MSU-N Back to School 2019

12 September 2019

Welcome Back

MSU-NORTHERN Sept. 14 Sept. 21 Sept. 28 Oct. 12 Oct. 19 Oct. 26 Nov. 2 Nov. 9 Nov. 16

www.havredailynews.com

LIGHTS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE vs. University of Montana - Western at Carroll College vs. Montana Tech at Eastern Oregon University vs. Rocky Mountain College at University of Montana - Western vs. Carroll College vs. Southern University at The College of Idaho

1:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. 12:00 p.m.

pay with pride using an MSU-Northern Checking Account

Exclusive to Independence Bank, we’re excited to offer our MSU-Northern Checking Account! Every time you make a purchase, you’ll show how much you support MSU-Northern and the Northern Lights and Skylights with your customized debit card and checks! BENEFITS INCLUDE:

0000 0000 0000 0000 12/15 R NAME CARDHOLDE

• • • •

No annual fee Year-long drawings for various fundraising events* Free Bill Pay** ON-CAMPUS IB ATM Free eStatements LOCATED IN THE SUB!

Come in to your local Independence Bank branch today to open your MSU-Northern Checking Account!

Banking on the Hi-Line H AV R E | M A LTA | G L A S G O W P O P L A R | S CO B E Y | CO N R A D

435 3rd Street | Havre, MT 59501 | 406-265-1241 | ibyourbank.com *No purchase or account necessary to enter or win. See official rules at www.ibyourbank.com or visit a local Independence Bank branch. **Additional fee may apply for added features

2

Welcome Back

September 2019

MSU-NORTHERN

Welcome Back

www.havredailynews.com

A welcome from the chancellor

Dear Havre community, As another academic year begins, I want to thank the Hi-Line and the Havre Community for helping us make this past year so outstanding. Last October, Montana State UniversityNorthern was recognized as the #1 school in the state of Montana for economic mobility, and #15 in the nation via a report conducted at Harvard. The report focused on the university’s “mobility rate,” which is the ability to move students from their starting point to the top 20 percent of income distribution. This report came as no surprise to those of us who work with these students. They not only know how to face challenges, they also overcome them with an incredible work ethic. They are the reason MSU-Northern exists: we give them a chance to rise above their circumstances and build better lives for

themselves with an Education that Works. In addition to the great things we do for students, we’ve done many great things for the campus over the last year. A few of the highlights include: • SUB Renovations including an elevator, a complete renovation of the Little River Institute, installation of after-hours lounge • Curb appeal around residence halls including exterior paint of Morgan Hall, new curbing, pavement, and sidewalks • Phase I improvements to Hagener Science Center including nursing’s fully installed SIM lab • Automotive Tech Center improvements including new lifts, ventilation, and transmission dynamometer As we look forward to this next year, we have many more incredible projects on the horizon. This year we hope to begin construc-

tion on our new Sports Complex, repaint buildings on the south east side of campus, and continue to renovate Hagener Science Center. We are also looking forward to our addition of team hockey as our newest collegiate sport. Hockey not only brings new students to MSUNorthern, it provides our community with an exciting new opportunity to cheer on the Lights! I want to encourage all our students to take a few steps now that will set them up for success this academic year. Familiarize yourself with the many resources we have on campus to assist you academically such as The Little River Institute in the Student Union Building where tutors are available to help you succeed. Our Student Success Center can also assist you in making sure you are making good financial choices, advise you on which

classes to take, and connect you to a summer co-op experience in your field. And everyone on campus is committed to ensuring you get a high-quality education. Our students are the reason I come to work every day. My door is always open to all of our community partners, so please stop in to say hello or share your thoughts on how best to continue moving MSU-Northern forward. I am excited to see this year begin and I look forward to meeting as many people as possible at our campus and athletic events. If you haven’t been to campus recently, I encourage you to visit. Take a walk on our beautiful grounds, look inside our state-ofthe-art labs, and talk to some of our student, faculty, and staff. You will be inspired. Sincerely, Greg Kegel, Chancellor Montana State University-Northern

Vande Bogart Library offers services at Northern Rachel Jamieson rjamieson@havredailynews.com The 2019-2020 school year has started and Montana State University-Northern’s Vande Bogart Library has opened and has featured services, not only for students, but also faculty and staff.

“Our primary function is to serve the s t u d e n t s, fa c u l t y a n d s ta f f o f M S U Northern,” Library Directory Vicki Gist said. Gist added that the library is also open to the public. T h e h o u rs a re M o n d ay t h ro u g h Thursday are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 8

a.m. to 5 p.m., closed on Saturdays, and Sunday 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Gist added that the hours are subject to change due to holidays and are available on the library’s website at, https://www. msun.edu/library . The Vande Bogart Library is an academic library that has many options students can utilize such as library instruction, reference services, books that can be checked out, an access to many databases that either full-text articles or full-text books — accessible to students, faculty, and staff whether on-campus or off-campus and more. Many places are also offered for students to study whether as a group or quiet places are available for an individual studying. Students also have access to 16 computers for students on the

main floor and a lab downstairs that has 24 computers. The library is also home to the testing center for the university and works with companies that provide services for stud e n t s to ta ke exa m s t h a t i n c l u d e Accuplacer, CLEP, Kaplan and MAT; certification tests — PRAXIS and ASE — and proctored or remote testing. Specialized equipment is also available for usage on campus include, an open book scanner; traditional scanner, photocopy machine and a microform scanner/printer The Northern Brew is also an option for anyone in need of snacks and beverages. The Brew’s hours are Monday through Friday from 8:15 a.m. until one hour prior to closing and will be open Sunday from 1:15 p.m until one hour prior to closing.

