about migrants on The Train of Death--trains on which Enrique traveled on his terrible journey from Honduras to the Rio Grande River--underscores how the peril for these immigrants continues to grow. And you might also enjoy this first of a four-part interview of Nazario by Connie Martinson.

I published a series of photographs from Sonia Nazario's presentation Tuesday night and enjoyed, prior to her talk, dining with her and a group of Peru State Students.

In addition to photographs, I also took took some video clips from Sonia Nazario's riveting talk about Enrique's journey and her own experiences retracing his often harrowing voyage.

Enrique's Journey Part One includes Nazario's discussion of her motivations both to become a journalist and to pursue the story of the impoverished people who flee Central America, an investigation that let her to Enrique.

And in Part Two, Sonia Nazario talks about the obstacles that confronted Enrique on his odyssey to reunite with his mother in North Carolina and Nazario's own experiences riding the violence-plagued trains that carried Enrique north to the Rio Grande River.

Read the book.

Peru State Foundation Meet and Greet at Tiburon Golf Club

2012-01-21T10:13:00.018-06:00

Tiburon Golf Club Greeting

PSC Foundation Director, Todd Simpson, with PSC Student Senators Will Jackson and TJ Beckert

On Thursday evening, January 19, The Peru State Foundation and Alumni Association sponsored a meet-and-greet reception for Peru State College Alumni at the Tiburon Golf Club in Omaha.

And as the photographs from the event suggest, the evening proved a gratifying success. Over eighty participants enjoyed the good food and enthusiastic company.

President Hanson highlighted for the gathered alumni many of the recent successes Peru State continues to enjoy, especially in terms of student engagement and success.

In addition, Sara Crook and Dan Holtz showcased for the group their special Trails and Tales event scheduled for October 2012. You can read at the previous link about this event that begins in Norfolk and Williamsburg, Virginia, and concludes with four days in and around Boston.

While taking photographs, I enjoyed talking with many familiar faces and meeting new PSC supporters--oh, and the artichoke dip was as good as the Tiburon hostesses claimed. Thanks for the tip!

And what fun, the enthusiastic group of alumni included two notable Peru State College graduates in English, Randi Scott (Mayberry) and Chris Raabe.

After graduating with a teaching certificate in English, Randi eventually became a lawyer and presently serves as campaign manager for Brett Lindstrom's congressional campaign.

Also graduating with a teaching certificate in English, Chris Raabe, who worked on the student newspaper and played baseball during his Peru State days, presently teaches English.

Raabe recently published his first novel, a narrative for young adults, The New Phenomenon; you can purchase the book on line.

Chris Raabe will visit Peru State in the near future to read from and discuss his novel.

Squaw Creek in the Winter

2012-01-16T09:31:00.008-06:00

If you look for an interesting and exciting diversion, take a trip to the Squaw Creek National Wildlife Preserve. As you will see at the previous link, this beautiful area includes year-round birding fun and offers updated looks at the numbers of Bald Eagles and waterfowl in the area.

On Sunday, January 15, Deb Clopton and I drove out to the preserve to see a substantial number of Bald Eagles--mostly immature birds that hulk along the ice in the background, waiting--and Snow Geese.

The area presently houses around 250 Trumpeter Swans, graceful creatures in flight and when landing that huddled in the distance on the ice.

We saw a variety of other birds as well, including March Hawks and Canada Geese.

On the cold and windy morning, I took a video of the 200,000+ Snow Geese gathered on the ice.

As the video indicates, the wind blew at a substantial clip, so turn down the volume a bit on the video until all the thousands of birds take off in a tornado-twisting and loud swirl.

I also posted some photographs from the excursion.

International Conference on Caribbean Literature in Havana, Cuba

2012-01-13T11:25:00.012-06:00

Last year the International Conference on Caribbean Literature took place in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Togabo.

The conference featured writer Earl Lovelace. I also enjoyed an excursion into a mangrove swamp and filmed the country's national bird, the stunning Scarlet Ibis, so give the preceding link a look.

In a previous year, the conference visited St. Lucia, home of Nobel-Prize-winning author Derrek Walcott; the preceding blog page contains links to Walcott's reading.

This year's conference provided an even more exciting adventure, for I got to visit a place long on my wish list for travel, Havana, Cuba.

I will organize through five separate collections of photographs and videos, for I served as this historic conference's "official" photographer and videographer:

Tuesday night in Miami and Wednesday in Havana (152 images).

We all arrived in Miami on Tuesday for a reception and discussion of the upcoming adventure in Havana.

A group of us also enjoyed an initial taste of Cuban food that afternoon at a small restaurant close to the airport hotel complex at which we stayed; I ordered the grilled King Fish.

After a short flight from Miami to the Jose Marti Airport outside Havana (Habana), we visited one of Havana's famous cemeteries, where many of the island's wealthy built impressive statues and other structures at their grave sites--as the photographs indicate.

After getting settled in the beautiful Hotel Nacional, Havana's most famous hotel, we got in the bus for a quick trip to the Casa de Las Americas, the nation's center for international cultural relations--this government group also helped organize the convention, the first of its kind for scholars from the USA since 1959, the year the government created the organization.

There, the group's president, Roberto Fernandez Retamar, one of Cuba's most celebrated writers and scholars, addressed the group. Unfortunately, I did not bring the video camera and so cannot share his excellent talk.

After a fun-filled reception at Casa de Las Americas, we headed via a tunnel under Havana Bay to a restaurant, La Divina Pastora, located next to El Morro Castle that overlooks Havana Bay.

While we ate an exceptional fish dinner, Cuarteto entertained. The preceding video from a couple of the group's numbers does not sound all that good, however, take a look to see the group and the beautiful lights of Havana sparkling on the horizon and reflected in the bay's waters.

After dinner, our evening's featured speaker, Pedro Perez Sarduy, a noted Cuban poet, journalist, and novelist addressed the group. Sarduy's latest novel is the award-winning The Maids of Havana--and you can listen to him read from this book.

Author Pedro Perez Sarduy Speaks Part One
Author Pedro Perez Sarduy Speaks Part Two

I did not record all of what Sarduy related, but did video two large sections of the speech--and what a superb translator.

Give the talk a listen, for Pedro talks about his genesis as a writer in Cuba. Pedro stayed with us for pretty much the entire adventure, and I quickly came to admire him a great deal.

After Pedro's address, a surprise speaker--pictured on the right in the preceding paragraph--and one of Cuba's most celebrated statesmen and current President of the National Assembly of the People's Power, Ricardo Alarcon de Quesada talked with us for nearly an hour, a wonderfully articulate and energetic extemporaneous display.

