College Activities Archives - Southwestern Illinois College

Women’s History Month

During the month of March, we observe Women’s History Month to celebrate the remarkable achievements of women, today and throughout history. At SWIC, we not only recognize the contributions of women who help lead the way and inspire, but also acknowledge their diverse interests and passions. Thank you to all the women, past and present, at SWIC, whose dedication and hard work has helped make Southwestern Illinois College your first choice!

Jill Baudendistel, Student Services Coordinator – Reading a captivating book is my favorite way to relax.

Laura Vahlkamp, Associate Director of Recruitment & Outreach – My top hobbies are: Physical Fitness (boxing, strength training), Food (love to bake and eat snacks), going on adventures with my teenagers, traveling, coffee, wine.

Brandi Brown-Harris, College Inclusion & Outreach Coordinator – I enjoy roller skating. I also spending time with my Bichon Frise, Penny Lane and watching my favorite shows on TLC and The Food Network channel.

Melissa Epps – MPH, RPh, Adjunct Pharmacy Technician Program Coordinator – Wreath making has been a cherished hobby of mine for quite some time, I love it!

Danielle Chambers, Chief Student Services Officer – My hobbies include helping others, cherishing moments with family, and eating!

Katie Dawson, Director of Financial Aid, Veteran Services & Student Employment – I love being involved in the Belleville community! My family and I shop and eat local as much as possible and never miss a parade or festival on Main Street.

Kourtny Shaw, Director of Marketing – My primary focus and passion outside of work is being a mom.

Alicia Johnson, Career and Employment Specialist – Besides spending time with my beloved service dog, my favorite way to pass time is to read.

Bethanie Garcia, Admissions Coordinator – Collecting and decorating my office with plants. Being surrounded by plants brings me a sense of joy and enhances my productivity.

Elizabeth Alvarez, RN Program Coordinator – Puzzles are my favorite way to relax but I also love reading and camping!

Vicki Channer, Administrative Assistant – Athletics – I love maintaining a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise.

Annjanee Jones, Director of Advising, Enrollment, & Records – I enjoy spending my free time gardening.

Paula Haniszewski, Director of the William and Florence Schmidt Art Center – I love hanging with my husband and two girls, art, real estate, and reading.

Mindy Schubert, Events Specialist – In my spare time I enjoy making quilts for my kids.

Jami Houston, Director of Student Success Programs – Getting my Ed.D from the University of Illinois and Illini basketball!

Myki Rhodes, Director of Student Finance – In my free time, I’m all about roller skating!

Liz Jennings, Associate Director – Foundation – I’ve been getting into tennis lately. It’s been really fun picking up a new hobby!

Casey Robacker, Internal Communications Specialist – I love collecting figurines and decorating my office with them. It’s awesome to see them around every day, brings a little extra joy to my space!

Samantha Rogers, Librarian – I like to travel and explore. 2022 took me to the Island of Hvar. 2023 the Isle of Skye. This summer I will be looking for wild ponies along the coast of Exmoor.

Sarah Samples, Associate Director of Marketing – Hiking is the best! The fact that my entire family enjoys it adds an extra layer of enjoyment to the experience.

SWIC’s Student Life to host a “Walk to End Hunger”

You can help wipe out hunger among SWIC students by participating in the Southwestern Illinois College Walk to End Hunger Nov. 1.

The college’s Student Veterans Association and Veterans Services are hosting the walk, in partnership with the local YMCA. Participants are encouraged to walk with 22 pounds of nonperishable food in bags or backpacks, in honor of the 22 veterans lost to suicide each day.

The walk will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 1 from 3-4:30 p.m. The walk is scheduled to begin at the YMCA parking lot, 2627 Carlyle Ave., circle the college campus and end at SWIC’s Quad, 2500 Carlyle Ave. Refreshments and entertainment will be provided afterwards.

The event is free and open to the public. All nonperishable food donations will go to the opening of the Student Life Food Pantry. The food pantry’s goal is to provide nutrition and support to the campus community.

