|
|
|
UNIVERSITY JAZZ BANDS CONCERT CANCELED
The Southeast Missouri State University Jazz Bands Concert scheduled for Feb. 15 has been canceled due to some unforeseen scheduling problems.
The University Jazz Bands will be in concert on Saturday, April 28, in Academic Auditorium for the Third Annual Phi Mu Alpha/Clark Terry Jazz Festival. Jazz Trumpet Legend Clark Terry will be the featured guest artist at the 7:30 p.m. concert.
For more information on upcoming University Jazz Bands events, contact the University Bands Office at (573) 651-2335 of (573) 651-2334.
SOUTHEAST ALUMNUS BRINGING BAND TO PRESENT CAJUN MUSIC CONCERT
A former history student at Southeast Missouri State University, Dennis Stroughmatt, will bring his band, Bon Temps Roulez, with its Cajun brand of music to Cape Girardeau on Feb. 8.
The band will present a public performance at 7 p.m. in the University Center Ballroom. The musicfest is free and open to the public.
"The concert is expected to be a 'foot-stompin' good time," said Dr. Frank Nickell, director of the Center for Regional History, which is sponsoring the concert. "Don't miss this opportunity to hear an exciting evening of entertaining, enjoyable and educational music. It is sure to be an enjoyable cultural experience."
Stroughmatt, originally from Murphysboro, Ill., graduated from Southeast in 1993 with a degree in history and historic preservation. Since that time, he has emerged as one of the leading Cajun fiddle players in the nation. For the past two years, he has regularly gone on tour as the lead fiddle player in support of Sheryl Cormier, perhaps the leading female Cajun vocalist in the nation. He has performed on the concert tour in 20 states and three Canadian provinces.
In April of 2000, Stroughmatt's band, the "Brown Baggers," performed live on Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" on National Public Radio.
Stroughmatt's band, now known by the name of "Bon Temps Roulez," is distinctly Cajun, but mixed with Creole and Zydeco. The band is influenced by the flair of Missouri French, and given its pulsating rhythm through the "Joie de Vivre" of oldtime Quebecois music. The sound of Bon Temps Roulez has been best described by one of its many fans as "exciting, emotional, educational . . . and it still rocks!"
The group has freely moved between hundreds of performances at universities, festivals, private functions, live radio and dance halls across the United States and Canada. They have performed at the Illinois State Fair for several years and regularly perform at Missouri's "Fete de Les Amis," the Old Mines Fete d'Automne, and the Fort Massac Rendezvous.
Bon Temps Roulez takes pride in the authenticity of its music and the roots of its origin. The lead vocalist and fiddler, Stroughmatt, has lived and studied in Quebec, Canada, where he attained a certificate in French Quebecois Studies from the University of Quebec. He also has studied, lived and worked in the Cajun region of southwestern Louisiana, where he learned the styles of such master Cajun/Creole fiddlers as Canray Fontenot, Faren Serrette and Dennis McGee. Stroughmatt is fluent in traditional and Cajun French language.
Stroughmatt also is an experienced and adept teacher of the North American French musical heritage. He has conducted seminars on the topic at a number of colleges, universities and secondary schools. In this capacity, he uses the knowledge he gained in completing his undergraduate degrees in history from Southeast Missouri State and Southern Illinois University.
Bon Temps Roulez has released two CDs, the most recent, "Viens Dans Mes Bras," which soon will be reviewed in the internationally known music magazine, Dirty Linen.
For more information on the concert, call the Center for Regional History at (573) 651-2555.
SOUTHEAST ALUMNUS GAINS SUPERBOWL STATUS
While the focus of last weekend's Superbowl was football, the commercials had their fans as well. Anheuser Busch, a leader in Superbowl advertising, carried its Budweiser and Bud Light product before millions of viewers. This year it did so through the comedian skills of Southeast Missouri State University alumnus Cedric the Entertainer.
