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RENOWNED JAZZ MUSICIAN TO RECEIVE HONORARY DEGREE AT DECEMBER COMMENCEMENT
Renowned jazz musician and St. Louis native Clark Terry will receive an honorary degree from Southeast Missouri State University during commencement exercises planned for Dec. 9.
"He's a hero," said Barry Bernhardt, director of bands at Southeast Missouri State. "He's one of the living legends of jazz. Not only is he a marvelous player, but he also is a masterful teacher."
In addition to receiving his honorary degree, Terry will perform as a featured guest trumpet soloist with the Southeast Studio Jazz Ensemble during the ceremony. Terry will return to Southeast Missouri State April 28 for the Clark Terry Phi Mu Alpha Jazz Festival, that has been renamed in his honor, Bernhardt said.
Terry will turn 80 just a few days after commencement at Southeast Dec. 9.
"He still plays a major concert every three to four days," Bernhardt said.
Terry was at Southeast and was the highlight of the Southeast Jazz Festival last year. The honorary degree he receives at Southeast will be his 11th such honor, his most recent coming last year from Webster University in St. Louis. The first honorary degree Terry received was presented to him by The University of New Hampshire while Southeast Chancellor Dale F. Nitzschke then was serving as president of that institution. Terry also has received honorary degrees from Berklee College of Music, Westmar University, Rowan College of New Jersey, Hamilton College, Elmhurst College, Manhattan School of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, and University of South Carolina. Additionally, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia made him the first jazz artist to be honored with its highest award for distinguished service to music. The U.S. State Department selected Terry and his band for tours to the Middle East and Africa as American Ambassadors of Goodwill. He also has been inducted into the prestigious Kansas City Jazz Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Terry began his career in St. Louis during the '20s and '30s while playing for a local bar. After developing his technique with the Navy All Star Jazz Band during World War II, Terry's musical star rose rapidly with successful stints in the bands of Charlie Barnet, Charlie Ventura, Eddie Vinson, and then, in 1948, with the great Count Basie. Along the way, in addition to his outstanding musical contributions to these bands, Terry was exerting a positive influence on younger musicians such as Miles Davis and Quincy Jones, both of whom credit Terry as a formidable influence during the early stages of their careers.
In 1951, Terry was asked to join Duke Ellington's orchestra, where he stayed for eight years as a featured soloist. Terry also was a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, a standout with the NBC Tonight Show Band and one of the first black musicians to be employed regularly by a studio. As advisory to the International Association of Jazz Educators and much sought after as a clinician, Terry is often referred to as "America's #1 Jazz Educator." He also is the noted author of Let's Talk Trumpet: From Legit to Jazz, Interpretation of the Jazz Language and Clark Terry's System of Circular Breathing for Woodwind and Brass Instruments.
Terry, one of contemporary music's great innovators, also is justly celebrated for his great technical virtuosity, swinging lyricism and impeccable good taste. Combining these with the gifts of a great dramatist, Terry is a master storyteller.
The latter part of his career has found him traveling around the world to play concerts, clubs and festivals. Terry's achievements have earned him a spot in the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Hall of Fame.
An honorary degree is one of the most prestigious awards presented by Southeast Missouri State University. It is awarded for distinguished achievement, accomplishment or service that is recognized by peers in the field and by a broader spectrum of society.
TAX CREDIT PROGRAM BENEFITS RIVER CAMPUS DONORS
When donors to the River Campus project give a dollar in cash, their net, after-tax cost could be less than 30 cents on the dollar.
That's what Rock Wilferth, a member of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation Board of Directors and chairman of the Cape Girardeau County Scott City Campaign Division, told members of the President's Council at the organization's annual dinner this evening.
"When you give highly appreciated stock or mutual funds, your net, after-tax cost could be less than 10 cents on the dollar," he added. "This is true for Missouri residents as well as for alumni and friends who live outside the state."
The financial benefits of contributing to the River Campus are many, he said, since Southeast Missouri State University received approval last year from the Missouri Development Finance Board to obtain $5 million in state tax credits over a four-year period for corporations, foundations and individuals making significant contributions to the River Campus.
