RETIRING PROF REVELS
WHEN STUDENTS CONNECT THE DOTS
WINONA, Minn., March 31, 2008 -- As a theater prof, David Bratt delights most in seeing students pull together lessons from other classes. "You can actually see thinking processes happening," Bratt said in an interview. That, he said, is what he will miss most when he retires after spring classes. "Just this week, in a particular class the students and I discussed a paper and the connotation of words," said Bratt. "I will miss the deep conversations and connections like this." Bratt, teaching at Winona State since 1976, says he will also miss a lot of the people and faculty members with whom he works. He is a former president of the university's faculty.
Who will replace Bratt? The department is wining up a search, Bratt said. "We hope to know within a week who will teach my classes." Bratt said he's not sure when a new chair will be selected. About chairing an academic department, Brat said: "I don't know if there are specific qualities, but there are qualities that help. It helps if you are well organized and task-oriented. You have to enjoy checking items off of a list."
Bratt plans to move to Minneapolis in June with his wife, Susan, who is the costume designer for the theater department at Winona State. "I don't have too many plans for retirement, but my wife and I plan to travel throughout Europe," said Bratt. "I am very excited about that."
Why retire? "There are definite things I will miss about this job," said Bratt. "But I know that now is the time."
|  DAVID BRATT His last commence- ment this spring WIll miss quality conversations with students |
Here are Winona State retirees this year:
Merritt Bebout, SafetyReporter: Courtney Cosgriff
Barbara Boseker, Special Education and Education
David Bratt, Theater and Dance
Susan Bratt, Theater and Dance
Roberta Bumann, Nursing
Karen Cleveland, Education
Judith Euller, E-Learning
Shirley Flikki, Foreign Language and Business Ed
Ann Golden, Student Union
Lee Gray, Educational Leadership
James Hoch, Music
Dorothy Kleinschmidt, Facilities Services
Carolyn Kosidowski, Student Support Services
Daniel Olson, Facilities Services
Dominic Ricciotti, Art
Diane Ristau, Facilities Services
Judith Routhe, IT Services
Byron Schneider, Facilities Services
Richard Schneider, Accounting
Terry Schwarze, Mass Communication
Betty Singer, Education Leadership and Counselor Ed
Hank Van Poperin, Facilities Services
Pamela Wolfmeyer, Business Ad
Student leader on asbestos: What, me worry?
| WINONA, Minn., March 31, 2008 -- The seven federal asbestos citations against Winona State University, alleging safety negligence with the cancer-causing element, are not an issue that affects students, said senior student Sen. AJ Schuler, who chairs the Student Senate student services. Schuler acknowledged in an interview that he didn't know about the issue but is confident that the university has high standards in dealing with issues like this. The citations are not something he plans for his committee's agenda, Schuler said. Leave it to university administration to handle the situation, he said. Reporter: Chelsey Swanson Background: WSU exec: Asbestos e-mail was groupthink Federal charge: 80 WSU workers exposed Fed inspector: WSU ignored safety rules |  AJ SCHULER Trusting and unconcerned |
DOES WINONA HAVE THE VISION
TO CHART ITS FUTURE?
WINONA, Minn., March 31, 2008 -- The chair of the theater department at Winona State, David Bratt, who is retiring soon after 32 years at the university, calls himself an advocate for theater being brought to life in the proposed university-managed city coliseum arena but isn't sure if the city has the vision to pull it off. In an interview Bratt pointed to past Winona failures of vision, like a major financial project to revitalize downtown. "There are lots of ways the city of Winona could use the supposed $30 million for this project," said Bratt. "You could use the money for revitalizing downtown, but nobody has vision for that either.
Bratt believes that if the city built a coliseum of some sort, the revitalization of downtown would follow. "Other cities, such as Ashland, Ore., that have gotten an arena, have made it work. Their downtown area flourished after they got an arena," said Bratt. "Of course this revitalization has taken 30 to 40 years, but they still got it eventually."
As Bratt sees it, people in Winona can't see the benefits of the proposed coliseum because people in Winona don't look more than one to two years ahead. Why his pessimistic assessment? Possibly the aging population, he said.
"The United States puts so much importance into tourism and economic benefits, but people don't have to realize that you have to wait several years for these paybacks to come," said Bratt.
