SSU students enjoy the newest addition to the Vern Riffe Center for the  Arts:  four Clarence Carter prints that were donated to SSU by Paul Koether of New Jersey.  Because Clarence Carter was born and educated in Ohio, his heritage in Ohio encouraged Koether to support an Ohio institution through a donation of the prints.

            Four Clarence Carter prints were recently purchased and
 donated to SSU’s Vern Riffe Center for Arts (VRCFA).

            The prints were donated to SSU by Paul Koether, born in New York City and a resident of Far Hills, New Jersey, for over 30 years.  He is married to Dr. Helen Koether, a psychiatrist.

            Because Clarence Carter was born and educated in Ohio, his heritage in Ohio encouraged Mr. Koether to support an Ohio institution through a donation of the prints.

“Clarence Holbrook Carter is receiving increasing recognition as a premier 20th century American artist,” said Koether.  “These prints epitomize a unique phase in Clarence Carter’s painting history.”

Koether is a graduate of Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania, and has an M.A. in economics from Princeton University.  He is chairman of the Board of the following companies:  Kent Financial Services, Inc.; Pure World, Inc.; and Cortech, Inc.  Previously, he was chairman of Craig Corporation, and a director of the following companies:  First Western Financial, Kentucky Property Trust, and American Physicians Service.  His previous experience included partnerships in three New York Stock Exchange Member Firms.  Koether was the personal investment adviser to William S. Paley, founder of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).

“It is a special privilege to have prints form a native artist represented in the Vern Riffe Center for Arts,” said Carl Daehler, executive director of the VRCFA.  “The prints will no doubt provide an inspiration to art students, showing them what they can do with their art training.  We hope that the public will enjoy them as much as our students and faculty do.” 

The prints are located in the VRCFA’s Crum Lobby (3rd floor) on the west wall for public viewing.  The VRCFA is always appreciative of donations of any form, Daehler said. 

For further information about making a donation, please contact the SSU Office of Development at (740) 351-3257 or swarsaw@shawnee.edu.

            A 12-hour workshop on Quicken for Business and Personal Use will be presented at Shawnee State University (SSU) on Feb. 4, 11, 18, and 25 from 9 a.m. to noon each day in the SSU Administration Building Room 030. Pat Dengel, CBA business development specialist will teach the hands on training program.
             Participants will learn the basics in setting up personal expense and income accounts, making payments, and using an electronic check register. The training will include a budget overview, keeping track of credit cards and credit card charges including banking procedures, keeping a chart of accounts, short and long term cash flow record keeping, as well as payroll and payroll taxes. Those attending will also learn how to customize invoices and other business forms, learn how to generate reports and graphs, and learn how to simplify their business taxes.
          Those who take the class will also learn how to better manage their personal and business finances by learning how to pay their bills on time, keeping tabs on where their money is going each payday, and managing their investments and optimizing their returns. Participants will also learn how to plan for their future and how to reach their financial goals.
            The class is being offered through SSU’s Office of University Outreach Services and Ohio State University South Centers. The cost is $169 per person.
            For more information call (740) 351-3171 or toll-free at (866) 672-8778.

             Approximately 100 students from the Washington Nile and Portsmouth City School systems will receive free dental cleanings and screenings on Friday, Feb. 4 at the Shawnee State University (SSU) Department of Dental Hygiene on the SSU campus. The event is part of the Ohio Dental Association’s “Give Kids a Smile Day” and is being coordinated locally by the Southern Ohio Dental Society in conjunction with the SSU Department of Dental Hygiene.
            Last year more than 35,000 dentists and other volunteers nationwide participated in the ”Give Kids a Smile” program that provides care and raises the awareness of the importance of providing access to dental care for low income children.
          Nancy Murray,  program leader and assistant professor in the SSU Dental Hygiene program said the children who are participating in the event are those  whose parents may not have dental insurance or are not at an income level where they can get Medicaid or Medicare.
          “They’re just falling through the cracks and this is a way of identifying those children and hopefully providing services they need,” Murray said.
          She said the program is a fabulous experience for the students enrolled in the dental hygiene program at SSU because the students will actually be doing the cleanings and screenings.
          “One of the components for dental hygiene in our ethical code is actually giving back to the community so this fits that need but it’s also an opportunity for our students to get a little more experience working with children and doing the assessing of the screenings for decay,” Murray said.
          In addition to the cleanings and screenings the children participating in the program will also get the opportunity to play games while at the same time learning the proper way to brush and floss and incorporate good nutrition habits for better dental health.
          “I think our students are going to gain a lot from this experience. They’re actually going to get hands on experience,” Murray said. “Our second year students will be doing the cleanings and screenings and our first year students, although they are not at that level yet, will be doing the education part of it and assisting. They are all getting involved, in addition to our faculty.”
        According to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly half of U.S. children ages 2-9 suffer from untreated tooth decay.
          “It’s heartbreaking to see a child’s smile destroyed by severe tooth decay,” said Dr. Hal Jeter, president of the Southern Ohio Dental Society. “Imagine not being able to eat, sleep, and pay attention in school because you have a mouthful of constant pain. Some children have reached the point where the only alternative is having multiple teeth pulled because they can’t be saved. It’s tragic. ‘Give Kids a Smile’ is part of our efforts in organized dentistry to help children get the dental care they need.”