The University's participation in the program is allowing major contributors to the River Campus to receive $1.25 million annually in Missouri tax credits through 2003.
"This is a very important step in raising the private and corporate funds for the River Campus," said Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins, president of Southeast Missouri State University.
Dobbins says Southeast hopes to raise in total between $12 and $15 million in private contributions for the River Campus project.
"They are very flexible tax credits and can be used to apply against state tax liabilities," Dobbins said, adding that the program allows those who participate to take advantage of the credits over a five-year period from the time the tax credit is issued. "They can be used by individuals, foundations or corporations and can be traded on a secondary market."
The mission of the Missouri Development Finance Board, which was established in 1982, is to assist infrastructure and economic development projects in Missouri which have a high probability of success but which may not be feasible without the board's assistance. The board provides a diverse array of financing products and structures to carry out its mission of facilitating economic and infrastructure development projects.
The 12-member Missouri Development Finance Board approved Southeast for participation in its program in September 1999. Members of the board include Chairman Thomas Rackers; Gov. Roger Wilson; Joseph Driskill, director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development; and local representative Bill Burch of Burch Food Services of Sikeston.
"We are greatly appreciative of the Missouri Development Finance Board, especially Bob Miserez and Joe Driskill, for all of their efforts in making this project possible," said Donald Dickerson, president of the Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents.
Miserez, executive director of the Missouri Development Finance Board, said "Southeast is the first university to participate in this program."
He added that a number of cities in Missouri have benefited from the program, along with Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff, Mo., and the Missouri Department of Social Services.
"We don't use this program to fund the normal mission of a University such as classroom activities," Miserez said, adding that the board serves to help finance special projects, such as urban blight remediation activities and job training facilities.
Southeast Missouri State plans to develop the former Historic St. Vincent's Seminary property on the banks of the Mississippi River in Cape Girardeau into a School of Visual and Performing Arts. The facility would house Southeast's programs in art, music, theatre and dance, and the University Museum.
CAPITAL CAMPAIGN EXCEEDS $25 MILLION
The Southeast Missouri University Foundation's "125 Years: Prologue to the 21st Century" Campaign has netted $25.4 million as the campaign now enters its public phase with a new recommended revised goal set at $35 million.
The announcement was made this evening at the annual President's Council Dinner at the Show Me Center.
"Because of the pacesetting level of generosity, the Executive Committee of the Foundation Board of Directors is recommending the campaign goal be raised for the 'public phase' to a total of $35 million," said Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins, president of Southeast Missouri State University.
The Executive Committee of the Foundation Board of Directors will make the recommendation concerning the revised goal to the full Board at its meeting tomorrow.
Mike Dambach, a Foundation Board member and campaign co-chair, said that, if the recommendation is approved, the Foundation Board, the University Advancement staff and many alumni volunteers and other friends will be raising the funds needed to reach the $35 million goal from now until the completion of the public phase of the campaign in June 2002.
An initial campaign goal of $25 million in capital, endowment and other funds had been set two years ago. As of Nov. 15, $25,485,396 has been committed by alumni, friends, businesses, corporations, private foundations and others, said Judy Wilferth, emeritus member of the Foundation Board of Directors and campaign co-chair.
"When the Foundation Board of Directors approved a $25 million overall campaign goal two years ago, none of the Board members could project that our goal would be surpassed during the 'quiet phase' of our efforts," she said.
This accomplishment is of even greater significance, she added, since many Council members are still considering their ultimate level of financial participation.
"Our alumni, friends, businesses and private foundations have established a wonderful benchmark of giving thus far," she said.
Wayne Davenport, vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, said the campaign offers a number of priority giving opportunities for alumni and friends to consider.
Donors may make gifts to support a number of initiatives, including the Seabaugh Polytechnic Building and the River Campus, in addition to need-based scholarships and scholarship resources for the Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology, intercollegiate athletics and many other areas.
"Please join us in our continuing efforts to make Southeast Missouri State University the very best it can be," Dambach told the President's Council. "Become a strategic partner with us so that together we can help our University be of even greater service to Southeast's students and the citizens of our region in the months and years ahead."
