News
Briefs
Southwestern College will become the first
college in the region to make virtually its entire main campus wireless
network accessible. Upgrades this summer will make wireless computing
possible in all public spaces: classrooms, meeting rooms, the student
center, the library, residence hall lobbies, etc. Residence hall rooms
will continue to be wired, with a port for each resident.
This fall an e-portfolio program will give
all students server space and instruction on building a portfolio of
both academic and personal accomplishments.
The wireless and e-portfolio offerings
extend SC's leadership in higher education technology, which started
when the college began issuing laptop computers to all incoming freshmen
in 1999.
A redesigned computer science program that
includes major options in computer science and in business and information
systems also is expected to appeal to students by stressing communication
skills important to employers. An emphasis on Web site design and a
course in artificial intelligence are distinct from many other colleges
and will communicate the futuristic orientation of the program to prospective
employers.
***
A Southwestern College Men's Basketball
Golf Scramble was held for the first time Monday, April 22, at Western
Hills Golf Course in Topeka. Eleven teams participated in the four-person
scramble, raising more than $2,100 for the basketball program. Celebrity
participants included current KC Chief Kendall Gammon and former KU
basketball players Chris Piper and Jeff Dishman. Mitch and Tami Holthus,
parents of sophomore Brian Holthus, were instrumental in organizing
the event.
***
A CD featuring Frieda Lindburg singing
"The Songs I Love" is available with proceeds to benefit scholarships
at Southwestern College. Contact Denise Stephens in the institutional
advancement office to order a CD - dstephen@sckans.edu, or (620) 229-6279.
Intensive
Spanish: Living the Language in Ecuador
They donned ponchos, scarves, hats, and
leather zamarros to ride horseback 15,749 feet up on the slopes of Cotopaxi
during spring semester at Southwestern College. They ate cuy (guinea
pig, a local delicacy) and shopped at one of the world's largest open
markets in Otavalo, Ecuador, while fulfilling the college's integrative
studies requirements.
The five Southwestern College Spanish language
students spent a historic three months studying at the Academia Latinoamericana
de Espaņol in Quito, Ecuador: They represent the first class of the
college's Intensive Foreign Language program, combining cultural immersion
and volunteer service within the first year of study at the college.
"Our Intensive Foreign Language program
allows students to 'live' another language, not just 'learn' one," says
Moira Rogers, director of the program and associate professor of language
studies. "In today's world, this is an essential skill, not a luxury.
Students have the opportunity to experience the richness of the world
and to take advantage of global opportunities for individual growth,
useful employment, and world citizenship."
The Intensive Foreign Language program
is not designed for language majors alone. It is for students in all
academic fields who want to become proficient in another language. Spanish
is the first language the program offers; other languages are scheduled
to be added as the program grows.
For the first semester of the freshman
year, students study Spanish on Southwestern's Winfield campus with
an emphasis on listening and speaking. In the immersion-type model,
classes are held in Spanish, and reading and writing assignments are
in the context of Latin American culture.
The second semester is spent studying in
Latin America.
Rogers chose Academia Latinoamericana de
Espaņol in Quito, Ecuador, because of its established international
program that has been used by other colleges and universities. Housed
in a former embassy, the academy is located in a safe residential area
of the Ecuadorian capitol and has gardens with outdoor eating and studying
areas as well as recreational facilities.
As part of the program, students are placed
in local homes, travel to some of Ecuador's most famous sites of interest,
study the Spanish language, and volunteer in their field of interest.
All five SC students spent afternoons working with impoverished children
in area elementary schools.
When students return to Southwestern for
the second full year, they continue with advanced Spanish conversation,
composition, contemporary literature and cultural issues, and the course
Spanish for Professions while beginning their particular fields of study.
"Living in a country other than my own
for a significant amount of time was definitely an eye-opening experience,"
wrote Michelle Fitzgerald, a senior from rural Sharon. "Although the
experience was not always easy, comfortable, or trouble-free, it was
one I would never want to exchange."
Though the program was designed for students
in their first year of study at SC, the senior philosophy and religion
major was allowed to participate because of her interest in becoming
fluent in Spanish.
Faces
familiar to generations of Southwestern College alumni and friends leave
the college
Ralph
Decker's personal philosophy of putting students first was seen throughout
the campus during his 34 years as an SC staff member. Most recently
data coordinator in the institutional advancement office, Decker had
been registrar, assistant to the academic dean, and assistant librarian.
Decker also has had the voluminous task of compiling alumni notes for
The Southwesterner, and was noted for his knowledge of history and relationships
of the college.
Peggy
Church became the first academic dean of professional studies in 1998,
and has been instrumental in the shaping of curricula and hiring of
faculty members. During this period of growth, she served as a link
between the academic governing structures of the main campus and professional
studies.
Retiring
after 25 years at Southwestern College, vice president for college services
Benn Gibson returned to his alma mater in 1977 as assistant academic
dean. His attention to detail and ability to unravel complex policies
proved crucial when he moved to the college services area to provide
oversight to such critical areas as financial aid, student billing,
computing service, and federal compliance.
Kathy
Wilgers completed 30 years at Southwestern College, retiring as a faculty
member in mass communications. As faculty advisor to The Collegian and
Moundbuilder, Wilgers advocated for student freedom of press and inspired
loyalty among the staffs. Her service at Southwestern began in the library,
and included founding of the Cooperative Learning Center and the essential
skills courses.
Back
Pack Troupe
More than 1,000 wide-eyed grade school
children encountered "opera" for the first time when the Back Pack Opera
Troupe made a 10-day spring tour through Winfield area elementary schools.
Featuring eight students from the college's CMENC chapter (the collegiate
level of the National Association for Music Education), the group took
its name from its means of entering the stage. Cast members arrive in
street clothes with backpacks, then are transformed into the distinctive
characters of Old McDonald Had a Farm, including a Fonzi-esque pig (played
by Josh Melcher, right). Marsha Granberry, coordinator of Southwestern's
secondary education program, supervised and was accompanist.
