Week of March 1, 1999

 

Faulkner Photos, Kachina Figures on Display in University Museum Southeast to Remember the '60s With Performance by Bob Kuban April 16. Proceeds to benefit Leroy Mason Scholarship Fund
KRCU-FM presents Great Pianists of the 20th Century - New Radio Show Uncovers the Lives and Talents of Great Pianists PROGRESS REPORT 1998-1999: River Campus, outreach efforts among top University priorities during 125th anniversary year
"Poetry in the Air" returns to KRCU-FM - Poetry readings will resume on KRCU 90.9 FM during the month of April Fresh Perspective on American Life Comes to KRCU-FM - Award winning program This American Life invents radio vérité
First Biokyowa Visiting Scholar Selected


archive

Faulkner Photos, Kachina Figures on Display in University Museum

Feb. 26, 1999 --

Kachina figures and photos of William Faulkner are among two new exhibits currently on display in the Southeast Missouri State University Museum.

"Faulkner in Black and White: Selected Photographs from the Brodsky Collection," features images of the renowned author, William Faulkner, universally acclaimed as one of the greatest writers of the 20th century. Winner of the 1949 Nobel prize for Literature, he is the author of such well-known works as The Sound and the Fury, Absalom, Absalom! and "The Bear."

The exhibition's earliest photograph depicts Faulkner as a student in grade school, whereas the latest gives a private view of his life at home in 1962. Several of the images were taken by family members. Others are the work of professional photographers such as Carl Van Vechten and J.R. Cofield. All of the photographs are part of more than 2,000 photographs contained in the University's prized Brodsky Collection, administered by the Center for Faulkner Studies, which is a co-sponsor of the exhibit. Over the course of 30 years, Louis Daniel Brodsky developed a collection of Faulkner books, manuscripts, letters, documents and photographs into one of the finest single-author collections in the entire world.

The photo exhibit will remain on display through March 12. Also currently on display in the University Museum are Kachina figures from the Museum's permanent collection. The figures fill the Museum's main exhibition space. Kachinas embody the spiritual guardians of the Hopi Indians of the American Southwest and are made of cottonwood root, fibers and feathers. The figures were the gift of Herman and Claire Blum.

The University Museum is located in Memorial Hall on the main campus of Southeast Missouri State University. Admission is free. The Museum is open Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, call (573) 651-2260.

top of page

Southeast to Remember the '60s With Performance by Bob Kuban April 16. Proceeds to benefit Leroy Mason Scholarship Fund

Feb. 26, 1999 --

Southeast Missouri State University will remember the 1960s with a performance April 16 by Bob Kuban and The In-Men, with the proceeds benefiting the Leroy Mason Scholarship Fund.

The late Leroy Mason was the long-time director of the Golden Eagles Marching Band at Southeast Missouri State from the late 1950s to the mid-1970s.

"He was fabulous," said Vicki Abernathy of Jackson, Mo., who was a majorette in the band in the late 1960s and played timpani in the orchestra and band. "He not only was respected in the music department, but on the whole campus. He came up with so many innovations. He also was the first band director at Jackson High School."

Mason is credited with launching the Golden Eagles Marching Band and taking its members to perform half time shows at the former St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs football games. Under his leadership, the band performed at the inauguration of former Gov. Warren Hearnes, Super Bowl V and a Pro-Bowl game.

Abernathy, who is organizing the event, said the evening will get under way at 6:30 p.m. in the Show Me Center. Prior to the performance by Kuban's band, a trivia contest will be held, and participants may watch old films of the Golden Eagles Marching Band on a big-screen television and take part in a 50-50 drawing, with half of the proceeds benefiting the Leroy Mason Scholarship Fund. Cars from the 1960s will be on display. In addition, the evening will feature an appearance by the first member of the Golden Eagles Marching Band, Jim Rhodes of Jackson, Mo. Those who graduated from Jackson High School during the 1960s also will be recognized.

Those attending are encouraged to dress in '60s styles, and prizes will be awarded for the best dressed '60s people.

