ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Northern State University is proud to announce that on Saturday, May 10, students will celebrate the culmination of their academic journeys during the university¡¯s spring commencement ceremony.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m.?and take place at the Barnett Center. For those unable to attend in person, the event will be streamed live via multiple platforms. The ceremony will be livestreamed through the?NSU Facebook page, and broadcast locally on Midco channel 588 and NVC¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C?Northern State University and area high schools will honor graduating veterans and service members during the American Legion Cording Ceremony, set for 6-7 p.m. Wednesday, May 7, in the lobby of Northern¡¯s Jewett Regional Science Education Center.

The ceremony is hosted by Northern¡¯s Military and Veteran Affairs office and will include graduating students from Northern, Aberdeen Central, Roncalli, Groton, Ipswich, Northwestern and Warner High Schools.

At the event, members of the Aberdeen American Legion Post will present red, white¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D.?¨C The Northern State University Athletic Department and United Way of Northeastern South Dakota are teaming up for the 23rd annual Day of Champions on Saturday, May 3.

The Day of Champions began in 2002 as a collaborative service initiative between Northern and the United Way. Since then, more than 3,400 NSU student-athletes have completed over 291 community projects, totaling more than 22,200 volunteer hours¡ªa value of approximately $375,602 in donated labor.

This year, nearly 170 Wolves student-athletes and coaches will¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune visited Northern State University on Tuesday, April 15, to meet with students, faculty and staff.

The visit began with a campus tour alongside Northern State University President Neal Schnoor and Vice President for Finance and Administration Veronica Paulson, including a stop at the Cecil Harris statue. The statue holds personal significance for the senator, as Harris flew alongside Thune¡¯s late father, Harold Thune, during World War II.

Thune then held a student-focused discussion in JFAC¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C The Aberdeen University-Civic Symphony, led by Director Christopher Stanichar, invites the public to a concert featuring Brul¨¦ at 7:30 p.m. May 3 in the Johnson Fine Arts Center Jewett Theater at Northern State University.

This groundbreaking collaboration features the award-winning Native American group Brul¨¦ in a first-ever symphonic performance of their original music with the Aberdeen University-Civic Symphony. Brul¨¦, known for their powerful blend of Native American music and contemporary styles, will be joined by Lakota dancers in¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C Northern State University has earned the 2025-2026 Military-Friendly School designation.

Institutions earning the Military Friendly? School designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey. More than 1,800 schools participated in the 2025-2026 survey with 830 earning special awards for going above the standard.

¡°Northern State University has a long history of supporting veterans and their families,¡± said Brandy Netty, director of Online Learning and Continuing Education¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C The Beulah Williams Library at Northern State University will host a special art presentation at 7 p.m. Monday, April 15, in the library¡¯s Round Room.

The event will feature NSU Professor of Art Peter Kilian, who will present a slideshow and discussion offering insights into his artistic process and the inspiration behind his paintings. The event is free and open to the public.

Kilian teaches painting, drawing and printmaking at Northern. He holds a Master of Fine Arts from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a¡­

ABERDEEN, S.D. ¨C The South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) State Visual Arts Contest Gallery & Art Wars Competition will be held April 10-12 at the Aberdeen Recreation & Cultural Center.

The State Art Competition will be held at the ARCC in Aberdeen on April 11-12. Judging will take place on Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the public gallery open that evening from 5-9 p.m. and again on Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is free for all visitors.

This year, 37 schools have submitted entries, with a record-¡­