Films are complete... Premiere events in mid-September

The 2015 Navajo Oral History Project films are complete. Four teams of student journalists from Winona State University (Winona, Minnesota) and Diné College (Tsaile, Arizona) spent nearly three weeks not eh Navajo Nation in May-June 2015, then spent the rest of summer working on documentary films about the lives of Navajo elders.

Their films are now complete and will be premiered at both higher education institutions in mid-September.

Put these events on your calendar, and invite anyone you think might be interested in attending:

2015 NOHP Premiere at Winona State University

Thursday, Sept. 10
- 5 p.m., reception and refreshments, Science Laboratory Center Atrium
- 5:30 p.m., program, Science Laboratory Center Auditorium

2015 NOHP Premiere at Diné College, Tsaile, Arizona, Campus
Monday, Sept. 14
- 5 p.m., reception and Navajo meal, 4th Floor Museum, Ned Hatathli Center
- 5:30 p.m., program, 4th Floor Museum, Ned Hatathli Center

2015 NOHP Premire at Diné College

This year's films focus on:

- Louva Dahozy a community leader, educator and broadcaster from Ft. Defiance, Arizona; 

- Tony Goldtooth Sr., a Navajo language and culture professor from Shiprock, New Mexico; 

- Peggy Scott, a retired teacher and community activist from Chinle, Arizona; and 

- Bill Toldeo, a Navajo Code Talker during World War II, from Torreon, New Mexico.

The films are very well done. The involved students can be proud of their efforts. The films will stand the test of time and be important historical documents. Following the premiere events, the films will be archived at the Diné College Library, The Winona State University Library, The Navajo Nation Museum and Library, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian.

The Winona State University students involved in the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project are:

Jordan Gerard, a journalism major from Spring Grove, Minnesota

Jacob Hilsabeck, a photojournalism major from Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin 

Reagan Johnson, a transmedia major from Randolph, Wisconsin

Kacie Mann, a public relations major from Maple Grove, Minnesota

Tobias Mann, a journalism major from Thief River Falls, Minnesota

Nate Nelson, a computer science and mass communication major from Corvallis, Oregon

Taylor Nyman, a photography and digital imaging major from Monroe Center, Illinois

Casie Rafferty, a journalism major from Winona, Minnesota

Kim Schneider, a journalism major from Roseville, Minnesota

Samantha Stetzer, a journalism major from Holmen, Wisconsin

Ben Strand, a journalism major from Burnsville, Minnesota

The Diné College students involved in the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project are:

Kyle Brown, Lukachukai, Arizona

Kaitlyn Haskie, Lukachukai, Arizona

Anna Shepherd, Chilchinbeto, Arizona

Brandon Tayah, Chinle, Arizona                                

Stephanie Tsosie, Low Mountain, Arizona

Shelly Wheeler, Lukachukai, Arizona

The documentaries were part of the sixth year of a collaborative project led by Dr. Tom Grier and Robbie Christiano of Winona State University and Dr. Miranda Haskie of Diné College. To date, students in the program have completed 23 documentary films on the lives of Navajo elders, including nine World War II Navajo Code Talkers.

Plans are already underway for the 2016 Navajo Oral History Project, which will take place in May-June of 2016. Student participants in the program earn three college credits and a lifetime of experience.

NOHP 2015 Begins with ITV Classes

The 2015 edition of the Navajo Oral History Project began on Monday, May 18, with an Interactive Television class connecting a classroom at Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, with a classroom at Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota.

The 16 students enrolled in the class introduced themselves and talked a bit about their background and their interest in this advanced journalism class that will help to further preserve the Navajo culture.

The current students also heard from several alumni of the program from its first five years.

This year marks the sixth year of the successful collaboration between to two schools. Students in the program will do some research projects this week, focused on Navajo culture, and will learn some basic introductory concepts related to journalism, photojournalism and ethnographic research.

Next week, the Winona students will travel to the Navajo Nation and be involved in nearly three weeks of field work. While there, student teams, including students from both schools, will do a service project for a Navajo elder and then conduct several interviews with the elder to produce a documentary film about their life and stories.