Thursday Events in Havana (164 images).

Havana Bay with El Murro Castle

After the morning sessions, we gathered at one of the Hotel Nacional restaurants for lunch and an address by Miguel Barnet, another famous Cuban anthropologist and author, and presently the President of the Cuban Association of Writers and Artists.

Unfortunately Miguel Barnet was ill; I look forward to reading his well-known Biography of a Runaway Slave.

Before out trip to Old Havana that afternoon, I went back to the Casa De Las Americas, where I purchased a poster marking the One-Hundred-Year Anniversary of Franz Fannon--author of the important works The Wretched of the Earth and Black Skin, White Masks.

Around two in the afternoon, the group got in the bus with our excellent driver and two guides for the day and went to Old Havana, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site under rather heavy reconstruction.

But before our tour of Old Havana, we gathered in the San Geronimo School to listen to an address by Dr. Eusebio Leal Spengler, the City Historian of Havana, who spoke about many things, including the preservation and architecture of Old Havana.

Eusebio Leal Spengler Part One

Eusebio Leal Spengler Part Two

The previous two links feature most of Spengler's address though the quality of the voices leaves something to be desired--too much echo in the hall.

Still, Spengler offers wonderful details about Cuban history, politics, and culture.

After the talk, we all went on a guided tour of Old Havana, and the photographs attempt to capture some of the area's growing beauty, contrasted always with what these tours do not highlight. But the pre-1959 automobiles suggest something of the contrasts that describe Havana.

We had an opportunity to return a couple times to Old Havana with its stunning buildings and other attractions, from food to the used book sellers market previously pictured, from the views along the bay to a variety of entertainments, including a Mojito at a bar Hemingway frequented or dancers in the streets:

As I did on more than one occasion, I concluded the night listening to music outside the Hotel Nacional, often with seven-year-old rum and a mighty good cigar--I picked Sequencia Tropical's CD, one of the groups that performs regularly at the hotel.

Friday Events in Havana (205 images)

Writing Tower at Hemingway Home Outside Havana

Friday proved another intense day. After the morning conference sessions at which I gave a paper and chaired a session, the group enjoyed lunch and then a talk by Margarita Mateo Palmer, a distinguished critic and novelist.

Margarita Mateo Palmer Part One

Margarita Mateo Palmer Part Two

I wish that one could find Palmer's works in English; she does not use a translator in these two pieces that pay homage from her work and that of others to Havana.

Music and Dancing at Museum of Guanabacoa

Habana Midic Performs

Saturday Events in Havana (238 images)

Nancy Morejon Part One

Nancy Morejon Part Two

Nancy Morejon Part Three

Nancy Morejon Part Four

Los Munequitos de Matanza Music and Slides of Saturday's Highlights in Havana

Sunday Events in Havana (95 images)

Madrigal Dinners 2011

2011-12-22T09:33:00.013-06:00

This year, the Madrigal Dinner took place over a three-day span (Dec.9-11), bringing color and fanfare to both Peru State College and Nebraska City. As usual, on Friday and Saturday evenings, this annual and festive event took place in the Peru State College Student Center.

As this series of photographs from Friday indicate, I took photographs of the various entertainments and then after the show added a variety of set shots; these photographs include the Madrigal Singers' rite of passage for new members, the kissing of the pig.

Of course, some people simply enjoy putting a lip lock on a pig:

The second group of photographs includes both the Saturday dinner at the college and something new, a Sunday show in Nebraska City at Camp Catron hosted by the Nebraska City Apple Corps, a wonderful Barbershop Chorus that performed last month at Peru State College.

On all three nights, the Madrigal Singers entertained the audiences with both songs and opera.

Saturday, I filmed a couple selections from a popular opera from years past that the singers reprised, including The Geek Who Would Be King, Part One and Part Two.

In addition to videos from the opera, you can also enjoy three songs the Madrigal Singers offered, including the beautiful "Help Me to Say Amen" and a whimsical number about poison ivy.

The Madrigal Dinners bring to a close this year's blog entries for term at Peru State College.

More to follow, soon enough.

Fall 2011 Band Concert

2011-12-22T08:25:00.011-06:00

On Sunday afternoon, December 4, the Peru State College Concert Band and the Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble entertained an appreciative audience in the College Theater.

The Concert Band offered a challenging program, and you can enjoy one of the numbers on You Tube, "Fortress."

The difficulty of Saturday's program attests to how much this band has grown and improved over the past four years.

The Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble continues to entertain throughout the school year.

The group offered an exciting selection of numbers that included "Hold On, I'm Coming," a song that featured the voice of Xavier Gibson.

I also recorded the group's final selection, "Chicken," which includes solos by pretty much everyone in the band.

Fall 2011 Choral Concert

2011-11-24T10:29:00.009-06:00

On Sunday afternoon in the PSC College Theater, Dr. Tom Ediger directed the Fall Choirs in Concert.

The afternoon's entertainment got underway with the Concert Choir.

The concert's first number, Mozart's Regina Coeli, featured four soloists: Carmen Schweiger, Debbie Trecek, Dan Perkins and Xavier Gibson.

You can enjoy this inspiring song on You Tube, where I also uploaded the Concert Choir's production of Tom Ediger's Psalm 121.

The video of Psalm 121 also includes the Madrigal Singers opening number, Since First I Saw Your Face and Summer Is A-Coming In.

And the third video from the entertaining presentations includes the Madrigal Singers' About the Maypole and I Thought That Love Had Been a Boy.

This video also includes the Misty Blues' fun-filled rendition of Leslie Gore's You Don't Own Me.

My plans included two other numbers from the Misty Blues; however, my fingers managed to press the wrong button at the right time. But as the photographs from the concert suggest, all three groups performed with wonderful enthusiasm.

And the Misty Blues performers look wonderful in their new costumes.

St. Peter's Literature Festival

2011-11-17T13:04:00.002-06:00

I had the pleasure to attend once again the St. Peter's School Literature Festival, Chapter Four, held at the school Sunday evening and all school day Monday, October 23 and 24.

Follow the links to Chapter Two and Chapter Three--alas, Chapter One took place before I started this blog.

Sadly, Bill Kloefkorn, who attended the first three of these exceptional events, passed away. I missed his presence, but both his wife and daughter attended.

And St. Peters school presented a new award named in honor of Bill Kloefkorn to a deserving teacher at the school, something that would have pleased the Nebraska State Poet.

Sunday evening featured an excellent talk by Nebraska author Jim Higley, whose new book, Bobblehead Dad, enjoys considerable success. Among other things, Jim also writes a column, Bobblehead Dad, for the Chicago Tribune's Triblocal.

