�������˰�

Many exciting events have happened on campus this fall! Catch up on Fine & Performing Arts events, Employee Engagement activities, debrief from �������˰�'s Celebration of Generosity, discover recent student-facing events and more, below!

BIPOC Mental Health Event
On October 10th, special guest, Dr. Aja King LPCC came to �������˰� for a BIPOC Mental Health event (hosted by DEI and CARE Center staff) focusing on demystifying mental health. Staff and students enjoyed Aja’s teachings and got to enjoy some Chipotle for lunch as well! Thank you to Aja for joining us and to our DEI and CARE Center staff for making this BIPOC Mental Health Series possible!

            Student Senate Hosts an Open House with Bingo
Also on October 10th, Student Senate hosted an enchanting afternoon AND evening of bingo plus a Senate Open House in the Campus Center. Student attendees had a chance to connect with Student Senate members at the Open House while enjoying pizza, popcorn, root beer floats (and prizes if they won their round of bingo!) Oftentimes, students join Student Senate when they’re looking to get involved on campus; they view it as a leadership opportunity and something to do in the meantime, but rarely do they anticipate the lasting impression and unforgettable memories that they’ll walk away with at the end. Thanks to our Student Senate crew for welcoming and engaging the next wave of students.

PTK Students Visit SCSU Sharing Highlights on IG
On October 11th, �������˰� students headed up north to attend a PTK Regional Conference on the SCSU campus. They worked hard and played hard, sharing their weekend highlights in an on �������˰�’s official page.

Smudging Ceremony Held in the Courtyard
�������˰�'s Diversity and Equity Specialist, Justice Fisher hosted a Smudging Ceremony on Indigenous People’s Day in the courtyard. Indigenous People’s Day exists to celebrate and honor past, current, and future Indigenous folks, their history, land, and culture. Smudging is a cultural ceremony practiced by Indigenous nations. The practice of smudging includes the burning of various medicinal plants to cleanse ourselves and connect our spirits to the Creator. During the smudging ceremony, it is said that the smoke from burning medicinal plants rises with our prayers to the Spirit world with our ancestors and the Creator. The smudging ceremony aims to ground and/or center those who participate – negative energy, feelings, and emotions are lifted in the hopes of healing the mind, body, and spirit. Sage is used to cleanse and purify, offering strength, wisdom, and clarity. Thank you to Justice, for hosting this powerful and enlightening event! 

An Afternoon of Bowling with Recreation & Wellness
On October 22nd, �������˰�’s Rec and Wellness crew got students and employees off campus for an afternoon of free bowling at Bowlero in Brooklyn Park. Looks like a fun time!

Salam Club and the CARE Center Present "Unmasking the Struggle: Healing Together" 
This collaboration between the student run Salam Club and �������˰�’s CARE Center led to an event on October 23rd titled, “Unmasking the Struggle: Healing Together.” This event highlighted CARE Center resources, emphasizing to students that if you’re struggling with mental health, you’re not alone. It was an inspiring and transformative event, where students and staff took the time to break down the barriers around mental health, to discover new ways of healing together. All students were invited to this event, whether they were seeking help, offering it, or just curious. Thank you to the Salam Club and to the CARE Center staff for putting on this powerful event!

Film Screening Shares Student Experiences from our Nature Immersion Course
Earlier this fall at �������˰�, students from our Environmental Justce and Nature Immersion class (GCST 1970) and Outdoor Experiential Program Leadership class (GCST 2970), held an end-of-the-class celebration, screening their documentary and sharing presentations. The documentary follows students from �������˰� (and participating local high schools) on their nature immersion experience in Babbit, MN. The authentically warm and heartfelt commentary from students illustrated the impact of this outdoor immersion experience. Students shared their experiences during their five-day nature immersion at YMCA Camp �������˰�ern Lights, where they learned about wolves, mining, outdoor career opportunities and more. This event also featured networking, stories from our program partners, and appetizers from Afro Deli!

Fall Art Exhibit Reception Brings Painter, Nana Aforo to �������˰�  
Special thanks to painter, Nana Aforo for stopping by the Joseph Gazzuolo Art Gallery at �������˰� to give two Artist Talk’s during his Exhibit Reception! We enjoyed having Aforo here to visit with us, as we showcased his beautiful paintings on display in the gallery.

New Campus Event Helps Students Navigate Careers in Cyber & Tech
On October 28th, �������˰� partnered with Western Governors University to host Hacktoberfest- Exploring Careers in Cyber & Tech. The event offered students encouragement, career advice, and community connections for early-career technologists in a supportive setting. No-stress speed networking was held after the main program, along with a mentoring corner staffed by local tech professionals, a photographer offered free headshots, and students were offered endless outreach opportunities to chat with local employers and industry personnel. There was also a keynote speaker and panel discussion where senior-level professionals could share their career journeys in tech and offer advice to students.

The Award-winning Halloween Decor and Costumes of 2024
At �������˰�, once October hits, you know a fantastic Halloween celebration is just around the corner! We thought the office decorations and costumes went above and beyond in 2023, but this year truly surpassed them all! Thank you to the countless faculty, staff and students who participated! View the Halloween photo album .

