THE POWER OF IMAGINATION
Professor uses comics and pop culture to help youth see themselves as assets to their community
VOICE OF THE HUSKIES
Jason Bryant finds community, belonging at SCSU
UNIVERSITY CHRONICLE
Celebrating 100 years
THE POWER OF IMAGINATION Mike Dando, associate professor of English, is mastering the trifecta of pop culture, civic engagement and literacy development in his community-based research.
SCSU evolves with the times
CAMPUS
Forbes ranks SCSU among America’s Top 500 Colleges 8 SCSU Swim & Dive continues tradition of building bonds through working security
Huskies First Four: A glimpse into move-in day and more
Across the World: Celebrating art and culture
Anthropology students get hands-on experience with on-campus archaeology field school
wrestling PA announcer finds community, belonging as voice of the Huskies
The power of imagination: Associate professor Mike Dando uses comics and pop culture to help youth see themselves as assets
SCSU EVOLVES WITH THE
I want to thank the faculty, staff, students and the community for welcoming me and for their willingness to work together to build St. Cloud State University for the future. Exciting plans are underway to align our programs with workforce needs, to meet student career interests, to enhance student success, and to create a more vibrant, connected and naturally beautiful campus environment.
We are building on our well-deserved reputation for strong academic programs and opportunities for new generations of students to acquire knowledge and develop skills and confidence. A hallmark of our programs is the hands-on experiential learning that gives our graduates the ability to Be successful in finding jobs quickly and in their major after graduating.
The university is intertwined with the economic and cultural future of the broader community. As the community evolves and changes, so must the university. We will continue to enhance and develop programs that attract students and provide them with the knowledge and skills they need to transform their lives and contribute to a successful Minnesota.
One of the ways our university can be responsible and responsive to our community is to remain a university with strong ties to working professionals. Students’ choices for majors have evolved, and how they relate to careers and working in general.
Twenty-five years ago in fall 1999 the top five choices for SCSU majors were Business Computer Information Systems,
TIMES
Mass Communications, Elementary Education, Marketing and Accounting. At that time the careers in high demand were computer and IT professionals, healthcare workers, sales representatives, teachers/educators and construction workers.
Ten years ago in fall 2014 the most popular majors were Nursing, Criminal Justice Studies, Management, Accounting and Mass Communications. The most popular jobs were healthcare workers, technology and IT professionals, renewable energy technicians, sales and marketing professionals and logistics and supply chain managers.
This fall of 2024 the most popular majors are Nursing, Computer Science, Psychology, Biomedical Sciences and Information Systems. Top careers for the past three years have been healthcare professionals, technology specialists, logistics and supply chain specialists, E-commerce and digital marketing experts and mental health and wellness professionals.
These trends reflect broader economic shifts, advancements in technology, and changing societal needs, particularly in the healthcare and technology sectors. These trends reflect the majors that should be given priority, though critical thinking, analytical, communication, leadership skills, and the ability to work in diverse groups are also important.
named a 2024 Career Spark Award winner for using best practices for our work with employer engagement. The Career Center ensures that students have access to relevant and high-quality opportunities through job fairs and internships, setting high standards in encouraging career readiness and helping students make the transition from college to career.
SCSU, like most other universities, is being challenged to be a university that responds to the changes around us. We are embracing that challenge. Our mission of preparing students for life, work and citizenship in the 21st century has been and will remain our foundation for doing what we do best in higher education – to work together to change lives. From normal school to state teachers college to state university, we have evolved. We will continue to offer broad and accessible educational opportunities, with a common understanding of the impact of our university and its graduates on the wider community. As is said, “The only constant is change.” As we adapt to change, we will continue to work within our mission and change lives for the better. Thank you for your support in this endeavor.
Respectfully,
In order to offer a relevant education to our students, we must be responsive to the needs of our students and to the needs of their future employers. I am proud to announce that our Career Center was recently
Larry H. Dietz, Ph.D. Interim President St. Cloud State University
We launched the #OurSCSU initiative roughly a year ago, and the response has been overwhelming. It has been a privilege to witness the impact our community of St. Cloud State University students, alumni, faculty, staff and friends are having not only here at SCSU, but on industry, in communities and throughout society.
Some examples of those stories can be found in this magazine, from alumni Jess Von Bank and Michael Oliver revolutionizing their respective industries, to faculty member Dr. Mike Dando innovating the way current and future educators connect with their communities. You’ll also enjoy photo spreads from the different events held over the past year to engage with #OurSCSU community. We hope you will join us for events in the coming year.
I’d like to also thank the SCSU alumni community for participating in the Alumni Survey. We received over 2,400 responses that will be helpful in our future planning on how we can strengthen the #OurSCSU community. As SCSU moves forward with a new chapter in its proud history, it is important that our community is involved and informed. Any strong institution is shaped by its past but does not live in the past. It regularly challenges itself to grow, evolve and improve — that is exactly what SCSU is doing.
Pining for the days of old at the expense of continuous improvement does not allow an institution to lead and be successful. With an alumni and supporter community as large and diverse as #OurSCSU, I hope that we can work to
CONNECTING AND ENGAGING WITH HUSKIES
put aside past differences, embrace new opportunities and strengthen our Husky pack. There is so much to be proud of at SCSU and across #OurSCSU community — from helping close healthcare deserts across Minnesota, continuing our proud tradition of Huskies shaping all levels of education across the country, innovating new technologies and science to address cybersecurity, supply chains and safety at events, to being the faces and voices of news, sports and weather. I hope we can all agree that what connects us through our SCSU experience is strong and memorable. The more we share the positives of SCSU and #OurSCSU stories, the more we strengthen the University and the value of your degree.
In that same spirit, I am often asked, “How can I be involved with SCSU?” or “How can I help?” My answer remains consistent: get involved and give back of your time, talent and treasure. Your involvement, feedback and philanthropic support is valuable and appreciated. Everyone’s SCSU journey is unique — we shouldn’t forget this important fact. That is why it is crucial for us to deepen our connections with you and expand our supporter and donor community.
The SCSU Foundation currently manages nearly $60 million in philanthropic funds. While this number is impressive and is made possible by supporters of SCSU, these funds are largely restricted to narrow areas and specific causes. Thus, there remains a significant gap in the amount of flexible funds available and needed to
address the University’s strategic priorities and needs of our students, staff, faculty and community. This includes gaps in covering the full cost of educating a student, supporting our students’ complex needs, recruiting and retaining excellent faculty and programs, addressing deferred maintenance on our facilities, fostering a vibrant campus community and addressing the ever-changing landscape of college athletics. Supporting SCSU through the Husky Impact Fund helps to address these gaps and maximizes the impact of your philanthropy. You can read more about how your philanthropy affects the entire #OurSCSU community in our annual Philanthropic Impact Report (scan the QR on page 6 to view the report online). Update your contact information at scsu.mn/updateinfo and receive future editions and our monthly e-newsletter, Huskies Tales. I look forward to learning more about the impact you and other Huskies are making in the coming year and into the future. If you haven’t already done so, go to scsu. mn/ourscsu to share your story and read about the impact #OurSCSU community is having around the world. Thank you for your continued support of SCSU!
Nicholas Katona Vice President SCSU Advancement & Alumni Engagement
Huskies!
When you support SCSU, you support the entire #OurSCSU community.
Your support for SCSU makes it possible to:
» remove barriers to education
» ensure individualized student support
» encourage innovation and academic success
» develop dynamic living and learning spaces across campus
» support a vibrant campus life and athletics program
Read more about your impact in our philanthropic impact report!
