WSU reading project chooses Ozeki novel

WiNONA, Minn., April 30, 2007 -- A novel built around a television cooking show, Ruth Ozeki's "My Year of Meats," has been chosen for a campus-wide reading program at Winona State, organizer J.Paul Johnson of the English faculty announced. The program, called the Common Book Project, is designed to bring together readers in the discussion of a single work in a series of seminars, presentations and readings. In Ozeki's novel, two women on opposite sides of the planet, Jane and Akiko, find lives their connected by the cooking show. MORE Prof Elizabeth Oness, also of the English faculty, said she has found student enthusiasm for "My Year iof Meats." The book addresses cross-cultural understanding, the complexities of denial, and the effects of growth hormones in our food, said Oness. She called the book both penetrating and entertaining -- " a testament to Ozeki's skill that she delivers an important message in a provocative and humorous novel." MORE Ozeki will be at Winona State Oct. 2 and 3 and again in the spring to read from her novel and work with students, Johnson said. "My Year of Meats" will be adopted in numerous sections of English classes, he said. Other prof are encouraged to adopt the book in their courses. A packet of teaching and contextual materials for prospective adopters will be available by midsummer, Johnson said. He said the book may prove especially instructive in courses that address concerns of environmentalism and sustainability, medical and scientific ethics, media culture, television production, culture and ethnicity, Japanese-American relations, and gender roles. MORE "My Year of Meats" has been translated into 11 languages and published in 14 countries. It won the Kiriyama Pacific Rim Award, the Imus/Barnes and Noble American Book Award, and a Special Jury Prize of the World Cookbook Awards in Versailles. MORE The Common Book reading Is going into its third year at Winona State. More than 3,000 campus people joined earlier in reading Fan Shen's "Gang of One" and Kent Nerburn's 'Neither Wolf Nor Dog."

"MY YEAR OF MEATS" By Ruth Ozeki

UPCOMING EVENTS
ST. MARY'S	SOUTHEAST TECH	WINONA STATE

$15,000 raise to promoted WSU exec

SOFTBALL North Dakota 8, WSU 3 Minnesota State-Mankato 4, WSU 3

SOFTBALL WSU 5, South Dakota 3 WSU 10, Augustana 7 Nebraska-Omaha 5, WSU 2

SOFTBALL SMU 4, Carleton 2SMU 11, Carleton 4

PHOTOGRAPHER: DOUG SUNDIN

"DEJA TROIS" Winona State University dancers Ally Lueneburg, Lydia Schlittler and Heidi Draskoci-Johnson perform in prof Gretchen Cohenour's "Deja Trois" in a University of Wisconsin-Madison program.

BASEBALL SMU 4, Hamline 3 Hamline 6, SMU 3

Shades of WSU in grad's suicide novel

ROCK ISLAND, Ill., April 27, 2007 -- A recent Winona State journalism grad has written a novel based on his experiences with parties, alcohol and suicide at the university. Brian Krans, now a police reporter for the Argus-Dispatch in Rock Island, Ill., said he took his experiences with suicidal friends and memories of his own suicidal tendencies in college and put them in his novel, "A Constant Suicide." The book, started during National Novel Writing Month in November, is about freshman Chris thrown into college life after graduating from a strict Catholic high school. Suddenly unsheltered, Chris creates a "checklist of debauchery" and in the process befriends Ethan, the campus party king. Ethan commits suicide and the novel covers Chris's search for an explanation. MORE Although Krans doesn't name the college in the novel, except that it's in the Midwest with place names like Prentiss and Huff Street. Krans is quick to say that "A Constant Suicide" applies to any colleges with issues like suicide, depression and drinking. "This is a real glimpse of what college is like." MORE Krans said. Although "A Constant Suicide" was originally an ode to college friends, it has become a book to confront an issue, he said. "Every college everywhere has had students who committed suicide. It's not something to belittle," Krans said. "They should start talking about it, and realize it is a big problem in college." With his novel, Krans said, he hopes more students will recognize signs of a student with suicidal tendencies and be able to help prevent future tragedies. Students who struggle with suicidal tendencies could get some hindsight when someone commits suicide, he said. "They can see what happens after someone kills themselves and that it's not as glorious as they think." MORE At Winona State, from which he was graduated in 2003, Krans was news editor of the Winonan student newspaper. He won the Bremer award for reporting excellence on the CyberIndee. He also worked part-time at the Daily News and served as news director at campus radio station KQAL. Reporter: Amanda Farley

