By Annabeth Miller, SMT Editor
It was a day to huddle around a pair of barbecue grills, not crack the books or take a quiz.
But for the young women and men of the Dexter Chapter of Future Farmers of America, it was also a day to show their appreciation of the faculty and administrators at Dexter High School.
The FFA Chapter held a “shop barbecue” lunch recently, with students working at the barbecue grills, cleaning up the Ag Shop, setting up tables and chairs, and playing hosts to the school’s faculty and administrators.
Teachers went through the barbecue line during the regular lunch shirts at DHS. Several administrators, including Supt. Dr. Thomas Sharp and assistant superintendents Dr. Kim Flowers and Dr. Roger Alsup also attended the luncheon.
The FFA members prepared hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken and “all the fixin’s”. One FFA member even prepared special FFA Cupcakes – complete with FFA Blue icing and gold piping on top.
The chicken was donated to the barbecue by Tyson in Dexter, traditionally strong supporters of the DHS Future Farmers program.
FFA Advisor Ronnie Shipman said the FFA Chapter tries to hold barbecue lunches twice during the school year – in the fall and again in the spring.
The local FFA group had a prize-winning float this fall in the Stoddard County Fair Parade, a number of members who won prizes at the fair, and recently held Parents Night and awarded the Greenhand Degree to 33 members and the FFA Chapter Degree to 20.
Photo Above: FFA member JT Putnam greets his mom, Laura, and the chapter's recently luncheon. (SMT Photo by Annabeth Miller)
ShowMe Times Gallery
CAPE GIRARDEAU —“Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold” will bring a night of laughter and suspense to Southeast Missouri State University’s River Campus Dec. 11.
The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall.
“Sister’s Christmas Catechism: The Mystery of the Magi’s Gold” was written by Maripat Donovan, author of the hilarious “Late Nite Catechism,” with the help of Jane Morris and Marc Silvia.
The play follows Sister’s quest to answer the age-long question: What happened to the Magi’s gold? Her investigation of the situation is highly comical and will leave the audience laughing in their seats. She uses her own scientific tools and the assistance of the local choir as well as some audience members to solve the mystery, creating a living nativity unlike any seen before.
“After last years’ presentation of the original ‘Late Nite Catechism,’ which received a rousing response from the Cape Girardeau audience, we had more requests to bring back ‘Sister’ than we have ever had for any other show,” said Bob Cerchio, assistant director at the River Campus. “When dozens upon dozens of people say, ‘Bring her back!’ – well, you bring her back.”
Tickets
Tickets may be purchased by contacting the River Campus Box Office, located in the Cultural Arts Center, 518 S. Fountain St., weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., by calling (573) 651-2265, or online at RiverCampusEvents.com.
FULTON– The past year has seen a large number of students flocking to their local community colleges for their associate’s degrees or to work on their general education requirements before transferring to state or private four-year colleges. The answer to the unspoken question of why, is the cost.
According to College Board, the average price of a private four-year college is $27,293 per year, while public two-year institutions charge about $2,713 per year. With incomes stagnant and reductions in federal and private financial aid, many students are saving money where they can.
Tiffany Bounds, a May 2011 William Woods University social work graduate, was one such student. She attended Moberly Area Community College for a year and then transferred to WWU to complete her degree.
“I was able to get my common studies out of the way, so that I could focus on my major when I got to William Woods. Going to MACC first allowed me to graduate without any student loans at all,” she said.
As a result of this move towards transferring, William Woods University has begun a campus-wide initiative to streamline the transfer process.
“There are more students going to community colleges, but many of them still want a four-year degree, so we want to make it as easy for them as possible." Bonnie Carr, WWU academic advising director, explained.
This move towards simplicity includes
- adding more articulation agreements with community colleges,
- adding a page to the university’s new website specifically tailored to the needs of transfer students,
- reaching out to community college students and
- allowing accepted/deposited transfer students to register for classes with their graduating class, instead of separately.
Articulation agreements have always been a feature of the university, but there is now a concentrated effort to sign these agreements with colleges that offer associate’s degrees in WWU’s specialties. The idea of an articulation agreement is that students get their associate’s degree at another college and then transfer to WWU, follow an outlined schedule of courses and receive their bachelor’s degree in two additional years.
WWU currently has eight articulation agreements with community colleges, notably with Scottsdale Community College for equestrian science, Johnson County Community College for ASL interpreting and Linn State Technical College for business and management information systems.
“What is really going to make the difference to transfer students is the webpage that goes up in December, and the way admissions is reaching out to transfer students,” said Tom Frankman, associate dean of academic services.