I recorded for your enjoyment parts of Jim Higley's inspirational talk, Part One and Part Two.

As at the previous three festivals in which I took part, my schedule included four 50-minute sessions of Feathers, Petals and Verses (new title this time around because I added a section on Nebraska Wild Flowers).

I met with two groups each of enthusiastic fifth and six graders and enjoyed myself a great deal, as the photographs from the day suggest.

Chris Jacobsen's fifth graders sent me this beautiful poster filled with poems that hangs just now outside my office:

Thank you all the teachers and students with whom I worked for making Chapter Four such a special treat. I look forward to Chapter Five in 2013.

Choirs in Concert, 8 November

2011-11-12T15:30:00.015-06:00

On Tuesday evening at 7:30, the Peru State College Theater hosted three choral groups, the Nebraska City Belles-A-Peelin' Women's Barbershop Chorus; the Nebraska City Apple Corps Men's Barbershop Chorus; and Peru State College's own Madrigal Singers.

I posted a series of photographs of the three groups over
the course of this show.

The Belles-A-Peelin' women began the night's fanfare with a series of patriotic songs, two of which I recorded and posted for your enjoyment: "Sentimental Journey" and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy."

The Peru State College Madrigal Singers followed Belles-A-Peelin', and you can enjoy three of their pieces, including "O Lord Increase My Faith," "I Thought That Love Had Been a Boy," and "All Ye Who Music Love."

Next, the Nebraska City Apple Corps took the stage, a group that includes a couple familiar faces to the Peru State College community, Jacob Buss and John Crook.

PSC Student directed the group's the first number, "Hello Mary Lou," and I recorded two others for your enjoyment, "Bring Him Home" and "I'll Walk with God," so enjoy the songs.

To conclude the evening's enjoyment, all three groups took the stage and sang "Exodus," conducted by Dr. Thomas Ediger.

Boo Bash 2011

2011-11-01T15:02:00.011-05:00

Boo Bash produced another winner this year after last year's inaugural effort and success.

Between 5:00 and 7:00, well over two-hundred children and parents visited the Hanson House for treats and a picture with the PSC Bobcat.

As happened last year, I took photographs of all the people who wanted a picture of themselves and the mascot.

You will find a set of pictures (some duplication that I will fix) on Flickr.com. To download a photograph, simply click on the photograph and then on the Action link--from the drop-down menu, click on "View all Sizes" and then choose the size image you desire.

I also loaded images on the dependable Mobile Me Gallery; however, I am not sure how much longer this service will stay active, for Mac converts soon to Cloud. We shall see.

Congratulations to all the students, faculty, staff, and friends of the college who worked hard to ensure the success of this year's Boo Bash.

On a beautiful Peru, NE, evening, the event brought to the campus over 250 youngsters, who enjoyed a variety of activities and who returned home with candy in their bags and smiles on their faces.

Bringing in the Corn

2011-10-30T09:41:00.009-05:00

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

2011-10-30T09:34:00.002-05:00

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

2011-10-26T14:07:00.013-05:00

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

2011-10-23T13:20:00.009-05:00

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

2011-10-23T11:45:00.004-05:00

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

2011-10-18T16:45:00.020-05:00

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.

Hall of Fame Dinner and Football Game

2011-10-17T08:15:00.018-05:00

Members of the 1962 basketball team pose with members of the 2011 Team

2011 Hall of Fame Inductees at halftime celebration

On Friday evening, October 14, I had the pleasure of attending this year's Hall of Fame Dinner.

There and at the football game, I took photographs to share with everyone, including those who enjoyed the special honor of becoming members of the Peru State College Athletic Hall of Fame.

At the dinner, four individuals and one team became the latest members of the PSC Hall of Fame: Fred Applegate (Football), Sid Brown (Football), Nate Bradley (Football), Brendan Raybourn (Baseball), and the 1962 PSC Basketball Team.

As the photographs from the dinner indicate, the celebration drew a substantial and happy crowd of around 175.

I also posted a couple HD videos on You Tube of the acceptance speeches. Video ONE, includes Fred Applegate, Nancy Brown (accepting for her late husband), and Larry Rathe.

On Video TWO, Nate Bradley and Brendan Raybourn accept the plaques in their honor that will hang in the Wheeler Center.

And on a stunning autumn afternoon, these newest members of the Peru State Hall of Fame and their representatives received special recognition during halftime of the football game.

I posted a set of photographs from the halftime induction ceremony. Enjoy the slide show of these and the banquet photographs and feel free to download as many of the images as you like.

Members of the 1965 Peru State College Cross Country Team

Spring Creek Prairie 2011

2011-10-10T11:40:00.018-05:00

This Sunday afternoon, I traveled to Spring Creek Prairie for Audubon's annual Prairie Festival, in which I took part last year and a number of previous years.

This year, the folks at the center decided to change the venue from the past celebrations of Twilight on the Prairie. Instead of an evening show with as many as ten stations, this celebration featured four, including my "Birds and Petals on the Prairie."

While the schedule changed, one important aspect remained the same, the beauty of the Tall Grass Prairie and the smiles on the faces of visitors of all ages.

The collected photographs feature the beauty of this area and the folks who stopped by my station to talk about birds and flowers.

I was pleased to chat with old friend Paul Johnsgard and colleagues John Hnida and Mara Giles, who helped with the presentations organized by the Nebraska Folklife Network as part of that organization's 5th annual Harvest of Tradition, "Shamrocks on the Prairie."

Visitors to my station kept me plenty busy, which kept me from enjoying all the presenters at and around Spring Creek Prairie's beautiful center.

I spoke with Gwen Meister , the Nebraska Folklife Network's Executive Director, however, and she will visit Peru State College this spring as part of the Creative Writers Series.

October 2011 Jazz on the Grass

2011-10-10T11:40:00.010-05:00

On Thursday, October 6, The Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble entertained everyone in front of the Fine Arts Building for an hour.

And the sun broke away from the sun, making one and all cheerful.

I posted a batch of images from the band's performance and the audience's enjoyment--good music, fun treats, and pleasant weather conspired to create an atmosphere of smile.

In addition to the photographs, you will find a couple videos from the performances, named for the moment Take One and Take Two.

The entertainment also welcomed Pat and Laura Fortney's new edition, William, to the Peru State College Community: Good name, William Carlos Williams (Excellent), Bill Kloefkorn (Beloved), and Bill Clemente (I do not think so.)

Faculty Recital, Tuesday, October 4

2011-10-07T14:45:00.011-05:00

As the flyer underscores, quite a few Music Faculty entertained, along with the Around the Corner Brass Quintet from Auburn.

