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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Financial aid association gathers at SSU Shawnee State University (SSU) was this year’s host of the southeastern regional chapter of the Ohio Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (OASFAA) quarterly conference meeting. The focus of this meeting, held in April, was on training. Representatives from schools located across southern Ohio were invited. According to Rhonda Yager, assistant director of financial aid at SSU, a lot of interpretation goes into how rules are implemented. “There is nothing written in stone for financial aid,” she said, noting that a lot of decisions are made at the campus level. “We don’t answer to anyone on campus about decisions we make. If there is a problem, we deal with the feds or the state.” The purpose of these conferences is to help those in financial aid offices to better understand rules and regulations handed down from the federal Department of Education. Those rules and regulations filter down through state boards that publish handbooks, which are, in turn, distributed among the various colleges and universities in each individual state. Stephen Midkiff, Ph.D., SSU’s registrar, was guest speaker for the event. His lecture was centered on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The lecture dealt not only with issues of privacy, but also focused on the question of who actually owns the information being handled by financial aid offices. For more information about financial aid call (740) 351- 4243. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by Jennifer Moorhead, communications coordinator--Office of Communications) Shawnee
State University annual President’s Gala June 7
Invitations for the 15th annual President’s Gala at Shawnee State
University (SSU) will soon be mailed. This year’s event promises
to be particularly special because it will serve as a welcome to
SSU’s newly-appointed president, Rita Rice Morris, Ph.D., and her
husband, Jim Morris.
The public is invited to attend the gala, according to Susan Warsaw,
executive director of development at SSU. Tickets are $100 per
person. Invitations should be requested.
“Each year we work hard to create an eye-catching invitation,”
said Warsaw. “But because there is so much hard work in each one,
our mailing list is confined to prior attendees. We’d love to add
anyone who would like to receive an invitation.”
The dinner dance will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 7, in
SSU’s University Center. KellyRed and the HammerHeads will provide
the music.
A silent auction of works by SSU art students will be featured at
the gala. Proceeds will go toward the creation of a purchase award
fund, which will award financial prizes to students whose art is
selected to become part of the university’s permanent collection.
Members of the 2003 President’s Gala planning committee are Gina
Chabot, Diane Field, Cynthia Jenkins, Dawn Scott Little, Jodi Rahal,
Kelly Raise, Janis Waller, and Susan Warsaw.
For more information call (740) 351-3284. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by B.J. Parsons--communications specialist--SSU Office of Communications) Renowned Artist to Visit SSU While most artists simply design their work to be universal in order to sell them to a wide audience, Nicholas Kripal works in the opposite direction: he produces site-specific artistic works based on a location and its surroundings. This technique, predominantly utilized by Kripal in public interdenominational ‘sacred spaces,’ will be the focus of his presentation “Sculptured Installations for Sacred Spaces” on Thursday, May 22 in Shawnee State University’s (SSU) Flohr Lecture Hall, located in the Clark Memorial Library. Kripal will also conduct workshops and meetings with students and the public in campus art studios throughout the days of May 21 and May 22. According to Kripal, the presentation will explain site-specific installations, currently the cutting edge of studio art stratagem, and also how architecture and sacred spaces combine, both in the past and in the future. “Since 1987, I have been creating sculptures influenced by sacred architecture,” said Kripal, who is also a professor of art at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. “In particular, I have been interested in the visual impact of sacred spaces and the expression of religious iconography via architectural form. The presentation will explore these concepts.” According to Lane Raiser, associate professor of art at SSU, the presentation will be of particular interest to the strong Judeo-Christian communities in the area.
