The first breakthrough paper to come out of a massive U.S. expedition to one of Earth’s final frontiers shows that there’s life and an active ecosystem one-half mile below the surface of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, specifically in a lake that hasn’t seen sunlight or felt a breath of wind for millions of years.

The life is in the form of microorganisms that live beneath the enormous Antarctic ice sheet and convert ammonium and methane into the energy required for growth. Many of the microbes are single-celled organisms known as Archaea, said Montana State University professor John Priscu, the chief scientist of the U.S. project called WISSARD that sampled the sub-ice environment. He is also co-author of the MSU author-dominated paper in the Aug. 21 issue of “Nature,” an international weekly journal for all fields of science and technology.

“We were able to prove unequivocally to the world that Antarctica is not a dead continent,” Priscu said, adding that data in the “Nature” paper is the first direct evidence that life is present in the subglacial environment beneath the Antarctic ice sheet.

Lead author Brent Christner said, “It’s the first definitive evidence that there’s not only life, but active ecosystems underneath the Antarctic ice sheet, something that we have been guessing about for decades. With this paper, we pound the table and say, ‘Yes, we were right.’”

Priscu said he wasn’t entirely surprised that the team found life after drilling through half a mile of ice to reach Subglacial Lake Whillans in January 2013. An internationally renowned polar biologist, Priscu researches both the South and North Poles. This fall will be his 30th field season in Antarctica, and he has long predicted the discovery.

More than a decade ago, he published two manuscripts in the journal “Science” describing for the first time that microbial life can thrive in and under Antarctic ice. Five years ago, he published a manuscript where he predicted that the Antarctic subglacial environment would be the planet’s largest wetland, one not dominated by the red-winged blackbirds and cattails of typical wetland regions in North America, but by microorganisms that mine minerals in rocks at subzero temperatures to obtain the energy that fuels their growth.

Following more than a decade of traveling the world presenting lectures describing what may lie beneath Antarctic ice, Priscu was instrumental in convincing U.S. national funding agencies that this research would transform the way we view the fifth largest continent on the planet.

Although he was not really surprised about the discovery, Priscu said he was excited by some of the details of the Antarctic find, particularly how the microbes function without sunlight at subzero temperatures and the fact that evidence from DNA sequencing revealed that the dominant organisms are archaea. Archaea is one of three domains of life, with the others being Bacteria and Eukaryote.

Many of the subglacial archaea use the energy in the chemical bonds of ammonium to fix carbon dioxide and drive other metabolic processes. Another group of microorganisms uses the energy and carbon in methane to make a living. According to Priscu, the source of the ammonium and methane is most likely from the breakdown of organic matter that was deposited in the area hundreds of thousands of years ago when Antarctica was warmer and the sea inundated West Antarctica. He also noted that, as Antarctica continues to warm, vast amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, will be liberated into the atmosphere enhancing climate warming.

The U.S. team also proved that the microorganisms originated in Lake Whillans and weren’t introduced by contaminated equipment, Priscu said.  Skeptics of his previous studies of Antarctic ice have suggested that his group didn’t actually discover microorganisms, but recovered microbes they brought in themselves.

“We went to great extremes to ensure that we did not contaminate one of the most pristine environments on our planet while at the same time ensuring that our samples were of the highest integrity,” Priscu said.

Extensive tests were conducted at MSU two years ago on WISSARD’s borehole decontamination system to ensure that it worked, and Priscu led a publication in an international journal presenting results of these tests. This decontamination system was mated to a one-of-a-kind hot water drill that was used to melt a borehole through the ice sheet, which provided a conduit to the subglacial environment for sampling.

Every day in Antarctica, he would tell his team to keep it simple, Priscu said. To prove that an ecosystem existed below the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, he wanted at least three lines of evidence. They had to see microorganisms under the microscope that came from Lake Whillans and not contaminated equipment. They then had to show that the microorganisms were alive and growing. They had to be identifiable by their DNA.

When the team found those things, he knew they had succeeded, Priscu said.

The Whillans Ice Stream Subglacial Access Research Drilling (WISSARD) project officially began in 2009 with a $10 million grant from the National Science Foundation.  Now involving 13 principal investigators at eight U.S. institutions, the researchers drilled down to Subglacial Lake Whillans in January 2013. The microorganisms they discovered are still being analyzed at MSU and other collaborating institutions.