Gifts totaling $2.9 million have been committed for the River Campus and $1.23 million have been pledged for the Seabaugh Polytechnic Building, both top campaign giving priorities, Dobbins said. During the public phase of the campaign, a goal of $8.1 million in additional funds has been set for commitments to the River Campus.
In addition to private pledges to these projects, $1 million in federal funding and $5.6 million in state dollars have been committed for the Seabaugh Polytechnic Building and $16.5 million in state funding for the River Campus. Other commitments include $750,000 in federal funding for the SEMO Regional Crime Lab. Dambach said federal and state funds cannot be counted in the campaign, however, they are substantial new resources that are helping to fund campaign priorities and to enhance other major programs on campus.
Charles Hutson, chairman of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, told members of the President's Council, "I cannot tell you how appreciative we are for your record-setting level of support. No one could have projected that our campaign goal would be surpassed this quickly. This achievement is of even greater significance as a large number of long-standing Foundation contributors have yet to consider the ultimate level of their financial participation."
When the public phase of the campaign is complete, campaign contributors will be recognized in a distinctive recognition book, and major donors will be recognized additionally by having their names placed on recognition plaques in classrooms, offices, performances areas and labs. Major donors will be permanently honored in the Hall of Honor in Academic Hall. The annual black-tie President's Council Dinner is held to honor members of the prestigious President's Council. Harry Rediger, chairman of the President's Council, said 77 new members joined the Council this year. This included 55 regular members and 22 new sustaining Council members. Membership in the Council is offered to individuals and businesses whose cumulative gifts and pledges have surpassed the $10,000 and $25,000 levels respectively.
Total Council membership now stands at more than 600. "This reflects a 40 percent growth in membership in the last five years," Rediger said. "The financial benefit President's Council members have on the Foundation and the University is significant." Dobbins added, "The President's Council Dinner has a special significance in the life of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation and our University. I personally thank all of you on behalf of the Foundation Board of Directors, the University's Board of Regents, our current and future students and our excellent faculty and staff for you outstanding campaign 'quiet phase' support."
Those interested in increasing their commitments or receiving additional information about the campaign should call the Foundation Office at (573) 651-2252.
UNIVERSITY THEATRE SPONSORS 15TH NEW YORK THEATRE EXPERIENCE
The Southeast Missouri State University Theatre will sponsor the "15th New York Theatre Experience" March 16-21.
Experience the fun and excitement as you will explore the rich culture of New York City with its history, the performing arts and the magnificent sights of the "Big Apple."
This six-day/five-night tour, priced at only $898-$998, will include a seminar by a leading Broadway professional, backstage tour of the Metropolitan Opera, a tour of the newly renovated New Amsterdam Theatre on 42nd Street, a ticket for "The Lion King" (confirmed), Empire State Building, round trip airfare, hotel accommodations, transfers, baggage portage and plenty of free time for individual shopping, sight-seeing and optional theatre performances. Space is limited, so reserve your space early.
An informational and organizational meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 15 in Grauel Building Room 316. For more information, contact Dennis Seyer, program director, in Southeast's Department of Speech Communication and Theatre at (573) 651-2490 or e-mail dseyer@semovm.semo.edu.
SOUTHEAST, THREE RIVERS AGREEMENT TO BRING ASSOCIATE DEGREES, A+ SCHOOLS ACCESS TO CAPE
Southeast Missouri State University and Three Rivers Community College (TRCC) have entered into a cooperative agreement that will bring several TRCC associate degree programs to the Southeast campus and allow qualified graduates from A+ Schools-designated high schools in the Cape Girardeau area to receive tuition and book benefits while pursuing associate degrees offered by both institutions.
The associate programs will be offered both on the Southeast campus in Cape Girardeau and at the Sikeston Area Higher Education Center in Sikeston, Mo.
The announcement was made today by Dr. Kenneth W. Dobbins, president of Southeast Missouri State University, and Dr. John Cooper, president of Three Rivers Community College (TRCC) in Poplar Bluff, Mo. The cooperative agreement has been in the discussion phase for over 12 months, and was forged in conjunction with the Southeast Missouri Educational Consortium and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Pending a needs assessment and approval by the Southeast Missouri Educational Consortium and the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education, TRCC is considering offering two associate of applied science degree programs on the Southeast campus - information systems technology and industrial technology (civil construction).