Time did not allow me to record everyone who performed in the beautiful new Fine Arts Recital Hall. But as the photographs from the evening show, those who attended enjoyed a most pleasant and musical evening.

Aeolian II opened the evening, with Dave Edris on trumpet and Thomas Ediger on piano, playing Alexander Van Kreisler's Sonata for Trumpet and Piano.

I posted a video of this part of Aeolian's performance on You Tube.

I had hoped to record all four movements of Thomas Ediger's Rhodora--A Song Cycle on Texts by Ralph Waldo Emerson, but you can enjoy the video of three, Rhodora, Friendship, and Thine Eyes Still Shined.

Charllotte Shelds's beautiful voice accompanies Tom Ediger's piano.

Tom Ediger's piano accompanied another member of the Music faculty's performers, Kenneth Meints on Trombone on a stirring version of Camille Saint-Saens's Cavatine for Trombone &; Piano, op. 144, a video of which is available for your enjoyment.

Time did not permit my recording of either Anne Sheedy Gardner on the flute or Debra DeFrain's on both the piano and the euphonium. Both performances added to the evening's success.

As did the evening's final performance by The Auburn-based Around the Corner Brass Quintet: David Fletcher, Trumpet; David Edris, Trumpet; Bert Fuller, Horn; Scott Vanderbeough, Trombone; Dennis Ehmke, Tuba.

You can enjoy a recording of two of the quintet's numbers, including the final offering, Bert Williams That's A Plenty.

I was pleased to record this Music Faculty Recital because I had to miss last spring's performances.

Homecoming 2011

2011-09-25T15:46:00.019-05:00

Homecoming activities for me began Friday with Power Puff Football and then later in the evening when I enjoyed photographing and talking with those nine 1961 graduates from Peru State College who traveled here for a 50-Year Reunion.

At around ten Saturday morning--and what beautiful weather graced the area both Friday and Saturday--Dan Perkins, Student Senate Vice-President, and I took our spots at the announcer's table.

I thoroughly enjoyed serving as the Homecoming Parade announcer for the eighteenth time--and what fun to work with the enthusiastic members of Student Senate who organized the parade and picked up trash along the highway to help beautify the ride to the festivities in Peru.

The first set of photographs includes some shots from the Power-Puff team--Guts and Glory--for which some of the students from my College 1o1 played. Most of the attention in this series of pictures goes to the Tail-Gate Party after the Septemberfest Parade.

The Hoyt Street Jazz Ensemble entertained while an impressive crowd ate burgers, cotton candy, and candied apples while having Paul Fell draw their faces or while having their faced painted.

My short video from the day's activities includes Jazz Ensemble music, a bit of the Peru Marching Band's Halftime Show, the Pep Band, and the cheerleaders.

The video also includes a number of photographs from Saturday's fun, including those pictures from the football game in the Homecoming Part Two collection.

Dr. Bill Snyder, the Grand Marshall for this years Homecoming Septemberfest Parade, enjoyed tossing the coin to get the game going between the Benedictine Ravens and the Peru State Bobcats

And, of course, the half-time activities included the crowning of this years Homecoming King and Queen, Madison Farris and Kimmy Miller.

Enjoy the photographs and the video. As they both indicate, a large crowd of Peru State supporters took advantage of a number of events on Saturday that underscore what makes a small-college community special.

Apple Valley Fun

2011-09-25T15:45:00.021-05:00

This past Monday, September 19, I had the pleasure to serve as the guest speaker for the Apple Valley Reading Council meeting at the Lutheran Church in Auburn.

This group has met previously at Peru State College, most recently in both 2007 and 2008. The emphasis of this group of concerned educators falls upon literacy.

I talked with the members about the Peru to Peru connection, both the group of people who flew to Peru, NE, from Lima, Peru, and my trip to Peru, South America, this summer.

I enjoy my association with these dedicated individuals and hope that The Apple Valley Reading Council will once again hold meetings at Peru State College, for these people have a lot to offer our students who will enter the teaching profession.

Alumni Celebrations

2011-09-25T15:45:00.016-05:00

Alumni Faculty Dinner

Recently, President Dan Hanson and Elaine Hanson hosted a dinner at their house to honor some familiar faculty faces to those of us who have worked at the college the past couple decades, from Clyde Barrett, whom I replaced in the English Department nineteen years ago, to Bill Snyder, who just retired.

I posted a number of photographs from the dinner that included members of the Peru Foundation, so give them a look and see whom you might recognize.

This dinner coincided with a project Elaine Hanson asked me to undertake, a special video for a dear friend of the Peru State College community, Dr. Leland (Shorty) Sherwood. A couple years ago, the Peru Foundation sponsored a special and successful dinner for Shorty and auction for some of Shorty's beautiful watercolors to raise scholarship funds.

Leland presently battles an illness that precludes his coming to campus to see the newly refurbished Fine Arts Building--that once housed the Art Department--so I recorded thoughts from a few faculty members and created a video for Leland that you can watch on You Tube.

In addition to short tributes from Dan Holtz, Spencer Davis, and others, the video features pictures of the beautiful Fine Arts Building and some splendid piano by Tom Ediger.

I hope that you enjoy the video and that you will pay Leland a visit. We all wish that Shorty could join us on campus.

This Homecoming week saw a different group of alumni visit campus.

This Friday afternoon and evening, I had the pleasure to talk with and photograph at an elegant reception at the Hansons' home and then at a special banquet sponsored by the Peru Foundation in the Burr Oak Room graduates from the Peru State College class of 1961:

Peru State College Class of 1961

These people all enjoyed interesting careers, and all credit their years at the college for their continued success after graduation. And as the collected photographs suggest, they enjoyed their return to the Campus of a Thousand Oaks.

The Peru Foundation awarded each of these special alumni a handsome medallion. As one of the alumni noted--a former track and field athlete in his years as an undergraduate--he never received as big a medal when he won races 50 years ago.

College 101 in 2011

2011-09-25T15:44:00.029-05:00

Lunch with President Dan Hanson and Elaine Hanson

Lunch with President Dan Hanson and Elaine Hanson

This year's College 101 Class for Social Sciences and Language Arts picked up quickly where last year's fun concluded.

As last year's blog page for the class indicates, the class enjoyed Ellen Klages' visit and her book, White Sands, Red Menace, which we read again this term.

We also visited the John Neihardt Center--check out the links from last year, which include as well some of the quick projects the students undertook.

Last week after class, the class walked to PSC President Dan Hanson's house where Elaine Hanson greeted the students for lunch. The Hansons invite all the sections of College 101 to the house, getting to know all the freshman class.