Bratt also said that some people don't want something like a huge arena. "A lot of people have the 'not in my backyard' mentality," said Bratt. "People are also thinking, 'Who does Winona think it is?'"
"Winona doesn't necessarily need something like an arena, but Winona also doesn't need three universities, coffee shops or restaurants," said Bratt. "Winona only needs housing, a hospital, fire department, and maybe a few grocery stores," said Bratt. "But civilization isn't about needs."
Bratt explained that the arena, done right, would be a great asset, but, he added, there needs to be somebody involved who knows something about physical space. "I am aware that this project needs to be multi-use, but we can't piggyback the arts and sports," said Bratt. He worries that early discussion has cited Northern Illinois University as a model for a multi-use arena. "Sports are perfectly good entertainment," said Bratt. "But if you want to have intimate performances, you can't make an arena that seats 10,000 people."
Bratt says that as the coliseum idea progresses tat people will start to notice Winona's inherent assets. "Winona can't decide on anything else to do with the city," said Bratt. "So what's wrong with Winona becoming an arts mecca? The city has potential." |  DAVID BRATT A 10,000-seat coliseum is no place for theater |
Reporter: Courtney Cosgriff
| WSU SECURITY REPORT MARCH 31, 2008 A trouble alarm went off in Memorial Hall at 4:45 p.m. An engineer was notified. Several students reported 5 p.m. that their tires were flattened while parked in the Sheehan dorm south parking lot. Thete was no damage other thn that someoe had let the air out. |
APRIL FOOLERY 'Tis the season for silliness. Please send your items to this continuing series: Indee.First prize is an all-expenses one-way trip to Homer. |
THEN RENT A BIKE
ENVIRONMENTALISTS SEE BIKING
AS WSU'S CONTRIBUTION
WINONA, Minn., March 31, 2008 -- Student environmentalists are creating a bicycle co-op at Winona State to reduce the university's carbon footprint. Senior Jonathon Roberts said the Environmental Club hopes to have the co-op in place sometime next year. The plan is to start small, fixing bicycles that students already own. To begin this, he has received a $565 university grant for a do-it-yourself repair book and a bicycling science book. The grant also will buy an advanced mechanic bicycle took kit, a home mechanic repair stand, and miscellaneous items, including tire patches, oil and grease.
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As a jump-start to beginning the process of creating a co-op, the Environmental Club president=elect, junior Zachary Wormwood, said that the club is sponsoring a bike week from April 7 to April 11 on campus. Events include free mechanical work each day, prizes for riding bikes, a film night, and a bike ride around Lake Winona. The goal is to generate more interest in riding bicycles to class rather than drive. At Bicycle Appreciation Day last fall, the turnout was good, said Roberts, but not enough tools to fix the kinds of problems that were encountered. A lesson from Appreciation Day was that a tool kit as needed.
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Roberts hopes to have a room secured in an on-campus dorms where a bike maintenance shop could be housed. Also, he locks to have a position, possibly filled by work-study study or volunteers and trained by a local bike shop, to help students with mechanical problems.
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Eventually the plan is to rent bicycles, probably recycled bikes. He said that at the end of every school year the university confiscates abandoned bikes and puts them in storage until they become state property. Once the locks are cut, Roberts hopes to use those bikes, along with those auctioned off by the police department.
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Wormwood said that the club hopes to start getting bikes next year. Once they get some bikes, he said that an idea of renting the bikes for $20, possibly with no time limit. With this, he said that if the bike is brought back, the student would get their money back, but if the bike isn't brought back, then it belongs to whoever rented it and that person doesn't get the $20 back.
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Roberts said that he thinks this program would be attractive to foreign students and other students who have traveled a long ways to be at Winona State and who don't have cars.
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Also, Roberts noted a lot of stress about going green and riding bicycles is a fun way to do it relieve the stress. He noted that riding bicycles encourages relaxation and exercise. Wormwood added that riding bicycles reduces carbon emissions, which is the ultimate goal of the program. He said that it is cheaper to maintain a bike than a car.
