2021 Spring Registration Continues

Registration for the 2021 spring semester at Spoon River College continues at all SRC locations. Regular 16-week classes and the first session of 8-week classes begin on Tuesday, January 19, a 12-week session begins February 16, and the second 8-week session begins March 22.

Classes are available in three formats — blended course delivery and on-campus services that allow a mix of face-to-face classes but with reduced enrollment, hybrid courses that involve both online and classroom work, and courses that are online only.

Those enrolling for the first time at Spoon River College should complete an admissions form (free and available on the SRC website), and make an appointment with an advisor. Advisor appointments can be in-person or by phone. Testing for class placement is through ACCUPLACER. ACT and SAT scores or previous college course credit may also be accepted.

New students should also fill out a FAFSA application to determine their eligibility for financial aid. The school code for Spoon River College is 00164300.

Tuition for the spring semester must be paid in full or arrangements made to be enrolled in the automatic installment payment plan. For more information about financial aid options and deadlines, visit www.src.edu and click on the Financial Aid link under the Admissions tab, or call (309) 649-7030 in Canton or (309)833-6073 in Macomb.

The course catalog can be viewed on the college’s website at https://portal.src.edu/ics. For more information or to access the application for admissions form, visit www.src.edu and click on the Admissions tab.

To make an appointment with an advisor, call Canton: (309)647-6400, Havana: (309)543-4413, Macomb: (309)837-6069, and Rushville: (217)322-6060, or email advisor@src.edu.

The College will close for the winter break December 18, and will resume normal hours of operation on Monday, January 4.      ###

SRC Student Ambassadors Help Others on Thanksgiving Day

Student Ambassadors at Spoon River College represent the College in a variety of ways at campus and community events. Their duties can range from walking in a local parade to assisting at commencement. Required to serve 10 hours in one academic year, their payoff is a gift card to the SRC bookstore, the value of one credit hour of tuition applied to their account, and experience in the service to others.

On Thanksgiving Day, SRC Student Ambassadors Maggie Eveland and Faith Haley earned some of their hours by helping out at the Salvation Army in Canton. Both Eveland and Haley are already veteran volunteers. While students at Canton High School, Eveland completed 45 hours of service every year and Haley completed three mission trips, and that was in addition to their other extracurricular activities.

“The community service aspect of the Student Ambassador program was what attracted me to it. I love community volunteering!” said Eveland.

Haley echoed those sentiments. “Being involved in my school and with my peers is really important to me. I was always involved in high school, and this program is a great way to continue that in college.”

Eveland and Haley are freshman at Spoon River College, and both plan on transferring to ISU to major in the field of education.

Maggie Eveland and Captain Sarah Eddy

Faith Haley and Maggie Eveland

SRC’s #GivingSPOONday a Way to Fight Back Against COVID-19’s Impacts on Students

Goal set at 200 gifts by midnight Dec. 1; all donors to receive access to SRC Community Chorus virtual holiday concert

Though seemingly no one has been entirely spared from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spoon River College students are being hit exceptionally hard from the pandemic’s financial impacts.

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

“We launched our new Emergency Hardship Fund in the spring as a way to help SRC students remain enrolled in classes and on track,” Davis said.  “And we’ve received dozens upon dozens of requests for those funds from students who have lost their jobs, had extra medical expenses, or have needed access to more technology to complete coursework remotely while remaining at home with their kids.  Frankly, the need among our student body is as great as it’s ever been.”

But there’s another point Davis wants to make sure is known – that you can help.

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, Dec. 1.

“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 200 separate gifts to be raised in the campaign, which ends at 11:59 p.m. Dec. 1. 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.  Greatest needs gifts enabled us to establish the Emergency Hardship Fund and purchase laptops for SRC students last spring.”

As an added bonus, all donors to #GivingSPOONday will receive exclusive access to the SRC Community Chorus’ production of Home for the Holidays: Virtually Unplugged, a virtual concert of winter and holiday performances created by over 70 members of the Chorus.

“The SRC Community Chorus, which is celebrating its 15^th year and raises money for SRC student scholarships, normally would be gearing up for its holiday concert right now,” said Davis.  “But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that concert is unable to happen.  However, both the Chorus and the Foundation felt that providing holiday cheer is more important than ever this year, so we’re bringing it to them in the safety of their homes.”

The #GivingSPOONday campaign will be conducted through direct mail, peer-to-peer methods, online marketing and social media – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and email.  In addition, many local businesses and organizations get involved by sharing #GivingSPOONday posts on their social media pages, or by asking their customers to give to the campaign, including Hy-Vee in Canton and Macomb 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 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.