SSU Golden Bears Registration February 9

            It’s that time of year again, time for area residents who are 60 and older and involved in the Shawnee State University (SSU) Golden Bears program to register so they may continue to participate.  New members are also welcome.
            Barbara Pratt, program coordinator said those who are already members need to sign up again so that an accurate database of information may be maintained.  Pratt said this information is needed for a number of reasons.
            “Maybe their spouse has died and they’ve listed them as the contact person or maybe they had a daughter or son who lived here at one time who has moved out of the area. We really need to know what’s going on in their lives, especially with their medication,” Pratt said. “If they would get ill we would have to call an ambulance to pick them up and take them to the hospital the hospital would need that information so they can treat them properly.”
            Registration will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 9 from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. in the James A. Rhodes Athletic Center on the SSU campus. Pratt said the Golden Bears program is open to any senior citizen who is 60 and older who lives in Scioto County. She said the program is funded through a grant from the Scioto County Commissioners that supports the activities of the Golden Bears.
            “It’s a holistic program,” Pratt said. “They come Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings between 6 and 7 when the facility opens. Once the pool opens they have swimming exercises. Right now, we’re providing low impact exercises; they can utilize any of the facilities on campus.”
            In addition to exercise Pratt said members of the Golden Bears also take three or four trips a year including a mystery trip. She said they also go bowling and do special things on campus like serve as tour guides or ushers at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts during special events.
            “We keep them busy and occupied plus it’s a very nice social organization. A lot of them are single; they’ve lost their spouses and it gives them an opportunity to be involved with others,” Pratt added.
            Members of the Golden Bears are strong supporters of university athletics and even have their own boosters club and travel to the women’s and men’s basketball games. Pratt said they are also very active in the community and are big supporters of the Hike for Hospice at which, as a group, they collected over $6,000 for the walk.
            “They look for different ways they can give back to the community and it’s just a fun group,” Pratt said.
            The ages of the members range from 60 to 90 and Pratt said there are currently 550 members, although not all of them are active.
            “If you are at least 60 and you would like to participate this is a wonderful way to meet new people, stay active, and most of all stay healthy,” Pratt said.
            For more information on the Shawnee State University Golden Bears program or more information about the sign-up process, call Pratt at (740) 351-3095.

            A $500 scholarship in memory of former Portsmouth Metropolitan Housing Authority Director Carolyn Roark will be awarded this year through the Friends of Shawnee State Scholarship Fund. Roark was murdered at her Hutchins Street home late last year.
            The one time scholarship was made possible through a donation made by Columbus lobbyist law firm, Calfee, Halter and Griswold LLP/Thomas Green and Associates, LLC. Kristen Brinkham with the law firm said she and Tom Green have known and worked with Carolyn’s sister DeDe Roark for the past 15 years and when they found out about Carolyn’s murder they wanted to do something to help.
            “We decided that if somebody started this gift that maybe by it being announced in the community more people would join in by giving anywhere from $5 to a larger gift and it would only encourage others to give,” Brinkman said. “We here at Calfee, Halter, and Griswold/Thomas Green and Associates are hoping in the future to make some type of personal donation to the gift every year to the university.”
            Brinkman said because Carolyn was known in the community as someone who helped those less fortunate, they would like to see the scholarship go to someone who is entering the social services field.
            “We would hope that would encourage people to get into that same business and kind of carry on with what Carolyn did in Portsmouth,” Brinkman added.
            Susan Warsaw, executive director of development at SSU said because the scholarship has no specific criteria set up by the donor; it gives the SSU Financial Aid Office a real opportunity to give a Friends of Shawnee State Scholarship to somebody who needs it who does not necessarily fit in with any of the other scholarship criteria modes.
             “There won’t be a specific Carolyn Roark scholarship; it’s going into the scholarship fund that then gets given out, but it’s going to be awarded in her memory,” Warsaw said.
            She said when someone donates money in somebody’s honor or memory the university sends a note to the family letting them know that has occurred.
            “What do you do when there’s an untimely death or even a timely one, flowers die, so what do you do that can really make a difference? After all if you don’t have thousands and thousands of dollars, there are not a million choices out there, but you can always give a scholarship or money in somebody’s honor,” Warsaw said.
            For more information on starting up a scholarship fund call Warsaw at (740) 351-3257.