Tickets for the event are $15 and are on sale at Shivelbine's Music Store, Schnucks and Disc Jockey Records in Cape Girardeau and at the Style Shop and Super Styles in Jackson. Specially reserved tables are available at three levels: Black, $200; Red, $250; and Gold, $300. Those participating at these levels also will have their name printed in the program. Those wishing to reserve a table are asked to call Abernathy at (573) 243-0028.

Those unable to attend but who wish to contribute to the Leroy Mason Scholarship Fund may do so by sending a check to the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, designated for the Leroy Mason Scholarship Fund.

Those who attend likely will take a walk down memory lane as Bob Kuban regularly performed at Southeast events in the 1960s, Abernathy said.

Since being awarded the John Phillips Sousa award, the name Bob Kuban has stood for quality in entertainment. Born in St. Louis, Kuban graduated from Washington University and the St. Louis Institute of Music before hitting it big with Bob Kuban and The In-Men in 1966, with their top 10 hit "The Cheater." That year, they appeared on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand." Thirty years later, Kuban was honored in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's exhibit, "One Hit Wonders," and Collectibles Records reissued the LP "Look Out For the Cheater." The hit song also was named one of "The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made" by musical recording expert Dave Marsh.

Returning to St. Louis, Bob Kuban and The In-Men were honored to play at the first Cardinal baseball game played in Busch Memorial Stadium. They were featured in St. Louis' famous Muny Opera's production of "Bye Bye Birdie," and appeared as regulars on "The St. Louis Hop," a local version of "American Bandstand." In May 1966, they released their final national charter, a cover of "Drive My Car," about one month before The Beatles version was available in the United States.

Kuban's taste in music was heavily influenced by the by-gone Gaslight Square, and his association with Ike and Tina Turner. At times, he played for Ike Turner's band the Kings of Rhythm. In 1976, Kuban opened his business, The Bob Kuban Entertainment Agency.

The In-Men included John Michael Krenski (bass guitar), Gregory Hoeltzel (organ), Walter Scott (vocals), Patrick Hickson (tenor sax and trumpet), Harry Simon (saxophone), Paul Skip Weisser (trombone), and Email Ray Schulte (lead guitar).

As a member of The St. Louis Ambassadors Club and The St. Louis Convention and Visitors Bureau, Kuban has been voted "business man of the month" by The St. Louis Business Journal, and is involved with most major events in St. Louis. The Bob Kuban Brass performed at the closing ceremonies of the 1994 Olympic Festival in St. Louis. In addition to The Kuban Brass and Bob Kuban Entertainment Agency, Kuban owns and administers Singles Night Out singles dances, Q-Man Music, a music publishing company, and Bob Kuban Entertainment, New Music Division.

top of page

KRCU-FM presents Great Pianists of the 20th Century - New Radio Show Uncovers the Lives and Talents of Great Pianists

Feb. 26, 1999 --

On April 6, KRCU 90.9 FM will debut Great Pianists of the 20th Century, a weekly, hour-long radio program exploring the lives and talents of great pianists who have enriched this century with their music.

The programs will be heard each Tuesday at 7 p.m. through the end of the year on KRCU 90.9 FM.

Tom Deacon, a piano enthusiast and veteran radio producer, joins host Eric Friesen in showcasing 74 pianists from the century. Combining anecdotes, insight, fact and interviews with the recordings, Friesen and Deacon bring each featured artist to life.

This series not only represents the "creme de la creme" of the 20th century pianists, it also presents these pianists in their best recorded repertoire.

In producing the series, Deacon and Friesen persuaded record companies to temporarily set aside their claims to certain works and artists and come together in order to create the most thorough compilation of piano performances from this century. Great Pianists also includes performances of works by Beethoven, Chopin, Schubert, Ravel and Liszt played by Rachmaninoff, Horowitz, Argerich, Cortot and Hofmann.

"There are hundreds of excellent pianists out there. The 74 included in this collection were chosen based on how their playing actually changes the way the piece is heard," said Friesen.

