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·‘Give Kids A Smile Day’ Did Just That At
The SIU/SDM
·Foreign Languages Department To Celebrate ‘Discover
Languages’
·Dog Sees God Opens Feb. 24 at SIUE's Dunham
Hall Theater
·EBR Writers Club To Share African-American
Life, Culture Feb. 16
·Summer ShowBiz 2010 Auditions Set
For Feb. 19 At SIUE
·NASA’s Voice Of Mars Probe Steve Squyres To
Speak At SIUE Feb. 17
·SIUE Grad From Milwaukee Recognized With Leadership
Award
·SIUE Small Business Development Center Forms Alliance
With ACCION
·SIUE Annual Black Theater Workshop Opens Feb. 19
At The Metcalf
·SIUE Celebrating Black Heritage Month During February
·East St. Louis Charter School Students Join Effort
For Haiti Victims
·SIUE’s STAT To Host Polar “Bare”
Fun Run for a Good Cause
·SIUE Nursing Instructor Doing Her Part To Educate
Caregivers
·SIUE Suzuki Strings Tour Group To Offer Trivia
Night Feb. 20
·“Journey Through Music” Recalls A Swingin’
Time—Feb. 20 At The ESLHEC
·Annual Antiques Show And Sale Set For March
13-14 At SIUE
(ALTON, Ill.) Free dental care—including examinations, X-rays, cleanings, fluoride treatments, fillings and extractions—were provided recently at the Give Kids A Smile Day at the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine. Children who are eligible for free and reduced-priced meal programs participated in the day, which drew nearly 70 children. Illinois Rep. Dan Beiser (D-East Alton) and Illinois Sen. Bill Haine (D-Alton) were both on hand to greet families and observe the SDM students, faculty and SDM alumni in action. According to Associate Professor Poonam Jain, who helped coordinate the event, the children received more than $28,000 in treatment at no charge. Also participating were some 150 volunteers from Lewis and Clark Community College, Missouri College and the SIU Edwardsville Kimmel Leadership Center. Give Kids a Smile Day is a national event sponsored by the American Dental Association to provide free dental treatment for underserved children.
Photos suitable for print are available: Photo 1—a group of volunteers wore colorful costumes for the children at the “Smile Station” as they awaited treatment; Photo 2—Dr. Keith Dickey, director of Continuing Education and Alumni Relations for the SDM; Dr. Jain (director of Community and Preventive Dentistry for the SDM; Dr. Cornell Thomas (assistant dean at the SDM for Admissions and Student Services; Dr. Ann Boyle, dean of the School; and Sen. Haine took time to chat. Photo 3—Scott Bietsch, a fourth-year student at the SDM, helps one of the youngsters who participated. (SIUE Photos by Denise Macdonald)
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Department of Foreign Languages and Literature is celebrating Discover Languages Month in February by playing host to activities for and by students. According to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages campaign—Discover Languages, Discover the World—the purpose of the celebration in February is to raise awareness among students and the university community about the importance of learning foreign languages and focusing on various cultures so that students may be better prepared to cultivate stronger international skills.
The schedule of activities includes:
Feb. 10—11 a.m.-1 p.m.—Information tables in the lobby of Peck Hall will focus on Chinese New Year, the Year of the Tiger. Sponsored by the Asian Studies Minor program and the Department of Foreign Languages and Literature, students will introduce customs associated with the Chinese New Year and various “hands-on” aspects of Chinese language and culture including calligraphy, paper crafts and a brief gongfu demo and clinic. Presentations will be made by SIUE Chinese language students as well as Assistant Professor Tom Lavallee and instructor Xiaoli Loveridge, and Edwardsville resident Shifu Tom Englert.
Feb. 17—3 p.m.-Plasma Lounge (PH2310)—Catherine Xavier, Foreign Language Training Center graduate assistant and School of Business master’s student will speak about “India: A Plethora of Languages and Cultures.”