FORBES RANKS ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY AMONG AMERICA’S TOP 500 COLLEGES
St. Cloud State University has earned a coveted spot on Forbes list of America’s Top Colleges for 2024. The prestigious list recognizes the top 500 colleges and universities across the country based on factors such as student success, return on investment and alumni salaries and influence.
SCSU was the only school in the Minnesota State system to be named to the list.
“St. Cloud State continues to produce career-ready graduates through an individualized approach to student success,” SCSU Interim President Larry Dietz said. “We are focused on giving students a clear pathway through tailoring our services and programs to build toward their future.”
The university’s strong academic programs focusing on in-demand fields have led to 95% of Huskies employed in their chosen fields within a year after graduation. The Huskies Advance initiative gives students a chance to work with a faculty mentor to design an educational experience that meets their professional goals and gives them an edge in the job market.
Forbes touts the University’s efforts “to re-imagine the first-year experience aimed at ensuring success for all students, particularly low income, first generation and students of color.”
“SCSU is a place for all students to learn and thrive,” said Jason Woods, VP of Strategic Enrollment Management and the Division of Student Affairs. “Our diversity accentuates our ability to provide a transformative educational experience for all students.”
Forbes, a business news magazine, produces annual lists that rank the top colleges in the U.S. Using criteria such as affordability, retention, and graduation rates, Forbes chooses the colleges that provide high-quality education at an affordable price.
In addition to the Forbes List, SCSU has been recognized by Colleges of Distinction in nine categories, including affordability, career development, and military support.
A degree from SCSU launches students into careers, with 95% OF
GRADUATES EMPLOYED
in their fields within one year of graduation.
SCSU is recognized by Colleges of Distinction and by Forbes Magazine as one of AMERICA'S
TOP COLLEGES
for 2024-2025
based on factors such as student success, affordability and return on investment.
Niche.com ranked SCSU ATHLETICS PROGRAM 5TH IN THE STATE for Collegiate Athletics
Ph.D.
’91 Contact us: ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY
720 Fourth Ave. S. St. Cloud, MN 56301-4498
University Communications ucomm@stcloudstate.edu
320-308-3152
stcloudstate.edu/ucomm
Alumni Engagement alumni@stcloudstate.edu
320-308-3177 or 866-464-8759 scsu.mn/ourscsu
St. Cloud State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, status with regards to public assistance, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or status as a U.S. veteran. For additional information, contact the Office for Institutional Equity & Access, (320) 308-5123, Admin. Services Bldg. Rm 121.
SCSU SWIM & DIVE CONTINUES TRADITION OF BUILDING BONDS THROUGH WORKING SECURITY
St. Cloud State University Swimming & Diving head coach Jeff Hegle ’93 has a strong belief in having as many people as possible participate in college athletics.
That includes taking every one of his student-athletes to road meets, which is a challenging expense for a combined men's and women's team of more than 70 athletes.
How do you fund that goal? SCSU Swim & Dive makes it happen by working security for some of the state's biggest sporting events.
Huskies Swim & Dive worked three University of Minnesota football games, two Minnesota Vikings games and a Minnesota United soccer match during the first month of the semester.
This yearly tradition has been going on for about 15 years. Nearly 50 athletes are each scheduled to work four of the six events, bussing down to the Twin Cities for a hands-on experience in customer service.
Hegle says the life lessons his team receives by interacting with people is invaluable.
"We deal with many people per game, and it helps us develop problem-solving, clear communication and patience," said senior diver Kailey Fossel.
"Our team has a very good reputation," Hegle added. "Most of them are already claimed before we check in. The supervisors know what games we're coming to ... our student-athletes do a wonderful job, so they're always highly-desired."
The team has also worked security for high-profile concerts like U2, Taylor Swift and various country music artists. Besides raising money to go toward the team's operating budget, the events serve another benefit: building a strong, cohesive team.
"A lot of our students practice at different times, so early in the season they don't know each other yet," Hegle said. "With this they get to spend eight hours together, so they get to know each other pretty quickly."
And without that strong bond, it would be difficult for the Huskies to operate as a nationally-ranked program year after year.
"Not only are we privileged to attend many live sporting events, but the benefits for our team are fantastic," said sophomore swimmer Cayden Sumption. "It provides us with the amenities we need when we compete, like lodging and feeding over 80 people. These benefits ultimately increase our ability to swim fast and dive well."
If you'd like to support SCSU student athletes and their journey make a gift to Huskies Athletics at scsu.mn/give.
We are a vibrant and growing community of MORE THAN 10,000 HUSKIES STRONG with a network of
We welcomed over 1,100 students to their on-campus housing this August, with move-in day kicking of the annual Huskies First Four celebration.
First Four is an orientation period that assists new entering undergraduate students in developing skills and making connections during their first days on campus and through the first semester.
1,100+ HUSKIES
were welcomed to on-campus housing in August
79% of our students come from Minnesota
80 COUNTRIES
It was another fantastic night celebrating a collection of what makes our university special. Current SCSU
are represented by current SCSU students
ARCHAEOLOGY FIELD SCHOOL PROVIDES HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE
St. Cloud State University anthropology students had an incredible opportunity this semester to create their own excavation site and learn techniques that date back thousands of years. And they got to conduct the work right on the SCSU campus.
The archaeology field school is part of a required research sequence that all anthropology majors take to earn their degree, with the class made up of third- and fourth-year students. The field school took place in the grassy field directly between Halenbeck Hall and Facilities Management along University Drive.
"Rather than excavating on a historical site, we're making our own site," said Mark, an anthropology professor in his 19th year teaching at SCSU. "We are going through different traditional technologies that have been used by American Indian ancestors up to recent times; hopefully this gives students an appreciation of how difficult life was and how brilliant people were with the technology they had."
Anthropology, within the Department of Social Sciences, alternates between a cultural anthropology ethnographic field school and an archaeology field school each year, a tradition that has lasted for decades. Past archaeology field schools have taken place in various locations around Minnesota.
The field schools seek to equip archaeologists with training that is commonly lacking in the industry.
"Archaeologists learn how to analyze artifacts in the lab, but they don't always get the hand-on experience of how the artifacts were actually made in the past," Muñiz said. "We're trying to replicate that as best we can. Our students do get hired often because of the field school; they get hired by firms to work as contract archaeologists in the state of Minnesota and in the Midwest."
In recent weeks students have built rocklined hearths and fired hand-made pottery they've built using traditional techniques, even using tools made from bones to dig the area. They also utilized their hearths to boil water with hot rocks and have been working on flint knapping, which is the practice of striking rocks to help create flakes to use for stone tools, arrowheads and other purposes.
"To get an understanding of the methods that people who made these artifacts went through is really interesting," said Tiffany Woolcott, a senior anthropology and history major. "It gets you more of a cultural
If
view of archaeology than you would get just looking at the artifact."
As the features of the field school site begin to weather, the students come back and excavate the site. They'll use mapping techniques and take samples back to the lab in Stewart Hall to analyze in the spring, gaining valuable hands-on experience that goes beyond what you can learn in a book.
"I came to SCSU wanting to do something in a museum ... but I found out anthropology is what I wanted," Woolcott said. "Working with people and getting to use history in a practical way."
The field school teaches future anthropologists the practical skills they will use as professionals. But the work has an even deeper meaning beyond career development: it's the bonds that the third and fourth-year anthropology students are forming together.
