|
|
|
SOUTHEAST MUSIC STUDENTS PARTICIPATE STATE COMPETITIONS
The Department of Music at Southeast Missouri State University sponsored six student singers in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Missouri Student Auditions held Nov. 3-4 at the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
This event is a three-round elimination competition involving more than 130 singers. All singers compete in the first round in separate divisions based on age and level, and each division is evaluated by a panel of three judges who provide written comments.
Approximately two-thirds of the singers advance to the semi-final round. Singers of the semi-final round sing their repertoire for a new panel of three judges. At the conclusion of the second round, three finalists and two honorable mentions are declared. The finalists perform before all the judges (about 25) in the third and final round and winners are selected. Southeast singers competing this year were: seniors Caroline Kraft of Potosi, Mo., Faith Parkhurst of Cape Girardeau and Beth Roethemeyer of Jackson, Mo.; juniors Laura Huusko of Carlyle, Ill., and Sebastien Gueze of St. Albans; and sophomore Erin Darter of Cape Girardeau.
Finishing as semi-finalists were Darter, Huusko and Roethemeyer. Gueze won second place in the Junior/Senior Men's Division.
The participants are students of Leslie Jones and Christopher Goeke of Southeast's music faculty, who also served as judges in all three rounds but not in the divisions of their own students. Accompanists for the event were Tim De Priest and Stephanie Fridley, both of Cape Girardeau.
Nine students participated on Nov. 9-11 at the State Convention of the Missouri Music Teachers Association in St. Joseph, Mo. They were Misty Massa of Marble Hill, Mo., flute; Cheryl Gore of Saint Jacob, Ill., flute; Kristi Benedick of Arnold, Mo., flute; Amy Arnold of Scott City, Mo., clarinet; Matt Martin of Jackson, Mo., trumpet; Jared Prost of Perryville, Mo., trumpet; Tyson Wunderlich of Altenburg, Mo., piano; Matt Yount of Marble Hill, Mo., piano; and Laura Bollinger of Cape Girardeau, organ
Declared State Winner in the woodwind division was flutist Benedick, with Gore being named runner-up in the same category. Bollinger was the state winner in organ, and Matt Martin was the State Runner-Up in Upper Brass. Matt Young received Honorable Mention in the piano category. Piano accompanist was Patches King of New Cambria, Mo.
SOUTHEAST SME CHAPTER TAKES TOP HONORS AT REGIONAL CONFERENCE
The student chapter of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers at Southeast Missouri State University recently won three first place awards at the annual SME Region 10 Conference in Overland Park, Kan.
"This gives us a feeling that we are the best of the best of SME," said Todd Marchi, student public relations coordinator for the organization and a Southeast sophomore from Jackson, Mo. "We are riding on cloud nine right now."
Eight members of the organization at Southeast attended the conference. The chapter took first place in the Scrapbook competition, in which the organization submits an annual scrapbook containing a journal of the chapter's activities throughout the year. Matthew McBride of Granite City, Ill., was responsible for coordinating the scrapbook.
Southeast's SME chapter also took first place in the "Chapter Presentation" category. Marchi made the PowerPoint presentation on behalf of the organization, in which he reviewed the chapter's successes and low points in the past year and made a proposal for improving the
Southeast chapter. Derrick Geringer of Arnold, Mo., represented the Southeast SME chapter in the "Interview" category in which he participated in a mock interview for a position in the manufacturing sector.
The chapter also submitted its homepage in a category in which chapter homepages were analyzed. Southeast's SME chapter won first place in this category as well.
The chapter also participated in a "Tabletop" exercise, in which members designed a stoplight simulation using various technologies.
"It's really competitive," Marchi said of the annual conference, adding that this is the first year the Southeast chapter has been awarded first place ribbons. "We had a group who cared about what we were doing and had experience in competing."
Other Southeast students participating in the conference were Kim Jones of Lockwood, Mo., who submitted an entry for the Duane Brighton Award, given to the most outstanding student chapter in Region 10, Tony Thomas of Cape Girardeau who helped design key chains sold by the Southeast SME chapter at the conference, Noel Hiltz of Cape Girardeau and Nathan Dierking of St. Louis.
