September 2008 News Releases
- 9-29 Red Bud Campus Mini Job Fair to be Held Oct. 15
- 9-26 Domestic Violence Prevention Seminars Oct. 8 at SWIC
- 9-25 Freemasons to Host Child Identification Program at RBC
- 9-23 SWIC to Celebrate International Day of Non-Violence
- 9-22 Horse Experience and Fall Fest Activities Oct. 4 at SWIC
- 9-19 SWIC to Host 1917 Race Riot Book Reading and Signing
- 9-18 Mexico's Colonial Jewels Await You On SWIC Travel Tour
- 9-11 SWIC to Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
- 9-9 SWIC to Celebrate Constitution Day with Voter Registration
- 9-3 Southwestern Illinois College to Host Transfer Night Sept. 25
- 9-3 Schmidt Art Center to Feature Community History Exhibit
- 9-2 Auditions for Brighton Beach Memoirs Sept. 11 at SWIC
SWIC RED BUD CAMPUS MINI JOB FAIR TO BE HELD OCT. 15
Despite the economic downturn, there are companies seeking employees to fill available positions. If you're in the market for a job or a new professional opportunity, check out the upcoming Fall Mini Job Fair at the Southwestern Illinois College Red Bud Campus, 500 W. South Fourth St.
More than 10 employers will be on campus from 2:30-5 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 15 searching for individuals to fill available vacancies in their companies. The SWIC Career Activities and Employment Center hosts the event.
To help people make the most of the fair, Illinois Work Net will host a workshop, titled "How To Make A Job Fair Work For You," at 2 p.m. in the Performing Arts Room.
"Community members are welcome," adds Job Placement Specialist Kelly Bione. "This is a wonderful opportunity to speak to a variety of employers in one location. I invite anyone looking for a job, or a new career, to join us at this event."
You will be able to meet with representatives of Avon, Bright Clean Living, Gateway Cleaning and Restoration, Human Support Services, Mary Kay, Maurices, Midcoast Aviation, Pampered Chef, Prairie State Generating Company LLC, Primerica, Red Bud Regional Hospital, Siemens Manufacturing Company Inc., UPS and more.
Bione offers these tips to individuals on a job search: ensure that your résumé is accurate and up-to-date; ask someone else to review your résumé to make sure information is clear; check for typographical or grammatical errors; research any company you're interested in speaking with; and come dressed professionally with plenty of résumés in hand.
If you need assistance creating a winning résumé or want more information about the upcoming job fair, contact Bione at 618-282-6682 or 800-222-5131, ext. 8126.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION SEMINARS OCT. 8 AT SWIC
Nationwide, women are victims of domestic violence more often than victims of burglary, muggings or other physical crimes combined, according to the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois.
This October, learn more about domestic violence during Domestic Violence Awareness Month thanks to two scheduled programs at Southwestern Illinois College's Red Bud Campus, 500 W. South Fourth St.
Doris Beattie, prevention coordinator for the Violence Prevention Center of Southwestern Illinois, will present "Dating and Violence Should Never Be A Couple: Understanding The Issues of Violence In A Relationship" from 11 a.m.-noon, Wednesday, Oct. 8 in the Performing Arts Room. You will learn what you need to know about domestic violence and what you can do to help a friend or family member dealing with domestic violence. All are welcome to attend this session.
Beattie's presentation will be followed by a demonstration of Rape Aggression Defense Systems Training. Better known as RADS Training, this session will give women a glimpse into the personal defense course designed to teach awareness, risk reduction and basic hands-on defense techniques. This session, which runs from noon-1 p.m., is for women only.
Call SWIC Red Bud Campus Student Activities Coordinator Jessica Seders or Community Services Coordinator and Evening Supervisor Amy Brockman at 618-282-6682, ext. 8113 or 8104, respectively, for more information.