"They're building a comradery that is really important in terms of the SCSU student experience and their connection to the department and campus," Muñiz said. "This is making memories that will last a lifetime."
Above and below, over 20 cultures were represented through arts and music at the annual SCSU’s Journey Across the World event in September at the Paramount Center for the Arts in downtown St. Cloud.
students come from 80 different countries.
BY ZACH DWYER
Olympics wrestling PA announcer finds community, belonging as voice of the Huskies
Jason Bryant has emerged as one of the top wrestling public address (PA) announcers in the world over the past decade.
The numbers speak for themselves: 25 collegiate wrestling national championship events, seven world championship events and three editions of the Summer Olympics.
So how did an avid wrestling fan end up as the voice of a Division I men’s hockey team?
When longtime PA announcer Chuck Clausen retired in 2022 after 32 years announcing St. Cloud State Men’s Hockey, a significant role needed to be filled.
Bryant first saw the job posting on a PA announcing Facebook group. He showed it to his wife Abby, who encouraged him to give it a try.
“We opened up a search not knowing where it would go, and a lot of people wanted to be the next voice of the Huskies,” said Andrew Melroe, assistant athletics director for athletic communications. “I was surprised and happy when I saw he had applied, I hoped we could make it work … any time I can add to the Husky family, I’m happy to do so.”
Bryant didn’t feel his in-person audition went great, so he was a bit surprised when he was offered the position. Prior to SCSU’s 2022-23 season opener against St. Thomas, he’d only seen one college hockey game live in his life.
Did he feel ready to call one in-person?
“I’ve done the Olympics; nothing is more pressure-packed than that,” Bryant said. “But our staff was so awesome at answering my questions; it didn’t take long for me to absolutely love Husky Hockey.”
WRESTLING ORIGINS
Ever since he was a kid, Bryant knew he wanted to be a sportscaster.
During his freshman year at Poquoson High School, he was approached to try his hand at PA announcing for the baseball team. It was a small school in Virginia, so he quickly
the chance to branch out as an individual in 2012. Along with reviving Mat Talk Online, being able to set his own schedule allowed Bryant the flexibility to pick and choose events that could advance his broadcast career.
A big step was a serving as the English PA announcer at the 2015 UWW Wrestling World Championships in Las Vegas. The following year he began working as the PA announcer for Division I, III and NAIA Wrestling, and shortly afterward international opportunities took off. He’s been the PA announcer at 25 collegiate national wrestling championships since 2016.
added women’s basketball and volleyball to his PA responsibilities his sophomore year.
“I knew I needed to know as much as I could about every sport possible,” Bryant said. “I have to get into stats since I wanted to be on SportsCenter.”
Bryant would announce the lineups, keep stats and join for road games. But it was watching a different sport his sophomore year that his future broadcasting career changed forever: when he attended his first wrestling match.
Poquoson High had a solid wrestling tradition and had won nine state titles. He attended his first dual meet on a Wednesday, and two days later he was back around the mats at the Virginia Duals. His high school knocked off the No. 18-ranked school in the country, and he was instantly hooked.
By the end of high school, he had begun to get connected with sports directors and reporters in the area, and when he went to college at Old Dominion University in 1997, his website Mat Talk Online was born out of his dorm room. It had a popular message board, and the website still lives on nearly three decades later as a prominent media production outlet for wrestling podcasts and digital publications.
After successful stints working in media relations and marketing with the National Wrestling Coaches Association and USA Wrestling after college, he wanted
seconds,” Bryant said. “It’s powerful and hard to explain.”
The Olympics have a deep meaning for Bryant, who has shown his love for the games by his two children’s middle names: Lucy London (born in 2012) and Ruby Rio (born in 2016).
“I get to hear my voice in international clips and be a soundtrack to the Olympicsthat’s pretty fricken cool,” he said.
But the best moment of all? When an American wrestler takes home a medal and he gets to rise and put his hand over his heart for the national anthem as a member of Team USA.
The atmosphere for the national championship events is electric. The tournaments often start with a total of 16 wrestlers at eight mats, with two announcers splitting up the announcing duties.
Bryant is in charge of introducing every wrestler, announcing every winner and helping the audience find significance in the constant action and motion. He likens it to being a traffic cop match after match.
“I’m there to tell people what’s important,” Bryant said. “The strengths of my historical research add to my role as an announcer; I’m trying to educate the fanbase with information and give the athletes a moment.”
Bryant attended his first Olympics as part of USA Wrestling in 2012, and he’s now gotten to put his wealth of wrestling knowledge on display as the English PA announcer at the last three iterations.
After a fan-less experience in Tokyo in 2021, he was thrilled to have packed stadiums again in Paris last summer.
“The Olympic experience is special and reverent; livelihoods are made or broken in
“It gets me choked up every time,” Bryant said.
VOICE OF THE HUSKIES
After Bryant’s first year as the SCSU Hockey PA announcer, Melroe approached him about adding SCSU Wrestling PA announcing to his already full plate in 2023-24. He had previously seen Bryant in action for years at NCAA events when Melroe worked for the University of Missouri’s wrestling program, citing him as a reason the events had such a stellar atmosphere.
“I wanted to have him help tell the story of SCSU Wrestling,” Melroe said. “It shows his kind heart and servant leadership that he wanted to make it work.” Bryant was already serving as the home PA announcer for Division I ArkansasLittle Rock and Division III Augsburg. As a new diehard fan of all things SCSU, the chance to be involved with the five-time Division II national champion Huskies program was something he was eager to tackle.
Coming to St. Cloud was a shot in the dark ... It provided an opportunity I didn’t know I needed for a passion I didn’t even know I had.
– JASON BRYANT
Jason Bryant announcing at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“He adds to the atmosphere of a wrestling dual or any event he calls,” Melroe said. “He’s also great at looking at how we can improve the gameday atmosphere for all of our sports; we’re constantly trying to figure out how to make the best experience for our fans.”
Bryant is all-in on SCSU fans and traditions, and loves the opportunity to get the Herb Brooks National Hockey Center on its feet.
“Jason has been so fun to work with,” said Nora Lieser, associate athletics director of external operations. “He is so talented and brings our men's hockey games to the next level with his announcing. He also brings a lot of laughter to our production crew.”
A significant turning point in his SCSU journey came during his first fall announcing hockey. Following a Homecoming sweep against Minnesota State-Mankato, he felt a spark. It was as if his passion for sports had been reinvigorated.
“I get to be the home guy, fist pump and be a fan,” Bryant said. “That’s something I haven’t had in a very long time.”
I have a fondness for what opportunities this school brings ... SCSU is now a big part of my world.
– JASON BRYANT
“SCSU IS NOW A BIG PART OF MY WORLD.”
Coaches are still getting used to seeing the red, black and white wardrobe Bryant sports at events. He always serves as a billboard for his favorite school, whether it’s at the Wrestling World Championships in Serbia or the Summer Olympics in Paris.
“I earned the Husky Appreciation Award after one year here,” Bryant recalled, almost in disbelief. “They definitely care about people.”
And his new Huskies family believes the award is well deserved.
“He really cares about getting it right for the student athletes, and we value his attention to detail,” Melroe said. “He loves to be around student athletes and use his talents to showcase them. He’s really taken to the Husky fanbase and gotten to know them; to have someone with his ability at SCSU is a treat.”
“Jason has been a great addition to the Huskies family,” added Director of Athletics Holly Schreiner. “He has brought a new energy and passion to our gameday environments. We are so thankful for his commitment to help us continue to grow.”