“Most people in this area come from a strong Judeo-Christian
background, so they will have some sense of what religious
iconography is about,” said Raiser. “However, he will be
approaching it from a 21st century artist’s perspective, which
will be fascinating.” Kripal’s
presentation is part of the Jane M. G. Foster Distinguished Lecture
Series at SSU, which presents guest speakers nominated by members of
the university community. Sadly, the person who nominated Kripal was
Elyse Saperstein, a professor in SSU’s ceramics program until her
untimely death earlier this year. According to Tom Stead, director
of the fine, digital and performing arts department at SSU, the
school recognizes the loss. “Elyse
brought in a lot of speakers because she was very interested in
expanding the student’s worlds,” said Stead. “It was terrible
to lose such a great professor and a friend, but you learn that
people who teach never really pass away because what they do is
passed on and immortalizes what they have taught.” For
more information about the presentation, call (740) 351-3118. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- SSU Board of Trustees
Executive Committee The executive committee of the Shawnee State University Board of Trustees will meet on Monday, May 12 at 4 p.m. in the President’s Conference Room located in the Administration Building on the SSU campus. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by Jennifer Moorhead, communications coordinator-Office of Communications)
The Shawnee State
University choir will perform a free spring concert Shawnee State University choir presenting spring pop concert The Shawnee State University (SSU) choir will present a spring pop concert at 7:30 p.m. in Howland Hall at the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts (VRCFA) at SSU on Thursday, June 5. SSU students will be showcased at this free performance, according to Shirley Evans Crothers, choir director. “The SSU choir always rehearses many hours to present a good program of music--in this case pop and Broadway--to entertain and enlighten our audiences,” said Crothers. The SSU choir is made up of campus community members and area residents alike. “The greatest characteristic of the choir is that it is highly inclusive; it is made up of all ages,” said Crothers. “The university allowed us years ago to include area citizens as well as students. Thus, we have a good mixture of various beautiful timbres of voices. The older voices give support, the younger voices give flexibility.” The SSU choir also recorded a compact disc, available at the VRCFA McKinley Box Office or from Crothers and other choir members for $10 that features patriotic numbers, inspirational songs, and the SSU Alma mater composed by Crothers. For more information, call (740) 351-3212. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by B.J. Parsons, communications specialist--Office of Communications) SSU to Host Game Design Lecture It is the most popular entertainment industry in the world, grossing more than $10 billion per year--but it isn’t located in Hollywood. Shawnee State University (SSU) is hosting a lecture presented by a Wheelersburg man who has a wealth of firsthand knowledge to share about the business of game design. Howard Dortch, a computer engineer and video game developer, will characterize the dramatic changes that have taken place in the game design industry in the past 30 some years. “The game design industry has advanced significantly since I became involved with it,” said Dortch, who was born and raised in Scioto County, attending the old Lindsay Elementary School before his family moved to California. “I will be speaking about the changes that have occurred, particularly the ones that revolutionized the industry, and also where the video game market is headed.” Dortch first entered the video game industry in 1976 after completing a stint in the Navy. The technology was extremely simple by today’s standards that emphasize massive processing power, better graphics, and more comprehensive game play, he said. One significant change in the industry was caused by the rise of the Internet. Dortch, who helped engineer Sony’s Everquest Online, a massive multiplayer role playing game (MMRPG) played over the Internet, believes Everquest is remarkable not only for its success but also for the technological advances that it yielded. “Sony made Everquest as a competitor to a popular game at the time known as Ultima Online,” said Dortch. “It really set the standard for games of its type in the industry and it proved beyond all doubt that Internet gaming could not only survive, but thrive in this industry.” Other professional feats for Dortch include giving presentations at Microsoft Meltdown and Game Developers conferences on optimizing code for the game industry, evaluating new tools and technologies used in the game industry for Sony Interactive Studios, and designing and installing computer control systems for jail and detention facilities. The presentation Game and Simulation Design and Development: Where We Came From and Where We’re Going Next, will be at 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 12, in SSU’s Flohr Lecture Hall in the Clark Memorial Library. The presentation will be of particular interest to Tom Stead, chair of the department of fine, digital, and performing arts at SSU. Stead is currently spearheading a proposal to bring a video game design major to SSU, which he believes will be very beneficial to both the university and economy if it passes the Educational Policy and Curriculum Committee (EPCC) at the institution. “The video game industry is predicted to be a $40 billion a year industry in 10 years,” said Stead. “I don’t think there is any question that it is consuming the majority of the entertainment dollar. At the moment, there is no video game programming market in this area and, with EPCC approval, we are going to try to create one.” For more information about the lecture, made possible by the Scioto County Area Foundation’s Pixley Lecture on Science and Technology fund, call (740) 351-3118. