Submitted by Jill Temples
SMT Writer
Columbia, Missouri- The University of Missouri has received an estate commitment of $1 million to create the Col. Dwight B. Schannep U.S. Army Air Corps Veterans Scholarship Fund, which will support full academic scholarships for MU students who are military veterans. This gift was committed to create opportunities for future veterans to pursue higher education and help transition from their military time defending their country to being successful citizens and helping build a better America. The donors, who requested to have their identities remain confidential, did not attend MU as students but chose the school for this gift to honor Missouri native Col. Dwight Schannep, the positive impact of the MU Veterans Center, and MU’s excellent national academic reputation and Midwestern values.
“We chose Mizzou because many veterans are from Midwestern states, and Columbia would not be far from home for them,” the donors said. “Second, veterans can study almost anything at MU and prepare to become engineers, teachers, doctors, or just about anything they want to be. Finally, we chose MU because of its academic excellence, notably the School of Journalism, which we’d expect would attract veterans from all over America who want to become journalists. We hope this gift will enable veterans who’ve served our country to study at a great school to prepare for the rest of their lives after military service. Scholarship recipients may be 21-year-old enlisted service members working for a first degree, 25-year-old officers wanting to become physicians or journalists, or 45-year-old (young) retirees aiming at second careers in fields such as teaching. We also want to honor the service of a veteran like Col. Schannep by having his name live forever.”
The donors, one of whom is a military veteran, believe veterans receiving this scholarship will find Col. Schannep’s life inspiring and worthy of honor. He was born and raised in Versailles, Missouri, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and began a career of service in the U.S. Army Air Corps. Schannep fought in World War II, along with much of the Greatest Generation, and served with distinction away from his family for almost the entire war. He then passed away tragically in a military airplane crash shortly after the war.
For veterans who receive this scholarship in the future, as well as all MU student veterans, the nationally recognized MU Veterans Center will help meet their needs, answer questions and provide resources, including academic advisement, mentoring, tutoring, and support with financial and personal issues. The center also provides assistance for families during deployments, coordinates a network of health professionals with expertise in addressing the needs of veterans, and runs a network of social support groups among MU veterans. Carol Fleisher, director of the MU Veterans Center, says this gift will go a long way in helping veterans transition to lives outside of the military.
“Almost six years ago, MU decided to make our campus military friendly by creating a full-service Veterans Center that our veterans could call their own,” Fleisher said. “We accomplished this goal, but we were still missing an important piece – scholarships for veterans. The Col. Dwight B. Schannep U.S. Army Air Corps Veterans Scholarship Fund will provide that missing piece and become the cornerstone for our work. I want to thank the donors for their gift, and especially thank them for honoring Col. Dwight B. Schannep. He must have been a wonderful soul to have inspired those he left behind to create this gift. The MU Veterans Center will continue to honor him by caring for those men and women who follow in his footsteps.”
MU Chancellor Brady Deaton believes this gift will be instrumental in furthering the university’s goals of honoring and respecting those who have protected the freedoms of all Americans.
“We are very thankful to the donors for this generous gift,” Deaton said. “This gift will enhance opportunities to advance MU’s mission of education by honoring and rewarding MU students who have served our country. We take pride in the way we recognize our student veterans through the MU Veterans Center and other student programs across campus, and this gift will allow MU to further this noble cause.”
Written by
Beth Farrah, SMT Writer
Essex, Missouri - The Rebels in the elementary school have been celebrating National Young Readers week all week. On Monday, they were read to by their teachers and other students on their Myon Read-Alouds. On Tuesday, they participated in Read and Feed, which included story time while eating popcorn and drinking soda and the kindergarteners even got a quick visit from their guest reader JoJo the Clown! On Wednesday, the students put on their Western themed clothes and Rounded Up a Good Book. Today, the students got to enjoy relaxing lantern-lit reading time out in the hallway for Curl Up with a Good Book.
The ceiling was draped in lights and Chinese lanterns as the students gathered below with their flashlights, lanterns, and favorite books. The students were able to wear their pajamas and bring their favorite blankets to snuggle up with. In honor of the camping scene, the students got to cook s’mores and lay in their sleeping bags during story time.
The students enjoyed this week’s activities and look forward to the play performances done tomorrow by the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders which will officially wrap up National Young Readers Week for 2013.