That 55-minute drive to St. Cloud from his home in New Brighton feels shorter with each passing season. It may have taken him over 40 years, but hockey and a university in central Minnesota now have a special place in his heart.
“If I had grown up in Minnesota, I would’ve gone to SCSU,” Bryant said. “The students are so far ahead in what SCSU offers for someone wanting to be in sports broadcasting and journalism; you can’t turn on a station in the Twin Cities without seeing an SCSU grad.
“I have a fondness for what opportunities this school brings to people like me,” he concluded. “SCSU is now a big part of my world.”
HOMECOMING 2024
Alumnus wins another Emmy for work on ‘Welcome to Wrexham’
BY COLLEEN HARRISON
rom the Super Bowl, to the Olympics and now one of the most popular sports documentary series in “Welcome to Wrexham,” Michael Oliver has enjoyed a storied career in sports editing.
But he’s far from finished.
Oliver earned his degree in mass communications from St. Cloud University in 2004. He became involved with Husky Productions almost immediately when he first came to campus, and said eventually he ran Husky Productions for two years and was in charge of production for SCSU’s Division I men’s hockey team. He’d work hockey games on Fridays and Saturdays, and then go down to the Twin Cities on Sundays to work as a runner for Fox Sports on Minnesota Vikings games. Fox Sports approached Oliver about working for the company full time following graduation, so he moved out to Los Angeles in 2005 to start his career.
He worked for Fox Sports for about three years before deciding to freelance, which is when he said his career “really exploded.” He was a field producer for quite some time on shows such as HBO’s “24/7” program, in addition to boxing, NHL and NASCAR shows, among others. After getting married and planning to have children, he determined traveling for at least six months out of the year was no longer going to be possible.
Oliver then switched to editing full time around 2014, which he said is where he felt most comfortable. In his first year, he won an Emmy for best long-form editing and has
stuck with editing ever since.
Oliver consistently works on both the men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup for Fox Sports as one of the main editors. He primarily puts together openers or teasers, often narrated by a celebrity, shown before the games and to pump up the crowds. He recently finished working on the Summer of Soccer with the Copa America and Euro 2024 games. He works on the Olympics — mainly the Winter Olympics, and has previously worked on the Super Bowl and World Series.
When the team behind the series “Welcome to Wrexham” needed a spot filled on their editing team, Oliver was recommended by an editor and mentor for the position. He’s now been a part of the crew since the show’s second season. After winning five Sports Emmy Awards throughout his career — two for editing and three for producing, Oliver won his first Primetime Emmy in September 2024 as part of the editing team behind “Welcome to Wrexham.”
He credits SCSU and Husky Productions with first sparking his interest in editing.
“I love the excitement, I love the rush of live program, I love creating stories,” he said. “I am a storyteller. I’ve always said that I love telling stories. And the best way for me to do it is visually — and that’s for editing and telling through other people’s words. SCSU is where I really fell in love; I knew right then and there when I was at St. Cloud that this is what I want to do.”
While he has worked on a number of national and international sports events, one of Oliver’s favorite projects is one with SCSU
Where I really fell in love with [editing] was at St. Cloud State University and Husky Productions. I knew right from there.
– MICHAEL OLIVER
ties. On a “24/7” production surrounding an NHL game between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins played outdoors in what was then Heinz Field, things came full circle. As an avid hockey fan but also a Husky, Oliver worked on a game where fellow alumnus Matt Hendricks was on the ice for the Capitals.
“Me and Matt were really good friends, because I got to know all the hockey players while I was in college; I was with them all the time,” he said. “Both of us were sharing the same experience. We’d both gotten to the top, where we wanted to be in our professions … it was cool to share with somebody from my past who knew where I came from.
“I’ve worked Super Bowls, I’ve worked World Series, I’ve worked them all, but that moment — seeing Matt come out and me being right there iceside was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” Oliver added.
While the industry can be a tough one to break into, Oliver encouraged those interested to be patient and keep working at their craft.
“Don’t be afraid to take chances, take risks — which, what I mean by that is think outside of the box. Bring ideas, bring some creativeness to it … what I’ve noticed from people who come from St. Cloud State Husky Productions and UTVS is that we’re trained right away to think outside the box. We’re hands on. You can’t get hands-on experience, like we did in St. Cloud, anywhere else. We already have a head start leaving St. Cloud State, it’s just that you’ve got to be patient.”
One of Oliver’s favorite career highlights was working on an HBO “24/7” production of NHL Winter Classic, where fellow alumnus Matt Hendricks took the ice with the Washington Capitals.
Michael Oliver ’04 earned his first Primetime Emmy in Sept. 2024 for his editing work on “Welcome to Wrexham.” Oliver has been part of the editing team since the show's second season.
He has previously won five Sports Emmy Awards.
BY ZACH DWYER
The power Of Imagination
How one SCSU professor is using comics and pop culture to help youth see themselves as assets to their community
There’s no truer form of authenticity than passionately sharing what drives you.
Mike Dando, an associate professor of English at St. Cloud State University, certainly isn’t afraid to share what he loves. Whether it’s comics, hip-hop or pop culture, Dando proudly strikes up any conversation about what he enjoys. His presence can’t really be contained in a room. His teaching style is boisterous and engaging, and he’s the kind of person you hear coming down the hall before even seeing him.
Dando, who has been at SCSU for six years, brings that same energy to his community-based research. It boils down to three topics that all work in tandem: pop culture, civic engagement and literacy development. He uses hip-hop culture and comics/graphic novels as primary mediums to conduct his research.
“That’s where our young people spend their time and energy,” Dando said. “I want to meet students where they are; that’s their turf.”
And that also means meeting them directly in their own communities.
The way to do it?
Dando brings the supplies. And the kids discover how much they have to say.
DISCOVERING IMAGINATION
Dando has run nearly a dozen community workshops in the past three years, which can range from a few hours during an afternoon or last up to four days.
Hip-hop, art, dance and illustrated media shape a huge part
of popular culture. Dando has seen that young people can express their wants, needs and desires about what the world can be if they have a creative outlet to do so.
Why not provide them one?
“Kids have a lot to say, and they are super smart and brilliant; this gives an avenue to tell stories on their own terms and in their own ways,” Dando said. “They can articulate and advocate for themselves from a younger age. Once they are more engaged in their community and know that their voice matters, they can discover how to use their skills to better it.”
Dando meets the participants with a shared passion: comics. Dando has done writing for Image Comics and consultant work for Marvel, DC and other popular brands, turning his own fandom into expression.
“Comics are about more than pictures, they are storytelling,” Dando said. “Using superheroes as a focus allows the kids to evaluate their worldviews on topics like justice and fairness.”
It’s an easy sell to have kids make comics and use cutting-edge technology like 3D or laser printers. Dando provides the supplies, while community groups have no cost: the students just need to bring their imagination.
To get them to tap into their imagination, Dando uses the comic book “Lion Man” as a mentor text, where students can read about the first Black superhero and use it as inspiration to create or imagine.
Dando, award-winning writer John Jennings and artist David Brame have created a second edition of “Lion Man” and have also developed a comic series called “The Mighty Struggle,” which pres-
Mike Dando, associate professor of English, is mastering the trifecta of pop culture, civic engagement and literacy development in his community-based research. Photos courtesy of Mike Dando.
20
ents the idea of a popular character like Thor from Marvel being powered by African ancestry instead of Nordic ancestry. All of these comics are free to download online and are a valuable educational tool from Rosarium Publishing.
