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SMSU Briefs for Feb. 27

‘Out of Silence’ readings March 4 at SMSU

A series of readings, “Out of Silence: Abortion Stories from the 1 in 3 Campaign” will be held on Monday, March 4 at 7 p.m. in the Conference Center, lower level, on the campus of Southwest Minnesota State University.

The readings are part of Women’s History Month events at SMSU.

The 1 in 3 Campaign is a grassroots movement to start a new conversation about abortion. It hopes to end the stigma and shame women are made to feel about abortion. By sharing stories, it’s the group’s goal to build a culture of compassion, empathy and support for access to basic health care.

The event will feature live readings of vignettes from actual women and men and is sponsored by the Women’s Studies Committee and SMSU Feminist Club.

For more information, contact Maureen.Sander-Staudt@smsu.edu.

‘FarmHer’ film screening March 7 at SMSU

A screening of the film, “FarmHer,” will be at 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 7 in Charter Hall 201 at Southwest Minnesota State University.

“FarmHer” is a 2013 film by Marji Gulyer-Alaniz, a photographer who has devoted her life to photographing women farmers. Gulyer-Alaniz will join the event via Skype.

The documentary follows women farmers and ranchers around the country, and visits with them about what it is like to be a woman in what is typically thought of as a man’s world. They all vary in age, ethnicity, and the type of farming and ranching they do.

Following the screening, a panel discussion will be held featuring a diverse group of women involved in Minnesota farming. The panel includes:

• Dr. Kristin Kovar, agricultural education professor at SMSU

• Ruth Lanoue, RN, farm wife and mother of six

• Carolyn Olson, Minnesota Farm Bureau District III director, and farmer

• Olga Reuvekamp, executive director, Minnesota Agriculture and Rural Leadership (MARL)

The event is a part of Women’s History Month activities at SMSU. It is free and open to the public, and is sponsored by the SMSU Women’s Studies Committee and the SMSU Feminist Club.

For more information, contact: Maureen.Sanders-Staudt@smsu.edu.

‘American Creed: Community Conversations’

Southwest Minnesota State University and the Marshall-Lyon County Library will host a series of events titled “American Creed: Community Conversations.”

The main topics include: 1. Who are the “we” in “We the People?” 2. What does being a “citizen” mean? and 3. What does it mean to be “American?”

Community Conversations are nonpartisan, moderated discussions inviting community members to consider what American’s ideal and identity should be. These events are rescheduled from earlier dates, which were affected by winter weather.

• The first event on Tuesday, March 5 will be a film and discussion. The film, “American Creed,” is constructed around a seminar-style conversation co-led by the renowned historian David M. Kennedy, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, and his Stanford University colleague, political scientist and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

• Tuesday, March 26 is the second conversation and is titled “Farming and Agriculture.” It will be at noon in Charter Hall 201, and at 6:30 p.m. at the Marshall-Lyon County Library.

• The last discussion in the series is “Civic Engagement” at noon Tuesday, April 9 in Charter Hall Room 201, and at 6:30 p.m. at the Marshall-Lyon County Library.

The series is a collaboration of the Marshall-Lyon County Library; Southwest Minnesota State University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion; and Pioneer Public Television.

For more information contact the SMSU Office of Diversity and Inclusion at 507-537-6169.

Enga wins state Forensics championship

Senior Crystal Enga won an individual state championship in oratory and the Southwest Minnesota State University forensics team finished fourth in the large-school division at the recent Minnesota Collegiate Forensics Association Speech and Debate Tournament, hosted by SMSU.

It marked the first time that SMSU has competed in the Large Team Entry Sweepstakes, and the fourth-place finish pleased Director of Forensics Ben Walker. He noted the only schools to finish higher had “much larger teams.”

Enga is an early childhood major from Marshall. Her state championship marks the second straight year an SMSU participant has won a state title, and the second time in six years and a Mustang has won in the Oratory category.

She will represent Minnesota at the Interstate Oratorical Association Contest later in the year.

Senior Doria Drost was selected as a member of the inaugural All-State Team by the Minnesota Collegiate Forensics Association. Drost is a business administration major from Rushmore.

The All-State team is comprised of a group of individuals who demonstrate excellence in four areas: scholarship, leadership, service and forensic competition.

Drost finished second at the MCFA meet in communication analysis, and Enga was sixth.

Other SMSU students competing in the event were senior Laura Huebert, communication studies, Welcome; senior Kristen Barnhardt, individualized interdisciplinary, Sioux Falls, S.D.; sophomore Chanelle Walker, sociology, Dunnell; freshman Jocelyn Klein, Tyler; and freshman Emma Runyan, political science, Montevideo.

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