Associate of applied science degrees in physical therapy assistance, child care and guidance and computer technology (options in automated manufacturing, microcomputer systems, and technical computer graphics), all of which are existing Southeast programs, will be available to A+ Schools program graduates on Southeast's Cape Girardeau campus..
Under today's agreement, A+ Schools graduates will also be able to participate in Southeast as well as TRCC associate degree programs offered at the Sikeston Area Higher Education Center (SAHEC).
Five such programs will be available to A+ Schools graduates at SAHEC. Two of these - the associate of applied science in nursing and the associate of arts degree - will be offered by TRCC. Three Rivers, along with Southeast, will offer the associate of applied science in industrial technology degree. Southeast, along with TRCC, will offer the associate of applied science in computer technology and the associate of applied science in child care and guidance degree. It is expected the Southeast program in child care and guidance will become a TRCC degree program at the Sikeston location in approximately three years.,
All of these programs, whether offered by Three Rivers or Southeast - will articulate with Southeast baccalaureate degree programs, Dobbins said.
Students who participate through the A+ Schools program will be dually admitted at Three Rivers and Southeast and will have access to all student services provided to regularly enrolled students.
The A+ Schools program normally covers the cost of tuition, fees and books for two years of study in associate degree programs at community colleges for participating high school graduates. As a result of the Southeast-TRCC agreement, under auspices of the Southeast Missouri Educational Consortium, the benefit now will be available to students enrolled in Southeast associate degree programs.
"Today's agreement exemplifies the spirit of the Southeast Missouri Educational Consortium which was established in 1996-97 under the Southeast Mission Enhancement program," Dobbins said. "The Consortium calls for the region's postsecondary educational institutions to partner with one another to provide a seamless delivery system and enhanced access to educational opportunities for students in this region of the state. We are thrilled to be joining with Three Rivers in this innovative endeavor designed to provide more access to associate degree programs in the Cape Girardeau County area and better serve the graduates of A+ Schools along the I-55 corridor."
The new program, which is expected to take effect next year, will provide greater access to higher education opportunities for qualified students from A+ designated high schools in Southeast Missouri. This is the only such arrangement between a two-year college and a four-year university in Missouri.
Under the program, the Southeast campus and the Sikeston Area Higher Education Center, in effect, will serve as a 'system,' because of their proximity to each other, Dobbins said. He added that students will be able to take courses at either or both locations from both Three Rivers and Southeast, depending on availability of course offerings.
Until now, students from this area who wanted certain associate degrees and who graduated with A+ School program designation, had to travel to community colleges in St.
Louis, Park Hills or Poplar Bluff to take advantage of the A + Schools program benefits. "What we are trying to do is to provide more access to associate degree programs and to open our campus and the Sikeston Area Higher Education Center to A+ Schools graduates wishing to pursue associate degree programs closer to home rather than traveling so far," Dobbins said. Cooper added, "Our institutions have a good history of cooperation at Malden, Sikeston, and Kennett. We have been looking for a way to bring the best of what the two institutions have to offer to an even wider area."
"We at Three Rivers Community College could come to Cape Girardeau and set up a facility to offer associate degrees, but there is no reason to do that when Southeast already has facilities and some associate programs," Cooper said. "We can bring some of Three Rivers' associate degree programs to Cape Girardeau, and we can form a partnership with Southeast to provide this access without duplication and with the greatest possible cost effectiveness."
"As the A+ Schools program expands, with more high school students graduating from those schools, there will be more demand for access to the benefits of this program," Cooper said. "Parents will want their children to have access to associate degrees close to home, and degrees in fields that are of interest to the students."
The A+ Schools Program is a school-improvement initiative established by the Outstanding Schools Act of 1993. Students who graduate from a designated A+ School and meet program requirements qualify to have the cost of their tuition and books covered by the state while attending any public community college or technical school in Missouri to pursue an associate degree. In the past, A+ Schools graduates enrolled in associate degree programs at four-year institutions could not participate in the reimbursement benefit, but the Consortium agreement concept was approved last spring by DESE.