www.havredailynews.com ogy program. “That’s a building we need to have on this campus in order to recruit and retain in that area,” he said. He added that Northern has also continued working on their parking lots such a getting them paved and re-striped and put in security lighting. He said Northern also has been working on its dorms. Morgan Hall has been completely renovated and the married/student housing up on the hill on the southeast corner of the campus will be next for renovations. Kegel added that he is working on a project that involves every building that has a classroom — upgrading them to have one signature state-of the-art classroom. The signature classroom will be used as a model in each field with the latest and greatest audio visuals and training aids. Another ongoing project has seen success. As of April of this year ,Northern received approval from the American Collegiate Hockey Association to develop a hockey program and compete at the ACHA Division 2 level. I n t h e a n n u a l re p o r t i t s ays t h e Northern Men’s Hockey Club will be developed over a two-year period. Phase one begins September 2019 and runs through August 2020, focusing on promoting, fundraising, scheduling, securing and building the program. Phase two begins Sept. 2020 will kick off the first competitive season to be played in November through March. ACHA playoffs start the first week of March. “It is going to allow all of our student body be able to go to hockey games, and it’s another activity for them to engage in,” Kegel said. In other news, Kegel said, a concern of

MSU-NORTHERN

his is the quality in the classroom. He said he put together an Education and Learning Center center three to four years ago for the instructors, to help them not only know the content material they are teaching, but how to teach it. “It has made a huge difference in the quality of our ability to disseminate the information, and it is kind of a lifeline for these people we ask to come in and teach that have never gone through formal education training,” he said. He added that it ties in with one of the goals the university has: quality instruction. Another goal he said that will help Northern reach 1,500 students is their collaboration and partnerships with external entities to enhance and expand learning experiences. “We’ve got companies that come from all across the United States who recruit our students,” Kegel said. “When we built the DTC those industry partners donated half of the money for that building. $4 million is what we came up with from them.” In addition to adding a hockey team to Northern, Kegel is working on a $6 million project to renovate Donaldson Hall and to turn into a multicultural learning center. “It’s going to be fabulous,” he said. And the university is continuing to work on its project to build a football stadium for the Northern Lights Football team. Kegel said the university is trying to focus on what its students need, from toplevel academics to a full student life. “We are not trying to be everything for everyone. We are trying to do the things we do the best. At the end of the day, our students need this institution, they really do and that is why we are so successful,” Kegel said.

September 2019

NORTHERN RODEO SCHEDULE Sept. 13-14

at Northwest Community College

Cody, WY

Sept. 20-21

vs. Montana State University-Northern

Havre, MT

Sept. 27-28

at University of Montana - Western

Dillon, MT

Apr. 2-3

at Montana State University

Bozeman, MT

Apr. 17-18

at Miles Community College

Miles City, MT

Apr. 24-25

at University of Montana

Missoula, MT

May 1-2

at University of Providence

Great Falls, MT

Havre Daily News/Ryan Berry The Montana State University-Northern SUB gets a makeover on the top floor Wednesday, Aug. 21 in Havre.

Cronk takes over at Northern Foundation

Derek Hann dshann@havredailynews.com

After more than 20 years away, Chinook native Shantel Cronk has returned to the Hi-Line, taking the position of executive director for the Montana State UniversityNorthern’s Alumni Foundation. “I am excited about having an influence on, not only the university, but also the foundation,” Cronk said. “Mostly because the foundation is all about giving back to the community via scholarships to students and through events and fundraising and things of that nature. So really it’s a matter of it’s nice to be in a position where you can feel like you’re contributing to something positive like this.” She said that her experience in the past was primarily in for-profit organizations, and for the past 20 years she has worked for global companies such as Nike, Adidas, Red Wing Shoe Co. and, most recently, Deckers Brands, which is based in Santa Barbara, California. She added that working in a non-

profit is in a new realm for her but she is excited to apply her background and find creative ways to raise more money for the foundation. Although her past experience has been working with corporations, parts of the job are very similar, she said. The position of executive director is about understanding people and understanding their goals and finding creative ways to find solutions. She added that she has wanted to change career paths for a long time. She said after a point in time she became “burnt out on the whole corporate America kind of culture,” and after suffering from some health issues came to the realization that life is short and she wanted to be able to give back. Cronk considered the position when it was previously available about five years, before former Executive Director Jim Bennet took the job, she said. She added that she didn’t apply for the position because she was not living in the area yet. “Jim Bennet did a fabulous job in taking the foundation to a successful place,” she said.