For additional information regarding this event, contact the Student Life & Diversity and Inclusion Coordinator Yasin Jackson at yasin.jackson@swic.edu.

SWIC ANNOUNCES POETRY OUT LOUD WINNERS

Local high school students had the chance to show off their creative abilities through poetry through the 2020-2021 Poetry Out Loud competition, hosted by Southwestern Illinois College Feb. 11.

Each contestant submitted recited works they selected from an anthology of more than 1,100 poems. Judges evaluated student performances on criteria including voice and articulation, evidence of understanding and accuracy.

Seven area high schools participated including Collinsville High School, East St. Louis Senior High School, Edwardsville High School, Freeburg Community High School, Governor French Academy, Mascoutah High School and Wyvetter Younge Alternative Center.

Winning artists for the contest include:                       

Edwardsville High School

Champion Winner: Jordyn Ginestra for reciting“The Wish, By a Young Lady” by Laetitia Pilkington and “My Partner Wants Me to Write Them a Poem About Sheryl Crow” by Kayleb Rae Candrilli.

Freeburg High School

Runner-Up: Joshua Merz for reciting“Altered After Too Many Years Under the Mask” by C.A. Conrad and “Hunger for Something” by Chase Twichell.

Ginestra and Merz will advance to the Poetry Out Loud state competition in March 2021, along with two finalists from each of the other seven Illinois regional contests.

The school of the state champion will receive $500 for the purchase of poetry materials. The first runner-up in each state will receive $100, with $200 for his or her school library. The Poetry Foundation provides and administers all aspects of the monetary prizes awarded.

Poetry Out Loud is a national arts education program that encourages the study of great poetry by offering free educational materials and a dynamic recitation competition for high school students across the country. This program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence, and learn about literary history and contemporary life. Poetry Out Loud is a partnership of the National Endowment for the Arts, Poetry Foundation, Illinois Arts Council Agency and SWIC.

To view all the poetry submission or for more information visit
swic.edu/poetry-out-loud or contact Amy Brockman at 618-235-2700, ext. 5324.

SWIC Red Bud Campus To Host Annual Poetry Contest

The Southwestern Illinois College Red Bud Campus will host its annual poetry contest for area students and residents this spring.

Individuals of all ages are invited to showcase their creative abilities in the contest through poetry. Divisions for entries are as follows: adult, high school, eighth grade, seventh grade, sixth grade, fifth grade and fourth grade.

Each contestant is allowed to submit one poem and all entries must be turned in with a completed entry form by 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. Entry forms can be found online at swic.edu/poetry-contest. Submissions can be mailed to Amy Brockman at 2500 Carlyle Ave., Belleville, IL 62221 or turned in to the SWIC Red Bud Campus Student Development Office, Room 175.

Contestants will be recognized for their poetic excellence at an award ceremony. First, second and third place prizes will be awarded in each division. For more details about the awards ceremony visit swic.edu/poetry-contest.

For more information, call Amy Brockman at 618-235-2700, ext. 5324.

George Portz and the Roots of Bluegrass Cancelled at SWIC

The George Portz and the Roots of Bluegrass concert originally scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Southwestern Illinois College Belleville Campus has been cancelled due to Covid-19 restrictions. The concert is not being rescheduled at this time.

For ticket refund information contact SWIC Student Life Director Amy Brockman at 618-222-5324 or email amy.brockman@swic.edu.

For more information, call College Activities at 618-235-2700, ext. 5205.

RESCHEDULED: Award-Winning Step Team “Gentleman of Vision” to Perform at SWIC Feb 24

Experience the award-winning footwork of the “Gentleman of Vision” step team at Southwestern Illinois College. Watch and listen to a live performance of percussive dance in which the performer’s entire body is used as an instrument to produce complex rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word and hand claps.

The show will take place during the halftime of the SWIC men’s basketball game on Monday, Feb. 24 in the SWIC Belleville Campus Main Complex Varsity Gym, 2500 Carlyle Ave. The game starts at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are FREE with a SWIC student ID, $2 for youth and $5 for adults, which must be purchased at the event.

