CAPE GIRARDEAU - The Southeast Missouri State University Board of Regents Tursday approved $29 million in System Facilities Revenue Bonds Series 2011B, the proceeds of which will be used to help fund construction of a new residence hall on the north end of campus and a new chiller and boiler plant at the Show Me Center complex.

Total cost of the entire project is estimated at $30.9 million. The net bond proceeds will cover $27 million of the project. The remaining funds will come from one-time dollars released after previous bond reserve requirements changed, existing reserves the University has from changing its power plant operations, maintenance and repair general fees and incidental fee revenue generated from enrollment increases, said Kathy Mangels, vice president for finance and administration.

In October, the Board approved a contract for architectural and engineering services to design a 262-bed residence hall on the north end of campus. The Regents also authorized the University to arrange for structuring and issuing bonds to finance the project.

Dr. Bruce Skinner, director of Residence Life, said the building will provide a suite-style residence hall on the north end of campus and will be very convenient for students taking classes in the science complex and business classes in Robert A. Dempster Hall. The new residence hall also will offer convenient access for residents wishing to use the Student Recreation Center-North.

The new residence hall is expected to open in fall 2013 on an existing parking lot on the east side of Greek Drive, adjacent to the football practice field. The site will include tiered surface parking spaces directly north of the new hall and on the east side of Greek Drive, and will result in about 75 new parking spaces.

The new residence hall will feature common recreation and laundry facilities, an outdoor patio area and suite style learning communities. Site work is expected to begin next spring, Mangels said.

The new residence hall will be served by the north chiller plant which provides chilled water for air conditioning for about 1.1 million square feet of academic, administrative and residence hall space on the north end of campus. Mangels says the north chiller plant does not have capacity, though, to absorb the load of the new residence hall without major modifications.

To this end, the Board approved building a new 1,000-ton chiller and boiler plant at the Show Me Center complex, which includes the Show Me Center, Student Recreation Center-North and the Student Aquatic Center. The new plant will provide cooling redundancy for both the north loop and the Show Me Center complex and eliminate inefficiencies in delivering steam to the Show Me Center complex, Mangels said.

By separating the Show Me Center complex from the north loop, the north chiller plant can serve the new residence hall without upgrades and have excess capacity to provide redundancy for the north loop, she said.

Natural gas hot water heaters will be installed, as well, to serve the Show Me Center complex. These will eliminate the need to pipe steam across New Madrid Street and should result in annual utility savings.

Mangels said the new chiller plant building footprint will allow for the addition of another chiller to accommodate potential future construction north of New Madrid Street. Construction of a new chiller and boiler plant at the Show Me Center complex is estimated at $6.2 million, which is included in the $30.9 total project cost.

Outstanding Students

The Dexter Elks Lodge sponsors the Student of the Month program, recognizing outstanding students in Stoddard County schools. Larry White, Dexter Elks Lodge member, presents certificates and $50 savings bands to Dexter seniors Brandon Moore, son of Steve and Jana Moore, and to Rosa Lara, daughter of Rodolfo and Maria Lara. Branda and Lara are competing with honorees from other county schools for the Dexter Elks Lodge Students of the Year. Both students, along with their parents and high school counselor, Judy Patterson, will be honors at a banquet to be held at the Dexter Elks Lodge later next spring. The Elks Students of the Year will be announced at that banquet. (Photo submitted by Larry & Carol White on behalf of the Dexter Elks Lodge. Thanks!)

All-State Band

Five Dexter High School Band students were successful recently in earning All-State honors. Recognized were (from left)

• Joseph Greer: first alternate, piano, All-State Jazz Band;
• Shelby Chappell: call-back, bassoon, All-State Band;
  
• Lauren Dudley: second chair, alto clarinet, All State Band; honorable mention, baritone sax, All State Jazz Band;
  
• Alex Rybolt: third chair trombone, All-State Jazz Band and call back for All-State Band
• Brandon Moore: second chair tenor sax, All-State Band; second chair tenor sax All-State Jazz Band ; and second chair alto sax, All-State Jazz Band.

The five students are all members of the Dexter High School Band under the direction of Scott Rybolt. (ShowMe Times photo by Annabeth Miller)

You could call Trai Sidney a “Math wiz”.

Trai is a sixth grade student at Dexter’s T.S. Hill Middle School and has excelled in a new mathematics program called Apangea Math. 

In Apeangea Math students are able to use a computer and with the help of an "avatar", do a ‘load’ of math problems.  If they need help, their "teacher" on the computer screen gives them hints.  

Students move at their own speed and are able to earn points, which can be exchanged for prizes.  

Trai recently earned enough points to receive a FREE T-shirt in the mail. He is the first Dexter middle school student to "cash in" on a prize.  

According to Middle School Principal Scott Kruse, Apangea is a web-based math program that students can access from school or home.

“Trai earned over 30,000 points doing Apangea lessons during class and at home,” Kruse said. Most of Trai’s points were earned outside of school.

Kruse said that middle school students have solved more than 26,000 math problems since October using Apangea.

This program provides individualized math tutoring by taking students through lessons.  

Students work at their own pace and have access to on-line tutors if they need additional help.

As students make progress they earn "Apangea Points" which they can redeem for T-Shirts and gift cards (gift cards are available from retailers like Amazon, Macy's, Pizza Hut, iTunes, and others).

Photo Above: Trai holds the t-shirt he received from points he earned in the Apangea Math program. Trai is a sixth grade student at T.S. Hill Middle School in Dexter. (Photo courtesy T.S. Hill Middle School)