BRIAN KRANS 2004 WSU j-grad in a pose for his novel's jacket Available in mid-May from Amazon.com and elsewhere. FROM THE JACKET Chris -- a self-dubbed loser -- desperately wants too shed his obedient life. That's when the socially adept Ethan shows him true happiness through basement parties and campus terrorism. A pond full of fish pay the price. MORE Everything seems fine until Ethan kills himself sophomore year. Chris has to discover why the school's new social icon would choose suicide as his way out. He won't like the answers. MORE Both memoir and fiction, "A Constant Suicide: is a realistic portrayal of the underside of campus life populated by those seeking the never-ending party."

Hunger-strike coverage wins Lanz prize

WINONA, April 27, 2007 -- A Winona State junior, Shannon McGraw, won the new Dean Lanz Award for reporting on social justice and free expression issues in covering a student hunger strike that helped forced university administrators to acknowledge serious governance problems in dorms. McGraw's reports included interviews with lead striker Brandon Nagel. McGraw's interview with Nagel's mother was called "extraordinarily insightful" by j-prof John Vivian, publisher of the CyberIndee. McGraw's work appeared on the CyberIndee. MORE The prize, $500 cash, is named for Dean Lanz, a Winona lawyer who devoted himself to social justice and free expression. he died in March. His parents Raymond and Phyllis Lanz and brother Darrell attended the presentation, which coincided with what would have been his 54th birthday. The award has been made possible with gifts that are building a permanent endowment through the WSU Foundation for annual awards. MORE Other CyberIndee journalism recognitions: Sarah Dotta and Lydia Oglesby received Bremer Prizes, named for a long-time editor of the Daily News. Dotta has covered troublesome searches for vacant deanships, her reporting drawing heavily on documents not typically available for public scrutiny. Oglesby covered the obstacles that student senators faced from both university and county authorities in struggling for student suffrage rights in the November election. Each received a $500 cash prize. MORE Tom Wilder received the Vivian Prize for investigative reporting that unearthed $400,000 in legal expenses up secretly by the Minnesota State University Student Association. Until Wilder's reporting based, based in documents in the secretary of state's office, comprised the first on a financial mess that almost sent MSUSA in insolvency. Association leaders had not informed its own delegate assembly nor students who pay MSUSA's bill with a fee obscurely placed in their itemized tuition bills. MORE Samuel Keane-Rudolph received the Corrigan Prize for integrating visuals in word-driven account of a student Christian mission to the Pine Ridge, S.D., Indian reservation over Spring beat. The piece, 3,500 words, was among the longest ever carried on he CyberIndee. The prized, named for a photojournalism student who died his sophomore year, carries a $500 cash prize. MORE Recognized with Journalism Leadership awards were Chad Larimer, managing editor of the CyberIndee; Matt Huss, sports editor; and Paul Solberg, photo editor. The awards are $2,000 a year renewable. Announced as winners of $1,000 J-Leadership summer awards were Elizabeth Adams as chief correspondent and Samuel Keane-Rudolph as senior correspondent.

SHANNON MCGRAW Reporting on social justice and free expression issues SARAH DOTTA LYDIA OGLESBY Bremer Prize winners SAMUEL KEANE-RUDOLPH TOM WILDER Corrigan and Vivian winners CHAD LARIMER MATT HUSS PAUL SOLBERG Journalism Leadership awards ELIZABETH ADAMS SAMUEL KEANE-RUDOLPH Summer J-Leadership awards

BASEBALL WSU 14, Minnesota-Duluth 8 WSU 9, Minnesota-Duluth 3

Ramaley: Solve radio issues by Oct. 15

TV prof defends NBC on "manifesto"