Once participants read the comics, they move to the task at hand: create a piece of futuristic technology and describe how it would affect their life. No constraints. Just pure creativity and imagination.
“They have ideas of what they wish to see, and they know the assets and challenges of their neighborhoods and communities,” Dando said. “Through creative means or ideas, we ask what would they do to dream or imagine a more thriving or vibrant future.”
The 12- to 18-year-olds have plenty of fascinating thoughts about what they can bring to the table to benefit the community.
One example that came out of a workshop was an individual re-imagining green space in urban areas. The student lived in a food desert, so they imagined what it would look like to use urban space to have gardens every two floors of downtown buildings. They’d rather go two floors than two miles for fresh food.
“What we’ve noticed in doing this is young people are very concerned with being connected with one another and to the broader community,” Dando said. “They have a defined sense of self; how we rely on each other in the community is something on young peoples’ minds.”
“BEST THING THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED TO ME”
The United Way of Central Minnesota is one of the community groups that has partnered the most often to host Dando’s workshops.
It started in collaboration with the “Lion Man” literacy project, seeing a great opportunity for young people to learn about Afrofuturism and literacy through the medium of comic books. Afrofuturism is looking at what future technology could look like in the African diasporic community, with a prominent cultural example being Black Panther from Marvel Comics.
Amy Trombley, vice president for education for the United Way of Central Minnesota, said the workshops are a great opportunity for developing a positive Black identity for young people in the community.
“Dr. Dando does a great job with his spirit and energy in bringing it out of each young person,” Trombley said. “He wants them leaning into their true selves, and that’s what we’re trying to do too. He brings it to a level that youth get excited about, and he does it so eloquently through his passion and imagination.”
United Way also partnered to host a night at the Stearns History Museum. The youth participants got to display their work and share their comic characters, also getting to work with notable people in the comic book world like “Lion Man” writer John Jennings, who is also a professor at University of CaliforniaRiverside. Trombley said it was inspiring to see the kids light up and be proud of their presented work.
There are great stories that emerge out of every workshop. Last summer the United Way hosted a workshop with members from the Boys and Girls Club and 2Much Talent. One participant came up to a staff member and simply said: “This is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my whole life.”
“It was really moving to see that this experience was so amazing for them,” Trombley said. “Being able to create enriching opportunities for young people is huge … seeing stories like that emerge as little nuggets of inspiration is the power of this work.”
Trombley has seen some of that same magic happen with youth involvement in St. Cloud State’s growing Hip Hop Education Summit, which brings many young people onto campus who have never been to SCSU.
“SCSU is a gem in our community that we continue to appreciate, value and access as a huge resource,” Trombley, who is an SCSU graduate, said. “The depth of academic knowledge and what they provide to young people in this area is invaluable. Every child deserves high-value opportunities, and SCSU has been able to deliver.”
Mike’s work has helped us figure out how to get kids to ground their dreams in what could be possible in popular art and media. Using their imagination is not something they get to do all the time.
Left, United Way of Central Minnesota and Mike Dando collaborated on the “Lion Man” literacy project. The result was a comic book for young people to learn about Afrofuturism and literacy.
Dr. Dando does a Great job With his spirit and energy in bringing it out of each young person.
– AMY TROMBLEY
– EMILY WARD-SCHINDLER
I knew I'd need kind collaborators who are very engaged and excited; Mike is all of those things.
COMIC-CON MUSEUM
Dando’s work hasn’t stopped in St. Cloud. He’s also worked in the Bronx, New York, and he recently had a chance to expand that work to a home of significant relevance in the comic book world: San Diego.
San Diego Comic-Con draws over 130,000 people for its fiveday convention every July, with a legacy of more than 50 years. But there was a desire to celebrate the magic of popular arts all year round. That’s when the idea of the San Diego Comic-Con Museum was born.
Emily Ward-Schindler, the first director of education for the museum, believes the space can serve an important function.
“We are a learning institution; we think when we engage in young people’s interests, they also learn in very deep ways,” she said.
The day she accepted her new role, she happened to be getting dinner with Dando while they were both attending a American Education Research Association conference. It was being held at the same convention center that hosts Comic-Con in San Diego.
The two had known each other from their grad school days in Madison as doctoral students. When Ward-Schindler took the job, she knew Dando would be a perfect place to start as one of her first collaborators.
“I knew I’d need kind collaborators who are very engaged and excited; Mike is all of those things,” Ward-Schindler said.
The two collaborated to put on a pilot program of one of Dando’s workshops at the Comic-Con Museum over the summer, bringing 20 justice and court-involved youth together for three days.
They took on the challenge of designing an artifact that symbolizes a problem they faced in their community. A weekend of drawing, sewing, fabricating and soldering commenced.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
What is Dando trying to discover with his research?
“The research component is asking questions about what kinds of stories are helping students or young people think about their lives in personal, cultural and community perspectives,” Dando said.
Grants from various organizations have helped Dando continue to expand his research and work in the community. All of these projects began in 2021 as part of SCSU’s Miller Scholar Award, along with the Early Career Award. Other support has come from the Minnesota Humanities Council, Minnesota Central Arts Board and the United Way of Central Minnesota.
“It’s been really cool to see the community support for the youth,” Dando said. “The response we’re seeing is the community is resonating with the research we’re doing.”
The work in examining critical literacy is ongoing. The subject is essential in all areas of education or the workforce: being able to deliver your message in an effective way and articulating it across different mediums will always be a skill worth investigating.
Dando has a history of doing research in non-traditional ways. His dissertation at the University of Wisconsin-Madison was a mixtape he produced of Madison youth recording an alternative album. Blending art and learning matters to the community. Dando has seen it first-hand.
“Mike’s work has helped us figure out how to get kids to ground their dreams in what could be possible in popular art and media,” Ward-Schindler said. “Using their imagination is not something they get to do all the time.”
She saw exciting results from the pilot program, and WardSchindler hopes they can find more funding to support the work and refine the design to make it available for even more kids.
And she has nothing but praise for her colleague from Minnesota.
“Mike is a wonderful person, just a really kind person,” Ward-Schindler said. “He’s excited and engaged in the work; I think we’re all just lucky to be in his orbit.”
“There was a seventh grader who said she hadn't had a chance to use my imagination forever and that she used to have good ideas,” Dando said. “It confirmed to me that it’s something kids want to tap into … but they often have to adapt to a strict environment. That’s why it’s exciting what we’re doing.”
And he’s clear about one thing: the research is nowhere near complete. There’s still so much left to discover, and the growing partnership with communities across the country will make it happen.
“My research at its core is community-driven; if there is no community, I can’t do any,” Dando said. “It is in complete partnership with folks in the community. They’re the gas in the tank. What’s most important to me is seeing what education opportunities there are for students and how are they making their own.”
– EMILY WARD-SCHINDLER to be continued ...
Above and below, the San Diego Comic-Con Museum houses comic illustrations and memorabilia and was home to a pilot program of one of Dando's workshops over this past summer. Photos courtesy of Mike Dando.
Mike Dando, far right, wearing a crown at the San Diego Comic-Con Museum with fellow comic enthusiast colleagues. They came together to collaborate with a summer workshop offering for youth. Photo courtesy of Mike Dando.
BY MARSHA SHOEMAKER
YEAR TH
railblazing student journalists in fall of 1924 became part of an ongoing campus enterprise that would launch hundreds of careers in media and related fields and provide professional-grade reporters and editors for newsrooms across the Midwest and beyond.
