Welcome to the NSU News Update - providing information on events happening on campus or involving NSU students, staff and faculty. 

To submit a news item, send it via email to NSUNews@northern.edu by 5 p.m. Thursday of the week before the announcement should run.

COVID-19 News

• Current Self-Reported Case Count: Total active cases: 9 (4 students; 5 faculty/staff). Total quarantined or isolated: 35 (12 on campus; 23 off campus). (Numbers as of Oct. 24, 2020; please note: those in quarantine/isolation aren’t necessarily confirmed or symptomatic cases)
• Mask Level: NSU is at Level 3, which requires face coverings in all public indoor spaces on campus. Learn more about the SDBOR Face Covering Protocol here.
• Webpage Updates: Northern has updated its COVID-19 Webpage, now including various FAQs for students, faculty and staff.
• Requesting Supplies: To request COVID-19 supplies from NSU Facilities, please work with your supervisor to determine the proposed needs for your entire department and submit an order using this online form.

Vote for the Best Decorated Pumpkin

The Financial Aid and Registrar’s Office is holding their seventh annual pumpkin decorating contest. Staff from both offices have decorated Halloween pumpkins and it’s your vote that will decide the best decorated! Stop by their office in Dacotah Hall 103 and place your vote starting on Monday, Oct. 26. The winner will be announced on the Registrar and Financial Aid Facebook accounts the afternoon of Oct. 30 after the week’s votes have been tallied.

'Thrift Style' exhibition at NSU Williams Library

A nationally touring exhibition is now open in NSU Williams Library. “Thrift Style” explores the reuse of feed sacks to make clothing and other household objects and illuminates how the “upcycling” of these bags mutually benefitted 20th-century consumers and businesses. With 41 works from patterns to garments, it serves as an example of past ingenuity that can inform today’s efforts towards sustainability. This exhibit is hosted by the South Dakota Germans from Russia Cultural Center, which is also located in Williams Library. The exhibition is organized by the Historic Costume and Textile Museum and the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art, both at Kansas State University, and ExhibitsUSA, a program of Mid-America Arts Alliance. The exhibit, which will be on display at Williams Library through Nov. 30, is free and open for public viewing from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday. To accommodate appropriate social distancing, groups of 10 or fewer are able to view the exhibit at one time. Please note that masks are required. For more information, call 605-626-7770.

‘This Is Us’ Art Exhibition

“This Is Us,” by Lee Leuning and Sherri Treeby, will be on display in the in the JFAC Gallery through Oct. 27. Admission to the exhibition is free, and the gallery is open to the public 8 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Friday. “This Is Us” embodies the prolific careers of Leuning and Treeby. On display is the mastery of high realism that defines their sculpture practice. Featuring bronze sculptures, paintings, relief sculptures, maquettes and various artwork images, Leuning and Treeby’s work captures the stories and legacies of the American spirit. For more information, visit the NSU Art Galleries webpage or NSU Art Department Facebook page.

Halloween Sale at the NSU Wolf Shoppe

The NSU Wolf Shoppe will have a Halloween Sale Oct. 28-30. Select a scratch-off coupon to reveal a discount of 15, 20, 25 or 30 percent off clothing and giftware!

Upcoming CETL Event

Join CETL on Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 4 p.m. in the Jewett Regional Science Center, Room #133 or via this Zoom link, as we host a Liberal Arts Roundtable discussion. Dr. Liz Sills will moderate the panel consisting of Mr. Noah Files, assistant professor of theater design; Dr. Amber Henderson, assistant professor of marketing and management; and Dr. Andrew Russell, associate professor of biology and coordinator of undergraduate research, as they discuss what it means to be a liberal arts university. Each of the panelists have had experience either attending or teaching at a liberal arts university. We ask that you RSVP by emailing CETL (CETL@northern.edu) if you plan to attend in person; we want to make sure we bring enough snacks and can properly social distance. We look forward to seeing you! (Zoom Passcode: k2V&7J)

Fall Festival

It may be snowing, but we are still celebrating fall! Fall Festival is on Oct. 29 in the Centennial Rooms and second floor of the Avera Student Center. Join us at 4:30 p.m. for a costume contest, games and food. Then at 7 p.m. in the Barnett Center, “Hocus Pocus” will be showing! We will have popcorn and sodas available for all. Don’t miss this exciting event!

Fight the Flu!

An opportunity for Northern Students to get a FREE Flu Shot:

• WHAT: Aberdeen Area Point of Dispensing (POD)
• WHEN: Friday, Oct. 30, from 3:30 to 6 p.m.
• WHERE: Aberdeen Civic Arena (203 S. Washington St., Aberdeen)

2020 Fall Faculty and Staff Trainings

Instructional Technology Services is holding faculty and staff training sessions in October and November that cover a variety of technology topics. Please check out the schedule, then register for any sessions that interest you!