Christner said species are hard to determine in microbiology, but “We are looking at a water column that probably has about 4,000 things we call species. It’s incredibly diverse.”

Planning to drill again this austral summer in a new Antarctic location, Priscu said WISSARD was the first large-scale multidisciplinary effort to directly examine the biology of an Antarctic subglacial environment. The Antarctic Ice Sheet covers an area 1 ½ times the size of the United States and contains 70 percent of Earth's freshwater, and any significant melting can drastically increase sea level. Lake Whillans, one of more than 200 known lakes beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet and the primary lake in the WISSARD study, fills and drains about every three years. The river that drains Lake Whillans flows under the Ross Ice Shelf, which is the size of France, and feeds the Southern Ocean, where it can provide nutrients for life and influence water circulation patterns.

The opportunity to explore the world under the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is an unparalleled opportunity for the U.S. team, as well as for several MSU-affiliated researchers who are part of that team and wrote or co-authored the Nature paper, Priscu said.

Christner, for one, was a postdoctoral researcher with Priscu and Mark Skidmore at MSU from 2002 through 2006. He is now associate professor of biological sciences at Louisiana State University.  Jill Mikucki, now an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, was one of Priscu’s doctoral students. Skidmore is a glacial geochemist in MSU’s Department of Earth Sciences.  Andrew Mitchell, now at Aberystwyth University in the United Kingdom, was a postdoctoral researcher with MSU’s Center for Biofilm Engineering. Alex Michaud and Trista Vick-Majors are currently earning their doctorates in Priscu’s research group at MSU. Other MSU people on the team were Education and Outreach Coordinator Susan Kelly and Project Manager John Sherve.

The fact that MSU was so involved reflects the fact that it is pioneering a new field of science, Priscu said. MSU is the common ancestor of many scientists who study life in and under ice.

“I always tell my students when they come into the lab that ‘We are inventing this field of science. It’s working on life in ice and under ice. This field has never existed before. We thought it up. You are pioneers,’” Priscu said.

Appreciative of the opportunity to participate in WISSARD, Vick-Majors said she saw bacteria under the microscope within an hour after the first sample of water was pulled out of Subglacial Lake Whillans. Within days, she saw proof that the bacteria were active.

“It was very exciting. It will be hard to top,” she said.

She added that, “If you want to do microbial ecology in Antarctic subglacial environments, John is probably the person you want to work with. I feel very lucky to have gotten the opportunity.”

Agreeing, Michaud said, “Some of the graduate students joke, ‘How do we top this?’ We can’t.”

But the students can build on their WISSARD experience and gain a deeper understanding of Subglacial Lake Whillans and other subglacial habitats, he said. It’s not about going out and finding more novel habitats.

Christner said the team that wrote the paper in “Nature” is the dream team of polar biology. Besides the MSU-affiliated scientists, the co-authors include Amanda Achberger, a graduate student at Louisiana State University; Carlo Barbante, a geochemist at the University of Venice in Italy; Sasha Carter, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California in San Diego; and Knut Christianson a postdoctoral researcher from St. Olaf College in Minnesota and New York University.

“I hope this exciting discovery will touch the lives (both young and old) of people throughout the world and inspire the next generation of polar scientists,” Priscu said.

Back to school time! Radio and television ads, store displays -- everywhere you go, reminding us it’s back-to-school time. It is an exciting time for kids and parents, but for families who are living paycheck-to-paycheck, back-to-school can be stressful. The cost of school supplies adds up fast and then, suddenly you realize your child has grown out of their only pair of nice pants! To relieve this financial stress, Family Promise of Gallatin Valley, The Salvation Army, and Bozeman Public Schools, with our new sponsor NorthWestern Energy, are teaming up to help low-income families get ready for the school year with Tools for School.
 
But, we need your help to make sure all of our youth are ready for school this year. Red Tools for School donation bins have been placed at businesses around town, including: Albertson’s, Rosauers, Safeway, Town & Country Foods on North 19th, Staples (both Bozeman locations), TJ Maxx, and Kmart. Donations needed include: lined paper, notebooks, pencils, pens, crayons, colored pencils, glue sticks, scissors, spiral notebooks, agendas, and backpacks.
 