Known only as Cedric the Entertainer, a native of the St. Louis area, Cedric graduated from Southeast in 1997 with a degree in mass communication and a concentration in radio and television. Since that time, Cedric has focused more on comedy, bringing back a witty, all-audiences brand of humor that his taken his career to the movie set where he performs as one of the Kings of Comedy. Cedric is the recipient of several awards, including the prestigious Richard Pryor Comic of the Year award. He has appeared regularly on BTV and has been a guest on "Def Comedy Jam," and on "Showtime at the Apollo."
Cedric's antics and dance abilities earned him the Bud Light sketch of a young Romeo who woos his girlfriend on the sofa. He then goes to the kitchen and gets a couple of Bud Lights where he performs a "happy dance." Going back into the livingroom, he snaps to a cool Romeo posture again, not realizing that as he opens the bottles, both he and his date are about to be showered with beer because of his dance. Combining Cedric's comic influence and Anheuser Busch's advertising power provided football fans with a little laughter away from the gridiron.
CHAMBERS AMONG CLASS OF 2001 FELLOWS WITH NATIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE
Lynne Chambers of Grand Chain, Ill., education counselor with the Bootheel Partnership GEAR-UP Program based at Southeast Missouri State University, has been named a Class of 2001 Fellow in the National African American Women's Leadership Institute (NAAWLI).
The Institute is part of the Women's Leadership Institute established in 1995 at Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C. Launched in 1996, NAAWLI seeks emerging women leaders committed to constructive change in their communities. Through NAAWLI, women discover their leadership talents and learn how to facilitate their own growth and development. In return, the NAAWLI Fellows envision how they can help develop their communities and implement that vision in ways that will bring about positive outcomes such as economic revitalization, political empowerment, improved race relations and educational excellence.
Where children, parents and families are concerned, Chambers is an effective advocate. Using her social work background, Chambers has a passion to help others achieve their fullest potential. In her community, she is engaged in youth and family issues. Chambers holds an undergraduate degree in liberal arts and social service delivery and administration from Northeastern Illinois University. She holds a master's degree in social work from Southern Illinois University.
In her role as leadership training specialist with the GEAR-UP Program, Chambers helps grassroots initiatives take hold in a six-county area of the Missouri Bootheel. GEAR-UP is a federal initiative to target youth in low-income, underserved communities. The Bootheel Partnership GEAR-UP program is designed to boost the academic achievement of low-income middle and secondary school students so that increasing numbers of students will graduate from high school, enroll and succeed in college. In 1997, the Alexander/Pulaski County NAACP awarded Chambers the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Award for Community Service.
NAAWLI Fellows spend a year participating in leadership development at various sites. The first week is spent in Atlanta, Ga., with an emphasis on public policy development. At the Gallup Leadership Institute in Lincoln, Neb., Fellows identify their particular leadership talents and learn to manage non-talents. In Washington, D.C., Fellows network with governmental officials and leaders of non-profit organizations and agencies. Between these weeklong visits, Fellows map the community resources in their hometowns, determining the unmet, social, educational and economic needs. Fellows return to Bennett College for a graduation celebration.
SOUTHEAST TO HOST CULTURAL FAIR IN CELEBRATION OF BLACK HISTORY MONTH
In conjunction with Black History Month, Southeast Missouri State University will host a Cultural Fair on Feb. 7 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the University Center on the Southeast campus.
The event is open to the University and surrounding communities. It will feature speakers as well as vendors and exhibits, which will be set up around the University Center throughout the event. Admission is free.
David Taylor will give a poetry reading from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. in the Indian Room of the University Center. Taylor is currently pursuing a master's degree in English from Southeast. His poetry, fiction, essays and reviews have been published in many University and small press magazines; however, he did not begin writing seriously until three years ago. He is co-editor of the small press magazine Hick and The Blackman, which questions society's view on many controversial subjects, such as race, gender and identity.