One hundred twenty-two public high schools in Missouri currently have been designated as A+ Schools by the State Board of Education, including in Southeast Missouri: Annapolis (South Iron County), Bernie, Bonne Terre (North St. Francois County R-1), Broseley (Twin Rivers R-X), Cape Girardeau, Park Hills (Central R-III), Clearwater in Piedmont, Crystal City, Farmington, Festus, Gideon, Kennett, Malden, Mehlville, Oakville, Pacific, Perryville, Poplar Bluff, Potosi, Puxico, Salem, Sikeston and Sullivan. Charleston has applied for this designation and expects to receive it in January. An application for participation in the A+ Schools program is under consideration by the Jackson school district.
To become eligible for the A+ Schools program, high school students must attend a designated A+ School for three consecutive years prior to graduation; have a grade point average of at least 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale; have at least a 95 percent attendance record; perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring or mentoring; maintain a record of good citizenship and avoid drugs; and attend full time a Missouri community college or postsecondary vocational-technical school and maintain at least a 2.5 grade point average.
Dobbins emphasized that Southeast is in no way compromising its admission standards by entering into this arrangement to accommodate A+ students.
"A+ participation does not indicate a student is ineligible for admission to Southeast," he said. "Many, perhaps most, qualified A+ Schools students will meet the requirements of our core curriculum and have an 18 on the ACT and a high school grade point average of 2.0. Consequently, they could enroll in any Southeast program."
A+ Schools graduates meeting Southeast's admission requirements may take courses from either institution at either location.
If an A+ Schools graduate does not meet Southeast's admission requirements, they will be permitted to take Southeast or Three Rivers courses at Sikeston or Three Rivers courses taught at Cape Girardeau. In some instances, such a student may be permitted to enroll in a Southeast technical course at Cape Girardeau as a special student. Typically, their general education courses and some technical courses will be taken at Sikeston, Dobbins said.
All students in these programs will be limited to courses applicable to their associate degree program in order to be reimbursed through the A+ Schools program.
Dobbins pointed out that A+ Schools program students receiving Pell grants will have the amount of their grant subtracted from any state reimbursement under the A+ Schools Program.
STUDENT SURVIVES THREE STROKES BEFORE GRADUATING FROM SOUTHEAST
Sitting among the 608 students who will graduate from Southeast Missouri State University on Dec. 9, will be a young woman who demonstrates true courage and dedication.
On the day that 22-year old Leslie Menz of Scott City, Mo., took her 75-hour writing test in September of 1999, she was suffering from a terrible headache and a sick stomach. Later that week, she was rushed to the hospital, where it was determined that she had suffered a stroke. Once Menz was taken to the hospital she suffered two more strokes, which paralyzed her right side and put her into a coma. After she had been in the coma for 12 hours, her doctors told her parents that she would either continue to live in a vegetative state or die.
The three mysterious strokes all were caused by a blood clot that had formed around the right side of her face and head. Menz said she has a rare genetic prothrombine mutation that causes blood clots. Earlier that semester she had the flu, which may have caused the clot. Unfortunately, she did not know about the genetic mutation until it caused her to suffer three strokes, she said.
It seemed as if the third stroke was going to take her life; however it was decided that Menz would be transferred to Barnes Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. Her family and doctors were so unsure of her chances of survival, that they read her last rites before she was placed on a helicopter; they did not believe she would survive that trip, she said.
Fortunately, Menz received the help was needed at Barnes Jewish Hospital and woke up after four days in a coma. She was left with paralysis on her right side, which would have to be corrected with therapy; however, she realized how lucky she was to be alive.
"There was this great feeling," said Menz. "Death was right there, and he got bored with whatever I had."
Because of her rigorous therapy routines, Menz was forced to drop out of all of her classes during the fall 1999 semester. She soon made an incredibly quick recovery. After only three weeks, she was able to walk using only a cane, and after 28 days, she was able to leave the hospital and return home. She went through hours of physical therapy and two surgeries in order to correct the damage done by the stroke; but as she looks back on it, she realizes that her recovery was speedy and successful.
"It went by really fast," said Menz. "I didn't feel sorry for myself until I went home, and I needed help with everything, and it all stopped. I was out of everything. I went through the worst, but it all came out fine in the end."
