BSC Campus Read Blog

Film Noir Movie Marathon - Friday, January 27

2012-01-25T09:16:00.000-08:00

Join us! BSC students FREE with current BSC photo ID.

What should we read next year? Vote now!

2012-01-24T14:14:00.000-08:00

We've narrowed down the choices for the 2012-13 Campus Read to three and are looking for your votes! Take the poll!

Downtown Owl by Chuck Klosterman - Chuck Klosterman grew up near Fargo, North Dakota.

Downtown Owl - NPR

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

World War Z: an Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks (on order)

Campus Read Essay Contest Winner

2011-12-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

The Campus Read Committee is pleased to announce the winner of this year’s Essay Contest -- DeeAnna Ziegler. Her essay, “An Uncovered Classic,” was judged the best of all the entries this year.

In honor of her achievement, Ms. Ziegler is the recipient of a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation and her winning essay will be published in an upcoming issue of The Mystician

November 3 - Mark Your Calendar!

2011-10-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

Not Schoolbook History:

Two Hunters, Hammett, and a Falcon

Presented by Julie Rivett, granddaughter of Dashiell Hammett, and

Richard Layman, Hammett scholar and biographer

Thursday, November 3, 2011 at 7 p.m.

Sidney J. Lee Auditorium

Schafer Hall

Bismarck State College

Sponsored by BSC Campus Read Committee

Persepolis in the News

2011-10-10T11:16:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Campus Read selection was a graphic novel, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, a memoir of a girl growing up in revolutionary Iran. The book was also made into a film that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

Today's Bismarck Tribune (October 10, 2011) includes a story about what happened after a Tunisian television station showed the film, Persepolis. Tunisian police arrested dozens of Islamist demonstrators set on attacking the offices of the TV station. The article said,"The assault is the latest in a rise in attacks against perceived symbols of secularism by hardcore Muslims in Tunisia ahead of this month's election. Once suppressed by the former regime, conservative Muslims are increasingly making themselves heard in the country's politics."

For the complete story, go to: Tunisian Police Stop Hard Line Attack on TV Station.

What Is a Book Worth?

2011-10-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

What's a copy of The Maltese Falcon (or any other old book you might run across) worth? Check out this posting from the BookTryst blog before you toss something into the trash!

Essay Contest & Scholarship Opportunity

2011-09-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

Campus Read Essay Contest

Scholarship Opportunity

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

You're already reading, discussing, and writing about The Maltese Falcon, this year's Campus Read selection. Shape up those ideas and submit an essay to the Campus Read Essay contest.

Full-time students with the winning essay will be awarded a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for the Spring 2012 semester. Part-time or dual credit students will be awarded up to three credits of scholarship funds.

Essay Guidelines

Submit your best work of 600 words or more.
The topic for your essay may be anything related to your consideration of the selection.
The essay may be a critical response to the book or a narrative essay relating your own experiences that relate to the theme of the book.
Don't be afraid to be creative with other ideas.
Quoted, paraphrased, or summarized material must be correctly cited (any recognized format accepted).
The essay must be typed.
Include a cover page with your name, address, phone number, and email address.
Essays that do not follow the guidelines will not be considered.

Essays will be judged anonymously by Bismarck State College staff, faculty, and administration.

The deadline to submit an essay is Tuesday, November 22, 2011. Essays may be submitted electronically as an attachment and emailed to Kitty Netzer or hand-delivered to the BSC Library front desk.

The winning essay will be published in the Mystician.

BSC Campus Read Email Address

2011-09-16T08:52:00.000-07:00

Guess what! We now have an email address for the BSC Campus Read: BSC.CampusRead@BismarckState.edu

We look forward to hearing from you!

Campus Read 2011

2011-09-02T12:46:00.001-07:00

Need a copy of The Maltese Falcon? The BSC Bookstore has them for sale.

Alternatively, you can borrow a copy from the BSC Library. If you search the ODIN catalog, you will find that it is available as a stand-alone book, as an online book, as an audiobook, and as part of the collected novels of Dashiell Hammett. We also have the film version starring Humphrey Bogart.

Good reading!

Do You Know What It Takes to Be a Fugee?

2011-05-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

Help build the first and only school for refugees in the United States! Find out more about the Fugees and how you can help at Fugees Family

Warren St. John Visiting Campus on April 19

2011-04-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendar!

Warren St. John, author of this year's Campus Read selection, Outcasts United: an American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference, will be be presenting on campus on Tuesday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m. in the Sidney J. Lee Auditorium.

About the Author

Warren St. John has written for the New York Observer, The New Yorker, Wired, and Slate, in addition to his work as a reporter for The New York Times. His first book, Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: a Journey into the Heart of Fan Mania (2004), was named one of Sports Illustrated’s best books of the year, and ranked number one on The Chronicle of Higher Education's list of the best books ever written about collegiate athletics. His second book, Outcasts United: an American Town, A Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference, was published in the U.S. in April 2009, and subsequently in the U.K., The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Japan and China.

St. John was born in Birmingham, Alabama, where he attended The Altamont School. He studied English literature at Columbia College in New York City, where he now lives with his wife and daughter.

Announcing the Campus Read for 2011-12

2011-03-25T12:58:00.001-07:00

The 2011-2012 Campus Read selection is:

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

About the BSC Campus Read

In the fall of 2004, BSC established its first Campus Read, a project in which all faculty, staff, and students read and discuss the same book. We believe that the Campus Read builds community, gives everyone a common talking point, demonstrates the power and importance of reading, builds a culture of reading at BSC, promotes lifelong learning, and supports BSC’s philosophy of putting learning first.

We've had quite a history of good reading at BSC:

2004-05 - Montana 1948 by BSC alum Larry Watson. This novel deals with family relationships, racism, coming of age, crime, punishment, and justice.

2005-06 - Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, a book that explores age, aging, death, dying and one man's struggle with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease).

2006-07 - Nickel and Dimed : On (Not) Getting By in America by Barbara Ehrenreich. The author of this book goes undercover to explore if it is possible to survive in America on minimum wage.

2007-08 - Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer, a compelling non-fiction account of a young man who renounces wealth to match wits with the Alaskan bush.

2008-09 - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, which won the 2007 National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature. In the voice of a 14-year-old boy living on the Rez, the author shares a semi-autobiographical look at life caught between the Indian and white worlds.

2009-10 - The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, a memoir of a girl growing up in revolutionary Iran. This graphic novel was made into a 2007 film that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

2010-11 - Outcasts United: an American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference by Warren St. John. Outcasts United is the story of a group of teenage refugees from war-torn countries who have been relocated to Clarkston, Georgia, and are involved with a soccer team under the direction of Luma Mufleh.

What Should We Read Next?

2011-03-07T14:20:00.001-08:00

The Campus Read Committee has narrowed the 2011 Campus Read selections down to two:

The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

The Maltese Falcon is a 1930 "hard-boiled" detective novel featuring Sam Spade, a private eye in San Francisco. Spade and his partner have been hired by "Miss Wonderly" to follow a man who allegedly ran off with her sister. From there, the plot thickens and it's a game of intrigue and lies and money and trying to figure out who is really telling the truth. The story has been adapted for the cinema several times, but chances are you're most familiar with the film starring Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade, Mary Astor as Brigid O'Shaughnessy, and Peter Lorre as Joel Cairo.

Mudbound by Hillary Jordan

Mudbound is Hillary Jordan's debut novel. Set on a cotton farm in the Mississippi Delta in the late 1940s, it depicts a world of racism, prejudice, poverty, and hardship through the eyes of six characters, who take turns narrating the story. It won the Bellwether Prize for Fiction in 2006. Barbara Kingsolver, the founder of the prize, said this of Hillary Jordan's book, "Her characters walked straight out of 1940s Mississippi and into the part of my brain where sympathy and anger and love reside, leaving my heart racing. They are with me still."