The radio series will demonstrate what earlier generations admired in Paderewski or Rachmaninoff and compare them with other great performances right through the century. It will explore how they honed their talent: some of them were prodigies, while others did indeed struggle with music. As individuals these pianists were teachers, political activists and political survivors, broadcasters, recluses, chess players, and even gamblers. Some were generous and open, or extremely private.

Friesen and Deacon will reveal that in spite of the details of the pianists' personal lives, they have inspired and touched the emotions of the listener.

top of page

PROGRESS REPORT 1998-1999: River Campus, outreach efforts among top University priorities during 125th anniversary year

Feb. 26, 1999 --

As Southeast Missouri State University embarks on 1999 and the turn of the century, it is focused on several important initiatives closely aligned with its 125th anniversary theme, "Honoring Yesterday, Creating Tomorrow."

Southeast officials are setting the stage for the institution's future as plans for a River Campus continue to evolve. In the past few weeks and in the months ahead, University officials are working to secure state funding to renovate and further develop a former Vincentian seminary on the banks of the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau into a School of Visual and Performing Arts.

Last summer, the Executive Committee of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation approved a request from the University Board of Regents to purchase the buildings and grounds of St. Vincent's College and Seminary. It is envisioned that Southeast's programs in art, dance, music and theatre, along with the University Museum, will come together here in a School of Visual and Performing Arts, that would house a theatre, auditorium and recital hall.

In November, Cape Girardeau voters were asked to decide on a bond issue that would generate one-fourth of the financing needed to make this vision a reality. (The plan called for private and state funds to make up the balance of the cost.) Voters also were asked to approve an increase in the hotel-motel tax and extend it, along with the restaurant tax, to the year 2030. When the ballots were counted, Cape Girardeau voters approved extending the city's restaurant tax and increasing its hotel-motel tax to help pay for the project, but the accompanying bond issue fell just short of the four-sevenths vote necessary to activate the funding mechanism.

Since that time, the University has continued to pursue this project and has said it would use a state bonding authority to help fund the project. But University officials say that garnering state support for the project is its first priority.

In January, Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan unveiled his fiscal 2000 state budget. The River Campus project was omitted from the governor's list of $66.3 million for capital improvement projects on college campuses across the state. The River Campus was 12th on the Coordinating Board for Higher Education's prioritized list of appropriations recommendations. The first eight were included in the budget.

"We continue to see heightened interest in the River Campus because it's a project for all the right reasons," said Dr. Dale Nitzschke, president of Southeast Missouri State University. "This project has great economic development, downtown redevelopment, historic preservation and tourism potential, not only for Cape Girardeau, but also for the entire region.

"We are optimistic that Southeast will be successful in securing some level of funding for this project" even though it was not in the governor's budget recommendations," he continued. "We are now working with key leaders in the legislature. Hopefully there will still be an opportunity to get this project introduced this legislative session."

Across the region, Southeast is pursuing efforts to deliver an affordable, efficient and easily accessible system of higher education, with a new emphasis on technology. Construction of a new Sikeston Area Higher Education Center is a step in that direction. Southeast Missouri State in partnership with Three Rivers Community College began offering post-secondary education courses and technical training there last year in a temporary facility that opened to serve the Scott, New Madrid, Mississippi and Stoddard County areas. A new 33,000-square-foot facility is currently under construction and projected to be completed by May 2000 to serve a population of 102,000 people and a work force of 60,000.

"We are committed to being the best we can be, and to improving the access of all our people to the economic opportunities which come with improved education," Nitzschke said.

The University also has continued development of the Harry L. Crisp Bootheel Education Center at Malden, Mo., and the offering of courses at the Sereno Center near Perryville. In addition, Southeast is working with the people of the extreme Bootheel to plan a new outreach center in Kennett and is discussing the creation of still another center to serve the northern part of the University's service area.