Feb. 19—1 p.m.-Peck Hall 2304—Argentinean writer Paula Varsavsky will speak about “Patriarchy and Dictatorship: The Challenges for a Female Writer in Argentina Today.” Hosted by Assistant Professor Olga Bezhanova, of the Foreign Languages and Literature faculty, Bezhanova’s students are reading Ms. Varsavsky’s work in class this semester. The talk promises to be of interest to the University community in general and particularly for students of Spanish as well as students in Latin American Studies, Women’s Studies and Creative Writing programs.
Feb. 24—3 p.m.—Plasma Lounge—Elizabeth Killingbeck, a recent Foreign Languages and Literature graduate, will speak about “From St. Louis to Saint-Louis: A Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship in Saint-Louis, Senegal,” a presentation about her travel study experience in Senegal.
Other activities planned for Discover Languages Month include:
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Have you ever wondered about young comic strip characters?
Many of them never grow up; they are teenagers stuck in adolescence for years
and years or they are introduced as tiny infants but then never age even though
a decade has flown by. Why is that?
A few years ago, playwright Bert Royal decided to try and answer that question
for himself. He wrote Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead,
a comedy that uses thinly veiled references to the characters in Peanuts,
the late Charles Schultz’s beloved comic strip about well known youngsters
who are now teen-agers in Royal’s comic world.
Audiences will see for themselves when Dog Sees God opens in the theater
at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Katherine Dunham Hall at
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, continuing at the same time Thursday through Saturday,
Feb. 25-27, and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 28.
The New York Times had this to say about the play: “Royal’s
scenario is a welcome antidote to the notion that the Peanuts gang provides
merely a slice of American cuteness, perfect for Hallmark cards or Broadway
musicals. For while there are plenty of winks to fans, the spirit of the play
has as much in common with Peanuts as it does with the view of high school
as a Darwinian hell.”
Director Chuck Harper, professor of theater and dance at SIUE and head of the
department’s performance area, agrees. “If you love Peanuts,
this show is a total joy,” Harper said, “but, if there is someone
out there who hasn’t heard of the comic strip, this show still stands on
its own as a comedy about the problems of teen-agers in the real world.”
Harper points out that for the true Peanuts fan there are these “aha”
moments where we recognize one of Royal’s characters as a Schultz character
but grown up. Harper says he enjoys the play on several levels but he said what
appealed to him when he first read it was the placing of these idyllic characters
in situations that they would be in as teenagers. “It’s the classic
setup,” Harper contends. “What would they be like? What kind of problems
would they be encountering if they were suddenly teenagers?
“I've also enjoyed watching how my cast relates to these characters. After
all, they themselves are at an age where they are not all that far removed from
being young teens.” Harper also believes the themes are brought together
with a cohesive thread. “There's a great moment when Beethoven (Schroeder)
doesn’t recognize the others as the same people he knew as youngsters.
“Beethoven talks about how he’s disappointed that they don’t
seem to be his friends anymore. Haven’t we all experienced that? We grow
up with a group of friends but suddenly they can’t relate to you, or vice-versa,
any more. I think that's a universal theme.”
The play opens with the news that CB’s (guess who) dog has been put to
sleep for killing Woodstock. This creates a situation in which CB begins a journey
toward maturity. “He is suddenly looking for answers in life,” Harper
said. CB is suddenly forced to look at his friends and see what they’re
really like. “This show has a great heart,” Harper said. “CB’s
journey through this play is about him asking himself if he wants to continue
being their friend. We really see an assertive CB, much different than he is
in Schultz’s world, calling people out about what they’re doing. “He
has a very compelling conversation with Van’s sister (Lucy) who has been
placed in a psych ward because she tried to set fire to the hair of the Little
Red Headed Girl. It’s very telling.”
Aside from all the underlying meanings, Dog Sees God is a great comedy.
“Bert Royal really can write a funny punch line,” Harper said. “It’s
all very comical.”
