ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University will kick off its Fall 2024 Noon Forums on Wednesday, Sept. 18, in the Williams Library Round Room.

Dr. Jon Schaff will be the featured speaker at the noon event, titled “The Genius of Mr. Madison’s Constitution.” Schaff is the director of the Center for Public History and Civic Engagement.

Schaff’s Noon Forum is a follow-up to Northern’s Constitution Day Celebration, held on Tuesday, Sept. 17.

The second Noon Forum of the semester will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 25, with featured speakers Heidi Waldner and Matt Perreault.

With farmland covering over 85% of South Dakota’s total land area and 98% of farms being family-owned (2022 data), many Northern students have grown up immersed in agriculture. Offering a unique perspective, Waldner, who grew up in the Hutterville colony, will discuss Hutterite culture, agriculture, and the importance of education in Hutterville. Perreault participated in CETL’s Summer Farming Immersion Experience this past summer, lodging with a host family in the colony and taking part in various community and farming activities over three days. He will share his experiences and takeaways from the CETL event.

For detailed descriptions of future forums, please see the Northern State University website.

The Noon Forums, which are free and open to the public, will continue throughout the semester at noon most Wednesdays in the library. Scheduled topics are as follows:

  • Sept. 18 – The Genius of Mr. Madison’s Constitution – Jon Schaff
  • Sept. 25 – Welcome to Hutterville: Getting to Know Our Hutterite Students – Heidi Waldner and Matt Perreault
  • Oct. 2 – Return of the Wolves (Gypsy Week forum) – Alison Kuch
  • Oct. 9 – The Ballot or the Ballot? Potential Consequences of Initiated Measures – Evelynn Carlson
  • Oct. 16 – The Rez of the Story: Leháŋl Wičhíčhaǧapi (The Prospering Ones) – Pam Monaghan-Geenaert and Lara Nelson
  • Oct. 23 – Only a Week to Save Democracy – Steve Usitalo, Ken Blanchard, Jon Schaff
  • Oct. 30 – No forum
  • Nov. 6 – First-Generation Panel – Kirsten Ackerman, Cassandra Maillet
  • Nov. 13 – Veterans Day Forum
  • Nov. 20 – Don’t Forget to Breathe – Aimee Roy, Ken Blanchard, Scott Yuilie
  • Nov. 27 – No forum
  • Dec. 4 – Speech and Debate Spotlight – Gus Foote and students
  • Dec. 11 – Wolves Roaming the World – Anna Schwan