11

www.havredailynews.com

10

Welcome Back

September 2019

MSU-NORTHERN

www.havredailynews.com

Chancellor continuing to work on programs to improve Northern A to p ra n k i n g i s b e i n g to u t e d by Montana State University-Northern’s chancellor as the school rolls into a new academic year. Last October, Montana State UniversityNorthern was recognized as the No. 1 school in the state of Montana for economic mobility and No. 15 in the nation. The report focused on the university’s “mobility rate,” or the number of students that started college in the bottom 20 percent of income distribution and reached the top 20 percent. The report can be viewed online at https://www.zippia.com/ advice/best-colleges-economic-mobilitystate . The report was done by Opportunity Insights, a nonprofit group located at Harvard University. For the year 2019, Chancellor Greg Kegel created an annual report, not only

for the alumni to know what is going on at their alma mater, but for the Legislature and others. In his introduction, he cites the ranking in upward mobility. “When I look back on an annual report I am looking there for the accomplishments we made the year before,” Kegel said.“I try to tie it into our institutional goals, the things I’m interested in, and strategically progressing forward as an institution with the things we’ve lined up as our mission, our goals, and how we are going to get there.” Northern’s goal is listed in its mission statement: “MSU-Northern provides higher education to students for professional technical careers through an institution dedicated teaching and the pursuit of knowledge.” Kegel added that the biggest and No. 1 goal is stability, and that has to be first

and foremost. He said that for the university to be able to reach stabilization, it needs to have a critical mass of 1,500 students. The university as of late August had about 1,045 to 1,050 students. Kegel said Northern has numerous amenities such as married-student housing, dormitories, the Student Union Building, which received an upgrade this summer, athletics, and three different colleges within the university. Northern’s colleges are College of Technical Sciences; College of Arts, Sciences and Education, and College of Health Sciences. And, Kegel said, those colleges are excelling. “As an institution we are winning in all of the categories that a chancellor would want to be able to say he is winning in,” he said. “Our placement rate is at 100 percent, our customer satisfaction which is

employers who employ are students is very high, and every year our career fair the number of people who are coming to the c a m p u s to re c r u i t o u r s t u d e n t s h a s increased. In his annual report, he says the Northern Spring 2019 Career Fair broke all records — again — with 58 registered employers attending, and 14 of those employers setting up interviews with students on campus. He added that a big win for him is that Northern’s graduates are, on average, outearning the graduates of all the other institutions in the state of Montana for starting incomes. The completion of the Diesel Technology Center in 2018 was a huge project that benefits one of Northern’s top-rated programs. Kegel said it was aimed to fulfill a niche program for the university’s diesel technol-

Dorms: Number of students living in the dorms is increasing ■ Continued from page 9 that both of the dorms will be open for students. He added that the number of Northern students living on campus also increased 16 percent since last year. “Year-to-year growth is always nice to see,” he said. He said that work started as soon as the

spring semester concluded, but Northern still has some finishing touches it will make throughout the year. The capital improvements were made using the university’s general fund and building fund, Fredenberg said. He added that the residence halls don’t make huge profit but were able to make a small profit last year, and by using the small profit they were able to complete some of the smaller projects.

He said they wanted to do a complete renovation on one of the floors in one of the buildings but because the application pool has grown so dramatically they were unable to do this year and will have to wait until next summer. “But it’s great,” Fredneberg said. “It’s wonderful to see that increase.” He added that Northern has also worked to increase the number of programs to promote

student activity. Last year, Northern had a program where students could use their student identification card could go swim in the city pool, go skiing, skating and do archery for free. He said that this year they will be continuing the program and hope to add new activities, such as golfing. Northern is also revamping the Northern Points Program, now calling it the Lights Brigade, he said. The program works by Northern getting area businesses involved in including and remembering students, such as providing a discount or a free soda with a purchase when students go to their businesses. Fredenberg said the programs are funded through the students’ activities fees they pay at the beginning of the year. He added that last year’s student Senate voted to use the fees this way, thinking it would be a benefit to the student body. Northern has also worked hard to increase student retention and student achievements on campus, he said. He said that with all of the improvements from last year, after the spring semester, the number of students who made the honor roll increased dramatically, a 25 to 50 percent increase, within the residence halls. He said that in addition to Northern making improvements, it has been very diligent in enforcing the student code of conduct, the rules and regulations for university life. He added that the university is not telling students what to do or not to do, but are showing them the other opportunities the students have available to them. Instead of drinking, students can either attend a concert, theater performance or athletic event on campus for free, he said. The residence halls have also had most of Northern’s football team move into the dorms, he said. Fredenberg said he also has an unbelievable staff, both in custodial staff and the student residence assistance staff, all the students being great students. “We are getting very, very excited,” he said.

