Activities and Organizations
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There are two main organizations for history students to join here at Northern. History majors who meet the necessary academic standards are eligible to join Pi Gamma Mu, the International Honor Society in Social Science. The History Club, formed in January 1997, won the South Dakota Board of Regents Award for Academic Excellence in 1998 and 1999. The History Club was formed to promote interest in history on the Northern State University campus and in the surrounding community. All Northern students, staff, faculty, and alumni are welcome to join. This active group sponsors speakers, visits academic conferences and history events, participates in National History Day, and tours museums and archives. |
NSU History Club
Dr. Grettler and students
as we began our tour of the
South Dakota Cultural and
Heritage Center in Pierre. Left to Right:
Dr. Dave, Scott, Kris,
Rachel, Mikie (in front), Will, Liz, Dan,
Matt (NSU History Student
Intern at the Center), and Delton.
Dr. Dias, always
the wallflower, took the photo.
We were just giddy
with anticipation of the History that awaited us
--Can't you tell?
Making
History!
Here, Dr. Grettler and students check out an instrument of torture previously used by historians on students who cheated on exams. Ah, the good old days, before all those bothersome government regulations. |
On October 19, 2000, Dr. Dave Grettler
and Dr. Ric Dias took eight NSU history students to our state capital to
tour the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center. It was not only a
day to see great history, but also to learn about how items are identified
as being historically significant, how antiques are saved, and how they
are displayed. We also learned how a degree in history can prepare
a person for a job in this diverse and interesting field.
The NSU History Club travelled to the Center again in 2001. The highlights this time were seeing the WWII displays that NSU History student and Cultural Heritage Center Intern Dan Brosz created, and eating at one of South Dakota's best Italian restaraunts. Click on the highlighted text in this sentence for pictures of the Pierre 2001 Trip! |
NSU student Matt tells us what his duties consist of at the Center. Matt's internship has turned out to be a terrific learning experience for him and has changed his career plans. |
Mr. Loren Lutz, District Director and Social Studies teacher at Bristol School with our one and only Mike Radke. |
On April 1, 1999 (no foolin'), the NSU History Club sponsored our first-ever participation in judging projects for the National History Day competition. The judging for this part of the state was held in Bristol, South Dakota, and coordinated by Bristol School social studies teacher (and NSU alum) Loren Lutz. Six NSU students (along with History guru Ric Dias) judged written, media, and performance projects created by area students. Winners at Bristol went on to the state judging at Pierre, and from there, on to the nationals. NSU History Club member Greg Parmeter gorged himself with tater-tot hot dish at the free lunch provided for us at the school cafeteria and had to leave before the trophies were distributed, but he still had a great time. We'll be back next year, and we can only hope there will be more tater-tot foods. |
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We DID go back to Bristol in Spring 2000 to judge, but the photos were tragically misplaced. Now there's a loss. On April 22, 2001, the NSU History Club sent 12 Northern students (and Prof. Dias) to Bristol for a command judging performance. And this time, a camera captured the magic. Our students, most of them future teachers, got a chance to apply what they have been learning in classes about creating effective, clear, and powerful history. We racked up some terrific experience plus we all had a great time! NSU history student Will De Line pointed out a phrase adorning a wall at Bristol School, pictured here, that caught our eye. But did he really have to use THAT finger to make his point? To see photos and clever captions from this same wildly successful event in 2001 and 2002, click on the highlighted text below the photo! |
The Club/Department T-Shirt
| Perhaps the most popular, and tasteless, thing the Club did the 2000-2001 year was to bring out the first-ever NSU History Club/Department T-Shirt! Who would have thought that over 40 copies would be sold (especially with a picture of the NSU faculty on the back)? One side reads "NSU History Club - Have You Gotten Your History Lovin' Today?" while the other proclaims "NSU History - The Best Damn Department on Campus!" with a picture of Mt. Rushmore . . . altered ever so slightly to have the five NSU history faculty on the cliff rather than the four slightly better-known presidents. The wild reaction the shirts received suggest that they might be offered again, so get out that check book. Modeling the shirts here are Jodie and Liz. The picture was taken while the shirts were nice and new, before they became stained from people hurling food at them. The shirt's creator is the acclaimed NSU student/artist/basketball star Sara Hemquist! |  |
Homecoming 2001: Revenge
of the Nerds, NSU Style
As far as we can figure out, or can realistically
imagine, for the first time in NSU's 100-year history, in 2001 the selection
of Homecoming Royalty was dominated by History students! While other
departments scramble to explain away this never-before-seen History Department
sweep, we can only pat ourselves on the back and say "hey, it's about dang
time!" Five of the Homecoming finalists were History students - Dara
Bowser, Shanna Dahl, Becky Valdez, the lovely Brett Clarke and the oh-so-hot
Houston Reed. Dara won the coveted Queen title and proudly donned
the tiara in the televised event, but all of us associated with the Department
now think of ourselves a little differently. It is rumored that Dave Grettler
now checks himself out in windows and mirrors as he walks by them.
Thanks one and all!
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To the left is a picture of the Queen
and King,
Dara and Andy. Click on the highlighted text under this photo to see pics of NSU's History Poster Children. |
USD Student History Conference
Every year Professors
Ric Dias and Dave Grettler drive a University van full-o-students down
to the USD's Student History Conference held in Vermillion. This
year, four students attended: one presented a pap