The Gentleman of Vision team was founded in 2009 by Marlon Wharton and the late Paul Albea on the campus of Riverview Gardens High School in St. Louis. Both Wharton and Albea saw an increasing and alarming need to address the issues and concerns of young socioeconomically disadvantaged males.   

“Gentlemen of Vision shapes and molds young men into positive, productive professionals through mentoring,” says Wharton.

The mission of the group and organization is to prepare disadvantaged males to successfully complete high school through demonstrating superior leadership skills, academic excellence, community service, and career readiness in order to successfully transition into higher education or trade.

For more information on the Gentleman of Vision visit gentlemenofvision.org. The event is sponsored by the SWIC Diversity & Inclusion Committee. For more information, contact College Activities at 618-235-2700, ext. 5205.

SWIC event to examine life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Feb. 7

American civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be honored at a special in-depth presentation about his life and legacy. The educational and inspirational program titled, “I Have a Dream: A King’s Journey” will be presented by Respect Academy founder and president Marcus “Dr. Respect” Gentry.

The program will be held on Friday, Feb. 7 at the Southwestern Illinois College Belleville Campus Main Complex Theatre, 2500 Carlyle Ave. An hors d’oeuvres reception will be held at 6:15 p.m. outside the theatre and the program starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the SWIC Belleville Campus College Activities office, room 1246.      

Within his career, Gentry develops and delivers programs that enhance personal and professional growth, empowerment and leadership; builds habits of success; improves organizational performance; and increases workplace awareness through educational training. He is an innovative entrepreneur who has worked in the fields of training, consulting and social services for more than 30 years.

Gentry has spent the last several years dedicated to creating programs targeted at developing character and building habits of success through self-reflection. He has also appeared on several TV programs discussing alcohol and substance abuse, leadership skills and violence prevention.  
    

The event is sponsored by the SWIC Diversity & Inclusion Committee. For more information about the event contact College Activities at 618-235-2700, ext. 5205.

SWIC Toy Drive Benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters

Southwestern Illinois College’s Annual College Activities Toy Drive was a huge success this year. The toy drive kicked off at the college’s Holiday Tree Lighting ceremony in November. All 156 toys, donated by SWIC students and employees, were given to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Illinois for distribution to local families. From left, front row, Deneen Holmes and Criseona Moore, both of Cahokia, Lylee Scott of St. Libory, Ryan Watkins of Belleville, Dakotah Easley of O’Fallon; second row, SWIC President Nick J. Mance, Student Trustee Dajanae Thomas-Jackson of East St. Louis, Sergio Gomez of Cahokia, Noel Phillips of Swansea and Eli Gillum of O’Fallon.

SWIC Arts & Humanities to present One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Experience the indelible story of a mental hospital and its inhabitants, in the play “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” by Dale Wasserman.

Directed by SWIC Assistant Professor of Speech and Theatre Julie Willis and based on the 1962 novel by Ken Kesey, this iconic, pop-culture story will not be one to miss.

The performances will run Friday, Nov. 15 and Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. in the SWIC Belleville Campus Theatre, 2500 Carlyle Ave.

“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” centers around a criminal who gets transferred for evaluation from a prison to a mental institution. He assumes a psychiatric ward will be a less restrictive environment; however, the mental asylum is run with an iron fist. Inevitably, a war ensues between the rebellious criminal and the inflexible mental institution’s administration, which affects all the ward’s patients.

Tickets are $5 with a student ID, $10 for general admission and can be purchased at the door, cash-only.

The play deals with themes of an adult nature and is intended for mature audiences.

For more information call Willis at 618-235-2700, ext. 4975. For more information on events offered by SWICarts, visit swic.edu or facebook.com/swicarts

SWIC to celebrate art, film and music in fall 2019

Enjoy a film festival, purchase original art pieces or listen to the sounds of the SWIC Concert Band at Southwestern Illinois College this fall.