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- SSU inducts students into national honor society There’s something to be said about being one of the “smart kids.” For 150 freshmen at Shawnee State University (SSU), being one of those smart kids paid off. SSU’s chapter of the Phi Eta Sigma honor society held its annual induction ceremony recently in the Vern Riffe Center for the Arts at SSU. Phi Eta Sigma is the nation’s largest and oldest freshman honor society. To be a member, a freshman must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Students become life-long members upon being inducted, and are then eligible for scholarships ranging in amounts from $1,000 to $5,000. Along with the 150 students being inducted, local chapter members nominate and vote on a list of honorary members, people coming from all walks of life, who are usually in some way relative to the college experience. This year four honorary members were inducted--Jinlu Li, Ph.D, SSU mathematics professor; Robert Trusz, SSU director of admissions; Faye Logan, retired financial aid representative; and Kathy Montgomery, line cook in the Bear’s Den cafeteria at SSU. What makes the honorary members special runs the gamut of student interest. One honorary member said her induction was totally unexpected. “I am very proud. When I found out what they had done, it really shocked me,” Kathy Montgomery said. Montgomery has worked in SSU’s cafeteria for three years. She currently lives in Sciotoville with her husband, George, a retired foundry worker. Montgomery said she thinks she was nominated and elected because of the way she interacts with the students she feeds. “These students are happy with the way I perform my job,” she said. “When they come through the lines, I can kid with them, and they can kid with me. I think they really like it.” The three other honorary members - Li, Trusz, and Logan - represent SSU faculty and staff. Li immigrated to the United States from China in 1982. After earning his doctorate degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, he came to SSU in 1989 and has spent the last 14 years teaching everything from basic algebra to probability and complex variables. Trusz came to SSU in 2000. Since taking over the admissions post, SSU has seen the largest enrollment increases in the history of the university. Logan is a recent retiree from SSU’s financial aid office. She came to the university in 1986 and spent her entire SSU career helping veterans pay for their education. Founded in 1923 at the University of Illinois, Phi Eta Sigma has grown to more than 300 chapters and has inducted more than 700,000 members since inception. SSU students who were inducted are: Bainbridge, OH Beaver, OH Chillicothe, OH Franklin Furnace, OH Gallipolis, OH Georgetown, OH Ironton, OH Jackson, OH Kenton, OH Latham, OH Lucasville, OH Manchester, OH Marengo, OH McDermott, OH Minford, OH New Boston, OH Oak Hill, OH Otway, OH Patriot, OH Pedro, OH Peebles, OH Piketon, OH Portsmouth, OH Russellville, OH Seaman, OH Sciotoville, OH South Point, OH Stout, OH Waverly, OH Wellston, OH West Portsmouth, OH West Union, OH Wheelersburg, OH Winchester, OH Ashland, KY Flatwoods, KY Garrison, KY Grayson, KY Greenup, KY Quincy, KY South Shore, KY Vanceburg, KY Venice, FL Spring, TX # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by B.J. Parsons--communications specialist--SSU Office of Communications) Shawnee State
University graduation ceremony It is only one day, but for many Shawnee State University (SSU) students, the day of their commencement ceremony has been four years in the making. This year will certainly be no exception, with some 350 students expected to don a cap and gown to receive a college degree. “This year we had 526 students petition to graduate, of which 300 to 350 will walk across the stage to receive their diplomas,” said Steve Midkiff, Ph.D., SSU’s registrar. “We will also probably have between 3,000 to 4,000 spectators, too, if it is a pretty day. This is one of the biggest events at SSU every year.” The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 14, on the Alumni Green, marking the second time that the ceremony has been held on a Saturday morning. Prior to that, the ceremony was held on Friday evenings. “We made the transition to a Saturday morning for two reasons,” said Midkiff. “We understand that people usually work on Fridays and we don’t want anybody having to rush to get to commencement. Secondly, during the time of year in which the ceremony is held, the weather is usually hot and humid, which can create thunderstorms late in the day. We wanted to make this thing as comfortable as possible for everybody.” The commencement speaker this year will be newly appointed SSU president, Rita Rice Morris, Ph.D. Recommended to be the keynote speaker by interim president Michael Field, Ph.D., and president of the University Faculty Senate John Valentine, Ph.D., Morris will offer plenty of advice for students about to embark on new careers. “Dr. Morris was a particularly good candidate to be the keynote speaker,” said Midkiff. “Being new to the school and to the area, it will be a good opportunity for her to meet the community.” For students, commencement means more than just getting a piece of paper. According to Lori Mitchell, 22, who will be graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in graphic design, graduation means a chance to move on with the rest of her life. “When I first started four years ago, I didn’t think I would ever graduate,” said Mitchell. “Now I can move on, travel, and do all the different things that I have wanted to do both personally and job-wise. I feel like now that I am graduating, I can do anything.” For more information about commencement call (740) 351-3262. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E-