            As part of the One Book, One Community effort, the first ever Appalachian Film Festival continues on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Flohr Lecture in the Clark Memorial Library at Shawnee State University (SSU).
            Darren Harris-Fain, associate professor of English at SSU, is coordinating the first-ever event.  The third film in the series, according to Harris-Fain, is a documentary called “Harlan County USA” and is about a coal miners strike in Kentucky in the 1970s.
            “It focuses on the economic struggles in the county, the exploitation of the coal companies, and the bad working conditions,” he said.
            Harris-Fain said the fourth and final film in the series is “Coalminer’s Daughter” starring Sissy Spacek and Tommy Lee Jones. This movie will be shown on Thursday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m.
            “These films all tie in with a lot of the themes and subjects of the novel, ‘She Walks These Hills’ by Sharyn McCrumb,” Harris-Fain said. “You have criminals and fugitives on the run in the book and in a few of these movies.  You have the significance of Appalachian culture, how it shapes peoples lives— especially in many areas of the arts—and you also have in her book the theme of the outsider which ‘Songcatcher’ plays into somewhat.  In addition you have the economic history of the area that Harlan County USA touches upon.”
            “Songcatcher” was the first film in the series and “The Night of the Hunter,” a classic American film starring Robert Mitchum and Shelly Winters, was the second film.
            The films are free and open to the public and are just some of the events leading up to Sharyn McCrumb’s visit to the Portsmouth area that will wrap up the “One Book, One Community project.”  McCrumb will be at the Portsmouth Public Library on April 13 for a book discussion and will be at Shawnee State University on April 14 with two appearances, one at 9 a.m. at which she will talk to Scioto County area high school students and 7 p.m. at which she will talk to community members.  Both SSU events will be held in the Flohr Lecture Hall in the Clark Memorial Library on the SSU campus.
            “These films do cover a wide range,” Harris-Fain said.  “We have a historical romance, a crime thriller, a documentary, and a rags to riches true life story. The films range from 1955 to the year 2000.  They do contain some mature subject matter so people will want to consider this if they were thinking about bringing their children.”
            He added that the movies do deal with some of the darker aspects of Appalachian life but also a lot of the strengths of the Appalachian culture.
            For more information call (740) 351-3329

            Although the first class was held on Saturday, January 15, there is still time to enroll in the Early Language and Literacy Pre-School Core Curriculum program at Shawnee State University (SSU).

            Class instructor, Rhonda Madison, early language and literacy specialist at SSU, said the class is not full and the next session will be on Saturday, Jan. 29 in the Advanced Technology Center, Room 132, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

            The class is spread out over 18 sessions and is centered on four domains according to Madison. She said those domains are early literacy, assessing early literacy by knowing basic principals and assessment results, planning for early literacy by acknowledging the literacy expectations of children, and focusing on the teaching of literacy that deals with the teaching of oral language.

            The class is open to early childhood educators in Scioto, Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, and Vinton counties. Madison said at the end of the program participants will receive a certificate with 54 contact hours and the goals of the core curriculum on it. The certificate will be recognized by SSU if the participant would like to change those hours into five college credits, she said.

            Class size is limited to 20 students. To enroll in advance or to find out more information, contact Madison at (740) 351-3252.