About 55 other college students representing Pittsburgh State University, Eastern Illinois University, Southwest Missouri State University, St. Louis Community College and Kansas State University attended the conference.
In addition to its success at the Region 10 Conference, the chapter also recently won the international award of "Overall Excellence Award" given by the national headquarters of the Society of Manufacturing Engineers. The award carried with it a $500 cash prize, which the organization used to help offset travel expenses to the Region 10 Conference in Overland Park.
Last year, the chapter was recognized by the international headquarters of SME for excellence in conferences and seminar planning during the 1998-1999 academic year.
Marchi says the recent successes of the Southeast SME chapter "means we are receiving a good education" at Southeast.
The Southeast SME chapter and Dr. Craig Downing, assistant professor of industrial technology, in October, sponsored its first annual Polytechnic Classic Golf Tournament at the Jaycee Golf Course in Cape Girardeau. The organization raised more than $1,500 at the event.
"Hopefully, we will have many more (tournaments) to come," he said.
SME, headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., is an international professional society dedicated to serving its members and the manufacturing community through the advancement of professionalism, knowledge and learning. Founded in 1932, SME has nearly 65,000 members in 70 countries. There are nearly 300 student chapters worldwide.
PHI KAPPA PHI, SOUTHEAST HOSPITAL LAUNCH 'BORN TO READ' PROGRAM
The Southeast Missouri State University chapter of Phi Kappa Phi and Southeast Missouri Hospital have teamed up to launch the "Born to Read" program, a cooperative literacy effort that will put a new book into the hands of every newborn baby at Southeast Missouri Hospital.
Beginning Jan. 1, every newborn will receive a new Little Golden Book upon their departure from the hospital. In addition and in cooperation with the local hospitals, Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 260 will provide parents of each newborn with information on the importance of reading in a child's life and ways to make reading an essential part of their family life.
"Reading to children offers a multitude of life long benefits to children and parents," said Jeanine Larson Dobbins, past president of Phi Kappa Phi at Southeast and coordinator for the Missouri Statewide Early Literacy Intervention Program. "Numerous studies have shown that reading enhances a child's imaginative skills and learning skills, and we know that this project will encourage these benefits for the children and families in our area."
Phi Kappa Phi has announced the campaign now in order to launch a fund-raising effort to help cover costs associated with purchasing the books. The organization is seeking sponsors and tax-deductible donations from businesses, organizations and individuals to enable Phi Kappa Phi to buy at least one appropriate children's book for the approximately 1,600 babies born each year in Cape Girardeau. The project is expected to cost $5,000 in the first year.
Phi Kappa Phi, an international honor society that promotes life-long learning, brings together individuals from a variety of disciplines. The charter is only extended to colleges and universities meeting the society's rigorous academic standards. The society is open to men and women in all academic fields who have demonstrated excellence of scholarship and integrity of character. The Southeast chapter has 147 members, including students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Dr. Ferrell Ervin, past president of Phi Kappa Phi at Southeast, suggested a literacy project last year. Dr. Tamara Baldwin, public relations officer with the organization and chair of the project committee, pioneered the book for newborns project and began coordinating the effort with Julie Grueneberg, Phi Kappa Phi past president, and Jewell Eggley, current president of Phi Kappa Phi. Together, they began moving ahead with the project. Baldwin, Eggley and Grueneberg later made a proposal about the program to representatives from Southeast Missouri Hospital, who gave the program a very warm reception.
"Southeast Hospital was very excited about it," Eggley said, adding that obstetrics nurses said the Little Golden Book would be given to mothers and newborns when they leave the hospital.
Chief Nursing Officer and Assistant Administrator Karen Hendrickson, EdD, RN, commented, "On behalf of Southeast Missouri Hospital, I want to express our gratitude to Phi Kappa Phi for this most generous gift to our newborns. We value our many partnerships with the
University, and this new literacy project certainly appeals to us. It is in keeping with our own commitment to provide parents with valuable educational material and to give each child the best possible start in life."
Southeast Hospital is the only hospital in Cape Girardeau currently providing obstetric services. The obstetric unit at Southeast Missouri Hospital serves individuals in Scott, Cape Girardeau, Perry, Bollinger, Mississippi, New Madrid, Stoddard, Butler, Dunklin, Madison,
Pemiscot, St. Francois, Ste. Genevieve and Wayne counties in Missouri, as well as a large part of Southern Illinois.
