This year NSU is celebrating the millennium in many different ways.

"This institution has accomplished many milestones during this century," Randall Webb, said.

The millennium celebrations tie in the traditional activities with a millennium theme. The activities celebrate the history of NSU and Natchitoches, as well as items that will concern students of NSU and residents of Natchitoches in the future.

"First of all, we started the idea for the millennium celebration maybe three years ago, when I appointed a committee from among the college of liberal arts to start thinking about the millennium celebration for the university as a whole," said Don Hatley, dean of the college of liberal arts. "And gradually it developed into a university wide concept, with Dr. Webb's support. And a year and a half ago we had a meeting of people from the university and from the community to set the dates for the millennium celebration. And we set it beginning October 1, 1999 and ending May 15, 2000."

The committee selected four different areas for the celebration. They are millennium of the individual, family and community; millennium of the mind and imagination; millennium of the spirit; and millennium of the sciences.

The department of creative and performing arts began its millennium celebration with the Spirit of Northwestern, performing a millennium halftime show on Oct. 2. Each era was represented by a musical selection.

The theater department has planned four major activities to celebrate the millennium. "Cinderella" was staged as the celebration of millennium of mind and imagination.

Three more major activities are planned. Bobby Harling's play "Steel Magnolias" will be staged Nov. 11-17 to celebrate the millennium of the individual, family and community.

Hatley said, "Steel Magnolias will be held in connection with or coordinated with the 10th anniversary of the filming of 'Steel Magnolia.'"

The annual Christmas Gala on Dec. 3 will celebrate the millennium of the spirit.

To celebrate the millennium of the sciences, the theater department will stage "Galileo" on Feb. 28 through March 3.

Other departments at NSU have gotten involved with the millennium celebration. The journalism department will have a millennium theme for its journalism day on Dec. 3.

In the future, the psychology department will have a workshop for psychology graduate students to discuss ethics for the year 2000. And the department of social sciences plan to hold an informal discussion about NSU past and present.