Trick or Treat Part Two

The First Annual Boo Bash at Peru State College

Congratulations to Donny Lees and all the others who organized this first-ever event.

The success of the event favorably surprised all involved, for over 350 parents and youngsters visited the Campus of a Thousand Oaks between 5:00 and 7:00 yesterday evening, October 28.

With help from the Bobcat Bus and a tractor pulled hay ride, parents took their youngsters to four stations: Neil Hall, Delzell Hall, the president's house, and Morgan Hall.

There the kids (and adults) enjoyed a variety of candy and entertainment, from apple dunking to a picture with the Peru State Bobcat.


The organizers situated me at the Hansons' home, where I took photographs of adults and children with the Bobcat. And the crowd gave the Bobcat quite a workout.

Over the course of the two hours, I took nearly 400 pictures and posted 321 for the families who want a picture, the reason the organizers invited me.

So, you will find the photographs from Boo Bash in four separate collections:

• Part ONE
  
  
• Part TWO
  
  
• Part THREE
  
  
• Part FOUR
  
  

When you find a photograph you like, just click the icon for downloading the large files. And if you have questions, just contact me a Peru State College (Dr. Bill Clemente).

I will posted a short video, featuring short film clips and a collection of photographs from the evening.

We all look forward to next year's fanfare. Congratulations to all involved in this excellent project.

Frank Meeink: From Hatred to Harmony

Frank Meeink at Peru State College

On Tuesday, October 26, as part of the Peru State College Distinguished Speakers Series, "recovering" Skin Head Frank Meeink welcomed an impressive crowd in the College Theater.

And the audience responded enthusiastically to Frank Meeink's vivid descriptions of his former and violent life previous to his awakening, as described in his book, The Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead, The Story of Frank Meeink.

Check out the announcement about this series and make sure to attend the next two speakers this spring.

I created a short slide show of Tuesday evening's program; and I also posted on You Tube a ten-minute video that features three segments from Meeink's engaging discussion.

Trick or Treet Fun Part One

Of Pumpkins and Zombies

Last Thursday, to begin my Halloween fun, I got invited to Neal Hall at ten at night to talk with the Trio Program students.

The topic fit with the late-night venue, The Salem Witch Trials.

As the photographs from the evening indicate, the students enjoyed their "lock-in" time. Among other things, they painted some wicked-looking pumpkins.

Oh, not horrific wicked, for the finished products make one smile more than shake or quake: so wicked fun, as the decorated orange orb on the right suggests.

As I entered TJ Majors yesterday, October 28, on my way to the office, two students stopped me. They let me in on the secret: Zombie Attack at 12:15.

I rushed hope and got my cameras just in time to catch the blood-smeared gang as they exited the theater to attack the student population: "Brains, Brains," they chanted.

Stories of witch trials did not interest this group of theater-loving students as the Zombies contended with two ball-bat and crochet-mallet wielding contenders--and a wooden spike I thought only killed vampires, sort of.

You can view a slide show of the events.

I also posted on You Tube a short video of the bloody terror--make sure to watch "The Zombies are Coming" at the new highest HD level, 1080p.

39 Annual Show Choir Festival

The 39 Annual Show Choir Festival took place on October 26-27 at Peru State College. Featuring thirty performances over the two-day period, the groups gathered in the Peru State College Theater the groups entertained one another and an appreciative audience.

On both Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, Peru State's Misty Blues performed in public for the first time this year.

The slide show of 76 images includes photographs of the Misty Blues and a few of the other groups.

You will find a video of the group, featuring the first and third songs of the program. As happened last year, the group's uniforms did not arrive in time for this initial performance of the year.

While the program included two performances by the Misty Blues, the emphasis fell on the twenty-nine schools that took part in this competition--from Wahoo Middle School to Bellevue West--whose dancers and singers filled the theater with color and song.

You will enjoy the video of performances from Omaha South Magnet School and Bellevue West. I took special pleasure from listing to the song by Bellevue's group that comes at the conclusion of a favorite film, Streets of Fire, "Tonight is What it Means to be Young."

This year, Greg Jasperse served as Guest Clinician. His interactions with the performers impressed me and added to the festival's success.

No Rain on RAINN Day at PSC

On October 14, the campus devoted itself in various ways to raising awareness of Domestic Abuse. The RAINN activities includes a series of speakers and a table at which people could sign and adorn the table-top paper with signatures and other signs of support for the day's activities.

Students also painted shirts to voice their support; and by the day's conclusion, over a hundred shirts adorned the campus on a stunning autumn day, adding color to the foliage.

I posted a series of images from the preceding activities and of people I encountered while walking across campus and engaging in various activities, from getting a sandwich in the library cafe to checking my mail in Arts and Sciences.

At 5:30, I got on the Bobcat Bus with a group of PSC students and went Lincoln.



The Humanities Council Program included this year's Sower Award and the Annual Governor's Lecture, this year provided by former governor of New Jersey and former head of the EPA, Christine Todd Whitman.

Congratulations to everyone who organized Thursday's events.

The shirts looked just beautiful in the evening sun.

Homecoming Game, Parade, and Activities

As always, Homecoming Day included more than just the game, which the Bobcats won 48-45 to start their winning ways for the remainder of the season.


My own morning began with preparations for the 90th Homecoming Parade, which the Student Senate organizes--with the help of many people.

This year marked my seventeenth as the announcer for the Homecoming Parade, a "job" with which I have a lot of fun.

I posted two set of photographs. This first set includes some from the parade and quite a few more from the President's House, where Dan and Elaine Hanson hosted a crowd of people that included 50 Mentors, Mentees, and Staff from the Team Mates Mentoring Program.



The Peru State Jazz Band provided entertainment to go with the delights Food Services provided. And many youngsters and adults got pictures taken with the Bobcat Mascot on a beautiful afternoon.


The second set of photographs (and as usual, you can download whatever appeals to you) comes from the Homecoming Game in the colorful and crowded Oak Bowl.

In addition to the two sets of photographs, I also loaded to You Tube a brief video of the Peru State College's Marching Band playing the national anthem sung by David Norris.


The video also includes some photographs, the band's playing the "Peru State Color Song," and a brief shot of the Homecoming Royalty; you will find a few shots of the queen's crowning in the second set of photographs.