SRC Community Chorus Celebrates 15th Year with Home for the Holidays: Virtually Unplugged

Not even a pandemic can keep the SRC Community Chorus from its annual winter concert.  The chorus, celebrating its 15^th anniversary, presents its online concert Home for the Holidays – Virtually Unplugged.  All donors to the SRC Foundation’s #GivingSPOONday fundraiser on December 1, regardless of how they wish their money to be used, will receive a private YouTube link to the concert accessible through any device which connects to the internet.

Those interested in the concert can donate online or send a check to the SRC Foundation, 23235 N. Co. Hwy. 22, Canton, IL, 61520.  Information on the #GivingSPOONday campaign and a link to donate may be found at src.edu/givingtuesday.

“It’s been tough for the SRC Community Chorus this year,” said Carol Davis, artistic director since the group’s inception in December 2005.  “Performing artists must perform, but 2020 has offered few opportunities to do so.  Because of the pandemic, we re-scheduled our Disney revue for August 2021, but we felt strongly about offering an alternative to our live 2020 winter concert for our extremely gifted performers, for our many faithful patrons, and to continue our tradition of establishing named endowed scholarships for SRC students.”

Home for the Holidays is that alternative.  SRC Foundation Director Colin Davis suggested presenting the 2020 concert electronically.  While the task seemed monumental at first, the exciting idea took off, and over 70 performers, musicians, and technicians have donated their talents to create the wide-ranging holiday concert.  The performers range from age six to sixty and beyond.

THE JOYS AND TRIALS

The first step was to contact all those who had performed in recent winter concerts by email to gauge their interests and seek their ideas for performance pieces.  The initial responses showed promise. With that group of base performers, the project could certainly happen, but there was potential for even more.

“Because it’s the 15^th anniversary of the Chorus and with the electronic format, we had the opportunity to reach out to past as well as present Chorus members to submit electronic recordings,” said Colin Davis.  “We not only received interest from former members who had moved away, but from individuals who had yet to become a part of the Chorus.  We were now ready for Phase 1.”

Pastor Micah Garnett of Trinity Lutheran Church in Canton had been utilizing virtual music in his online church services.  When he learned of the project, Pastor Garnett quickly volunteered to engineer two virtual, full-chorus numbers.  Garnett created master recordings of “The Hallelujah Chorus” and “Under Winter Moon.”  The links to these master recordings were then sent out to chorus members who recorded themselves at home and submitted them back to Garnett by mid-October.  He then blended all the individual recordings together to create a full virtual chorus.

“Creating a virtual number is much more complicated than it might seem,” said Carol Davis.  “Several of our members commented on how strange it sounded to only hear themselves singing their own parts.  They will be greatly surprised when they hear the final product.”

Besides the challenges of the video itself, Chorus staff worked with attorneys to make certain that copyright laws were followed and with the performers to make certain that each submission followed pandemic guidelines.

“The guidelines presented a challenge we’d not encountered before,” Davis said.  “Some performers had to use wide angle lens cameras so they could be six feet apart but appear closer together.  We asked anyone recording at First Christian Church to arrive no sooner than five minutes before their designated time, wear their masks right up until they sang and replace the masks immediately afterwards. We also sanitized the microphones, mic stands, pianos, and chairs after each performance and then sprayed the air with Lysol.”

Safety was the number one concern.  “But musicians and theatre people are very good at ad libbing,” she laughed.

Phase 2 includes a variety of solos, duets, or small group pieces, comedy sketches, instrumentals, poetry readings, holidays stories and other creative performances that fit under the themes of the holidays, winter, love and peace.  Some of the submissions were original compositions or writings.

“We were blown away by the number and variety of offerings,” Colin Davis said.  “We have almost 50 videos and not one duplicate.  My father, John Davis, has been directing the winter chorus concert since its inception. While he will gladly return to the podium next winter, I think he’s enjoyed being a performer this year.  Some of the videos will make you laugh, some will make you cry, but all will bring the true meaning of the holidays into your home this season.”

Colin edited the entire concert by adding graphics, creating visuals, including sound effects, and blending in photos from the Chorus’s 15 years of concerts, revues, plays, and musicals.  The creation of Home for the Holidays by all the performers, musicians, and technicians has required hundreds of hours to create and takes over two hours to view in entirety.

“The advantage of a virtual concert is that you can watch whenever you wish, for as long as you wish, and then return to watch favorites again and again,” said Carol Davis. “The joy of this concert is that we can continue to appreciate one another’s talents and reach an expanded audience.  Plus, the Giving Tuesday donations will allow us to complete our current scholarship, the David L. Bishop Memorial Scholarship in 2020 as planned.”