To donate supplies, drop them in any of the bins around town, or deliver them directly to The Salvation Army located at 32 S. Rouse, from 1:30 - 3:00 pm, Monday through Thursday. Cash donations are also needed. Checks can be written to The Salvation Army. Indicate Tools for School in the memo line, and mail it to: The Salvation Army, PO Box 1307, Bozeman, MT 59771.
 
Families in need of school supply assistance can sign up at The Salvation Army from 1:30 to 3:00 pm Monday through Thursday, beginning August 18, 2014. Families will be contacted when supplies are ready for pick-up.
 
If you have any questions or would like additional information, please call Kara at 406/582-7388, Frank at 406/586-5813, or Anna at 406/522-6118.

The Downtown Bozeman Association, Cancer Support Community and our gracious event sponsors; Ressler Motors and Toyota of Bozeman, KBZK, Dark Horse Customs, Big Sky Collision Center, Nu2u!, Bozeman Lodge, Napa Auto Parts, Personalize It, The Bozeman Daily Chronicle, XL Country, TireRama, Northwestern Energy, Martel Construction, US Bank, Speedy Lube and Allegra Printing.are proud to present the 13th Annual “Cruisin’ on Main” Car Show Winners!  

We had over 275 entries this year, a record for the event, from around the region and awards in 13 categories as well as 1st, 2nd and 3rd in Best in Show and People’s Choice.  We estimated over 6,000 spectators throughout the day and look forward to another amazing Car Show in 2015!  And….are winners for 2014 are as follows:

1st Place Ford – 1956 Thunderbird, Wendy O’neil
1st Place Chevy – 1957 Chevy Bel-Air, Vicki and Rudy Grossman
1st Place Mopar – 1969 Plymouth Roadmaster, Dennis and Linda Nitschke
1st Place Pontiac – 1957 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible, Tom Gerrard
1st Place Original/Survivor –1961 Corvette, Nick and Audrey Stanis-Lawek
1st Place Antique – 1928 Imperial Model, Derek and Stacy Johnson
1st Place Street Rod/Custom – 1951 Buick Roadmaster, Frank and Robin Morris
1st Place Muscle Car – 1971 Chevy Chevelle, Shaun Carnalan
1st Place Truck – 1955 Chevy Pickup, Rick Frain
1st Place Motorcycle – 1914 Harley Davidson, Bob Fabian
1st Place Import – 1954 Porsche 356-Pre A, Jim and Francie Hasbrunck
1st Place Special Interest – 1964 Jaguar XKE, Mike Potter
1st Place Best 2000 – 2014 Corvette Stingray, Dan Jones
People Choice:
    1st Place – 1957 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible
    2nd Place – 1951 Buick Roadmaster, Frank and Robin Morris
    3rd Place – 1956 Chevy Bel-Air, Colleen Lewis
Best in Show:
    1st Place – 1914 Harley Davidson, Bob Fabian
    2nd Place – 1951 Buick Roadmaster, Frank and Robin Morris
    3rd Place – 1928 Imperial 80, Derrick and Stacy Johnston


For more information about the “Cruisin’ on Main” Car Show, contact Downtown Bozeman Association at  www.downtownbozeman.org or call us at 406-586-4008.  

The exhibition will be displayed at Visions West Gallery in Bozeman from August 8th until September 10th, 2014. There will be a reception on the evening of the Art Walk on August 8th at 6:00 P.M. Theodore and Arin will be in attendance.
 
Showing works on paper spanning several decades, Theodore Waddell celebrates the landscape of the West and its relationship with the rancher and their herd of cattle. Using oil, encaustic, and graphite Waddell experiments with color and composition on paper. Perspective shifts from piece to piece with cows defined by negative space or just a few brushstrokes. Each painting offers a peek into his creative process. Waddell is a native Montanan cattle rancher and his paintings combine strong influence from the abstract expressionists whose legacy still prevailed in New York while he attended Brooklyn Museum Art School and figures like Frederic Remington, Albert Bierstadt, and Charles Russell who defined art of the American West. His work is collected by Museums across the country and resides in many important corporate and private collections.
 