Author Preston Ewing will present a lecture and participate in a book signing from 1 to 2 p.m. Ewing is the author of Let My People Go: Cairo, Illinois, 1967-1973, the story and photographic essay of the last civil rights movement in Cairo, Ill. His book has received praise from the Midwest Book Review as a "strong visual documentary, which blends oral histories to compliment Ewing's images and story details."
For more information, contact Lynn Chambers at (573) 290-5110.
1,560 STUDENTS NAMED TO DEAN'S LIST AT SOUTHEAST
Southeast Missouri State University has named 1,560 students to its Dean's List for academic achievement during the fall 2000 semester.
Students named to the list earned at least a 3.5 grade point average on 4.0 scale and completed at least 12 degree credit hours during the fall session.
SOUTHEAST TO RECOGNIZE EMERGING AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS
In conjunction with Black History Month events at Southeast Missouri State University, an Emerging African-American Artists Reception will be held on Feb. 9.
The Missouri Arts Council has granted funding support for this event, which will include a performance by the University Jazz ensemble and refreshments. The reception will be held at the University Center on the Southeast campus from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will feature artwork contributed by a diverse group of emerging African-American artists, including Melverue Abraham, Najjar Abdul-Musawwir, George DeMyers, Renee Blissett and Bwana Jackson.
Expressionist Abraham, of Little Rock, Ark., uses her artwork to display a theme of unity. She has been featured in exhibitions from California to Arkansas since 1985.
"Hopefully, anyone who experiences my work will feel a renewed sense of universal oneness of all the cultures, races, traditions, religions and points of view, of which all mankind is made," Abraham said.
Art activist Abdul-Musawwir will present his paintings which have received attention nationally and in Africa, England, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia. He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University-Carbondale (SIUC) School of Art and Design and is presently teaching African American Art History and African Art History at SIU-C. He has presented a number of public addresses and has won several awards for his work.
Expressionist DeMyers of Charleston, Mo., received a master's degree in art education from Southeast Missouri State University. He was an art instructor at Charleston Junior High School in Charleston, Mo., for 32 years until his retirement. His artistic contribution to the local community continues through his work as a muralist and community-based instructor.
Renee Blissett is an art student at Southeast. She will display pieces that are decorated with childhood memories -- patterns similar to the quilts her grandmother made, playing ring-around-the-rosy with friends and the artwork her own children draw.
Graphic artist Bwana Jackson of Detroit, Mich., also will present his work at the reception. Jackson finds his inspiration in "everyday" situations, and he uses a mixed medium comprised primarily of pen and ink, pastels and pencils to create warm images that are as retro-chic as they are contemporary. His artwork has been featured on a magazine cover, in galleries and exhibitions as well as cultural and art festivals.
For more information on the Emerging African-American Artists Reception, please contact Lynne Chambers at (573) 290-5110.
VOICE, GUITAR RECITAL SLATED FOR FEB. 9
The Department of Music at Southeast Missouri State University will present a recital of music for voice and guitar Feb. 9 in the Baptist Student Center Chapel at the corner of Pacific and Normal.
The performers will be guest artist Kristin Itoku, soprano, and Southeast music faculty member Jeffrey Noonan, guitarist. The recital is scheduled for 8 p.m. Admission is free.
The concert originally had been scheduled for Jan. 21 but was postponed due to illness.
The program will open with several Victorian parlor songs. The first half also includes songs by two of the most important guitarists/composers of the 19th century. Mauro Guiliani is represented by Three Leider he wrote while living in Vienna and the Spaniard, Fernando Sor, offers several seguidillas, popular Spanish folk songs.
The second half of the recital is devoted to folk song arrangements. The first set contains arrangements by Benjamin Britten on English, Scottish and American folk tunes. The closing work on the program is a collection of French folk songs set by the Hungarian composer Matyas Seiber.