LOOKING BACK

The SRC Community Chorus was formed in 2005 by Carol Davis, then-SRC’s Dean of Community and Workforce Education, to (1) provide quality entertainment within the Spoon River College District; (2) provide an avenue for local talents to perform; and (3) raise funds to support the SRC Foundation’s scholarship program and performing arts/equipment at SRC.  A generous grant from the Community Foundation of Central Illinois assisted in the group’s establishment.

Since its first concert of Handel’s Messiah in 2005, the Chorus membership has grown to over 200 students, community members, SRC faculty and staff, and friends of the college.  These members serve as musicians, technicians, singers, actors, visual artists, and dancers.  Because we believe that the performing arts should be open to anyone with a love of performance, auditions to participate are not required, and a spot is found for anyone who desires to take part.

Annual performances include revues, plays, concerts, and musicals. Depending on the type of offerings, performance venues may be the SRC Theatre on the Canton Campus in Taylor Hall, local dinner theatre venues, district church sanctuaries, and open-air facilities.

The SRC Community Chorus, operating under the auspices of the SRC Foundation, has established six $10,000 named endowed scholarships which are awarded in perpetuity.  The scholarships recognize former Chorus members and include the Harley L. Davis Memorial Scholarship, the Tom Greenwell Memorial Scholarship, the Marge Saville Memorial Scholarship, the Roger Howerter Memorial Scholarship, the Gail A. Mathis Memorial Scholarship, and the Vicki Murphy Memorial Scholarship.  Now it is the David L. Bishop Memorial Scholarship.

INTO THE FUTURE

Chad Murphy often thinks about his participation in the chorus. “Through the years, some people have asked me, ‘Why would a group of people give up so much of their time…with no pay? What do you get out of it?’ The list is way too long, but I will give you a couple of examples. The social aspect of doing community chorus is an inherent benefit. With each production, you meet so many different people who share your passion and love for music.”

“These people become part of your life as a result of the road you take with them,” Murphy continues. Some of them are close friends, some acquaintances, but all a part of the circle of the music and performance life. You might see them in this year’s production, but then not again for a year or two or five, but the connection remains and is ignited once you reconnect with them. It’s a great feeling! Life can be hard. Especially so this year. But singing, acting, performing allows me to escape the chaos and feeling better is almost always guaranteed.”

The SRC Community Chorus continues to thrive and plans to return to live performances next August with The Musical World of Disney.  The not-for-profit group, under the auspices of the SRC Foundation, is an ever-expanding family where laughter, hard work, friendship, and creative artistry will continue long into the future.  For more, contact Colin Davis at (309) 649-6395, Carol Davis at (309) 338-7698, or visit https://www.src.edu/foundation/Pages/chorus.aspx. .

Photo courtesy of Dave Barbknecht/Stilled Moments.

SRC Literacy Program and District Libraries Announce Events for 29th Annual Family Reading Night

The Spoon River College Literacy Program is pleased to announce the 29th Annual Family Reading Night on Thursday, November 19. Held in partnership with libraries and schools throughout the SRC district, the goal is to encourage families to take time to read together as a family. With help from a grant from Dollar General, the College will provide 25 free books to each library to hand out to attendees.

“All of the events are free for families in our communities, and our libraries have done a wonderful job of finding ways to support Family Reading Night this year in a safe manner,” said Cyndi Johnston, adult education program coordinator at Spoon River College. “Taking time to read together as a family is a great habit to cultivate, and we hope this event will inspire more families to make time to do that.”

Activities, locations and times are as follows.

Astoria: The Astoria Public Library will celebrate Family Reading Night by giving out family reading kits filled with snacks, book marks, family activities, a free book, and other surprises. Families may stop in and pick up their kit between 1-5 p.m. on Thursday, November 19.

Canton: Parlin-Ingersoll Library had Bingo cards available starting November 13 that were made for Early Literacy (age birth to 6) and Middle School (age 7 and up). The cards are also available through the library’s Facebook page. Once participants complete at least four activities to get a Bingo, they can go to the library and pick out a prize and a free book while supplies last.

Farmington: The Farmington Area Public Library will celebrate Family Reading Night with a “Pop Open a Good Book” family reading kit that will be popcorn centered and include the items needed to make popcorn in a bag, a popcorn sight word game, directions for all and a link to remotely watch staff read a book “popcorn style.” They are also encouraging families to read at least one other book at home as a family. Families may pick up the kits starting Tuesday November 17, but the reading video will not air until Thursday, November 19, at 6 p.m.