Photo above taken by Makayla Wake, Yearbook Staff Member for The Rebel.
Dexter, Missouri - Three Rivers College will hold a Career Expo from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, November 21, at Three Rivers’ Center at Dexter. The Expo will offer area residents the opportunity to talk with over 20 representatives of Three Rivers’ career education programs about the benefits and career opportunities offered at Three Rivers.
“What I want to show people at the Expo is that coming to Three Rivers is about helping people get better jobs and improve their lives,” said Bill Hampton, Director of the Center at Dexter. “I believe we have something for everyone who’s looking to make that change in their lives. This event will showcase opportunities for people across Southeast Missouri.”
Among the career tracks represented will be Three Rivers’ Nursing, LPN, EMT, and Paramedic programs; Fire Science and the Missouri Sheriff’s Association Training Academy; and the Industrial Science program. Information will also be available on the college’s Business, Education, Social Work, and Science degrees. College staff will be on hand to talk about support programs for new students, financial aid, registration, and honors programs.
The Expo will also have opportunities for attendees to speak to representatives from local employers such as Pepsi and Wal-Mart. Hannibal-LaGrange University and Central Methodist University will have staff on hand to talk about bachelor’s degree completion options.
Registration is now open for Spring semester and Winter Session classes at Three Rivers. For information on how to apply to become a student at Three Rivers, visit trcc.edu/admissions or call 573-840-9605. For more information on the Career Expo, call the Center at Dexter at 614-1081.
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu
Written by
Beth Farrah, SMT Writer
Essex, Missouri – Today was Class and Club Meeting Day at Richland High School and as the holiday season inches closer, the local clubs and organizations have been discussing different charitable community projects that they would like to participate in.
Currently, the Richland High School Beta Club is preparing for their annual Missouri State Beta Convention held in Branson, Missouri. They have been holding different fundraisers such as selling Java Joe’s Coffee and other warm beverages and participating in their annual magazine selling fundraiser.
Now that the beginning of the year fundraisers are over, the Richland Betas are focusing more on their service projects. Service projects and helping others is the core of Beta. The club’s motto is “Lead by serving others” and each member takes that to heart.
During this busy holiday season, the Richland Betas decided to raise money and help donate to Wreaths Across America, an organization that provides wreaths on the graves of fallen American soldiers during the winter months. Although the organization is nationwide, Richland’s donations will go to the Veterans Cemetery in Bloomfield. The Betas are currently raising money by participating in the Penny Wars. The class that has the most positive points will receive a pizza party and one class from both the high school and elementary school will be chosen for this. To stop the other classes from gaining more positive points, students can drop dollar bills or silver coins into the buckets, which count as negative points while dropping pennies will count as positives. Currently, the seventh grade is in first place for the high school with the freshmen in second place.
The Beta Club’s goal for this year’s Wreaths Across America fundraiser is to be able to help purchase at least fifteen wreaths. The Penny Wars will end next Friday, November 22nd. So, make sure to bring your pennies, Rebels!
During the monthly Beta meeting today, the art room was full of Christmas cards and Christmas card makers. The Betas recently decided that as another winter service project, they would be creating Christmas cards to send to soldiers that will unfortunately not be home for the holidays. The organization Holiday Mail for Heroes works through the Red Cross to provide servicemen and women Christmas cards. The Betas had fun using scrapbook stickers, cut outs, stamps, and designing their own cards to send to the soldiers.
The next Beta Club activity will take place on the last day of school before Thanksgiving Break (Tuesday, November 26th). The Betas will be hosting a Leadership Convention in the gymnasium, which will be open for all students to attend.
Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Three Rivers College’s Department of Nursing and Allied Health will host a Health Fair for community members from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, November 15 in the Bess Activity Center on the college’s Poplar Bluff Campus. The event will feature health screenings, informational sessions, and nutrition/fitness information, and is free to the public.
Representatives from the Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center and Gamma Healthcare, along with Three Rivers nursing students, will be on hand to perform free health screenings such as blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol checks. Attendees will also have the opportunity to have medication questions answered by an expert from the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.
“Getting early testing for conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease is critical to maintaining a long and healthy life,” said Staci Campbell, Department Chair of Nursing and Allied Health. “We’re glad to be able to partner with local healthcare providers to allow area residents to get the screening and information they need for free.”
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.