Kristin Itoku is on the music faculty at both Webster University and Maryville University in St. Louis. She has performed extensively in the Midwest and Northeast, appearing as a recital soloist, a chorus soloist and in opera productions. She holds degrees in music from the University of Missouri-Columbia and from The New England Conservatory of Music. In addition to her work as a vocalist and vocal instructor, Itoku is a voice pathologist and has a private practice in St. Louis, where she works primarily with singers.
Noonan is the guitar instructor at Southeast, where he teaches private lessons, directs the Southeast Guitar Ensemble and teaches music history and literature courses. He joined the faculty in 1999 and taught previously at Indiana University in Fort Wayne, St. Mary's College, and Washington University among others. Noonan plays Renaissance and Baroque instruments as well as classical guitar and performs throughout Missouri on classical guitar, Renaissance lute and related instruments. His studied at the University of Notre Dame, the Hartt School of Music and Washington University.
For further information, call the Southeast Department of Music at (573) 651-2141 or e-mail jjnoonan@semovm.semo.edu.
GEAR-UP PROGRAM BRINGING MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER TO THREE BOOTHEEL SCHOOLS
Fairest Hill, a motivational speaker and founder of "Youth on the Move," will speak to students at three schools in the Missouri Bootheel Feb. 12 as part of the Bootheel Partnership GEAR-UP Program.
Hill will speak at 8:30 a.m. at Charleston Middle School, noon at North Pemiscot Junior-Senior High School and 1:30 p.m. at Caruthersville Middle School. At Charleston, he also will conduct a parent rally at 6 p.m. at the Bowden Center, 700 Elm Street. The parent rally is co-sponsored by the Susanna Wesley Family Learning Center.
His key messages to students are: listen to the right people, make the right choices, set high goals, and stay positive and never quit.
Hill was born and raised in the inner city of Detroit, Mich. At an early age, he made a commitment to be a success in life, no matter the cost. Despite the negative influences around him, he remained faithful to his goal.
After graduating from high school with honors, Hill continued his education at the Detroit College of Business, where he received an accounting and management degree. He also earned a master's degree in divinity and has studied music professionally.
Hill is concerned about today's youth, and, as a result, founded "Youth on the Move." He now travels across the nation doing concerts and conducting youth motivated seminars. His desire to reach as many as one million youth per year has taken him into schools, where he presents anti-gang and motivational assemblies. During these assemblies, Hill shares with youths how they can have good clean fun without destroying or deflating their character. He also shares how they can overcome lives of defeat and the circumstances of life with a positive attitude.
"Our youth need to realize their potential, allowing what's on the inside to produce a positive destiny and not become victims of negative circumstances," Hill has said.
He also shares with youths information about how music can be motivational and provide enjoyment without being obscene.
Hill will speak to these school assemblies as part of the Bootheel Partnership GEAR-UP Program. This program is designed to boost the academic achievement of low-income middle and secondary students so that increasing numbers of students will graduate from high school, enroll and succeed in college. Last fall, Southeast Missouri State University along with Charleston, Caruthersville and North Pemiscot middle and high schools, the Susanna Wesley Family Learning Center (Wesley Center), the Pemiscot County Initiative Network and Missouri Student Assistance Resource Services received a $1.2 million federal grant to help students in the southeast region of the state aspire to and prepare to pursue post-secondary education.
For more information on the upcoming assemblies, call Lynne Chambers, education counselor with the GEAR-UP Program, at (573) 290-9415.
'BABES IN ARMS' COMING TO SOUTHEAST BEGINNING MARCH 2
Southeast Missouri State University Music, Theatre and Dance areas will combine to present "Babes in Arms" opening March 2 in Forrest H. Rose Theatre.
This classic American musical boasts what is considered to be one of the greatest scores ever written for the stage. Set at a summer stock theatre, the plot concerns the apprentices' conviction to mount the original revue they've created while dodging the underhanded attempts of the theatre owner to squash their efforts at every turn.