On this past Friday, Dr. Dan Holtz joined the students to tell them a bit about Willa Cather, for on 30 September, we and other interested students will take a bus to Red Cloud for a few hours of touring the area, led by a guide from the Willa Cather Foundation.

I will continue to update the photographs related to the class's activities as the term progresses.

As part of Homecoming activities, a few of the students in the class took part in Powder Puff Football in the field behind TJ Majors.

Students in the class take part in numerous activities on campus, and I will try to highlight on this page some of their involvement, from Pep Band and Power Puff Football to, ah, Cheerleaders.

September 30 Excursion to Willa Cather Country

On Friday, 30 September, the class boarded a but here in Peru at 6:30 in the morning and made the three-hour journey to Red Cloud, NE, home of the Willa Cather Foundation.

After arriving at the foundation's headquarters at the beautifully restored Opera House, the group began its tour of areas in Red Cloud that featured in both Cather's life and literature, including the home in which Will Cather lived as a child.

As photographs from the visit indicate, our guide walked us to a variety of sites, from the Red Cloud Depot to the old Catholic Church, from the house Cather stayed in when she visited from New York, to the Grace Church where the Cather family worshipped.

That afternoon, we boarded the bus and enjoyed a couple hours touring the countryside around Red Cloud and visited some of the sites of importance in Cather's novel, especially My Antonia.

We stopped, for example, at the farmstead of Annie Sadilek Pavelka, one of Cather's childhood friends, and the source for Antonia in the novel.

I enjoyed seeing the fields teeming with Mile and Sorghum and simply forgot to ask the bus driver to stop for a good photograph.

Andrea Hairston and Pan Morigan Visit Peru State College

I posted a blog page that offers links and information about Andrea and Pan's activities during their two-day visit when they gave individual performances and then joined together for a presentation to College 101 students from my section and from the section devoted to Music and Art.

College 101 Special Projects

To conclude the semester, the class divided into four groups to create special projects that experimented with various media:

One group offered a video (now available on You Tube) about Willa Cather and the class trip to Red Cloud.

Another group of students created a Face Book page that features Andrea Hairston and Pan Morigan.

The other two groups created projects connected in one way or another with Ellen Klages' novel, White Sands, Red Menace:

A webpage concerned with Cold War paranoia.

and
A blog devoted to the topic of women's rights in the 1940s

Will And Anthnoy, Football, and 9/11 Memorial

2011-09-20T09:51:00.022-05:00

Will and Anthony Perform in PSC Recital Hall

First Home Football Game of the Year

September 11th Remembrance Service at PSC

The weekend of September 10 and 11 featured a number of events at Peru State College.

I managed to attend the three events noted in the preceding photographs at which I took pictures.

Twins Will and Anthony (Nunziata) became the first professional presentation in the new Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Building. Will and Anthony entertained the small Saturday morning crowd both with their singing of Broadway hits and their often hilarious exchanges with both themselves an the audience with whom they engaged with enthusiasm.

We all appreciated their visit to campus and their presentation on campus. Will and Anthony performed in Brownville as part of the Brownville Concert Series that brings wonderfully talented individuals and groups to the area--and at a reasonable price for students.

I posted a couple videos of Will and Anthony's performance, which include songs and humor: Part One and Part Two.

After the concert, I went to the Oak Bowl for the first home gave of the season. The Bobcats won with relative ease, 58-27 over Culver-Stockton.

The game also featured the Bert Swenson Awards. This year, the awards went to Jon Stanley (Baseball) and Krista Patton (Softball).

As the photographs from the game (and the concert) suggest, everyone enjoyed a grand time on a beautiful day.

And Sunday evening, on a more somber note, PRIDE with the help of other individuals and other campus groups, organized on campus a September 11th Remembrance Service.

The photographs capture something of the involvement of all concerned on an evening that featured in particular the Peru VFW Color Guard and speeches by Dale Thomas and Elaine Hanson.

Dale Thomas, a Auburn firefighter who joined other volunteers at Ground Zero, talked about his experiences.

And Elaine Hanson discussed the many benefits that community and other forms of service offer individuals and groups.

Michala Woverton and Jacob Acers played Taps.

Peru Theater Company Presents Pippin

2011-09-18T11:43:00.015-05:00

This year's drama productions--and the Peru Theater Company plans to offer three more pays this school year--began with a musical, Pippin.

Dr. Tom Ediger and Josh Young collaborated on this wildly successful and wonderfully colorful effort.

Affected by the students' efforts, I posted quite a few photographs. The first set comes from the dress rehearsal on September 7, and the second group of images I took after one of the four performances that concluded with the Sunday matinee at 2:00.

All the singers performed well, and I posted excerpts from the play that feature in particular the voices of Dan Perkins, Carmen Schweiger, Xavier Gibson, Blake Lofing, and Emily Crom.

I hope that you enjoy the songs in the following three videos:

Pippin Part One

Pippin Part Two

Pippin Part Three

Dr. Tom Ediger, Thomas Horkey, David Norris, and Randall Snyder provided the music that accompanied the students' voices.

Enjoy the photographs and the videos.

And when you see them on campus, congratulate everyone involved with Pippin.

Welcome Back Festival and Oakfest

2011-09-17T08:24:00.013-05:00

This year, Student Senate, CAB, The Peru Theater Club, and Black Student Union worked together to organize Oakstock, which included a number of activities, from Oakfest musical entertainment to outdoor dining and an opportunity to get acquainted with many campus clubs.

CAB also produced some excellent tee-shirts to celebrate greetings for the start of a new semester. I am glad to have managed to get one of these shirts, which became immediately popular with everyone.

The evening featured a new manifestation of Peru imagination and spirit, a man in blue who certainly captured everyone's attention.

People scrambled to have pictures taken with this brave individual, whose identity remains as secret as Spider Man's--well, sort of. His fans included PSC President Dan Hanson and Elaine Hanson, as the photograph on the right suggests.

In addition to good people, food, and weather, the day featured music for over twelve hours. While I did not stay for the final acts, the photographs from the day feature some of the performers.

I also posted video from two familiar bands, Escape the Fire and Soul Specimen.

The Soul Specimen video features Laura Fortney singing "White Rabbit."

So enjoy the photographs from the festivities and the music. For those new to the college and the blog, you can download all the photographs that appeal to you--no need to ask.

Trace Trail, PSC, and Start of the Year at Walnut Hill

2011-09-14T16:05:00.013-05:00

Button Bush Bloom

Trace Trail Less than 1.5 miles from the Peru Depot

I grouped a series of photographs taken here and there since my return to Peru for the start of the new semester.

As many of you know, biking on the Trace Trail appeals to me, but the trail concludes rather abruptly as the photographs that heads this page indicates--the flooding keep folks from driving to the river as well.