• Schedule link.  
• Register link. 

Library Survey

NSU Undergraduate and Graduate Students: You’re invited to take the library survey!

Five minutes of your time can help shape the services the library offers as well as get your name in a drawing for 1 of 3 prizes! A basket full of goodies (scope it out at the front desk in the library) or one of two 3-D prints of your choosing! The survey is open Oct. 12-30. Check your email for the link to the survey or scan the QR code.

Virtual Arts Day

The School of Fine Arts will present the first ever Virtual Arts Day on Nov. 4. Open to all regional high school students in South Dakota and surrounding states, Virtual Arts Day will consist of art, music and theatre workshops throughout the day – all through Zoom. A variety of sessions will be presented, including instructional clinics, student question-and-answer opportunities and a campus tour. The workshops will be presented by faculty members and students from Northern’s art, music and theatre departments. Fine arts advisor Jani Kovach will also offer sessions. For more information or to register, visit Virtual Arts Day or contact the School of Fine Arts at 605-626-2497.

Blood Drive

The Pre-Med club will be hosting a blood drive on Friday, Nov. 6, from 9:15 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Rivett Foyer in JSC. Anyone who is interested in donating can contact George.nora@northern.edu, or sign up online at this link.

Northern Edge Award

The Northern Edge Award is a new funding opportunity that started in spring 2020. This award was designed to augment existing funding sources for undergraduate scholarship at NSU. It is especially intended to aid student projects in under-represented disciplines and/or projects that may not be eligible/competitive for other funding opportunities on campus (i.e., student travel grants, or the Competitive Research Grant). Faculty-mentored projects may receive up to $1,000, which can be used for traditional research expenses or discipline-specific costs such as travel for performances/exhibits. The application process is more streamlined, but still requires a budget detail and narrative. The application deadline this semester is 5 p.m. Nov. 9. For more information on how students can apply for this award, please visit northern.edu/undergraduate-research. For questions, contact NSU’s Undergraduate Research Coordinator at andrew.russell@northern.edu.

3D Modeling Workshop

Williams Library is hosting a 3D modeling workshop via zoom at 4 p.m. Nov. 18. Learn the basics of 3D modeling and how it applies to 3D printing. The event is free for all NSU students, staff and faculty. To attend, please register by Nov. 13 by contacting Lynn Klundt at Lynn.Klundt@northern.edu. 

Winter Commencement

Northern will hold an in-person winter commencement ceremony, open to all 2020 NSU graduates, at 10 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, 2020, in the Barnett Center. Only graduating students, along with faculty and select staff, will be allowed inside the Barnett Center for the ceremony. For parents, friends and loved ones, the event will be live streamed through the NSU Facebook page and locally through cable channel 12. Attendees at the ceremony will also be required to wear masks, as mandated by the S.D. Board of Regents. Participants will also be appropriately spaced throughout the Barnett Center.

Northern Lights is now taking submissions for the 2021 issue of Northern Lights. Students can submit their stories, poetry, art, creative nonfiction, photography, original essays, short films and songs to northernlights@northern.edu or message us on Facebook! Accepted submissions will be included in our Literary Magazine that is released in March 2021. Please submit all written works as a Word document (.docx) or a PDF (.pdf), and any artworks as a JPEG (.jpeg) or JPG (.jpg) file. Submissions are open until Dec. 31, 2020. If you have any questions, contact our president, Madi Filber, madi.filber@wolves.northern.edu, and she can answer any questions concerning how to submit or other questions.

Career Services Workshop Series

Career Services has also created a workshop series that will be available via Zoom to help prepare for this exciting event! These workshops include:

• Elevator Pitch and Networking Preparation
• Interview and Job Fair Preparation
• How to Use the Virtual Job Fair System

The dates, times, and Zoom links for these workshops can be found on the Career Services' Facebook page or on Wolf Work, (see 'Career Events', 'Career Workshops’). To learn more, or for assistance preparing for this event, please contact Career Services at 605-626-3007 or careerservices@northern.edu! 

Community Boards

Students, faculty and staff: Do you serve on a community board or committee? We’re compiling a list of all members of the NSU campus community who serve on a board at the local, regional, statewide or national level. Please let us know by emailing communications@northern.edu.

NSU Intramural Waiver Forms

NSU’s Intramural department is dedicated to providing the best and safest experience possible for all staff, faculty and registered students at Northern State University. In an effort to limit person-to-person contact, all Intramural and Fitness Center waiver forms will be processed electronically this year.