FREEMASONS TO HOST CHILD IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM AT RBC
For the third year, the Illinois Freemasons will bring the Illinois Child Identification Program to the Southwestern Illinois College Red Bud Campus Performing Arts Room, 500 W. South Fourth St., Saturday, Oct. 4.
The program, to be offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., provides parents with critical information and some peace of mind should their children become lost, turn up missing or fall victim to kidnapping. ILCHIP provides a still color photo of a child that records height and a brief interview that shows appearance, speech patterns, personal characteristics and mannerisms on a CD, as well as fingerprints and a DNA sample.
A parent or guardian must sign a consent form the day of the event in order for children 18 or younger to participate. All materials created are given to the parents, free of charge, for safekeeping. Duplicates of these items are not kept by the Illinois Freemasons.
"Southwestern Illinois College is pleased to partner with the Illinois Freemasons on this important initiative," said Red Bud Campus Community Services Coordinator and Evening Supervisor Amy Brockman. "In fact, ILCHIP has proven to be such an important effort, that service has been extended to college-aged students and adults living with mental disabilities, dementia or Alzheimer's disease."
For more information, contact Illinois Freemason Mike Lovell at 618-286-3894.
SWIC TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF NON-VIOLENCE
Celebrate Gandhi's birthday and International Day of Non-Violence at Southwestern Illinois College with two presentations dedicated to Gandhi's India. Both presentations are free and open to the public.
The first presentation, "Culture and Customs of India: A Different Way of Being," will take place at 1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 1 in the SWIC Belleville Campus Liberal Arts Building Room 2216, 2500 Carlyle Ave. The second presentation, "Gandhi's Message of Non-Violence," will take place at 11 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 2, in Liberal Arts Building Room 2120.
Professor of Psychology Barbara Hunter, Ph.D., will lead both presentations. Hunter recently returned from a six-week tour of Gandhi's India as part of the Fulbright-Hays Grant Program.
"During my trip, I learned first-hand how truly interconnected we all are, and how my individual actions in this country impact people on the other side of the world," said Hunter. "With these presentations, I hope to share some of the knowledge and values I learned with our students, faculty, staff and members of the community."
For more information about the presentations, call Hunter at 618-235-2700, ext. 5590.
HORSE EXPERIENCE AND FALL FEST ACTIVITIES OCT. 4 AT SWIC
A new spin comes to Horse Experience at the Southwestern Illinois College Red Bud Campus this year.
Horse-related programs and children's activities come together to form Horse Experience and Fall Fest 2008. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. and concludes at 4 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 4 on SWIC Red Bud Campus grounds, 500 W. South Fourth St. Events happen rain or shine!
You and your family can see many horse breeds up close and talk with horse owners and enthusiasts. This year's Horse Experience activities include cattle cutting, horsemanship and therapeutic horsemanship demonstrations; drill team and American Miniature Horse performances; horse-related information and exhibits; a parade of breeds; and a swap meet. If you have horse-related products you'd like to sell, reserve a space in the swap meet for just $5.
Fall Festival activities include free events such as pony rides, a hay maze and face painting. For nominal fees, children can build a scarecrow, decorate pumpkins and fall cookies, and indulge in traditional fall snacks like carmel apples and kettle corn.
Lunch offerings will be provided by Christ Our Savior Lutheran School in Evansville. Proceeds from sales benefit the school.
Bring lawn chairs and your fun-loving spirit and take part in the experience.
For more information, call Community Services Coordinator and Evening Supervisor Amy Brockman at 618-282-6682, ext. 8104.
SWIC TO HOST 1917 RACE RIOT BOOK READING AND SIGNING
To find out how the 1917 East St. Louis Race Riot changed the face of the nation, come to Southwestern Illinois College for a book reading and signing of Harper Barnes' "Never Been a Time: The 1917 Race Riot That Sparked the Civil Rights Movement."
The event will take place at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25 at the Schmidt Art Center on the SWIC Belleville Campus, 2500 Carlyle Ave. The event is free and open to the public.
