Posted by ONEFIRE Development on | Comments Off on Fast Track Registration January 4−15
Spring 2021 classes at Spoon River College start on Monday, January 19. To facilitate registration, the College will offer Fast Track Registration starting Monday, January 4 and continuing through Friday, January 15, on the Canton and Macomb campuses.
During this time new students will be able to apply, test, and register in one day. To make it more convenient, hours of operation will be extended to 6 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday during these two weeks. Regular hours of 8-4:30 p.m. will remain the same on Thursday and Friday.
Financial aid staff will be available 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.
To make an appointment, which is strongly encouraged, call 309-649-6400 or 309-833-6069. A valid picture ID is required for registration, and face coverings are required on campus at all times.
The regular 16-week session and the first 8-week session of spring classes begin Monday, January 19. A 12-week session starts February 16, and a second 8-week session starts March 22.
The Canton campus is located at 23235 N. County Hwy 22, and the Macomb Campus is located at 208 S. Johnson Street.
The course schedule can be viewed on the College’s website at www.src.edu. For more information about the registration process or to make an appointment with an advisor, call (309)649-6400 in Canton, (309)543-4413 in Havana, (309)837-6069 in Macomb, and (217)322-6060 in Rushville.
Posted by ONEFIRE Development on | Comments Off on SRC Foundation Purchases Electronic Sign for Canton Campus
Residents of and visitors to Fulton County may notice a new feature at the corner of County Highway 22 and the Canton-Cuba Blacktop as they drive past.
The Spoon River College Foundation recently purchased a new, fully-electronic LED messaging sign for SRC’s Canton Campus, and its construction was completed last week. The sign is 16 feet in height and has full-color message boards visible from both the east and west. It is controlled remotely by the SRC Marketing Department via internet connection.
“This was something that was sorely needed for SRC,” said Bruce Beal, member of the SRC Foundation Board of Directors. “Hundreds of vehicles pass that intersection every day, and the ability for the college to communicate all of the services it offers will be vital.”
“I’m thrilled to see this project come to completion,” said Curt Oldfield, President of SRC. “This sign creates all kinds of new opportunities for SRC to communicate with residents of Fulton County and visitors to the area. Additionally, as we continue to add new programs, such as our new athletics programs, more and more people will be visiting our campus for the first time. This sign offers a warm welcome to all of our students, friends, employees, and visitors. I thank the SRC Foundation and its donors for all the support they offer to SRC and our students.”
Beal spearheaded the completion of the project for the SRC Foundation Board. After requesting proposals from several companies in the area, Bendsen Signs and Graphics in Decatur, Ill. was chosen to design and erect the sign, while Quick Electric in Fairview, Ill. completed all the necessary electrical work.
“On behalf of the SRC Foundation Board, I’m very grateful for the work of Fulton County native Jason Tompkins and everyone at Bendsen Signs and Quick Electric,” said Beal. “Additionally, thank you to President Oldfield, Vice President Brett Stoller, the SRC Board of Trustees, Ameren, and Fulton County Engineer Keith Munter for their support and assistance in bringing this project to fruition.”
Funds for the purchase and construction of the sign came largely thanks to proceeds from the Gene and Marie Long Memorial Trust, which provides funds annually to the SRC Foundation for capital upgrades to the SRC Canton Campus. Additional funds came from donors who also designated their gifts to facilities at the Canton Campus over the past few years.
“We continue to be grateful to Gene and Marie Long for their generosity, which has benefitted SRC for nearly a decade now,” said SRC Foundation Executive Director Colin Davis. “Gene and Marie were longtime Cuba and Canton residents who recognized the benefit SRC provides to our area. In talking recently with their friend, Don Heller, he told me about their love of athletics and how he thought they would be thrilled with their gifts being used to purchase this sign with all of the new traffic coming to campus thanks to our program expansion. I’m so appreciative of their foresight and honored to do right by them.”
The Spoon River College Foundation is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing SRC students with the best educational experience possible. Funds raised benefit SRC and its students in many ways.
“While direct assistance to students through scholarships and hardship grants represents the largest parts of what we do on an annual basis, we also provide support to student and community programs at SRC and assist in the upgrades of college facilities,” said Davis. “This new sign is a perfect example of a need at SRC that we were able to fill thanks to the generosity of our donors, and we know it will benefit the college for years to come. Thank you to our donors, Director Beal, and everyone who helped to make it happen.”
