Receive a 2010 Celebration DVD
Enjoy the documentary, Promise of the Prairie: Education in Three Acts, while endowing the future. Celebrate Morris campus history by giving a scholarship gift to the students of tomorrow. Your gift will help to create a new, endowed University of Minnesota, Morris scholarship fund that will assist future students in achieving their educational goals. Gifts of $30 or more qualify donors for a copy of the campus’s 2010 Celebration DVD, Promise of the Prairie: Education in Three Acts
This one-hour documentary, produced by Morris’s own media services, includes interviews with 25 storytellers reflecting on the campus’s three historic educational missions: the American Indian boarding school, the University of Minnesota West Central School of Agriculture and Experiment Station, and the University of Minnesota, Morris. Insightful, humorous, and at times unexpected, the video documentary is available only through the Morris campus in conjunction with our 2010 anniversary year.
All but $5 of your gift is tax-deductible within the fullest extent permitted by law. The University of Minnesota Foundation will issue a charitable gift receipt when your gift is received. With your help, we will achieve our goal of raising a minimum of $25,000 to endow the 2010 Promise of the Prairie Scholarship. Once $25,000 is raised, we will apply for the University of Minnesota President’s Scholarship Match Program. The program will match on a dollar-for-dollar basis the payout of the endowment.
For more information about making a gift, please e-mail or call 320-589-6386.
Make a gift to the 2010 Promise of the Prairie Scholarship now. Use the drop down menu under “Designate to specific program or area” and choose the 2010 Promise of the Prairie Scholarship. Your copy of the DVD will be sent to you.
More about the Promise of the Prairie: Education in Three Acts documentary
Promise of the Prairie: Education in Three Acts explores three very different educational institutions that have all made their home on the same plot of land—the Morris campus. In images and voices, the documentary first tells the story of Mother Mary Joseph of the Sisters of Mercy who first broke the prairie ground on the Morris campus, establishing an American Indian boarding school in 1887. In 1910, the University of Minnesota opened an agriculture high school on the campus, erecting simple, sturdy Prairie School buildings for teenagers learning modern farming practices. Fifty years later, in 1960, the University’s unique, new public liberal arts college brought young adults to the rural campus.
Michael Cihak, director and editor, states that the film is a historical document that should have broad public appeal. While Promise of the Prairie tells the stories of three educational entities, it also is a narrative of American culture. “These institutions absorbed 100 years of change,” he reflects, “They are a mirror of society.”
Chris Butler, researcher and writer, began the process of creating the documentary by performing a task that he enjoys—talking with people. “I listened for recurring themes and kept track of what was important to others. Historical social forces began and ended here at Morris with the American Indian boarding school and West Central School of Agriculture, and the University of Minnesota, Morris continues to keep pace with change. I like working with these stories and learning about the risks people took. I’ve felt a constant mix of awe and honor—awed by the amount of work and sacrifice and ambition, and honored by the opportunity to speak with and write about so many of the people who contributed to WCSA and UMM.”
Roger Boleman, Media Services director and Promise of the Prairie producer, states that the documentary is a “true UMM production.” From the research to the writing, from the filming to the editing, from the narration to the imagery, from the voice-overs to the original music composed by Joe Carucci, assistant professor of music, nearly 100 percent of the talent has a direct connection to either UMM or WCSA. The project encompassed collecting more than 1,300 images, interviewing more than 45 people, and more than 300 hours of editing. All of the research for Promise of the Prairie and the image library will be placed in the University of Minnesota, Morris Archives.
Media Services staff praise two student assistants who significantly contributed to the project. Jennifer Riestenberg ’13, Perham, served as research assistant, and Samuel Krump-Johnson ’11, Maple Grove, served as production assistant.
Chris Butler interviews Dennis Johnson, a West Central School of Agriculture alumnus, for the documentary.