The East St. Louis riot was the first and officially the deadliest of a series of racial massacres that broke out in reaction to African Americans moving north seeking jobs and freedom from prejudice according to the book.
Barnes is a former editor and cultural critic for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Most of the book is taken from eyewitness testimony gathered in the aftermath of the riot by a congressional investigating committee, as well as civil rights leaders W.E.B. DuBois and Ida B. Wells.
This event is sponsored by the SWIC Library and the Schmidt Art Center.
For more information, call Librarian Loretta Lopinot at 618-235-2700, ext. 5236.
MEXICO'S COLONIAL JEWELS AWAIT YOU ON SWIC TRAVEL TOUR
The pyramids of Teotihuacan, a national folklore ballet performance, tequila blue agave fields, the National Museum of Anthropology, the El Eden Silver Mine and a host of other activities await you in the colonial jewels of Mexico next summer!
You could jet off to this destination filled with amazing cultural arts and history thanks to a special Travel Study course - SPAN 299 Language and Culture. No foreign language experience is required to participate. The adventure takes you from St. Louis to Mexico for 12 days of fun in the sun and amazing cultural experiences. Travel from June 13-24, 2009.
A Collette Vacations representative will give an informational travel presentation at 2 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 5 at the SWIC Belleville Campus, 2500 Carlyle Ave. The presentation will be held in the Main Complex Marsh Conference Room, located on the first floor.
"This incredible trip will let you experience a side of Mexico not often seen," said Adjunct Foreign Language Instructor and Travel Guide Catherine Kreher. "By visiting the colonial jewels of Mexico, you will get the chance to learn the history of this country and see first-hand the many different fascinating aspects of the culture. This is a once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunity."
While on the trip, you will visit the towns of Mexico City, Queretaro, Guanajuato, Zacatecas, Tlaquepaque, Guadalajara, Patzcuaro and Morelia, each filled with culturally rich sites.
The journey begins in the capital, Mexico City, where you will visit Plaza de la Constitucion, the second largest square in the world. Other highlights include the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe, a national folklore ballet performance, and Mexico's tallest pyramid.
You will then travel to the charming towns of Queretaro and Guanajuato. Here you will find beautiful examples of Baroque architecture, open plazas, cozy restaurants and tree-lined boulevards featuring exquisite colonial buildings.
Your next stop on this trip will be the beautiful mountain city of Guanajuato. Explore its Gothic revival church La Parroquia, the Alhondiga de Granaditos Museum and the main plaza of Union Garden and Mercado Hidalgo.
Your adventures continue in Zacatecas, known as the "city of light and color." Visits include the Baroque Cathedral, the Rafael Coronel Museum filled with hand-carved and hand-painted Mexican masks, and the El Eden Silver Mine.
Blue agave tequila fields await you in Guadalajara. Enjoy a tour of the fields, visit the Mundo Cuervo Brewery and Museum, and take some leisure time to sip fine tequila or explore the charming shops and restaurants in the area.
Round out the trip with a stop at the National Palace in Morelia and a return stop in Mexico City for the National Museum of Anthropology.
The cost of the trip is $2,269 per person for double occupancy, plus the cost of three credit hours of tuition, SPAN 299. The tour package price includes: round-trip transportation from St. Louis, guided tours, lodging, taxes and fees, 17 meals and the leadership of a bilingual tour director. A $250 deposit is due to reserve your place.
For more information, contact Kreher at 618-233-7569.
SWIC TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Southwestern Illinois College! The SWIC Minority Transfer and Multicultural Student Services Center will sponsor numerous events from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15 as part of Hispanic Heritage Month.