Tickets for Dog Sees God: Confessions of a Teenage Blockhead are $10; senior citizens, SIUE faculty-staff, and non-SIUE students, $8; SIUE students with a valid Cougar ID, no admission courtesy of the SIUE Office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs. For tickets or more information, call the SIUE Fine Arts box office, (618) 650-2774, or, toll free, (888) 328-5168, x2774.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Many paths lead to Black History, including “Poetry
& Allied Arts As Paths To Ancient/Recent Black History,” to be offered
at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 16, in Room 2083, Bldg. B, on the East St. Louis Higher
Education Campus, 601 J.R. Thompson Drive, East St. Louis. Members of the Eugene
B. Redmond Writers Club, affiliated with the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Department of English Language and Literature, will employ poetry and allied
expression to share African-American life and culture at the free program, which
will include reflections on African oral literatures, early Black American folk/written
expressions, Civil Rights songs and writings, the Black Arts-Black Power Movement,
Black Women’s literary activism and other creations that follow the “long
haul of Black History.”
Panelists at the Feb. 16 event will include Roscoe “Ros” Crenshaw,
Susan “Spit-Fire” Lively, Charlois Lumpkin, Patricia Merritt, Darlene
Roy, Treasure Williams, Jaye Willis and EBR Writers Club namesake Eugene B.
Redmond, SIUE professor emeritus of English Language and Literature. Participants
also will read from their works.
An "open mic" segment, moderated by Roy, and a book signing by Club members will conclude the evening. For more information about the EBR Writers Club or area cultural-literary activities, call the SIUE Department of English Language and Literature, (618) 650-3991, or write the group, P.O. Box 6165, East St. Louis, IL 62201, or by e-mail: eredmon@siue.edu.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Auditions for all ages for Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville’s Summer ShowBiz 2010 theater season are set for Friday,
Feb. 19, in SIUE’s Dunham Hall. For a musical theater part, participants
must prepare 16-32 bars of a show tune; bring sheet music. For a non-musical
role, prepare a one minute monologue. Call backs will take place Saturday, Feb.
20. To reserve an audition time, call (618) 650-2773 or drop by the Department
of Theater and Dance in Dunham Hall.
The three Summer ShowBiz 2010 productions are:
Summer Showbiz is a summer production program that has been offered by the SIUE Department of Theater and Dance for more than 30 years.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill) “Spirit and Opportunity” have always been prominent in the life of Steve Squyres, the NASA scientist best known as the face and voice of the Mars exploration mission including the pioneering and spectacular drive across the Red Planet’s surface by two high-tech robotic rovers. As the acclaimed scientist and principal investigator of NASA’s Mars Exploration Program from 1988 to 2004 when the mission came to fruition, Squyres will be on campus as part of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Arts & Issues series Feb. 17, with a theme of “Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity and the Exploration of the Red Planet.” He will appear at 7:30 p.m. that Wednesday in Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of SIUE’s Morris University Center.
This event is part of the SIUE Physics Department’s William C. Shaw Lecture
Series, sponsored by the William C. Shaw Memorial Fund.
Squyres, who currently is the Goldwin Smith Professor of Astronomy at Cornell
University, will detail to the Arts & Issues audience how he turned
what seemed like an improbable dream into a successful $800 million reality.
He will discuss the risks taken, the mistakes made and how the project’s
goals were ultimately achieved. Arts & Issues series Coordinator
Grant Andree says he is excited about Squyres’ presentation. “During
Steve’s appearance Feb. 17, the audience will enjoy never before seen photos
of the Mars surface taken by those rovers,” Andree said. “Our patrons
may recall how similar NASA photos ignited a firestorm of interest in space
exploration at the time of the mission.
“If you’ve never seen NASA’s Mars photos before, you are in
for a visual treat.” In addition to his teaching duties at Cornell, Squyres
has served as chair of the NASA Space Science Advisory Committee and participated
in many of NASA’s exploration missions. By applying his experience from
the Mars mission in the corporate world, Squyres provides fresh approaches to
managing large teams, working together under pressure and operating effectively
in unpredictable environments.