Showing her work alongside Theodore Waddell is his daughter, Arin. Her paintings differ completely from her father’s although she claims the landscape of Montana as a strong influence. However, she’s more interested in flora and fauna and the human connection to the land. Her work examines relationships from unexpected perspectives, with a social and political edge, lightened by a dose of humor. An allegorical element enters her paintings, telling the viewer the beginning of a story but leaving enough unsaid for several endings. Her paintings have been shown in galleries and museums throughout the United States.
                                                                                                                      
For more information visit www.visionswestgallery.com or call 406.522.9946. Visions West Gallery is located at 34 West Main Street in Bozeman, MT and is open Monday through Saturday, 10 AM to 5:30 PM.

Construction of a 36,000-square-foot building that will eventually house Bozeman’s second refrigerated ice skating rink will begin soon.
 
The Gallatin Ice Foundation says Martel Construction will break ground on the steel structure, which will be located on the west side of the existing Haynes Pavilion, on Monday, Aug. 11.
 
The groundbreaking concludes step one of the foundation’s ‘Raise the Ice Barn’ project, which also included construction of a new entry on the east side of Haynes Pavilion and parking lot paving, which were both completed late last year.
 
Chelsea Schmidt, development director for the Gallatin Ice Foundation, explained that construction will take place in multiple steps, and with step one complete, the group is now focused on raising $1.5 million for step two, which will result in skate-able ice.
 
“Our committee is working hard to get the money raised,” said Schmidt. “We are writing grants, looking at private and public partnerships and looking to the community for their support, as well.”
 
Currently, the Haynes Pavilion rink has skaters from 6 a.m. to midnight every day during the seven-month skating season, with no room for expanded ice times. The shortage of ice makes it difficult to meet current demands, add more skaters, offer public skating, host regional tournaments or provide training for competitive figure skaters.
 
Step two will include enclosing the building as well as installation of the ice plant, refrigerated rink slab and floor, mechanical room, building lighting and interim locker rooms, bathrooms and seating. Schmidt said construction for that could begin as early as April 2015.
 
Future steps will commence once the arena has a skate-able sheet of ice and is generating income. It will include permanent seating, expanded locker rooms, concessions, central entry and a skate shop.
 
The total project is expected to cost $4.5 million.
 
A celebration for the groundbreaking will be held at 406 Brewing Company, located at 101 E. Oak St., from 5-8 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 11, where $1 of every pint sold will be donated to the Gallatin Ice Foundation.
 
About the Gallatin Ice Foundation: Established in 2006, the Gallatin Ice Foundation (GIF) is a 501c non-profit organization that has spearheaded efforts to raise funds for the expanded recreational and competitive skating experience the community desires. Aligning forces of all ice users as well as the hockey and figure skating clubs, it has diligently focused on raising funds for a second ice sheet adjacent to the current rink at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.

Good weather and great musicians combined for sweet success at two of this region’s favorite music festivals in July.

The fun began at Grand Targhee Resort with the 10th Annual Targhee Fest on July 18-20, and continued the next weekend at the Red Ants Pants Music Festival in White Sulphur Springs. These two festivals are as varied as the terrain they take place upon, perhaps lending to one observation by the producer of both festivals, Tom Garnsey, owner of Bozeman’s Vootie Productions. Garnsey said earlier this year that while Targhee Fest and the Red Ants Pants Music Festival are as different as apples and oranges, they are both delicious. He was right.

Ten Years Rockin’ the Tetons: Targhee Fest

Nestled in just below the jagged peaks of the Teton Range, Grand Targhee Resort (elevation 7,400 feet) offers a spectacular venue for a music festival, with plenty of room to camp within walking distance of the stage. The lineup at Targhee Fest was also spectacular this year, making it extremely difficult to pick a favorite act, and easy to sum up as the “best festival ever,” a description I heard time and time again (and could not disagree with). While Friday’s headliner Buddy Guy blew the crowd away with amazing guitar work and smoky vocals, the Royal Southern Brotherhood and the Wood Brothers also left many people impressed with their acts earlier that afternoon.

