BSC alumni were among presenters for the N.D. University System Arts & Humanities Summit held at BSC Oct. 9-10.The BSC Alumni Association funded their presentations.

Greg Nelson, -67, award-winning producer, composer and arranger of contemporary Christian music, spoke on “The Music Business: That Was Then…This is Now.” Nelson was a strong force in Bismarck’s music scene in the ‘70s and was a music teacher at Bismarck High School. He moved to Nashville in the early 1980s.

Michelle Roberts, ‘90, award-winning investigative reporter with The Oregonian, Portland, spoke about her experiences and the forces that are changing journalism. Asked what BSC did for her and her career, she said it was “kind of a crap shoot” that she attended BSC and that were it not for the scholarships she received, she may not have gone to college. “I found myself here,” she said. “BSC allowed me to figure out what inspired me the most.”

Heather McCormack, ’96, New York City, is managing editor of Library Journal and LJ Online Reviews. A daughter of BSC history professor Michael McCormack and his wife, Laurie, she spoke about the challenges and rewards of working in print and online worlds at the same time. She also read the prologue to a novel she is writing. Speaking of her education at BSC, she said, “It’s not where you get your degree, it’s how. I followed teachers into their offices after class, to delve deeper into the topic. I stayed up late with like-minded students discussing literature.”

Troy Sterling Nies,’96 and ’04, Killdeer, spoke about composing for the entertainment industry, including scores for H.P. Lovecraft films. Nies told students that with the Internet and teleconferencing, you can live in North Mike and Heather McCormack Dakota and still have a music career.