Below are several photographs from the first class. This blog will be updated often including information and photos highlighting the students' activities during the class.
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The first students to arrive to the first class: Case Rafferty (left) and Kim Schneider.




Robbie Christiano (left), Teaching Assistant to the class, talks while Ben Strand, Taylor Nyman and Casie Rafferty listen.


Casie Rafferty (left), Kim Schneider, Jake Hilsabeck and Nate Nelson, in the ITV Class.


Nate Nelson (left), Kacie Mann, Reagan Johnson and Sam Stetzer, in the ITV Class.


Reagan Johnson (left), Sam Stetzer, Jordan Gerard and Tobias Mann, in the ITV Class.



Robbie Christiano helped Skylar Ogren, video consultant, introduce himself to the class via Skype session on IPad:

Tobias Mann (left) listened as Chops Hancock introduced himself to the class. Chops participated in the class during its first year in 2009, and has been a big supporter of the program through his work with the WSU Foundation. Chops is participating in the field again this year as a photographic consultant.

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The blog is kept and updated by Dr. Tom Grier, a professor of Mass Communication at Winona State University. It frequently will include student work: writing and photography. When student work appears, it will be connected to by-lines or photo credit text. Images and text not credited are by Grier.

Feel free to share this blog address with family members, friends, acquaintances, etc. -- anyone who might be interested in this unique journalism partnership.

Please use the comments section of the blog to offer suggestions or words of encouragement to the students who are spending a good part of the summer to do this important work. In the coming days, the students will all be introduced here in the pages.

Thanks of visiting the blog; Come back soon, and often.

2015 Navajo Oral History Project Begins

Eleven students and two faculty members from Winona State University (Winona, Minnesota) are getting ready for a summer documentary journalism course that takes place on the Navajo Nation, located in Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

The WSU group met during the third week of February 2015 to begin paperwork and planning for the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project. This is the sixth year of the successful collaboration with Diné College, the tribal college of the Navajo Nation.

The WSU group will meet their Diné College counterparts via Interactive Television classes during the third week of May. Then, the WSU group travels to the Navajo Nation where they will spend three weeks learning together and working in teams with Diné College students on their documentary film projects.

Four student teams will do a service project for a Navajo elder (cleaning a garage, raking a garden, etc.) and then will interview the elder three times over two weeks. The students will photograph, video record, and audio record the interviews and will gather other video and photographs to complement their project. The teams will review all their source material and build 20-minute "Living History" films about each elder's life.

The class is designed to give students real-world experience in all facets of journalism, and help prepare them for career positions in the media after they graduate.

Each student will get copies of their completed films. Copies are also given to the elders and their families. The films will be archived at the Navajo Nation Museum and Library, and at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian.

The Winona State University students who are participating, their majors, and their hometowns, are:
- Jordan Gerard, Journalism, Spring Grove, Minnesota

- Jacob Hilsabeck, Photojournalism, Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin

- Reagan Johnson, Transmedia, Columbus, Wisconsin

- Kacie Mann, Public Relations, Maple Grove, Minnesota

- Tobias Mann, Journalism, Thief River Falls, Minnesota

- Nathaniel Nelson, Journalism, Buffalo, Minnesota

- Taylor Nyman, Photography & Digital Imaging, Monroe Center, Illinois

- Casie Rafferty, Journalism, Winona, Minnesota

- Kim Schneider, Journalism, Roseville, Minnesota

- Samantha Stetzer, Journalism, Holmen, Wisconsin

- Ben Strand, Journalism, Burnsville, Minnesota

The two WSU faculty members of this project are:
- Tom Grier, professor of mass communication
- Robbie Christiano, director of development

During the class and field-work portion of the project, this blog will serve as a daily journal highlighting the activities of the student journalists in words and pictures.  In future updates to the blog, the students an faculty from Diné College will be introduced.

2015 Navajo Oral History Project Planning Begins

The first organizational meetings for the 2015 Navajo Oral History Project class are being held and students are being recruited. The project is a collaboration between Winona State university (Winona, Minnesota) and Diné College (Tsaile, Arizona), the Tribal College of the Navajo Nation.