After returning home, Menz went through eight hours of physical and occupational therapy each week at Mid-America Therapy in Cape Girardeau. Although she did need extra help in the beginning, she said she was soon able to take care of herself. When Menz celebrated her birthday on Nov. 25, 1999, she was able to go see a movie for the first time after experiencing the strokes. In the spring 2000 semester, she was able to return to classes.
"She never gave up, never dwelled too much on her situation and on what was troubling her. She stayed with her lessons and always showed true fastness and dedication," said Dr. William Bourns, professor of criminal justice at Southeast.
On Dec. 9, Menz will receive a bachelor's degree in criminal justice. She hopes to pursue a career as a probation or parole officer working with juveniles.
Today, Menz shows no sign of having battled for two months with strokes at a premature age. She watches her diet and pays close attention to any illness to assure that she no longer is affected by the genetic problems. She says her battle with death has humbled her and has made her realize how lucky she is.
"No matter what happens, it will come out okay," said Menz.
KULATUNGA NAMED RECIPIENT OF 2000 PRIDE AWARD
Dr. Athula Kulatunga, associate professor of energy and electronics in the Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology at Southeast Missouri State University, will receive the University's Pride Award during commencement exercises scheduled to be held Dec. 9 in the Show Me Center.
The Pride Award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated excellence as a teacher, an extraordinary level of scholarship and service, and whose overall accomplishments are especially noteworthy. Kulatunga was selected for the award by the Council of Deans after nominations were solicited from each of the University's Colleges and Schools. This is the fifth annual Pride Award. Past recipients are Dr. Frederick Yeo, assistant professor of middle and secondary education, Dr. William Snell, Jr., professor of psychology, Dr. Janet Weber, associate professor of nursing, and Dr. David Ritter, associate professor of chemistry.
"Dr. Kulatunga exemplifies what a college professor is," said Dr. Randy Shaw, dean of the School of Polytechnic Studies. "He does an outstanding job in all areas: teaching, scholarship, and service."
Kulatunga's scholarship record is a display of dedication. He has designed and developed various laboratory and instructional materials including Motor Control Lab and the tutorial Variable Speed Drive Training Manual. He has published over 11 refereed and non-refereed journal articles since 1995; many reviews of published books; and has given over 15 international, national and regional presentations on his extensive research. He has obtained a number of research grants totaling $500,000 from internal and external sources.
Highlights of his Southeast service record include serving as vice chair of the Faculty Senate; founding coordinator of the AmerenUE Manufacturing Technology Resource Center, which is an outreach extension of the School of Polytechnic Studies; and a member of the University Planning Committee, Merit Pay Steering Committee, Budget Review Committee, Funding for Results Committee, SEMO Regional Industrial Training Group, the Otto and Della Seabaugh Polytechnic Building Design Committee, and the Department of Industrial Technology Budget Committee.
Kulatunga graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering technology from Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan., a master's degree in technology from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill., and a doctoral degree from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.
"I was shocked to hear the news," said Kulatunga. "It is a great honor to be selected among many great scholars and teachers."
He went on to say, "I enjoy being able to give back something from my good education. I am lucky to have the University, faculty, administration and students appreciate what I've done. I couldn't ask for more."
Before coming to Southeast, Kulatunga was a graduate instructor at Purdue University and a technical teacher at the Ceylon-German Technical Training Institute in Sri Lanka.
UNIVERSITY THEATRE SPONSORS IRELAND 2001 TRAVEL IN JUNE
The Southeast Missouri State University Theatre will sponsor "Ireland 2001: Castles, Concerts & Countryside" June 21-30.
Experience the fun and adventure as you will explore the rich Irish history, the performing arts, and the magnificent scenery of the "Emerald Isle." This 10-day/eight-night tour, priced at only $1,998, will take you to Dublin, Waterford, Blarney, Killarney, Adare, Limerick, Bunratty and Galway, and will view such natural sights as the Ring of Kerry, the Cliffs of Moher, the Burrens and much more. Space is limited, so reserve your space early. This tour promises to be the experience of a lifetime.
