16th Annual Tractor Show and Car Cruise-In April 29 at Spoon River College

The 16^th Annual Tractor Show and Car Cruise-In will be held Saturday, April 29, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Spoon River College Campus in Canton.

The event is hosted by Phi Mu Tau fraternity students in the Diesel and Power Systems Technology program. Anyone who has a classic car or tractor is invited to bring or drive them to the college and be part of the show. There is no entry fee.

“This is a free, fun, casual event,” said Todd Thompson, DPST instructor and Phi Mu Tau advisor. “Bring the family and come on out. There is always a nice variety of antique vehicles and tractors, plus some new and unique ones.”

Registration will be from 9-11 a.m. Awards for best car and best tractor will be determined by fan voting and announced at 3 p.m. Raffle and 50-50 drawing winners will also be announced at 3 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. In case of inclement weather, it will be held inside the Votech building. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

For more information about the car show, contact Todd Thompson at (309) 649-6244. The Canton Campus of Spoon River College is located at 23235 N. County Hwy 22.

Brady Hanes: Born to Be A Farmer

Brady Hanes lived in a rural community near his grandfather’s farm north of Decatur until 2011 when his family moved to Canton. The second oldest of eight children—all homeschooled—Hanes is currently enrolled at Spoon River College working towards an Associate in Applied Science/Agricultural Business Management degree.

“Farming has been in my family for seven generations, and even though it skipped a generation, I guess you could say it’s in my blood,” said Hanes. “When I was a little guy, I used to ride for hours in the cab with my grandfather. I had to be peeled from the seat each time I was out there. In all sincerity, nothing has changed.”

Working full-time for local grain and cattle farmer Eugene Stufflebeam while attending classes has solidified his love for farming, and he would like nothing more than to own and operate his own farm someday. “My parents have taught me the value of work, integrity, and that the Lord has given me talents and passions which are to be used to serve him. My goal is to serve Jesus in whatever job I am in, but I am praying that it will be on the farm.”

Hanes said Spoon River was his college of choice for three reasons; SRC Ag teacher Allyson Smith shares a strong passion for agriculture, and it allowed him to live with his family and to continue working on the farm.

“It does not feel like work to me, and my heart has always yearned for this opportunity.”

February Student Shout-Out: Alanah Howarter

Alanah Howarter of Canton is the recipient of the Student Shout-Out for February at Spoon River College.

Howarter was nominated by SRC River Roast barista, Kaitlyn Tutt. “Alanah is a dedicated student, a hardworking employee at River Roast, and the stage manager for the Spoon River College theater program,” said Tutt. “Though she is involved in many things, she continues to be kind to every peer, coworker, customer, and cast mate. She is taxed with so much responsibility yet she does not complain, always pulls through. She is exactly what an SRC student should strive to be.”

Howarter is working towards an associate of art degree. While her transfer plans are still undecided, she is planning to major in social work.

The Student Shout-Out is an initiative that encourages any faculty or employee to nominate a student who deserves a special shout-out for exhibiting the core values of the college—caring, respect, integrity, fairness and responsibility—or going above and beyond to help others.

Mike Strauman Joins SRC as Chief Operations and Safety Officer

Spoon River College welcomes Mike Strauman as the Chief Operations and Safety Officer for all of their locations. This is a new position recently created by college officials, and Strauman will oversee facilities, construction, fleet vehicle maintenance, auxiliary services, and safety planning, training, and reporting.

“Unfortunately, in the world we live in today, we have to give more priority to the safety of our students and our employees,” said Curt Oldfield, President of Spoon River College. “This new position will create stronger safety and crisis response plans, allow us to implement more safety trainings to students and employees, and provide the leadership in that area to review any incidents that do occur, our response to an incident, and any improvements needed in our response.”

Oldfield also added that the position would be vital in overseeing the construction process at the Macomb East Campus in Macomb as the college moves forward into the construction phase of that facility.

Strauman is a 2003 graduate of WIU, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology with a minor in Business. Before accepting the position at Spoon River College, he was employed at Illini Central School in Mason City, first as an industrial arts teacher for grades 7-8, and then as the director of building and grounds.

In his free time, Strauman enjoys spending time with his wife Kaitlyn and daughters Emma and Ella, and pursuing his hobbies in woodworking and electronics.

Savannah Smith-Coulter is 2023-2024 Student Trustee for Spoon River College Board of Trustees.