Three meetings were held in Mid-October at WSU with about 20 Mass Communication students showing interest in participating in the documentary journalism project that goes into the field in May 2015.  Last week (Oct. 27-30) Professor Tom Grier and Teaching Assistant Robbie Christiano visited Diné College and spoke to seven classes there to promote the 2015 NOHP. About 20 DC students also indicated interest in joining the class next spring. 

Grier and Christiano will hold another promotional meeting at WSU on Monday, Nov. 3, at 1 p.m. in Phelps Hall, Room 116. Following that meeting, the program will begin to finalize its roster of students. The class has a maximum enrollment of 14 WSU students and 14-16 Diné College students.

In mid-May the WSU group will travel to Tsaile, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation to spend nearly three weeks immersed in the culture and working on documentary journalism pieces. The WSU group will stay in residence hall facilities at Diné College and work in collaborative teams with Diné College students.  The teams will provide a service project for a Navajo elder (cleaning, gardening, repairing, etc.) to build a relationship of trust, and then interview the elders three times using video, audio and still photography.  The groups will produce documentary films that respectfully and authentically tell the elder's story.

DVD copies of the finished films will be given the the families of the elders and each student will get copies.  The films will be archived at the Navajo Nation Library, Navajo Nation Museum, Diné College Library, Winona State University Library, Winona Public Library, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. Not many undergraduate students can say their research projects are arched at the Smithsonian.

The Navajo Oral History Project has enjoyed five years of successful collaboration between the two higher education institutions. During those years, 23 documentary film projects about 23 Navajo elders have been completed. The program has included 51 WSU students and 33 Diné College students.

If anyone has questions or comments on the project, email Professor Tom Grier: tgrier@winona.edu.

Premiering the 2013 Navajo Oral History Project films

We held the first premiere event and reception at Winona State University tonight (Friday, Sept. 13). About 150 people were in attendance, including WSU students, faculty, staff, neighbors and family and friends of the students who produced the films.

In addition, about 20 alumni, representing each of the five years of the project, attended.

It was such a nice event. Several dignitaries spoke including: WSU President Scott R. Olson, WSU's Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Ralph Townsend, WSU's Chair of the Mass Communication Department Ron Elcombe, and, representing the WSU Foundation, William "Chops" Hancock.

This past summer, a group of students from WSU and Diné College, the Tribal College of the Navajo Nation, worked in collaborative teams to create documentary films focused on the life stories of five Navajo elders. The students researched, photographed, recorded, edited and produced the films which were premiered tonight.

After each film was shown, the student filmmakers spoke about the process and the privilege of meeting the elders and helping to preserve their life stories for all time.

The films will be archived at the Navajo Nation Museum and Library, The WSU Library, The Diné College Library, and at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian.

A second premiere event will be held Monday, Sept. 16, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the Student Union Building at Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation.

If you are in the Four Corners area on Monday, please come and enjoy refreshments and some really great films.

The faculty that taught the course and advised and supported the students are: Dr. Tom Grier, professor of Mass Communication, Winona State University; Dr. Miranda Haskie, professor of Social & Behavioral Science, Diné College, and Mr. Robbie Christiano, WSU Alumnus and Grad Student-Grad Assistant.

The faculty members agreed that the films are excellently produced and important historical documents. Thanks to all the students involved in this year, and each year, of the Navajo Oral History Project.

It seems like a long time... but they're almost done.

I know it seems like it has been a long time waiting for the 2013 Navajo Oral History project films to be complete.  In reality, it's not that long.  The students finished the fieldwork portion of the project about one month ago (on June 5, 2013).  Then, the hard work of documentary journalism began... the scripting, editing, audio work still photography editing, etc.

On July 6, I received the last of the projects and all 5 documentary teams had turned in all the parts of their projects.

I got the films ready to be burned, and made a master disc -- still called a DRAFT -- and sent that to Prof. Miranda Haskie at Diné College. She'll review the films and let me know if there's anything that may be culturally sensitive that might need minor editing.

Once we hear back from Prof. Haskie, we'll make final edits and the films will be ready for duplication.

At this point, everything is still on schedule to have the DVDs burned and printed and back to us in time for the reception and premiere events in September.

