Play detective at "I'm Getting Murdered in the Morning," fundraiser for Haiti relief

Guests can practice their detective skills at “I’m Getting Murdered in the Morning,” a murder mystery dinner theater to raise money for Haiti relief efforts Thursday and Friday, April 22 and 23. Performances will be at 6 p.m. at AmericInn Hotel & Conference Center on Stadium Road in Mankato, Minn. Proceeds will be donated through Kids Against Hunger.

Brenda and Edward’s wedding reception starts a little shaky when they arrive late because of a flat tire, but they soon discover they have bigger problems: a woman drops dead on the dance floor from a gun shot during the garter toss.

Columnist Mary Berger immediately begins questioning people and taking notes, doing anything possible to get to the bottom of the case, while Parker, a former police detective who works in “damage control” for Brenda’s father, tries to distract Berger and convince the wedding party the murder should not “put a damper on the rest of the evening.”

"I'm Getting Murdered in the Morning" is written by Lee Mueller and directed by Minnesota State University, Mankato's Benjamin Wagner, a junior who is double majoring in saxophone performance and theater.

Wagner loves murder mysteries because audience members get to interact with the cast directly and each has the chance to be a specific character who contributes to the story. Because of the large amount of audience participation, “it literally is a new show every night,” Wagner said.

Guests will receive a three-course dinner, including salad, seasoned boneless chicken and sherbet for dessert. Vegetarian and kids’ meals are available by request only.

Theatre Arts major Emma Ottoson plays Brenda, the whiny bride who has been married three times before and got “bored” each time. Ottoson has appeared in various Minnesota State Mankato productions including “Miss Saigon” and “On the Razzle.” Theatre Arts majors Robb Krueger and Travis Berg, play Harold Montague, father of the bride, and Parker.

Other cast members include Amanda Vonbergen (Psychology), who plays maid of honor Bunny, and Tom Bennett (Theatre Arts and Mathematics), who plays Edward.

"It will be an evening of laughter and mystery, mayhem and great food," Wagner said of the fundraiser. He is excited to see the cast members think on their feet and get the audience involved.

Tickets are $20 and must be purchased in advance by visiting the AmericInn Hotel & Conference Center front desk or the customer service desk at Hy-Vee on Riverfront Drive. Tickets will be available through Monday, April 19.

The murder mystery is presented by the Minnesota State Mankato Public Relations Student Society of America and the Mankato Young Performing Artist Association. It is sponsored by AmercInn Hotel & Conference Center, B. Stark & Co., Kids Against Hunger and Hy-Vee.

Those who want more information may e-mail prssa@mnsu.edu or call Emily Richardson at 651-261-1752.

Rewrite of Women and Spirituality Conference article for the Web

In our research class, we decided to rewrite Robb Murray's article "'Politics of Food,' other hot topics at Women and Spirituality Conference" from the Mankato Free Press.

This exercise was designed to get us thinking in terms of writing for the Web, often times including SMR's (social media releases). In general, pieces for the Web need to be:

• shorter, with shorter sentences: According to readability expert Jakob Nielsen, readers do not read material on the Web. They scan. Therefore, keep information on the Web brief and to the point.
• free of fancy, embellished and extravagant words (like the ones I just used): Showy words are unnecessary and cause readers to lose interest. Keep things simple.
• basic in punctuation: Stick with periods, commas and apostrophes. Anything else clutters the information.
• considerate of appearance. In other words, remember readers are drawn to articles that look easy to understand and quick to read: This can be accomplished with lists and bullet points.
• mindful of SEO (search engine optimization): Remember to use keywords throughout your article, including in your headline, so others will be able to find your piece on the Web.
• accommodating to those who want more info: Because articles should be brief and concise, make sure to provide links for people who want to learn more.

Keeping all this in mind, here is the rewrite of Robb Murray's Free Press article:

Women and Spirituality Conference brings 'Politics of Food' discussion to Minnesota State Mankato

10.25.09—MANKATO, Minn.—The Women and Spirituality Conference comes to Minnesota State University, Mankato with a keynote address by physicist and author, Vandana Shiva.

Join Shiva for her discussion on "The Gendered Politics of Food." The talk will be held Saturday, Oct. 31 at 11 a.m. in the Centennial Student Union Ballroom.

Other sessions featured during the conference include "Nurturing Spirit by Embracing Inner Awareness in Public School Setting" and "Finding the Balance of Masculine and Feminine Power: Astrological Keys for Healing Mother Earth and Ourselves."

Vandana has founded an international college in Doon Valley, India and Navdanya, a national Indian-based movement to protect resources and promote organic farming.

She has also written some books including "Stolen Harvest: Hijacking of the Global Food Supply."

The conference includes more than 100 workshops and discussions covering many topics.

Visit the Gender and Women's Studies Web site for more information about this event.