SRC Community Outreach Offers Cannabis Horticulture Class

Macomb – The Spoon River College Office of Community Outreach is offering a new class called Cannabis Horticulture this Spring. This affordable 12 week program prepares students for a career in the quickly growing Cannabis Industry. Classes begin on Tuesday, February 8th.

Cannabis Horticulture will cover the basic botany of the cannabis plant, soil science, fertigation, integrated pest management and cannabinoid testing. Students will receive training online but will also receive hands on experience through lab exercises.

This class is being presented by Thomas Vogel, SRC biology faculty member whose area of expertise is plant anatomy and physiology, propagation, genetics and evolution, Cannabis sativa and science education.

Lecture will be held online and will meet from 3-5pm on Tuesdays, February 8-May 3, 2022. Computer access with internet capability is required.

Lab will meet from 8am-Noon every other Thursday from February 24-April 21, 2022. Locations for lab may include Natures Grace & Wellness near Vermont, Stoney Branch Ag Ventures near Rushville, or Spoon River College Outreach Center in Macomb. Students must be able to provide their own transportation to labs.

This class is part of a new certificate program being offered by the Spoon River College Community Outreach Department. Additional Cannabis Industry classes are coming this Fall. Classes include Cannabis Harvesting & Production and Cannabis Logistics & Inventory. Cannabis Industry workshops are sponsored by Nature’s Grace and Wellness, LLC. This sponsorship allows the college to offer the classes at a reduced cost to participants.

Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, call Spoon River College at 309-833-6031 or register online at https://src.augusoft.net.

Giving #SPOONday Raises Over $60,000

​The Spoon River College Foundation is pleased to announce that, thanks to the generosity of donors across the SRC district and beyond, its #GivingSPOONday campaign was a huge success, surpassing its goal and raising $61,925 from 338 separate gifts, including all matching funds.

As part of the larger Giving Tuesday movement to create a worldwide day of giving, the SRC Foundation had challenged all friends of SRC to “change lives for good,” and give 300 separate gifts to benefit SRC in the 24-hour period of November 30.

“Our goal this year was a ‘stretch’ goal, so we came right down to the wire, but our supporters came through for our students,” said Colin Davis, Executive Director of the SRC Foundation.  “While SRC students’ need is greater than ever, this proves that they’re not facing their challenges alone.  To see this kind of response when we know how much financial need is out there right now is simply incredible.  We can’t thank our communities enough.”

According to Davis, gifts ranged from $1 to $10,000.  When the matching gifts are removed, the average gift was around $80, and gifts came from 13 states and 74 zip codes.  Gifts came from as far away as Florida, Arizona, and California.

“The appeal of helping students at SRC truly reaches all corners of the country,” said Davis.  “But it’s our communities here in west central Illinois that stepped up for us in the biggest way.”

As always, donors had the option of directing their gifts to be used however they saw fit.  While some directed funds to specific scholarships, facilities, student or community programs, or the Student Emergency Hardship Fund, many donors made unrestricted gifts, which help the Foundation quickly meet the needs of SRC and students as the needs arise.

“With our unrestricted funds, we were able to launch our new Emergency Hardship Fund in the 2020 as a way to help SRC students remain enrolled in classes and on track,” Davis said.  “That has helped us keep as many as 58 students enrolled who otherwise may have been forced to drop out, just since the pandemic began.  That’s the kind of impact our donors can have, even if they just tell us to use the funds where they’re needed most.”

As an added bonus, all donors to #GivingSPOONday received access to a portion of the recent SRC Community Chorus’ production of Silver Songs and Golden Gifts, a recent concert given by the Chorus.

“The SRC Community Chorus, which is celebrating its 16^th year and raises money for SRC student scholarships, performed a holiday concert in early December after a year away, but the capacity was greatly reduced,” said Davis.  “Because of the reduction in capacity, people who otherwise attend each year were unable to attend the concert this year.  However, both the Chorus and the Foundation felt that providing holiday cheer is more important than ever this year, so we’re bringing a part of it to them in the safety of their homes, and we’re grateful for the nearly 60 people who gave their time and talent to this project, because it certainly was a big help in our successful campaign.”