Here, again, is the basic information about the premiere events.

All the members of the 2013 Navajo Oral History project really hope their family, friends, classmates, neighbors, and other interested humans will attend the premiere events to see the films they worked so hard to create.

The first reception is scheduled at Winona State University on Friday, Sept. 13, beginning at 5 p.m., in the Science Laboratory Center Auditorium. The Diné College students and faculty involved in the project will be in Winona for this event and will also visit a few WSU Mass Communication courses and enjoy some local tourism while in Minnesota.

The second reception is planned for Monday, Sept. 16, at Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, at 5 p.m. (location to be determined). The WSU students and faculty will travel to Arizona for this reception. At this event, on the Navajo Nation, the featured elders and their families are invited. It's quite a moment for student film-makers to watch the elders view the films for the first time.

Both reception events are open to the public. The Navajo Oral History project team hopes family members and friends of the participants will attend to see the films and join in the celebration and appreciation of the student's hard work.

Following the reception events, extra copies of the 2013 DVDs will be available for sale at $20 each... and all the proceeds go directly to a Diné College scholarship fund.

2013 Films are Coming Along...

The 2013 Navajo Oral History project films are nearly complete.

Since the Winona State University students returned home to Minnesota, the team members have met with their Diné College counterparts via interactive television and video conferencing. They've edited their videos, tweaked the scripts, an added still images or b-roll footage.

Groups have spend time at Professor Tom Grier's home with Grier and Robbie Christiano, the grad student teaching assistant for the class, going over every second of each film. During this arduous process, the film-makers look at each frame and listen to each sound. They've edited little clicks and background sounds and tightened transitions between scenes.

They've added narrations and title slide transitions between "chapters" of each film. And, they'd added credit slides at the end and music at the beginning and end of each film.

Every step takes time, both in deciding what to use and how to use materials to engage the audience-- also in waiting for software to catch up to decision-making. In many ways, this is the most important work of film-making. Of course, gathering materials in the field is important. It's in the editing phase where narrative structure is built and put-together so the story flows for the viewer.

The work is amazingly good. It's fun to watch the students using tools and terms confidently and making decisions like seasoned pros.

The films will be great. Two of the groups have turned in all three parts of their film projects. The other teams are working and should have their projects complete by the end of June. The three parts: Oral History - the full interviews with the elders; Living History - a 15- to 20-minute film about the elder's lives; and Media Feature - a 5-minute film on one main story of the elder.

The projects will be mastered for DVD duplication and sent to have discs professionally burned and printed along with DVD box inserts. This takes several weeks. The finished projects will be back by the start of fall semester, and will be available at the premier-reception events planned in September.

The first reception is scheduled at Winona State University on Friday, Sept. 13, beginning at 5 p.m., in the Science Laboratory Center Auditorium. The Diné College students and faculty involved in the project will be in Winona for this event and will also visit a few WSU Mass Communication courses and enjoy some local tourism while in Minnesota.

The second reception is planned for Monday, Sept. 16, at Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, at 5 p.m. (location to be determined). The WSU students and faculty will travel to Arizona for this reception. At this event, on the Navajo Nation, the featured elders and their families are invited. It's quite a moment for student film-makers to watch the elders view the films for the first time.

Both reception events are open to the public. The Navajo Oral History project team hopes family members and friends of the participants will attend to see the films and join in the celebration and appreciation of the student's hard work.

Following the reception events, extra copies of the 2013 DVDs will be available for sale at $20 each... and all the proceeds go directly to a Diné College scholarship fund.

The 2013 Navajo Oral History Project begins soon

On Monday, May13, the 2013 Navajo Oral History project begins with 23 students from two colleges working together using journalism techniques to tell the life stories of five Navajo elders in documentary films.

The students -- 14 from Winona State University of Winona, Minnesota, and nine from Diné College, of Tsaile, Arizona -- begin their summer project with three classes via interactive television to meet each other and begin the research and cultural exchange that goes into such a collaborative project.