Faculty legend Helen Hill recruited from her English classes an editor, Florence Kelly, and a small group of writers to pioneer what would become a vital resource for sharing campus news and building practical skills for budding journalists.
When Hill launched the College Chronicle it had been just three years since the Normal School was elevated to St. Cloud State Teachers College and four years since American women were given the right to vote. The nation was coming out of World War I, and the student paper’s first front page reported that consequently enrollment had nearly doubled to 1,030 from 1921 to 1924.
and other former editors, including Jeanine Ryan Nistler ’79, Kathy Berdan ’80, Becky Imes Beyers ’85, and Kai Teoh ’12. In between graduation and being hired at the Times, Nistler, Berdan and Beyers had worked for smaller Minnesota papers in Worthington, Mankato, Fergus Falls and Monticello. Each went on to bigger journalism-related jobs, and all had the same high praise for how their Chronicle experience helped them succeed.
Longtime St. Cloud Times
Editor John Bodette said his newspaper recruited from many top schools, but St. Cloud State students had a real commitment to community journalism.
“It was invaluable to have that resource,” he said. “When someone had worked there you know they had the skill set and experience to do the work.”
University Chronicle
By its second year the College Chronicle staff of 26 took high honors at the Fifth Annual Convention of the Central Interscholastic Press Association. The school’s 1925 yearbook wrote: “This staff has put forth a bi-weekly publication of unusual merit which contains current events of interest, faculty columns of value, editorials on the ideas for which the College stands, student opinions, and alumni news, interspersed with spicy jokes and cartoons.”
The tone was set. What is now the University Chronicle continued to be informative and thought-provoking, earning accolades and awards through times of tremendous growth and change to provide a realistic, relevant experience for student journalists, photographers, ad salespersons, columnists and cartoonists who were in demand and ready to put their skills and their passion for community journalism to work.
PREPARING FUTURE JOURNALISTS
“I had three job offers before graduation, said Mike Knaak ’75, who served various positions at the student paper between 1972 and 75. “All were interested in me because of the reporting, editing, editorial writing and photo experience I had at the Chronicle. I finished class on Friday and started at the (St. Cloud) Times the following Monday.”
He credits his Chronicle experience for helping him gain responsibility and trust from the outset. “I did pretty much everything at the Chronicle – one of the charms of working there,” he said. His first day he was assigned to call then-President Charles Graham to get information for an article.
“I wrote a little story and magically it was in print.”
Knaak was joined in his four decades at the St. Cloud Times by a steady stream of Chronicle news and sports reporters
Nistler, who went on to work in communications at SCSU, CentraCare and State of Minnesota Human Services, said she knew from freshman year she wanted to be part of the Chronicle. She started as an arts reporter and early on was sent to interview an artist whose works featured paintings with grids and colored squares.
“Farm girl Jeanine from St. Peter didn’t know what to make of it,” she said. But she learned along the way.
“I had so much fun,” Nistler said. “I think the fun made the learning part of it go down easily. I made some atrocious mistakes along the way, but I’m glad they occurred at a college newspaper rather than the front page of a community newspaper.”
“It was a fabulous experience,” Berdan said of having the guts to jump in and say, “I can do this,” when then Chronicle adviser J. Brent Norlem told her he wanted her to be editor. She didn’t have much experience writing for the Chronicle, but some of the previous staff stayed around to help her transition to her exciting new venture.
“It was way better than any internship could have been, and pivotal to getting my first job,” Berdan said of her education from the Chronicle. “I started at the Fergus Falls Daily Journal three days after graduation.” Berdan went from there to being features editor at the St. Cloud Times to the Des Moines Register in 1989 and the Pioneer Press in 2000, always covering arts and entertainment.
Becky Imes Beyers ’85 started at the Monticello Times and two years later moved to the St. Cloud Times, where she worked as copy editor, city editor, and on features and business news. In 1997 she went to the Pioneer Press for nearly 10 years. She went back to school to get her master’s in public affairs and now is senior director of communications and strategy for University of Minnesota Extension.
“Being a Chronicle editor taught me how to be a leader; I think you can’t buy that kind of experience.” Beyers said. “We had a blast. It was hard work but we had fun at the same time. The core group of seven or eight who were on my staff are still in contact.”
For 30 years Kendra Meinert ’89 has been at her “really cool job” as an entertainment and feature writer at the Green Bay Press-Gazette, where she has covered
concerts headlined by the likes of Billy Joel and Paul McCartney at Lambeau Field and interviewed stars like Gene Simmons of Kiss, Kenny Chesney, Carrie Underwood and John Prine.
She credits her real-world experience at the Chronicle with giving her the right start.
“As editor I felt it was like a year-long, great internship,” Meinert said. “All the things that go on in the real world I experienced at the Chronicle: deadlines, community and really hard work, crazy hours and deadlines, sometimes working all night. I have wonderful memories of doing pasteup of the paper well into the night Sundays listening to Al Neff on KVSC.”
Kai Teoh ’12 was hired by the St. Cloud Times in 2012, and in 2015 he left to work at publications in New York and Spokane. He currently is the data and interactive news editor for the Dallas Morning News, working remotely managing the newspaper’s data analysis, investigative data and graphics teams.
“The breadth of experience I got from the Chronicle as online editor, managing editor, then executive editor helped me better understand how to help other people do their jobs better, and having done different roles helps me understand my co-workers.”
Being a Chronicle editor taught me how to be a leader; I think you can't buy that kind of experience.
Teoh came to St. Cloud State as an international student from Malaysia.
“Working at the Chronicle forced me to adapt and get out of my comfort zone and to build rapport and understand the culture,” he said.
Today Teoh does a lot of mentoring with journalism students and international journalists.
“They ask me how I got where I got, and I tell them the pathway to where I am was through (Mass Communications) and the Chronicle. Those were such crucial experiences to me.”
STRONG LEADERSHIP
Chronicle editors were given abundant responsibility and freedom to hone their skill sets and experience journalism, said Heidi Everett, currently associate professor of strategic communications for St. Cloud State. She teaches classes in layout and design, digital content strategy, and social media – embracing all the ways that media has changed and will continue to adapt in ways we cannot imagine, she said.
Everett was editor of the Chronicle in 1993-94, one of only a few editors who were not mass communications majors since the department was created in 1972. She also was a graduate student in English who had always done a lot of writing.
“I loved storytelling. My dream job was to be like Charles Kuralt and travel the country meeting everyday people.”
Everett had the skill set the Chronicle needed – writing and editing – so she
Above, Helen Hill taught at St. Cloud State from 1915-52, launched the College Chronicle and was its adviser from 1924-1948. In 1962 an SCSU student residence hall was named for her, and in 1967 she received the St. Cloud State College Distinguished Alumni Award. Photo courtesy of SCSU Archives.
Above, the St. Cloud State yearbook highlights the College Chronicle from 1926. Photo courtesy of SCSU Archives.
Above, Chronicle staff works on edit and layout of a 1973 issue. On far right are then-adviser Fran Voelker and editor Mike Knaak. Photo courtesy of SCSU Archives.
Right, Michael Vadnie (center) retired Journalism professor and Chronicle adviser from 1988-2013, meets with students. Photo by St. Cloud Times.
joined and learned.
“I absolutely fell in love with the deadlines,” she said. The staff was about two dozen, including many ad salespersons who brought the revenue that helped keep the Chronicle functioning as an independent entity. They came together practicing team collaboration for a common goal.