Tickets for “Roving Mars: Spirit, Opportunity and the Exploration of the Red Planet” are $27; SIUE employees and retirees, as well as all senior citizens, $25; SIUE students, $13. Ticket information, subscription rates and ticket sales are available on the Web site: artsandissues.com, or by calling (618) 650-5774.
A photo of Steve Squyres suitable for print is available.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Jeremy Peissig of Milwaukee, who graduated in December
with a bachelor’s in international business from the Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville School of Business, recently was honored with the Enterprise
Rent-A-Car Foundation Student Leader of the Semester Award. The award recognizes
SIUE business students who are nominated by student organizations for outstanding
participation and responsibility. Peissig’s award recognizes his work in
his final semester at SIUE as president of Emerging Leaders Influencing Through
Experience (ELITE), a student organization that strives to foster relationships
with fellow business majors as well as SIUE administrators and alumni.
Peissig was chosen for this award "because of his hard work and dedication
to ELITE,” while achieving numerous accomplishments last semester including
his representation of business students at various events such as the Dean’s
Society Dinner and SIUE Preview. He also was instrumental in organizing a “Welcome
Back BBQ” for returning students, organizing T-shirt sales, organizing
a membership drive for ELITE and also re-opening the third-floor student lounge
in SIUE’s Founders Hall. The award carries with it a $100 stipend and certificate.
In addition, Peissig will be recognized at a reception later this spring semester
that will honor all Enterprise Rent-A-Car award recipients.
Peissig has worked on projects aimed at ELITE’s two initiatives—acting
as a liaison between students, faculty and alumni, and working to develop professionally
outside of the classroom. Peissig organized a “Lunch & Learn”
program and corporate information hours, as well as participated in the School
of Business Open House and orientation sessions. His commitment to the organization
ensured a smooth leadership transition for ELITE upon his graduation.
The SIUE School of Business is among an elite 5 percent of business schools worldwide that have earned prestigious accreditation from AACSB-I). The accounting program at SIUE also has AACSB-I accreditation, among only 11 percent of business schools in the United States and Canada to hold that distinction.
A photo is available of Jeremy receiving his award recognition: From left in the photo of the ceremony are Steven C. Talbott, talent acquisition manager with Enterprise Holdings; Peissig; Lee Lewis Jr., community relations manager with Enterprise Rent-A-Car; and SIUE School of Business Dean Gary Giamartino. (SIUE Photo by Denise Macdonald)
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, operated by the SIUE School of Business in East St. Louis and Edwardsville, has announced formation of an alliance with ACCION USA—known as a leader in U.S. microfinance. According to SBDC Director Kwa Mister, ACCION USA will be used by his office as a referral partner to provide access to capital, as well as business technical assistance and financial education to underserved small business owners in the region. “With this partnership we sought to bring more resources to Southwestern Illinois,” Mister said, “in an effort to develop and support the growth of small business throughout the region.
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”ACCION USA “empowers low-to-moderate income business owners so that
potential successful entrepreneurs—often minorities including women—can
build assets, better provide for their families, create employment and strengthen
communities,” Mister pointed out. Since its inception in 1991, ACCION USA
has provided more than $119 million in small business loans, ranging from $500
to $50,000, offered nationwide via the ACCION USA on-line lending platform.
For more information about small business loans, call the SBDC at the East St. Louis office, (618) 482-8330, or the Edwardsville office, (618) 650-2929, or visit the SBDC Web site: www.siue.edu/business/sbdc, or the ACCION USA Web site: www.accionusa.org.
The Illinois Small Business Development Center is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Black Theater Workshop of Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville will present The Journey to Freedom, a production by students
who wrote or selected the material to be performed. SIUE students Curtis Lewis
and Sharaina Turnage are serving as production coordinators for the show; the
faculty advisor for the workshop is Kathryn Bentley, an assistant professor
of theater and dance at the University. Journey opens at 7:30 p.m. Friday,
Feb.19, and continues at the same curtain time Saturday, Feb. 20, both in SIUE’s
Metcalf Theater. A 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 21, matinee performance also will be
staged in the Metcalf.