People who were unable to participate in #GivingSPOONday but still wish to help local students at SRC by visiting www.src.edu/give or by calling (309) 649-6395.  The college is closed for winter break from Dec. 18 through Jan. 2, but gifts are tax-deductible in 2021 as long as they are postmarked via USPS by December 31.

“The longer the pandemic continues, the more we’ll need to be there for our students.  The generosity of our friends during #GivingSPOONday, no matter how they asked for their gifts to be used, will allow us to meet more and more of those needs.  The beautiful thing about #GivingSPOONday is how everyone, even just by sharing information about the campaign on social media or donating spare change at Hy-Vee, plays a big part.  We thank everyone who helped make the campaign a success.”

Performing Art Scholarship Recipients: Final Projects

Five Spoon River College art students who were awarded Performing Art Scholarships from the SRC Foundation recently had their final art pieces showcased in the Engle Hall display case. The students are Elizabeth Adami, Melody Barnes, Destiny Evans, Sydney Munson, and Keeara Virag.

Their assignment was tied to this year’s College Theme, “Who Can? We Can! The Will to Overcome,” and the students were tasked with creating two separate pieces that represented or portrayed the idea of overcoming a personal challenge, using any medium they wished.

“Each of them creatively tied their subject matter, choice of color and mediums, and compositional layouts to reinforce this concept of emerging on the opposite side of a challenge,” said Jamie Kotewa, SRC art teacher. “Each chose what challenge to respond to; some were very specific to a situation and others more broad.”

The challenges the students shared—family conflicts, pandemic lockdown frustration, adjustment to college life, loss, suicidal thoughts, identity acceptance and more—reflect challenges that affect many, and one of Destiny Evans’ goals was to let others know that they were not alone.

“Many students deal with a lot of emotions and over-thinking that can lead to suicidal thoughts. It’s an important topic I want people to talk about more and to understand you’re not truly alone,” wrote Destiny Evans in her artist’s statement. Her painting and a 3-D piece depicted both her personal struggles and her triumph over those struggles.

Melody Barnes wrote that her artwork “represents the conflicting emotions of wanting to reach for our goals and aspirations but how we hesitate because we are so scared of failure. It’s an internal fight between our heart and our mind.”

On one of her pieces, Keeara Virag used a wolf and a deer to represent the loss of a friend and a dragonfly as a symbol of how she has learned and changed from that experience.  She also touched upon family dynamics, writing “This art piece helps to represent me by keeping balance on both sides of my family. I am the mediator of my family.”

Elizabeth Adami used the colors of pink and purple to represent being a twin. “As elementary students, my sister and I had different colors for the teachers and the classmates to tell us apart. Mine was pink, and my twin sister’s was purple. People still got us confused though.” Her travel abstract communicated her internal struggle of being “an introverted and anxious homebody” who loves to travel, as well as the experience of traveling alone in another country and not knowing the language.

Sydney Munson wrote “During the pandemic, many people, including myself, began to feel upset and frustrated that we could not enjoy the things we took for granted before the virus.” She used photographs of two of the things she missed most—theme parks and movie theatres—and expressed that by “cutting each photo into strips of color and black/white to represent the ups and downs of the last year.”

Kotewa said that the students developed the works over the semester and working on their own time. “These artworks help to show the depth of the student experience, particularly in relationship to the past two years.”

Spoon River College offers an AA/AS degree with a concentration in art for students planning to transfer to a four-year institution in a variety of degree programs, including advertising, architecture, interior design, and museum studies.

Performing skill scholarships are awarded each year through the SRC Foundation to students showing special ability or talent in the areas of Art, Drama, Athletics, Agriculture, and Speech and Debate.

For more information about the Art program, or the requirements for these and other SRC Foundation scholarship opportunities, visit www.src.edu, or call 309-647-4645 Five Spoon River College art students who were awarded Performing Art Scholarships from the SRC Foundation recently had their final art pieces showcased in the Engle Hall display case. The students are Elizabeth Adami, Melody Barnes, Destiny Evans, Sydney Munson, and Keeara Virag.

Their assignment was tied to this year’s College Theme, “Who Can? We Can! The Will to Overcome,” and the students were tasked with creating two separate pieces that represented or portrayed the idea of overcoming a personal challenge, using any medium they wished.