Welcome Back

MSU-NORTHERN

www.havredailynews.com Bennett left the position in June to take another job in Havre. She added that she hopes to continue the momentum he built as well looking at it through a new lens. She said because she is new to the foundation she can take a step back and seeing what else can be done to make improvements or added where it is needed. “Now that I’ve moved back, I think it’s a matter of opportunity and timing that has led me to this specific position,” she said. Some of the major skills corporate America taught her which she hopes to carry into the foundation is how to multitask and her ability to connect with people to reach shared goals. “I don’t think you could do this role without people skills,” she said, adding that people have to be genuine and show invested interest in people. She moved back to the area about a yearand-a-half ago from California, she said. She added that she wanted to be close to family and everyone she finds important to her life. For some people, it would be a shock to move back to a rural area after living in the city, but for her it was always home, Cronk said. “I was raised here,” she said. “We still have our family ranch here and it’s part of my culture to be from the Hi-Line.” As the executive director, she said, she and the other members of her staff have to wear a number of different hats and perform a number of different duties. “You have to jump in and be facilitators for a lot of things,” she said. But as executive director, her primary duties are working with the board of directors for the foundation and reporting in to them and ultimately deciding how to spend the foundation’s funds, she said. She will also be in charge of finding more donors and building a relationship with the university, spending time with the chancellor, provost and faculty members, and understand what their needs are. “Because, really, the whole foundation was created to support the needs of the university and the students here, so we are

Havre Daily News/Derek Hann Shantell Cronk poses for a photograph in the Montana State University-Northern Alumni Foundation. always thinking of new ways of how we can do that,” she said. She added that she already has some ideas and is excited to look into new opportunities for community events for the Northern’s alumni and the community.

■ See Cronk Page 4

September 2019

3

4

Welcome Back

September 2019

MSU-NORTHERN

Welcome Back

www.havredailynews.com

MSU-NORTHERN

September 2019

9

SUB remodel bringing final component to Little River Institute Northern works on improving dorms Pam Burke community@havredailynews.com

The Student Union Building at Montana State University is in the midst of further remodeling, this time to its top floor which is the home of its Little River Institute that provides enhanced student support services for Native American Students enrolled at the university. Northern was awarded a $1.9 million grant through the U.S. Department of Education’s Native American-Serving NonTraditional Institutions Program, or NASNTI, in 2015, with the goal of doubling completion rates of Native American students on campus, said Erica McKeonHanson, director of the institute. “As part of that (effort), retention is a large piece,” McKeon-Hanson said, adding, “We have several components of our program up here. One of them is to have a culturally responsive environment and a place for our American Indian students on campus.” The NASNTI program components include professional tutors, called pathfinders, and peer mentors, who are students in upper division course work who have been on campus a few years and who can give guidance to newer students. Northern’s longstanding and active club for Native American students, the Sweetgrass Society,

has been incorporated into the program, as well. Part of the delay implementing the remodel until the end of the grant period was that they didn’t have a space allocated for the program at the time the grant was written. Using the SUB made sense, she said, because it is a natural hub for student activity with the cafeteria, bookstore, leisure facilities and more already in the building. The project also took a lot of planning. The renovations to the SUB will be complete within a few months, she added. An elevator, which connects the three floors of the SUB from the basement to the Little River Institute’s top level is already in place. The learning center, which is waiting on some electronics components, will be completed in a couple months, she said, and Sweetgrass Commons will be completed by mid- to late-September. A large portion of the SUB’s top floor housed a storage room and another room that was used as a space to display artwork, she said. These wall have been taken out to make a bigger space that is open to the exterior walls with windows to the outdoors. This effort to make a connection between the outdoors and the interior spaces is an important design feature for the university’s Native students. “But probably the most significant thing is, in this large rectangle of the third floor –

Derek Hann dshann@havredailynews.com As Montana State University-Northern moved into a new year, the campus has made some capital improvements to increase the quality of student life, MSU-Northern Student Life Coordinator Harlan Fredenberg said. “I think it’s just great to see,” he said.

“Anytime we can do something that makes the residence halls or makes the student experience better, that is a plus.” While summer courses were underway, Northern started renovations on the residence halls, upgrading quite a bit of the dorms including Morgan and Mackenzie halls, Fredenberg said. He added that the dorms have new floors in many of the rooms, a new computer lab — including new com-

■ See Dorms Page 10

■ Continued from page 4 area so that they can better share in the culture of our American Indian students on campus,” McKeon-Hanson said. Northern’s Native American student population primarily comes from Blackfeet, Rocky Boy’s, Fort Belknap and Fort Peck Indian reservations, she said, as well as the Little Shell tribe which is awaiting federal recognition. The colleges and high schools in this four-reservation area are considered the Little River’s region. McKeon-Hanson said that the university doesn’t recruit students from the tribes, but does do outreach at the reservations largely through Northern’s Director of American Indian education and tribal liaison Margaret Campbell, who has been an educator and administrator in Fort Belknap and Fort Peck, as well as being a former state legislator. Of MSU-Northern’s approximately 1,400 students, about 18 percent are Native American. This is an increase from about 12 percent at the start of the grant period. “We’re the only NASNTI program in the

Havre Daily News/Ryan Berry The Montana State University-Northern SUB gets a makeover on the top floor Wednesday, Aug. 21, in Havre. it really is essentially one big rectangle – we’ve really tried to give a feeling of being in a space that is round so that our students feel that circle and feel the connectedness of

being in a circle,” she said. “Our American Indian students had a lot of input into the design and concept of what

■ See Remodel Page 9

■ Continued from page 3 teers or donations from the community. Without the support of the community, local businesses and the alumni, the founda-

had an update in the exterior paint job in more than 10 years. He added that it would be nice if people who drive by will be able to look at it and see how if flows with the rest of the campus. Northern has also have some new appliances in the kitchens and new big screen televisions in Morgan Hall, he said.He added

Remodel: Includes student services and professional development for faculty and staff