This year’s workshop will include “Freedom Means to Me,” a poem
written by Cassaundra Sampson, and a piece written by SIUE graduate Greg Fenner,
Last of a Dying Breed, which looks toward change. “In life we all
are going on a journey,” Lewis said, “and sometimes the path leads
to a dead end, but through the dead end there is one end that leads to a destination
called freedom. It takes courage to have true freedom and the journey can be
arduous.” Lewis is a junior and theater performance major at SIUE.
Turnage points out that everyone has experienced a journey to freedom in their
own lives. “It’s not just a black thing,” she said. “Journey
to Freedom is about conquering your greatest fears and growing from them.”
Turnage is a sophomore who also is a theater performance major. Turnage and
Lewis also say that the audience will be able “to travel along with the
actors and through the journey there is a way to get freedom.”
The late Lisa Colbert founded the Annual Black Theater Workshop at SIUE in
1998. She was an assistant professor in the Department of Theater and Dance
and the artistic director at the time of her death in 2002. Colbert’s family
and friends, along with the department, have created a scholarship that is awarded
annually to an exceptional theater student who must exemplify the life of Lisa
Colbert. Donations may be made to the Black Theater Workshop Fund, which supports
the annual production and allows the University to continue to nurture young
artists in their quest for a creative and cultural outlet.
There is no admission fee to the workshop. For more information or directions to the Metcalf Theater, please call SIUE’s Fine Arts box office, (618) 650-2774, or, toll free, (888) 328-5168, ext. 2774.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is presenting its 13th Annual Black Heritage Month Program during February, with its theme of Our Piece of the Mosaic: Bringing the Pieces Together. Below is a calendar of events:
Monday, February 1 Opening Ceremony 11:45 AM - 1 PM Goshen Lounge, Morris
University Center
The opening program will feature SIUE Chancellor Vaughn Vandegrift, poetic readings
by Assistant Professor Adrian Matejka, a performance by the African Drum and
Dance Group from Wirth Middle School and Cahokia High School, and the SIUE Gospel
Choir will lead the singing of the Black National Anthem, Lift Every Voice and
Sing.
Wednesday, February 3 Increase the Peace Noon - 1 PM Goshen Lounge, Morris
University Center
A motivational pep rally will encourage students to get involved in their communities
to serve as positive role models to stop the violence between today's frustrated
youth. Motivational speakers, poets, and artists will share with students small
steps that they can take to "Increase the Peace."
Speak on It 7 - 9:30 PM Goshen Lounge, Morris University Center
An evening of spoken word and poetic verse of the past, present and future exploring
issues and solutions. Co-sponsored by One Mic Poetry.
Friday, February 5 Seventh Annual Gospel Explosion 7 - 10 PM Meridian Ballroom,
Morris University Center
An inspirational evening will "spread the gospel of healing, reconciliation,
and unity" to the campus and community. The event will feature poetry, rap,
praise dance and gospel music. Co-sponsored by the SIUE Gospel Choir
Tuesday, February 9 Dr. King Jr. Birthday Celebration 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Meridian Ballroom, Morris University Center
SIUE's annual birthday celebration to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr.
King Jr. will feature guest speaker Circuit Judge Milton Wharton. The event
will include lunch, special performances, and recognition of award recipients.
Students: $15 general public: $20; call Conferences and Institutes (618) 650-2660
for tickets.
Thursday, February 11 Black Beauty in a Diverse Society Noon - 1 PM Goshen
Lounge, Morris University Center
"Black is Beautiful" was the slogan of the Black Power Era, but what is Black
Beauty? Angela Davis, an icon of that era, was a bit more fair skinned than
average and had straighter hair than most African Americans. Today, African
Americans such as the late Michael Jackson and Afro-Latinos such as Sammy Sosa,
made headlines for lightening their skin. Discussion at this session will center
on a question: To what degree is it acceptable for black standards of beauty
to be affected by aesthetics that originate from outside of the black community?