            Brown University’s Kenneth R. Miller (left) speaks to Shawnee State University (SSU) students after his lecture yesterday evening that was part of the 2004-2005 Jane M.G. Foster Distinguished Lecture Series at SSU. A professor of biology, Miller’s topic was “Time to Abandon Darwin: the Scientific and Religious Perils of Intelligent Design.” A cell biologist at Brown University, Miller has produced more than 50 scientific papers and reviews in leading journals, including “Cell”, “Nature, and Scientific American.” He is co-author, with Joseph S. Levine, of three textbooks that are used by millions of students nationwide. Miller is also the author of “Finding Darwin’s God” that was published in November 1999. In the photo, Dr. Miller is speaking with students John Stegeman of Cincinnati and Anthony Hatten of Chillicothe

            A program entitled “Discover Entrepreneurship” will be offered at Shawnee State University (SSU) by University Outreach Services on January 21 from 9-11:30 a.m.

            The program will focus on issues such as technology, marketing, innovation, management skills, and business opportunities. According to University Outreach Services, existing and emerging entrepreneurs in private, nonprofit, and public organizations are encouraged to attend.

            The program will be held in the Advanced Technology Center, room 132. The cost for the program is $29; Julie Fox, entrepreneur program director, Ohio State University South Centers (OSUSC) will be the speaker.

            For more information, contact University Outreach Services at (740) 351-3171 or (740) 351-3304.

Brown University’s Kenneth R. Miller will speak on Thursday, Jan. 20 as part of the 2004-2005 Jane M.G. Foster Distinguished Lecture Series at Shawnee State University (SSU). A professor of biology, Miller’s topic is “Time to Abandon Darwin: the Scientific and Religious Perils of Intelligent Design.”

            “Ken Miller is very prominent in this area,” said Gary Gemmer, professor of physical science at SSU and the individual responsible for bringing Miller to campus. “If there’s to be a debate on intelligent design and evolution, he would be one of the first that you would consider as being part of that debate.”  Gemmer said intelligent design is the concept that there was some kind of intelligence that designed life and the changes that life has experienced.

            “For most people they would interpret that to be God,” Gemmer said. “God created life, you see.”

            A cell biologist at Brown University, Miller has produced more than 50 scientific papers and reviews in leading journals, including “Cell”, “Nature, and Scientific American.” He is co-author, with Joseph S. Levine, of three textbooks that are used by millions of students nationwide. Miller is also the author of “Finding Darwin’s God” that was published in November 1999.

            “He’s a major scientist,” Gemmer said. “He believes clearly in evolution. He said it’s possible to be a believer in God and also in evolution.”

            Gemmer said Miller may be an important person for people, who are struggling with the concept of evolution, to hear.

            “He can address that issue as effectively as anyone quite frankly,” Gemmer said. “He does have a particular point of view. He does not think intelligent design should be in the classroom. He does believe in God so it’s not a case of conflict with him. He doesn’t believe evolution causes any particular problems in believing in a higher being. He will lay out his reasons for that,” Gemmer added.

            Because of Miller’s beliefs, Larry Lonney, Ph.D., professor of physics at SSU, said Miller’s visit to campus could rub some people the wrong way.

            “It’s possible a lot of people will be very angry because they’re going to say we don’t want anybody in here who is advocating evolution because evolution is evil and they don’t call it evil-lution for nothing,” Lonney said. “It could rub some raw nerves, but as a university our first and foremost obligation is to pursue ideas. As a teaching university, Shawnee State’s first and foremost obligation is to pursue the cultivation of the minds of our students.”

            However, Dr. Lonney said Miller is very good at explaining very complicated science to people who are not experts in the field and said that is what is really needed in this issue. Lonney said people who are interested in theology and who are interested in God and the relationship between God and science are the types of people who may be interested in hearing Miller speak.

            Miller’s lecture, funded by the Jane M. G. Foster Distinguished Lecture Series at SSU, is free and open to the public. He will speak at 7 p.m. in the Flohr Lecture Hall, located in the Clark Memorial Library on
the SSU campus.

            For more information call (740) 351-3456.                

Homecoming 2005 plans have been made at Shawnee State University (SSU), and according to Student Programming Board (SPB) President Cori Wells-Strickland, this year’s activities should be better than ever.

“I think we have a great week set up for students,” Wells-Strickland said. “The way that everything fell together in our discussions at conference was like magic. We’re making a big statement and I anticipate we will get a lot of attendance this year.”

Tiffany Weaver, coordinator of student activities at SSU, said she is excited about this year’s homecoming activities.