Cronk: 'We forget that there’s always this need of evolution and always need of change' “We rely heavily on the alumni volunteers,” she said. “I mean there are things that we couldn’t execute without the volun-

puters and new computer tables in both residence halls — and new window treatments. Northern also has redone it’s parking lots for the residence halls and repainted the majority of the inside and the outside of both of it’s dorms, to match the rest of the buildings on campus. He said that he has only had the coordinator position for little longer than a year, but to his knowledge, Morgan Hall hasn’t

tion would not be able to be as effective as it is, she said. “For us to succeed we need that community involvement in a big way,” she said. Cronk is not the only new face in the foundation, she said. Lee Lounder, who was hired in June, is also a new addition to the team. Cronk added that she is excited to work with both Lounder and foundation Chief Financial Officer Amanda Meyer. Cronk said she loves working with them and if feels like they have good synergy, their energies working well together and their communication styles coinciding with one another. She added that, while at the foundation, she hopes to be able to keep the university

and the foundation current as time goes by. “The university, any university, is a living breathing entity and I think that sometimes gets lost,” she said. “Especially with a university like Northern, which in 10 years going to hit it’s 100-year anniversery, we forget that there’s always this need of evolution and always need of change. Whether it’s the courses or the scholarship programs, things have to evolve, she said. She added she wants to be able to look back and know they made their mark to evolve, but also maintain the integrity of the university and do everything to help the chancellors to achieve their goals and be supportive.

Havre Daily News/Ryan Berry The Montana State University-Northern SUB gets a makeover on the top floor Wednesday, Aug. 21, in Havre. this space should look like based upon (their ideas of) what this space should look like and their needs,” McKeon-Hanson said, “to make sure that we incorporated our American Indian students’ voice into their space.” When the renovations to the entire top floor are complete it will have two main spaces — the Sweetgrass Commons where

the peer mentors and the Sweetgrass Society will meet and the Sage Learning Center which has the tutoring facility, computers and printer, food and access to sweetgrass for smudging. “We also have professional development run out of the Little River Institute to give our faculty, staff and students more knowledge about our Plains Indian cultures in this

state of Montana,” McKeon-Hanson said, “and in order to even apply you have to have at least a 10 percent American Indian student population, and we’re currently the only non-tribal school that has that, that meets that threshold.” She added that her office is waiting for the application period for a NASNTI continuation grant to be announced to help further fund the program and its expansion. “We have been offering all of our services, the tutoring and the peer mentoring, throughout the entire grant,” she added, “and, in fact, we’ve been able to achieve some really great retention rates among our first-time, full-time American Indian students since our programs was implemented on the campus.” The renovated space will be the final component to help bring those retention numbers higher, she said. “Space matters,” she said, “I just can’t reiterate that enough that having that space on campus that really is reflective of our students and who they are.”

8

Welcome Back

September 2019

MSU-NORTHERN

Welcome Back

www.havredailynews.com

Volleyball: Wagner: 'The sky is the limit' Cross country: Battle of the Border in Havre ■ Continued from page 7 ence in senior Hailey Warren (5-8), junior Shania Neubauer (5-9) and sophomore Shay Waldbillig (5-7). All three saw significant time in the lineup last season, behind the graduated McKaylie Tanner with Neubauer tallying 118 assists. “The setters are all doing a great job,” Wagner said. “They’re good at what they do, and that’s setting the tone for our team, and our offense.” Offense is an area the Skylights will look to improve dramatically after hitting just .026 last season. Sophomores Emily Gutierrez (5-10) and Abigail Ellison (5-8) are Northern’s returning leaders in kills, but, junior transfers Rylee Burmeister (5-10) and Elissa Lind (5-10) will certainly be focal points in Northern’s attack. Wagner also brought in middle hitter Tammy Maddock from the judo ranks, and she should provide a powerful offensive spark up the middle, while junior Breanna Brickey could see action both on the outside, and as a defensive specialist/libero. “Two big areas we need to improve on is first serving, and also our offensive efficiency,” Wagner said. “In terms of serving, I think we have the players to serve the ball better this year, and that will get teams off balance more often. Also, we have much more experienced ball handlers now, and that’s going to allow us to run a much better offense. “We’ve been working really hard to get to a higher hitting percentage this season,” he continued. “So if we can do those two things, serve tough, and hit with more consistency, we’re going to be in a position to win a lot more sets, and matches. Those two things will put us in a much better position to be successful.” Defense will be key as well for the Skylights if they want to rise in the ranks of a loaded Frontier Conference. Northern returns senior Katia Michelotti (6-2), who can play in the middle or on the right side, while sophomore Jada Sudbrack (6-0) will also be one to watch on the block for the Skylights as is freshman Marlee Bender (6-0). In the back row, Neubauer has been a stalwart for Northern, while Brickey will be tough in the back as well, as MSU-N looks to up its dig total from a season ago. Freshman Katie Murdock has also assumed the role of libero.