Janice Lanier, nurse attorney with the Ohio Nursing Association (ONA), speaks to Shawnee State University (SSU) nursing students and area nurses at SSU. A continuing education workshop, entitled “The Laws and Rules Regulating Nursing Practice in Ohio,” was co-sponsored by ONA Southern Ohio District and the SSU department of nursing. Another continuing education workshop for nurses, free to ONA members and SSU nursing students, is scheduled for Thursday, June 26, with morning and afternoon sessions. Non-members may register for $15. For more information, call 351-3274. ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by Jennifer Moorhead, communications coordinator-Office of Communications) SSU and ONA
offering nursing conference Shawnee State University’s (SSU) department of nursing and the Ohio Nurses Association Southern Ohio District (ONA) will offer a continuing education workshop, The Laws and Rules Regulating Nursing Practice in Ohio, for nurses, ONA members, and SSU nursing students. “Effective in 2003, all registered nurses are required by the Ohio Board of Nursing to compete one hour of continuing education relating to the laws and rules regulating nursing practice in Ohio,” said Barbara Conn, associate professor of nursing at SSU. “It’s a mandatory part of our license renewal and all nurses in Ohio renew their licenses every two years.” The Ohio Board of Nursing sets standards of safe nursing care that nurses are held accountable to practice in accordance with the law and rules that regulate their practice. The one and a half hour conference, presented by Janice Lanier, R.N., J.D., director of health policy, ONA, will meet the Ohio Board of Nursing requirements to complete at least one contact hour of continuing education directly related to the law and rules governing nursing practices in Ohio. Two sessions are offered from 10:30 a.m. to noon or 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 29, in the Micklethwaite Banquet Hall in the University Center at SSU. ONA and the Enterprise Ohio Network sponsor the workshop. The workshop is free to ONA members and SSU nursing students. Non-members may register for $15. For more information, call 351-3274. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by B.J. Parsons--communications specialist, SSU Office of Communications) SSU Planetarium Now Open to the Public Beginning Saturday, May 24, and continuing through July, the Clark Planetarium at Shawnee State University (SSU) will provide Saturday evening programs at 7 p.m. to the general public. This new service will build on an impressive record with area schools. “We have been extremely busy over the past year with the various school shows,” said planetarium operator Jason Bryant, a 26-year-old junior computer engineering technology major at SSU. In the past 13 months, Bryant and his fellow student operator, Mark Hamilton, have provided over 240 shows to 7,000 students and teachers. “Practically every spare second that we have from classes we are putting on shows," said Bryant. "Opening the planetarium to the public seemed to make perfect sense, because it provides for a great learning experience in a fun atmosphere that many could appreciate while simply extending a great resource that we have at SSU.” The 66-seat planetarium features the latest in projection equipment--a Digistar II Projection System that, according to Bryant, allows for not only images of stars to be projected on the screen, but also massive three-dimensional images of things such as spaceships or even human cells that make the planetarium appealing on many levels. “The projection system allows us to explore not only the galaxy, but also the human body via three-dimensional imaging,” said Bryant. “This allows us to take participants on a tour of something as small as a human cell, while at the same time also educating the students to the process which forms that cell. This explanation of 'the how' and 'the why' complements traditional learning with actual sensual immersion in the presentation.” Part of the attraction that the planetarium holds is that, with its variety of topical shows, it can entertain audiences, young and old, said Bryant. The topic of each show will be selected to appeal to each Saturday night's audience. “We are not sure of the demographics that we will be working with and we probably won’t be until after a couple of shows,” said Bryant. “Therefore, it makes more sense to select the show appealing to the greatest number of people. Regardless of what we show, it will certainly be entertaining, informing, and visually impressive.” Admission will be $2 per person. For more information, call 351-3224. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by Jennifer Moorhead, communications coordinator--Office of Communications)
SSU
dean and playwright experiencing ongoing success:
Nobody, including Jerry Holt, Ph.D., author of the play
“Rickey,” had high expectations of the drama written about
Branch Rickey, one of baseball’s greatest managers, continuing
past its initial local showing in Portsmouth on May 9, 1996.