“I am really looking forward to it,” she said.  “Tia Walling, the SPB social chair who is in charge of the Homecoming Dance and Coronation, has been doing a wonderful job.  She has come up with great new ideas that I think students will enjoy.  She has arranged for free bus transportation from the University Center to the American Legion, so that students have a safe ride to and from the dance.  And Wayne Allen, the vice-president of SPB, has created some great advertising.”

“The Night in Paris theme is a great idea,” Wells-Strickland said. “The dance will be festive because of it. The students can expect to see Portsmouth with a twist of Paris.”

Homecoming Week begins on Monday, January 24, and there will be an event each day leading up to the game and dance on Saturday. All events during the week are free to Shawnee State University (SSU) students.

Monday’s event will be a performance by comedian Andrew Kennedy at 7 p.m. in the University Center. According to Allen, Kennedy recently shot a pilot for a CBS show. Tuesday’s event will be a performance by illusionist and magician Craig Karges at 7 p.m. in the University Center. Allen predicts that this event will be especially popular with students, and said Karges has performed as far away as Eqypt. Wednesday’s event is a “coffeehouse” performance, a popular event trend that many universities are using. Musician Shevy Smith will be performing and coffee will be served. The event will be held at 7 p.m. in the Internet Café, which is located in the University Center. Thursday’s event is a “6th Man” basketball t-shirt giveaway,” an event that was especially popular last year. Students must have their SSU ID card to get a shirt, and there is a limit of one shirt per student. Friday’s event is comedian Mark Reedy, who has performed on Showtime and MTV. The event will be held at 6 p.m. in the University Center.

Nominations for Homecoming King and Queen have already been turned in and voting will be held Monday-Friday of Homecoming Week. This year, according to Weaver, there is a record number of men who have been nominated for King.

The Women’s and Men’s basketball teams will take on Tiffin on Saturday, January 29. The women’s basketball team will play at 2 p.m. and the men’s basketball team will play at 4 p.m. The coronation of the Homecoming King and Queen will occur between games.

Wells-Strickland said the focus of Homecoming is the basketball teams.

“The basketball teams should know how much they really matter to Homecoming. The whole thing is for them. It is the biggest crowd of the year; just to play in front of that packed house must really be amazing. What we do in the middle of it all is just a formality. The magic of the evening lies in the basketball games,” Wells-Strickland said.

The American Legion at 705 Court Street will be transformed into The City of Light for the Homecoming Dance for this year’s theme—“A Night in Paris.” The dance will be held on Saturday, January 29 from 9 p.m. to midnight. Admission is $5.

For more information on Homecoming Week activities, contact the Office of Student Activities at (740) 351-3217.

Contact:
Terry Hapney, Director of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3112; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 352-5566
E-mail: thapney@shawnee.edu

(Article by Mistie Cook Spicer, Communications Coordinator SSU Office of Communications.)

SSU Community Service Coordinator
Spearheading Literacy Summit on Jan. 19

            Improving the graduation rates in the area, creating a better educated workforce, and addressing the literacy needs of the Portsmouth and Scioto County communities are some of the things organizers of a Literacy Summit in Portsmouth are hoping to address on Wednesday, Jan. 19 at the Friends Community Center. E.B. Newberry, coordinator of community service at Shawnee State University (SSU) is heading up the effort. She says the goal of the summit is to gather information.

            “Basically as the planning committee we took on the goal of collecting information, collecting resources, collecting contact names, actual initiatives, actual efforts, goals, and needs and hopefully as a community we’ll be able to address this issue more efficiently once we actually know what those needs are and what people are doing,” Newberry said.

            Nearly 92 million Americans have very low or low literacy skills and more than 20 percent of adults in the country read at or below a 5^th grade level, which is far below the level needed to earn a living wage. Those are frightening statistics according to the National Adult Literacy Survey and even worse yet U.S. government statistics say that approximately 1.4 million children leave school with low literacy levels, with half of those unable to read and the other half dropping out of school.

            Newberry said the planning committee worked to compile a list of organizations that have some kind of literacy affiliation, literacy involvement, and programming and invited those groups to participate in the summit.

            “I’m sure there are organizations that were overlooked because we’re not totally familiar with what they do, which is exactly what we’re trying to correct,” she said.

            Newberry said any groups who were not invited to the summit and who do offer literacy programs are more than welcome to attend and can call her at SSU at 351-3095 for more information.

            Groups and individuals who attend the summit will be asked to talk about their organization and their literacy efforts.