And, of course the show must go on. The show is filled with such memorable Rodgers & Hart tunes as "My Funny Valentine," "Where or When," "The Lady is a Tramp," "I Wish I Was in Love Again." and "Johnny One Note." The New York Times calls it "...fresh, youthful, and utterly captivating."
Performances will be in the Forrest H. Rose Theatre at 8 p.m. March 2, 3, 9 and 10. The March 11 performance is scheduled for 2 p.m.
For ticket prices and availability, call the Rose Theatre Box office at (573) 651-2265.
LAMB NAMED CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR WITH UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
Richard Lamb, formerly of Jefferson City, Mo., and deputy director of the Division of Motor Vehicles and Driver Licensing with the Missouri Department of Revenue, has been named campaign director with the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.
In his new position, Lamb is responsible for current major gift donors - members of the President's Council and the Horizon Club. He is charged with identifying, cultivating and soliciting new members for these groups, managing top prospects in the current campaign, and coordinating county and area fund-raising initiatives.
Lamb's responsibilities are largely tied to the University Foundation's "125 Years: Prologue to the 21st Century" campaign. He will report to Wayne Davenport, vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.
"We could not be any more pleased to have Rich on board with our staff," Davenport said. "During his years in Jefferson City, he obtained a wealth of knowledge about the State of Missouri and knows the southeast region of the state extremely well as a native of Sikeston (Mo.). He comes to us well prepared and will be a tremendous addition to the Advancement Division."
Lamb, who began his new duties at Southeast in January, has a decade of experience in Missouri state government.
As eputy director of the Division of Motor Vehicles and Driver Licensing, Lamb was responsible for statewide operations associated with all motor vehicle and drivers license matters for the State of Missouri. In this position, he implemented new laws and policies, managed the activities of 850 employees and disbursed an $18 million operating budget. Prior to this position, Lamb served the Missouri Department of Revenue as director of the Office of Legislation and regulation and administrator of the Revenue Field Services Bureau.
Lamb served as assistant director of legislative affairs in the Office of the late Gov. Mel Carnahan, where he tracked legislation and served as a liaison for the governor to various executive departments. From November 1992 to January 1993, Lamb was assistant to the transition director/assistant scheduler of the Missouri Transition Team for then Governor-Elect Carnahan. Prior to that, he was field director of the Carnahan for Missouri Committee.
Lamb has served as political director of the Missouri Democratic Party, assistant to the director of boards and commissions in the Office of the late Gov. Carnahan, and field coordinator of the Committee to Protect Missouri's Future.
Lamb is a 1991 graduate of Southeast Missouri State University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in political science with a minor in history.
SIDES NAMED DIRECTOR OF UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
Diane Sides has been named director of University Relations at Southeast Missouri State University.
In a related move, Art Wallhausen, formerly assistant to the president at Southeast, has been named associate to the president, a title which reflects his growing responsibilities for oversight of the Office of University Relations.
Sides has been employed by Southeast since 1990, when she joined the University as interim director of publications and assistant director of University Relations. She was named interim director of University Relations last March.
University Relations is responsible for projects that broaden the image of the University, with particular emphasis placed on community and regional outreach, publicity and advertising, and coordination of special events. As director of University Relations, Sides' responsibilities include management and oversight for a number of areas, including Publications/Public Services, Video Services, Photography, News Bureau, Special Projects and the University's web site.
At Southeast, Sides serves on the Administrative Council, is an advisor and sponsor of the Presidential Ambassadors, and is a member of the Martin Luther King Celebration Committee, the University Web Page Design and Policies Committee, the University Beautification Committee, the University Committee on Native Americans and the Campus Emergency Preparedness Committee. She is chairperson of the Family Weekend Committee and serves as a minority mentor. She has served on the Investiture Committee, the 125th Anniversary Celebration Committee, the University Inauguration Committee, the Graphics Standards Committee, the Pow Wow Committee and the Mascot Committee. She is a member of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Education Committee and past president of the Tri-State Advertising and Marketing Professionals
Sides holds a bachelor's degree in journalism and has completed graduate coursework, both at Webster College and the University of Missouri-Columbia. A graduate of Bernie High School, she is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jim Overby of Bernie, Mo.
