Thursday, May 5, 2011

Rep. Luetkemeyer holds ‘Q and A session’ at C-SC
Culver-Stockton College students had the opportunity to get their questions answered by a U.S. lawmaker, as Rep.Blaine Luetkemeyer, R-Mo., took part in a forum on the C-SC campus. The forum, which was held Thursday, April 28, was attended by more than two dozen students, as well as members of the C-SC faculty and staff. Several representatives from area media outlets were also on hand for Luetkemeyer’s visit. During the visit, Luetkemeyer spoke in detail about his work on the House Financial Services Committee. He also answered questions posed by students on a variety of topics, including consumer protection legislation, economic growth and the economy. He also spoke openly about the country’s current economic state and the potential for recovery, “Over time, I think our economy will pick-up. I’m an optimist, I think the glass is half-full, we just have to work to get the glass filled-up the rest of the way,” said Luetkemeyer. The representative’s visit was initiated by Ken Salsman, senior history education major from Palmyra, Mo., who contacted the congressman’s office. C-SC Assistant Professor of political science Chad DeWaard also helped facilitate the visit.

Workshop brings opera experience to C-SC campus
A musical tradition dating back to the 1920's continues on the campus of Culver-Stockton as the college presents its annual Opera Workshop. The workshop shares the excitement of chamber opera with school aged children through opera outreach performances. This year, Opera Workshop examines the subject of true and faithful love through the music of two chamber operas by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one composed when he was a child and the other when he was a mature composer. “Bastien and Bastienne” was a present the 12-year-old Mozart composed to be performed at a garden party given by his godfather, Dr. Anton Mesmer, discoverer of animal magnetism (hence “mesmerized”). Even at this young age, Mozart was able to give the shepherdess Bastienne and her bumpkin lover Bastien music that was suitable to their characters; while the wily philosopher Colas received suave or witty melodies that reflected his education and refinement . “Lo sposo deluso” (The Deluded Bridegroom) was never completed by Mozart; it was pieced together from Mozart operas fragments in 1956 by English composer John Coombs and further adapted for Opera Workshop by its director, Carol Mathieson. Read more online.

C-SC psychology students present research at ILLOWA
Four Culver-Stockton College students presented empirical research at the 38th annual ILLOWA Undergraduate Psychology Conference hosted by Monmouth College, in Monmouth, Ill., on April 30, 2011. C-SC psychology student researchers included Kelli Fuller, junior psychology major from Palmyra, Mo.; and Ashley Berry, junior psychology major from Aurora, Ill., who presented "Energy Drinks 101: A Study of Student Perceptions of Energy Drinks." Daniel Wernick, senior psychology major from Elwell, Mich., and Jamai Letcher, senior psychology major from Keokuk, Iowa, presented "Student Perceptions of College Professors: Age and Gender Effects in Student Evaluations."  ILLOWA is one of the oldest continuing undergraduate psychology conferences in the United States. The conference provides an educational research experience for students, allowing them opportunities to present their findings from an empirical research project, learn from a keynote speaker, and interact with other undergraduate researchers.

C-SC professor presents research at gender conference
Culver-Stockton College Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Jill Compton presented at the 7th annual Gender Conference held at the College of Lake County April 14 and 15. Dr. Compton’s presentation, entitled “Cure or Care: Men’s Conflicting Desires in the Physician-Patient Relationship,” explored men’s seemingly contradictory wishes for a physician who both provides a quick cure and a caring environment in which to share and gather health information. The focus of the presentation was on research she had conducted with her colleagues, Dr. Kim Reed of Emory and Henry College, Va., and Mr. Patrick Carmody of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The results of this research, which involved interviewing men of varying ages about their experiences with and expectations of going to the doctor, were viewed in the context of mainstream definitions of masculinity. Dr. Compton noted, “It has been suggested that men are currently not socialized to be caretakers, of themselves or others. After all, we see product advertisements referring to ‘Dr. Mom’ but never to ‘Dr. Dad.’ It could be that more men would be willing to spend more time going to the doctor, more time asking their doctors questions, etc., but that is not what we have currently deemed as appropriate for the masculine gender role. ”The CLC Gender Conference is sponsored by the Women’s Center of the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill. This year’s theme was “What It Takes to be a Man: Understanding Masculinities in the 21st Century.”

C-SC professor presents at international conference
Dr. Terry Sherer, Culver-Stockton College associate professor of education, recently presented “Choice, Access, Partnerships: Curbing the Summer Reading Gap” and a second presentation, “Rotary’s Worldwide Literacy Initiatives,” at the First Adolescent Literacy Summit in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The summit attracted 450 participants from Canada and the United States to celebrate the United Nations’ Decade for Literacy. Dr. Sherer represented Culver-Stockton College’s ReadingPlus pilot initiative with Canton R-V and Lewis County C-1, the International Reading Association, and Rotary International, partners in implementing projects that meet the literacy needs of schools in their communities and around the world. Barb Galassiere and Carol Hryniuk-Adamov, co-chairs of the MRA Adolescent Literacy Summit, wrote: “Many people commented in response to your recommendations for the improvement of adolescent literature and how generously you shared your insights and strategies with educators who attended the summit. Thank you to Culver-Stockton College and the Division of Education and Applied Arts for their support in sending you, as well. We urge you to consider submitting a written version of your presentation for an article to be shared with educators through The Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy (International Reading Association) and the Canadian journal of the Canadian Council of Teachers of Language Arts.”