“Believe it or not, it was written to open the Vern Riffe Center
for the Arts. It was one of the first productions there,” said
Holt, dean of the college of arts and sciences at SSU. “We
honestly didn’t think at the time that the show would have much of
a life beyond that.”
Seven years later, the play is still alive and well. In fact, it is
experiencing its longest run to date--four weeks--at CATCO
(Contemporary American Theatre Company) in Columbus, Ohio, where it
will be shown until June 1, with the original actor, Geoffrey
Nelson, returning to the role.
The Columbus Dispatch gave
the play a “home run,” in a review published May 4. “Brimming
with personality, history, wit, and wisdom, here is a performance
and a play about that great American pastime…race relations.”
Other praises included, “constant smiles and frequent laughter,”
from the audience, “folksy charm,” and “Nelson…hits every
ball pitched to him…”
It’s the appealing story, the significant history, and the
colorful character that has captured the love of audiences, giving
the show its life, said Holt.
“Rickey” is the life story of the Ohio native who went on to
become one of baseball’s most esteemed managers. From the 1920s to
the 1950s, Rickey invented the farm team system, managed the
championship-winning St. Louis Cardinals, and integrated major
league baseball when he signed Jackie Robinson to the Brooklyn
Dodgers, an historical event that changed society.
“When Branch Rickey brought Jackie Robinson into the major
leagues, that was the only significant action in civil rights in
this country since the Civil War,” said Holt. “It was a time
when baseball, in its integrative process, was ahead of the United
States military, the school system, and the Supreme Court. Baseball
led the way.”
During the Portsmouth premiere, a representative from the National
Baseball Symposium attended the performance that resulted in the
play showing at the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“We got a lot of excellent publicity,” said Holt. “Then, all
of a sudden, it took on a life of its own.”
One of the most memorable venues for Holt was when the play opened
for the 50th anniversary of Jackie Robinson signing into the major
league in Brooklyn, NY.
“They loved it so much that they asked us to stick around for
three days and we closed the celebration, too,” said Holt.
Another fond “Rickey” memory for Holt occurred in the summer of
1998 when the St. Louis Cardinals baseball organization invited Holt
to attend a showing of the play at the Baseball Hall of Fame in St.
Louis, Mo.
In addition, “Rickey,” for two summers now, is shown on the
luxury barge The Explorer, which travels from Pittsburgh to
Cincinnati.
“They love it on there,” said Holt. “The guy who plays Rickey
boards the barge at various places and gets off at various
places.” To date, three actors have played the part of Rickey.
What Holt loves, and believes everyone in the southern Ohio region
should love as well, is that Branch Rickey is a genuine hometown
hero.
“Branch Rickey is ours,” said Holt. “That is something to
really be proud of.”
Holt never has to look far for inspiration. His next play “Woody
Hayes,” a touching portrayal of the legendary Ohio State
University football coach, will premiere in September in time for
the fall college football season.
“There are so many wonderful stories here,” said Holt, an
Oklahoma native who came to SSU in 1990. “This is the cradle of
the country as far as great stories go. Texas has got nothing on us.
It’s a truly mythical place with all kinds of larger than life
figures. We ought to be really proud of our heritage here.”
Holt also attributes the success of “Rickey” to area residents.
“I don’t think Rickey would have had the life that it has if it
hadn’t had consistent support from the community. It’s very
heartening to sit down to write and to know you have people here who
believe in what you’re doing,” said Holt. “Dale Taylor, who
took care of the historical research and timelines, has had his work
examined under the scrutiny of a room full of baseball historians
and it has always stood up.”
Then there is always Rick Brown, a local attorney, who said to Holt
and some others at a gathering in 1995, “Someone should write a
play about Branch Rickey.”
“I’ve always been thankful for that,” said Holt.