What should we read next? We welcome your comments!

No One Knows about Persian Cats - Film Coming to Bismarck!

2011-02-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

The 2009-10 Campus Read was Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

In April 2010, the Campus Read Committee invited Roxana Saberi to our campus. Saberi grew up in Fargo, is an Iranian-American journalist and former Miss North Dakota, and was held as a political prisoner in Tehran, Iran, for several months. She is also the author of a memoir, Between Two Worlds: My Life and Capitivity in Iran, and co-wrote the screenplay for an award-winning Iranian film, No One Knows about Persian Cats.

You have a chance to see this film! The Cinema 100 Film Society will be showing it at the Grand Theatres on Thursday, February 10, at 3 p.m. and 5:30 p.m.

Check out the trailer on Cinema 100's Facebook page.

Luma Mufleh at BSC

2011-01-03T12:43:00.001-08:00

Here are some photos from Luma Mufleh's visit to the BSC Campus in November.

Photo 1: Dinner with Campus Read Committee members and guests
Photo 2: Students guests with Luma at dinner
Photo 3: Left to right: Shaylee Meyer, Ree Mertz, Lacey Brilz, Coach Luma, Caity Davies

Campus Read Essay Contest Winner: Sarah Grimm

2010-12-16T11:09:00.000-08:00

The winner of the Campus Read Essay contest is Sarah Grimm for her essay entitled "Just a Little More."

The essay will be published in the Bismarck State College Mystician. Sarah will also receive a scholarship award of $500 from the BSC Foundation.

Congratulations, Sarah!

Campus Read Essay Contest Deadline Is December 1

2010-11-24T06:19:00.000-08:00

A reminder ....

The deadline for the Campus Read Essay Contest is soon here. Essays are due on December 1. The student with the winning essay will be awarded a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for the Spring 2011 semester.

Guidelines

•Submit your best work of 600 words or more. The topic may be anything related to your consideration of Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference. For example, a critical response to the book, or a narrative essay relating your own experiences that relate to the theme of the book. These are only examples. Don't be afraid to be creative!

•Essays must be typed and must be a polished, finished product.

•Essays will be judged anonymously, so include your name on a separate cover page with the title of your essay.

•The submission deadline is Wednesday, December 1, 2010. Essays may be submitted electronically as an attachment and e-mailed to Erin.Price@bsc.nodak.edu, OR hand-delivered to the BSC Library front desk.

•The winning essay will be published in The Mystician.

Bend It Like Beckham - Available at BSC Library

2010-11-24T06:11:00.001-08:00

Even if you missed last night's showing of the movie, Bend It Like Beckham, you can still see the movie. It is available at the BSC Library (Media PN 1997.2 .B45 2003).

In the film, the parents of eighteen year-old Jesminder (Parminder Nagra) want her to be a nice, conventional Indian girl, but Jess wants to play soccer like her hero, David Beckham. For Jess, that means kicking a ball around the local park with the lads until she’s spotted by Jules (Keira Knightley), who invites her to join the local women’s team.

Check it out!

Bend It Like Beckham

2010-11-18T14:22:00.001-08:00

As part of the Campus Read of Outcasts United: an American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference, you are invited to a free showing of

Bend It Like Beckham

Tuesday, November 23

6:30 p.m.

Sidney J. Lee Auditorium, Schafer Hall

Click on the movie title to watch the trailer!

Fugees Family on CNN

2010-11-15T09:44:00.000-08:00

Click here for a CNN story about the Fugees Family and Luma Mufleh.

BSC Campus Read on facebook

2010-11-11T10:16:00.000-08:00

Hey! We're on facebook. Join our group!

Luma Mufleh at BSC Tonight!

2010-11-09T07:21:00.000-08:00

Luma Mufleh, the inspirational coach and founder of the Fugees Soccer team featured in Outcasts United, will be speaking at the Sidney J. Lee Auditorium in Schafer Hall tonight (Tuesday, November 9) at 7 p.m.

Luma emphasizes what can be done to change the life of one child, one family at a time, to transform a community. She will talk about how she became involved with the Fugees, about the plight of the refugee children she helps, and about what they teach her in turn.

Be there!

Posting Comments

2010-10-29T12:21:00.000-07:00

We've heard some questions about how to post comments on the blog. It's easy!

Here are the basics from Blogger Help.

A couple of notes:

You have options to create a blogger account to post signed comments, or to post anonymously if you don't have an account or don't want to create an account.
All comments on the BSC Campus Read blog are moderated; spam will be deleted.

Luma Mufleh Will Visit BSC on November 9

2010-10-25T14:06:00.000-07:00

Mark your calendar!

Luma Mufleh, the coach and founder of the Fugees soccer teams, will visit campus on Tuesday, November 9. She will work with BSC's soccer teams in the afternoon and give a presentation at 7 p.m. in the Sidney J. Lee Auditorium that evening.

Be there!

Watch these YouTube videos to find out more about Coach Luma and the Fugees.

Tracy Kuchera - Guest Speaker on New Immigrants

2010-10-18T14:52:00.000-07:00

Who: BSC students and employees
What: Tracy Kuchera, Guest Speaker on New Immigrants in the Bismarck-Mandan area
When: Friday, October 22, 2010
Time: 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Where: NECE (National Center of Excellence) Auditorium

Description: Did you know that more than 5,000 legal immigrants have come to North Dakota's Red River Valley since 1998? Tracy Kuchera of Lutheran Social Services works with new immigrants in the Bismarck area and will speak about new immigrants and their experiences on Friday, October 22, in Lisa Hoynes' classes. Kuchera will also show a 20-minute video about refugee camps.

Other interested students and employees are welcome to join the class groups for this presentation.

Mystics United! II - BSC Soccer, October 16

2010-10-13T06:33:00.001-07:00

Mystics United! II

Saturday, October 16

Community Bowl

BSC vs. Anoka Ramsey Community College

6 p.m. - Women's Game

8 p.m. - Men's Game

Let's Pack the Bowl!

What Shall We Read Next Year?

2010-10-13T06:32:00.001-07:00

What shall we read for the 2011-2012 BSC Campus Read?

Guidelines

The book must be in print and in a price range of no more than $20 per book. Hardcover books will be considered this year for the first time.

The book should be reasonably short -- 200-350 pages.

The Campus Read selection should be an engaging read that will generate lively discussion.

The book should explore any of the universal themes of literature such as coming of age, abuse of power, triumph over adversity, the importance of the individual, conflicts with self, others, and nature, etc.

The Campus Read Committee will take suggestions through December 1, 2010.

Please post your suggestions as a comment on the BSC Campus Read blog or contact one of these committee members:

Lynette Borjeson Painter, Co-chair (Lynette.BorjesonPainter@bsc.nodak.edu)
Erin Price, Co-chair (Erin.Price@bsc.nodak.edu)
Marlene Anderson
karen bauer
Theresa Felderman
Pamela Krueger
Dan Leingang
Janelle Masters
Kitty Netzer
Dan Rogers
Jean Rolandelli
Carla Sivesind
Tom Stein
Lynn Warnke

Campus Read Essay Contest

2010-10-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

An announcement to all BSC students ...

You're already reading, discussing, and writing about Warren St. John’s Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference. Shape up those ideas and submit an essay to the Campus Read Essay contest. The student with the winning essay will be awarded a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for the Spring 2011 semester.