A cloudless Saturday morning greeted festival-goers at Targhee, along with the clip-clop of horses’ hoofs as groups headed out on morning rides. The breakfast smells of bacon and the like wafting across camp areas also served to stir folks out of sleep. Charlie Hunter and Scott Amendola hit the stage at noon, summoning the faithful to head to the venue. They were followed by Robert Earl Keen, Amy Helm and the Handsome Strangers (joined by Bill Payne on the keyboards), the Hard Working Americans, and the Chris Robinson Brotherhood. These outstanding bands got the crew primed for the final act on Saturday, Big Head Todd and the Monsters. It’s fair to say that Saturday’s Targhee Fest entertainment would have been a hard act to match.

It’s also fair to say that Sunday belonged to the girls at Targhee Fest. Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds got the ball rolling onstage at noon, followed by Nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers. Both these bands got the day started right. Trigger Hippy, featuring Joan Osborne and Jackie Greene, kept up the tempo, and the Tedeschi Trucks Band finished out the music on the main stage with style. But Bozeman’s Hooligans Band, featuring Garnsey on guitar and vocals and Bill Payne on keyboards, and joined by guest performers from the festival, sealed the deal on the first decade of Targhee Fest with an aftershow at the Trap Bar.

“The music was phenomenal, and the venue was perfect,” said Shannon Roberts of Bozeman, a first-timer this year at Targhee Fest. “We were down in front as much as possible. From the energy the bands were radiating, you could tell they loved being there.” Roberts also enthused about the venue in general and her fellow festival-goers in particular.

“Everyone was great, so friendly and respectful of other peoples’ camp areas, for instance,” she said. “It was my first Targhee Fest, but it certainly won’t be my last. I’ll be there next year.”

Red Ants in White Sulphur

The action shifted from the mountains to the meadows the following weekend at the 4th Annual Red Ants Pants  (RAP) Music Festival in White Sulphur Springs. Though this festival is less than five years old, it has already been ranked high in the list of the top 100 things to do in the Treasure State by the Great Falls Tribune (#22. Dance at the Red Ants Pants Music Festival in White Sulphur Springs: the Montana Bucket List).

The venue for the RAP festival, while not nestled away in the high peaks like Targhee, is in a high and wide prairie surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides. This festival begins in downtown White Sulphur Springs on Thursday night: the streets are shut down and live music begins. This year two bands with Livingston roots, Someday Miss Pray and The Bus Driver Tour, kept the street dance lively and got the festival rolling on a high note.

The music got rolling at the venue on the Jackson Ranch just north of town on Friday afternoon with The Hasslers, a Missoula-based band that was voted best band on the side stage last year, guaranteeing them a slot on the main stage this summer (Reports are that The Hasslers played long into the early morning hours in the camp area, to the delight of many and the chagrin of a very few). Jessie Veeder hit the main stage next, followed up by those hard-working Hooligans, who filled in for an ill Holly Williams, and Ian Tyson got the crowd warmed up well for Friday night’s headliner, Jason Isbell.

Tom Catmull’s Radio Static band got the festival started on Saturday, followed up by a band that was, for me, the big hit (and not totally unexpected) of the weekend, Baskery. Three sisters from Sweden comprise this alternative Americana band that wowed the RAP audience with their fresh, hard-driving sound and great stage performance. These girls should have a bright future in the music business. Retro rocker JD McPherson hit the main stage after Baskery, followed by the story-telling singer/songwriter James McMurtry. Matt Andersen kept the main stage hot for the smiling Josh Ritter, and Saturday’s headliner, Brandie Carlile, kept the audience animated with a delightful show and a real connection with the crowd.

It was warm on Sunday as the festival began to wind down, but the music stayed quite hot until the end. Red Molly, another female Americana trio, started the action on the main stage, followed by the hot sounds of the Black Lillies.

Three-time RAP festival favorite Corb Lund and his Hurtin’ Albertans returned to the main stage next, lighting a fire under a crowd undoubtedly growing weary as the festival wound down, and the festival grounds were still packed with people as Sunday’s headliner and country music legend Charley Pride made his way onto the main stage. Backed by a band of seasoned professionals, Pride did not disappoint the crowd gathered to hear him sing, and his performance was the perfect way to cap off another successful Red Ants Pants Music Festival.

While both Targhee Fest and the Red Ants Pants Music Festival have their roots in live performances, both events offer much more than music. Both events are considered to be family-friendly affairs, and both venues really showcase the some of the best scenery the region has to offer. See you on the festival trail!