Posted by ONEFIRE Development on | Comments Off on Performing-Art-Scholarship-Recipients-Showcase-Work
12/14/2020
Four Spoon River College art students who were awarded Performing Art Scholarships from the SRC Foundation recently showcased works that were part of the requirements of their scholarships. Those students were Rosalia Lentini of Bushnell, and Sydney Munson, Chelsea Steck, and Keeara Virag of Canton.
“They each studied an artist of their choice, and then created work that showed the influence of that particular artist,” said Jamie Kotewa, SRC Art faculty. “They also had to write an artist statement to explain their resulting artwork.”
Lentini plans to enter the field of art technology and she chose artist Frida Khalo, who was known for her self-portraits. “I was inspired by her symbolism, and I liked her blending techniques,” Lentini said.
Munson studied Claude Monet. “Like Monet, I utilized small, quick brush strokes, and I was inspired by his use of reflections and bouncing light off of difference surfaces, along with the lack of blending,” said Munson, who plans to use her talent in a career in the movie and film industry.
Steck studied Leonid Afremov, an artist who created an easily recognizable and distinctive technique and style. “His work is bright and colorful, and I think he uses color in an interesting way,” said Steck, who is majoring in accounting.
Future art teacher Virag chose to study painter and sculptor Audrey Flack, who has been referred to as a pioneer in photorealism. “I liked the bright colors Flack used, and I used those in my painting of a Dia De Los Muertos celebration.”
“It’s a joy to work with these students and push them further in their creative decision making process,” Kotewa said. “Having a growth mindset and learning how to respond to the unexpected is something we experience nearly every day in the art room. I love seeing their progress throughout the semester!”
The artwork is on display in the showcase located on the upper floor of Engle Hall at the Canton Campus.
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 grants 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.
Posted by ONEFIRE Development on | Comments Off on SRC Community Chorus Releases Home for the Holidays: Virtually Unplugged
SRC Foundation Donors receive access to virtual holiday concert; David L. Bishop Memorial Scholarship now fully endowed
Though COVID-19 prevented the Spoon River College Community Chorus from celebrating its 15th year with an in-person holiday concert, the show still went on.
Home for the Holidays: Virtually Unplugged, a virtual winter/holiday concert showcasing the talents of over 70 performers with local ties, was produced to support both the SRC Foundation’s #GivingSPOONday campaign and the David L. Bishop Memorial Scholarship, which the Chorus began funding after Bishop, a founding member of the Chorus, passed away in 2017.
“I’m proud of all of our productions,” said Carol Davis, the Chorus’ Artistic Director since its inception in 2005, “but this one will be one of the most memorable. It truly shows how versatile we are as an organization, and it’s always amazing to be reminded of just how much talent we have here in our area. We’re already hearing from many people about how much they’re enjoying it, and we’re honored to bring a little holiday cheer in a year when it’s never been needed more.”
Donors to the SRC Foundation’s #GivingSPOONday campaign and left their e-mail addresses received a link to view the concert by e-mail on Thursday, Dec. 10. Those who did not receive the e-mail are urged to check their spam folders. All donors will receive the link for the concert by mail in the next few days.
“The SRC Community Chorus is an important part of what we do and who we are,” said SRC Foundation Executive Director Colin Davis. “In addition to their talents leading to dozens of scholarships for SRC students over the years, the Chorus’ efforts directly led to the big success we were able to have in our #GivingSPOONday campaign, which helps SRC students in many ways.”
In the process, thanks to proceeds from previous Chorus performances, gifts from the Bishop Family, and other gifts made on #GivingSPOONday, the David L. Bishop Memorial Scholarship is now fully-endowed and will be awarded to SRC students in perpetuity. However, future gifts to the Bishop scholarship will always be accepted.
Those who still wish to see the concert may do so by making a gift to the SRC Foundation online by Dec. 18. All donors who make gifts of any size and to any designation will receive access to the concert. To receive access to the concert, visit www.src.edu/givingtuesday to make a gift to the SRC Foundation, or contact the Foundation by calling (309) 649-6260.
The concert includes over three hours of winter and holiday-themed music, acting, and poetry, all performed by students, alumni, staff, faculty and friends of SRC. With the on-demand format, the performances can be viewed at any time, in any location, and on any device that has access to the internet.