Station chief defers on pressing issues

WINONA, Minn., April 26, 2007 -- The manager of WInona State radio station Ajit Daniel turned away questions Thursday about dissatisfaction with the station, which has erupted at the highest levels of the university. Asked about the mass communication faculty call for university President Judith Ramaley to suspend her order to evaluate programming and station issues, Daniel declined comment. "My job is to work in the service to the department and my own personal interests," said Daniel. "The rest is in the hands of god almighty and the powers that be at Winona State. Beyond that I have no power." Meanwhile the masscom faculty request for time to get on top of station problems and work out a solution is on Ramaley's desk. MORE The masscom faculty voted unanimously Wednesday for Ramaley to put her order on ice after a cascade of revelations following the disclosure the days earlier on a report by new academic Vice President Sally Johnstone that KQAL programming was not avoid fit with the university's community service mission or campuswide service. Then came a revelation that Daniel had not informed the masscom faculty that he had reserve funds to relocate the KQAL transmitter when he had asked the faculty to sign off on a $30,000 request to the administration to fund the relocation. In addition, Daniel admitted he had requested $30,000 for the same project from an outside grants agency, known as AMPERS, without informing either the masscom faculty or university administrators. MORE Daniel put those issues off the table in an earlier-scheduled interview on Thursday. The interview itself was a rarity. Of 71 requests for interviews logged by CyberIndee reporters since 1997, Daniel has granted but four. For the interview Thursday, however, Daniel talked about issues other than the Johnstone report and growing concern about his management of station finances and programming. MORE Daniel said he embraces a long-standing masscom department plan to consolidate the radio station, now in the Performing Arts Center, and television operations, now in Phelps-Howell. It's always been a worthwhile concept, he said. He claimed he has been a proponent of combining them facilities since arriving at Winona State in 1982. Broadcast students need to know how to use both television and radio, said Daniel. The prospects for the consolidation of facilities looks positive, he said: "I'm glad this thing will happen before I die." He is 61. For the radio-television consolidation, the masscom department needs an estimated $800,000 to $1 million from the university budget. MORE About relocating the station transmitter, which triggered a four-month, closed-door investigation by academic Vice President Johnstone into station practices, acting at university President Ramaley's behest, Daniel explained that the tower on Garvin Heights on which the transmitter hangs is due for demolition. Tower space is rented from Winona Radio, whose owners, Jerry and Pat Papenfuss, have sold the land for a big-bucks real estate development. The Winona State contact for the tower space expires June 30. MORE The current contract is for $400 rent a month, $4,800 annually. Daniel said he is "out of the loop" and has no idea when negotiations will take place for renewing the tower-space contract. The idea, however, is for KQAL's transmitter to again be mounted on the Winona Radio tower, which will be hoisted somewhere on the bluffs on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi. Daniel said he also is out of the loop on the site of the new Papenfuss tower. MORE The relocation of the tower, Daniel said, will affect the area of KQAL coverage but not adversely. "We will lose some coverage to the north and northeast, but we will gain some to the south and southeast which is a good gain for us," said Daniel. KQAL will gain a lot of traffic on Highway 61 to La Crosse, said Daniel. Daniel also said the transmitter wattage is rising 39 percent from 1,800 watts to 2,500.

AJIT DANIEL KQAL general manager talks only about what he wants to talk about. Daniel bypasses interview opportunity to elaborate on his objections to the Johnstone report that claims station inadequacies. Also unanswered is why Daniel sought university and outside-agency funds for the same engineering project -- when he already had enough money in the station budget