Ten days or so ago, I also rode my bike north of the Electric Bridge area. The flood levels, as the photograph on the right indicates, remain high though the path cleared but remains soft in many areas.

Bring a stick with you if you walk this area, for the spiders have taken over. I plan to return for another walk after the first frost.

If you want to ride, you can traverse the five miles or so from the Peru Depot to the Trestle Bridge parallel to the Electric Bridge.

Stunning late-summer flowers presently adorn the area, sharing space with the spiders, to be sure.

Just prior to the start of the Fall Term, I had the pleasure to visit with students Peggy Groff and Mara Giles gathered in the CAATS Conference Rook. They came to hear about my adventure in Peru, South America.

And my Peru adventures continue here in Nebraska. Christian Bravo, the chef from Lima who visited Peru, NE, this past spring, gave me book about restaurants in Lima to give to a Peruvian chef in Omaha.

So, I enjoyed excellent ceviche and delivered the book to a grateful chef; he has also visited Peru, NE, and helped with both the food and drink when the Peruvians created the video. Visit Peru Mucho Gusto for a good meal--with Inca Cola.

And finally for this posting, most of my bird pictures come from my yard here on Walnut Hill. This fall, I decided to put up a Hummingbird Feeder to get an excellent picture of a Ruby-throated Hummingbird.

My quest continues.

Flying with Daryl Long, Trace Tail, and This and That to Start the Term

2011-09-14T15:42:00.012-05:00

Nebraska City Power Plant

A busy schedule and other interruptions kept me from the blog since my return in early July from Peru, South America. But I will try to catch up quickly, especially with Peru, NE, related matters for which I have posted photographs of Facebook.

Well, on Saturday August 27, Daryl Long took me up in his plane from the Nebraska City Airport to survey flood damage between Nebraska City and Brownville on both sides of the bloated Missouri River.

As the photographs from the trip underscore, the summer floods inflicted substantial damage between Highway Two and Highway 136 on the Missouri side of the river.

Daryl and I also labeled a number of the photographs to help you situate yourself as we flew east from the airport over the river and then south along Highway 29 until we reached Hamburg.

We then traveled west along Highway 136 to Brownville and the north through Peru back to the airport.

On the way back to the airport, we also took a spin by Peru State College, as beautiful from the air as on the ground.

Peru state College Campus

Highway 2 Bridge into Missouri
Bridge over Missouri River at Brownville

Bill Snyder Retirement Banquet

2011-09-07T18:53:00.010-05:00

On the Saturday, June 28, before I took off for Peru, South America, I had the great pleasure of attending Dr. Bill Snyder's Retirement Banquet.

Previously, on April 22, I went to Bill's retirement address to the college community and created a blog entry about this wonderful recounting of nearly forty years of Bill's enduring relationship with Peru State College.

Those who took part in the reception at President's house and then gathered for an evening of excellent food and fellowship enjoyed an exceptional evening of sharing with Bill Snyder their still (mostly) vivid memories dating back to Bill's days as a teen in Pawnee City.

Bill's daughter Amy and other family members put their hearts into the organization, affection that all in attendance appreciated. And Dan Holtz and Todd Drew provided serious fun in their talks that underscored the profound effect Bill Snyder exerted upon students and friends at Peru State College over the past forty years.

Bill will return often to campus and will serve this September 24 as the Grand Marshal for the annual Homecoming Parade.

At Bill Snyder's request--and a most flattering one--I created a video that features images of the college set to a song you will all recognize; you can enjoy the video on You Tube.

This video concluded the night's festivities; however, for the occasion, I also created a longer video--also available for your viewing on You Tube--with more pictures of the college and some footage our Peruvian friends from South America took of the college from a helicopter.

We will all certainly miss Bill's daily presence on campus.

Bill and Logan to Peru

2011-07-11T11:58:00.013-05:00

Logan Merz and I took advantage of an adventure of a lifetime when a Peruvian television station offered us an all-expenses-paid trip to Peru, all in response to the famous "documentary" filmed in Peru, Nebraska.

On August 1, Rafael Robles Olivos sent me a link to his article in AS (Asiasur) Magazine about the exchanges over the past months between Lima, Peru, and Peru, Nebraska. I love the title: El día que Perú conquistó Peru," "The Day that Peru Conquered Peru."

Click on the title of the journal to view the entire magazine--just click until you reach the article. And the title of the article takes you to the article itself.

The journal contains more photographs from both visits; I am flattered because Rafael used my photographs for the article.

I posted quite a bit of material about that visit that includes both photographs and links to a variety of videos.

Here, you will find posted an introduction, for I will eventually add separate pages for each of the five sets of photographs and will link them here.

Photographs from Our Trip:

Part One: Lima (71)

Part Two: Cusco (87)

Part Three: Machu Picchu (201)

Part Four: Sacred Valley (134)

Part Five: Lima (31)

The Television Program from Lima:

Part One

Part Two

Blog Pages of the Trip:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five

Spring Comes to Peru, NE

2011-05-15T09:55:00.002-05:00

Bill Clemente, Clyde Barrett, and Dan Holtz

My House on Walnut Hill, Peru, NE

The conclusion of the term arrived, and I sit now in Ripon, Wisconsin, for the summer and will post now and again, including posts from last summer that have remained dormant.

Over the final weeks of the term, I took a variety of photographs that include multiple trips on the Trace Trail and the many birds that visit my yard at this time of the year, such as the Rose-breasted Grosbeak pictured here.

Among other things, the week after the "bingo" visit to Belle Terrace, I returned to the retirement community in Tecumseh, this time to share my bird pictures.

As the images from along the Trace Trail (both north and south of the Peru Depot) indicate, the water covers a considerable portion of the area; much of the wet, however, reflects efforts to return this area to wetlands.

The shot on the right, for example, shows where the abundance of water from the area reaches the Missouri River.

A month or so ago, I asked my friend Darrin Reeves, PSC Security Officer, to take me Morrel Mushroom hunting, for I wanted to take pictures. Well, Darrin found the group of mushrooms pictured on the left along side the road on Walnut Hill--a drive-by sighting and a nice bunch of tasty delights.

I also photographed the post-commencement gathering on the PSC campus, where a happy crowd enjoyed excellent appetizers, fine weather, and Hoyt Street Jazz, as the collection of pictures underscores, a fine way to conclude the term.

And the Lima Come to Peru Story continues to grow, so I add to that page as new information arrives, including on my last day in town, Tuesday, May 15, a visit to Peru by a television crew from Lima--that station will air a piece about the documentary's huge success. The star of the interview, our own Logan Merz. So keep checking the blog page now available under "Bill's Links."