“Each of them creatively tied their subject matter, choice of color and mediums, and compositional layouts to reinforce this concept of emerging on the opposite side of a challenge,” said Jamie Kotewa, SRC art teacher. “Each chose what challenge to respond to; some were very specific to a situation and others more broad.”

The challenges the students shared—family conflicts, pandemic lockdown frustration, adjustment to college life, loss, suicidal thoughts, identity acceptance and more—reflect challenges that affect many, and one of Destiny Evans’ goals was to let others know that they were not alone.

“Many students deal with a lot of emotions and over-thinking that can lead to suicidal thoughts. It’s an important topic I want people to talk about more and to understand you’re not truly alone,” wrote Destiny Evans in her artist’s statement. Her painting and a 3-D piece depicted both her personal struggles and her triumph over those struggles.

Melody Barnes wrote that her artwork “represents the conflicting emotions of wanting to reach for our goals and aspirations but how we hesitate because we are so scared of failure. It’s an internal fight between our heart and our mind.”

On one of her pieces, Keeara Virag used a wolf and a deer to represent the loss of a friend and a dragonfly as a symbol of how she has learned and changed from that experience. She also touched upon family dynamics, writing “This art piece helps to represent me by keeping balance on both sides of my family. I am the mediator of my family.”

Elizabeth Adami used the colors of pink and purple to represent being a twin. “As elementary students, my sister and I had different colors for the teachers and the classmates to tell us apart. Mine was pink, and my twin sister’s was purple. People still got us confused though.” Her travel abstract communicated her internal struggle of being “an introverted and anxious homebody” who loves to travel, as well as the experience of traveling alone in another country and not knowing the language.

Sydney Munson wrote “During the pandemic, many people, including myself, began to feel upset and frustrated that we could not enjoy the things we took for granted before the virus.” She used photographs of two of the things she missed most—theme parks and movie theatres—and expressed that by “cutting each photo into strips of color and black/white to represent the ups and downs of the last year.”

Kotewa said that the students developed the works over the semester and working on their own time. “These artworks help to show the depth of the student experience, particularly in relationship to the past two years.”

Spoon River College offers an AA/AS degree with a concentration in art for students planning to transfer to a four-year institution in a variety of degree programs, including advertising, architecture, interior design, and museum studies.

Performing skill scholarships are awarded each year through the SRC Foundation to students showing special ability or talent in the areas of Art, Drama, Athletics, Agriculture, and Speech and Debate.

For more information about the Art program, or the requirements for these and other SRC Foundation scholarship opportunities, visit www.src.edu, or call 309-647-4645.

Destiny Evans, Keeara Virag, Elizabeth Adami, Melody Barnes, Sydney Munson

A Return to College with a New Focus: Ag Student Laurel Keyt

“One of the joys of being an agriculture teacher is helping students figure out what their future career looks like,” said Jeff Bash, Ag teacher at Spoon River College.

Laurel Keyt of Hanna City is one of those students. Keyt currently works full-time at the Jubilee Café in Kickapoo and enjoys the job, but her heart is leading her back to her roots. That has led her back to Spoon River College, this time with a clear vision of her future career.

“Laurel came to SRC out of high school and wasn’t able to determine what her future looked like. She stepped back and took a few years off, and then came back, very determined to become a high school agriculture teacher.”

On track to complete her remaining SRC classes in the spring semester, Keyt will then transfer to WIU to major in Ag education, and she’s excited for the day when she’ll be the teacher in the classroom. “I anticipate teaching at the high school level, but would also like the opportunity to reach out to students not yet in high school. Early exposure to ag education is a great way to build up high school ag programs. The earlier you get them excited, the better.”

Keyt will be focusing on a bachelor’s degree when she enrolls at WIU and currently doesn’t have a desire to teach at the college level, but earning a master’s degree one day is on her list “just because I’m a believer in life-long learning.”

Besides a new career to look forward to, Keyt’s heart is leading her back to her roots in another way. “My parents still operate the farm where I was raised, and now my husband Justin and I are currently in the process of joining my late great-grandpa’s farm partnership and taking on a major role with it.”