And, among blacks, what features are to be idealized or minimized?
Thursday, February 18 Health Fair: A Celebration of Health, 2010 10 AM -
2 PM Goshen Lounge, Morris University Center
A celebration of health through screenings and evaluations. Learn how simple
lifestyle changes and familiarity with community health care providers may improve
your health in 2010 and beyond.
Charles Drew Blood Drive Feb. 18 - 11 AM - 5 PM Conference Center, second
floor, Morris University Center
Dr. Charles Drew, an African American physician and medical researcher, pioneered
techniques for blood storage that made the development of large-scale blood
banks possible. Dr. Drew also protested the practice of segregating blood on
the basis of the race of the donor.
Saturday, February 20 Africa Night 6 - 10 PM Meridian Ballroom, Morris University
Center
An evening of African culture through food, dance and entertainment. Contact
the MUC Information Center, (618) 650-5555 for ticket information. This event
is sponsored by the SIUE African Student Association
Friday, February 19 - Sunday, February 21 Black Theater Workshop—The
Journey to Freedom—Feb. 19 - 20 - 7:30 PM Feb. 21 - 2 PM Metcalf Theater
Artistic Director - Kathryn Bentley; Student Director - Curtis Lewis. This SIUE
student -created, student-performed and student-directed production is a potpourri
of scenes, monologues, songs and poetry.
Saturday, February 20 Cougar Kids Saturday: Voyage through Africa 10 AM
Goshen Lounge, Morris University Center
Celebrate Black Heritage Month with Mama Katambwa. All participants will have
an experience with stories, songs, dances, instruments and characters that will
be remembered while learning about African cultures and traditions. Tickets
are free for the children of SIUE students; $3 for children of faculty/staff.
Tickets may be purchased at the MUC Information Desk.
Thursday, February 25 Demographic Changes and Their Impact on America Noon
- 1 PM Goshen Lounge, Morris University Center
A panel discussion about how demographic shifts in the U.S. population will
affect politics and culture in the coming decades.
Black Heritage Month Student Talent Show 7 - 10 PM Meridian Ballroom, Morris
University Center
Watch SIUE students as they take their turn on stage showcasing their singing,
dancing, poetic and musical talents.
All events are free unless otherwise noted; contact the Kimmel Leadership Center, (618) 650-2686 for additional information. All events are subject to change.
(EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill.) Fourteen-year-old Aaliyah Hyde makes her way gingerly
toward her seat in her four-inch-high silver pumps and thankfully is able to
down. She’s wearing her mom’s shoes on this Tuesday as part of her
“professional attire” for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
East St. Louis Charter School’s “Help for Haiti” week. Aaliyah
came up with the idea to get her high school classmates involved in a fundraiser
for the survivors of the Haitian earthquake, an event that has left thousands
dead and tens of thousands injured. Aaliyah took her heartfelt concern to Charter
School friends Dialla’ Burrage and Brianna Brown, and the three freshmen
devised “Help for Haiti” week.
The 100 students at SIUE’s East St. Louis Charter School had the option
of not wearing their required uniform from Jan. 25 though Jan. 29. Each day
was a theme for their attire: Monday–Causal Day, Tuesday–Professional
Day, Wednesday–Colorful Day, Thursday–Appropriate Pajama Day, and
Friday–Mismatch Day. The cost to participate is $2 a day. All proceeds
will be given to the American Red Cross. “Our goal was $1,000,” said
Aaliyah. “We felt if everyone did their part, we could raise that amount
in a week.” As of Jan. 26 the Charter School had raised $246.
The idea to raise the money is a good one, even if the goal is not reached,
Brianna said. “It gives us an opportunity to help others. If an earthquake
or something bad like that happened to us, we would want others to help us.”
Dialla' has started brainstorming with her two partners as to other ways to
raise money for Haiti. “We’re going to keep working to raise the $1,000.
I believe we can.”