Guidelines

Submit your best work of 600 words or more. The topic may be anything related to your consideration of Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman’s Quest to Make a Difference. For example, a critical response to the book, or a narrative essay relating your own experiences that relate to the theme of the book. These are only examples. Don't be afraid to be creative!
Essays must be typed and must be a polished, finished product.
Essays will be judged anonymously, so include your name on a separate cover page with the title of your essay.
The submission deadline is Wednesday, December 1, 2010. Essays may be submitted electronically as an attachment and e-mailed to Erin.Price@bsc.nodak.edu, OR hand-delivered to the BSC Library front desk.
The winning essay will be published in The Mystician.

Mystics United! Photos

2010-10-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

Check out these photos by Eric Monzelowsky, Mystician photographer, from the Mystics United! games on September 22.

It was a great evening!

Mark your calendar for the next home games on Saturday, October 16. BSC will play Anoka Ramsey Community College. Women's game at 6 p.m. , men's game at 8 p.m.

Let's Pack the Bowl!

Mystics United! Prize Winners

2010-09-24T13:07:00.000-07:00

Here are the lucky winners of the Mystics United! prizes donated by the BSC Bookstore. Aren't you glad you came to the game?

Sweatshirts
Eric Bernhardt, Shae Brown, Taite Grossman, Shawn Kuntz, and Dan Rogers

T-Shirts
Megan Clooten, Aaron Harris, Lacey Knoll, Lacey Petersen, and Kyle Weisbeck

Coffee
Alyssa Hummel, Isiah Kampeska, Eric Monzelausky, Megan Presser, and Sheldon Weisbeck

Mystics United!

2010-09-23T07:12:00.001-07:00

We didn't quite pack the bowl last night (it was chilly out there), but the crowd was enthused. One of the players said it was the biggest crowd of the year. Cool.

The women beat Presentation College by a score of 3-1; unfortunately, the men lost 2-0.

BSC Soccer's next home games will be Saturday, October 16, when we play Anoka Ramsey Community College. The women play at 6 p.m. and the men at 8 p.m. Be there!

Mystics United!

Mystics United! Let's Pack the Bowl

2010-09-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Mystics United!
Let's Pack the Bowl

BSC Soccer vs. Presentation College
TODAY - Wednesday, September 22
Community Bowl
Women’s Game – 5 p.m.
Men’s Game – 7 p.m.

Wear Your BSC Garb and Cheer the Mystics to Victory

Drawings for Prizes
Get an Entry Form at the Student Union,
September 20-22, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Give Your Entry Form to Mystic Ian at the Game

Sponsored by the BSC Campus Read Committee
2010 Campus Read: Outcasts United by Warren St. John

The Absolutely True Diary ... Absolutely Banned

2010-09-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie was BSC's 2008 Campus Read. In Stockton, Missouri, the book was removed from the classroom and the library in April 2010. Protests led to a special board meeting on September 8. Here is the story from the Cedar County Republican about the school board's decision.

"The Absolutely True Diary ... Absolutely Banned" by Adam Stillman
Cedar County Republican - Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Stockton R-1 School Board unanimously voted to keep the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, out of the Stockton High School curriculum, and voted 5-2 to keep it out of the high school library during a special meeting Wednesday, Sept. 8, in the high school gymnasium.

In the end, the sexual content and inappropriate language made the awarding-winning novel unsuitable for use in the classroom and in the library, the board decided.

“We can take this book and we can wrap it in those 20 awards everybody said it won, and you know what, it is still wrong,” board member Ken Spurgeon said.

According to a handout provided by John Rummel before the special meeting, there are 74 instances of vulgarity throughout the novel’s 230 pages. These instances involve topics such as masturbation, racism and violence, among others. It had been mentioned earlier in the meeting the book had done a particularly good job of interesting high school boys in reading.

“It’s an insult … to say to them (students) that we have to have stuff like that in our school in order to make them want to read books,” Mike Holzknecht, who spoke in favor of the ban, said.

Communication arts teachers Kim Jasper and Dana Whitesell spoke for more than 20 minutes defending the use of the book in the classroom, questioned why they weren’t asked for input back in March when the book was challenged and highlighted the merits of students reading such a story.

“They can recognize themselves in the literature,” Jasper said, “and yes sometimes books deal with harsh issues — bullying, alcoholism and drug use, sexual identity and rape … such literature, even with its harsh issues, tells teens their lives matter, and the issues they face are important, and that they are not alone in the battles they may be fighting.”

After the decision was announced to keep the book out of the high school, Jasper clearly was upset.

“I’m disappointed,” Jasper said. “I think it’s a sad day for Stockton school … What can we teach now if this is our bar? Do I need to take Of Mice and Men out of my classroom? Do I need to take Huck Finn out of my classroom? I just fear the chilling effect of what teachers will choose now. They’ll be worried about what they choose.”

Cheryl Marcum, one of the more outspoken advocates of returning the book to the school, was let down, as well.

“I don’t think the board heard us,” Marcum said. “The teachers did an excellent job describing how they chose the book and why they used it in the classroom … and I don’t think there is anything anyone could have said on that side the board would have understood and accepted.”

During the allotted time for public comments, a crowd of more than 200 people witnessed 12 people speak in opposition to the book’s removal from the classroom and library, and 10 people speak in favor of the book’s removal from the curriculum and school library.

Four TV cameras were present to capture the conclusion of the hot-button issue which has caused much discontent among Stockton community members. Several arguments on both sides drew applause from the crowd.

At one point during the night, Holzknecht pounded his fist on the podium while speaking, drawing a standing ovation at the close of his argument. “I’m proud of you guys (the board) standing up and saying, ‘No, here’s the limit right here, we’re not going to take it’.”

Jasper’s argument garnered a lengthy applause, as did Dakota Freeze’s presentation. Freeze, a senior at the high school, wants something bigger than Stockton. She plans on attending a college on the east coast and studying politics and law.

“This book in a nutshell is about hope,” Freeze said. “It’s about overcoming adversity. This book is about believing in yourself, believing you can become whatever you want to become.”

Many supporters of keeping the book in the school pointed to the freedom to read, censorship and the First Amendment.

“I must advocate for my students’ right to read and to think, or my 23 years of teaching are a fraud,” Jasper said. “When I have my students memorize the First Amendment, it’s not some theoretical exercise for a grade. Those are words that protect some of the freedoms I feel most strongly about, and those are words that have allowed this country to produce some valuable pieces of literature. The library especially must be a place where all students have access to a wide range of materials. If we censor books, we censor opportunity and hopes and dreams. As the American Library Association states, ‘censorship results in the opposite of true education and learning’.”

School board president Chad Pyle, vice president Dean Pate, board members Doug Haines, Rod Shipley, Rod Tucker, Ken Spurgeon, Gus Rutledge, superintendent Shannon Snow and high school principal John French all were present at the main table ... Tucker expressed his displeasure with the newspaper’s coverage and refused to comment.

Mystics United! Let's Pack the Bowl

2010-09-13T13:13:00.000-07:00

MYSTICS UNITED!
Let’s Pack the Bowl

BSC Soccer vs. Presentation College
Wednesday, September 22
Community Bowl
Women’s Game – 5 p.m.
Men’s Game – 7 p.m.

Wear Your BSC Garb and Cheer the Mystics to Victory

Drawings for Prizes
Get an Entry Form at the Student Union,
September 20-22, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Give Your Entry Form to Mystic Ian at the Game

Sponsored by the BSC Campus Read Committee
2010 Campus Read: Outcasts United by Warren St. John

Upcoming Campus Read Events

Showing of Bend it Like Beckham (date to be announced)
Panel Discussion on Immigration (date to be announced)
Campus Visit by Fugees Coach, Luma Mufleh, on November 9

2008 Campus Read Book Remains Removed from Missouri Library

2010-09-10T06:26:00.000-07:00

Background Information
The 2008 Campus Read Book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, won the 2007 National Book Award for Young People's Literaturer.