On Sunday, May 19, the WSU students will travel to the Navajo Nation for three-weeks of field work which includes doing service projects for Navajo elders, then interviewing an elder three times. Students from both schools will work together to photograph, audio record and video record the elder, and then transcribe, edit and proofread the text of the interviews. They'll also review the still photos and video gathered during the interview process. Ultimately, the student groups will create a 20-minute film about each Navajo elder.

The finished documentary films will be archived at the Navajo Nation Museum, Navajo Nation Library, and the libraries at both Diné College and Winona State University. In addition, the films will be archived at The Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. This is an amazing accomplishment for the students involved.

This is the fifth year of the successful collaboration between Winona State University and Diné College. Over the first four years of the project, student groups have completed a total of 18 films focused on 18 different Navajo elders.

The project is successful because of the hard work and dedication of the students who participate in the program. The students meet the elder and almost immediately bond with them and feel a tremendous responsibility to tell their story accurately and respectfully.

In addition, the Navajo Oral History project has received significant support from both involved schools and from the Winona State University Foundation and the Winona State University Student Senate. Without this support, the program may not have been able to survive beyond its initial year. The blog editor, Dr. Tom Grier, professor of Mass Communication at Winona State University, thanks all those involved for helping make this project as successful as it is.

This blog will be an active place for the next month with daily updates from the classroom and field work. There will be articles describing the student's work and fun, plus lots of photos -- most taken by the students of the class. In the first few days of the active class, the blog will introduce all the students and begin coverage of their activities.

Students in the program are encouraged to share this blog address with their families, friends, co-workers, and others interested in the project so they can check the blog frequently and stay up to date with what's going on during the project.

The blog has the comments section turned on, so anyone reading the blog is welcome to leave comments of encouragement or constructive criticism.

Thank you for your interest. We look forward to hearing your comments.

-- Tom Grier

The 2013 Navajo Oral History Project Begins...

Today (Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013), Robbie Christiano and I held the first official meeting of the 2013 Navajo Oral History project class at Winona State University.

This was an organizational/informational meeting for the 13 WSU students who will participate in the project this summer to meet each other and learn about travel plans, paperwork, text books, etc. This group will meet again later in Spring Semester to finalize plans, then the class begins its meetings with the Diné College participants in mid-May.

12 of the 13 WSU student participants were present at the meeting (one had a baby just two days ago and understandably couldn't make the meeting). The class members all seemed interested in hearing about plans, and excited about the important projects they will undertake in just a few weeks.

These students are all WSU Mass Communication majors.  One is a graphic design major, a program shared between Mass Communication and the Art Department.

As each student introduced themselves and their geographic and ethnic backgrounds, it was amazing to see the diversity of the group -- and the similarities that all were interested in using their skills and abilities to help tell the life stories of Navajo elders.  We have students in the group that are seasoned journalists, skilled photographers and competent video producers and editors. All have had several introductory courses in mass communication and bring their knowledge to their projects.

In mid-May the WSU group will travel to Tsaile, Ariz., on the Navajo Nation to spend nearly three weeks immersed in the culture and working on documentary journalism pieces. The WSU group will stay in residence hall facilities at Diné College and work in collaborative teams with Diné College students.  The teams will provide a service project for a Navajo elder (cleaning, gardening, repairing, etc.) to build a relationship of trust, and then interview the elders three times using video, audio and still photography.  The groups will produce documentary films that respectfully and authentically tell the elder's story.

DVD copies of the finished films will be given the the families of the elders and each student will get copies.  The films will be archived at the Navajo Nation Library, Navajo Nation Museum, Diné College Library, Winona State University Library, Winona Public Library, and the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of the American Indian. We're very proud of this.  Not many undergraduate students can say their research projects are arched at the Smithsonian.

The Summer 2013 edition of the Navajo Oral History Project is the fifth year of the successful collaboration.  Those reading the blog interested in the project may wish to view the films of past years.  They are all available for viewing on YouTube. Follow the link to one of the first films of the series-- featuring Harry Walters, a Navajo Cultural Specialist and recently retired director of the Ned Hatathli Museum at Diné College. From there, viewers will be able to see other films on Prof. Tom Grier's YouTube channel from the series.

The WSU Mass Communication department -- and the families and friends of the participating students -- can be proud of the 13 students that have chosen to use part of their summer to practice and expand their communication skills, and to give of themselves and their talent to be involved in this important historical project.