After consultation with Southeast Missouri Hospital, Phi Kappa Phi set its sights on choosing an appropriate book for each newborn to receive. The organization considered various books for diversity issues, user-friendliness, quality and interactivity. Members also wanted the book to be fun for parents to read, Grueneberg said.
After reviewing several books, members decided initially to present each newborn with the Little Golden Book titled "My First Book of Sounds."
"We hope this is the beginning of a personal library for every new baby," Dobbins said.
Statistics show that children who are read to do better in school, are more likely to attend college and are more likely to read as adults. Children who have books in the home also are more likely to read.
"Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 260 wants to be responsible for encouraging children to read from the day they are born," hence the initiative Born to Read, Baldwin said.
Dr. Deborah Beard, president-elect of Phi Kappa Phi at Southeast, is credited with naming the new initiative, which is designed to promote literacy in Cape Girardeau and the region. Members of the Born to Read project committee include Baldwin; Dobbins; Eggley; Grueneberg; Dr. Ann Gifford, associate professor of elementary, early and special education; Dr. Nancy Blattner, past president of Phi Kappa Phi; and Ervin.
The group says future plans call for expanding the project to include the possibility of a reading nook in the hospital for siblings of newborns; production of a video tape to help new parents learn to read to their babies; and possibly courses taught through the hospital's Generations Resource Center.
Those interested in making a contribution to the "Born to Read" program are asked to make checks payable to the "Southeast Missouri University Foundation" and designated on the memo line for "Phi Kappa Phi Born to Read." Checks may be sent to the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, One University Plaza, MS7300, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701.
SOUTHEAST FACULTY, STAFF MEMBERS VOLUNTEER WITH MISSION MISSOURI
Arrick Jackson, instructor of criminal justice at Southeast Missouri State University, and Alan Byrd, a Southeast admissions counselor, recently served as mentors for several at-risk teens from the Hope Center, the alternative school program in Sikeston, Mo., helping the students work through a variety of issues.
"The young men were very receptive, and they behaved very well," Jackson said.
Jackson served as the facilitator of the program, which began in mid-September, and met at Missouri Missouri, a faith-based organization in Sikeston, Mo., providing a soup kitchen for the homeless. The mentoring program introduced a group of young males, ages 13 to 17, to a variety of issues that can affect their decision-making as young adults. Jackson led the group in healthy discussions about parenting skills, relationships, sexual maturation, conflict management, budgeting skills and general life skills. The program also included participation in the "Baby Beware" program, in which students learned to take care of children. The teens also attended job services and college preparation classes. Byrd assisted the young men in the area of college preparation.
Jackson met with the group twice a week for eight weeks, visiting the Mississippi County Jail and the Gibson Rehab Center in Cape Girardeau. Visiting the Gibson Rehab Center was especially important, Jackson said, because some of the youths had experienced problems with drugs.
The male mentoring program concluded on Nov. 9 with a graduation ceremony for the 10 participants. Jackson said the participants showed improvement in their attitudes during the program. The true test of the program's effectiveness, however, will be shown through the long-term decisions the participants make, Jackson said.
"The purpose of the graduation ceremony is to show the participants that there is a community that cares about the decisions they make and honor them for participating in the program," Jackson said.
SOUTHEAST GUITAR ENSEMBLE TO PRESENT CONCERT
The Guitar Ensemble of the Department of Music at Southeast Missouri State University will present a concert Dec. 4 in the Chapel of the Baptist Student Center on the Southeast campus.
The concert is scheduled for 8 p.m.
The concert will feature works for a variety of guitar, including a work for eight guitars, solos, duets and quartets. Composers represented on the concert include Henry Purcell, J.S. Bach, and Dietrich Buxtehude, as well as the guitar composers Roland Dyens, Christopher Kilvington and Leo Brouwer. The concert will conclude with a contemporary set of variations on the Scottish folk tune, "Farewell to Inverness."
The Guitar Ensemble consists of the guitar students of the Department of Music and is directed by Jeffrey Noonan, who directs the Guitar Program at the University. For more information, contact Noonan at (573) 651-2706 or at jnoonan@semovm.semo.edu.