Savannah Smith-Coulter of Canton will serve as the 2023-2024 student trustee on the Spoon River College Board of Trustees.

Smith-Coulter said a desire to improve resources for all students led her to run for the position, and with past experience in club government, she is confident in her ability to do a great job. “I love our school and look forward to being a positive influence and to get active in SRC campus life.”

A self-employed dog groomer for the past two years, Smith-Coulter is working towards an associate degree in science in preparation for transfer to continue her studies in veterinary science. She credits her father, Dave Smith, for where she is now in her life. “He was a business owner before me, always supported me, and inspired me to go to college.”

At Spoon River College, Smith-Coulter is a member of TRIO and the Gay Straight Alliance Club. When not grooming dogs and attending classes, you can find her on the playing field as a member of the Peoria Woman’s Rugby team, of which she also serves as the Social Chair and the Treasurer.

Originally from St. Louis, Smith-Coulter and her husband reside in Canton.

Student trustees at Spoon River College attend monthly board meetings and give updates about student life and events to trustees, further the interests and promote the welfare of SRC students, and represent the student body in the Student Government Association. Along with gaining leadership skills, trustees have opportunities to attend state trustee meetings and conferences. They serve one year, and receive a stipend towards their tuition and fees.

Jobapalooza Job Fair at Spoon River College Outreach Center in Macomb March 30

The McDonough County Jobapalooza job fair will be held Thursday, March 30, from 1-6 p.m. in the Spoon River College Outreach Center in Macomb.

Multiple employers, including retailers, nonprofits, trades and industries, as well as many others, will be in attendance to answer questions, accept applications and resumes, and in some cases, to interview and possibly hire applicants on the spot. Full-time, part-time, and seasonal positions are available.

Individuals who need assistance with building or rebuilding their resume will have the opportunity to participate in two workshops prior to the March 30 event (dates TBD). In addition, there will be support stations on the day of the event to help job-seekers with various tasks, such as printing their resumes on quality paper.

Jobapalooza is being sponsored by the McDonough County Quality of Life Committee, Community News Brief, Lisa Ward (formerly of Magnolias), Macomb Area Chamber of Commerce, Macomb Area Economic Development Corp., Macomb Park District, Spoon River College, Western Illinois Regional Council, Western Illinois University and Workforce Development.

Visit https://www.macombareachamber.com/jobfair/ for tips on preparing for a job fair, a list of participating employers, and additional information.

The Spoon River College Outreach Center is located at 2500 East Jackson Street.

SRC Healthcare Students Visit Jump Simulation and Education Center in Peoria

Spoon River College students who are pursuing careers in healthcare traveled to the Jump Simulation and Education Center in Peoria on February 25. They were accompanied by Melissa Miller, director of the Allied Health Program, and Sarah Strode, nursing faculty.

The Jump Simulation & Education Center is one of the largest simulation and innovation centers in the world, and is a collaboration between OSF HealthCare and the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria.

“Our students spent three hours touring the Center and participating in planned activities,” said Miller. “They met physicians, engineers, nurses, and researchers who work at Jump, and were able to engage in several simulations and exercises within the anatomy lab, 3-D printing, EMT training lab, and manikin simulation lab.”

Jump applies the power of simulation to educate and test new methods, technologies and devices that allows healthcare professionals to create solutions for clinical training and delivery of healthcare, with a goal of improving outcomes and lowering costs.

“It is an amazing place, and I hope to make it an annual trip for our healthcare students,” Miller said.

Healthcare programs offered at Spoon River College include Nursing (Associate Degree in Nursing, Practical Nurse Certificate, and Nurse Assistant Certificate), as well as Medical Laboratory Technician, and Health Information Management, and Emergency Medical Technician.

Job Fair March 17 at Donaldson Center in Canton

A job fair will be held on Friday, March 17 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the Wallace Park Donaldson Center, located at 250 South Ave. D in Canton.

Job seekers are encouraged to bring their resumes and be prepared to talk with employers on site. In advance of the job fair, a resume workshop will be held Thursday, March 9, in the Spoon River College Conference Center PC Lab at 1 p.m. on the Canton Campus.

Event sponsors are Spoon River College, Spoon River College Office of Community Outreach, Canton Park District, and CareerLink. For more information, call 309-649-4645.