            “It’s nothing formal, it’s more informational,” Newberry said. “We’re going to try to compile as much information into some sort of documentation regarding the efforts that are being done by the organizations, how we can better organize those efforts, how we can better showcase them, and how we can get their needs addressed,” Newberry added.

            Because it’s not widely known how literacy is being addressed in the area, Newberry said efforts could be redundant and that some areas could be neglected and that’s a concern the planning committee would like to address through the summit.

            Newberry said Danielle Hopson, the coordinator and director of Appalachia Reads will be the speaker. Appalachia Reads is a literacy coalition serving literacy programs in the 29 county region of Appalachian Ohio.

            Kathy Fitch and Joan Scott, two SSU employees who earned their GED’s, will also speak at the Literacy Summit.

            The summit will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Friends Community Center. Lunch will be provided. For more information, call (740) 351-3095.

Early Literacy Program to be Held at Shawnee State University

            Early childhood educators have the opportunity to receive some extensive training in their field this Saturday when the first of 18 sessions of “The Early Language and Literacy Pre-School Core Curriculum” program is presented by Rhonda Madison, early language and literacy specialist in the Department of Teacher Education at Shawnee State University (SSU).

            “It starts with the basic assumptions of all childhood educators that all children are born ready to learn and that relationships are influential, environments matter, and communication is critical,” Madison said. “It was started with that assumption and built around the idea of the assess/plan/teach model, where you assess first, then you plan, then you teach, all of those are based on knowledge.”

            Madison said the program was created after Governor Bob Taft signed the literacy initiative enabling the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services to work together to write literacy sessions to train early childhood educators from Head Start, private childcare centers, family home providers, and others whose job it is to provide early childhood education. The goal of the Core Curriculum program is to identify a common set of understandings among educators about teaching and supporting language and literacy at the pre-school level.

            The program, according to Madison, centers around four domains with the first being the content of early literacy. She said those involved in the program will go through the language and literacy development of children, phonological awareness and alphabetics, early reading and writing, knowing about children’s literature, knowing about print motivation, cultural linguistics relevance, and knowing about family literacy.

            Madison says Domain 2 is the assessing of early literacy and knowing the basic principals and assessment results, what to do with them, and knowing how to analyze and use those results while still being ethical.

            The Third Domain of the Early Language and Literacy Preschool Core Curriculum, Madison said, focuses on planning for early literacy by acknowledging the literacy expectations of children.

            “We prepare a literacy environment and in one of the classes they will be drawing a literacy environment and making a list of everything that they need to go in that so that I know that they know what a literacy environment is and looks like,” Madison said.

            She said the Fourth Domain of the program goes into the teaching of literacy and deals with the teaching of oral language, the awareness of sounds, letters, and words and concepts about print and comprehension strategies. Madison said this domain also centers on test structure, writing, integrating instructional activities and touches on using technology.

            The program is taught in 18 sessions with two sessions a month because it is so detailed, Madison said.

            “You can integrate it piece by piece. By the time a nine month period is up, you have integrated the whole thing and it’s been a very gentle, very flowing process,” she said.

            Madison said at the end of the program participants will receive a certificate for 54 contact hours. She said the certificate will be recognized by Shawnee State University if the person would like to change those hours into five college credits.

            With both parents working these days, Madison said it is very important that the child’s primary care giver makes sure that the child they are looking after receives all of the experiences they can and that the care giver reads to the child so that the child can obtain the pre-reading skills that are necessary to be successful. Also, under House Bills 2 and 3 that were approved in 2003, kindergarten children are required to be diagnostically tested for literacy.

            The Early Language and Literacy Pre-school Core Curriculum class will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday morning in room 132 of the Advanced Technology Center at SSU. Madison said the program is open to early childhood educators in Scioto, Adams, Brown, Clinton, Fayette, Gallia, Highland, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike, Ross, and Vinton counties.

            Class size is limited to 20 students. For more information call (740) 351-3252 or (740) 354-0651.

Shawnee State University teams up with Marshall University
to offer Master’s Degrees in Environmental Science and Safety Technology

            Shawnee State University (SSU) and Marshall University (MU) will hold an informational meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 12 from 6 p.m.-7 p.m. in room 132 of SSU's Advanced Technology Center regarding offering master’s degrees in environmental science and safety technology. The degrees will be offered through the SSU Graduate Center on the SSU campus.