■ Continued from page 6 “The first goal is simply to come together, as a team,” Wagner said. “And this group has done that quickly. I’m really happy with our chemistry on the court. In our scrimmages and practices, it hasn’t mattered what rotation we go with, it’s all worked really well. So the girls have done a great job of bonding and coming together. “The next goal is just to keep working hard, to just keep getting better,” he continued. “And they’re doing that every single day. I couldn’t be happier with the effort level and enthusiasm the team has. They’ve bought in, they’re all in, and it’s exciting.” Exciting is the key word too. Northern is getting ready for the Frontier Conference slate, which opens at Lewis-Clark State Sept. 19 and Montana Tech Sept. 21. MSU-N plays its first home conference match Sept. 25 against Providence, and closes out the month at Carroll College Sept. 28. October begins with a home match against Rocky Mountain College Oct. 4, then the Frontier bye week comes, followed by three more home matches: Montana Western (Oct. 19), Montana Tech (Oct. 24) and LC State (Oct. 25). The Skylights close out October with a Halloween match at Providence, then come home to play their final home match Nov. 1 against Carroll. The regular season ends with road trips to Rocky Nov. 7 and Western Nov. 9. The Frontier tourney is set for Nov. 15-16 in Great Falls. But, before the Skylights get to any of that, Wagner reiterated that, he’s just excited, and even a little nervous to get the season going. But, mostly, he’s excited to just start rebuilding Northern volleyball into a strong brand again. “The main thing is, I’m going to have a really good time coaching this team,” he added. “I’m going to give them my all, put myself in a position to give them my best, coach them up the best way I know how. And I know this team will play hard every single night. So, if we can continue to improve, and we play hard every night, we’re going to put ourselves in a position to be successful. This team has already exceeded my expectations for where I thought we’d be at this point, so, I really believe the sky is the limit for them. And I’m just really excited to get going. I think Northern fans are really going to like watching this team play this season.”

The Skylights also return senior Kaitlin Nystrom and sophomore Kaylee Nystrom, another pair of former Havre High standouts. Ashley McCready-Romero, Grace Schwenk, returner Raini Johnson and newcomer Allison Tigert complete the Skylight roster. As for the schedule, Northern already completed the Early Bird Invite in Helena, and will attend meets at Rocky Mountain College and the University of Providence, as well as the Lewis-Clark State Invite and the Bulldog Invite in Dillon.

Of course, the most exciting race on Northern’s schedule may be the annual Battle of the Border dual with Western Wyoming. The meet shifts back-and-forth between the two schools, and for the second time in four years, it returns to Havre. The Lights and Skylights will host the dual meet Sept. 28 at Prairie Farms Golf Course. Northern wraps up the 2019 season at the Frontier Conference Championships Nov. 8 in Billings.

Photos courtesy of MSU-Northern The Montana State University-Northern men’s cross country team is ready for the 2019 season.

www.havredailynews.com

MSU-NORTHERN

September 2019

5

Lights will shine bright, together George Ferguson gferguson@havredailynews.com To say the last three or four years have been rough inside, and around the Montana State University-Northern football program would be putting it mildly. Bright spots, like a 2017 win over Carroll College, or last year’s season-opening blowout of Mayville State, have been few and far between. So, it stands to reason, given just how few games the Lights have won since 2014, that, there would be a negative attitude within in the program, in other words, a black cloud hanging over MSU-N football. But, that’s not the way second-year head coach Andrew Rolin operates. Rolin came to Northern to make a difference, on the field, and off it, and while success may come slowly, and progress can’t always be measured on the scoreboard, that’s exactly what Rolin is doing making a difference. When Rolin arrived on campus, early in 2018, the Lights had just finished a 1-10 season, again, with their only win coming at Mayville State that year. The rest of that s e a s o n t u r n e d i n to a n i g h t m a re fo r Northern, and, it made the rebuilding job Rolin took on that much more difficult. However, with his infectious attitude, his relentless pursuit of improvement, and, just his overall enthusiam for Northern football, Rolin is quickly turning the tide, in the lockerroom, on campus, on the the practice field, and in the community. And now, as the Lights get set to embark on year two of Rolin’s tenure at Northern, he wants to see his team start doing the same thing on Saturdays. “It’s hard to start over, I know it’s been hard for all the guys that were still here when I got here,” Rolin said. “It’s hard work to change the culture in a football program. But that was our very first goal. We needed to establish a culture that this school, this community and this program would be proud of, and I really believe we’re doing that. I actually feel like, going into this season, we’re ahead of where I thought we’d be right now.” It was easy to see the culture shifting

Photo courtesy of MSU-Northern The Montana State University-Northern football team is in its second season with head coach Andrew Rolin. even as the Lights lost 10 straight games in 2018. On the practice field, and on game days, an extremely young Northern squad hung in to the bitter end. The 2018 team never stopped trying to win, in fact, the Lights never stopped believing they were going to win, and that’s because of the buyin they’ve had under Rolin. “You can feel it now, you can see it, it’s a different culture, a different mind-set with this team,” Rolin said. They love each

■ See The Lights Page 6

6

Welcome Back

September 2019

Welcome Back

MSU-NORTHERN

Northern runners will race hard this season

www.havredailynews.com

NORTHERN CROSS-COUNTRY SCHEDULE Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 28 Oct. 12 Oct. 18 Nov. 8 Nov. 22

at Conference Preview Meet (Rocky Mountain College) at University of Providence Open (Great Falls, MT) vs. Battle of the Border (Havre, MT) at LCSC Invite (Lewis-Clark State College) at Bulldog Invitational (University of Montana Western) at Conference Championships (Rocky Mountain College) at NAIA Nationals (Vancouver, WA)