Criminal justice prof faults news focus

Speaker: Poetry's elegant concealed power

SOFTBALL UW-La Crosse 4, SMU 0

In foreign territory, she had to focus

WINONA, Minn., April 26, 2007 -- Hard work pays off Altargana Enkhbat, who will carry the the honor barrier of the liberal-arts banner for the Winona State University commencement next week. Enkhbat, a liberal arts junior with the highest grades, said she finds time in her busy schedule, between classes and work, to study. Enkhbat said she spends most of the weekend studying too. MORE Enkhbat, whose focusing on political science and global studies, said she averages 17 credits per semester, even 19 credits at one point. She works usually 13 hours a week, some times more, in a campus cafeteria. A typical student load is 16 credits. She's so busy that she has to schedule time just to have lunch with her friends, Enkhbat said. MORE In an interview, Enkhbat said her motivation comes from being away from home. Enkhbat, the only student at Winona State from Mongolia, has been here at the university three years. She has been home only once, this past December, to visit her family. MORE When she first arrived here, Enkhbat said, classes in U.S. politics and state and local government were difficult because of English barrier and lack of knowledge about American institutions and customs. Those are obstacle, she said, that she has overcome. MORE What drives her to study hard is her interest in the subject, she said. She enjoys the process learning and finds it fun. Now three years into college, Enkhbat said she is used to the hectic schedule and has learned to how balance schoolwork, study time, work, and still manage to have fun with friends. Her advice to fellow students: Find something that interests them.

WSU COMMENCEMENT FRIDAY MAY 4 ALTARGANA ENKHBAT Highest grades among WSU in liberal arts juniors

ED GUERNICA, political scientist MARY KESLER, clinical psychologist CHUCK RIPLEY, literature

WSU experts try for answers, fall short

WSU workout gym hits setback

ST. PAUL, Minn., April 25, 2007 -- State funding for a top-rate workout gym at Winona State University, a $15.2 million project, is dead in the Legislature. The proposed state share for construction did not make the cut in the key House project list for borrowing. Maybe next year, said State Rep. Gene Pelowski, D-Winona. Pelowski said legislators would include Winona State on their next tour of proposed projects statewide to assess the need. At Winona State, administrators have been trying to cobble together funding for the gym from donations, student fees and the Legislature. This spring the Student Senate endorsed a gym fee increase, to $140 a year, to pitch in $8 million for the gym. The facility would be an elbow extension from Memorial Hall around the west and north side of McCown gym. Architects show six running tracks, as well as classrooms and an array of health-related functions. MORE Former House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, has had some explaining to do about why the gym didn't make the House bonding bill. In October, while seeking re-election, he promised a Winona State crowd at a ground-breaking ceremony for another building that the Legislature would fund the workout gym this year. It was a flat-out promise that Sviggum repeated when the Daily News pressed him in a follow-up interview. Although Sviggum won re-election, he lost the House speakership in the Democratic takeover. Now the Daily News has pressed Sviggum again: "What happened?" The newspaper quoted him as saying he had been only joking, tying the promise to the unlikely possibility that the university would repeat its national basketball championship. He added, too, that he had lost the powerful House speaker position. MORE Student support has been mixed for using their money for the facility, which university officials like to call a "wellness center." The Student Senate endorsement of a fee increase was 10-4 with two abstentions after rigorous debate. Among opponents was liberal-arts Sen. Jared Stene, who later won the student presidency in a campaign that emphasized responsible stewardship of student resources. MORE When first proposed the gym add-on was touted as a $2 to $3 million project. the university's chief fund-raiser, Jim Schmidt, said at the time that the funds would be entirely from gifts. Donations came slowly, however, and costs escalated with Chinese projects absorbing the world's supply of concrete, steel and other materials. Schmidt now says the university has $3 million in gift pledges for the project. In Student Senate debate, concern was expressed that university administrators might loosely interpret the Senate endorsement of a higher gym fee as a license to make up shortfalls in gifts and state funding by boosting the fee higher and higher.

GENE PELOWSKI Winona Democrat: Maybe next time STEVE SVIGGUM Kenyon Republican: Egg on his face HOW STUDENT SENATE VOTED MARCH 7 FOR FEE HIKE Jason Bauman Leon Durivage Ian Galchutt Dustin Greelis Charlie Moburg Lydia Olsen Candice Rempala AJ Schuler Justin Vasel Che Wang AGAINST FEE HIKE Terri Burke DJ Danielson Jared Stene Theresa Strahota ABSTEN- TIONS Kristina Durivage Scotty Ryan

