SCSU Aviation Program in Danger of Being Cut

The aviation program at St. Cloud State University is in danger of being cut due to university-wide budgetary contraints. In this exclusive two-minute news piece, KVSC News Director Chris Duffy outlines the potential economic pitfalls of losing one of the few aviation programs in the Midwest and the outporing of support from the surrounding communties to keep the program alive. Listen in for a reaction from Department Chair Tara Harl.

Read about other programs at SCSU in danger of being cut.

Fall 2010 Convocation with President Earl Potter

During his August 17, 2010 convocation address, SCSU President Earl Potter outlined the many success stories in the previous academic year.  He also openly discussed the challenges the university is facing.  SCSU has cut 10 percent of its budget in the last three years, and faces another 10 percent, or nearly $14 million in cuts, to balance the fiscal year 2012 budget.  The president says hard decisions will be made across the board.  The president recognized anxiety is high on campus and pledged to serve the university objectively.  The concluding remarks were left to senior Jenna Johnson of Little Falls, a nursing student.  She shared how the support from faculty and staff she is receiving has helped her achieve her dream of working in health care, even while being deployed to Iraq for a year of active duty in the National Guard in 2009.

Summer Update with SCSU President Earl Potter

Dr. Earl H. Potter III, president of St. Cloud State University sat down with Chris Duffy in a live interview to discuss the close of the 2010 fiscal year and the difficulties that lie ahead for the 2011 fiscal year.  Also in discussion is the Coborn Plaza open for students next semester and its impact on the Fifth Avenue Live project. Several other topics were brought up in this exclusive interview including an update on naming rights for the new hocky center, the new documentary on the hunger strike of 1995, the outreach to community affairs and more.

How to Conduct a Harassment Investigation Seminar

A seminar on conducting a harassment investigation is coming to the St. Cloud State University campus June 22-23.  The program, conducted by Dr. Susan Strauss, is set to cover the intricacies of conducting a harassment investigation including the necessary steps to take, conducting interviews, the difference between formal & informal investigations and writing formal reports.  This interview looks at some of the details on this subject and who should consider attending the two-part seminar.  More information on this seminar is available at scsutraining.com/harass.

St. Paul Lawyer in Hospital after Interrogation in Rwanda

After becoming ill during a two-hour of interrogation by authorities in Rwanda, St. Paul lawyer Peter Erlinder was taken to a hospital. Erlinder was arrested while defending presidential hopeful Victoire Ingabire who is up against charges of promoting genocidal ideology.  KVSC News Director Chris Duffy has this exclusive interview with lawyer Sarah Erlinder, the daughter of Peter Erlinder with insight on this developing story.

'Outpouring of Support' for Volunteer Firefighter

Volunteer firefighter Cory Broich responded to and put out a routine car fire during morning rush hour traffic.  The event turned out not to be so routine.  Broich was hit by a driver who failed to follow a basic traffic law, which requires vehicles to move to an outside lane when approaching a pulled-over emergency vehicle.  Broich's legs were crushed and may never walk again.  Listen-in on this brief interview with Chief Nieters about the complications of this unforeseen incident. 

Skate Park Project Finally Passes, Interview with Austin Lee

The St. Cloud City Council recently approved the construction for a new skate park to be built in the city.  A process spanning over a decade, the project owes respect to 17-year-old Austin Lee for his voice in brining the project to Central Minnesota.  KVSC's Kevin Hurd and Zach Fisch spoke with Austin soon after the proposal was finally passed.

Luke Tripp Discusses Anti-Islamic Cartoons Posted in St Cloud

A well-attended and passionate rally was sparked in January at St. Cloud State University after anti-Islamic cartoons were posted throughout the St. Cloud, Minn. community -- including sexually-explicit drawings of the Prophet Muhammad.  The rally was sponsored by SCSU's Somali Student Association.  Dr. Luke Tripp, professor of community studies and former member of the Black Panther Party, attended the rally.

In this exclusive interview by KVSC News Director Chris Duffy, Tripp discusses the damage he feels the anti-Islamic cartoons posted in St Cloud have caused. Tripp has a deep background in civil rights and activism in various forms of oppression.  This interview goes deep into the history of Central Minnesota and the harmful effects that these images can cause to a community.

SCSU President Reflects on 2009

News Director Chris Duffy sat down with St. Cloud University President Earl Potter shortly after he returned from a trip with Governor Pawlenty to South America. In this long form interview recorded on December 16, Dr. Potter reflects on the last semester, how the university will face continued budget shortfalls and serve more than 17,000 students effectively.