In April 2010, The Absolutely True Diary ... was first removed from the Stockton, Missouri school and library. After protests, a special public meeting was held on September 8. Here are the results of that meeting as reported in the Cedar County Republican.

Book Remains Removed from Curriculum and Library
by Adam Stillman
Thursday, September 9, 2010 9:10 AM CDT

The Stockton R-1 School Board unanimously voted to keep the book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, out of the Stockton High School curriculum, and voted 5-2 to keep it out of the high school library during the special meeting Wednesday, Sept. 8, in the high school gymnasium.

After Shannon Snow gave the book committee report, Kim Jasper and Dana Whitesell addressed the board regarding the use of the book in high school communication arts classes. Then, during the allotted time for public comments, 12 people spoke in opposition to the book’s removal from the classroom and library, and 10 people spoke in favor of the book’s removal from the curriculum and school library. More than 200 people were in attendance, and four TV cameras were present.

Celebrate the Fact that You Can Read!

2010-09-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

It's International Literacy Day -- September 8, 2010.

If you can read this, thank the people in your life -- parents, teachers, and others -- who helped make it possible.

Being able to read is a gift beyond compare.

Update - Banning of 2008 Campus Read Book in Missouri

2010-08-26T12:55:00.000-07:00

On August 9, we posted information about an April 2010 banning of the 2008 Campus Read book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, in Stockton, Missouri. The book won numerous awards, including the 2007 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.

The Stockton R-1 School Board has now scheduled a special meeting on September 8, 2010, to discuss removing the book from the curriculum and the library.

For more details, check out the news stories from the Cedar County Republican.

Soccer at BSC!

2010-08-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

For the Campus Read, we're reading about the Fugees playing soccer in and around Clarkston, Georgia. How about watching BSC's Mystics play soccer right here?

BSC soccer made its debut last year. If you haven't been to a game before, now's the time!

BSC Women's and Men's soccer teams will be playing at home (in the Bowl) on our campus this weekend.

Sat, August 28

1 p.m. – BSC Women vs. Century College
3 p.m. – BSC Men vs. Century College

Sun, August 29

1 p.m. – BSC Women vs. Rochester Community & Tech College
3 p.m. – BSC Men vs. Riverland College

Welcome to Campus Read 2010-11!

2010-08-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a great year!

We're excited about the 2010-11 Campus Read selection, Outcasts United: an American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference by Warren St. John. You can get your copy of the book at the BSC Bookstore.

We're also especially excited that Luma Mufleh, the coach of the Fugees soccer team, will visit our campus in November, and that the author of the book, Warren St. John, will be on campus in April.

Stop by the BSC Library and check out the Campus Read display in the hallway.

2008 Campus Read Book Banned in Missouri

2010-08-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

The 2008 BSC Campus Read selection was The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie. It was popular with students, faculty, and staff and led to great discussions on campus. Alexie also visited campus and gave a presentation to a standing room only crowd at the Belle Mehus Auditorium. In fact, he invited people who couldn't find seats to join him on the stage and sit there. His presentation was fun and funny as well as thoughtful and reflective.

In April 2010, the school board in Stockton, Missouri, voted to remove Alexie's book from the school. In July, they voted to reconsider their original motion. At their August 18 meeting, they will schedule a date for a special meeting to discuss the suitability of the book and answer in writing five questions posed by the school board.

Numerous groups have sent letters in support of keeping Alexie's book in the school, including the American Library Association's Office of Intellectual Freedom and a joint letter from the National Council of Teachers of English, the National Coalition Against Censorship, the American Library Association, and the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression.

For more about the story, visit the Cedar County Republican.

Your thoughts?

Football Fever

2010-07-22T12:52:00.000-07:00

The Fugees have football fever! Check out this video from CCN.

Campus Read Book Available at BSC Bookstore

2010-07-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Now Available!

Purchase your copy of Outcasts United

at the BSC Bookstore

at a discounted price of $11.80.

Good reading!

Campus Read 2010 Selection

2010-05-06T10:59:00.000-07:00

The Campus Read Committee is pleased to announce the 2010 Campus Read selection ....

Outcasts United:

an American Town, a Refugee Team, and

One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference

by Warren St. John

Outcasts United tells the story of the Fugees, a refugee soccer team, their coach, and the small town of Clarkston, Georgia, which became a refugee settlement center in the 1990s.

Bill Littlefield of NPR said, "If you only read one book over the next few months, it should be Outcasts United."

The bestseller was written by Warren St. John, a reporter for the New York Times, who also wrote Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer: a Journey into the Heart of Fan Mania (2004).

Roxana Saberi's Visit to BSC

2010-04-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

As part of Roxana Saberi's visit to BSC, she and her mother had dinner with students from The Mystician staff, campus leaders, and the Campus Read Committee. She also graciously signed copies of her book after her presentation.

Roxana and Akiko Saberi at BSC

2010-04-21T06:12:00.000-07:00

Roxana Saberi and her mother, Akiko, were at BSC's Sidney J. Lee Auditorium last night (Tuesday, April 20). Roxana gave an outstanding presentation about her six years working as a journalist and writer in Iran, her father's homeland. She also told about her arrest as a political prisoner accused of espionage and being held in Tehran's Evin Prison for 100 days in early 2009. Her account was riveting and insightful.

Meeting Roxana's mother, Dr. Akiko Saberi, was a treat. You can tell that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Dr. Saberi is an accomplished, warm person. A native of Japan, she is a pathologist with the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Fargo.

The BSC Library has a copy of Roxana Saberi's memoir, Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran (PN 4874 .S23 A3 2010). Check it out! The book is also available from booksellers in both print and eformats.

Saberi will also be finishing and publishing the book she was working on when she was arrested. Stay tuned!

Roxana Saberi Speaks at BSC - April 20 - 7:30 p.m.

2010-04-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

The Campus Read Committee and our co-sponsors (North Dakota Humanities Council, BSC Foundation, North Dakota Newspaper Association, and North Dakota Broadcasters Association) invite you to attend a presentation and book signing by Roxana Saberi on Tuesday, April 20, at 7:30 p.m. in the Sidney J. Lee Auditorium, Bismarck State College.

Saberi will also be at Barnes & Noble in Bismarck from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20, for a book signing.

Saberi is an Iranian-American journalist and former Miss North Dakota. She will speak about her ordeal as a political prisoner in Tehran, Iran. Copies of her "hot off the press" memoir, Between Two Worlds: My Life and Capitivity in Iran, will be available.

Soapbox: Books Are Not Dead. They're Not Even Dying

2010-04-12T13:31:00.000-07:00

Jack Estes has published an essay in the April 5, 2010, issue of Publishers Weekly entitled "Books Are Not Dead. They're Not Even Dying." Music to my ears.

Check it out!

Soapbox: Books Are Not Dead. They're Not Even Dying: " I've heard people aren't reading so much anymore, but as fa..."

Sherman Alexie Wins 2010 Pen/Faulkner Award

2010-03-30T15:31:00.000-07:00

Add one more to the list of awards for Sherman Alexie, author of the 2008-09 Campus Read book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. On March 23, Alexie's book, War Dances, was selected as the winner of the the 2010 Pen/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

The Pen/Faulkner Award is America's largest peer-juried prize for fiction. As winner, Alexie will receive $15,000. Each of the four finalists -- Barbara Kingsolver for The Lacuna, Lorriane M. Lopez for Homicide Survivors Picnic and Other Stories, Lorrie Moore for A Gate at the Stairs, and Colson Whitehead for Sag Harbor -- receives $5,000.

All five authors will be honored at the 30th Anniversary Pen/Faulkner Award Ceremony on May 8, 2010, at the Folger Shakespeare Library.