Other plays authored by Holt include “Beside a River Long Ago,”
written for the 200th anniversary
of Southern Ohio Medical Center about Dr. Thomas Waller; and
“Boarding: A Love Story,” runner-up winner of the Columbus
Shorts Festival, which ran last summer for six weeks. For more information about the performances of “Rickey” at CATCO, 77 South High St., visit www.catco.org/rickey.htm. #
# # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by B.J. Parsons, communications specialist--Office of Communications) Pottery Works! at SSU Since the beginning of civilization, people have been making objects out of clay. Art faculty and students at Shawnee State University (SSU) today are no different. The SSU ceramics program will be showcasing pottery and ceramics works created by faculty and students from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on May 7 and 8 in front of Massie Hall at SSU. According to Kate Kerr, a ceramics instructor at SSU, Clay Works! is important because it allows both SSU students and the public to appreciate the fine clay work that goes on at the university. “Clay is irresistible because it helps us connect to the child within and identify with the earthy things in life,” said Kerr. “Each year we conduct pottery sales, but this year we decided to build on the popular interest and support for the concept.” All proceeds from the pottery sale will support the SSU fine arts society, in an effort to build community interest in pottery and improve the arts program, said Kerr. Prices will range from $2 and up. Pottery wheel demonstrations, interactive displays, and a display of works by the late Phillip Gearheart will also be included at the sale. “There is going to be a pottery wheel set up for demonstrations and also for the public to work on, so that will be new a special feature,” said Kerr. “We will also be selling and silent auctioning some of Phillip Gearheart’s pottery.” Gearheart was a professor of arts and ceramics at SSU, where he designed the current ceramics laboratory. He passed away in 1998 after being with the SSU arts department for 12 years. “Phillip was an excellent ceramics teacher as well as being a successful ceramicist in his own right,” said Kerr. “His passing left a void in the program and the sale of his pottery will be a nice way to honor his work.” For more information call (740) 351-3327. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by Jennifer Moorhead, communications coordinator--Office of Communications) SSU associate
professor presenting Shawnee State University (SSU) associate professor of philosophy Nicholas K. Meriwether will present Cloning, Bio-Engineering, and Human Nature at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 20. Meriwether will discuss the recent report of the president’s commission on bioethics, which calls for a permanent ban on cloning for reproduction and a five-year moratorium for cloning for medical research, said Meriwether. “The ethical issues surrounding cloning and biomedical engineering are among the most perplexing and worrisome mankind has ever faced,” said Meriwether. “To address them adequately, we will have to not only go back to first principles, but face perhaps the most difficult question of all: What is the nature of the human good?” Meriwether will offer an argument against using embryos for research purposes, and critique arguments in favor of cloning for either reproduction or for medical research. The event, open to the public and sponsored by the Scioto County Area Foundation through the Pixley fund, will be held in room 134 of the Advanced Technology Center at SSU. For more information, call (740) 351-3447. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by B.J. Parsons, communications specialist--Office of Communications) Shakespeare still Alive and Well at SSU
Reality shows are all the rage on television right now
largely because of the unexpected plot twists and turns and the
emphasis on human interaction–two of the characteristics that also
helped Shakespearean dramas maintain their appeal over such a long
period of time. With
this in mind, it made perfect sense to Vivian Robson, associate
professor of theater at Shawnee State University (SSU), to adapt a
Shakespeare play, “Taming of the Shrew,” into a play about a
reality/dating game show, “Tame the Shrew!” for the
university’s spring student theater production. “We
knew we wanted to do a Shakespearean play, but with the time
restrictions we had and the complexity of the play, it wasn’t a
possibility,” said Robson. “I had been watching reality game
shows and the two seemed to fit together with ‘Taming of the
Shrew.’ We pared off some of the subplots, which make
Shakespeare’s works more complicated, and ‘Tame the Shrew!’
was born.” Robson
came up with the initial idea of a game show, but it took a
collaboration of student actors’ perceptions of the play and
Robson’s own ideas to make the script transformation a reality. “The
students really enjoyed this project because it gave them an
investment in the success of a play,” said Robson. “We give a
small group of the performers a scenario and let them work it out
themselves. Then they improvise on it.”
SSU arts major Nathan Wheeler, of Wheelersburg, who plays
Sly, a lesser character in the original play but whose dreamscapes
are the focuses of the new play, is also enamored with the play
adaptation. “I
think that being involved in the writing process makes the whole
effort more meaningful and personal,” said Wheeler. “I have been
acting since a very young age in high school plays, youth theaters,
and so on, but this is the play that I have the most invested in by
far.” While
Robson is extremely happy with the way the script-writing process
has happened in “Tame the Shrew!” she is quick to point out that
rewriting a complete script is a long, tedious undertaking and not
every group of actors are equipped with the necessary skills to do
so. “It
is a lot of hard work to rewrite a script, and we couldn’t have
done it with just any actors,” said Robson. “The student actors
we have are the most talented cast that I have had since I have been
producing student plays at SSU and that is extremely important.