An information and organizational meeting will be held at 6 p.m. Jan. 22 in the Grauel Building, Room 316. For more information, contact Dennis Seyer, program director, in the Department of Speech Communication and Theatre at Southeast at (573) 651-2490 or e-mail dseyer@semovm.semo.edu.
GOVERNOR-ELECT BOB HOLDEN TO SPEAK AT DECEMBER COMMENCEMENT
Degrees will be conferred on 608 graduates during commencement exercises scheduled for Dec. 9 at Southeast Missouri State University.
Governor-Elect Bob Holden will present the commencement address during exercises scheduled for 2 p.m. in the Show Me Center. Degrees will be conferred on 434 undergraduates and 174 graduate students. In addition, renowned musician Clark Terry will be awarded an honorary degree and will perform with the Southeast Studio Jazz Ensemble during the commencement ceremony.
Leading the class of undergraduates are four students with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. They are: Amanda Black of Mill Shoals, Ill., who will receive a bachelor of science degree with a major in agri-business; Dwayne Crites of Jackson, Mo., who will receive a bachelor of arts degree and a bachelor of science degree with majors in philosophy and psychology; Terry Minderman of Malden, Mo., who will receive a bachelor of science degree with a major in education; and Rebecca Shull of Kearney, Mo., who will receive a bachelor of science degree with majors in secondary mathematics education and middle school education.
Crites and Amy Richardson of Mt. Carmel, Ill., will be recognized as honors scholars. In order to be recognized as an honors scholar, students must complete 24 hours of honors coursework, six of which are at the senior level, and maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.25. Honors scholars also must complete a senior research project.
In addition, 17 members of Phi Kappa Phi will be recognized during the commencement exercises. Phi Kappa Phi is an international honor society for academic distinction that brings together individuals from a variety of disciplines. The charter is only extended to colleges and universities meeting that society's rigorous standards. The society is open to men and women in all academic fields who have demonstrated excellence of scholarship and integrity of character. Graduating seniors who rank in the upper 10 percent of their class and have a grade point average of at least a 3.75 on a four-point scale; juniors who rank in the upper five percent of their class and have at least a 3.85 grade point average; and graduate students who are near graduation, have a grade point average of at least a 3.9 and have an outstanding record are eligible for consideration.
An Honors Convocation is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. in the Show Me Center, during which 68 undergraduates and 120 graduate students will be honored. Dr. Milo Miller, assistant professor of criminal justice, will present the Honors Convocation address. Among the undergraduates participating in the honors convocation, 11 students will graduate summa cum laude, 14 will graduate magna cum laude and 41 will graduate cum laude. Two will graduate with honors in associate degrees. The required undergraduate grade point average for graduating cum laude is 3.5 to 3.74, for magna cum laude is 3.75 to 3.89 and for summa cum laude is 3.9 to 4.0. Graduate students participating in the Honors Convocation must have achieved at least a 3.9 grade point average.
The honorary degree is awarded for distinguished achievement, accomplishment or service that is recognized by peers in the field and by a broader spectrum of society. Terry, a St. Louis native, is known as one of the greatest jazz trumpet players of all time. He has performed world-wide with Count Basie and Duke Ellington. Also a pioneer of the flugelhorn in jazz, Terry was a standout with the NBC Tonight Show Band. He has been inducted into the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Hall of Fame in 1991, the Kansas City Jazz Hall of Fame and the St. Louis Walk of Fame.
Bob Holden, who will present the commencement address, is governor-elect of the State of Missouri. Holden has served two terms as state treasurer, a position in which he has been responsible for managing the state's $17 billion in annual revenues. But his two terms as State Treasurer are only his most recent accomplishments. He began his career in public service in 1976, when he served as an assistant to the State Treasurer. In 1983, Holden defeated an incumbent and was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives from the 136th District (Springfield). He served three terms, from 1983 to 1989. Born in Kansas City on Aug. 24, 1949, Holden grew up on a farm in south central Missouri near Birch Tree. In 1973, he graduated from Southwest Missouri State University with a degree in political science.
Holden is married to Lori Hauser Holden, who grew up in Aurora, Mo. They have two sons, Robert III, 10, and John D., 5.
Holden is Dean of the American Legion Missouri Boys State Legislative School; a board member of Boys and Girls Town of Missouri; and served in the Missouri National Guard.