Macomb: The Macomb Public Library will celebrate Family Reading Night by placing Family Reading Kits on the front railing of the library. The kits contain a free book, microwave popcorn, a craft kit, and other fun surprises. The kits will be labeled with a suggested age range to help families get a book that is developmentally appropriate. The library will also post a special Family Reading Day/Night Storytime on their YouTube channel and guide on their blog, and all will be linked to the library’s Facebook page.

Rushville: The Rushville Public Library will promote Family Reading Night on Thursday, November 19 by encouraging families to take a picture of them reading together and then texting it to 217-491-4877. Those who do will receive a free book, and the pictures will be posted on the library’s Facebook page. The library previously hosted a Book or Treat event on the library lawn and distributed free books.

For more information about the Literacy Project at Spoon River College, visit www.src.edu or call Cyndi Johnston at (309) 833-6038.

National First-Generation Student Celebration Day is November 8

National First-Generation Student Celebration Day is November 8. Spoon River College’s TRIO program, which offers support to first-generation students, will be holding a weeklong celebration November 2-6. Each day, a first-generation student or faculty member will be featured and recognized on the SRC TRIO Facebook and Instagram pages.

All SRC faculty, staff and students are invited to stop by the TRIO Office (C131 or M214) Nov. 4 or Nov. 5 for an individually wrapped treat between 8:30am-4:30pm. Any first-generation student, faculty or staff can also pickup their first-generation sticker to display proudly! Spoon River College defines a first-generation student as an individual whose parents have not completed a four-year college degree.

“It is a great time to pause and recognize our first-generation students, faculty and staff at Spoon River College through the National First-Generation Student Celebration Week,” said Jill Olson, Director of TRIO. “Community colleges are shown to enroll a high number of first-generation students nationwide. As a first-generation student myself, I understand the struggles these students may encounter in navigating college processes and procedures, as they can be difficult for a first-generation student to interpret. The first-generation students I have worked with through the TRIO program are often ambitious and extremely goal-oriented. However, having the extra support services available through our program, allows the student to navigate and overcome barriers in their educational goals.”

TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) is a federally funded program designed to help students overcome social, academic, class, and cultural barriers in higher education. The mission of Spoon River College TRIO SSS is to provide our students with academic support and personal guidance in successfully completing a program of study at the college and additional assistance in transitioning to a four-year college or university.

Spoon River College’s TRIO participants are provided with personalized advising, resources, and additional learning opportunities that enhance their overall college experience and motivate them for success. To learn more about SRC’s TRIO program, visit src.edu/trio. To apply to become a member of SRC TRIO, visit src.edu/trioapp.

This year’s celebration of National First-Generation Students marks the 55th anniversary of the signing of the 1965 Higher Education Act (HEA), which has helped millions of first-generation, low-income/under-resources students persist to degree completion. The 1965 Act made way for low-income, first-generation students to break chain of poverty and become first in their families to earn college degree.

SRC Foundation Golf Outing 2020

The 27th annual Spoon River College Foundation Golf Outing was held on Friday, September 25 at Wee-Ma-Tuk Hills Country Club.  This year’s outing raised more than $18,000.

“With the change in date and safety concerns due to the pandemic, having the success we had with our outing is incredible,” said SRC Foundation Director Colin Davis.  “Every dollar raised will help local students have the best educational experience possible at SRC.”

Numerous safety protocols were in place to help ensure the safety of all participants and volunteers.

“I can’t express enough how grateful we are that the participants took the safety protocols as seriously as they did,” said Davis.  “They helped ensure that this was a good and safe event for all.”

In all, over 55 businesses and organizations from the SRC District and beyond sponsored the outing, and 18 teams competed in the event.

“We tried to keep the pressure off our local businesses given all that they have had to endure this year,” said Davis.  “But that didn’t stop them.  We owe a debt of gratitude to all of our sponsors, and especially our Ace Sponsors: Corporate Clean, CTS Group, the Odendahl Family, Unland Companies, and WBYS/CD 107.9.”

Golfers this year were treated to lunch, a SRC-themed t-shirt, and the opportunity to compete for the coveted championship.  This year’s winners, successfully defending their 2019 title with a score of 16-under, were Team Odendahl.  The Very Most Average Team award, given to the team which finishes closest to the average score that day, went to Team Unland Companies, who finished at 9-under and won a coin toss to determine the winner.

Golfers also had the opportunity to compete for skill prizes on every hole.  While these are normally prizes donated by local businesses, the SRC Foundation chose this year to purchase Chamber Bucks from the Canton Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Each year, we ask our local businesses to step up for us, and this year, we thought it was important for us to show our support for them,” said Davis.  “Chamber Bucks ensure that local businesses will see direct benefit from our outing, and we were proud to support Wee-Ma-Tuk by hosting our outing at Fulton County’s only golf course.”