“These are important lessons,” said Everett. “Every skill students are learning in mass communications is applicable to any industry and organization.”
Like others who served as editors during the 25 years mass communications professor Michael Vadnie was adviser to the Chronicle, Everett appreciated his trust and guidance that encouraged editors and reporters to think decisions through.
“He would ask why you wanted to do something and if you could justify it.”
An example was Everett’s decision to spoof the high profile Vanity Fair magazine cover with pregnant actor Demi Moore on the Chronicle’s annual April Fool’s satire edition that capitalized on popular culture. Everett was married and pregnant at the
time and saw it as an opportunity to draw attention to the issue.
“I was asked to step down” by a critical administrator, she said, but Vadnie stood by her. Another controversial decision was to include coverage of an issue that involved a student of color being charged with resisting arrest, a case that Everett believed hinged entirely on the student’s prolific use of the F-word during the interaction with police.
“It was during these times that Vadnie was a great adviser,” Everett said. “His advising was what made that experience exceptional. He let us work it out.”
“As an adviser I was there for them,” said Vadnie, who had a background as both a cops and courts reporter for the Grand Forks Herald and had a law degree. “I was proud that we were independent and lived up to it every single day. We did our best to live up to the level of a professional paper, encouraging the staff to write hard, die free – to write the truth and do their best.”
Vadnie’s influence on students to practice ethical journalism was not lost on the
Every skill students are learning in mass communications is applicable to any industry and organization.
newspeople who hired Chronicle graduates.
“I credit Vadnie for his defense of First Amendment issues and the great exposure to them he gave his students,” Bodette said.
Vadnie’s first Chronicle editor in 198889, Tim Hennagir, established his career adhering to those tenets of community journalism as a student leader, adjunct professor and 13-year Chronicle adviser following Vadnie’s retirement, and 35-year professional journalist for a variety of publications. Currently a reporter for the Sauk Rapids Herald, the state’s oldest newspaper established in 1854, Hennagir keeps in mind Vadnie’s admonishment to be a “human being first, journalist second” as he covers people and news in Avon, Albany and Sauk Rapids, in Benton County.
As an editor and instructor, he loved teaching them to take the time to listen and remember as journalists they will deal with people on their best days and their worst days.
“You just have them for that one white-hot second that might teach them the concept of ethical journalism,” said Hennagir. “The education I received at St. Cloud State took me all over the world, broadened me.”
Hennagir’s passion for practicing good journalism is ongoing.
As journalists, some stories require extracting information with finesse, and others “kicking down doors to get the story.” His time at the Chronicle was the foundation for Hennagir’s deeply-held love for journalism and gratitude for people who touch the lives of others and take the time to tell their stories.
For Eric Dietz, who was managing editor from 1999-2000 and is currently adviser to the University Chronicle, the learning experience went beyond reporting, writing and editing. During his junior year, he moved the paper from analog to digital.
“It was a huge education I was not going to get elsewhere,” he said. “It was a slow transition from large tabloid layout to being completely digital.”
My time at the University Chronicle has taught me a few things, among them the importance of out-ofclass involvement.
“We were becoming a more diverse campus with a growing number of students of color and we started to see changes in curriculum and awareness of the world,” he said.
The Chronicle also covered stories that were very important for the university, such as what was happening in those early days of the faculty union and for the first time printing faculty salary lists, Knaak said.
“We were very aggressive about holding people accountable.”
“The university hired me in my junior year to do it,” he added. “I was doing some of the things I still do today. The large skills came from my time at the Chronicle.”
A CRUCIAL FUNCTION
From the days when Helen Hill was College Chronicle adviser (1924-48), the student newspaper has ebbed and flowed with the times and connected the campus with the world. For example, in 1944 during World War II, the staff of 20 led by editors Alice Binger and Maxine Johnson declared in each issue the motto, “This paper is a ‘VOICE for VICTORY.’” They turned the fourth page into a servicemen’s page, and on the back page letters and stories about men and women in Uncle Sam’s forces were regularly featured.
During 1973-75 when Knaak was at the Chronicle, the Vietnam War was ongoing and human rights, women’s rights and equity issues that affected students were important topics for coverage.
In the days since, the world has seen many changes in the media and the general public’s access to balanced journalism.
In October Poynter, a publication of the Poynter Institute, reported that “a new Medill study estimates that an eye-popping 7,000 newspaper jobs – about a third of them in newsrooms – were lost in 2023.”
Additionally, there were 127 newspaper closings and more than 1,500 counties with a combined 55 million residents that are down to no or only one source of local news.
“But what hasn’t changed is still the need for good journalism,” Knaak said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s on a dead tree or on your phone. The product has not changed.
A good story’s a good story. Some combination of video, more than words on a page, the basics of reporting, writing and editing have not changed. Trusted media is still trusted media.”
The University Chronicle is diminished in size and staff, but according to Emma Bast, who has served as editor for the past
two years, it remains a strong learning experience and has recently moved to a new office space in Stewart Hall. Her co-editor Cambrie Kowal will be taking over as editor in spring semester 2025.
“I can already tell that the industry is moving toward a fast and digital means,” Bast said. “If you are working in print, you have to be able to do digital and social media too. If you are a reporter for TV, you have to be able to write your stories for the digital website and put up a tease for a streaming platform. It is no longer feasible to only be good at one thing. You have to do it all.
“And all of it revolves around strong writing skills,” added Bast. “If you don't have that, you will not go anywhere in the journalism industry. Everything has to be done faster and be able to be on multiple platforms quickly. Adaptability and urgency are key.”
Bast will graduate in December 2024 and has plans to become a television news producer. After a century of relevance on campus and a long track record of successful editors, the Chronicle has a special place in Bast’s heart.
“My time at the University Chronicle has taught me a few things, among them the importance of out-of-class involvement,” Bast said. “You can only learn so much in a classroom, especially in an industry that is always changing, so having the Chronicle be one of the places where you can learn even a small bit of the media industry is fantastic.”
Pictured left, current editor Emma Bast with, right, future editor Cambrie Kowal.
It's OK to be yourself at work, it's OK to know your voice and use your voice. It's OK to advocate for others or for issues that matter.
– JESS VON BANK
Alumna looks to revolutionize HR, make space for everyone in the workforce
BY COLLEEN HARRISON
Jess Von Bank ’00 works for Mercer as a global leader in HR transformation and technology advisory.
“I think everything I do is punk. ... Using words like punk and rebellion, it's just a reminder that everybody belongs here. Everybody deserves a space in this conversation and you're designing for a whole lot more people than you think you are.”
unk is about revolting against a society that doesn’t think you deserve a revolution” is one of Jess Von Bank’s favorite quotes. While the quote’s source is unknown, the St. Cloud State University alumna and human resources industry revolutionary said its message couldn’t be more clear.
“I think everything I do is punk. It’s sort of like a gentle reminder to ‘the man’ that we still live and work in a society designed by ‘the man.’ By being so vocal and visible, I’m literally like a physical, omnipresent reminder that women work in tech, that women work,” she said. “I feel a bit of a responsibility. I like it and I’m passionate about what I do, but doing it so vocally and visibly gives permission for others to join. I could be Joan of Arc on a horse saying this stuff is important and I care about it and we need to change things — that only goes so far. This can be a much more effective movement, if it’s a movement.”
It’s important to Von Bank that others realize they have a voice, and don’t have to settle for the status quo in the workplace.