Alexie has visited the BSC campus twice in recent years.

War Dances is available at the BSC Library in printed form at PS 3551 .L35774 W37 2009. It is also available as an eAudiobook for download. Check them out!

2010-2011 BSC Campus Read -- Suggestions?

2009-12-10T09:15:00.000-08:00

What shall we read for the 2010-2011 BSC Campus Read? Here are the basic guidelines:

The book must be in print and in a paperback edition to ensure that it is available and affordable.
The book should be reasonably short -- 200-350 pages.
The Campus Read selection should be an engaging read that will generate lively discussion.
The book should explore any of the universal themes of literature such as coming of age, abuse of power, triumph over adversity, the importance of the individual, conflicts with self, others, and nature, etc.

The Campus Read Committee will take suggestions through January 2010. Please post your suggestions as a comment on the blog, or contact one of these committee members:

Theresa Felderman, Chair
Marlene Anderson
karen bauer
Lynette Borjeson-Painter
Dan Leingang
Janelle Masters
Kitty Netzer
Erin Price
Dan Rogers
Jean Rolandelli
Carla Sivesind
Tom Stein
Lynn Warnke

Laura Knudsen Writes Winning Campus Read Essay

2009-12-10T09:07:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Laura Knudsen, who wrote the winning essay for the Campus Read essay contest! Laura will receive a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for the 2010 Spring Semester. Her essay, "A Revolutionary Tale: Coming-of-Age Despite Oppression," will be published in The Mystician in January.

Ten students submitted essays. Judges were Erin Price, Assistant Professor of English; Tom Marple, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design & Communications; Tom Stein, Associate Professor of English; Kris Smotherman, English adjunct instructor; Lori Smith, Reference Librarian; Rita Nodland, Alumni Coordinator; and Robert Canter, Custodian, NECE.

Thanks to all who participated.

Would You March? -- American Lit 261 - Comments?

2009-11-19T05:32:00.000-08:00

A question posed by Andrew Johnson for American Lit 261:

Marjane went to the demonstrations against the government of Iran with her parents. People in her family have also been arrested many times. Would you be the one at the marches or in the "safety" of the government, no matter what the rules?

A Death in Tehran - Frontline - On Prairie Public

2009-11-17T16:38:00.000-08:00

Frontline

A Death in Tehran

Tuesday, November 17, 2009, 8 p.m. (Central)
Thursday, November 19, 2009, 2 a.m. (Central)
Channel 13 (Prairie Public)

The story of Neda Soltani, the young Iranian woman shot and killed in Tehran during a protest against the results of the 2009 Iranian presidential election, and how her death has become a symbol for those striving to keep the reform movement going.

Check the website for more information and additional broadcast times.

BSC Library Resources on Iran

2009-11-16T06:57:00.000-08:00

The BSC Library has added many resources on Iran (a subject search of "Iran" currently brings back 109 results) in a variety of formats (books, e-books, DVDs).

This new book sounds particularly interesting:

Iranian Rappers and Persian Porn by Jamie Maslin
DS259.2 .M38 2009

"Iran looms large in the psyche of modern America. For decades, it has been "the enemy," its government taunting us and attacking our Western, secular lifestyle. That is largely the Iranian government, however, not the Iranian people. Here's the proof. When Jamie Maslin decides to backpack the entire length of the Silk Road, he decides to travel first and plan later. Then, unexpectedly stranded in a country he's only read about in newspapers, he decides to make the best of it-but wonders whether he'll make it out alive. Maslin finds himself suddenly plunged into a subversive, contradictory world of Iranian subculture, where he is embraced by locals who are more than happy to show him the true Iran as they see it-the one where unmarried men and women mingle in Western clothes at secret parties, where alcohol (the possession of which is punishable by hand-amputation) is readily available on the black market, where Christian churches are national heritage sites, and where he discovers the real meaning of friendship, nationality, and hospitality. This is a hilarious, charming, and astonishing account of one Westerner's life-altering rambles across Iran that will leave you wondering what else you don't know about Iran and its people." -- Publisher's description

Check it out!

Government & Freedom - American Lit 261 - Comments?

2009-11-16T06:18:00.000-08:00

Questions posed by Amber Schulz for American Lit 261:

The differences of equality and freedom today are hot issues in America. With President Obama pushing America to equal opportunity, such as equal healthcare for all, the ideas of freedom are being blurred. What role should the government play in the decisions that the people have been freely making of their own devices? If we cannot figure out how our government should work, how can we expect the Middle East to conform to our unstable and disorganized system of democracy? What would you do to solve these issues?

Campus Read Essay Contest - Deadline Draws Near

2009-11-13T05:50:00.000-08:00

Are you working on your Campus Read essays? The deadline is soon here -- Monday, November 30, 2009.

The student with the winning essay will be awarded a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for the Spring 2010 semester.

Check out the October 12 blog posting for the details.

Persepolis the Movie - Free Showings at the Grand!

2009-10-26T07:40:00.000-07:00

October 27, 2009

Grand Theatres (1486 Interstate Loop)

Free showings of Persepolis at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

When you arrive at the theatre, get your free ticket at the box office. First come, first served! Be prepared to show your BSC ID.

Elementary vs. University Education - American Lit 261

2009-10-19T06:05:00.001-07:00

A question posed by Ann Marie Millican for American Lit 261:

Elementary schools had to follow the rules and the laws. Throughout the years, going to a university you could push the laws and bend them. For example: Marjane was good at art. To get into another school, she had to draw a picture of what they wanted.

Why couldn't she use her own imagination and own artistic abilites, and wow them with a different piece, showing them that having a different talent is okay? How do you feel that she couldn't use her own ideas?

Rebellion & Persepolis - American Lit 261 - Comments?

2009-10-13T11:01:00.000-07:00

A discussion topic posed by Sarah Landenberger for American Lit 261:

As the Islamic Revolution progressed, so did Satrapi's rebellious ways. Draw a parallel correlation of the two situations.

Campus Read Essay Contest - Earn Scholarship Money!

2009-10-12T13:26:00.000-07:00

You’re already reading, discussing, and writing about Marjane Satrapi’s The Complete Persepolis, this year’s Campus Read selection. Shape up those ideas and submit an essay to the Campus Read Essay Contest.

The BSC student with the winning essay will be awarded a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for the Spring 2010 semester.

Essay Guidelines:

Submit your best work of 600 words or more.
The topic for your essay may be anything related to your consideration of The Complete Persepolis. For example, a critical response to the book or a narrative essay relating your own experiences that relate to the theme of the book. These are only examples. Don’t be afraid to be creative with other ideas.
The essay must be typed and must be a polished finished product.
Essays will be judged anonymously, so include your name on a separate cover page with the title of your essay.
The deadline to submit an essay is Monday, November 30, 2009. Essays may be submitted electronically as an attachment and emailed to Katherine.Netzer@bsc.nodak.edu; submissions may also be hand-delivered to the BSC Library front desk.
Winners will be announced towards the end of the semester. The winning essay will be published in the Mystician.

Showing of Persepolis on October 27

2009-10-12T11:32:00.000-07:00

Two free showings of the movie, Persepolis, are scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Grand Theatres (1486 Interstate Loop, Bismarck; 701-222-1607).

Tickets are free, but for tracking purposes, you must get a ticket from the Grand Theatres box office when you arrive at the theatre. Bring your BSC student ID with you.

Indoctrination & Persepolis -- American Lit 261 -- Comments?

2009-10-12T11:04:00.000-07:00

Questions posed by Audrey Cody for American Lit 261:

While reading Persepolis, the single thing that impressed upon me the most was the Islamic regime's takeover of government. I tended to reflect on their society and ours in America.