The online waiver serves two functions:

1)    To grant swipe access to the fitness center in Barnett Center, and

2)    To grant swipe access to the Dacotah Hall gym and the Athletic and Recreation Fields.

Waivers from prior semesters have been deactivated to ensure electronic submissions are gathered for every individual. All faculty, staff and students must complete the online waiver before access is granted or reinstated for previous users. Paper forms will NOT be accepted.

NSU ID cards are required for swipe access. If you do not have a card, please contact Jessica Beilke in the Finance Office to schedule an appointment to get one. The first ID issued to students is free; replacement IDs are $15 each. You must schedule an appointment - walk-ins will not be accepted. Contact Jessica at jessica.beilke@northern.edu or 605-626-2516.

Please understand that access will not be immediate. It may take 2-3 business days for your card to be activated, so be sure to submit early! Access the waiver here.

All indoor use will require face coverings, and maximum capacities will be enforced for each space in order to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. At this time, face coverings will be required in all spaces.

Intramural leagues are starting soon! Keep an eye out for flyers across campus or sign up on IMLeagues.com. For more information or to access and fill out the digital waiver or hours, please visit the NSU Intramural website.

Dacotah Hall Open Hours:

• Monday-Friday: 6 a.m.-3 p.m. and 6-10 pm
• Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Wolves Team Store on Facebook

The Wolves Nike Team Store has a new Facebook Page! Search NSU Wolves Team Store or click this link to like the page and keep updated on store specials (in-store and online), new inventory, pop-up shops, and everyone's favorite the #WOOTD (Wolves Outfit of the Day)! And don’t forget you can also follow us on Twitter by searching @NSUWolves_Store. Go Wolves!

Exponent Moving Online

The Exponent is doing their part to eliminate surface spread of COVID-19 by moving issues solely online for fall and spring semester. New issues are released Thursdays bi-weekly at exponentnsu.wordpress.com.

American Indian Circle Program Cultural Education Time

Northern State University is dedicated to the recognition of tribal traditions and ceremonies that complement the holistic well-being of American Indian and Alaska Native students. The first Tuesday of every month from 12:15-12:30 p.m., we come together in Spafford 106 and have cultural education time to talk about what smudging is, the importance it symbolizes in Indigenous culture and a time of reflection. For the fall 2020 semester we ask that you mask up and meet on the campus green in front of Spafford so that there can be social distancing. The American Indian Circle Program would like to invite the NSU campus community to come and participate in our monthly Smudge. Everyone is welcome!

Student Events Calendar and Virtual Events List

Looking for a way to stay connected during this strange social distancing time? Need a way to stay active? Just need a break from studying and Zooming? In quarantine and looking for things to do? Check out the Student Events Calendar or the Virtual Events list! The calendar has everything from student club meetings, Supplemental Instruction, Intramural Open Gyms, CAB events, service projects, and more! Or, check out the Virtual Events list to tour a world-renowned museum, visit a national park, or host a Hulu watch party with friends. As Brené Brown says, “Connection is why we’re here; it is what gives purpose and meaning to our lives.” So, stay connected, Wolves. We’re in this together.

• Download the NSU Mobile App to have the list of Student Events at your fingertips:
• Student Events Calendar
• Virtual Events

Job Openings at NSU

Just a reminder that NSU posts all current job openings at the SDBOR website. Remember to check out the site for opportunities around campus!

Community Spotlight: St. Mary’s Catholic Church

St. Mary’s Catholic Church has a food pantry and would like to make sure that any students who are food-insufficient know about it. It is a no-questions-asked program. Students call the church office and request food help. The phone number is 605-229-4422. There will be a box of food assembled with their name on it and placed in the common area of the church, and the student drops by to get it. St. Mary’s is one of many churches and organizations in the Aberdeen community committed to helping our students.

Community Spotlight: Salvation Army Student Day

Students: Friday is Student Day at The Salvation Army! Please feel free to stop by The Salvation Army, 1003 Sixth Ave. S.W., every Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. for free produce and bread donated from local gardeners, farmers and grocers in Aberdeen. Just bring your student ID and fill a plastic bag with your favorite healthy snacks. (First come, first served basis.)

Free Online Tutoring Sessions

The NSU Tutoring Center offers free online sessions to any Northern student for all general education classes and most upper-level classes. The sessions are conducted through Zoom, which allows real-time interaction between students and tutors. For more information or to set up an online tutoring session, students can email nsututoringcenter@northern.edu

Employee Assistance Plan

Benefits eligible staff: Please keep in mind that your benefits plans include free use of our Employee Assistance Plan. Every eligible staff member has five free visits available with a counselor. If you need assistance, please utilize this wonderful benefit, found at this link; the password is southdakota.

Wolves Athletics

Stay up to date with NSU Wolves news on the athletics webpage.