Keyt noted that her grandmother and great-uncle were ready to hand over the physical labor required in a farming operation. “At one time, the farm had livestock. While we currently rent our pasture out, we would eventually like to run our own cattle again on the family land.”

The excitement Keyt feels, for both her future career and for getting back to the land, is obvious, even though she’s aware of the hard work ahead. “It can be overwhelming to think about the labor required for the farm as well as attending school, but I know it will work out and will be worth all the hard work.”

For Bash, it’s not just a joy to help a student find their future, it’s part of his job. “That’s what we do here in the agriculture program at Spoon River College.”

Spoon River College Ag student Laurel Keyt poses with her replica of a 50-head feedlot shipping and sorting pen layout for her Animal Science class taught by Jeff Bash. The assignment? Create a farm related structure using a design by Temple Grandin, a well-known animal behaviorist (and autism activist) who has set the standard for designing humane live-stock handling facilities that aid in keeping the animals calm as they pass through the chutes.

Jansan Davis: November Student Shout-Out Recipient

​Jansan Davis of Chillicothe was the recipient of the Student Shout-Out for November at Spoon River College, and received a $100 Visa gift card. Davis was recognized by Makenna Barker, SRC advisor and volleyball coach for “being the kind of student you want in your classroom, the kind of athlete you want on the court, and the kind of person you want as a representative of Spoon River College.”

“I have heard from several students that Jansan is a great tutor, and I have witnessed her character as her coach for two years now,” said Barker. “She’s a helpful leader on the court as well as in the classroom, maintaining a 4.0 GPA. She treats her coaches, professors, and teammates with respect, and is one of the most caring people I have ever met. She is a great asset to Spoon River College.”

Davis serves as a Student Ambassador, a peer tutor in the Learning Resource Center, is a member of the SRC Snapper volleyball team, and was a recent recipient of the Illinois Community College Faculty Association scholarship. She plans to transfer to WIU and wants to be a speech pathologist.

The Student Shout-Out is an initiative that encourages any faculty or employee to nominate a student who deserves a special shout-out. “The reason can be big or small, but the important thing is that we hear about the positive and helpful things our students are doing,” said Abby Beck, TRIO advisor on the Macomb Campus.

Cassidy Miller Named to Region 24 All-Region 2nd Team for Volleyball

Spoon River College student-athlete Cassidy (Locke) Miller has been named to the Region 24 All-Region 2nd Team for volleyball. A graduate of Canton High School, she is in her final year at Spoon River College.

While playing at Spoon River College, Miller has amassed impressive stat lines. Ranked number one in solo blocks across all Division II NJCAA schools, Miller contributed 154 kills in the fall 2021 campaign. Her career numbers stand at 245 solo blocks, 278 total blocks, and 489 kills.

SRC volleyball coach Makenna Barker says the sophomore team captain is also one of the biggest leaders on the court. “During pre-season training, Cassidy was a constant cheerleader and helped push her teammates to finish some brutal work outs. I can count on her to pick up her teammates no matter what. I’ve seen her do it during games, during practices, and during conditioning. She doesn’t know how to give less than 110%.”

Besides being a dedicated athlete willing to put in the hard work, Miller is also enrolled in the college’s nursing program. “Cassidy is one of the most dedicated athletes I have ever coached. She has one of the highest work ethics that I have ever seen,” said Barker. “The nursing program is an incredibly difficult program for any student, and even more so for a full-time collegiate athlete. It takes extra diligence and perseverance.” On top of all of that, Miller also spent extra hours working with her personal trainer, Randy Davis, to increase her vertical, stamina, and core strength.

Barker said Miller has been known to recruit her teammates for help with studying. “Cassidy had to memorize a whole amalgam of different things when studying for her Head to Toe oral exam. Her teammates were the test subjects, and we all helped her remember the correct wording and made sure she was going in the correct order. It was cool to see the whole team surround her and help her through.”

The college’s volleyball had a record of 15-18 on the year and earned a #6 seed in the District tournament. The Snappers put together their best season since the program’s beginning in 2019, but saw the 2021 season come to an end in a loss to Heartland Community College, who went on to win the District Championship and eventually the 7th place title at the National Tournament.