According to Sarah Munns, dean of admissions at WWU, the new web page will make the transfer process more student-friendly.
“It’s going to include everything from a condensed form of the articulation agreements, information about the enrollment and registration process to housing options,” Munns said.
WWU’s admissions staff is also reaching out i to members of Phi Theta Kappa, an honor society for two-year college students.
The most immediate difference transfer students will see is in the class registration process. Starting with registration for fall 2012, transfer students who have been accepted, completed their paperwork and paid their deposits will be able to register with other students in their graduating class.
Making the transfer process more student-friendly will be an ongoing initiative as the university makes more information available to prospective transfer students and is able to reach more students in community colleges.
“WWU is thinking about the transfer process as a holistic approach and in doing so I am confident the attention to detail within all offices will lessen the stress of students who are transferring,” Munns said.
POPLAR BLUFF - The Civil War will be the focus of a special concert at Three Rivers College featuring the three outstanding musical groups.
The Three Rivers Department of Music will present a Civil War Tribute Concert on Tuesday, Dec. 6 featuring the college’s Symphonic Band, Collegiate Choir and special guests the Heartland Wins and Percussion Ensemble. The concert will begin at 7 p.m. in the Tinnin Fine Art Center on the TRC campus in Poplar Bluff.
Three Rivers College students, high school students, and community musicians will unite for a band, choir and wind ensemble concert on Tuesday, Dec. 6 at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center. The concert will begin at 7 p.m., with performances by the Three Rivers College Symphonic Band, Collegiate Choir, the Heartland Winds and Percussion Ensemble, and high school choir students from the surrounding area.
William T. White, instructor of music at Three Rivers, will conduct the Symphonic Band. The band includes Three Rivers’ students, community musicians and area high school students. Cindy J. White will conduct the Three Rivers Collegiate Choir. The Heartland Winds and Percussion Ensemble from Cape Girardeau is under the direction of Dr. Robert Gifford, Professor Emeritus of Music at Southeast Missouri State University.
“The focus of the concert is to present our tribute to the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War,” said William White. “This program will present wind, band and choir literature of the highest standard. Some of the most talented musicians in Southeast Missouri will take part in this concert.”
Local musicians who are members of the Three Rivers Symphonic Band include Corey Bennett, Adam Clark, Amberley Craig, Lauren Dudley, James Eldreth, Sarah Joiner, Kay Plummer, Lacey Midget, Scott Rybolt, David Simmons, all from Dexter; and Alex Holloway and Tiffanie Smith of Essex.
Area Three Rivers' students singing the the Collegiate Choir include Brandon Swindle, Shelle Killian, Landon Hall and Shawn Slavings, all of Dexter.
Gifford said the member of the Heartland ensemble are looking forward to performing again at Three Rivers.
“The ensemble is looking forward to performing again in December of 2011 in the beautiful Tinnin Fine Arts Center on the campus of Three Rivers College,” added Dr. Robert Gifford, director of the Heartland Winds and Percussion Ensemble.
The Three Rivers College Symphonic band will feature musical selections commemorating the 150th anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War. The program will include: “The Blue and the Gray” by Claire Grundman; “Washington Grays” by Clauduio S. Grafulla; “American Civil War Fantasy” by Jerry H. Bilik and “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by William Steffe, setting by Peter J.Wilhousky, arranged by James Neilson. The performance of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” will also feature the Collegiate Choir.
The band will also present the classic “Lincoln Portrait” by American composer Aaron Copland. Narration for the selection will be provided by the Rev. David Huck, a decorated Marine Corps veteran of the Vietnam War from Poplar Bluff.
The Heartland Wind and Percussion Ensemble will perform “Kirkpatrick Fanfare” by Andrew Boysen Jr; “Hymn Song for Sunday” by Don Gillis; “Harlequin” by Franco Cesarini; “The Path Ascending” by Rob Smith; “Funiculi-Funicula Rhapsody” by Luigi Denza and arranged by Yo Got; and “Cachucha-Galopp, op. 97” by Johann Strauss (Vater), arranged by Gustav Fischer.
Southeast Missouri area music educators, Southeast Missouri State University music faculty and other musicians who were seeking an outlet for their musical talents organized the Heartland Winds and Percussion ensemble in 2006. The group normally holds four or five rehearsals each year and presents a concert for junior high and high school participants of the Southeast Missouri Music Educators Association All-District Bands. Musical director and conductor of the ensemble is Robert M. Gifford, Professor Emeritus of Music at Southeast.
Admission will be free for the concert. For more information about the concert or music programs at Three Rivers College, please contact the Whites at (573) 840-9639, or wwhite@trcc.edu.