Besides being good actors, they are clever, witty, and interested,
and that makes rewriting the script possible.” “Tame
the Shrew!” is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. May 23 and 24 and May 29 to
31 in SSU’s Vern Riffe Center of the Arts Kahl Studio. Tickets are
$5. For more information call (740) 351-3335. #
# #
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- (Article by B.J. Parsons, communications specialist-Office of Communications)
Dennis Congos, the
new director of the SSU Student Success Center, chats SSU appoints new director of Student Success Center Shawnee State University (SSU) appointed Dennis Congos as the new director of its Student Success Center. Congos, who came to SSU from the University of Central Florida where he was a learning skills specialist, is motivated by the multiple tasks involved with the appointment and looks forward to the opportunities they present in a supervisory role. “The chance to move up and be a director again really motivated me to come to SSU,” said Congos, a native of Painesville, Ohio, who earned a master’s in education from Indiana University. “I was a specialist at my last two jobs, which was great because it meant that I could really concentrate on learning one field well, but now that I have that specialized knowledge, I wanted to use it and be challenged in a directorial role.” The Student Success Center is designed to offer advising and registration services in many different areas. Staff members work collaboratively with faculty members to provide advising for course sequencing and career goals. With the help of the employees, Congos has made an easy transition into his new role. “Fortunately, I have an extremely capable staff to help me,” said Congos. Congos plans to improve tutor quality, introduce study guide literature, and reduce the congestion during orientation days. “We are working on some improvements right now,” said Congos. “We are also introducing literature and teaching tutors to promote study habits. The fact is, a lot of high school students come to college without college-level study habits, and we want to help them develop the necessary skills.” For more information about SSU, call (740) 351-4778. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- Shawnee State
University developing Shawnee State University (SSU) has begun work to develop two graduate programs in the areas of occupational therapy and teacher education. Pending the Ohio board of Regents’ approval, David Todt, Ph.D., interim director of the graduate center at SSU and chair of the department of teacher education, hopes the first graduate classes will begin the fall quarter of 2005. Time is a factor, according to Todt. “The occupational therapy profession nationally has made a decision to move to a master’s degree as entry level for the profession,” said Todt. “We have a very successful occupational therapy program and have had it here for years, and we don’t want to lose that. It really caused Shawnee State to consider if we should move to offering graduate programs. That was the trigger that started the process here.” In addition, teachers who are required to attain master’s degrees may soon be able to do so through a new master’s program that is being proposed at SSU. “There has been a change in the teacher licensure process in the state of Ohio that says that when teachers apply for their second license renewal, they have to have a master’s degree,” Todt said. When the university originally applied to offer graduate programs, Todt said that the board of regents was not sure if SSU had the infrastructure to offer such degrees. “When they got our initial proposal, the board members were left scratching their heads. Usually when they get a proposal to offer new graduate programs, they are from schools that already have such programs,” he said. The two graduate programs will focus more on theory and research, according to Todt. Because teachers are working five days a week, he noted that classes in that program would most likely be scheduled for the evening and on weekends, with some classes possibly administered online. “This is the first step towards graduate education offered by Shawnee State University. I can see that it will grow,” said Todt. For more information call (740) 351-3221. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- Religion, the River, and the State Celebrated at SSU The founding fathers of settlements along the Ohio River Valley were no different than the founding fathers of the United States in regards to emphasizing the importance of religion. A presentation titled “Religion in the Ohio River Valley,” part of the Shawnee State University (SSU) Clark Memorial Library and Portsmouth Public Library’s “The River Runs Through It: A Bicentennial Celebration of Ohio River Valley History,” will focus on the issue of local culture and religion and how both helped shape the future of southern Ohio. Judith Metz, S.C., Ph.D., archivist and historian for the Roman Catholic group Sisters of Charity, will present “Religion in the Ohio River Valley,” at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 15, in the Flohr Lecture Hall in the Clark Memorial Library at SSU. Metz, who earned degrees from the College of Mount St. Joseph, teaches classes on American religious history at the same institution. She is also an authority on women’s religious orders and the religious history of Cincinnati. When