The college’s arts series, called the Southwestern Illinois Creative Arts Syndicate, features a variety of events ranging from a lecture from the SWIC faculty speaker series, titled “Architecture, Renovation & the Haunting of Hartmann Manor,” by SWIC Assistant Professor of Art Paula Haniszewski on Oct. 29, the annual SWIC Pottery & Art sale on
Nov. 28, the SWIC Holiday Concert on Dec. 3, to the first annual two-day Southwestern Illinois Film Festival held Dec. 13-15.

The fall 2019 SWICARTS calendar is below. For details on individual events, visit swic.edu or facebook.com/swicarts.  

Oct. 2: Faculty Speaker Series: ­Thrice Homeless – Welcoming Gustav Mahler, with Associate Professor of Music Ed Jacobs, 3 p.m., The Schmidt

Oct. 29:­ Faculty Speaker Series: Architecture, Renovation, & the Haunting of Hartmann Manor with Assistant Professor of Art Paula Haniszewski, 1 p.m., The Schmidt

FILM 

Sept. 26 – Filmmaker Spotlight: “In Memory of” with writer/director Eric Stanze (This film contains mature content and is not suitable for all ages.) 7:30 p.m., Liberal Arts Theatre

Oct. 17 – Filmmaker Spotlight: Experimental Filmmaker Zlatko Cosic,
7:30 p.m., Liberal Arts Theatre

Nov. 7 – Filmmaker Spotlight: “Dog Days” with writer/director Chad Carpenter, 7:30 p.m., Liberal Arts Theatre

Dec. 13-15 – Southwestern Illinois Film Festival: SWIFF A 2-day film festival. To apply or for more information visit FilmFreeway.com, Liberal Arts Theatre

Dec. 15 – Tim Venhaus Retrospective, 3 p.m., Liberal Arts Theatre

THEATRE 

Nov. 15-17 – Fall Theatre Production: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”
Main Complex Theatre

ART 

For exhibition information, visit swic.edu/theschmidt.

Aug. 22 – Exhibition Opening Reception: Todd May, Nanette Boileau and Daniel Stumeier, 4-7 pm., The Schmidt

Oct. 24 – Exhibition Opening Reception: Cory Sellers, Thomas Matthew Pierson and Amy Reidel, 4-7 pm., The Schmidt

Nov. 26 –Pottery & Art Sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Schmidt

MUSIC 

For concert information, visit swic.edu/music-calendar.

Sept. 17 – SWIC Music Faculty & Friends Recital, 7 p.m., The Schmidt

Oct. 9 – SWIC Student Recital, 3 p.m., Main Campus Theatre

Oct. 20 – SWIC Concert Choir & Chamber Singers: The Poet Sings, 3 p.m.,
Union United Methodist Church, 721 E. Main St., Belleville

Oct. 23 – SWIC Student Recital, 3 p.m., The Schmidt

Oct. 24 – Choir Concert: No-Name Chorale & Friends, 7 p.m.,
St. Paul United Church of Christ, 115 W. B St., Belleville

Nov. 4 – SWIC Jazz Band, 7 p.m., Main Complex Theatre

Nov. 5 – SWIC Concert Band: Musical Mixtures, 7 p.m., St. Clare of Assisi Church, 1411 Cross St., O’Fallon

Nov. 6 – SWIC Student Recital, 3 p.m., The Schmidt

Nov. 7 – SWIC Piano & Violin Recital: The B Side, 7 p.m., The Schmidt

Dec. 3 – SWIC Holiday Concert featuring Chamber Singers, Concert Band & Jazz Band, 7 p.m., Varsity Gym

Dec. 4 – SWIC Student Honors Recital, 3 p.m., The Schmidt

Dec. 7 – SWIC Concert Choir & Chamber Singers: Carols by Candlelight V featuring St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Principal Harpist Allegra Lilly, 7 p.m., Union United Methodist Church, 721 E. Main St., Belleville
 

MASS COMMUNICATION

Oct. 18 – College Radio Day, Liberal Arts 1342,  ALL DAY Listen on Blue Storm Radio on TuneIn

Oct. 18 – College Radio Day, Liberal Arts 1342,  ALL DAY Listen on Blue Storm Radio on TuneIn