The names of the 2013 Navajo Oral History project students from Winona State University are:
Madison Duncan, Winona, Minn.
Shiloh Gulbranson, Lindstrom, Minn.
Brett Gustafson, Rochester, Minn.
Whitney Harlos, Rochester, Minn.
Eric Hawkins, Rochester, Minn.
Tom Hays, Chaska, Minn.
Laura Humes, Mahtomedi, Minn.
Jolene Kuisle, Rochester, Minn.
Adam Maciejczak, Lake City, Minn.
Cara Mannino, Rochester, Minn.
Skylar Ogren, Winona, Minn.
Darin Strohmenger, Cedarburg, Wis.
Danielle Wieczorek, Andover, Minn.

In a few weeks, Robbie Christiano and Tom Grier from WSU will be speaking to classes at Diné College and helping recruit DC students to join this summer project.  Once the class is fully established, all the students will be introduced here on the blog.  The activities of the class will be highlighted throughout the project in text and photos here as well.

If anyone has questions or comments on the project, email Professor Tom Grier: tgrier@winona.edu.

Post-Travel Classes: Editing, Narrating, etc.

The travel portion of the 2012 Navajo Oral History project is is done for the summer.  The student journalism teams made up of students from Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, and Winona State University of Winona, Minnesota, spent 2.5 weeks on the Navajo Nation interviewing Navajo elders, and learning something of the culture and history of the reservation.  Last week, the WSU students returned to Minnesota with hours of digital video and audio and thousands of digital photographs.

Now the real work begins, as the teams meet via Interactive Television, email, Facebook and other electronic means to help each other sift through all the material with the ultimate goal of building a factual, interesting and historically significant documentary film about their Navajo elder.

This is hard work.  The groups have spent dozens of hours transcribing all the text of their interviews.  Now, they are going over those transcripts repeatedly to find the best quotes to include in their films.

The groups are meeting via ITV this week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

  

 

 

By Friday, each group will have a close to final draft version of their film.  Next week, they'll meet with the faculty members of the class to make final edits and clean up little odds and ends in the editing process.

By the end of July, the DVDs will be finalized and copies ordered, so they can be here in time for the reception and premier events that will happen in September.

If you are a family member or friend of any of the students involved in this project, please make it a point to come to the receptions and see the films.  These are important events to celebrate the hard work, but also to congratulate the students for making lasting, meaningful documentary films.

2012 Navajo Oral History Project Begins May 29

On May 29, the day after Memorial Day, a group of Winona State University and Diné College students will begin their summer journalism experience: the 2012 Navajo Oral History Project. The students begin meeting via Interactive Television (ITV) between the two campus locations: Diné College in Tsaile, Arizona, on the Navajo Nation, and Winona State University in Winona, Minnesota.

The students will meet via ITV three times that week as they prepare for nearly three weeks of field work on the Navajo Nation beginning June 3.

The Minnesota students will stay in residence halls at Diné College and will work in partnership teams with DC students. The teams will do a service project for a Navajo elder, and then interview the elder three times. The groups will produce documentary film projects about the elders.

The documentaries will be archived at the Navajo Nation Museum and Library and at the WSU and DC Libraries; and will also be archived at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of the American Indian.

While on the Navajo Nation, the Winona State students will participate in Navajo cultural activities including a camping weekend at a Navajo family's sheep camp in Canyon de Chelly and visiting the Navajo Tribal Government Center.

For the next several weeks, this blog will cover the Navajo Oral History project. I, and the students, will write blog entries about our daily activities including text and photos.

Bookmark or "favorite" this blog and check it often to stay up to date on this important and fun learning adventure. Feel free to look back through past years' blog entries for a glimpse at how the project has progressed, changed and improved over the years. Share the blog with friends, family members and anyone that may be interested.

Thanks for your interest.

-- Dr. Tom Grier

   Professor of Mass Communication

   Winona State University

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The WSU Students participating in the 2012 Navajo Oral History Project (and their majors and hometowns) are:

Shannon Bolte, photojournalism, Rochester, Minn.