SOFTBALL WSU 5, Wayne State 2 WSU 3, Wayne State 2

Warriors walk off, walk away with sweep

SOFTBALL SMU 13, Macalester 5 SMU 17, Macalester 1

Dean candidate sees role as advocate

TENNIS (MEN'S) Bethel 8, SMU 1

WINONA, Minn., April 25, 2007 -- The Winona State masscom faculty voted unanimously to ask university President Judith Ramaley to rescind her instructions for an overhaul of campus radio station KQAL's management practices and programming. The faculty asked for time to work on issues raised in a report by the university's academic vice president, Sally Johnstone. The report faulted the station as insulated from the rest of the university and not in tune with current academic and community service policies. The masscom faculty is responsible for KQAL but has left station management largely to radio prof Ajit Daniel without oversight for more than 20 years. The faculty, took up the issues in Johnstone's report Wednesday at an emotional, fiery meeting. MORE Faculty Sen. Cindy Killion, of the masscom faculty, complained to Daniel that she had been "blind-sided" at a Senate meeting at which the Johnstone report was released publicly for the first time. "Why, Ajit, hadn't you told us this was coming?" she asked. Daniel said he had not been folded into Johnstone's investigation, although at other points in the meeting he indicated he was aware that hearings were under way. He said he saw the issue as his job being on the line -- not the station being in jeopardy. MORE Other faculty, including John Vivian, complained that Daniel had been secretive about station business for years. Later Vivian said that Daniel has a long record of taking umbrage every time fellow faculty asked about station business. "Any inquiry into station activities has been made extremely difficult," Vivian said later. The station functions as part of the masscom curriculum, which supposedly is under the department faculty's control. Vivian, the founding chair of the department, said the university's monthly and annual budget status reports on KQAL once were routed to him as department chair. "That was 20 years ago," he said. "Somehow in the intervening years Ajit circumvented that monitoring and arranged for budget reports to go directly to him," Vivian said. "There is no monitoring, no oversight, no accountability. MORE Interim department Chair Drake Hokanson has said he doesn't have access to station budget information. Incumbent Chair John Weis, who reportedly has been privy to at least parts of the Johnstone inquiry, has been on sabbatical since January. It is believed that Weis has been monitoring the situation from Arizona, where he has spent most of his sabbatical -- except for a university-funded trip with Daniel to Egypt in March to explore possibilities for an exchange program and visit the Pyramids. MORE The role of liberal arts Dean Troy Paino in the Johnstone investigation is not clear His jurisdiction i the masscom department and KQAL. As interim masscom chair, Hokanson has more access to Paino than any other faculty member. Hokanson has told several masscom faculty colleagues that his first inkling that something was coming down occurred in early April when Paino casually asked him in a conversation while walking across campus: "And what about KQAL" Hokanson, however, did not convene an emergency meeting of the faculty and in fact didn't mention what he knew to anyone until the bombshell of Johnson's recommendations were unveiled before the Faculty Senate on Monday -- a full 38 days after Johnstone filed her report. MORE At the masscom faculty meeting Wednesday, Daniel reportedly cast himself as picked upon. Twice earlier in his Winona State career, Daniel said, he had been targeted by administrators. He told fellow faculty that he has taken initial steps for a formsl grievance against administrators on contractual issues. Also, he said he has an attorney. The contractual issue, he said, is an extended contract that gives him 50 salaried days of duty more than standard faculty contracts. The extended contract, which includes both teaching and KQAL management responsibilities, has put his salary above $91,000, making him one of the Winona State's highest compensated profs. Daniel did not explain what he knew of what if ant changes in his contracts that universuty administrators have in mind. He said a reduced contract could upset plans for financing his retirement. He is 61. MORE