M o n ta n a S ta t e U n i ve rs i t y N o r t h e r n h e a d c ro s s c o u n t r y coach Chad Spangler has built the program from the ground up, literally. It was less than five years ago that Northern added cross country as a full-time sport. Now, as the 2019 season dawns, Spangler is looking for his Lights and Skylights to take the next step. No longer just a young, up-andcoming program just starting out, Northern now aims to compete with the very best of the Frontier Conference. And Spangler has the runners to do just that. The Lights return some outstanding talent this season, led by fo r m e r H av re B l u e Po ny a n d senior leader Luke Karnauskas. Photos courtesy of MSU-Northern The MSU-N women’s cross country team will be strong again this season.

doesn’t let his squad dwell on the past, the Lights also have no intention of letting history continue to repeat itself. “It’s been fun to see this team come together,” Rolin said. “It’s been fun to see the guys sacrifice for each other, but also demand the best out of each other. And it’s really happened on its own, it’s not something that we as coaches have had to force on them. “So where the culture is at right now, and the mentality this team has, I’m really excited,” Rolin continued. “Now, we just have to go out and execute on Saturday’s. We’ve got the personnel to compete and win football games. We have the pieces in place. I really believe that. So, the next step is, we have to execute at a high level. Everybody has to do their jobs on game day. If we do that consistently, you’re going to see us take off.” The Lights, while still a young team, are certainly hoping, and are going to do everything in their power to take off in 2019. It won’t be easy. Northern has an uphill battle in the Frontier, which is considered the SEC of NAIA football. But, no matter what happens this fall, the Lights have already, and will continue

Jerry Wagner era of Skylight volleyball underway George Ferguson gferguson@havredailynews.com Jerry Wagner has done it all in his 30-plus year coaching career on the volleyball court. But, returning to where it all began, that’s

something that, at the start of the 2019 Montana State University-Northern volleyball season, had Wagner quite nervous. “I’m on pins and needles, honestly,” Wagner, who was hired back in the spring to

to leave the past behind them. When Rolin arrived in Havre, a new era of Northern football began, and while it’s still evolving, and progress can be painfully slow at times, Northern is pointed, and will continue to move in the right direction. Rolin himself, won’t settle for anything less. “This place is special,” Rolin said. “I’ve felt that way since the first day I got here. Havre is special, this university is special, and I want people to feel the same way about our football program. My goal from day one has been for everybody to be able to be proud of this program. It’s a process, it’s not always easy, it takes time, and I know we’re not there yet. But it’s going to happen. We’re going to get there, and that march, so to speak, that continues with this year’s team. “And I’m excited about this team,” he added. “I really love these guys. And they’re a team that’s going to continue to work hard, continue to sacrifice, play hard on Saturday’s and most of all, compete. I’ve already seen it. It’s something I’m very proud of already. And I think our fans are going to have a lot of pride watching these guys play every week.”

September 2019

7

SKYLIGHTS VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 13 Sept. 19 Sept. 21 Sept. 25 Sept. 28 Oct. 4 Oct. 19 Oct. 24 Oct. 25 Oct. 31 Nov. 1 Nov. 7 Nov. 9 Nov. 15-16

at Dickinson State University 5:00 p.m. at Lewis-Clark State College 8:00 p.m. at Montana Tech 7:00 p.m vs. University of Providence 7:00 p.m. at Carroll College 2:00 p.m. vs. Rocky Mountain College 7:00 p.m. vs. University of Montana - Western 7:00 p.m. vs. Montana Tech 7:00 p.m vs. Lewis-Clark State College 7:00 p.m. at University of Providence 7:00 p.m. vs. Carroll College 7:00 p.m. at Rocky Mountain College 7:00 p.m. at University of Montana - Western 2:00 p.m. Frontier Conference Tournament - Great Falls, MT

replace Rose Obunaga said before his first match with the Skylights last month. “For myself, and for our team, you only get one chance to make a first impression. But I’m really excited.” Wagner, who got his first volleyball coaching jobs with Havre High and Northern Montana College, was hired last spring, and he has the Skylights off to a great start in his first season at the helm. “Right now, I think we’re ahead of where I thought we’d be,” Wagner, who was the longtime head coach of the University of Montana Grizzlies, said. “It’s been nothing but positive, so I’m really happy with where we’re at.” One of the biggest positives is, Northern is Photo Courtesy of MSU-Northern The Montana State University-Northern volleyball team is in its first season under veteran head coach Jerry Wagner

■ See Cross country Page 8

■ Continued from page 5 Rocky Mountain College, two against Carroll College, two against Montana Western, road trips to College of Idaho and Eastern Oregon, and a home bout against high-powered Southern Oregon, climbing back into the Frontier race will be daunting. But again, the attitude the Lights are carrying with them into 2019 suggests anything but a team expecting to be a pushover for the rest of the league. “We preach continuous effort and continuous improvement every single day,” Rolin said. “That’s in our winter conditioning, our offseason workouts, spring ball and every day in practice. And, that’s one thing we’ve had from day one. I believe we got better with every game last season. I believe we got better in the offseason, and with those 15 spring practices, and I know we’re a better football team right now than when the season ended last year. And that’s a credit to the guys and how hard they’ve worked, and to our coaching staff for working hard to make sure we keep getting better.” And getting better is the plan, starting in Phoenix — the Lights won 20-14 — but, even more longterm. And while Rolin

