HIST 104 News

Jeff tells me there are several students in the class (and I confirm this by checking some of my mail) who are having trouble sending through to their sections of Cumberland Gap. Hey, I think I have diagnosed the problem, at least for some of you. Here's the deal. The Listserv servers only recognize you with the e-mail address by which you are subscribed to the list. You have to send from that account, or address, to get through. What has happened is that some of you have been caught in the NDSU e-mail address change cycle. I see that there are people who are subscribed with an address ending "@ndsu.edu" but they are sending from an address ending "@ndsu.nodak.edu". If you're one of these people, then you need to go into your e-mail client and re-set the "reply-to" function, or whatever equivalent you have for that, so that your mail comes from an "@ndsu.edu" address. Sorry--I should have seen this one coming and given the advice sooner.

I mention here a couple of things on campus that I will be attending in the coming week or so, and that I suspect would be good events for fulfilling the Cultural Currents assignment.

First, this Friday the 28th, at 3:00, in Hultz 104--Professor Don Kirby presenting on the topic, "Mined Land Reclamation Experiences in North Dakota." Kirby is a range scientist. I think you'll find he's talking about exactly the sort of science Tocqueville said would flourish in a democracy.

Second, the History Department Seminar, 3:00 Friday the 4th, in Minard 407, the ugliest seminar room on campus. It features Professor Annette Atkins of St. John's University speaking on the history of Minnesota she is writing. Atkins is a truly outstanding scholar-teacher.

Another event for filling the Cultural Currents assignment: the opening of the Dick Sander exhibit of bronzes, 2:00 Friday 21 January. Including the bronze bison he presented to President Chapman. At NDSU Downtown, 650 NP Avenue.

A few minutes ago I received a call from a fellow named Kevin, and I couldn't make out his last name, a member of the class saying he would not be here today. Kevin, to record an excused absence, call Jeff Armstrong, not me, as I don't keep the records of the course. That goes for everyone, of course; I'm teaching the course, but not keeping the records, so on such administrative matters, you need to speak to Jeff. Thanks.

I received this notice by e-mail. Looks like a great event for fulfilling the "Cultural Currents" assignment!

"Tonight (Wednesday January 12th) David Laskin the author of "The Children's Blizzard" will discuss his book and sign copies in the Peace Garden Room, second floor of the Memorial Union on the campus of North Dakota State University. The discussion will start at 7:00 and the autographing will follow. January 12th is the anniversary of the blizzard of 1888 that spread across the Great Plains killing up to 500 people, many of them school children trying to go home. David Laskin tells the story of this ferocious storm and its aftershocks, drawing on contemporary newspaper accounts and eyewitness accounts of the immigrant settlers who survived. Full of deep understanding for the hard lives of the pioneers, amazement at the power of nature, and frustration over the fallibility of science and the helplessness of mere mortals, "The Children's Blizzard" cuts to the heart of the American heartland at a crossroads in our nation's history."

I've just now posted revised pages for Spring 2005, including a calendar. So, take a look around! If you're buying textbooks, the only one you need for this section of HIST 104 is Tocqueville's Democracy in America.