The next meeting will be a full Board meeting on Friday, April 16 at 1:15 p.m. in the Selby Board Room in the Clark Memorial Library on the SSU campus.

            Shawnee State University (SSU) is hosting its annual Bear Hunter Career Fair with nearly 95 employers for SSU students and alumni only from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9, in the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center gymnasium.

            “I would strongly encourage Shawnee State University students and graduates to attend this event,” said Steve Gregory, director of career services. “This is a great opportunity for the students and graduates of Shawnee to speak with several employers in a short period of time in one location. It is a definite win-win situation for our students and the employers who attend.”

            Students and alumni interested in scheduling formal interviews with potential employers have until March 4 to sign up for interview times in the Office of Career Services, located on the second floor of the University Center at SSU. A résumé must be provided when scheduling an interview.

            Interviews will be conducted between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. by 24 employers from various fields, including education, health sciences, plastics, cosmetics, and business. Some of the employers are Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Greenup County Schools, Ohio State University Medical Center, Portsmouth City Schools, Battelle Memorial Institute, U.S. Navy Officers program, and Stanley Electric US.

            Other companies will have displays set up to speak with students and alumni on an informal basis. Some of these companies include Adelphia Communications; Balestra, Harr & Scherer, CPAs, Inc.; Bristol Pavilion; Kelly Services; Lute Supply; Mitchellace, Inc.; Pleasant Hill Manor; Southern Ohio Correctional Facility; and U.S. Air Force and Army.

            “Some of these employers will be accepting résumés so students should bring an ample supply with them,” said Gregory.

            Door prizes and other giveaways will take place throughout the day. Professional dress is encouraged.

            Co-sponsors of this event are the Ohio Rehabilitation Services Commission and the Scioto Employment and Training Systems of Community Action Organization.

            For more information, call (740) 351-3608.

            Shawnee State University’s (SSU) Office of University Outreach Services (UOS) will host the second annual Summer Opportunities Showcase on March 31.

            The event, which will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in SSU’s Vern Riffe Center for the Arts Selby Lobby, will be a collaboration of groups and organizations involved in summer projects that are excited about fitting the right people with the right summer opportunity.

            “Be it sports camps, Bible schools, revivals, or other workshops, there are many activities that are open to the public over the summer,” said Megan Horne, UOS program manager. “Last year, we were extremely successful with over 250 visitors attending. We will have vendors with stands set up explaining the different programs that they will have available, and hopefully even more families will come along and see exactly what is offered. We will also offer early registration and a discount for our annual Explore Your Future program.”

            UOS decided to implement the idea after being swamped with phone calls and visits from parents who were interested in getting their children involved in activities over the summer. Founded on this ideal, the plan has grown to encompass a much broader age group, as an increasing variety of opportunities for different ages have become available.

            “We do a lot of summer programs ourselves, and we were always inundated with questions from parents who wanted to register for them,” said Horne. “With the different classes we have to offer, we can now meet the needs of several age groups. Also, instead of only applying for something that would last for one week of the summer, there is a way for parents to see what is available over the whole time period. This is simply a great way for all the different organizations to participate in an event that will market their programs more effectively as a group, instead of everybody trying to do it on their own.”

            The Summer Opportunities Showcase is an excellent opportunity for both private and community organizations to get information on their events or programs out to the public, Horne said. For more information on how to become involved with the SSU Summer Opportunities Showcase, call (740) 351-3535.

            When performing on television’s most popular late night show during the 1960s, 70s, 80s, and early 90s, The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, former bandleader Doc Severinsen would entertain millions of people at a time. The popularity continues as the sound of “Doc Severinsen and His Big Band” entertains both young and old at Shawnee State University (SSU) when they appear in the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts (VRCFA) at 7:30 p.m. on March 4.

            “Severinsen is one of the best trumpet players and band leaders in the world, and we are happy to have him playing here for the second time in four years,” said Carl Daehler, director of the VRCFA. “Since the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts opened in 1995, it has been our goal to get some of the best talent in the world to play here, and Severinsen is certainly in that category.”

            Severinsen, who was nicknamed Doc after his dentist father, learned to play the trumpet as a 7-year-old, and was so good that he was asked to play in a high school band. He continued to improve, practicing at least four hours per day, and the accolades continued to pour in. After a lengthy traveling career, Severinsen took a regular position and began working for NBC in 1949. Thirteen years later, Severinsen was promoted to music director for The Tonight Show. It was there that he would meet his future wife, Emily Purdom, who was an assistant on the set.

            Purdom, who graduated from Portsmouth High School, moved to New York to work on The Tonight Show. After the show moved to Los Angeles, Purdom followed suit, and it was there that her romance with Severinsen bloomed.

            That link to Portsmouth is one of the reasons why Severinsen enjoys his trips to Portsmouth so much, according to Daehler.

            “Severinsen thinks of Portsmouth as his second home,” said Daehler. “He is very familiar with the area and the people, and he loves SSU and the Vern Riffe Center. He is very happy to come here to perform, and he always gives us his very best.“

            After Johnny Carson retired in 1992, Severinsen took the opportunity to hit the road again, taking his accomplished, 15-piece “Big Band” and several talented soloists and performing all over America.

            The show, which will be performed as part of the VRCFA’s Performing Arts series, appeals to music lovers of all ages, according to Daehler.

            “Doc plays an exciting mix of big band standards as well as up-beat arrangements of current hits,” he said. “He usually travels with young soloists and features most of the band as soloists throughout the concert. This show has an ageless, high-energy appeal. You can count on it being a very exciting performance.”

            Tickets are now available at the McKinley Box Office located in the VRCFA on the SSU campus. Box-office hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. There are discounts for seniors and students, and special ticket packages for families. Visa and Master Card are accepted.

            Doc’s appearance in Portsmouth is sponsored by William McKinley. Additional funding comes from grants from the Scioto County Area Foundation, gifts made to the SSU Development Foundation, and gifts to the Southern Ohio Performing Arts Fund.

            For more information, contact the McKinley Box Office, located in the VRCFA, at (740) 351-3600, or visit the VRCFA on the web at www.vrcfa.org.