Reporter: Chelsey Swanson
Paralegal prof to criminal justice post
WINONA, Minn., March 31, 2008 -- A Winona State University paralegal prof, Kalene Engel, has been named coordinator for the Winona County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.THE INDEE IS YOUR NEWS SOURCE OF RECORD |
FEEHAN'S LETTERS
ABOUT LAPTOP CONTRACT
WINONA, Minn., March 31, 2008 -- This is the resignation letter of Winona State University student President Emily Feehan, presented to the Student Senate on Wedensday:
| To all of my friends and colleagues on the Senate, When we begin our college career, we do so in search of furthering our education. This year my education both inside and outside of the classroom has expanded in such a manner that I can not even start to explain.
Be rest assured that my resignation is not based on my commitment to students. My commitment is still strong. My decision to resign is because I did not feel that I was giving the time needed to ensure that one of my priorities as a student was being fulfilled. With graduation now less than 36 days away, I must hunker down and concentrate on finishing my college career. I am saddened by this decision, but feel that I would be doing a disservice to students if I had remained since I would not have been able to give the students the time they deserved. As I leave this organization, I wish to offer some words of wisdom to all of you.
To those senators who have joined this organization recently, I offer a couple of pieces of wisdom. First, ask before it is too late. The knowledge you gain will be invaluable to you as an advocate for the students both present and future. Secondly, I advise you to choose those mentors within Senate wisely. There are some amazing Senators who remember the reason they got elected, and although these Senators have different means about going about things , A.J., these are truly the examples you should be following. If we keep in mind their example, then we are able to serve the students to the best of our abilities.
To those veteran senators, I ask you to reevaluate the reason why you are on Senate. You must determine whether or not you have lost that passion which made you run originally. The Student Senate must be a body of passionate individuals working hard for the Students. If you fail this test of passion, then you have truly become what others fear this organization is, and that is a place for resume fiends. And the day that those fiends over run this organization, then the student's have lost without even putting up a fight.
One final piece of wisdom to all of you. Remember, Student Senate is a team, and we must operate as such. We as individuals are always going to have our own opinions, and are always going to disagree with each other. But the minute we start backstabbing each other, the minute we start throwing people under the bus for your own personal gain, then we have reduced ourselves to nothing more than tyrants whose concern not only is focused upon themselves, but also focused upon corruption at the highest of levels.
I would like to thank all of you for an amazing year and I would like to thank the Student Body for having the faith in me to let me serve you this year. It was an honor for you to place your trust in me, and I hope that my service to you has made your lives and your studies better in some way, no matter how minute. Sincerely, Emily Feehan |
Background: Feehan: Be passionate for students
Turnout far exceeds previous two major elections
WINONA, Minn., March 31, 2008 -- The record number of voters in the Winona State University student elections last week, 22.7 percent, suggested a higher level of student interest than in previous years. Last year, 13 percent of students voted in the spring general election, the year before 17 percent.Reporter: Rebecca Erdmann
Background: Campus smoking ban wins students' OK
AND IF NOT EUROPE?
WHERE, OH, WHERE
WILL AKON BE FRIDAY?
WINONA, Minn., March 31, 2008 -- Although McCown Gym has been booked for weeks for the annual Winona State University spring rock concert, the cavernous arena will be dark Friday. The question is where will rapper Akon on be Friday? Winona Sate concert planners said the controversial performer backed out of a McCown deal two weeks ago to instead make a Europe date. However, no European tour, not even a single concert, has been announced by Akon's publicists. On April 18 Akon is scheduled to headline the Dubai Urban Desert festival in United Arab Emirates -- but that's on another continent and two weeks from Friday.