A photo of the trio of friends is available here. Shown in the photo are SIUE East St. Louis Charter School students Aaliyah Hyde (left) and Dialla’ Burrage, along with Brianna Brown (stooping), as they revise their Haiti fundraising project. The students hope to raise $1,000 to send to help to victims of the Haiti earthquake. (Photo by East St. Louis Public Relations Department photo)
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Members of Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow (STAT), a student
alumni association at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, will be embracing
the frigid weather as they play host to the Polar “Bare” Fun Run on
Sunday, Feb. 21, in SIUE’s Stratton Quadrangle. Participants will run a
mile around the quad wearing “next to nothing.” While creativity is
highly encouraged, attire must include at least swimsuit coverage.
The event kicks off with check-in at 7:30 p.m., followed by the run at 8 p.m. The registration fee—$10 plus one warm-clothing item that will be donated to the Glen-Ed Food Pantry—includes a Polar “Bare” Fun Run T-shirt, hot chocolate and cookies in the warm-up tent and live music from Smitty’s D.J. Service.
Participants are being asked to pre-register by Friday, Feb. 5, for a guaranteed T-shirt size (small-XL); final registration is Friday, Feb. 12. Registration may be done online, www.siue.edu/alumni/stat, at SIUE’sBirger Hall or with a STAT officer. STAT provides undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to interact with alumni before graduation and obtain great advice regarding their major plus create valuable career contacts for jobs and internships. STAT also offers the option to take part in the STAT Alumni Mentor program. Students are matched with alumni from their chosen field of study and given the opportunity to gain valuable career advice.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Patients who suffer from forms of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s
disease, present a wide variety of challenges for caregivers. However, Susan
Gallagher, a member of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School
of Nursing faculty, has been trying for years to help alleviate those challenges
and anxiety for caregivers and their clients. As an RN with a background as
a certified geriatric clinical nurse specialist, Gallagher is currently one
of the instructors teaching the care of older adult course to nursing students
at SIUE. And, as part of her recertification as a geriatric clinical specialist,
Gallagher, who has a master’s in nursing, is in the midst of hundreds of
clinical practice hours with the education department in the St. Louis chapter
of the Alzheimer's Association.
And, because of a special program she has coordinated which teaches dental
hygiene students at Missouri College in St. Louis about how to engage and care
for those with dementia, the Alzheimer’s Association was given an award
from the college. The award recognized the Alzheimer’s Association as an
Outstanding Community Partner for its efforts on this program. “This coming
spring we will roll out the new curriculum for these dental hygiene students,”
Gallagher said. “MC was not only looking for programming and content but
they also have a clinic they operate as part of the dental hygiene program,”
she explained, “asking for help from the Association, for guidance and
for some assistance with special needs educational content to help hygiene students
who might find themselves dealing with clients with special needs.”
Gallagher explained that Dr. Hubert Benitez, director of the dental hygiene
program at Missouri College, “felt that because of my work with the association’s
education department, I and the association would be a good resource. The new
curriculum at Missouri College, to be rolled out during the next semester, will
teach these students how to communicate with the client who exhibits these special
needs symptoms. This is a pretty unique collaboration between the Association
and Missouri College,” Gallagher said. “We know of no other dental
training program that is in existence in this type of partnership to this extent.”
At the SIUE School of Nursing, Gallagher teaches nursing students about older
adults who are experiencing a variety of symptoms related to dementia or delirium.
“That’s why I originally began working with the Alzheimer’s Association,”
she said. “Every nursing student should have this same training, especially
at this current time when we’re finding an increase in these kinds of cases.”
Under the assessment portion of the nursing education at SIUE, there are tools
used that teach students how to recognize clients with dementia or other special
needs. “In this program we also will teach how to communicate with that
client, how to handle challenging behavior and also how to advise family members
in how to best cope with these clients,” Gallagher said.
A nurse for more than 13 years, three of those years teaching at SIUE, Gallagher
also has been a teacher of licensed practical nursing students at Sanford Brown
Business College in St. Louis and at the St. Louis College of Health Careers.