One scene shows how the public schools effectively indoctrinate children to political belief systems.

Can you name a few points in the book in which Marjane was either confused by, or convinced of, beliefs other than those shared by her family and/or her upbringing? What are your thoughts about these instances? Do they make you question what you have learned in public schools?

How can the indoctrination of the children in Persepolis be compared to our own experiences? For example, in the chapter, "Water Cell," Marjane told her dad that the Shah was sent by God. This was a blunder according to her parents, but Marjane adhered to what she was taught in school.

To view full analysis, go to http://studentanalysisofpersepolis.blogspot.com

“Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. ...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on...or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children what it was once like in the United States when we were free.” -- Ronald Reagan

What do you think of Persepolis?

2009-10-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

What do you think of The Complete Persepolis? Comments welcome!

Graphic Style of Persepolis -- American Lit 261 -- Comments?

2009-10-08T05:52:00.000-07:00

A question posed by Talia Johnson for American Lit 261.

The graphic style of the novel makes the story readable by showing illustrations that keep the reader interested. The reader's attention does not have time to wander because there is always an amusing or interesting picture on every page. The comic book style format keeps a horrible situation light enough to read.

Where are the times when the graphic style keeps the terrible situation light enough so that the reader will not quit reading or throw the book across the room in despair?

Iran-a-Read-a-Thon

2009-10-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

You are invited ....

Iran-a-Read-a-Thon

BSC Library

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Noon to 1 p.m.

Listen to BSC students, faculty, and staff members reading aloud from books about Iran.

Selected texts include:

Strange Times, My Dear: the PEN Anthology of Contemporary Iranian Literature edited by Nahid Mozaffari ; poetry editor, Ahmad Karimi Hakkak
The Bathhouse by Farnoosh Moshiri
The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: the Paradox of Modern Iran by Hooman Majd
Green Parrot, Black Crow: a Collection of Short Fiction by Heshmat Moayyad
Iran Awakening by Shirin Ebadi
Caspian Rain by Gina B. Nahia
Silk Road Cooking by Najmieh Batmanglij

Speaking of Iran ...

2009-10-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today (October 6, 2009) over the noon hour, five speakers shared their perspectives and personal stories of Iran in the Prairie Room of the Student Union Building.

Guest speakers

Dr. Perry Hornbacher, who teaches history at BSC, shared information about 20th century Iranian history as it related to some of the events described in The Complete Persepolis.
Dr. Daphne Ghorbani, who teaches education at the University of Mary, told us about her experiences in Tehran as an English teacher. She arrived in August 1978 -- the beginning of very turbulent times in Iran -- and stayed until she was evacuated by the U.S. Embassy in 1979.
Abdullah Ali, originally from Kurdistan, shared some of his personal experiences from living in Iran as a refugee in the mid-1970s. Mr. Ali taught high school in Isfahan and emigrated to North Dakota 33 years ago.
Arlene Gray, who teaches music at BSC, told about her experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer in Iran from 1970-1972. She lived in Babol, a town near the Caspian Sea.
Marv Mutzenberger, who teaches religion at BSC, provided background information about Muhammad, Islam, and the Koran.

Outstanding!

2009 Campus Read Annotated Bibliography

2009-09-17T13:05:00.000-07:00

Has reading The Complete Persepolis sparked your interest in Iran?

To learn more about Iran and its history, culture, politics, and people, check out the 2009 Campus Read annotated bibliography -- a sampling of books, eBooks, films, and websites to explore.

Most of the items listed are available at the BSC Library.

Bismarck State Reads Persepolis: Interview

2009-08-19T07:41:00.001-07:00

"The Complete Persepolis will challenge readers to become aware of what is happening in the world and better understand how what happens to one human, happens to all humans."

-- Kitty Netzer, Assistant Professor of English, BSC

The August 2009 issue of The Prairie Independent features an interview about BSC's Campus Read with Kitty Netzer, Assistant Professor of English and a member of the Campus Read Committee.

Check it out!

Iran Timeline

2009-08-19T07:31:00.001-07:00

Iran has a long and interesting past. Stop by the library to see a timeline of major events and key players in Iran's history. Check it out!

Special thanks to Carolyn Twingley and Johanna Bjork, BSC Librarians, for putting the timeline together.

Read Iran

2009-08-14T11:12:00.000-07:00

For the past 10 years, the BSC Library has hosted "BookTalk at BSC," a book discussion series. We will do so again in 2010, starting in January.

This year BookTalk will dovetail with the Campus Read; that is, we will read three books about Iran, its people, history, culture, and politics. Choosing what to read is both fun and challenging. I am working my way through a pile of books and wanted to share them with you. So far, I've read:

The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer. New York: Ecco/Harper Collins, 2008.

The author's own family escaped from Iran in 1982 when she was ten. That experience is reflected in The Septembers of Shiraz. The main character of the novel is Isaac Amin, a Jewish gem trader who is arrested by the Revolutionary Guard in Teheran and imprisoned. His only real crime is being Jewish in a country where Muslim fanatacism is taking over, but his wealth and family connections to the Shah's regime are also marks against him.

The Bathhouse by Farnoosh Moshiri. Seattle: Black Heron Press, 2001.

Winner of the Black Heron Press Award for Social Fiction in 2001, this book is a powerful and compelling read. It tells the story of a seventeen-year-old girl who is arrested and imprisoned in a former bathhouse. Hers is a crime of association -- she is not political, but her brother and sister-in-law are. Moshiri's novel is based on interviews with several Iranian women who were imprisoned in such a bathhouse in the early years of the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The Bathhouse documents the torment endured by the prisoners and that makes it a tough book to read.

Others that await me are:

The Age of Orphans by Laleh Kadivi
Caspian Rain by Gina Nahai
Censoring an Iranian Love Story by Shahriar Mandanipour
Missing Soluch by Mahmud Dawlatābādī
The Saffron Kitchen by Yasmin Crowther

I will keep you posted about what we decide for BookTalk and hope you will be part of our discussions. -- Marlene Anderson, Director of Library Services

About Marjane Satrapi

2009-08-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

Marjane Satrapi, author of Persepolis, was born in 1969, in Rasht, Iran, and immigrated to France in 1994. She now lives in Paris.

Satrapi attended Lycée Français (Tehran) and studied illustration in Strasbourg, France.

She is also the author of Embroideries (2005), Ajdar (2006, children's book), Chicken with Plums (2006), and Monsters Are Afraid of the Moon (2007, children's book).

Satrapi's family supported the removal of the Shah in 1979, but Iran was even more repressive under the ayatollahs and religious fundamentalism. School children were separated by gender, girls were required to wear veils, the legal age at which girls could marry was lowered to nine, and when the Iran-Iraq war began, they were forced to mourn the dead twice a day. Satrapi opposed these restrictions and was expelled for hitting a principal who told her she could not wear jewelry. Fearing for their rebellious daughter, her family sent Marjane to Vienna at the age of fourteen.

Marjane Satrapi has done several interviews about her book and her life:

What's in a Name?

2009-08-06T11:31:00.000-07:00

Why does Marjane Satrapi call her book Persepolis instead of something like Growing Up in Iran?

Perhaps knowing a little about Persepolis will help. Persepolis was the ancient capitol of the kings of the Achaemenian Dynasty of Persia (Iran), located about 30 miles northeast of Shiraz in the Fars region of southwestern Iran. It lies near the confluence of the Pulvar (Sivand) and Kor rivers. The ruins of Persepolis were designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.

In contemporary Persian, the site is known as Takht-e Jamshid (Throne of Jamshid) and Parseh. The earliest remains date from around 515 BC. To the ancient Persians, the city was known as Pārsa, which means "The City of Persians." Persepolis is the Greek interpretation of the name.