All performances and exhibits are free and open to the public. Events at the Belleville Campus, 2500 Carlyle Ave., include:
- Kick-off Event - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15, Main Complex Room 1040
- Cultural Competency Speaker - 7-8:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15, Main Complex Room 1040
- Film Series, "Hispanic Hollywood" - 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 16, Main Complex Room 1040
- Film Series, "Under the Same Moon" - 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 23, Main Complex Room 1040
- Special Menu Available - Friday, Sept. 26 and Oct. 10, Main Complex Café
- Hispanic Heritage Trivia - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 1, Main Complex Café
- Film Series, "Americanos: Latino Life in the U.S." - 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 2, Main Complex Room 1040
- Film Series, "Stand and Deliver" - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 2, Main Complex Room 1040
- Diversity CHAT - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 14, Main Complex Room 1040
Events at the Sam Wolf Granite City Campus, 4950 Maryville Road, include:
- Kick-off Event - 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday, Sept. 15, History Room
- Film Series, "Hispanic Hollywood" - 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 22, History Room
- Film Series, "Under the Same Moon" - 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 29, History Room
- Film Series, "Americanos: Latino Life in the U.S." - 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday, Oct. 6, History Room
- Special Menu Available - Friday, Oct. 10, Café
- Fall Fiesta with Mariachis - Wednesday, Oct. 15, The Commons
Events at the Red Bud Campus, 500 W. South Fourth St., include:
- Library Display - begins Monday, Sept. 15
- Film Series, "Under the Same Moon" - 7-9 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 2
Events at the East St. Louis Higher Education Center, 601 James R. Thompson Blvd., include:
- Writer's Workshop - noon-1:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 24, Building A - Room 1029
For more information, call the SWIC MTMSSC at 618-235-2700, ext. 5360.
SWIC TO CELEBRATE CONSTIUTION DAY WITH VOTER REGISTRATION
Register to vote now and be ready to cast a ballot in the November presidential election.
To celebrate National Constitution Day, Southwestern Illinois College will hold a college-wide voter registration event on Wednesday, Sept. 17. Faculty, staff, students and members of the community are invited to attend.
Voter registration will be available at the following locations:
- Belleville Campus, 2500 Carlyle Ave., Main Complex First Floor Lounge, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
- East St. Louis Higher Education Campus, 601 James R. Thompson Blvd., Cafeteria, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Red Bud Campus, 500 W. South Fourth St., Lobby, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Sam Wolf Granite City Campus, 4950 Maryville Road, Commons, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6-8 p.m.
"Our goal is to sponsor a massive voter registration event for everyone in the SWIC district," said College Activities Director David Paeth. "We will have plenty of deputy registrars on hand, most of whom are SWIC students, to ensure a quick and easy registration process."
To be eligible to register, you must be a U.S. citizen and Illinois resident; at least 18 years of age by Election Day; and a resident of the precinct at least 30 days prior to Election Day. On the day of registration, bring two forms of identification, with at least one showing your current residence address.
For more information, contact College Activities at 618-235-2700, ext. 5561.
SOUTHWESTERN ILLINOIS COLLEGE TO HOST TRANSFER NIGHT SEPT. 25
Community college students looking to transfer to a four-year college or university, check out Transfer Night at Southwestern Illinois College.
Students will have the opportunity to speak with Illinois and Missouri college representatives and pick up information from these schools between 4:30-6:30 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 25 in the second floor lobby in the Belleville Campus Information Sciences Building, 2500 Carlyle Ave. They also can attend specialized workshops on transfer issues, financial aid and scholarships.
This event is free and open to the public; however, reservations are recommended.
Counselors will be on hand to speak with students about a variety of transfer issues, such as degree programs, the application process, course transfers, financial aid, housing, scholarships and evening, weekend and online transfer degree options for the working adult.
"Our goal is to help make the transition process as seamless as possible for the students," said Counselor Toby Brown. Also, students can enjoy free refreshments and register to win door prizes.
"It is never too early for community college students to start thinking about four-year institutions," said Brown. "The sooner a student starts thinking about the transfer process, the more dedicated they can become to their academic goals."
The Counseling Center and the Minority Transfer and Multicultural Student Services Center will sponsor the event.
