By Annabeth Miller,
ShowMe Times Editor

Two Dexter students can now proudly say that they are published authors.

Julie Hahn and Reagan Miller – both students at T.S. Hill Middle School – had work published this spring in the annual journal of the Southeast Missouri Writing Achievement Awards program.

Julia receiving an honorable mention for her essay about puppy mills in the state. He work was entered in the 7-9 grade essay division.

Reagan also received an honorable mention for her essay concerning the 2009 Ice Storm that hit Southeast Missouri. Reagan’s work was entered in the 4-6 grade essay division.

According to middle school English instructor John Stephens, students wrote in one of three categories – fiction, essay and poetry. Teachers at the middle school selected the top three works in each category and one entry from each was eventually submitted from the local school.

The Southeast Missouri Writing Achievement Awards program originated in 1982 by the English Department at Southeast Missouri State University as a way of recognizing the accomplishments of student writers in the region. All entries are read by at least two faculty judges. The winning entries are published in a booklet, and the winners are recognized in a ceremony each April on the Southeast campus.

For each grade range, there are three awards in each genre - first place and two honorable mentions. Each winner receives a certificate, a copy of the booklet, and a commemorative T-shirt. The winners’ schools also receive certificates. All participating schools are sent a copy of the booklet.

A copy of the 2010-2011 Southeast Missouri Writing Achievement Awards booklet – with Reagan and Julia’s work published – is at the T.S. Hill Middle School library.

Photo Above: Julia Hahn (left) and Reagan Miller had original work they each wrote published this year in the journal of the Writing Achievement Awards from Southeast Missouri State University. The girls are students at Dexter's T.S. Hill Middle School.

It's Graduation Week at Dexter High School – a time when the final numbers will come down from the seniors’ “count down” chart in the hallway at DHS, the last high school finals and papers graded, and for all those special times to celebrate the Class of 2011. To help parents and friends of graduating seniors keep up with this important week, here’s a run-down of events.

Sunday, May 15

Baccalaureate Service, 6 p.m. at the First Assembly of God Church on Brown Pilot; sponsored by the Dexter Ministerial Alliance**

Monday, May 16

Awards Program, 9:50 - 11:11 a.m. in Bearcat Event Center**

Spring Band Concert, 6:30 p.m. in the DHS Auditorium**

District Baseball will be played and State Golf Tournament is at Bolivar at the Silo Ridge Golf Club**

Wednesday, May 18

Senior Finals in periods 1,3,5 and 7

Thursday, May 19

Senior Finals in periods 2, 4, and 6

Last day for seniors at the Sikeston CTC

Last day of Cadet Teaching for seniors

FFA Meeting, 7 p.m. in the Ag Room

Friday, May 20

Commencement Practice, Periods 1-3

Senior Slide Show, 4th period

Senior Picnic, 12 - 2 p.m.

Commencement, 7 p.m., Bearcat Event Center**

** = events that are open to the public

The ShowMe Times thanks Mr. Chuck Powers for sharing the Weekly Activities bulletin and all his support and assistnce this semester.

Photo Above: The seniors in the DHS Chamber Choir celebrated a bit late last week during their senior group photo!

A SMT News Report

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents met Friday and approved a new program – a master of science degree in organizational management and a new minor in biological and medical sciences entrepreneurship, and deleted the adult health clinical nurse specialist/care manager option from the master of science nursing degree.

New Program – Master of Science in Organizational Management

The new master of science degree in organizational management will be offered through Southeast’s Donald L. Harrison College of Business beginning in fall 2012. Dr. Ron Rosati, Southeast provost, says the degree will fill a major educational need in Southeast’s service area that currently is not available.

“The degree is especially well suited for people who do not have a major at the undergraduate level in business administration but are employed in positions with managerial responsibilities,” he said.”The additional management training will allow them to better perform in their current position and advance to mid-level managerial positions.”

The degree focuses on management and excludes accounting, finance, marketing, economics and management information systems.

Rosati said the master of science in organizational management is intended for people who are currently in or are seeking a supervisory management level in retailing, services and related business sectors. “The Harrison College of Business is well suited to provide the program because of the excellent faculty and facilities associated with the college,” Rosati said.