The website Great Value Colleges ranked Montana State University at number 26 in a list of 50 universities it sees as being on the “forefront of technological advancement.”
 
The website scored schools according to metrics on square footage dedicated to research, student access to technology incorporated into classrooms, awards for technology and science-related activities on campus, among other traits. MSU was the only university in Montana to make the list.
 
MSU was lauded for its successful technology transfer program and for its active participation in the incubation of startups in technology and bio-science: “The university’s technological advancements have successfully turned university-level innovation into local companies and jobs.”
 
MSU currently has 255 active licenses on technologies developed by faculty and reseachers. Of those, 77 licenses are with Montana companies. MSU holds 68 issued U.S. patents, 15 issued foreign patents, and MSU has 33 pending U.S. patent applications and 20 pending foreign patent applications.
 
Great Value Colleges is a website dedicated to “defining value in college education.” Visit the website – www.greatvaluecolleges.net – to see the whole list.

A passive solar wall installed atop Montana State University’s new Jabs Hall could pay for itself in 10 years, reduce the amount of energy used to heat the building and provide valuable data to research engineers.
 
Installation of the solar wall, completed on Monday, is one of many sustainable technologies being used to reduce the building’s energy use and carbon footprint. Jabs Hall, which was made possible by a $25 million donation from MSU alumni Jake Jabs, is under construction and scheduled to open in the summer of 2015. It will be the new home of the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship.
 
The solar wall, which makes up the south-facing side of the building’s mechanical penthouse, will preheat fresh air coming into the building thereby reducing the amount of energy needed to heat the building.
 
“It’s simple, cost effective and will bring down the overall energy costs for Jabs Hall,” said Dan Stevenson, assistant director of MSU Facility Services. “And that is why it is a technology that is likely to be incorporated into almost every new building we see on campus. We replace the building’s skin with something that has energy performance built into it.”
 
The solar wall includes sensors that a research team from MSU’s College of Engineering will use to study how well the technology performs.
 
Kevin Amende, assistant professor of mechanical engineering technology, said the data his lab collects will be an asset to engineers and architects on future projects. Having the ability to monitor the way fresh air warmed with solar energy affects the building’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems will also be a great tool for teaching future engineers studying in MSU’s HVAC Lab, Amende added.
 
The research project, which is being launched by mechanical engineering technology junior Ben Listowich of Kingfield, Maine, will combine data collected from a weather station atop Jabs Hall with data collected from sensors at various points within the solar wall. By also tracking the building’s HVAC system, Amende said the study should offer a pretty good picture of how the technology is performing within three or four years.
 
“If we can show empirically that we can heat up the in-take air by 10 degrees, that will corroborate that the use of this technology can deliver real energy savings,” Amende said. “Best of all, we’ll have students working out real-world problems with what we are learning from the solar wall data.”
 
Listowich agreed.
 
“When I joined (the HVAC lab) as an undergraduate researcher, I definitely didn’t expect to be working on a project this large,” Listowich said. “I expected to be testing air handlers in the lab. Instead, I’m testing a system that could have a big impact on how buildings’ energy systems are designed at MSU.”
 
The use of passive solar, as well as ground-source heating and cooling from a series of nearby wells, helps the new building fall into line with MSU’s strategic goals for advancing sustainability on campus, Stevenson said. Sustainability at Jabs Hall comes from looking for common-sense solutions, Stevenson added. For example, the building’s south-facing orientation will combine with abundant state-of-the-art windows and smart lighting technology to reduce energy demand during daylight hours.  
 
Erik Renna, a 2002 grad from MSU’s College of Engineering who is now a mechanical engineer with Morrison-Maierle, said Jabs Hall should earn a LEED Gold certification for its environmentally friendly design. Morrison-Maierle is the mechanical engineering consultant for the Jabs Hall project.
 
“I think we are on track for gold, although we won’t know the final certification level until Jabs Hall is complete,” Renna said. “While the project mandate was for LEED Silver, we wanted to show that we could exceed that.”

Montana Shakespeare in the Parks has been selected to be a part of “Shakespeare on the Road,” an international celebration of Shakespeare taking place across America in honor of Shakespeare’s 450th birthday.
 
