The Indus sixth grade class celebrates DARE completion. Pictured are Koochiching County Sheriff’s Deputy James Kennedy, Stephen Johnson, RayAnna Wolden, Jaliah Heldt, Thomas Fuller, Kaylandra Banner, Jerrell Banner, Irish Belenger, Jacob Hasbargen, Krissa Grover, Alicia Kelly, Kinsey Seegert, Nissa Thomas and teacher, Sara Wendt.
The sixth graders at Indus School March 16 celebrated the completion of the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program taught by Koochiching County Sheriff’s Deputy James Kennedy during the past several weeks. Students were recognized in a program in the school commons and later feasted on pizza.
As in the past, students wrote essays about what DARE has meant to them in their lives. Winners of the essay contest were: Alicia Kelly, first; Jacob Hasbargen, second; and RayAnna Wolden, third.
The essays showed that students learned about the negative health effects of tobacco and alcohol, how to say “no” when pressured to take drugs or alcohol, and how to make responsible decisions.
Students also mentioned their concerns about the effects of tobacco, drugs, and alcohol on those they love, saying: “I try everything to make them stop. I tell them the side effects and they don’t listen to me. I am scared to death what might happen to them.”
One student noted, “I went to the arena and when I went off the rink in the little game room three guys asked me if I wanted to chew with them and have some pot. I told them ‘no.’ I learned from DARE to make responsible choices.”
Another student explained how “DARE changed me because I didn’t know all these facts about cigarettes and alcohol. There are 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes — that’s a lot of chemicals. I don’t think I will ever smoke because I have seen people very sick from smoking … with DARE, I’m for sure I will not smoke.”
Olesen named to dean’s honor list
Sofia Olesen, of Birchdale, was named to the Dean’s Honor List for the first semester of the 2014-15 academic year at Concordia College, Moorhead.
A junior at the college, she is the daughter of Soren Olesen and Judith Nelson.
To qualify for this designation, students must carry a minimum of 12 semester credits and have a grade point average of at least a 3.7 on a 4.0 scale.
Bill
Maki
The Board of Trustees of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities recently appointed Bill Maki as president of the Northeast Higher Education District, a consortium of Hibbing Community College, Itasaca Community College, Mesabi Range College, Rainy River Community College and Vermilion Community College. His appointment becomes effective July 1.
“Bill Maki has devoted his career to advancing public higher education in northern Minnesota,” said Steven Rosenstone, chancellor of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. “He is a gifted leader with experience in the Iron Range. He understands rural campuses and he knows how to make them work financially. President Maki will help ensure the economic vitality of NHED’s five colleges and will deepen their partnerships with communities across the Iron Range.”
Maki has been vice president of finance and administration at Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College since 2004. Previously, he served at NHED as the chief financial and facilities officer (2003-04), and at Itasca Community College as dean of student and administrative services (2000-03), director of finance and facilities (1997-2000), and business manager/business officer (1995-97). He holds an associate degree from Vermilion Community College and a bachelor’s degree and a master’s from the University of Minnesota Duluth.
“It is an incredible privilege to have been selected for this role,” said Maki. “I look forward to working with the outstanding NHED colleges as we focus together on increasing access and improving learning opportunities for students, and improving alignment with regional businesses, industries, organizations, and education providers.”
The Northeast Higher Education District is a consortium of five community and technical colleges in northeastern Minnesota led by a single president. The consortium was launched in 1999 by Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to provide unified leadership, promote academic cooperation, and maximize educational resources in the region. Each college is led by a provost and retains its unique identity and accreditation. Working together, the colleges serve more than 7,000 students in credit courses annually and provide a variety of educational programs and delivery options.
Maki succeeds Sue Collins, who has been serving as president since July 2008 and has announced her intention to retire.
The Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system includes 24 two-year community and technical colleges and seven state universities serving more than 410,000 students. It is the fifth-largest higher education system of its kind in the United States.