Employers registered to attend at press time include the following: Mosaic — Canton and Macomb; Serenity Point Hospice LLC — Canton; Illinois Department of Children and Family Services — Springfield; Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology — Springfield; Prairieland FS, Inc. — Jacksonville; Help at Home — Canton; Western Illinois University Office of Public Safety — Macomb; Graham Health System — Canton; Royal Publishing — Peoria; Yetter Manufacturing Co., Inc. — Macomb; Illinois Department of Corrections — Springfield; Renaissance Care Center — Canton; Spoon River College — Canton, Macomb, Rushville and Havana; Sarah D Culbertson Memorial Hospital — Rushville; Heat and Control Inc. — Galesburg; Sedona Staffing — Peoria; Courtyard Estates of Canton — Canton; State Farm — Bloomington; Illinois State Police — Springfield; Center for Prevention of Abuse — Peoria; Western Illinois Home Health Care — Canton; Caterpillar, Inc. — East Peoria, Mapleton, Pontiac, Mossville; M and K Parties — Farmington; State of Illinois/Illinois Dept. of Central Management Services (CMS), Springfield; Fulton County Health Department, Canton; Western Grain Marketing — Adair; and Mason City Area Nursing Home — Mason City.

College Visit Day Featuring Career Programs March 7 at Spoon River College

Spoon River College is hosting a College Visit Day that focuses on career and technical education programs on Tuesday, March 7, from 9 – 11 a.m. on the Canton Campus.

Programs being featured include Agriculture, Commercial Driver Training, Computer Information Systems, Diesel and Power Systems Technology, Healthcare Career programs, Medical Laboratory Technician, Nursing, Rail Transportation and Power System Technology, and Welding.

Information will be available about the application process, tuition, financial aid, and student life, with college staff on hand to answer questions. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour the campus and the Snapper Villas, and all will receive a free t-shirt. Those interested can RSVP online for College Visit Day or by calling 309-649-6264.

This event is for people of all ages who are interested in learning about the career education programs at Spoon River College. High school students should inquire with their school about using a college visit day, and letters from the College confirming their attendance at the event will be provided to those students if needed.

The Canton Campus is located at 23235 N County Hwy. 22.

SRC Enrollments Trending Upward for Spring 2023

College enrollments took a dive during and following the COVID 19 pandemic, but a new report from the National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center has college and university officials hopeful that better days are ahead. Enrollment numbers for Spring 2023 appear to be stabilizing and, in some cases, increasing.

Community colleges saw the biggest gains and Spoon River College was one of them, with a 2.3% increase in credit hours compared to last spring.

“We are thrilled to see so many students are selecting Spoon River College and creating this significant increase in the Spring 2023 enrollment,” said President Oldfield. “Our college-wide enrollment growth was fueled by a large growth at the Canton campus, and an increase of students taking college classes while still in high school.”

“In addition to enrollment growth on the Canton Campus, the Macomb Campus as well as our Havana and Rushville centers all saw a stable to slightly higher enrollment, although we did see a slight decline of online enrollment,” Oldfield said.

The college also experienced a 6% decline in full-time students, but it was offset by a 22% increase in part-time students for an overall 9% gain. “Many of our students—both full-time and part-time—work or have other outside commitments, which impacts the number of classes they can take at one time,” said Missy Wilkinson, dean of student services.

“Being aware of that, we make it a point to provide flexibility and convenience in course scheduling to better meet their needs. We also increased our retention of current students, an indicator of how well our students are performing and enjoying their experience at Spoon River College.”

In the area of dual credit enrollment (high school students taking college classes), enrollment was up almost 35% from last spring, resulting in an 44% increase in those credit hours.

This uptick was the result of an Illinois Community College Board Bridge Grant, written by Holly Norton, vice president of educational and student services at Spoon River College. It granted all dual credit students enrolled with Spoon River College a full scholarship for tuition and fees for the 2022-2023 academic year.

“This grant provided a great opportunity for high school students to get an early start on college courses. We are elated that so many took advantage of this opportunity and are hopeful they will want to continue their journey with Spoon River College,” Norton said.

Wilkinson added that providing support services to meet the needs of all students would remain a high priority. “We’re excited to welcome new students and help them succeed.”

Oldfield recognized that recovering from the pandemic had been challenging, but is hopeful that the upward trend will continue. “Everyone at Spoon River College has been very focused on student success, student retention and new student recruitment. I am proud of the hard work and dedication of our faculty and staff.”