“Building this program is only possible because of athletes like Cassidy,” said Barker. “We have been fortunate to have a couple of players honored with All-Region awards throughout these last three years. We are headed in the right direction and are always pushing to better the program. First in and last out athletes, like Cassidy, are the athletes that we are going to build this program around. I am so happy that Cassidy chose to continue her academic and athletic careers at Spoon River College. She is going to be greatly missed on and off the court.”

Fast Track Registration with Extended Hours Begins January 3

Spoon River College in Canton and Macomb will offer Fast Track Registration starting Monday, January 3 through Friday, January 14, to facilitate registration for the 2022 spring semester that begins Tuesday, January 18.

During these two weeks, the college will be open until 6 p.m. Monday through Wednesdays, and prospective students will be able to apply, test, and register in one day. An appointment is not necessary, but a valid ID is required.

Financial Aid staff will be available during the extended hours to answer questions and assist in the aid process. Tuition must be paid or enrollment in an automatic payment plan must be established when registering. For more information about financial aid options, deadlines, and setting up a payment plan, visit the Spoon River College website at www.src.edu or call 309-649-7030 or 309-833-6073.

Regular 16-week classes and the first session of 8-week classes begin Tuesday, January 18. A 12-week class session begins Monday, February 14, and the second session of 8-week classes begins Monday, March 21.

For more information about financial aid options, deadlines, and setting up a payment plan, visit the Spoon River College website at www.src.edu or call 309-649-7030 or 309-833-6073.

The course schedule can be viewed on the College’s website at https://portal.src.edu/ics. For more information about the registration process or to make an appointment with an advisor, call (309) 647-6400 in Canton, (309) 543-4413 in Havana, (309) 837-6069 in Macomb, and (217) 322-6060 in Rushville.

Dual Credit Visits Scheduled for District High Schools

Eve Zimmerman, dual credit coordinator at Spoon River College, will be reaching out to students in district high schools to share information about the College’s dual credit program, which allows eligible high school students to take college level courses.

Visits include both virtual and in-person, and the following have been scheduled. Additional schools and times will be announced as they are scheduled.

Astoria: In-person Dual Credit Night visit on Wednesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. at the high school.

Lewistown HS: Virtual Dual Credit Night, Thursday, February 25 at 6:30 p.m. using Google Meets. Interested students should contact Kerry Hatfill for more information.

Rushville-Industry HS: Virtual Dual Credit Night on March 23 at 7 p.m. Interested students should contact Holly Acheson for more information.

West Prairie HS: In-person Dual Credit Night visit on Monday, March 1 at 11 a.m. at the high school.

Dual credit classes include transfer education courses such as English and Communications as well as career technical courses like welding and nursing assistant. They may be taught at the high school by high school teachers who have a Master degree, or at the College by college faculty.

Depending on the class and the high school, students may also be able to earn both high school and college credit for a particular class. The dual credit program offers cost savings on tuition, and scholarships are available through the SRC Foundation.

For more information email eve.zimmerman@src.edu or call 309-649-6221.

Be the Light: #GivingSPOONday Kicks Off Season of Giving

Though there appears to be light at the end of the tunnel of the pandemic, SRC students remain in great need of financial support.  In fact, the need has never been greater.

That’s a point that Spoon River College Foundation Director Colin Davis wants to make sure is known.

“Nationwide, nearly 80 percent of community college students work to support their education, and still, at SRC, nearly 90 percent of our first-time, full-time students receive financial aid,” said Davis.  “Fifty percent of SRC students who responded to a survey indicated they had experienced food insecurity.  That was prior to COVID-19, and the pandemic has only made things more difficult for our students.”

But there’s another point Davis wants to make sure is known – that you can be the light at the end of their tunnels.

And the opportunity is quickly approaching.

#GivingSPOONday, SRC’s version of Giving Tuesday, the worldwide day of giving that kicks off the holiday season, is Tuesday, Nov. 30.

“Giving Tuesday is the charitable organization’s response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and #GivingSPOONday offers a fun way to “snap” into the season of giving,” said Davis.  “It’s a crowdfunding idea that we hope will not only bring new donors to the Foundation, but also more awareness to more people about the mission of the SRC Foundation and the many ways it supports the college, its students, its staff, and our communities.”