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE UNIVERSITY TO RECOGNIZE WORLD AIDS DAY
In recognition of World AIDS Day, Southeast Missouri State University will hold a multimedia panel presentation on Nov. 29 titled "Living with AIDS" and, on Dec. 1, a candlelight memorial service to honor those infected and affected by HIV/AIDS.
"The purpose of these programs is to keep people educated and informed so that no one ever has to experience HIV/AIDS," said Judy St. John, director of the Center for Health and Counseling. "It is a totally preventable disease. World AIDS Day reminds us to stop and observe the day and remember those who have died of this virus," she said. "It is naïve to think that it is not going to touch all of our lives, because it will."
The panel presentation, hosted by the University AIDS Advisory Committee and the Center for Health and Counseling, will feature five speakers along with video clips and music by Southeast graduate student and singer-songwriter Ryan Harper. One of the speakers will be a person living with AIDS, who will share his experiences with the virus. Carol Jordan, HIV case manager for the region, will share her experiences with regional clientele. Dr. Christina Frazier, professor of biology at Southeast, will present current trends in HIV/AIDS and treatment. The Rev. J. Friedel will address both religious and personal perspectives on HIV/AIDS.
The purpose of the multimedia presentation is to present several different attitudes and perspectives on HIV/AIDS. The presentation is free and open to the public and will be held in Glenn Auditorium of Dempster Hall on the Southeast campus at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 29.
To observe World AIDS Day on Dec. 1, the campus will be decorated with red ribbons, and information tables will be set up across the campus. The candlelight memorial service will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Stroup Fountain Mall between Kent Library and Academic Hall on the Southeast campus. Everyone is invited to come and pay their respect to those who have died from or who are living or affected by HIV/AIDS.
For more information on World AIDS Day and the multimedia panel presentation contact the Center for Health and Counseling at (573) 651-2270.
DISTINGUISHED CHEROKEE/APPALACHIA POET AND STORYTELLER TO SPEAK AT SOUTHEAST NOV. 28
Awiakta, the distinguished Cherokee/Appalachia poet, storyteller and essayist, will speak Nov. 28 on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University.
The presentation is scheduled for 5 p.m. in Glenn Auditorium of Robert A. Dempster Hall.
Her presentation is titled "Sunrise in Cyberspace: Balancing the Wed." The presentation is being sponsored by the Ad Hoc Committee on University Relations with Native Americans, the Department of English, the Department of Sociology and Anthropology and the geography program.
Awiakta has authored several books, including Abiding Appalachia, Selu: Seeking the Corn Mother's Wisdom and Rising Fawn and the Fire Mystery. Rising Fawn is a children's story based on the forced removal of the Choctaw from the eastern United States in 1838 and is popular among primary and elementary school students.
Awiakta's work recently was featured in a new internet magazine, BeMe.Com, launched from London. She also was honored this year with the 2000 Appalachian Heritage Writer Award.
Her most recent book, Selu: Seeking the Corn Mother's Wisdom, has received international acclaim for its pioneering fusion of her scientific thought with her Cherokee and Appalachian mountain heritages. A review by Alexandr Vaschenko of the Gorky Institute of World Literature, published in the North Dakota Quarterly, called her a master of words, and noted that "the book is really a good example of the deep-rooted traditional wisdom applied to the contemporary technical dehumanizing consumer-oriented society wherever on earth it may exist today".
Vaschenko points out that her book, Selu "finds itself today in the very midst of environmental literature as the latest important addition to both American and world environmental, as well as to interdisciplinary, studies."
Although born in Knoxville, Awiakta was raised in Oak Ridge, Tenn., one of the major nuclear research centers of the world. Therefore, in addition to her Cherokee and Appalachian heritages, she also acquired a strong scientific background. Awiakta notes that "growing up in
Oak Ridge gave me yet another culture, because the scientific and high-tech world has its own value system, its own world view and its own language."
Her ability to weave these different cultures together creates a healing, nurturing and powerful perspective, which is truly important for all humans during these complex modern times. Wilma Mankiller, former Principal Chief of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, wrote the Foreword of Selu: Seeking the Corn Mother's Wisdom, and emphasized that, "As you read through this extraordinary book, you will be helped onto a path that will enable you to gain a clear sense that there is a way that we can stop destroying the very world that sustains us, and we can return to a time of balance and harmony."