In January, Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan released $5.6 million in state money for a new Polytechnic Building on Southeast's Cape Girardeau campus. The $5.6 million was among $129 million earmarked for capital improvement projects at Missouri colleges and universities that had been held up pending a court decision in a lawsuit. A Missouri Supreme Court ruling paved the way for the release of the funds.

"The new building is key to the success of Southeast's enhanced mission, which calls for the University to have an essential role in implementing the State Plan for Postsecondary Technical Education," Nitzschke said. "We will now act as quickly as possible to expedite construction of this facility."

The Otto and Della Seabaugh Polytechnic Building will house the recently formed Polytechnic Institute, which includes the University's Department of Industrial Technology. The facility will provide space for customized training for industries and the latest advanced manufacturing technology for students. The building, which will be located on the North Campus, will be named for the Seabaughs of Cape Girardeau, who last year made provisions for a gift of more than $1 million to help fund construction of the new facility. Private contributions will fund the balance of the cost.

Last year, Southeast made tremendous progress in creating a permanent partnership -- the Southeast Missouri Educational Consortium -- of five higher education institutions, all of which serve Southeast Missouri in some capacity, to expand outreach and enhance access to all varieties of postsecondary education.

"The Polytechnic Institute will cooperate with our Consortium partners in bringing this advanced technical training to other sites in the region, in traditional classroom settings, through instructional television, and by means of state-of-the-art mobile technology classrooms," Nitzschke said.

In 1998, Southeast honored the past while laying the groundwork for the future when it dedicated A.S.J. Carnahan Hall on its main campus in October. Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan presented the address at the building dedication ceremony, which honored the life of his late father, A.S.J. Carnahan, for whom the restored building was named. A.S.J. Carnahan was a former U.S. Congressman and U.S. Ambassador. The departments of political science and history are housed in the building, along with the Center for Regional History. The building, constructed in 1901-1902, as the "Science Hall," has served the University for almost a century, but until last fall, had not been named.

"It is most appropriate," said Donald Dickerson, president of the University Board of Regents, "at the beginning of the University's 125th anniversary celebration, to name the building for one of the institution's most distinguished graduates, symbolizing the hundreds of Southeast alumni who have gone on to significant careers in the area of public service -- individuals who have practiced political science and helped make history."

,p>Dr. Peter Bergerson, chair of the Department of Political Science, said that naming the building for Carnahan was most appropriate during the University's year-long 125th anniversary celebration.

"By remembering one of our distinguished alumni in this way, we are honoring the University's past, even as this wonderful new facility becomes available for our work of creating leaders for the society of tomorrow," he said.

After structural problems with the building were noted in 1992-1993, the building was closed and faculty offices and classrooms were temporarily relocated. The Missouri General Assembly, upon the recommendation of Carnahan, appropriated the funds to construct a new facility inside the historic 1902 stone-and-brick shell. The restored building reopened at the start of the fall 1998 semester.

The new building, which is now fully handicapped accessible, features seven classrooms complete with technology packages, an historic preservation project room, 28 faculty offices, student and faculty lounges, two conference rooms and one political science computer lab.

"We kept that 1902 outside look of the building, while creating modern space inside," Nitzschke said. "Restoring the oldest building on our campus and rededicating it as a state-of-the-art facility during our 125th anniversary year was a wonderful opportunity for this institution. Let this be a reminder that this University will continue to serve the people of this region well into the next century and beyond, just as it has served well in the past."

Southeast Missouri State's 125th Anniversary Celebration will culminate in April with a Showcase Month, designed to be the centerpiece of the University's year-long observance. Highlights will include performances by David Copperfield and the Goo Goo Dolls, the unveiling and presentation of a hand-made 125th anniversary quilt made by the River Heritage Quilters Guild, readings of winning essays from a 125th Anniversary Essay Contest, two lyceum performances, a "Celebrating Our Diversity Week," and an unveiling of an "Academic Wall of Fame."

top of page

"Poetry in the Air" returns to KRCU-FM - Poetry readings will resume on KRCU 90.9 FM during the month of April

Feb. 26, 1999 --

A little over a year ago, KRCU listeners were treated to poetry readings on Southeast Public Radio. Soon, poets from throughout the region will again be heard reading original works as well as some of their favorite published poems.