MSU-NORTHERN

Also back for the Lights is senior Amos Taisaw, as well as sophomore Field Soosloff, and junior Kai Krumweide. That foursome turned in some strong showings last season, and they expect to be even better this fall. Sophomore Liam Baez-Terry is another returner who expects to make noise this season, while form e r Tu r n e r To r n a d o E d d i e Harmon, newcomer Dan Kirwa from Kenya, and freshman Gabriel Strader round out the MSU-N lineup. The Northern women’s team also returns one of the top individual runners in the Frontier C o n f e re n c e i n s e n i o r Ra c h e l D av id. Two yea rs a go, D avi d became the first MSU-N runner to qualify for the NAIA national meet, and, in her final year as a Skylight, she’ll be gunning for big things.

The Lights: Rolin: 'There's a real brotherhood on this football team right now' other and they love playing football, and those are two things you have to have in your lockerroom in order to be successful. And this team has that. Even with all the new faces, this team is a very tight-knit football team. Every one of them is all in, with football and beyond football. There’s a real brotherhood on this football team right now, and it’s a lot of fun to be around.” Helping with the bonding is the fact that some of the Lights’ best players are also great leaders. Senior running back Jett Robertson, senior wide receiver Bryce Bumgardner, junior WR Marvin Williams, ve t e r a n o f f e n s i ve l i n e m e n Tr e n t o n Woodward and Darius-Alexander Jones are all back for Northern’s offense, while stalwarts on defense like Jaren Maki, Jake Norby, Morgan McCrary, Joeh Fehr and Justin Pfeifer are expected to have a big impact on the Lights this season, but have also all assumed great leadership roles. And that group, along with so many others, makes the coming 2019 campaign an intriguing one. Sure, the Lights are picked to finish last in the Frontier. Sure, they haven’t won a league game in over two years, and with a schedule that includes two games against

www.havredailynews.com

no longer a young team. The Skylights have been very youthful in recent years, but, with a strong group of returners, and the addition of three veteran junior college transfers, Wagner said the experience is showing in practice in multiple ways. “We have really good leadership on this team, especially from our setters, and that’s important, because it all starts with them,” Wagner noted. “I think all of the girls who are back from last year’s team, they’ve improved tremendously, and they have a lot of experience under their belts now. So, when you add in the three junior college players we recruited, who bring a veteran feel for the game, a lot of energy and prowess at the positions they play, it has really built our team into a very strong group.” Setters will be key for the Skylights, and they have three with plenty of match experi-

■ See Volleyball Page 8

MSU-N rodeo, golf excited for the fall season George Ferguson gferguson@havredailynews.com In the fall, it’s a short season for both the Montana State University-Northern rodeo and golf teams. So, all of the Lights and Skylights in those sports want to make the most of it. For the Northern rodeo team, which is once again under the direction of head coach Doug Kallenberger, the 2019-20 season will be an exciting one. Both the Lights and Skylights finished strong in the Big Sky Region last season, and they’ll be looking to do so again this year. The Northern men’s team features Colten Barker (calf roping/team roping), Kade Christianson (calf roping/team roping), Taylor Corbett (steer wrestling), Tyler Doney (team roping), Clay Doney (team roping), Kolby Kittson (saddle bronc), Liam Marshall (bareback), Micha Miranda (team roping), and Chance Switzer (team roping/bull riding). The MSU-N women’s team includes, Mikayla Connelly (barrels), Skylee Dirden (breakway/goats), Tiana Gomes (breakaway), Jayne Keeley (barrels/goats), Mikenna Schauer (barrels, goats, breakaway), Bailey Wickre (barrels/breakaway) and Kassidy Williamson (barrels/goats/breakway). Northern will have four fall rodeos, starting at Northwest College. The Lights and

Skylights will also travel to Montana Western and Dawson Community College, but the big event comes Sept. 20 when Northern hosts the Montana State University-Northern Big Sky Region Rodeo. MSU-N completes its season with four rodeos in the spring, including the Big Sky Region Finals May 1-2 in Great Falls. And while the fall rodeo season is just four weeks long, the MSU-Northern fall golf season is even shorter. The Lights and Skylights open the season in Great Falls Sept. 9-10 and play tournaments at Carroll College and LewisClark State. The Northern roster, under new head coach Jim Kirkpatrick, includes returning sophomores T.J. Reynolds and Kyle Vandenacre, as well as freshmen Troy Amsden, Oden Hallock and Matt Krueger. The MSU-N women’s roster has returners Tiara Gilham and Megan Vandenacre, as well as freshmen Makayla Lublluff and Leotie Whitehead. The Northern golf team will conclude its season next spring with the Frontier Conference championships in Phoenix. Photo by Colin Thompson MSU-Northern’s Liam Marshall hangs on during the 2018 Montana State UniversityNorthern Rodeo. The Lights and Skylights will host their annual home rodeo Sept. 20-21 at the Great Northern Fairgrounds.