planning the bicentennial celebration, David Rogers, technical services librarian at SSU, said that SSU decided to focus on life around the Ohio River because it was the one thing that connected most southern Ohioans. “The Ohio River became our guiding image and we settled on the river valley as the theme that connects all of our events,” he said. “We hope this series will remind our community of its roots and help us to be proud of our rich, substantial, and interesting heritage.” The next event in the series will be a presentation made by Jerry Holt, Ph.D., dean of the college of arts and sciences at SSU, called, “Branch Rickey and Woody Hayes: A Portrait of Two Ohio Sports Legends,” on Sept. 18. The series will conclude with a presentation given by Carl Hilgarth, chair, department of industrial and engineering technology at SSU, titled, “The Industrial Archaeology of the Ohio River Valley (1750-1850),” on Oct. 21. For more information on the presentations call (740) 351-3267. # # # FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: E- Teaching from beyond the grave at SSU At some point in time, everyone has seen the inside of a living being. Whether it is the frog dissected in biology class or the end result of a wild animal meeting an untimely death along some roadway, most people have seen the inner-workings of life. For a small group of students at Shawnee State University (SSU), this experience goes much deeper--they work with human cadavers and have been for some 15 years now. According to Scott Oliver, D.D.S., professor of biological sciences at SSU, SSU is the only state university in Ohio that offers a program at the undergraduate level where students have the opportunity to work with whole cadavers. Students in pre-med programs usually only work out of textbooks or maybe with part of a cadaver, said Oliver, but SSU has teamed up with Ohio State University to extend the cadaver program to undergraduate study. “To house cadavers, you have to be affiliated with a college of medicine’s department of anatomy,” he said. “We’re a satellite of the Ohio State University College of Medicine. Our cadavers come from their body loan program.” The body loan program, according to Oliver, is set up in such a way that individuals can will their bodies to a university. When they die, the state pays all of the fees associated with embalming and transportation, and is then reimbursed by the schools where the bodies are sent. SSU currently has three cadavers, each one costing the school around $1,200. SSU students are the only people who benefit from the university’s unique offering. Oliver said many groups benefit from SSU’s cadaver program. “After dissection, you can use the cadaver for show and tell. We bring some of our allied health students in for presentations, some of the occupational therapy faculty will use them, EMT classes, and even high school biology students come for presentations,” he said. Almost every high school in Scioto County brings students to SSU for presentations, said Oliver, with schools in Lawrence, Adams, and Ross counties participating as well. “Most of the students have done a cat dissection in the high school or they’ve done some other type of animal dissection. And these are older students too, usually juniors or seniors,” he said. During actual class time, students have a 10-week quarter to perform the entire dissection. Oliver said that he divides the students into groups, and assigns each group a specific section of the cadaver’s body. Students then perform the dissections, photographing their progress. The photos are put into an “atlas,” a journal of sorts, and, upon completion of the dissection, the students use all of the other groups’ atlases to study the entire cadaver. After a cadaver has been completely dissected, it can still be used for educational purposes for several years, said Oliver. “We get use beyond the end of the quarter. There’s no dissection going on, but we use the prosected bodies for other instructional purposes,” said Oliver. SSU’s cadaver program helps students prepare for things they will have to deal with once they reach graduate level training. “Your entire first year in a professional school is cadaver anatomy,” he said. “What it does for our students is it gives them a jump start on that because that’s also the ‘weed out’ course. Just because you get into medical school or dental school doesn’t mean you are going to stay.” Oliver said that the cadavers are treated anonymously and respectfully. “One thing that is interesting about this is that you get no information on them,” he said. “When you communicate with the morgue, it’s a number. It’s a male or a female and a number. What I tell the students is that these people have given their bodies for their education. We don’t joke with them. We don’t give them nicknames. It’s all very respectful.” The cadavers are not kept in any morgue-like structure at SSU. According to Oliver, they are kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic sheeting, and sprayed with embalming fluid. They are kept in a special room and only taken out for educational purposes. Oliver said that he admires people who donate their bodies for educational purposes, calling them “an interesting group of people” and admits that he, too, is considering giving his body to science. For more information about SSU, call (740) 351-3221. # # #
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