The SRC Foundation raises funds to support scholarships, programs and facilities at Spoon River College.  Funds from the 2019 outing helped to provide emergency hardship grants to SRC students who lost income or had unexpected expenses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Funds raised at this year’s outing will help the SRC Foundation meet similar needs during this academic year.

“The support of our communities means everything to us and to our students in a normal year,” said Davis, “but in this time where our students’ need is greater than ever, the support of our sponsors and teams means even more.”

Next year’s event is tentatively scheduled on the event’s traditional date of the last Friday in July – July 30, 2021.  To learn more about the SRC Foundation, call (309) 649-6260, e-mail foundation@src.edu, or go to www.src.edu/foundation.

Odendahl Family 2020 Champions: Gary Kruzan, Fred Odendahl, Ben Gillen, Martha Davis, SRC President Curt Oldfield

Unland Companies, Very Most Average: Pat Taphorn, Nate Rugaard, Betsy Yarcho, Mike Eddy.

Spoon River College COVID-19 Announcement

Scholarship Opportunities Available for SRC Students Through SRC Foundation

Current and prospective Spoon River College students currently have multiple opportunities for scholarships available to them.

Students attending SRC during the current (Fall 2020) semester who are residents of McDonough County and who meet other criteria may be eligible for Fellheimer Scholarships.  Also, students enrolled in agriculture courses or who are considering a career in agriculture may be eligible for West Central FS Scholarships.  The deadline for both Fellheimer and West Central FS Scholarships is October 23, 2020.  Both applications are available at www.src.edu/scholarships.

“We are extremely grateful for the continued support of the Fellheimer Trust at Wesley United Methodist Church in Macomb and our friends at West Central FS,” said Colin Davis, Executive Director of the Spoon River College Foundation.  “We appreciate all of our donors, but during these difficult times when we are trying to meet increased need among our students, it means even more than ever.”

Prospective Spring 2021 Dual Credit students can apply for a Dual Credit Scholarship through the SRC Foundation by completing the application at www.src.edu/scholarships.  Deadline is December 3, 2020.

“While these awards aren’t huge, it’s important to us to offer what assistance and reward we can to our district high school students who are trying to get an early start on their college education,” said Davis.  “Taking dual credit courses at SRC is a smart, fiscally-responsible decision, and we are proud to support students in that decision.”

Finally, Spoon River College scholarship applications are currently being accepted for students who will be attending Spoon River College during the 2021-22 academic year.  Applications will be accepted until March 15, 2021, and the required forms are available at www.src.edu/scholarships.  Any student who is even considering attending SRC in the 2021-22 academic year is encouraged to apply.

Applicants must complete the scholarship application, complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), and submit a seventh-semester high school transcript. This process is required for all scholarships.

In addition to Foundation scholarships, the college offers academic and performing grants as well.  These scholarships may require contact with specific faculty members or coaches.  Scholarships for high school students wishing to take dual credit classes are also available at various times throughout the year, as are scholarships for career and technical students.

“The best part about our process is that a student need only apply once to be considered for all SRC Foundation scholarships,” said Davis. “The application is a one-stop-shop for any student who may fit the criteria for one or more scholarships.”

As prospective applicants are required to have completed a current FAFSA before being eligible, they can also receive other types of financial aid in addition to scholarships.

“Many students are pleasantly surprised to find that they can receive both a scholarship and other sources of revenue such as Pell Grants or Work Study,” said Missy Wilkinson, Dean of Student Services.

This year the Foundation will be providing over 200 scholarships to students of all ages, traditional and non-traditional, new or returning, full or part-time, and in a variety of academic pursuits.

For more information, contact Colin Davis at colin.davis@src.edu, or contact any Spoon River College advisor at (309) 647-4645.

Understanding Racial Injustice Presentation October 27 in Macomb

Spoon River College sociology professor Michael Maher presented “Blinded by the White: Understanding Racial Injustice” to socially distanced and masked community members on September 29 in the Engle Conference Center on the Canton Campus.

Due to the number of requests, Maher will present this class again on Tuesday, October 27 from 5−8 p.m. at the Spoon River College Outreach Center in Macomb, located at 2500 E Jackson Street.

The class focuses on understanding the historical origin and creation of the concept of race, the impact of race historically, and how this history has created institutionalized forms of racial discrimination, inequality, and injustice. Maher uses the video “White Like Me: Race, Racism, and White Privilege in America” by anti-racism educator Tim Wise, and then facilitates a discussion afterwards.

Visit src.augusoft.net to enroll, or call 309-833-6081 for more information. Cost of the class is $25.