The Northern State University Chapter 506 of MENC, The National Association for music education, has, in its attempt to aid and encourage the best ideals of music education and to encourage others to do so, has displayed exemplary service to the music community and the community at large.  This list provided is but a sampling of student involvement.   Its activities could be divided into four categories, those being

1)      Social, which includes the use of the vast talents of our students for outreach through caroling at nursing homes, the shindig/rush which included both students and music faculty and various other social gatherings such as the end of the year party which involve students and faculty/staff in an alternative educational setting.

2)      Outreach, which would include the Kindermusik scholarship awarded each year and the MIOSM (music in our schools month) activities, and the MENC initiated and administered “Returning Grad” program.

3)      Service, which would include our assistance with local school concerts and our large presence at various concerts on campus, providing strong leadership opportunities to music students as illustrated by a large membership (70) and a strong percentage of membership participation in a time when a small percentage of the membership does the majority of the work, and a significant increase in operating budget and resulting service such as a significantly increased scholarship offering.

4)      Unity, which would include our work outside groups such as the Bobby Vee concert and the All-State Orchestra and Chorus concerts which allow our students to not only learn, but which present a statewide presence, affording our students to meet with directors in the field.  In so doing, we are a unifying force for our students and the department, and consequently the university and the state.

          In our effort to reach academic excellent, we are perceived as leaders both within the department and within the university at large.  We have attempted to create and maintain a network of activities and communication paths among students, between students and faculty, and between departments within the fine arts department and the university at large.  By helping to organize the music education experience, we help to create the inertia necessary to insure the health of music education in the region, the state and the nation for generations to come.

          It is, however, the primary goal of MENC is to assist in the development of an academic climate at Northern State University, which addresses the very large variety of needs of its students, and which promotes academic excellence.  With its contribution of academic excellence, MENC is a powerful force in the creation of a superior collegiate experience, leading to the inertia required for a healthy and growing regional, state, and national music program.