And now, why did Marjane Satrapi entitle her book Persepolis?

Comments welcome!

The Complete Persepolis - 2009 Campus Read

2009-03-10T14:40:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Campus Read selection is The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi.

A Time magazine review said, "... Persepolis provides a unique glimpse into a nearly unknown and unreachable way of life ... That Satrapi chose to tell her remarkable story as a gorgeous comic book makes it totally unique and indispensable."

Marjane Satrapi was born in Rasht, Iran, in 1969. In Persepolis, she shares her story of growing up during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq war. The Persepolis series was first published in France, beginning in 2000, and is now available as the one-volume work that we will read.

In 2004, Satrapi received the Alex Award and the Booklist "Top Ten Graphic Novels" designation for Persepolis.

Satrapi also co-wrote and co-directed the animated feature film version of Persepolis. The film was nominated for an Oscar for "Best Animated Feature Film" at the 2008 Academy Awards.

Campus Read Committee Meeting - March 10, 2009

2009-03-09T09:12:00.000-07:00

The Campus Read Committee will meet from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, 2009, in the Flickertail Room, Student Union Building.

Deadline for 2009 Campus Read Suggestions - March 6, 2009

2009-02-20T11:20:00.001-08:00

In the fall of 2009, BSC is hosting Dr. Indu Anand, a Fulbright Scholar from India whose field of study is art history with a specialty in Islamic Art. Having Dr. Anand on campus gives us a unique opportunity to read a book from South Asia/Middle East/Near East with an authority right on campus.

The Campus Read Committee is still gathering suggestions for the 2009 Campus Read. The deadline is Friday, March 6, 2009.

The basic rules are few:

The book must be in print and in a paperback edition to ensure that it is available and affordable.
The book should be reasonably short…about 200-350 pages.
The Campus Read selection should be an engaging read that will generate lively discussion.
The book, as any other Campus Read book, should explore any of the universal themes of literature such as coming of age, abuse of power, triumph over adversity, the importance of the individual, conflicts with self, others, and nature, etc.

There has been some misunderstanding on campus that we will be studying and promoting Islam in our Campus Read. We hope the information above clears up that misunderstanding. The Fulbright Program out of Washington, D.C. has named its project Direct Access to the Muslim World, but this is not the theme of the Campus Read nor is the study of Islam as a religion the purpose of Dr. Anand's visit. Rather, this is a wonderful opportunity for us to take advantage of an international perspective of our world.

Several books have already been suggested for the 2009 Campus Read, some fiction and some non-fiction. Most are available at the BSC Library (if so, the call number is noted); the others are on order.

2009 Campus Read Suggestions (so far) -- We want to hear from you, too!

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (PN 6747 .S245 P4713 2007; DVD at Media PN 1997.2 .P47 2008)
In the Name of God by Paula Jolin (On order)
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (DJ 292 .H57 A3 2007)
Kabul: a Novel by M. E. Hirsh (On order)
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (PS 3608 .O832 K58 2005; DVD at Media PN 1995.9 .S87 K584 2008)
Now They Call Me Infidel by Nonie Darwish (On order)
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (PE 64 .N34 A3 2003)
The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (PS 3558 .A42169 R45 2007)
The Sewing Circles of Herat: a Personal Journey through Afghanistan by Christina Lamb (On order)
Slumdog Millionaire (Original title: Q & A) by Vikas Swarup (On order
The Swallows of Kabul by Yasmina Khadra ; translated by John Cullen (On order)
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (PS 3608 .O832 T46 2007)
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace -- One School at a Time / by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (LC 2330 .M67 2007)
The White Tiger: a Novel by Aravind Adiga (On order)

Campus Read Committee Meeting

2009-02-09T11:42:00.001-08:00

The next meeting of the Campus Read Committee is scheduled on Friday, February 20, 2009, in the Alumni Room, Student Union Building, from noon to 1 p.m.

What should we read about the Muslim world? Suggestions needed

2009-02-04T08:36:00.001-08:00

The 2009 Campus Read will begin Fall Semester and the Campus Read Committee has decided that this year’s book will relate to the Muslim world.

Why? Because BSC is hosting a visiting Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Indu Anand, Principal at Janki Devi Memorial College in New Delhi, India, through the Fulbright Visiting Specialists Program: Direct Access to the Muslim World. Dr. Indu Anand will be on our campus from September 20 through October 31, 2009.

What should we read? Please post your suggestions on the blog. The rules are few:

The book must be in print and in a paperback edition to ensure that it is available and affordable.

The book should be reasonably short…about 200-350 pages.

The Campus Read selection should be an engaging read that will generate lively discussion.

These titles have already been suggested:

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Available at BSC Library: DJ 292. H57 A3 2007)

Now They Call Me Infidel by Nonie Darwish (On order for the BSC Library)

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (Available at BSC Library: PN 6747 .S245 P4713 2007; also available in DVD: Media PN 1997.2 .P47 2008)

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (Available at BSC Library: PS 3558 .A42169 R45 2007)

We want to hear from you!

Essay Contest Winners

2009-01-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Dawn Archer and Mercer Sage for their winning essays about Sherman Alexie's book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian.

Dawn will receive a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for her first place essay, "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian as It Relates to the Absolutely True Impact of Expectation on a Full-time Society."

Mercer will receive a $250 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for his second place essay, "A Stranger in Two Worlds."

Thanks and congratulations to all of the students who submitted essays. We appreciate the time and effort put into them.

Campus Read Essays Due Today - December 1, 2008

2008-12-01T08:57:00.000-08:00

Is your essay ready? The deadline is today -- Monday, December 1, 2008.

This is your chance to win a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for the Spring 2008 semester.

Essays can be submitted electronically to Kitty Netzer or hand-delivered to the BSC Library front desk.

Guidelines

Submit your best work of 600 words or more. The topic may be anything related to your consideration of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian.
Essays must be typed and must be a polished, finished product.
Essays will be judged anonymously, so include your name on a separate cover page with the title of your essay.
The winning essay will be published in The Mystician.

Essay Contest - Deadline Coming up!

2008-11-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

A reminder ... the deadline for the CampusRead essay contest is soon here. Submissions are due on Monday, December 1, 2008.

This is your chance to win a $500 scholarship!

For all the details, check the blog posting dated September 19, 2008.

Distinguished Scholar of the Humanities Lecture

2008-11-05T12:21:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, November 12, Clay Jenkinson, BSC Distinguished Scholar of the Humanities, and Dr. Larry Skogen, BSC President, will present the first installment of a Distinguished Scholar of the Humanities Lecture series.

The event will be held in the Sidney J. Lee Auditorium, Schafer Hall from 7 to 9 p.m.

Clay Jenkinson and Dr. Skogen will use the BSC Campus Read novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, as a starting point for a wide-ranging discussion of white-Indian relations at the beginning of the 21st century, the role of the federal government in Indian country, Native American cultural resurgence, the future of the dual sovereignty concept in Indian America, and appropriation of Indian cultural motifs by non-Indians.

You are invited to attend! This lecture series is free and open to all.

Laughing with the Erdrich Sisters

2008-11-05T05:38:00.000-08:00

Heid and Lise Erdrich's visit to campus was great fun! Their writing is terrific and it was a surprise (at least to this writer) to discover how funny both sisters are. Lise, especially, is a natural comedian. The Missouri Room was filled with laughter on Monday night (November 3). The sisters also took their show on the road and visited BSC classrooms on Tuesday, November 4.