Interview with Immigration Reform Speaker Nelly Ortiz

Nelly Ortiz is an immigrant from Ecuador and gave a presentation entitled "Why we Leave" in the Atwood Theatre on her experience as an immigrant living in Chicago and with immigrant reform.  This interview with KVSC news director Chris Duffy focuses on the issues leading to her moving away from her home country and her experiences once in the United States.

Interview with Directors of RENT

The rock musical RENT is showing in St Cloud November 19-29 at the Paramount Theatre and director Andrew Rasmussen and music director Jeff Engholm were able to stop by last week to discuss this revolutionary broadway musical about a group of New York artists and how they celebrate life and deal with the pains of death amongst their tight-nit group. The musical has won a Tony Award for best musical even the Pultizer Prize. KVSC is happy to be a co-sponsor of this GREAT Theatre production. Tickets can be purchased online at greatrentsite.com.

Interview Marks Year 7 in Disappearance of St. John's Student

On Nov. 9, 2002 Josh Guimond disspaeard after leaving a small party around midnight.  With josh still missing, his family and friends return to Stearns County in what marks the seven-year anniversary of this event.  Josh was a very active and intelligent person and his grandfather, Bob Guimond, provides in-depth information of his disappearance.  With the length of this missing person case and a lack of concrete evidence, family and friends and the Sheriff's office are feeling frustrations of this mysterious case.

It Doesn't Define Us - Documentary By SCSU Students

The film "It Doesn't Define Us" is a documentary about gay rights and issues in the GLBT community in Minnesota and throughout the nation. The St. Cloud State University filmmakers, Bruce Meyers and Gordon Severson, sat down with KVSC News Director Chris Duffy to discuss the making of this feature film and some of the ongoing issues the film discusses. The film started out as a five-minute news peice and turned into a feature length documentary. This is an interview on how such a film came about. There is a premiere at the Uptown Theatre in Minneapolis Saturday (11/7) at noon and a second showing at the Pioneer Place in St. Cloud is set for Saturday, November 14 at 2 p.m.

Minnesota Ghost Stories Revealed

KVSC News director Chris Duffy interviews Michael Norman, author of "The Nearly Departed: Minnesota Ghost Stories and Legends." The retired college journalism professor always has found these stories interesting and after years of journalism, he compiled some of the best Minnesota stories and interviews from througout the state. Counting ghosts, tracking down the facts and learning about the history of ghost stories made for a perfect interview during KVSC's Possesed Pledge Drive.

Career Services Provides Job Hunt Guidance

KVSC News Director Chris Duffy interviews Andy Ditlevson of St. Cloud State University Career Services Center. The Career Services Center is hosting a job fair prep party on campus. Ditlevson discusses the impact of the economy in relation to recent college graduates. Having a great resume, strong GPA and a large network are all key to landing that first job. It is important for college students to have the knowledge and the tools to find the right job and Career Services on campus is a great resource to utilize. Listen to this podcast to get better perspective of what employers expect from a potential employee.

Support System Important for Sauk Rapids Teen

KVSC News Director Chris Duffy interviews a family friend of Jeff Hinkemeyer. In May of 2009, Hinkemeyer was rear-ended by another vehicle as he was waiting to pull in to his apartment complex and was airlifted to a hospital after his car exploded with him inside. Suffering from third degree burns on 90 percent of his body, Hinkemeyer was put in an induced coma. Kim, a friend of the Hinkemeyer family is organizing a spaghetti dinner and silent auction to raise funds for medical expenses. Kim gives us some insight into the type of individual Jeff is and about his struggles since the accident.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Returning Soldiers

On this edition of Newswatch, Chris Duffy interviewed Mike Mathies of the St. Cloud Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Duffy and Mathies discuss the issue of posttraumatic stress disorder among returning soldiers from Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom. Listen to the podcast and tune in to KVSC 88.1FM from noon to 1 p.m. daily to hear local headlines and live interviews on Newswatch.

Meet Provost Malhotra

St. Cloud State University welcomed its second Provost in the school's history to campus on July 1, 2009. In this interview on KVSC from September 17,  Dr. Devinder Malhotra shares a his academic and personal history along with his approach to overseeing the university's academic and budgetary priorities.

President Potter Fall 09 Convocation

St. Cloud State University President Earl H. Potter presented his fall convocation address on August 18 to faculty, staff and constituents. In this address Potter discusses the university's economic priorities and objectives, its connection to the local and global community and welcomes new leadership to campus.