�������˰� Hosts a STEM Career and Transfer College Fair
On November 5th, students at �������˰� could take advantage of two great fairs at one convenient time. A STEM Career Fair took place in the BHCC hallway, while a Transfer College Fair went on down the hall in ES by the CARE Center. This event was designed for students to explore what’s next after �������˰�, whether they’re planning to transfer to a college/university or start a career. At the STEM Career Fair, students met with local employers offering internships and entry-level jobs in Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) and Healthcare. Meanwhile, at the Transfer College Fair, students met with representatives from 4-year universities to learn more about their programs and transfer options. Overall, the energy and crowds were great, and feedback was positive, not bad for a first-time combo event!

Celebrating the Generosity of Our Community
�������˰� hosted their 2nd Annual Celebration of Generosity event on November 6th. At this special event, we recognized the generosity of donors and community partners, celebrated our scholarship recipients, and happily presented the �������˰� Presidential Medallion Award to CCX Media and the �������˰� Distinguished Alumni Award to Phil Anderson!

The Presidential Medallion is awarded by the �������˰� president to community members who have demonstrated extraordinary service and commitment to the success of the college and its students. Congratulations to CCX Media for receiving this award!

The Distinguished Alumni Award recognizes former students who have demonstrated superior achievement of a personal, professional, or civic nature. Congratulations to Phil Anderson for receiving this award!

View more photos from the event !  

Thank you to everyone who joined us for your tremendous support!

DEI, TRIO and Student Life Team Up for National First-Generation College Student Day
On November 12th, �������˰� hosted a National First-Generation College Student Day event in the Campus Center! Originally, this day was created to celebrate the success and presence of first-generation college students, staff, and faculty in colleges all across the country. (The concept of a “first-generation” college student was created by federal TRIO programs as a way to further address inequities in college access). The departments of DEI, TRIO and Student Life pulled together some wonderful activities and had powerful student engagement as well. Numerous students and employees had a chance to pass the microphone at the event to share their first-generation student stories (Dr. Garcia even grabbed the mic to recount his experiences as a first-gen student in Florida). Additionally, there were giant Post-it notes hung up on the walls for current/former first-gen students to answer various questions like, “What do you wish you would have known before starting college?” Or “What was something that helped you as a First-Gen student?” It turned out to be a very inspirational and heartwarming event!

American Indian Heritage Month Keynote Speaker on Campus
Students, employees and community members were invited to the Campus Center on November 13th to attend a free keynote presentation lead by special guest, Nick Metcalf. Nick is a Sicanu Oyate – Burnt Thigh People – Rosebud Sioux Tribe. Nick has lived in the Twin Cities area for 30 years, where they’ve made a life filled with family, friends and community. Nick is a poet and a writer. While visiting �������˰�, Nick’s keynote speech focused on DEI through an Indigenous lens.

�������˰�'s Department of Theater presented "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" a musical conceived by Rebecca Feldman
A group of PTK students took to the �������˰� mobile app to share a pre-show selfie with their Advisor, Deane Newborg. Afterward D commented on the performance, "This play was so fantastic!” The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee centers on a fictional Spelling Bee contest held for middle-schoolers in the gym of Putnam Valley Middle School. The story follows an eclectic group of six quirky early-teen students (all played by adult actors) as they vie for the spelling championship of a lifetime. Performances were held at �������˰� from November 13-16th. Bravo to our cast, crew and directors! 

Just Give It a Try! MRE Taste-Test with the Brooklyn Park National Guard 
�������˰� partnered with Soldiers in the Minnesota Army National Guard coming from down the street at the Brooklyn Park Armory, to test and rank different MREs (Meals Ready to Eat) that are a staple for those serving in the military. Thank you to Dylan Rowinski for putting this event on last month and for facilitating the collaboration!  

�������˰� Hosts Thanks A Ton/Food Cupboard Drive Event
�������˰�'s Thanks-a-Ton-Food Cupboard Drive and Gratitude Event on November 21st was a great success with item donations this year hitting a grand total of 3,464.40 lbs!

All donations from this event were directly added into the inventory at �������˰�'s Food Cupboard. Financial gifts were used to buy fresh and canned food, hygiene items, snacks, school supplies and more to help �������˰� students and their families.

• 2,984 lbs of donations were collected from campus departments
• 1st Place Dept: The CARE Center donated 764.40 lbs
• Student Organizations donated 445 lbs
• 1st Place Student Org: The Student Nurses Association brought in 270 lbs

Thanks again to ALL students, employees, volunteers, and community members for your support! These efforts positively impact �������˰� students and strengthen our community as a whole!

View more photos from the event .

December Biology Poster Session Presentations
Congrats to the students who shared their Biology Partnership Poster Sessions earlier this month!

�������˰� and Bemidji State University biology students enjoyed having the chance to present their research from this semester. Our biology students took on lots of new projects this year, and they looked forward to explaining their approaches and results. Each year, this event is a great opportunity to celebrate, communicate, collaborate, mentor and build community! 

View the photo album ! 

Photographer, Selma Fernandez Richter visits �������˰� for Artist Reception
On December 5th, local photographer, Selma Fernandez Richter stopped by the Joseph Gazzuolo Art Gallery at �������˰� to give an Artist Talk during the reception for her exhibition, The Ache for Home: A Selection of Photographs.  Students and employees enjoyed meeting Selma, hearing her story and having a chance to ask questions about her photos and their personal significance. Selma’s thought-provoking photographs of familial relationships carefully capture the complicated feelings of starting over to make a new home and all the trials and tribulations that come along with. �������˰� is honored to have this exhibit on display from November 18th - December 14th.

Thanks for a wonderful 2024, �������˰�! We wish you a happy new year! See you in 2025!