Several sources said that the masscom faculty plainly were distressed at Daniel and also at Ramaley and Johnstone for leapfrogging normal consultation with the department about department business. Faculty members were clear that they have ownership responsibility fOR KQAL operations, albeit their oversight default in recent years. MORE In the masscom faculty discussion, reportedly consuming almost all of the agenda Wednesday, profs concluded that Ramaley and Johnstone had been given a vehicle to launch their inquiry by a request from Daniel for $30,000 to relocate the KQAL transmitter. The station is losing space on the current tower on Garvin Heights, which is to be dismantled over the summer. In the discussion, Daniel conceded the funds are not needed from the university to move the tower. He said he has enough money from a pending grant from the Association of Minnesota Public and Education Radio Stations for the relocation. MORE Pressed on whether he withdrew the request for university funds when the AMPERS grant was approved, Daniel conceded that he had not. Pressed further, he said he has $34,000 in "the kitty," funds already on hand in station budgets, that also could be used for the relocation. Several participants at the meeting said that jaws dropped at the revelation that Daniel had, in effect, been triple-dipping for funds. Neither administration nor AMPERS nor the faculty, which is responsible for department budgets, including the KQAL budget, had any idea that Daniel never even needed outside funds for the project. MORE One participant at the Wednesday meeting said there was a lot of "wiggly talk" when Daniel was pressed for details. At one point Daniel said that AMPERS grant for relocating the transmitter was on hand, at another point that it had been approved, and at another point that it wouldn't arrive until perhaps September. AMPERS is an organization of noncommercial radio station that lobbies the Legislature for state funds that it then divvies up among member stations. Some AMPERS grants underwrite operations, others are for special needs like transmitter relocations. MORE After Daniel acknowledged duplicity -- perhaps it could be called triplicity -- in seeking funding and not keeping fund providers posted on what he was doing, the faculty voted to ask Ramaley to rescind her endorsement of the Johnstone proposal for revamping KQAL until the department faculty had get a handle on what has been going on. The motion, offered by Killion and seconded by Vivian, promised a collaborative effort with all parties, including Johnstone. The wording: "That the department advise administration that KQAL has approximately $30,000 that can be applied to the transmitter move, and that the Mass Comm department requests the suspension of Dr. Ramaley's March 20, 2007, Evaluation of Additional Investments in KQAL document so that the entire department can work with student leaders and Dr. Johnstone early in the fall to collaborate on the issues raised in the March 20 document, and to discuss program enhancements for KQAL." MORE The motion was approved at the last faculty meeting of the academic year, which for most intents and purposes puts the issue on hold until fall semester. By then, Hokanson's term as interim department chair will be over with Wwis returning from sabbatical. In the meantime, Daniel will continue as general manager for the summer with the $91,000 extended contract. MORE At the meeting Daniel denied parts of the Johnstone report that alleged that KQAL was not connecting with the campus or the community adequately. Daniel cited a few programs over the years, including a music commentary by former prof that ran for four years. When the music prof left, nobody came forth to continue the program, Daniel said. MORE After the meeting, some participants commented that Daniel has never energetcally pursued programming from elsehere in the university. "What there's been has been not enough," said one. "Listen to the station. You have a hard time finding interviews, speeches, panels or much of anything that's distictively WSU. It's almost all the unimaginative stuff -- playing music interspered with imported public affairs from around the world and other universities but not WSU. It's the laziest sort of programming a noncommercial station can do." Others had exeamples of Dasniel explicitly vetoing programs and content input even within the masscom department.