Most of the courses associated with the program, except for one new additional course, are available and being offered within the college, he said. Additional sections of the courses will need to be offered to meet the expected demand for the new program, he said, as most of the courses in the proposed program are enrolled at capacity most semesters.

New Minor – Biological and Medical Sciences Entrepreneurship

The new minor in the biological and medical sciences will be offered by the Department of Biology in the College of Science and Mathematics and the Department of Management and Marketing in the Donald L. Harrison College of Business beginning in the fall of this year.

“There is increasing awareness that students graduating in the biological and medical sciences would benefit from knowledge of entrepreneurial processes and a more entrepreneurial mindset,” Rosati said.

He said many of Southeast’s biological and medical sciences graduates find themselves involved with biotechnology start-up ventures or are involved with existing biotechnology and medical-related firms through an ownership position in an existing small, developing company, related to their research program. He said students from other areas who have particular interest in the sciences likely will be attracted to this minor.

No new courses or extra faculty resources are required for the minor, he said.

Deletion of Option – Master of Science in Nursing – Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist/Care Manager Option

The deletion of the adult health clinical nurse specialist/care manager option from the master of science in nursing degree will take effect in August.

Historically, the option has been offered every other year, Rosati said, alternating with the nurse educator option. Enrollment has varied from four to six students per cohort, he said.

Current requirements for preparation of this advanced practice role would require significant curricular revisions within the specialty courses to include additional content for graduates to implement this advanced practice role as currently defined by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists, according to Rosati. Clinical resources, as well as clinical preceptors who are practicing in the Clinical Nurse Specialist role within the local area, are very limited, he said.

“The low number of possible enrollees in the option and the constaints on graduate class size during this economic recession support the decision to delete this option from the MSN program,” he said.

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. - Three Rivers College music students, area high school students, and community musicians will unite for a unique band and wind ensemble concert on Tuesday, May 10.

The Three Rivers College Symphonic Band and the Heartland Winds and Percussion Ensemble will join together or the unique concert at 7 p.m.. The Heartland Ensemble is a professional group of musicians from the Southeast Missouri region, under the direction of Dr. Robert Gifford, a conductor and music education consultant from Cape Girardeau. William T. “Buddy” White, instructor of music at Three Rivers, will conduct the Three Rivers Symphonic Band, which includes college students, area high school musicians and community members.

“The focus of the concert is to present a quality performance by two groups that are unique not only to this area but to the entire state,” said White, who displays great pride for his musicians. “You will hear one of the best performances of symphonic band music that has ever been played in our area.”

No admission will be charged for the concert, which will be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 10 in the the Tinnin Fine Arts Center on the Three Rivers campus on Poplar Bluff. For more information about the concert or music programs at Three Rivers College, please contact Buddy or Cindy White at (573) 840-9639, or cwhite@trcc.edu.


What: Symphonic Band Concert
Where:Tinnin Fine Arts Center, Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff
When: Tuesday, May 12 @ 7 p.m.

A SMT News Report

POPLAR BLUFF, Mo. – Three River’s president is staying in Southeast Missouri.

The college Board of Trustees met this week and agreed to terms that will extend his contract through 2015. The extension of his contract at the Southeast Missouri community college is contingent upon withdrawing of his name as a nominated candidate for the presidency at Daytona State College in Daytona Beach, Fla.

An official vote will be taken during regular session at the May 18 board meeting.

“I feel Dr. Stephenson has been a very valuable asset to the college ever since he came on board,” said Phil Davis, a trustee from Doniphan who sat on the Presidential Search Committee that hired Stephenson. “He is very well-liked in the community and throughout the state. He does an excellent job of helping us find funding, such as the $4 million he’s secured through external grants and other sources, which is crucial this day and age. I think the future of his presidency will bring a tremendous period of growth for the college. Because Dr. Stephenson and the board share the same vision of where the college is headed, I believe we will accomplish great things.”

“The Board and I have mutually agreed that our work at Three Rivers College must continue and that even more exciting times are ahead for the college,” said Stephenson. “This four-year contract extension will allow us to further the work we began in 2009. The next few years will be very challenging as we continue to grow, expand capacity, and build partnerships. Most important will be the college’s positioning in higher education in this state and region, and the building of new facilities that will help us meet the future educational and training demands of Southeast Missouri.”

