Elderhostel Experience in June will feature interactive crime-solving 

Bemidji State University is renewing its Elderhostel program with a Criminal Investigation Experience June 11–14 on the BSU campus. Criminal justice professors will walk participants through the entire process of solving a crime.

This highly interactive event will follow the detailed steps of processing a mock crime scene and solving the puzzle to determine who, what, where, when, why and how. Activities will include tours, guest speakers, hands-on learning and a team exercise. Participants should be fit enough for moderate physical activity, both indoors and out.

Participants will stay in a BSU residence hall and eat in the campus dining hall. The total five-day cost is $450 if registered by March 1 or $495 if you register between March 2–April 6. For more information or to register, visit bsualumni.org or contact Angie Gora at (218) 755-2851.

Arizona events on March 16-17 will feature golf, lunch and socials

The schedule is set for the Alumni & Foundation’s annual Southwest Events on March 16-17 in Tucson and Mesa, Ariz.

A March 16 luncheon will be at Teresa’s Mosaic Café beginning at 11:30 a.m., followed by a golf outing and luncheon at the Apache Wells Country Club in Mesa on March 17.  The optional golf event will begin at 8 a.m., and the luncheon will start with a noon social followed by the meal at 12:30 p.m. Plans also call for a happy hour and social that evening at a location to be determined.

Please register by March 2 at bsualumni.org. For information, call (218) 755-3989 or email alumni@bemidjistate.edu.

Green & White Dinner and Auction returns April 14 at Sanford Center

Final planning is underway for the biennial Green & White Dinner and Auction for BSU Athletics, to be held April 14 in the arena of Bemidji’s Sanford Center.

The Green & White is the largest and most important charity event for BSU Athletics, raising more than $100,000 in both 2014 and 2016. This $100 per person party opens with a unique silent auction and reception at 5 p.m., followed by a gourmet dinner and one-of-a-kind live auction at 6:30 p.m.

Watch for a save-the-date card and invitation, or call (218) 755-2294 for more information.

Students have until Feb. 1 to seek Alumni Relative Scholarships

First-year, returning and transfer students with a BSU alumni relative who has contributed to the university through the BSU Alumni & Foundation may apply for an Alumni Relative Scholarship.

Awards of $1,000 are allocated in payments of $500 for each semester of the academic year. Apply at http://bit.ly/2BR94hX or call (218) 755-3989 for more information. The application deadline is Feb. 1. These annual awards are made possible by contributions to the Lakeside Fund. In 2017, 45 Alumni Relative Scholarships were awarded from a pool of 100 applicants.

Deadline approaches to nominate alumni award honorees for 2018

Nominations are due Feb. 1 for several upcoming awards programs that recognize alumni for their contributions to Bemidji State, their professions or their communities.

Online applications are available for the following categories at bsualumni.org:

Outstanding Alumni, Young Alumni and Alumni Service Awards are presented annually at the Homecoming Honors Gala to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to their industries and communities. The 2018 gala will be held Oct. 5.

Alpha Nu Omega alumni honor past with bricks and support

Members of Bemidji State’s former Alpha Nu Omega fraternity gathered at BSU Sept. 8-9 for a reunion and dedication of named patio bricks between the David Park House and Alumni House, with proceeds going to the Alpha Nu Omega / Alpha Tau Omega scholarship fund.

Alpha Nu Omega was active at BSU from 1962 to 1975, and members have stayed connected. About 200 of them purchased $100 bricks inscribed with their names and the names of deceased members, as well as a centerpiece featuring the fraternity’s name and Greek insignia.

In addition to the brick dedication on Sept. 9, the weekend included a welcome reception, campus tour, home-opener football game versus Concordia and banquet.

Make recommendations for 2019 Athletics Hall of Fame by March 1 

Following a March 1 deadline, the BSU Alumni B-Club will begin reviewing nominations for induction into the Athletics Hall of Fame in spring 2019.

The Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding teams, individual athletes and coaches for their contributions to the tradition of BSU Athletics. For detailed award criteria and to submit a nomination, visit bsualumni.org. For questions, call (218) 755-2599 or email alumni@bemidjistate.edu.

Twin Cities’ Freshman Send-Offs give initiative a strong beginning

The Twin Cities Alumni Chapter’s first-ever BSU-Bound Freshman Send-Off events, held July 27 at Lebanon Hills Park in Eagan and Aug. 3 at Elm Creek Park in Maple Grove, both drew gatherings of incoming students, parents, alumni and Bemidji State staff.

In addition to chapter-hosted picnics and a chance to meet fellow alums and fellow students, new freshmen heard from BSU administrators about what to expect as they begin their college careers and how to get the most out of the experience.

Based on this initial success, the chapter is planning similar events for next summer. For information, call (218) 755-3989.

BSU prepares to celebrate 100-year history in 2018-19

Planning continues for Bemidji State’s centennial celebration, scheduled to run from April 2018 to October 2019. That span stretches from the groundbreaking of the Bemidji Normal School in April 1918 to the arrival of its first students in September 1919.

A campus kickoff event has tentatively been set for April 4, which is also Student Achievement Day. The 15-month observance will include special editions of the BSU magazine, scholarly lectures, musical performances and a souvenir booklet.

Watch the Alumni & Foundation e-newsletter, social media and other communications for details on how you can participate.

New president and officers named for Alumni & Foundation Board

The BSU Alumni & Foundation Board of Directors elected new officers at its annual meeting on Sept. 22 in Bemidji.

The officers are: president, Peggy Ingison ’74, senior director of administration and support, Minnesota Historical Society; president-elect, Tom Anderson, ’70, CEO, Integrated Retirement; vice president, Cynthia Cashman ’85, executive director, Minnesota State Fair Foundation; treasurer, Tiffany Baer Paine, president/CEO, Security Bank USA; and at-large officer, Elise Durbin ’01, transit-oriented development program manager, Hennepin County. The outgoing president is Ben McAninch, ’99, attorney, Blethen, Gage & Krause.

The board also elected Fred Baker ’61, a retired leader in American Indian health services, as a new member.