Poetry in the Air will be broadcast several times each day during the month of April. Southeast students and faculty members, as well as area residents are encouraged to contact KRCU and make arrangements to record their poems.

"We can't guarantee that we'll air everything we record, but we will make an effort to broadcast a wide variety of works," said Greg Petrowich, general manager of KRCU-FM. "The first time we did this, we were taking a bit of a chance. Poetry is not the kind of thing one regularly hears on the radio, but our listeners were enthusiastic about the efforts, and we felt it was a great way to showcase some of the talented poets in our listening area. We hope to make this a regular part of our broadcast day if we can secure a solid collection of readings."

To be considered for broadcast, poems must be less than two minutes in length. Interested poets should call KRCU at (573) 651-5066 for information on submitting their poetry.

top of page

Fresh Perspective on American Life Comes to KRCU-FM - Award winning program This American Life invents radio vérité

Feb. 26, 1999 --

KRCU 90.9 FM will soon offer listeners This American Life, an innovative program that documents and describes contemporary America.

This American Life will begin airing at 9 a.m. March 14, following Weekend Edition.

"This American Life is one of public radio's most creative new programs," says General Manager Greg Petrowich, "and we're pleased that we can offer it to KRCU listeners."

Built around the personal vision of host Ira Glass, This American Life offers a new kind of radio storytelling. Each week, it explores a theme -- fiascos, Sinatra, conventions, the job that takes over your life -- through a mix of radio monologues, mini-documentaries, "found tape," and unusual music. At this point, the program finds and commissions more original fiction than any other show on public radio.

The stories on This American Life range from humorous and engaging to disturbing and bittersweet. Glass finds writers and performers whose work hasn't been heard on radio, and produces their stories alongside his own commentary in a way that critics praise as "riveting," "mesmerizing." The series won a Peabody Award in its first year of broadcast.

top of page

First Biokyowa Visiting Scholar Selected

Feb. 26, 1999 --

A Japanese professor of American literature has been named as the 1999 recipient of the BioKyowa Japanese Visiting Scholar award by the Center for Faulkner Studies at Southeast Missouri State University.

Professor Ikuko Fujihira, of Tokyo Gakugei University, will be visiting the Faulkner Center from Feb. 28 through March 11 as the first participant in the cultural exchange program developed by Southeast Missouri State University, the Center for Faulkner Studies and BioKyowa, Inc. This program is designed to bring Japanese scholars to Southeast to use research materials available in the Brodsky Collection and Faulkner Center.

During her stay in Cape Girardeau, Fujihira will present a free public lecture, "Three Nobel Laureates: William Faulkner, Toni Morrison and Kenzaburo Oe," at 7 p.m. March 8 in Crisp Hall Auditorium. She also will visit a number of University classes.

Fujihira has studied and taught Faulkner's novels for more than 30 years and is one of the founding officers of the Faulkner Society of Japan. She is co-editor-in-chief of The William Faulkner Journal of Japan.

In addition to her Faulkner work, she has published numerous articles on other American and Japanese writers, including Toni Morrison, Walker Percy, Truman Capote and Kenzaburo Oe. Her book, The Patchwork Quilt in Carnival Colors: Toni Morrison's Novels, was awarded the prestigious 1997 American Studies Association of Japan Award, and she is currently at work on a new book entitled Sister's Language: William Faulkner's Women. She plans eventually to complete a comparative study of Faulkner, Morrison and Oe.

The Japanese Oe, whose work is only now being translated into English, is the 1994 recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Fujihira has previously been a Fulbright lecturer at Carthage College in Wisconsin, a Fulbright scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, and a visiting scholar at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was a featured speaker at the international Faulkner Colloquium in Rome.

Announcement of the award to Fujihira was made jointly by Robert Hamblin, director of the Faulkner Center, and Kohta Fujiwara, president of BioKyowa, Inc.

top of page