ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C A warm start to Northern State University¡¯s homecoming week will cool down to a crisp autumn day for the 107th annual Gypsy Day Parade and football game on Saturday. This year¡¯s homecoming theme is Wolves Go to Vegas.

Parade-goers might need to bundle up. The early morning could drop into the low 30s and frost is expected, according to a National Weather Service spokesman. By the afternoon, temperatures should reach around 60 degrees, which is typical for this time of year.

There are 118 floats and 14 bands expected to participate in the parade¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C In 2022, a production team from Northern State University created the short film ¡°The Final Thread¡± for the Four-Points Film Challenge. Since then, it¡¯s earned seven laurels from three international film festivals, with the possibility of winning more. Jason Knowles, assistant professor of art/digital media, is waiting to hear back from five other festivals, with decisions expected between the end of September and April 2024.

Awards won as of September 2023:

• 2022 Four-Points Film Challenge
  • Honorable mention for supporting actor/actress (Kane¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Three out of the four recipients of this year¡¯s Top 4 under 40 are Northern State University alumni. This is the second year the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce has hosted this program in order to recognize the efforts of young leaders in our community and region. Those recognized were Ashley Hansen, Fallon Helm, Kerry Konda, and Aaron Smith.

Helm, Konda and Smith are all Northern graduates.

¡°On behalf of the NSU Alumni Association, congratulations on your significant community achievement. Your hard work and determination have gotten you to¡­

Caption: Chelsea Speck accepted the ABBY Award for Customer Service ¨C Service Award on behalf of Sodexo/NSU catering. 

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Sodexo won the ABBY Award for Customer Service ¨C Service Award from the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce earlier this month. Sodexo was nominated by the community for the award.

¡°Sodexo/NSU Catering is always receiving positive feedback within the campus and local community,¡± said Marty Sabolo, Northern director of residence life and dining services. ¡°We often hear from clients how¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Northern State University will hold a fall plant sale Oct. 5, 9 a.m. ¨C 4 p.m. in the greenhouse, MJ 144B. The sale is open to the public. Cash or check only.

There will be many cacti and other succulents available. Prices range from $1 to $40.

Proceeds go towards purchasing greenhouse supplies.

For more information, contact Jodie Ramsay, professor of biology, at Jodie.Ramsay@northern.edu. 

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C  Two Northern State University students teamed up to create a business model that outperformed more than 580 teams over the course of a 10-week, worldwide simulation called GLO-BUS. Carly Handcock and Kaylie Haughey were ranked first in the world for two consecutive weeks and were consistently in the top ten throughout the competition.

GLO-BUS, or Global Business Strategy Simulation Game, has competitors from more than 230 campuses across 21 counties, including students from internationally renowned business programs. The competition is stiff¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C A husband-and-wife musical duo will perform an upcoming concert at Northern State University.

Kenneth Boulton and JoAnne Barry will present a recital of music for piano four-hands at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, in the Krikac Auditorium. The recital is free and open to the public. It will also be livestreamed over the NSU Music Department Facebook page.

Featured on the program will be music by William Walton, Charles Burney, Roger Quilter, Peter Warlock, and Richard Rodney Bennett.

¡°We are¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Two of Henrietta Lacks¡¯ surviving family members will be at Northern State University¡¯s 2023 Larry and Julie Poeppel Family Common Read Lecture on Sept. 27 at 7:30 p.m. to discuss the book ¡°The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks¡± by Rebecca Skloot. The event will be held at the Johnson Fine Arts Center¡¯s Harvey and Cynthia Jewett Theater. It is a free event and open to the public.

The speakers are Jeri Lacks Whye, Henrietta Lacks¡¯ granddaughter, and Shirley Lacks, Henrietta Lacks¡¯ daughter-in-law. They have traveled around the country sharing their¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C The Northern State University Theatre Program will present the musical "Heathers" in the Johnson Fine Arts Center Jewett Theater.

Performances will run at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 12, 13, and 14, as well as at 3 p.m. on Oct. 15.

Based on the 1989 cult classic film by Daniel Waters, ¡°Heathers: The Musical¡± brings audiences to Westerberg High, a school ruled by the notoriously ruthless, shoulder-padded, scrunchie-wearing triad, the Heathers. When social misfit Veronica falls in and out of their favor, her new boyfriend, the mysteriously dark J.D.,¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Northern State University will begin construction on a leading-edge Business and Health Innovation Center following approval by the U.S. Treasury to utilize $29.5 million of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Capital Construction funds for the project.

¡°The Business and Health Innovation Center positions Northern to meet critical workforce needs in business, banking, finance, accounting and nursing,¡± said Dr. Neal Schnoor, president of Northern. ¡°It is a generational opportunity to advance regional health and economic development.¡±

Schnoor also¡­