She also has worked in the long-term care industry in the St. Louis area as
a staff nurse and a charge nurse. She also has been an assistant director at
a long-term care facility in St. Louis. “Alzheimer’s is a form of
dementia many used to call senility, but there are several types of dementia,
including Alzheimer’s as well as dementia caused by cardiovascular problems,”
Gallagher explained. “The thing about dementia,” Gallagher explained,
“is it’s not really up to the client to communicate with the caregiver.
Even though the client lives in our world, their reality and frame of reference
is the world that exists in their memory. We have to make an effort as caregivers
to enter that world to be able to effectively communicate with them.
“Two main goals of the program are to teach dementia-friendly care techniques and person-centered approaches to care,” Gallagher pointed out “The Alzheimer's Association is pleased to be a community partner with Missouri College on this multidisciplinary educational program, and both organizations are looking forward to its further development and future growth.”
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Suzuki Tour
Group, a violin ensemble that is part of the Suzuki Strings program for community
students, will present its Trivia Night on Saturday, Feb. 20, in the gymnasium
at St. Mary's Catholic Elementary School, 1802 Madison Ave., Edwardsville. Doors
will open at 6:30 p.m. and the trivia competition begins promptly at 7. Winners
of the competition will receive 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place cash prizes—$200,
$100 and $50, respectively—for scoring the most points per table. Reservations
may be made for tables of 10. Participants may bring their own snacks and beverages;
alcohol is allowed.
A silent auction and a 50-50 raffle also will be available. Tickets are $10 per person; $100 for a table of 10. Proceeds will support the SIUE Suzuki Tour Group. For more information, or for tickets, call (618) 542-7000.
(EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill.) Climb into a melodious, rhythmic and captivating “time
capsule” and tap, bop and boogie through musical expressions by People
of Color. The evening of music and nostalgia will be presented by the SIUE East
St. Louis Center for the Performing Arts and the East St. Louis Charter School,
with a theme of “Journey through Music” on Saturday, Feb. 20. Doors
will open at 5 :30 p.m. Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. in the Multipurpose Theater
on the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus, 601 James R. Thompson Blvd.,
East St. Louis. The ticket cost of $25 includes dinner and an original theater
production. The production begins at 7 p.m.
“Journey through Music” traces the history of dance from the 1940s
to the present. Some celebrated artists to be remembered will include singer,
actress and activist Lena Horne, known for her song, Stormy Weather,
and her role in the 1943 film, Cabin in the Sky, and Nina Simone, recognized
as a singer, pianist and activist, whose noted songs included: Four Women,
Little Girl Blue, I Loves You, Porgy and To Be Young Gifted
and Black. Other artists to be remembered on the East St. Louis stage include
New Edition, Donna Summer, The Impressions, Marvin Gaye, Harold Melvin &
The Blue Notes, Yolanda Adams and Van McCoy. The performance also will contain
a special tribute to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.
For ticket information, please call (618) 482-6912.
(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Some 70 local and national dealers in antiques will display
and sell a variety of items including furniture, fine glass, porcelain, china,
toys and books Saturday and Sunday, March 13-14, at the Annual Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville Antiques Show and Sale in SIUE’s Student Fitness
Center. Since the beginning, some 40 years ago, the show and sale has been conducted
by the Friends of Lovejoy Library in support of the Elijah P. Lovejoy Memorial
Library at SIUE. According to Kyle Moore, development director for Lovejoy,
the event has grown dramatically and now raises more than $50,000 for the purchase
of books and materials for the library. The annual show and sale is co-sponsored
by the Belleville News-Democrat.
The event will take place in the center’s gymnasiums from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday. Free appraisals with paid admission (two-item limit) will be offered from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $6 at the door and are good both days of the event; for a $10 admission (includes general admission cost), “early bird” patrons may enter between 9 and 10 a.m. Saturday. Children under 13 years of age will be admitted free. For more information, call the Friends of Lovejoy Library, (618) 650-2730.
