Dear alums and friends:

Greetings from Northern! First, let me thank you for your support for MSU Northern. In my last letter, I outlined how important it is for us to join our resources together to make a difference for students. Just as we face the future together, whatever that means in this economic environment, helping our students to achieve is our number one goal. We need to get them here first to be able to do this, however. So, if you can send students our way and want to know how, just give us a call or send an e mail. We know how to get information to them. If you can help us in our efforts to make a difference for Northern, whether it be keeping alums informed and involved through the newsletter, maintaining traditions, supporting projects and activities, or participating in events, your help is truly appreciated.

Many of you already know that Donaldson Hall was closed this August because of the boiler heating system failure. Many of you have expressed concern about losing the structure entirely. We had been able to use the Commons room for meetings and events until December 2nd when the boiler feed tank failed, and the two pumps burned out. We have had to cancel events. The water pipes are drained and there will be no further use until heat and water is restored. Under the leadership of alumni board member Lorren Schlotfeldt and Bob and Mike Nault of Nault Plumbing and Heating, Gary Farinas, Gary Bartow and Dan Ulmen, Director of Physical Plant, spent many long hours working to restore heat to Donaldson Hall just before the cold front moved in. They also spent many hours monitoring it through the weekend and this week. The system is still very questionable so the Nault's, are providing two large electric heaters to keep the lobby and Commons areas heated enough to keep the flooring from buckling and the plaster walls from cracking and crumbling.

The institution presented a draft proposal to the MSU Northern Foundation board this fall that would get the bottom two floors heated and then lease the building back to the Foundation. The Foundation would then pay the expenses on the building and raise any funds for future renovations and repairs. This would be a huge undertaking for our Foundation should they choose to accept it. A joint committee of Alumni and Foundation board members will be meeting soon to discuss the viability of the building and their combined roles in any campaign to save the building. In the meantime, the Alumni Association has been in communication with both the Montana Preservation Alliance and the Montana Historical Preservation Association for advice on restoration of neglected historic buildings and possible funds to assist with that. They have been very positive about the building as a candidate for an endangered listing. A vision of it as an experimental laboratory for green energies and energy efficiency experimentation for our students seems to hit bureaucratic road blocks early on but seems to be a good fit. It sits in one of the most extreme weather locations anywhere and seems to lend itself to use of a number of "green" energy sources from solar to alternative fuels given the other projects that are starting up in the area around Havre. The Alumni have set up a fund to begin collecting money and will try to assist in any way we can with sav¬ing that beautiful building. The building has so much true character, unlike so many newer buildings and so many fond memories of time spent at Northern for so many alums. It truly needs to be adopted by Bill Gates.

The Fall Phonathon has concluded and we will be calling again starting in late February. We wish you all the best in the New Year!

Judy Bricker `69