Finally, for now, I posted for your enjoyment on You Tube a short video (1.52 minutes) with photographs that features the "Peru Color Song" and footage our friends from Peru took of Peru from a helicopter (the song is also featured on the longer version of the video).

Spring 2011 Chorus and Band Concert

2011-05-05T07:13:00.001-05:00

On Sunday afternoon at 3:00 in the College Theater, the Concert Choir, Madrigal Singers, and Concert Band entertained on a beautiful Spring day.

You will find a number of images posted for your downloading or slide-show enjoyment.

The Concert Choir began the evening of

I posted video of three performances, including the Peru State Color Song, "Hallelujah" and another title I will add later.

The Madrigal Singers also joined in the festivities, and you can enjoy a series of their songs.

The Concert Band concluded the afternoon's special entertainment, and you will find two numbers posted on You Tube for your enjoyment, "Folk Dances" and "Malaguena."

Now we await the first performances of the Fall Term!

Spring 2011 Alpha Chi Induction

2011-05-03T09:34:00.004-05:00

At noon on a beautiful Sunday, May 1, the Alpha Chi Induction Ceremony took place in the Live Oak Room of the Student Center.

Similar to last year's ceremony at which sixteen got inducted, on Sunday, eighteen scholars took part in the ceremony.

Alpha Chi, a National Honor Society, offers membership only to those Juniors, Seniors, and Graduate Students--in the Schools of Professional Studies, Education, and Arts and Sciences--whose GPA ranks in the top 10%.

Among other things, Alpha Chi holds national conferences each year at which students give presentations, from poster sessions for Chemistry to piano recitals. Last year's conference took place in Little Rock.

This year, nearly five hundred students and sponsors enjoyed a national conference in San Diego. The Alpha Chi page offers a lot of information about this exciting conference; and one of the links there will take you to my own blog page devoted to the conference.

Last year, Peru State College inducted a record 52 student scholars; this year, using the new Alpha Chi on-line registration, 55 students have already joined, and I anticipate that the final number will exceed 60, exciting news for the college and a salute to our students' academic success and the institution's commitment to teaching excellence.

Student officers--Maddy Kirk, President; Robyn Hilbers, Vice President; Jane Henry, Secretary; Judy Kirk, Secretary; and Kimberly Miller, Student Delegate--appear in the following photograph:

Robyn Hilbers, Kimberly Miller, Maddy Lister, Jane Henry, Judy Kirk

I posted photographs of the elegant ceremony and thank President Dan Hanson, Elaine Hanson, Mara Giles, and Dr. John Hnida for their help with the ceremony and for their continuing support for Alpha Chi.

Dan Hanson, Elaine Hanson, Bill Clemente Mara Giles, John Hnida

I will eventually add here the names of all who became members this year of Alpha Chi, and the college will also create a press release.

Jazz on the Green

2011-05-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

Taking advantage of stunning weather, the Hoyt Street Jazz Band provided entertainment that matched the day's beauty.

I posted quite a few photographs from the event for your enjoyment, including many shots of all the people who came to watch the band perform on the patio in front of the almost-ready-for-prime-time Fine Arts Building.

So take a few minutes to enjoy the slide show and feel free to download a copy of your favorite picture(s).

You will also enjoy the video of the band performing St. Louis Blues, which features numerous solo sequences.

Bingo Night at Belle Terrace

2011-04-29T16:23:00.001-05:00

Tuesday night, I drove to Tecumseh for a what turned into a wonderfully entertaining evening, "Remember When..."

The Freshman Fusion Experience students--and I will eventually get all their names--gathered in the preceding photograph organized this community-service event at Belle Terrace, an assisted-living development.

The group asked me to take photographs, which I collected; give the slide show from the event a look.

Kristi Nies called out the numbers for the evening's entertainment: Bingo. The students and Elaine Hanson took part in the fun.

I liked in particular the decorations, including cardboard images of John Wayne and Marylin Monroe, both popular with the residents.

As the slide show and the following images suggest, we all enjoyed ourselves, and I will return next Wednesday to show bird pictures and talk more with the folks there.

Bill Snyder Retirement Address

2011-04-25T17:35:00.002-05:00

On Friday, April 22, an enthusiastic audience form the Peru State College Community gathered to listen to Dr. Bill Snyder's perspective on forty years of service to this institution.

A dear friend to many, including me, Bill offered for 90 minutes multiple humorous anecdotes and experienced-backed admonitions related to this institution he has served with love and energy.

He has taken great joy from his teaching and profoundly affected the lives of many, including me.

I will miss him greatly next year, and not just because I can no longer count on free tea in his office or in front of the library.

I posted images from the event, trying to capture some of the energy, intensity, and humor Bill's students and friends will always remember.

Enjoy the photographs and make sure to shake Bill's hand and give him a hug.

Oh, and Bill Snyder will certainly return for next year's homecoming parade, for the Student Senate named him Grand Marshall.

Denis Plutalov in Concert

2011-04-25T17:24:00.001-05:00

On a beautiful Wednesday evening, April 25, in the Peru State College Theater, Dr. Denis Plutalov, gifted the college community with a wonderful recital.

Last year, Denis earned his PhD from UNL and has for the past few years played piano for Misty Blues, Honor Choir, and the Concert choir.

I posted photographs for Denis and everyone of this special evening.

In addition, please listen to the three videos posted--ones that Denis has already linked to the Russian version of Face Book!

The first video includes parts of "Moonlight" Sonata. And I also posted the entire performance of "Variations on a Theme by Corelli" by Sergei Rachmaninov: Part One and Part Two.

I hope that you enjoy the stirring music by a great friend of Peru State College, Dr. Denis Plutalov.

Peru State Appreciation Party

2011-04-25T16:42:00.001-05:00

For the second year in a row, Student Senate and Cab sponsored Peru State Appreciation Day.

Students, Staff, and some Faculty members came down to Cotty's to enjoy the the beautiful day, music, and food.

CAB and Student Senate members dished out a few hundred wings.

I always enjoy this fitting thank you from Senate and Cab for the hard work the entire Peru State College community does every year.

And as always, I took quite a few photographs of the fun. Enjoy them.

Senate Awards Banquet

2011-04-25T16:29:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, April 17, the Peru State Senate held its Annual Awards Banquet in the Student Center.

Vice President Becky Collins and President Elizabeth Zito, pictured on the left with my co-sponsor of Student Senate, VP Micki Willis, hosted the banquet.

Among other things, including good food, the evening acknowledges with cords Student Members who will graduate; and with Certificates of Appreciation all senate members, and even me, their Faculty Sponsor.