The SRC Community Chorus plans to return to live performances next August with The Musical World of Disney. To learn more about the Chorus, visit www.src.edu/chorus.
Please note that SRC is closed for winter break from Dec. 19 through Jan. 3.
Posted by ONEFIRE Development on | Comments Off on SRC’s #GivingSPOONday a Huge Success, Raises Over $50,000
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 $50,822 from 360 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 200 separate gifts to benefit SRC in the 24-hour period of December 1.
“By the end of the night, we had already increased our goal to 250 gifts, and our generous communities helped us soar right past that goal, too,” said Colin Davis, Executive Director of the SRC Foundation. “While SRC students’ need is greater than ever, we know they’re nowhere near 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 14 states and 75 zip codes. Gifts came from as far away as Florida, Arizona, Vermont and Washington State.
“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 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.”
As an added bonus, all donors to #GivingSPOONday received 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 15th year and raises money for SRC student scholarships, normally would have performed a holiday concert in early December,” said Davis. “But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, that concert was 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, and we’re grateful for the over 70 people who gave their time and talent to this project, because it certainly was a big help in our successful campaign.”
People who wish to see the concert are encouraged to make a gift to the SRC Foundation by December 18 by visiting www.src.edu/givingtuesday or calling (309) 649-6260. The college is closed for winter break from Dec. 19 through Jan. 3.
“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.”
Posted by ONEFIRE Development on | Comments Off on SRC Community Chorus Releases Home for the Holidays: Virtually Unplugged
SRC Foundation Donors receive access to virtual holiday concert; David L. Bishop Memorial Scholarship now fully endowed
Though COVID-19 prevented the Spoon River College Community Chorus from celebrating its 15th year with an in-person holiday concert, the show still went on.
Home for the Holidays: Virtually Unplugged, a virtual winter/holiday concert showcasing the talents of over 70 performers with local ties, was produced to support both the SRC Foundation’s #GivingSPOONday campaign and the David L. Bishop Memorial Scholarship, which the Chorus began funding after Bishop, a founding member of the Chorus, passed away in 2017.
“I’m proud of all of our productions,” said Carol Davis, the Chorus’ Artistic Director since its inception in 2005, “but this one will be one of the most memorable. It truly shows how versatile we are as an organization, and it’s always amazing to be reminded of just how much talent we have here in our area. We’re already hearing from many people about how much they’re enjoying it, and we’re honored to bring a little holiday cheer in a year when it’s never been needed more.”
Donors to the SRC Foundation’s #GivingSPOONday campaign and left their e-mail addresses received a link to view the concert by e-mail on Thursday, Dec. 10. Those who did not receive the e-mail are urged to check their spam folders. All donors will receive the link for the concert by mail in the next few days.
“The SRC Community Chorus is an important part of what we do and who we are,” said SRC Foundation Executive Director Colin Davis. “In addition to their talents leading to dozens of scholarships for SRC students over the years, the Chorus’ efforts directly led to the big success we were able to have in our #GivingSPOONday campaign, which helps SRC students in many ways.”
In the process, thanks to proceeds from previous Chorus performances, gifts from the Bishop Family, and other gifts made on #GivingSPOONday, the David L. Bishop Memorial Scholarship is now fully-endowed and will be awarded to SRC students in perpetuity. However, future gifts to the Bishop scholarship will always be accepted.
Those who still wish to see the concert may do so by making a gift to the SRC Foundation online by Dec. 18. All donors who make gifts of any size and to any designation will receive access to the concert. To receive access to the concert, visit www.src.edu/givingtuesday to make a gift to the SRC Foundation, or contact the Foundation by calling (309) 649-6260.
The concert includes over three hours of winter and holiday-themed music, acting, and poetry, all performed by students, alumni, staff, faculty and friends of SRC. With the on-demand format, the performances can be viewed at any time, in any location, and on any device that has access to the internet.
The SRC Community Chorus plans to return to live performances next August with The Musical World of Disney. To learn more about the Chorus, visit www.src.edu/chorus.
Please note that SRC is closed for winter break from Dec. 19 through Jan. 3.
Posted by ONEFIRE Development on | Comments Off on 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. ###
Posted by ONEFIRE Development on | Comments Off on 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.
Posted by ONEFIRE Development on | Comments Off on 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 15th 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.
Posted by ONEFIRE Development on | Comments Off on 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 15th 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 15th 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.