For reservations or more information, call the Counseling Center at 618-235-2700, ext. 5206, or toll free in Illinois at 800-222-5131, ext. 5206.
SCHMIDT ART CENTER TO FEATURE COMMUNITY HISTORY EXHIBIT
What is the oldest object in your home, and why do you still have it? These questions were asked of residents of Belleville, Chester, Collinsville and East St. Louis as part of the "Ubjects I" exhibit currently on display at the Schmidt Art Center at Southwestern Illinois College, 2500 Carlyle Ave., Belleville.
This community history exhibit is part of CUSP (Conjunctions: Ubjects, Stories and Places), a collaborative project with local universities that takes ubjects, or unique and unusual objects, local people have brought from their homes, and examines the history and stories behind them.
The Ubjects I exhibit runs from Aug. 21 until Oct. 4. The public reception will take place from 6-8 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 11, with the featured artist and student curators speaking at 7 p.m. All Schmidt exhibits are free and open to the public.
Each year for five years, student teams from SWIC, the Museum Studies program of the Department of Historical Studies at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and the University of Missouri Center for Human Origin and Cultural Diversity will be going into local communities looking for ubjects. The students also speak with the individuals and find out the rich history and stories behind these ubjects.
"CUSP is a project that uses the ubject as a focal point for an ongoing mutual conversation about life and home in southwestern Illinois," said cultural historian Hillel Schwartz. "How do we come to put a special value on certain objects or places, and how do these objects or sites in turn come to affirm us in our daily lives?"
Also featured as part of the Ubjects I exhibit is the artwork of Patricia Vivod of Troy, Ill. Vivod uses a collection of multimedia pieces to tell stories of her family and her home. In her artwork, she uses materials ranging from an old cashbox, pieces of vintage fabric, photographs, colored pencils and organically printed silk.
"The cerebral art of Vivod is the perfect compliment to this exhibit," said Jacquelyn A. Lewis-Harris, Ph.D., director of the UMSL Center for Human Origin and Cultural Diversity. "A native of southwestern Illinois, Vivod grew up on a dairy farm outside of Greenville and now resides in Troy. Her work embraces the Illinois landscape, the communities and generations of families that resided there. Like the ubjects in the exhibit, her finely constructed art presents another aspect of the changing landscape and the individual's role in shaping and defining their community."
The CUSP exhibit is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, Illinois Humanities Council, Target, SIUE Meridian Society and SWIC Foundation.
For more information, call 618-222-5278 or visit www.schmidtartcenter.com.
AUDITIONS FOR BRIGHTON BEACH MEMOIRS SEPT. 11 AT SWIC
Neil Simon's tale of a Brooklyn teenager who fantasizes about baseball and girls will come to the Southwestern Illinois College stage this November.
Auditions to fill the three male and four female roles for the show begin at 7 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 11 in the Belleville Campus Main Complex - Theatre, 2500 Carlyle Ave. Community members and SWIC students are eligible to audition.
The autobiographical play, set in 1937, is a snapshot of life in a struggling Jewish household. You meet Eugene Jerome; his older, experienced brother, Stanley; their mother and father; a widowed aunt and her two daughters. While it has many funny moments, the "dramedy" also tackles serious issues around family dynamics, including sibling rivalry and parental guilt, and dignity through hardship.
The play's debut performance came in Los Angeles at the end of 1982. It moved to Broadway in 1983. Brighton Beach Memoirs was made into a film, featuring Jonathan Silverman and Blythe Danner, in 1986.
Performances of Brighton Beach Memoirs at SWIC will be held Friday through Sunday, Nov.14-16 and Nov. 21-23.
The play is presented through special arrangement with Samuel French.
Blue also will audition for roles in the comedy "All In The Timing." Rehearsals for the show will be held during the day. Performances will be in October.
For more information, contact Director Jeff Blue at 618-235-2700, ext. 5451; toll free in Illinois at 800-222-5131, ext. 5451; or from St. Louis at 314-436-3218, ext. 5451.