            Courses scheduled for the spring 2005 semester are:

SFT 589 Process Safety Mgmt
SFT 599 Occupational Safety Program Mgmt
ES 620 Environmental Mgmt Systems
ENGR 610 Applied Statistics

            Although offered on the SSU campus, these courses will follow MU’s schedule and will begin during the week of Jan. 18, when Marshall’s spring semester starts.

            “The SSU Graduate Center has offered these two programs for three years now,” said David Todt, Ph.D., associate provost at SSU. “This is an excellent opportunity for our students because it provides them graduate opportunities without their having to travel long distances.”

            For admission or registration information, contact Dr. Tony Szwilski at (304) 696-5457 or szwilski@marshall.edu, or visit www.marshal.edu/cite.

            For information regarding graduate programs at SSU, please contact the SSU Graduate Center at (740) 351-3177 or send an e-mail message to graduate_center@shawnee.edu.

            The SSU Graduate Center was established in July 1999 to coordinate graduate programs for the citizens of south central Ohio. The center was designed to assist busy professionals and community residents with a means of achieving their educational goals within close proximity to their homes and places of employment. In partnership with other universities, graduate classes leading to master's degrees are offered on the SSU campus. Most courses are taught by these universities in the evenings or on weekends, implementing various modes of delivery including interactive video and in-person instruction. 

Contact:
Terry Hapney, Director of Communications
Office: (740) 351-3112; FAX: (740) 351-3179; Cell: (740) 352-5566
E-mail: thapney@shawnee.edu

Renowned actor Barry Scott to portray Martin Luther King, Jr., tomorrow at SSU

            The multi-talented Barry Scott will return to the campus of Shawnee State University (SSU) on Wednesday, Jan. 12 as part of activities honoring slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., this month. An actor, writer, producer, director, motivational speaker, and voice-over artist, Scott portrays King at various venues and functions around the country.

            “We wanted him to come back because of the great job he did presenting the philosophy of Dr. King for us during his last visit to SSU,” said Matt Matthews, coordinator of multicultural student affairs at SSU.

            The founder and artistic director of the American Negro Playwright Theatre in Nashville, Scott began reciting King’s speeches as a young child at churches and schools in Nashville’s black community. Scott said his life was forever changed at the age of 16 when his car stalled after he drove through some standing water and a white off-duty police officer pulled up beside him.

            “He showed me his badge and began to terrorize me,” Scott said. “He shoved me up against the car and put a gun to my head. He was cussing me and using derogatory words to refer to my parents. He told me he was going to kill me and I believed him. I was weeping and begging for my life. The officer told me that because I was black, I would grow up and be a burden on society and he should go ahead and kill me as a favor to society.”

            After the incident Scott and his father got out a projector and a 16 mm film of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The men watched the speech over and over without saying a word. After watching the speech five times with his father, Scott realized that even though he had been reciting Dr. King’s speech at various events he had never really understood it until then.

            “I realized that I didn’t have cause to be ashamed. I realized that speech was a parable for action, a blueprint for freedom,” he said.

            Scott is so convincing in his portrayal of King that King’s widow—Coretta Scott King—cornered him between acts of a play to compliment him on his realistic and honest depiction.

            Matthews agrees with Mrs. King’s assessment of Scott’s performance.

            “When you see him transform himself from Barry Scott to the person he talks about and why he got into creating Dr. King into the role of Dr. King himself, it’s like wow, whatever happened to Barry because now we have Dr. King here.”

            In addition to depicting King, Scott is an accomplished actor appearing in such television shows as “I’ll Fly Away” and “Rescue 911,” and in the recurring role of the minister on the popular television show “In the Heat of the Night.” Scott also played the part of the disabled Vietnam veteran in Travis Tritt’s music video for the song “Anymore.” He also appeared in movies such as “Ernest Goes to Jail” and “The Expert.”

            His voice can be heard around the country for commercials for Kentucky Fried Chicken, The PGA, The National Arbor Day Foundation, Columbia/HCA Hospitals, Bristol Myers-Squibb Pharmaceuticals, and The Nashville Predators NHL Hockey team, in addition to many more companies.

            Barry Scott’s Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will be presented at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 12 in the Flohr Lecture Hall in Shawnee State University’s Clark Memorial Library. His performance is free and open to the public.

            The event is being sponsored by the SSU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs. For more information, contact the office at 351-3553.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 5, 2005