Selu, is required reading at over 200 colleges and universities today, including at Southeast Missouri State. Selu was a 1995 alternative selection of the Quality Paperback Book Club, and the audiotape was nominated for a 1996 Grammy award. A quote from it is carved into the granite River Wall in Nashville's Bicentennial Capitol Mall. Radford University named its newly created writer's retreat and nature preserve "The Selu Conservancy". Rupert Cutler, the noted book critic, wrote that Selu may do for the ethnic diversity and gender equality movements what Rachel Carson's Silent Spring did for the environmental movement.
Awiakta has received many honors for her work, including the Woman of Vision Award and the Women of Achievement recognition. She has received the Distinguished Tennessee Writer's Award from the Tennessee Mountain Writers Association and was honored by the Appalachian Writer's Association for her outstanding contributions to Appalachian literature.
She is on the board of the National Wordcraft Circle of Native American Writers and Storytellers and has appeared on the PBS program "Telling Tales", and NPR's "Tell It on the Mountain: Appalachian Women Writers".
Awiakta uses her deep passion for life, her unique perspectives and her wry sense of humor to create connections among different cultures. As she says, "Through blood and experience, I'm a bridge between different cultures. I hope my work can be used in that way - to make bridges of understanding.
Copies of Awiakta's books and audio cassettes will be for sale at the presentation and a book-signing will follow.
For more information, contact Dr. Carol Morrow, associate professor of sociology and anthropology, at (573) 651-5934.
MUSICIAN OPENING FOR CROW BENEFITED FROM MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS AT SOUTHEAST
Songwriter and celebrity vocalist Sheryl Crow and Cape Girardeau band Papa Aborigine will perform a concert on Saturday, Dec. 2 to establish endowed scholarships for students enrolled in the School of Visual and Performing Arts at Southeast Missouri State University and at the Kennett Area Higher Education Center.
One person who understands the importance of music scholarships is Billy Keys, vocalist and keyboardist for Papa Aborigine. Keys received his bachelor's degree in music education at Southeast with the help of two music scholarships. He was awarded a music scholarship that paid his tuition for four years as well as the B.S. Limbaugh Music Scholarship, providing $600 a year for four years. As Keys was the first of four children to go to college, these scholarships were an asset to his college education.
"It would have been very difficult to make it through college without these scholarships," said Keys. "The scholarships made it feasible."
A college education led Keys to a career as a brass instrument specialist for grades 7 to 12 in the Cape Girardeau Public Schools. In addition it has enhanced his ability to write and rehearse music with Papa Aborigine.
There currently are 85 students at Southeast with music scholarships that range from $300-$2000 a year.
The proceeds from the Crow concert will be divided equally between The School of Visual and Performing Arts at Southeast and at the Kennett Area Higher Education Center to establish endowed scholarships.
"This concert means a lot to me because what goes around comes around and this is my chance to give some things back to those who helped me," said Keys. "These scholarships are going to help younger students get a better music education."
Papa Aborigine performs several benefit concerts each year, but this is the first concert they will play to benefit education. Crow has performed two benefit concerts for the Kennett Education Foundation, the first of which raised more than $25,000 in proceeds.
The concert is being sponsored by Southeast Missouri State University. Media partners for the event are KFVS12, the Southeast Missourian and Zimmer Radio Group. Tickets for the concert are $30 and $25 and currently are on sale. To order tickets or for ticket information, call the Show Me Center Box Office at (573) 651-5000 or go to http://www4.semo.edu/showmecenter.
There also will be a limited number of sponsor tickets, which entitle ticket holders to preferred seating and a private gala. Sponsorship is available with a $250 contribution, $200 of which is tax deductible. Sponsor ticket holders will be seated in the first several rows on the floor or in Section 123 of the Show Me Center. They also will be entitled to a private champagne-dessert sponsors' gala with Crow following the concert, where they will have autograph and photo opportunities with the entertainer. Sponsor ticket holders also will receive reserved parking at Robert A. Dempster Hall with free transportation to and from the Show Me Center.
|