A team from the University of Warwick and the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust based in Stratford-upon-Avon will visit Montana Shakespeare in the Parks Aug. 1-5 as part of a 60-day road trip visiting 14 Shakespeare-related theatre festivals across America. The team will attend performances of “As You Like It” at the Sweet Pea Festival in Bozeman on Aug. 3 and “Romeo and Juliet” on Aug. 4 in Philipsburg. There they hope to interview audience members about their experience with Shakespeare and Shakespeare in the Parks.
 
The “Shakespeare on the Road” team is made up of Paul Edmonson, head of research and knowledge from the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and Paul Prescott, associate professor at the University of Warwick, along with media partners, AJ and Melissa Leon of Misfit, Inc.
 
The team began its journey in Kansas City on July 4 and hit the road to determine how Shakespeare is being performed and celebrated across the U.S.
 
The team will award MSIP a commemorative plaque to mark the visit and the project team will give presentations about its work and the work of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the charity set up in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1847 to look after many of the world’s most important Shakespeare heritage sites.
 
In addition, MSIP will be invited to deposit material in the trust’s archives to create a permanent record of their activities. Regular updates on the visit will be blogged during the 60-day road trip. Edmonson and Prescott will also compile a book about their experiences.
 
“Shakespeare on the Road is about engaging with international communities who celebrate the world’s most famous playwright,” Edmonson said. “These are the people who make Shakespeare happen, year in year out.
 
“Every year almost three-quarters of a million people from around the world visit Shakespeare’s birthplace, and American tourists are a high proportion of these, so it’s a story of reverse pilgrimage, which we hope will start new conversations across the States.”
 
“The amount of Shakespearean theatre-making in America dwarves that of any other country, the U.K. included,” Prescott said. “Every summer, from sea to shining sea – and at all points in between – from spit and sawdust performances in local parks to slick professional productions in reconstructed Elizabethan playhouses, the Bard busts out all over the USA. This trip will take the pulse of Shakespeare in America over the course of one remarkable summer in 2014 and is a perfect way of celebrating his enduring popularity and the 450th anniversary of his birth.”
 
To follow the progress of Shakespeare on the Road, visit their website at www.shakespeareontheroad.com or follow them on Twitter at @bardintheusa. To learn more about Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, visit www.shakespeareintheparks.org.

Writers of short fiction, essays and poetry from throughout Montana are eligible for a $100 prize and to meet Shiza Shahid, CEO and co-founder of the non-profit Malala Fund, by entering the 2014 Montana State University Freshman Convocation Writer's Voice contest.
 
Entries, due at 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 4,  should be inspired by the book “I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban.” Winners of the juried competition will meet Shahid at a reception to be held at 3 p.m. Aug. 25 at MSU's Renne Library. First-place winners will receive $100 gift cards. Second-place finishers will receive gift certificates from Country Bookshelf. The submitted work of all award-winning writers will be considered for publication.
 
The competition is open to all Montana K-12 students, MSU students from all campuses and Montana community members at large.
 
Submissions must be identified as short fiction, essay or poetry and may not be more than 1,500 words. Entries will be judged by a panel that includes MSU students, faculty and community members.
 
Entries should be emailed as an Adobe PDF file to convocation@montana.edu. All entries must be accompanied by a cover sheet that lists the contestant's name, telephone number, email address, whether the contestant is a student (including name of school) or community member, the title of the work, and whether the entry is short fiction, essay or poetry. Contestants may submit one entry per person.
 
This event is co-sponsored by the Bozeman Public Library Foundation. “I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban,” is the 2014 One Book One Bozeman selection. It is also co-sponsored by the Country Bookshelf and the MSU Writing Center.
 
More specific entry requirements may be found at: http://guides.lib.montana.edu/WritersVoice or contact Jan Zauha, MSU librarian, at 994-6554 or jzauha@montana.edu
 
Shahid is the speaker at the 2014 MSU Freshman Convocation, which will be held at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25, in the MSU Fieldhouse. The event is free and open to the public; however, tickets must be reserved in advance for everyone planning to attend except for the members of the 2014 MSU freshman class. Tickets will be available July 30 at all Bobcat ticket outlets including: the Bobcat Ticket Office, Rosauers, the AskUs Desk at the SUB, by calling 994-CATS or (800)325-7328 and online at www.ticketswest.com.