Joel Farber, communication studies and mass communication, Hastings, Minn.

Kelsey Foss, public relations, Sparta, Wis.

Emily Gust, public relations, Verona, Wis.

Liam Krause, photojournalism, Deerfield, Wis.

Kelly Kusilek, public relations, Cannon Falls, Minn.

Elena Lavorato, journalism, Oakdale, Minn.

Sammi Luhmann, journalism, Robbinsdale, Minn.

Laura McCormick, public relations, Apple Valley, Minn.

Rachel Rivers, photojournalism, Wabasha, Minn.

Stefani Schmidt, journalism and political science, Winona, MN

Elisenda XifraReverter, photojournalism, Girona, Spain

Diné College students are still registering for the course and will be introduced on the blog when the class begins.

New WSU Book by Bill Meyer & Tom Grier

Book Released -- Campus Of Trees: Winona State University

In February 2011, Winona State University released a new book about the variety and beauty of the trees that are found all over the university grounds. “Campus of Trees: Winona State University,” was written by Bill Meyer and Tom Grier, and photographed by Tom Grier.

The 127-page hardcover book includes 29 articles about specific trees on campus with a photo of the tree itself, and three photos of its unique aspects: the fruit, flower, bark, leaves, etc. Also included are directions for three self-guided tree tours of campus, as well as an introduction by Winona State University President Judith Ramaley, and a foreword by Gary Johnson, University of Minnesota professor of urban and community forestry.

The book includes a list of all trees considered native to Minnesota; at least one of each are growing on the WSU campus. In addition the book includes an article and photos of the many colorful crabapple trees on campus, and another feature that focuses on the wide variety of non-native trees that thrive on WSU grounds.

Authors Meyer and Grier held a book launch event in mid-February at the WSU Bookstore. The authors visited with people who came to purchase the book and autographed copies of the book. Meyer is a retired senior groundskeeper at WSU; Grier is a WSU professor of mass communication and teaches journalism and photojournalism courses.

“Campus of Trees” may be purchased online for $20 at the WSU Bookstore website: www.wsubookstore.com. All proceeds benefit the WSU Tree Fund, which is used to maintain tree diversity on campus and care for or replace damaged or diseased trees.

For more information, contact Tom Grier via e-mail: tgrier@winona.edu.

Below are images of a few of the tree features from the book.

Stained Glass Capitol Of The World

Winona, Minnesota, is known as the Stained Glass Capitol of the World. This is because a.) there are dozens of stained glass-related businesses in this small town including one of the largest in the world, and b.) there are hundreds of beautiful stained glass windows in Winona… and not just in churches.

In 2010, I shot photos of the stained glass in my own small Catholic church in Winona which were used for our 2011 church calendar. I also had some shots of the stained glass in the historic Winona County Courthouse, built in 1885.

On a bright, sunny Friday in February 2011, I drove around town and made some images of the many beautiful stained glass installations around town. Here is a sample of some of those images. Maybe I’ll work these into some kind of publication.

Click on images to see larger versions.

All photos ©2011, 2010 Tom Grier

Watkins Inc. Main Administration Building

St. Stanilaus Kostka Catholic Church

Winona State University - Integrated Wellness Center

St. Matthew's Lutheran Church

Sauer Memorial Home Chapel

St. Mary's Catholic Church

Winona National Bank

Immanuel United Methodist Church

Damian Commons-Watters Hall - Saint Mary's University

Winona Health

St. Martin's Lutheran Church

Merchants National Bank

College of St. Teresa - Chapel of the Angels

Pat & Jean Smith Home

Linda Neville Home

First Baptist Church

St. Anne Extended Care Center

St. Thomas More Chapel - Saint Mary's University

St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church

Central United Methodist Church

Godfather's Pizza

St. Casimir's Catholic Church

Cathedral Crafts Showroom

Faith Lutheran Church

River Hills Dental

First Congregational Church

Lake Winona Manor Chapel

The Edge Church

Winona County Historical Society

Church of the Nazarene

Winona County Courthouse

Cathedral Of The Sacred Heart Catholic Church

Central Lutheran Church

Winona Visitor's Center