Joe Reed, director of student activities at Winona State, has said in two interviews that Akon's managers told him they decided against a Winona date to do Europe instead. Jason Zimmerman, president of the UPAC student activities committee, and Paul Johnson, UPAC concert chair, invited questions in an e-mail message announcing the cancelation but have either not responded to reporter queries or excused themselves as too busy to be interviewed. |  AKON The question looms: So why was WSU concert canceled? |
Background: Spring concert now a no-go
Background: Rap panel to take larger view
| WSU SECURITY REPORT MARCH 30, 2008 Several students were cited for alcohol in front of the Sheehan dorm at 3:15 a.m. Responding to a disturbance at the Sheehan dorm. at 3:30 a.m, security guards removed an unwanted guest from a tenant's room without incident. |
Economist: Fears don't mean recession here
WINONA, Minn., March 30, 2008 -- If the 2008 tax rebate stimulus package works fast enough the nation can avoid a recession, said a Winona State University econ prof. "We are not yet in a recession," said Dan Kauffman, noting that in macroeconomics, a recession is defined as a decline in a country's gross domestic product, one way of measuring the economy, for two or more successive quarters of a year. The stimulus rebate checks are expected as early as May. "We might not even have a decline in gross domestic product for the second quarter, including April, May and June, if we even end up having a decline at the end of the first quarter, January, February and March," said Kauffman. Having a shallow recession that leads to downturn in gross domestic product for the first quarter but not the second also is a possibility, he said.| MORE |
Evidence such as decreases in output and increases in unemployment rates are evidence of a recession especially if there is a decline in gross domestic product for the first and second quarters. The economy's 4.8 percent unemployment rate has slowly risen compared to the previous year but has gone down since December's 5 percent. Decreases in output lead to increases in the unemployment rate, Kauffman said. "The decrease in the number of employees throughout January and February led to nervousness of the economy sliding into a recession," said Kauffman. "Signs of unemployment are a leading factor to a recession."
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Inflation, a rise in the general level of prices over time, is a major issue in economics too, he said. "There has been no aggressive indication of inflation thus far because we have fears of a recession," said Kauffman. If inflation takes place, prices will rise and less money will be put into the economy by consumers because they will have less money to spend.
Reporter: Briana Jandrt
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RECENT DAYS IN THE CITY POSTED MARCH 30, 2008 FIRST BARGES. The tow Coral Dawn pushing 15 loaded barges reached Winona at mid-morning Sunday, the first of the season. The Carol Dawn dropped its load and turned around to go back downstream. PEPIN ICE. Spring never quite arrives until the Lake Pepin ice breaks and the river shipping season opens to the Cities. Ice was 28 inches thick on the lake Wednesday, the thickest in 10 years, the Army Corps of Engineers said. Background GOLFVIEW ROBBER. The ex-con who robbed the Golfview Liquor Store in February 2007, Andre Dion Jones, was sentenced by Judge Mary Leahy to seven years and four months. Jones, 40, took a bullet in the back, fired by the shop owner, on his way out. Jones' get-away driver is in jail. Jones' womanfriend, who treated his bullet wound, is awaiting sentencing
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Three finance vice president hopefuls at WSU
WINONA, Minn, March 30, 2008 -- Three candidates to be Winona State chief financial officer, including Scott Ellinghysen, who's been with the university since 1989, are being interviewed next week on campus. The candidates and the time, date and place of open interview sessions:Denton Brown. Currently vice president for finance and administration at the College of the Bahamas. Earlier at the University of Illinois, where his duties included associate director for fiscal affairs in the School of Chemical Science and associate Director for Finance and administration of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications. Holds a master's degree in business from the University of Illinois and a degree in business administration from Columbia College of Missouri. Open forum: 10:30 a.m., Monday, March 31 at Winona (Purple 105, Kryzsko Commons), and 10:30 a.m, Tuesday, April 1, at Rochester (CF 206).
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Kurtis Lohide. Currently senior staff director of U.S. Air Force business transformation practice throughout the Air Force Warefare Center. Earlier, chief executive officer and commander, 435th Air Base Wing, Ramstein, Germany, and previous Air Force assignments. Holds a master's degree in national security from the National Defense University, a master's from the U.S, Army Command and General Staff College; and a bachelor's in journalism and English from Indiana University. Open forum: 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, April 3 at Winona (Purple 105, Kryzsko Commons) and 10:30 a.m., Thursday, April 4 at Rochester (CF 202).
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Scott Ellinghuysen. Since 2006 interim vice president of finance and sdministrative service at Winona State. From 2000 to 2006, the university's chief finance officer. Earlier, financial analyst for Winona State from 1989 to 2000. Holds master's degree un business from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, a bachelor's degree in accounting and computer systems from Winona State. Open forum: 10 a.m., Monday, April 7 at Winona (Purple 104, Kryzsko Commons) and 9:15 a.m, Tuesday, April 8, at Rochester (CF 20).
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