He serves as a member of several boards and commissions: Missouri Housing Development Commission, Missouri State Employees Retirement System, Board of Fund Commissioners, Missouri Cultural Trust, Missouri Humanities Council, Missouri Higher Education Savings Program Board, Missouri Investment Trust and Governor's Cash Management Task Force.
LOCAL SOUTHEAST MISSOURI MUSIC ACADEMY STUDENTS EARN HONORS
Two Southeast Missouri Music Academy students received honors at the 93rd annual Missouri Music Teachers Association convention held in St. Joseph, Mo., Nov. 9-12.
Jean Brown, the daughter of Don and Ruth Brown of Perryville, Mo., was the state winner in the high school division of the Music Teachers National Association Composition Contest. Her composition, "Spanish Love Ballad," was written for a piano solo and performed at the competition. The composition will be entered at the division level and the winner of that competition will compete at the national level. She studies composition at the Academy with Sherrie Troxel and is a junior at St. Vincent High School in Perryville.
Amelie Morgan, the daughter of Ellen Robinson of Jackson, Mo., was the runner-up in the 11th grade division piano competition. She studies piano at the Academy with Becky Fulgham and is a junior at Jackson High School.
The Academy, a non-profit organization under the auspices of Southeast Missouri State University's Department of Music, is dedicated to enriching the lives of students by stimulating a lifelong appreciation of music.
DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS CLOSING IN ON $1 MILLION COMMITMENT TO RIVER CAMPUS
Businesses and property owners in downtown Cape Girardeau are well on their way to meeting their $1 million commitment to the River Campus project at Southeast Missouri State University.
Charles L. Hutson, owner of Hutson Furniture and chairman of the Board of Directors of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation, said pledges to the River Campus by the Downtown Merchants Association currently stand at $751,037. Along with pledges to other University initiatives such as intercollegiate athletics, program enhancements and scholarships, the Downtown Merchants have made overall pledges of more than $1 million to the Foundation's "125 Years: Prologue to the 21st Century" Campaign.
The announcement was made this evening at the President's Council Dinner in the Show Me Center.
"On behalf of the Foundation and our Board of Directors, we thank the Downtown Merchants Association and all of the individuals and organizations involved for their exemplary leadership during the 'quiet' phase of this campaign," said Wayne Davenport, vice president for
University Advancement and executive director of the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.
The Downtown Merchants Association announced in October 1998 that they would commit $1 million in private contributions to the River Campus project. Association members, residential property owners in the downtown area and several related organizations made the commitments.
Rock Wilferth, a member of the Foundation Board of Directors and chairman of the Cape Girardeau County/Scott City Campaign Division, told the President's Council Friday, the River Campus is a "win-win" situation, he said. The River Campus offers a number of tremendous benefits, including historic preservation, economic development and tourism, community development, educational opportunities for people of all ages and a dramatic increase in the quality of life for the region.
"The River Campus will have tremendous city-wide and regional benefits and, Cape Girardeau's civic leaders strongly support this project," Hutson said. "The development of the River Campus is an investment in our entire region, and we are proud to be supportive with this endeavor."
NRC RELEASES MAGILL HALL FOLLOWING DECONTAMINATION, CLEANUP
Representatives of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) today released Magill Hall for unlimited use by Southeast Missouri State University, confirming that the building has been decontaminated.
NRC representatives conducted a thorough survey of all areas in the building this week, checking for fixed, removable and air contamination. Inspectors used direct radiation surveys, contamination surveys, wipe samples, air samples and other techniques to determine that all radioactive contamination has been successfully removed. Results of the survey showed all areas to be satisfactory.
The NRC also reviewed waste management procedures, which have been employed as part of the cleanup of the building. Again, the NRC reported that the hazardous waste hauler removing materials from Magill and respiratory precautions being taken in the process were strictly followed.
This was the second phase of the project for the NRC. Officials with the organization say they will issue a report outlining today's findings in about 30 days. The agency again will be in contact with Southeast after results of all bioassay tests on individuals potentially exposed to americium-241 have been completed and the results received, probably in January. A final disposition of the matter by the NRC is expected in March or April, NRC officials indicated.
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