The BSC Library owns several works by the Erdrich sisters, including:

Fishing for Myth: Poems by Heid Erdrich
The Mother's Tongue by Heid Erdrich
Sister Nations: Native American Women Writers on Community edited by Heid Erdrich and Laura Tohe

Bears Make Rock Soup and Other Stories by Lise Erdrich
Night Train: Stories by Lise Erdrich
Sacagawea by Lise Erdrich

A new book by Heid, National Monuments, will be available soon and the library will get a copy.

Another sister, Louise Erdrich, is also a well-known, award-winning writer. Check out her books at the BSC Library, too!

The BSC Library's catalog, ODIN, is your gateway to finding these books.

Sherman Alexie on the Colbert Report

2008-10-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

This just in! Sherman Alexie will appear on the October 28th edition of the Colbert Report on Comedy Central, which airs at 11:30 p.m. Eastern and will be rebroadcast 4 times throughout the day on October 29th. Check your local listings, or watch online.

AND ... The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian has won another award -- a 2008 Washington State book award, the Scandiuzzi Children's Book Award, for middle grades and young adults.

Read more about it in the Seattle Times.

Heid and Lise Erdrich at BSC

2008-10-27T12:54:00.001-07:00

Authors and sisters Heid and Lise Erdrich will be on campus November 3 and 4.

On November 3, at 7:30 p.m., Missouri Room, Student Union, they will read from their work and also discuss Sherman Alexie's book. On November 4, they will make classroom visits.

Heid E. Erdrich is the author of three collections of poetry: The Mother's Tongue, National Monuments, and Fishing for Myth, as well as co-editor of Sister Nations: Native American Women on Community. She co-founded the Turtle Mountain Writing Workshop with Louise Erdrich, her sister. Her books have each been nominated for the Minnesota Book Awards and her writing has received numerous grants and honors. Her degrees are from Dartmouth and Johns Hopkins.

Lise Erdrich, is the author of Night Train, her first collection of short fiction. She has also published Bears Make Rock Soup and Sacagawea, two books for children. A member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, she was born in Minnesota, lives in Wahpeton, North Dakota, and has been occupied in the fields of Indian Health Service and Indian Education for twenty years.

The Erdrich sisters’ appearance is part of the Visiting Writers Series sponsored by the English Discipline of the Arts and Communications Department at Bismarck State College, and funded in part by a grant from the Bismarck State College Foundation.

What's Up with the Juvenile Wall?

2008-10-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

Are you wondering about the “Juvenile Wall” on the first floor of Schafer Hall? Wonder no more ...

The "Juvenile Wall" is a place where students, faculty, and staff can put drawings (or photos) of themselves at the age of 14 (the same age as Arnold, the lead character in The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian). Some of the drawings that are already on the wall came out of the "Campus Conversation" events held earlier this week. Others came out of class activities related to Campus Read.

This is YOUR invitation to add your own self-portrait at age 14 (or thereabouts) to the wall. What did you look like then? How did you feel?

Let's Talk! Campus Conversations

2008-10-20T07:23:00.001-07:00

Wh0: YOU
What: Campus Conversations
When: Wednesday, October 22, noon and 3 p.m.
Where: Prairie Room, Student Union Building
Why: To get together with others from across campus to talk about Sherman Alexie's book, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian

Hope to see you there!

Native American Writers

2008-10-15T13:15:00.000-07:00

In today's presentation, A History of Native American Writers: Where Does Sherman Alexie Fit?, Dr. Brian Palecek focused on two main ideas:

The oral tradition meeting a print and writing tradition

An American Indian renaissance since the 1960s

Brian also talked about several writers and their works, including:

William Apess
Black Hawk
Geronimo
Buffalo Bird Woman
Pretty Shield
Black Elk
Gertrude Bonnin (Zitkala-Sa)
Luther Standing Bear (Ota K'te)
Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa)
D'Arcy McNickle
N. Scott Momaday
Leslie Marmon Silko
James Welch
Louise Erdrich
Michael Dorris
Joseph Bruchac
Joseph M. Marshall III
Vine Deloria, Jr.
Sherman Alexie

The BSC Library has works by all of these Native American writers. Check them out!

Where Does Sherman Alexie Fit?

2008-10-13T07:10:00.000-07:00

Dr. Brian Palecek of United Tribes Technical College will give a presentation entitled A History of Native American Writers: Where Does Sherman Alexie Fit? in the Prairie Room, Student Union Building, on Wednesday,October 15, at 10 a.m. and again at noon.

A Full House ... and Then Some!

2008-10-10T07:40:00.000-07:00

Sherman Alexie packed the house last night. In fact, there were more people than seats! He didn't want to turn anyone away, so people with more "flexible butts" (Sherman's words) were invited to sit on the stage with him.

Sherman Alexie's performance was both funny and brilliant.

As Drake Carter, BSC's Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, said, If you missed it, I can only say that I'm sorry and better luck next time. :o)

Sherman Alexie at Belle Mehus!

2008-10-07T14:22:00.000-07:00

Sherman Alexie, author of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian, will be speaking at the Belle Mehus City Auditorium on Thursday, October 9, at 7:30 p.m.

Don't miss it! He's been at BSC before and is an amazing speaker. You will laugh and you will have a good time.

The Belle Mehus Auditorium is located at 201 North 6th Street in Bismarck, three blocks from the Bismarck Civic Center on the corner of North 6th Street and Broadway. There are parking spaces surrounding Belle Mehus Auditorium as well as two parking ramps. There is a small fee for parking in the ramps.

Campus Read 2008 Events Schedule

2008-09-22T11:30:00.001-07:00

Put these dates on your calendar!

September 29 ... Showing of Smoke Signals, 7 p.m., NECE Auditorium
October 9 ... Sherman Alexie speaks, 7:30 p.m., Belle Mehus City Auditorium
October 10 ... Showing of The Business of Fancy Dancing, 2 p.m., Sidney J. Lee Auditorium, Schafer Hall
October 15 ... Dr. Brian Palecek speaks about Native American writers, 10 a.m. in classrooms, locations to be announced; and at Noon in the Prairie Room, Student Union
October 22 ... Campus conversations: Book discussion, noon and 3 p.m., Prairie Room, Student Union
November 3 ... Authors Heid and Lise Erdrich read from their work and discuss Alexie's book, 7:30 p.m., Missouri Room, Student Union
November 4 ... Authors Heid and Lise Erdrich - classroom visits, locations/times to be announced
November 12 ... Humanites scholar Clay Jenkinson speaks on themes from Alexie's book, 7-9 p.m., Sidney J. Lee Auditorium, Schafer Hall
December 1 - Deadline for Campus Read Essay Contest submissions

Essay Contest -- Win a $500 Scholarship!

2008-09-19T11:31:00.001-07:00

An announcement to all BSC students ...

You're already reading, discussing, and writing about Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. Shape up those ideas and submit an essay to the Campus Read Essay contest. The student with the winning essay will be awarded a $500 scholarship from the BSC Foundation for the Spring 2008 semester.

Guidelines

Submit your best work of 600 words or more. The topic may be anything related to your consideration of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. For example, a critical response to the book, or a narrative essay relating your own experiences that relate to the theme of the book. These are only examples. Don't be afraid to be creative!
Essays must be typed and must be a polished, finished product.
Essays will be judged anonymously, so include your name on a separate cover page with the title of your essay.
The submission deadline is Monday, December 1, 2008. Essays may be submitted electronically as an attachment and e-mailed to Katherine.Netzer@bsc.nodak.edu, OR hand-delivered to the BSC Library front desk.
The winning essay will be published in The Mystician.

BSC Campus Read 2008

2008-09-08T12:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome to BSC Campus Read 2008!

The selection for the 2008 BSC Campus Read is The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, the 2007 National Book Award Winner for Young People's Literature.

We look forward to posting information about 2008 Campus Read events and getting your comments about this book.