Month: April 2024

Crookston High School held its annual Basic Self-Defense Class for girls who are seniors at CHS on Wednesday night in the CHS Wrestling room.

This program has been sponsored by CHS Leo Club Advisor Linda Morgan and instructed by Crookston School District SRO Don Rasicot, have provided this event for senior girls for over 11 years. “At the time I just wanted to do something for senior girls,” said Morgan, “I thought this would be something special for the senior girls. I think the only year we weren’t able to do this was in 2020.”

This year’s participants saw 13 CHS senior girls looking for advice and tips on how to defend themselves while being attacked physically and verbally. Many of these girls will be heading off to college campuses or larger populated areas where they may be susceptible to violent encounters. “When they leave this school, they’ve been pretty much coddled in Crookston,” said Crookston School District SRO Don Rasicot, “Some of them are going into the cities, and some may be going to colleges, and we’re concerned about the safety.”

The class that took place consisted of basic principles on proactively protecting oneself as a female student attending high school or college. The girls sat in on discussions regarding situational awareness and potential hazards found in any community. “I hit them with some real-world statistics, I do a 45-minute lecture prior to the hands-on portion of the class,” said Rasicot, “I prepare them with my lecture and what I’ve learned through the years as a police officer, and from the victims I’ve seen, and how to survive an attack; we show very basic moves but their very useable, learnable, and they may save a life.”

Rasicot explained that this program has trained hundreds of Crookston Seniors who have given positive feedback and even thanked Don Rasicot and Linda Morgan for their efforts. The girls were introduced to hands-on techniques for self-defense, and most of the techniques that were shown were from Judo. “We teach defense; we want to escape,” said Rasicot, “We want to teach the girls how to escape. There are moves that we teach, and once you perform them, you can go on offense and control your attacker. We don’t want that; we want our students to be able to get away and run, call, and scream for help.”

Rasicot and Morgan encourage future senior girls to consider taking this course because of the valuable and potentially life-saving information that is offered.

#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 {
background: url(https://kroxam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/selfd-2-80×60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat;
}
#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 {
background: url(https://kroxam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/selfd-3-80×60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat;
}
#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item3 {
background: url(https://kroxam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/selfd-4-80×60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat;
}
#tdi_1 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item4 {
background: url(https://kroxam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/selfd-5-80×60.jpg) 0 0 no-repeat;
}

1 of 4

The post CHS SENIOR GIRLS PARTICIPATE IN ANNUAL SELF-DEFENSE COURSE appeared first on KROX.

The Northwest Minnesota Arts Council is excited to announce that Betsy Saurdiff of Grygla received the Northwest Star Award. The award was presented to Saurdiff on Sunday, April 21, in Lake Bronson at the Kittson County History Museum during the NW Art Exhibit Awards Reception and Program.

Saurdiff is a well-known and accomplished potter in the area. She is a retired visual arts and German instructor in the Grygla and Goodridge School districts. Currently, she substitute teaches, works part-time at the Grygla Library, and teaches art classes in her community.

In 2023, three pieces of Betsy’s pottery were selected for the “It’s Only Clay National Competition and Exhibition” at the Watermark Center in Bemidji. One of the pieces, “Brown Antler Bowl,” won the HarlowPurchase Award. She has been named Teacher of the Year three times and awarded numerous grants for her art and equipment.

Former student and current art teacher Tausha Sieverts shared, “Mrs. Saurdiff is not just a great artist; she is an amazing person all around. She cares deeply about her family and community. Mrs. Saurdiff will go above and beyond to help whoever and wherever needed. She stays involved in our school and community by holding community education classes, attending school events, subbing at our area schools, and even mentors [me] with ceramics.”

The well-known quote by Pablo Picasso – “Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life,” resonates with Betsy. She reflected on the impact of the arts on society. “Without art, we could live, but it wouldn’t be so precious.” 

Goodridge Superintendent Tom Loberg explained that Betsy’s “unending passion of teaching art to others, mentoring area artists and art teachers, and her continuing pursuits to create art that serves as the inspiration to others has had a profound impact on our students, schools, communities, and the arts community in our region.” He went on, “In my opinion, Mrs. Saurdiff’s contributions to the area arts community are the definition of a lifetime achievement in art. Despite her retirement as an art teacher, nothing has changed. She continues to educate, mentor, create, and inspire.”

Betsy has advice for aspiring artists. “Make use of the arts council. Money is available for you and people who can help you write your grants if needed.” She also said, “Work really, really hard. Don’t dream about it. Every day, do something. There’s no substitute for hard work.”

According to former stuntwork (and current art teacher) Andrea Halvorson, “Betsy is an exceptional artist both personally and professionally. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Betsy since middle school. She has had a profound impact on me. Having her as an art teacher helped mold me into the artist I am today. As a teacher, Betsy always saw potential in all her students, even if they didn’t think they had talent. She showed patience, provided guidance, and challenged students to keep reaching their highest potential.” 

She said, “Betsy gives back to the community by teaching others. She holds community education pottery classes for people of all ages and levels. Betsy has taught me so much about art, even learning about the other artists in the area, as well as resources and people. She does this to educate others and know there is more for artists. This is huge when living in a small rural community where resources in the arts are so limited. She is always encouraging and teaching people about what is offered to them.”

Betsy wanted to thank the arts council for all the support over the many years. “I wouldn’t be the potter I am without them.”

The NW Star Award comes with $5,000. Artists can only receive it once as a lifetime achievement award. Funding for the Northwest Star comes from The McKnight Foundation. Three awards are given each year to recognize artists and arts advocates within our seven-county region who stand out in terms of artistry or volunteerism in the arts. Of the Year Award winners were nominated by area residents. 

The post NWMAC AWARDS BETSY SAURDIFF THE ANNUAL STAR AWARD appeared first on KROX.

Highland Elementary and Crookston Middle School fifth and sixth-grade students competed in the regional Math Masters of Minnesota Challenge in Bemidji.

These students competed individually and as teams on eight sets of mathematical problems in this competition for a total of 325 problems. The 6th-grade team placed first, and the 5th-grade team placed 5th.

The 5th-grade team that competed included- Joseph Goering, Devin Gudmundson, Hillary Weber, Bryson Reid, and Cora Jackson.

The 6th-grade team that competed included- Haddie Halland, Mollie Wagner, Ella Capistran, Cohen Luckow, and Harrison Cameron.

Ella Capistran finished 1st place in the Individual Competition and 2nd place in the Facts Competition. Devin Gudmundson finished 4th in the Individual Competition. Harrison Cameron finished in 6th place in the Facts Competition and 7th place in the Individual Competition. Cohen Luckow finished in 8th place in the Facts Competition.

Math Masters of Minnesota provides mathematics competitions for thousands of fifth- and sixth-grade students. The competition is designed to promote excellence in thinking skills pertaining to mathematics and was founded upon research concerning the characteristics of mathematically gifted people.

The purpose of Math Masters is to challenge students to use critical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities and to give recognition for academic effort and achievement.  

#tdi_2 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item1 {
background: url(https://kroxam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/math-1-80×60.jpeg) 0 0 no-repeat;
}
#tdi_2 .td-doubleSlider-2 .td-item2 {
background: url(https://kroxam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/math-2-80×60.jpeg) 0 0 no-repeat;
}

1 of 2

The post CROOKSTON MATH MASTERS FINISH 1ST AND 6TH AT REGIONAL COMPETITION appeared first on KROX.