Wallhausen joined Southeast in 1984 as coordinator of News Services. He was appointed assistant to the president in 1986 and served in that capacity under Presidents Kenneth W. Dobbins, Dale F. Nitzschke, the late Bill Atchley, Kala M. Stroup, Robert Foster and Bill Stacy. Along with his new responsibility for overseeing University Relations, Wallhausen conducts research and data analysis, drafts speeches and correspondence, troubleshoots student and other constituent problems, handles legislative projects, coordinates special projects, handles media relations, and arranges meetings of executive staff and Administrative Council.
A native of Charleston, Mo., Wallhausen is a member of the University Foundation's President's Council, the Copper Dome Society and the Southeast Booster Club.
He is a former member of the board and former secretary of the National Association of Presidential Assistants in Higher Education. He is former president and executive secretary of the Southeast Missouri Press Association.
Wallhausen is a graduate of Charleston High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree with distinction in history from the University of Missouri-Columbia, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa as a member of the Senior Honor Five. He also was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa, Q.E.B.H. and Phi Eta Sigma. He was president of Acacia Fraternity chapter and was named a Woodrow Wilson Fellow at Princeton University.
He was commissioned 2nd lieutenant in artillery and served two years in the military with the Combat Development Experimentation Center in Ford Ord, Calif.
He was founding president of the Mississippi County Economic Opportunity Corp. and formerly served as president of the Charleston Chamber of Commerce. He was named by the Missouri Jaycees as an "Outstanding Young Man." He is the son of Mildred Wallhausen of East Prairie, Mo., and the late Art Wallhausen Sr.
PROGRAMS PRODUCED BY SOUTHEAST STUDENTS TO BE BROADCAST ON WDKA-49
A group of Southeast Missouri State University mass communication students are producing a cycle of television programs on local community affairs that will be broadcast weekly beginning Sunday, Feb. 4 on WDKA-49-TV.
The students currently are producing a series of four programs - "Chamber Matters," "Public Forum," "Independently Speaking" and "City Source" - that will be regularly broadcast in a slot titled "Community Issues" on WDKA-49. The 30-minute programs will air on a rotating cycle weekly at 5:30 a.m. on Sundays.
"Chamber Matters" focuses on issues concerning the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce. "Independently Speaking" deals with disability issues and is spearheaded by the SEMO Alliance for Disability Independence. "City Source" focuses on a variety of services provided by the City of Cape Girardeau. "Public Forum" is hosted by three Southeast faculty members - Dr. Tom Harte, professor emeritus of speech communication and theatre; Dr. Peter Bergerson, chair of the Department of Political Science; and Dr. J. Christopher Schnell, professor of history. "Public Forum" deals with issues that affect the local region. Programs focus on arts, history, community affairs, commerce, politics and more.
"The shows are interesting," said Dr. Jim Dufek, TV operations manager at Southeast. "We get some good topics."
Dufek said the 15 students, many of whom are majoring in corporate television, are members of the local chapter of the Media Communication Association International (MCAI). He said the MCAI members are gaining a wealth of experience in the production process. Some work with cameras, while others serve as floor and video managers. The programs are taped weekly in the corporate television studio on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.
"It's a job," he said, adding that production process is intense, with the programs being taped live, with little room for error. The satisfaction for the students comes in seeing their work broadcast on a local television station.
"We are now broadcasting in the 73rd (television) market," Dufek said.
In addition, parents of students can now tune in to see what their children are accomplishing.
"They can see what their sons and daughters are doing in the way of production," he said.
WDKA-49 can be seen in Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois, Western Kentucky and Northwest Tennessee.
|