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Greetings, "The weather is uncertain even to a Proverb," said an early American Almanac published by Nathaniel Ames. And that says enough about the long winter and late spring from our campus - this year the uncertainty about what to call the season remains an open question. We have only three weeks of classes remaining before final exams, but there is not yet a bloom in sight. So, for the moment, we take all our inspiration from the activities, concerts, and contests involving our students. And they are amazing; no matter the weather (even as they bravely protest the wind and rain by returning to shorts and flip-flops as standard attire). Just the other night, I heard our student jazz band play a concert with acclaimed professional artists Reggie Thomas and Jim Manley. The famous "Bistro" in St. Louis or "Yoshi's" in San Francisco cannot offer the jazz listener a better gig. The vibes solo by our freshman Ben Thompson showed a new dimension in the band. Earlier in the week, Lynn and I enjoyed the annual choir concert under the direction of Professor Kevin Baker - the program demonstrated thematic coherence, intelligence, and aesthetic sensitivity in all the fine singing. As the seniors were introduced at the end of their final performance as concert choir members, their own misty eyes were causing a similar effect on all of us. The day before the choir took the stage, I witnessed a beautifully pitched game from our softball stand-out Danielle Kaltmayer and a brilliant "Willie Mays catch" from our center fielder Cassie Fischer. We won the game in our last turn at bat with a perfect squeeze play. Up on Nichols Field, similarly, our baseball team has been showing its own dramatic flair for late-inning rallies; the opening game in the series against rival Lindenwood last week was a classic to remember, decided in the home half of the last inning. Also while watching baseball last Saturday afternoon, one of our newest spring traditions, now in its 4th year, was tuning up on the Quad. "Hillstock" was inaugurated in 2005 by featuring trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson. This year's "Hillstock" heard a remarkable variety of artists and groups, including C-SC favorite (and alumnus) Cheeks McGee. Since this was an outdoor concert on a Saturday night, I expected a few Monday morning calls from the citizens of Canton. Not one complaint. In fact, there were a number of town neighbors stopping by to enjoy the fresh air and good music. We are also keeping faith in our community by reaching out in academic terms, too. Once again this spring, Carolyn Kane, Professor Emerita of English, led a wonderful "Young Writers' Conference" on our campus. Over 80 high school students spent a day with college faculty and published authors to learn more about the craft of written expression. While Canton is still in "windbreaker" weather, there is a new venue in town that is perfect for a rainy day - a big screen movie theatre. Lynn and I plan to see "The Bucket List" tomorrow night at Canton's own Lewis Street Playhouse, the fully restored art-deco movie house full of memories about a time gone by. The theatre will have its official gala opening as part of the annual "Canton in Bloom" festival on April 26 (see www.showmecanton.com ). Since the first weekend in March, however, students and residents of the community have been enjoying classic and newly released films. Where else, but Canton, can you get dinner at Primo's (pizza recommended) or Billy Bob's (ribs or tenderloin always featured), a movie ticket, and a bucket of popcorn, washed down by a cool drink for about $15 all inclusive? There's a great story behind this project and Culver-Stockton faculty, staff, and students, as you would expect, are part of it all. EXP@CSC: A Concept of College Education Different from All Others In brief, our philosophy is defined by three words - each beginning with the prefix "EXP" - expectations, explorations, and experiences. The traditional 15-week semester will be arranged differently. In the first 12-weeks, students will take 3 or 4 traditional classes, but in the remaining 3-week session, they will take only one, single-focus course. And therein is the difference. In that concentrated period, a student will have the opportunity to learn by doing or, put differently, to approach a subject or field of interest experientially. The EXP 3-week term is about experience - the one thing that employers are always trying to discern in a résumé. The range of opportunity for students to gain diverse experience (and receive course credit) will include study abroad, internships, collaborative research, or acquiring skills by immersion. Among offerings in the new catalog, there will be study trips to Turkey and the British Isles, a photography field trip to the Grand Canyon, and an English course that includes travel to Midwestern towns where great American literature was written or inspired. There will be on-campus offerings in every major - such as directing one-act plays, assessing the first 100 days of the new U.S. President, designing computer programming through algorithms, working with local social service agencies, and managing a personal investment portfolio. Moreover, we will be giving each returning or entering student an EXP rewards voucher of $500, which can actually accumulate in value (up to $1,500 for freshman students entering this fall) to be used as an off-set to the cost of particular courses. Our philosophy remains one of trying to make as much of the college experience (and its spectacular faculty) as affordable as possible. The Culver-Stockton experience is about changing lives and seeing horizons. EXP@CSC is another excellent reason to support our annual Education Fund with the full measure of your faith and capacity. The Education Fund is able to receive your gifts online or with a phone call to one of our very helpful co-workers in the Advancement Office at 800-755-2287 (CATS). Planning the Campus of the 21st Century Running the Race and Clearing the Bar There is, of course, a natural analogy in this particular story of student success. Writ large, it is the college itself. We're running harder, jumping higher, and setting our sights on better times and new records. Keep in touch. There is even more to tell. And, lastly, we need you more than ever.
P.S. I look forward to being connected with each of you. I invite you to contact me directly at wfox@culver.edu to share your thoughts about this newsletter or about Culver-Stockton College in general.
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