“It’s OK to be yourself at work, it’s OK to know your voice and use your voice. It’s OK to advocate for others or for issues that matter. It’s OK to remind people that there’s more to this conversation and invite more people into the conversation,” she said. “So for
me, using words like punk and rebellion, it’s just a reminder that everybody belongs here. Everybody deserves a space in this conversation and you’re designing for a whole lot more people than you think you are.”
Von Bank initially went to SCSU to pursue a career in journalism through its mass communications department. She graduated with a bachelor’s in speech communications in 2000. While finishing her degree she was recruited into a sales training program, and worked as a sales professional in the insurance industry following graduation, before eventually making her way into the HR industry.
“I wanted to be Oprah. I thought I wanted to be a TV broadcaster. I’ve always been a fan of journalism and storytelling and explaining things and headlines and following the news and stuff. I’ve always loved that, so it’s kind of funny,” she said. “I’m kind of like the Oprah of HR tech. I do a lot of speaking on the future of work, impact on talent, labor trends, global workforce trends, and because I have a pretty inclusive mindset about how we apply solutions to positively impact the most possible people, I get asked to speak about diversity, equity and inclusion, inclusive approaches to designing technology solutions for people, that kind of thing, I advocate for women and work all the time.”
Von Bank has worked in the HR field for roughly 20 years, and currently works for Mercer as a global leader in HR transformation and technology advisory. However, she said the HR label is a misnomer. She works more with tools, services and solutions used to innovate the work experience — a job she didn’t know existed in the early days of her career.
“HR, in my mind, were the people who hired people for companies and got them paid, and you went to them if you had issues. The new role of HR is really a much more data-savvy, technology forward, design-thinking sort of role,” Von Bank said. “They’re using a lot of tech to design the function and design work and jobs, and that’s the part that probably wasn’t even true 20 years ago. It’s definitely true today. So the industry is disrupting itself and changing.
“Work is changing so fast, and there’s so much technology innovation, there’s AI disrupting jobs and how we design work that — when I think of my own kids who are 15, 13 and 12 — it is probably more common than not that the jobs they’ll hold one day don’t exist, or they’re not defined the same way today as they might be then. The pace of change is just accelerating as we go. It’ll be faster tomorrow than it is today.”
She credits SCSU with giving her a foundation that has held steady through an ever-changing workforce. Hailing from North Dakota originally, Von Bank said coming to a school where she didn’t know anyone was exhilarating, and she loved her experiences through studying abroad and being involved in different clubs on campus. She feels she really learned how to be an adult while in college.
“I wanted to experience the whole college life. I did international business club, I worked, I did the broadcasting stuff with UTVS. I also worked my tail off. I worked my way through. I had a couple of scholarships and obviously leveraged some financial aid, but I worked as many as four part-time jobs — always at least one, usually two, and as high as four jobs
HUSKY PLAZA
– the gathering place on campus featuring a bronze Husky statue designed by a commissioned artist. Purchase an engraved brick for the plaza and add to the more than 650 bricks already purchased.
It’s important to Von Bank that she makes a positive impact on the workforce her daughters and the girls she mentors, through the Diverse Daisies nonprofit, will enter one day.
at a single time — to finance not just my tuition, but my study abroad experiences, and to make sure I could have a car at school,” she said. “I think I literally learned how to adult because I had to figure out how to get good grades — which I did, be socially active and kind of figure out college life without going off the rails. I was a hustler and that was really good experience for me when I got into my professional life, because then I felt like I knew a little bit — you know, you never know everything. But I knew how to adult because I had already been adulting in college.”
It’s important to Von Bank that she passes that work ethic down to her children as well as the girls she mentors through the nonprofit Diverse Daisies, but also to have an impact on the workforce those children will eventually enter into one day.
“The fact that there’s still a pay gap in my lifetime is utterly insane to me. I’m not going to close it myself, and I probably won’t see it closed in my lifetime, but I look at the fact that I’m raising three girls who will be in the world of work themselves within a decade — and the world doesn’t even deserve girls, period. It’s not good enough; the world that we put girls into is not good enough for them, or other youth, for that matter,” she said. “If I can impact parts of that in positive ways that they can see and feel in their lifetimes — like our relationship to work and the employer relationship — that seems like such a microcosm of a thing, but that’s a big part of our lives.”
For Von Bank, it’s paramount that more equitable experiences are provided for women, people of color and other underserved communities in the workforce. It’s even more important now as artificial intelligence and other innovations in technology impact industries, and that it impacts certain communities in a disproportionate manner.
“The impact I hope to have is distributing access and opportunity so that we can distribute more evenly the positive impact workforce innovation can have on people. I’m also a woman who works, who happens to have kids, and somehow we’ve placed this misnomer on working moms. Nobody says working dads — literally nobody. So why do we have to be this special underprivileged class of people who requires all these exceptions in order for us to participate equally in the workforce?” she said. “That’s up to us to change the system — not to bend women to a broken system. I’m super passionate about not just women and working moms, but anybody who falls into that underrepresented, underprivileged; where the system is broken for them. I’m a huge proponent of fix the system — don’t fix people, fix the system. I feel pretty lucky that in my line of work I get to talk about that, because it’s part of literally every conversation I have around inclusive technology, human-centered design thinking and designing solutions for the whole person.”
Dr. J. Scott Baker
Educating future teachers on the humanity of teaching
Dr. J. Scott Baker works to demonstrate the humanity of teaching for his students each day — sometimes dressed as Lumière, a “Bridgerton” character, a Care Bear, or one of the other 200-plus costumes at his disposal.
Catharine Van Nostrand A career dedicated to empowering women
A connection with SCSU that started during the second wave of the women’s movement will last for generations to come, if Catharine Van Nostrand has anything to say about it.
Nolan Newberg
Creating positive and engaging content through basketball storytelling
first started creating social media content when
was 13 and never stopped.
Eunice Adjei
Working to provide equal opportunities for underserved communities
Eunice Adjei has made it her mission to empower immigrant, ethnic and underrepresented communities.
SCSU alumnus Nolan Newberg
he
#OurSCSU community was out in full force in 2024! From hockey watch parties, to enjoying a Twins game, the Minnesota State Fair, Homecoming and more — thank you for celebrating with us! We can't wait to see you back on campus and at our regional events in 2025.
SCSU DAY AT TARGET FIELD
Huskies gathered at Target Field to cheer on the Minnesota Twins as they played the Detroit Tigers on April 20. All received SCSU/Twins custom swag.
REGIONAL ALUMNI GATHERINGS
Be Huskies proud! SCSU alumni all over the country gathered with #OurSCSU community for events in Texas, Arizona and Colorado, as well as in the Twin Cities over the past year.
THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR
SCSU enjoyed the Great Minnesota Get-Together by taking over the Minnesota State booth inside the Education Building this past summer.
CONNECT
We encourage you to use the following handles and hashtag in your social media messaging: #OurSCSU @scsugrad /scsualumni /scsualumni St. Cloud State University Alumni (groups/52275)
Check out class notes online by visiting scsu.mn/ourscsu
Share your milestones, changes or recent additions to your family — update your profile and information at scsu.mn/updateinfo
Huskies, share your story at scsu.mn/ourscsu
Open the door to endless possibilities.
SCSU’s graduate and certificate programs are perfect for busy professionals, career changers, parents— everyone! Choose from on-campus, online or our Plymouth locations. Don’t hesitate, your future begins now.
E XPLORE OUR FLE XIBLE OPTIONS.