The photography link provides multiple images for downloading and shows each of the members receiving his or her certificate. You might also enjoy this series of photographs that document other Student Activities, including their bi-annual road cleaning along Highway 67.

The evening also acknowledged the president and vice president for next year, Elizabeth Zito and Dan Perkins, pictured on the right.

I look forward to working with them.

The banquet features two special awards given by the Student Senate, the Scroll and Service Award and the Barb Lewellen Award.

This year the Scroll and Service Award went to the well-deserving Dawn Plympton.

And for the first time, Student Senate awarded the Barb Lewellen Award to two members of the Peru State Campus community, Dr. Bill Snyder, and Brenda Trail.

Student Senate members and sponsors congratulate all the PSC community members nominated and this year's winners.

I will add a few more photographs from the festivities

PSC Men's Pageant

2011-04-25T16:00:00.001-05:00

As part of the Spring Fling Festivities, CAB asked me to take some photographs at the PSC Men's Pageant.

I had hosted a few years ago, the Men's Beauty Context and enjoyed this assignment equally as much.

Judges Elaine Hanson, and John and Devin Young Young had no easy time choosing among the five categories, for each of the five contestants did an excellent job, from have arm hair ripped off, to the spirited Michael Jackson (for of) review pictured on the left.

Other acts include singing, Kung Fu Balloon Tying, and some kind of Elvis character who sand a couple songs of which you would not want your little sister to hear.

Well, as the photographs point out, we all enjoyed the talent portion and the question-and-answer portion of the program.

And our hosts for the show, Tomas Horky and Kallan Garber, kept all the acts moving along, which required no small amount of talent.

And somehow the judges picked the following winners:

Mr. Bootyucious, Spencer Woltemath

Fourth-Runner Up, Kalena Rodero-Workman

Sean Patrick Lawler, Third Place

Adam Lee Jeanneret, Second Place

And Brendan SoSik Whitted , First Place

I add for your further enjoyment, a few of the pictures you will find in the slide show.

Delegate Assembly

2011-04-25T12:18:00.001-05:00

Members of the Higher Education Academy at Delegate Assembly

This year, I attended the annual NEA Delegate Assembly, which gathers together union leaders from elementary school to state colleges to vote on everything from union dues to elected officials.

I always enjoy the chance to talk with old friends such as Chris Waddle, a Peru State Alumni, pictured on the right here.

Students also attend this gathering, including the three Peru State Students pictured here.

Devin Garcia, Nick Miller, Megan Brown, and Bill Clemente

I bribed Megan Brown and her fellow PSC students to take a picture with me by gifting them with bright Higher Education Academy shirts.

The assembly elected a number of people to leadership positions in the organization, including the new President of the Nebraska Educational Association, Nancy Fulton, pictured here with the Higher Education Academy President, Dr. Roger Davis, a professor of History at University of Nebraska-Kearney.

Civil War Conference

2011-04-25T11:47:00.026-05:00

Conference Co-Chairs, Clay Lamphear and Caroline Keenan

April 14-16, Peru State College hosted Phi Alpha Theta's Civil War conference for undergraduates, The Trial of a Nation. Dr. Sara Crook and Dr. Spencer Davis serve as Faculty Sponsors for Phi Alpha Theta.

I could not attend the entire event because of having to attend NEA's Delegate Assembly. But on Thursday night, I went to the conference's opening ceremony that featured Dan Holz's singing Civil War Songs--you can watch Dan perform two of the songs on You Tube.

Before leaving town, I also photographed the keynote speaker for the Friday lunch, Peg Keenan, who talked about "The Underground Railroad Quilt."

As the photographs indicate, I also visited the Peru Depot, where Civil War Reenactors displayed their wares and talked about their special areas of interest.

Unfortunately, I could not attend the banquet and consequently missed Paul Finkelman's excellent key note speech.

The successful undergraduate conference also awarded a number of prizes:

The Trial of a Nation Conference

April 14 & 15, 2011

Presentation of the 1^st and 2^nd Place Awards: Dr. Hanson and Clay Lamphear

Poetry:

2^nd Place: Brandi Edmond ($100) “Civil War Nursing”

1^st Place: Amanda Pearson-VanderBroek ($500) “Spring 1862”

Posters:

2^nd Place: Jessica Manning & Charlotte Wallace (check of $50 to each) “Recipes of the Civil War”

1^st Place: Megan Bottcher ($500 “Examining Civil War Photography”

Papers:

2^nd Place: Janet Vaher ($100) “J. Sterling Morton”

1^st Place: Caroline Keenan ($500) “Kate Stone”

Power Point Presentations:

2^nd Place: ($100) Katherine Nierman “Habeas Corpus”

1^st Place: ($500) D. J. Pophams “Contrasting Economic Lifestyles”

Career Fair

2011-04-25T11:28:00.031-05:00

The April 12 Southeast Nebraska Career Fair was hosted in the AWAC, 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Alice Holtz, pictured on the immediate left next to Coach Matthews and Elaine Hanson, organized this excellent program

On this Tuesday, I spent a couple hours with the Omaha World Herald reporter who wrote the story linked in a previous posting about our fun-filled Peruvian visitors.

To show off the wonderfully successful Career Fair Alice Holtz had organized, I arranged for the reporter to interview a number of students in Wheeler Center--including members of the PSC men's basketball team--where the event took place.

Approximately 175 students and 45 people from the SE community attended the fair. As the photographs indicate, interested students and visitors from the community found plenty to keep them busy.

Of the thirty-nine employers, represented, thirty-six came from eastern Nebraska and three traveled from Iowa, Kansas and Wyoming.

Four military recruiters and two service organizations rounded out the participating employers.

Twenty Second Piano Extravaganza

2011-04-25T11:18:00.001-05:00

This year marked the twenty-second Piano Extravaganza that Tom Ediger has orchestrated at Peru State College.

And as always parents, friends, and relatives of the performers--from elementary school children to retired music teachers--packed the Peru State Theater on Saturday evening, April 9.

The collected images--ready, as always, for downloading--provide a quick look at the evening's entertainment.

I also posted a couple videos of the great variety of performers.

The first video features some familiar faces, Heidi Welsh and two of her and Denis' children, Charlotte and Lucas.

This video also includes performances by Deb and Rich Clopton's son Ellis. I have enjoyed watching these players over the past couple years, for they play increasingly sophisticated pieces.

The second video records most of the final piece, always performed by the most accomplished and eldest of the pianists.

The movie pays particular attention to John Hnida and Mara Giles' daughter, Sofia.

Last year, Charlotte, Ellis, and Sofia also took part in in the Piano Extravaganza.