AJIT DANIEL Jaws dropped when he admitted to seeking triple funding from different sources for KQAL transmiter move. Masscom faculty asks WSU administrators for time to sort out the mess, including high-level pressure on Daniel for program reforms at the station. Daniel defends KQAL programming, blames paucity of WSU on-air content on lack of interest from other campus people.

BASEBALL Concordia of St. Paul 4, WSU 1 Concordia of St. Paul 5, WSU 0

Warriors' bats silenced by Golden Bears

R.I.P.: Bob B. Barker

R.I.P.: Doris (Gardner) Nichols

WSU pays KQAL chief $91,000

WSU ponders dorm crisis procedures

Students framing stance on tuition bill

MARSHALL, Minn., April 24, 2007 -- Student delegates from the seven Minnesota state universities will meet Saturday to formulate their reaction to a House-approved bill to increase tuition 2 percent next fall and then let it stand at that level for the year after. The vice chair of the Minnesota State University Student Association, Rick Howden, said that about 40 delegates are expected at the meeting at Southwest Minnesota State. Their stance, Howden said, would be passed on to the Minnesota State University Student Association's governing board, which will decide on instructions to the association's chair, Justin McMartin, for a meeting with legislators. The Legislature is in the process of ironing out the differences between House and Senate versions of the higher-ed bill that will determine tuition for the next two years. MORE Howden, a Winona State senior, called the House bill "encouraging." He said: "Higher education has been brought back to attention." He recognized that the proposed less than cost-of-living tuition hike in the fall, with a freeze the next year, is not without perils. The House proposal is financed by cutting $6 million cut from the central offices of the state college system, which includes the chancellor's operating budget. The loss of $6 million is somewhat worrying, Howden said, if student services are cut. MORE Howden claimed credit for the vocal Minnesota State University Student Association for "encouraging" House tuition plan. Students who have become increasingly vocal, he said. Tuition has gotten more attention with students appearing before legislative committees with their own personal testimonials, said Howden. MORE Among committee witnesses has been Winona State student Vice President Kari Winter, who testified in front of the Senate Higher Education Budget Division in February. Winter said in her testimony that she had planned ahead for costs but was still graduating with nearly $40,000 of debt. Personal testimonies were just the beginning, however, said Howden who also testified. Events such as MSUSA-sponsored Rally Day, where students rallied for lowered tuition on capitol steps, and Lobby Corp, when student representatives met with legislators to discuss tuition issues, are important in highlighting the tuition problem, said Howden. Lobby Corp has been extremely influential because it brings students and senators face to face and "definitely paid off," he said. Rally Day, he said not only motivates students but "brings the message right to the doorstep:" of legislators. "They legislators can't ignore that," he said.

RICK HOWDEN MSUSA vice chair

Security problems minimal for concert

WINONA, Minn., April 25, 2007 -- For police and campus security, the Cake concert was a relatively quiet and uneventful, with a few exceptions, according to Don Walski, campus security chief. A few fans got kicked out for alcohol and one for smoking pot, Walski said. Also, he said, a young lady suffered from heat exhaustion and an ambulance was called, but she never transported anywhere. The goal of security, Walski said, is to hit people off before anything happens. Security has to "deal with it and get them out," Walski said. "If we get them out it's what we're looking for," he said. For one past concert, he said, there were eight or 10 arrests. More typical is one or two, he said. MORE Security contingencies are geared less to the size of the crowd than the type of crowd, Walski said. The night of the men's basketball regional championship game on campus, he said, lines went back two blocks to the gazebo, but was a different crowd. For Concerts Walski said that he takes note of the type of band coming and then "take it from there." Cake drew more of a more 30s-type crowd, he said. With an older crowd you have fewer problems, he said. For Cake about 35 security people including law enforcement and campus security, plus volunteers for the student organizing committee, were at control points, he said.

CAKE. 30-something crowds less volatile

Cake: Can we climb Sugar Loaf?

WINONA, Minn., April 24, 2007 -- The alternative rock bands Cake and The Old Ceremony that played at Winona State University on Friday thoroughly enjoyed their tour stop, said an adviser to the sponsoring student committee. Kristin Schumacher, adviser for the university committee that arranges the spring concert said the Cake members, whom she described as mellow, thought Winona was beautiful and were eager to see the campus. "They wanted to know how to climb Sugar Loaf," Schumacher said. Members of The Old Ceremony, the opening band, originally had had planned to leave Winona immediately after their performance but instead stayed at the Riverport Inn so they could go sight-seeing the following morning, Schumacher said. MORE The lead singer told Schumacher that they were appreciative of Winona State University because it was the first college to get them everything they asked for in their contract, she said. She said all the only specifics they had wanted were certain food items, all easily obtained from the university's food provider. Both bands must have loved the food, Schumacher said. At the end of the night everything was completely cleared out, she said. Besides vegetarian and vegan-friendly food, band members also left with miscellaneous university memorabilia as a thank-you from the committee, Schumacher said. MORE Schumacher admitted she's not one to get star-struck, but she enthusiastically repeated how pleasant and laid back all the band members were. She also said audience members expressed nothing but positive feedback, albeit complaints that Cake didn't sell merchandise. MORE A wide range of ages and styles formed the audience, including Connie Gores, who will succeed Ruth Schroeder as vice president of the student life offices in the fall. "She loved them!" Schumacher said. MORE Schumacher and her boss, student activities Director Joe Reed, agreed that everything ran smoothly and that the concert was a success they wished to bottle and save for following years. Regardless, there is talk of a new direction next year for the committee, Schumacher said. Because it's impossible to please all music lovers, Schumacher said, the committee is talking about booking two smaller concert gigs for next year and spending more time and money on comedic acts. Everyone likes to laugh, she said.

