A sign on Main Street and pink ribbons tied to street signs around Pequot Lakes showed community support in the search for Dru Sjodin this morning. (Dispatch Photo by Nels Norquist)

By RENEE RICHARDSON
Senior Reporter

Ribbons and posters and aching hearts are part of this holiday weekend in Pequot Lakes.

But so is a determined effort to do as much as possible to assist in the search for missing college student Dru Sjodin, who was last seen Saturday at a Grand Forks, N.D., shopping mall.

In the school where Sjodin walked the halls as a student, the effort has continued since word first arrived that Sjodin was likely the victim of an abduction. The school's graphic arts media department is putting together posters with Sjodin's photo and numbers to call for law enforcement. The posters will be available to pick up at the school's central office Monday.

"Hopefully we can play a small part in bringing Dru home," said Pequot Lakes High School Principal John McDonald. "We want to increase that effort as best we can in our area and other areas where the coverage hasn't been as great."

Pink and white ribbons are being distributed to school staff.

"It's our way of supporting the family and (the) efforts," McDonald said. "... We feel a strong need to be a help in any way we can."

At the school efforts also are going into emphasizing safety with students. McDonald said the subject is built into the curriculum, but having this incident happen to a student who sat in the same chairs brings the uncertainty home. McDonald said the result leads to a sense of fear that there is no perfect or safe place.

McDonald met Sjodin when she was a sophomore. He said she was a wonderful student, an active leader involved in fine arts, choir, student council, basketball and golf. He said the 22-year-old graphic arts major took time to support other students.

"I can't remember a time I didn't see her smiling," McDonald said, adding talking to her inevitably provided a lift even on a bad day. "She was one who was a joy to have in the classroom."

He said she was the type of person teachers look forward to seeing go out in the world and be successful.

"It's so sad when someone with so many positive qualities has been taken from us," he said.

Efforts are being done to keep the awareness of Sjodin's disappearance in the forefront. The tip line has received more than 580 calls since Sjodin disappeared. On Thanksgiving Sjodin's family and friends thanked police and volunteers and pleaded for her safe return. About 30 of Sjodin's friends stayed at the University of North Dakota for Thanksgiving to continue to search for her.

Members of UND sororities and fraternities joined hundreds of other volunteers to help search the area east of Grand Forks. The fraternities have put up a list of phone numbers for the girls to call if they want an escort.

Sjodin's car was found in the mall parking lot. Police Lt. Dennis Eggebraaten said a package she apparently bought at the mall was inside. "There was no sign of a struggle that we could determine," he said.

Authorities remain optimistic that Sjodin is alive, holding up the example of Elizabeth Smart. Smart, who turned 16 this month, was abducted at knifepoint from her Utah home June 5, 2002, then was found and her alleged kidnappers arrested nine months later.

The search has been centered on Fisher, about 10 miles east of Grand Forks, where the Saturday night call was traced to her cell phone. It has been widened to the area of Crookston, about 25 miles southeast of Grand Forks, because the cell phone signal could have carried that far, officials said.

Police were investigating calls to Sjodin at the Victoria's Secret store. They said she had received at least one call from a man she did not know, who asked for her by name.

A bus with search volunteers -- teachers and community members -- was set to leave Pequot Lakes for Grand Forks Wednesday morning but was canceled.

Pequot Lakes School District Superintendent Jim Oraskovich said volunteer coordinators with law enforcement said they were overwhelmed and suggested volunteers may be needed again later.

With the holiday extended break several teachers had a strong interest in going to help with the search. A few went earlier in the week and others had arranged help to cover classes to leave Wednesday before the bus trip was canceled.

At Pequot Lakes, the school crisis team met Wednesday morning. Oraskovich said there has been a feeling of fear among students. Social workers and mental health experts advised school teachers and administrators that talking about those fears will help students.

The school plans to talk to the elementary classes about personal safety and to have programs for middle level and high school students.

"It's just a helpless feeling," Oraskovich said of the response to Sjodin's disappearance. Now he said efforts are aimed at trying to answer student concerns and public outpouring of support for the family in as many approaches as possible.

Filling the bus to take more volunteers to North Dakota or northern Minnesota will not be a problem, Oraskovich said.

Donations to the Sjodin safe return fund at Lakes State Bank in Pequot Lakes may be mailed to the city of Pequot Lakes with "Attention Dru" to Sandy Peine, city clerk, P.O. Box 361, Pequot Lakes, MN 56472.

(This story includes information from the Associated Press.)