The SRC Foundation has set a goal of 300 separate gifts to be raised in the campaign, which ends at 11:59 p.m. Nov. 30. The campaign promotes giving online at www.src.edu/givingtuesday, but cash or check donations are gladly accepted, too.

“Any gift, whether $1 or $1,000, counts toward our goal, and donors can choose how they want the funds to be used,” Davis said.  “But all gifts, no matter the size or how they are used, help break down the barriers that stand between our students and completing their educational goals at SRC. Gifts to the area of greatest need are especially appreciated, because they help the Foundation more quickly address student needs at SRC.  For example, those gifts enabled us to establish the Emergency Hardship Fund and purchase laptops for SRC students when the pandemic began.”

To the SRC Foundation and to local students, this campaign matters.

“#GivingSPOONday has become vital to the SRC Foundation’s mission, and how much we’re able to help students depends on the success of this day,” said Davis.  “Gifts to #GivingSPOONday have helped us provide more in scholarship funding than ever before and keep 53 students enrolled with our Emergency Hardship Fund since the pandemic began.  But there are many more students who need our help, and we can do more if our friends support this campaign, including helping more students who aspire to enter the medical field and help us to put this pandemic behind us.”

The #GivingSPOONday campaign will be conducted through direct mail, peer-to-peer methods, online marketing and social media, and email.  In addition, many local businesses and organizations get involved by sharing #GivingSPOONday posts on their social media pages, and Hy-Vee in Canton will be asking their customers to “round up” their purchases, with the proceeds benefitting the campaign.

“Many Spoon River College students, employees, and friends will be sharing our campaign via email and on their social media pages. If those that they share with also share, we have the potential to reach thousands of people,” said Davis.  “Our goal is lofty, but reachable.  Every time we’ve bet on the generosity of our communities, we’ve been rewarded.  We hope that this time is no different.”

To make your gift or to learn how you can get involved, visit www.src.edu/givingtuesday, visit the Spoon River College Foundation Facebook page (www.facebook.com/spoonrivercollegefoundation), or call (309) 649-6395.

10th Grade Career Expo Provides Career Options and Info

Approximately 160 sophomores from around the area attended the 10th Grade Career Expo at Spoon River College in Canton on November 12, where 35 professionals representing a range of career fields from art to wildlife found interactive and engaging ways of capturing the students’ attention while providing an overview of the work involved in their professions.

It worked well, and students queued up to learn how to perform an intubation, pitch a business idea to get a bank loan, try their skill at welding, solve the logistical puzzle of moving products, and more.

The goal was to not only show students the wide range of career fields available to them, but to also allow them the opportunity to see what they are drawn to. “Just being able to see all the different careers allowed me to think thoroughly about what I want to do,” said one student, while another said she had learned a lot. “It opened my eyes to what I like. All of the stations had different impacts.”

That’s exactly the feedback SRC advisor Brandi Ketcham, who organizes the event, wants to hear. “Events like the 10th Grade Career Expo are so beneficial to area students. Even as sophomores, many are still undecided about what they want to do after high school. SRC wants to give the students an opportunity to explore different careers to give them a better sense of reality and help them prepare for a future once they graduate.”

Businesses represented at the expo were Advanced Rehab, Camp Big Sky, Canton Area Chamber of Commerce, Canton Police Department, Carl Sandburg (Dental Hygiene & Medical Imaging), Carthage Veterinary Service, Cook Medical, Fulton County EMA, Fulton County Farm Bureau, Fulton-Mason Crisis Service, Graham Health Services (Lab, Marketing, Medical, and Pharmacy), Illinois Department of Natural Resources, Life and Leadership Coach-Barb Claxton, Martin Tractor/John Deere, Maurer-Stutz, MidAmerica National Bank, Spoon River College (Art, Agriculture, Computer Information Systems, Diesel & Power Systems Technology, Health Information Management, Logistics, Nursing, Welding), Spoon River Media, WIU (Head of Movement and Stage Combat, Speech Language Pathology), and the YWCA (Childcare).

Students attended from Astoria, Canton, Cuba, Lewistown, and Spoon River Valley high schools. Pictures of the event can be viewed on the Spoon River College Facebook page.