CAKE. 2,300 tickets

TENNIS (WOMEN'S) SMU 8, UW-River Falls 1

WINONA, Minn., April 24, 2007 -- He doesn't read. He crams the night before exams. He spends the least amount of time he can to finish assignments. Even so, incredible as it might seem, junior Kevin Loeffler will represent the College of Business for Winona State University's commencement ceremony next week as an honor banner-carrier. Loeffler, a finance major and business administration minor, has the highest academic ranking in the college with a 3.88 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. "I'm a math guy, which is why I don't read my textbooks," Loeffler said in an interview about his secrets for high grade. MORE How does Loeffler do it? His explanation for successful albeit lax study tactics is good intuition. He says he can figure out what his profs will put on tests. It's been that way ever since he was younger, Loeffler said. MORE Loeffler is taking the average course load of 16 credits this semester, nine of which are 400-level classes. Also he was working two jobs before varsity golf started in spring. He's played on the golf team every spring and fall since freshman year. His best experience at college, he said, was playing at the national championships last year. Loeffler received a golf scholarship this year, but he doesn't know if he will be able to play next year because he is expecting to intern 40 hours a week at Thrive Financial. MORE Loeffler works at the university's intramural office when he has time. Earlier he worked at Midtown Foods and the golf course for tuition. He has three years worth of loans and expects to be about $20,000 in debt after next year. A good salary is important, Loeffler said, so he can provide for a family in ways that his family couldn't do for him. MORE Loeffler said his family motivates him to do well. An older brother, who already holds a Winona State business degree, tells him what's up. MORE "I'm a perfectionist, and I've always wanted to do good," Loeffler said.

WSU COMMENCEMENT FRIDAY MAY 4 KEVIN LOEFFLER Top-grade WSU junior in business

SOFTBALL SMU 4, Augsburg 1

BASEBALL Bethel 10, SMU 3 Bethel 15, SMU 14

Looks like Cake concert broke even

WINONA, Minn., April 24, 2007 -- Although short of the 3,000 target, tickets for the concert at Winona State were "exactly what we were hoping for" to make budget, according to Kristin Schumacher, the university's assistant director of student activities. Between 300 and 400 tickets were sold the last day, bringing the total to almost 2,300, Schumacher said. "Considering how many tickets we sold for the concert, I think we easily made enough money to break even on the $40,000 it cost to get Cake," said Schumacher. Tickets were $20. MORE Preparations for the concert went well, Schumacher said. "By the time it had actually started, everything was already perfectly in place for us and we were able to sit and enjoy the concert." MORE The only close call was when one woman in the crowd passed out, said Schumacher. "We aren't sure what happened, but by the time the ambulance arrived, she was better and didn't need to go to the hospital," she said. Guards said at the scene that the woman was drunk. MORE Schumacher also it was "a little disappointing" that the band didn't bring a lot of merchandise for sale. "Most groups at least bring albums and T-shirts, but it really wasn't any skin off our nose, because that would have been all Cake's profit," she said. MORE Schumacher described Cake as "a very low key group." Interestingly, she said, Cake was the first band for a Winona State spring concert to request separate hotel rooms for each member. Schumacher said the band was pleased with the hospitality food and university merchandise, including T-shirts and pens, provided as gifts from the sponsoring student program committee.

CAKE. 2,300 tickets

CHARLIE MOBURG MATT WEEGMAN AMANDA GLIVA JON JACOB SAMUEL KEANE- RUDOLPH JOE KRUGER

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PHOTOGRAPHER: DOUG SUNDIN

THE FIRST ENCOUNTER The faculty manager of Winona State radio station KQAL, Ajit Daniel, congratulates Judith Ramaley at a 2005 reception at which her appointment as university president was announced. Now Ramaley is pushing for a restructuring of station management. She also wants fundamental programming reforms that would emphasize her community outreach projects.

Report hones in on station shortcomings