Members of the TRC board, faculty, community members and those involved with community colleges in the state have praised Stephenson and his work at Three Rivers.

“Dr. Stephenson brought a student-first philosophy to Three Rivers, and the board feels that this is important to continue,” said Board Chair Wilbur Thornton. “Under Dr. Stephenson’s leadership, we have kept tuition as low as possible, while expanding opportunities for our students and maintaining our high-quality education standards. We have put the keys to the front door of success into the hands of students who would not normally have them.”

Stephenson is recognized for forging a record number of partnerships that have resulted in more than $5 million worth of donations, including 40 acres of prime real estate in Sikeston, in addition to other land, buildings and equipment. In February of 2011, the college received its largest endowed scholarship, a gift of $236,000 from the Blue family.

“Dr. Stephenson’s vision has widespread support throughout the district,” said Doug Libla, of Libla Industries and Mid Continent Nail. “Many citizens and community leaders throughout Southeast Missouri have been drawn together to promote and build this great opportunity for educating our youth, and for furthering economic development that will provide many years of growth. The Presidential Search Committee did a wonderful job of identifying and bringing a great and tireless leader to Three Rivers.”

"Three Rivers has never been perceived in a more positive light, and the credit for this goes to Dr. Stephenson and his administration," said Trustee Marion Tibbs, who was chairman of the board this past year. “Dr. Stephenson is focused on building the community’s confidence in the college and this has led to the many successes we are achieving. He is one of those individuals who comes along once in the lifetime of a college."

Despite the economic downturn, the college continues to grow, and has experienced a 22 percent increase in enrollment since Stephenson became president in the summer of 2009. Programs have been expanded to increase opportunities for students. This includes full AA degrees available at Sikeston, Kennett, Malden, and Cape Girardeau; a full AA degree available entirely online; and high-demand, quality training available through Three Rivers’ new Public Safety Institute and Nursing and Allied Health Center. Community partnerships nurtured by Stephenson have also resulted in the opening of the Center at Dexter.

Stephenson has also succeeded in building the college's reserve fund from $2.3 million to more than $4 million, the largest contingency balance in the history of the college. Through the work of the Three Rivers Endowment Trust (also created under Stephenson’s leadership), the college is preparing to launch a multi-million dollar capital campaign to raise funds for additional classrooms and campus facilities both in Poplar Bluff and Sikeston. Additionally, Stephenson has been praised by the Board of Trustees for controlling costs and increasing revenue through the use of a zero-based budgeting model, while at the same time maintaining the college’s reputation for high-quality educational programs.

Stephenson has received praise and recognition from both Three Rivers faculty and higher education professionals across the country. The Alabama native was one of a select group invited to attend a U.S. Department of Education Summit on Community Colleges in San Diego, Calif., earlier this year.

“I was very glad to hear that Three Rivers’ board has renewed Dr. Devin Stephenson’s contract,” said Zora Mulligan, Executive Director of the Missouri Community College Association. “During his time at Three Rivers, Dr. Stephenson has shown that he really cares about community colleges and the students who attend them – both in southeast Missouri and at the statewide level. He has built truly remarkable relationships with community leaders, legislative advocates, and higher education colleagues. Those relationships will allow him to continue his work to take Three Rivers to the next level.”

“With his leadership and inspiration, Dr. Stephenson has changed everything here, and in a good way,” said Stan Cunningham, a retiring Three Rivers math instructor. “He has breathed life into all of us, and we are all better for it. A leader is a pathfinder. Dr. Stephenson has always seen the path, and now the rest of us can see it, too.”

“Change is difficult and necessary,” said Dr. Mary Lou Brown, Division Chair for Business, Education, Math, Science and Technology at Three Rivers. “Being a leader in the twenty-first century requires courage and a willingness to change. Dr. Stephenson has demonstrated both of those things, and is leading our already-strong institution into the future. You can’t just sit on the train tracks. You have to decide to get on the train, or get out of the way. Three Rivers, its students, and this community are all definitely on the train.”

“This is a renaissance time for the college,” said Stephenson. “Judy and I are eagerly anticipating four more great years of success working with the outstanding team members at the college and with our many partners in this region.”