Remembering Robert Bess

 It's been a week of remembering a trusted leader at St. Cloud State University. Former university President Robert Bess  died Monday, July 20, 2009 in his home state of California. Bess served as interim president in the early 90’s. He only served for three years… but as News Director Chris Duffy reports… the legacy he  left behind will last forever.

President Potter July 2009

SCSU President Earl H. Potter discusses a number of campus issues and initiatives in this July 2009 interview with Jo McMullen. A good portion of the interview explores the how the budget unallotment to MnSCU affects the university, jobs and service to 17,000 students.  Updates on campus projects such as 5th Avenue Live, international ties to Nankai University in China and the National Hockey Center wrap up this candid interview.

President Earl H. Potter Spring '09 Convocation

This was the first spring convocation by a St. Cloud State University president in recent history. In this address to faculty and staff, President Potter discusses the budget cuts for the current fiscal year and planning for the next. He also spotlights key priorities and successes the school set and achieved. Other presentations from Jane Olson (Diversity Committee), Ed Bouffard, Mitch Bender (Sustainability), Dan Gregory (Budget Advisory and Strategic Planning), Richard Shearer (Admissions/Recruitment), David Warne (Foundations of Excellence), and Steve Ludwig (Facilities and Planning) spotlight ongoing initiatives.

Financial Crisis Forum Podcast

On October 15, 2008, a Forum on the Financial Crisis was held featuring professors King Banaian and Ming Chien Lo from the Department of Economics and Howard Bohnen and William Hudson from the Department of Finance, Insurance and Real Estate.

State Senator Tarryl Clark Talks Politics

Tarryl Clark discusses a number of topics in this in-depth interview. Listeners will hear about the bonding year successes of 2008, St. Cloud State University's funding for science and hockey center improvements...and the Senator offers her grades for Governor Tim Pawlenty and Lieutenant Governor Carol Molnau.

Join us for a civics lesson on Minnesota's latest politics.

SCSU Recycling Program: Green or Guilty

“Green or Guilty?” chronicles some of the successes and failures of the St. Cloud State Recycling program. Jenna Lee has interviewed important players from the St. Cloud State maintenance crews, faculty, staff, and student groups. “Green or Guilty?” will provide listeners with the whole story including the recycling hauler's perspective.

Lee described the project by saying, “It was a challenging opportunity to explore and uncover the multi-layered recycling program at SCSU. I learned that while students throw their plastic, aluminum and glass items into the recycling bins, often the recycling effort is trashed.”

Wells Fargo CEO John Stumpf Podcast

St. Cloud State University's Herberger College of Business sponsored their first in a series of executive leadership speakers on October 24, 2007. Wells Fargo President and CEO John Stumpf impressed a capacity crowd in the Ritsche Auditorium with his sincere and inspiring presentation.

In this KVSC podcast, you'll hear about Stumpf's experiences growing up in a family with eleven children in rural Minnesota, his college experiences and how his work ethic has led him to be one of the top banking executives in the country. Stumpf talks about the history of Wells Fargo and the company's progressive guidelines and philosophy toward its employees in a global economy.

Archeology Dig--Shoemaker Hall Podcast

Students at St. Cloud State University gain hands on experience in a summer archeology class. KVSC sent reporter Donny Daubanton to capture the sounds, methods, and discoveries of a summer 2006 dig in front of Shoemaker Hall.

This eldest dormitory on campus (built in 1915) flanks the Mississippi River and is a known home of early settlers and Native Americans prior.You'll get a glimpse into how history is all around usand how a university professor brings it to life for her students.

Tibetan Monks-Sand Art Podcast

In April 2006 St. Cloud State University hosted an amazing exhibit and performance from the famed Tibetan Loseling monks of the Drepung Monestary. Atwood Memorial Center's (student union) art gallery was a four-day home for the monks as they created a mandala sand painting. Students, faculty and community members were entranced by their intricate work with tiny particles of colored sand. Astonished it would be destroyed once complete.

KVSC's news director during their visit was Samrat Kharel--a Nepalese national. Kharel produced this award winning radio feature on the monks breathtaking work. He tells their story with eloquence and from a perspective most Americans can hope to learn from.

SCSU: Party Mythology Podcast

Is St. Cloud State University's image as a party school based on reality and facts or myth and perception? In this podcast, KVSC's Adam Sebestyen and Jon Mortensen ponder this with poignant questions to students and campus leaders such as President Earl Potter, Dr. Robert Repp of the UChoose program, and Director of the Center for Student Organizations and Leadership Development Matt Trombley.