SCC Vision Online

Living in the Limelight: Students take center stage at spring productions

This spring, students at both campuses wowed crowds with two fantastic productions.

Bloody Mary hawks her grass skirts

The West Burlington campus students performed the Rogers & Hammerstein classic musical, South Pacific. Cast members entertained approximately 450 show-goers over five performances.

SCC alum and music department veteran Brandon Howard returned for his second year as director.

“We picked South Pacific because it matched up really well with this year’s group of students and because it’s one of those fun classic musicals that practically everybody knows,” explains Howard.
Auditions were held in January and actors began learning and rehearsing the 20+ songs and dance numbers in February.

Total number of cast and crew topped 30.

With this being the fifth year of full-scale productions by the West Burlington campus students, Howard sees big things for the future.

“Last year we added a fall production. It was a success and so we plan to do one next fall as well.”
Howard says that next year’s productions will move to the newly-remodeled Capitol Theater in downtown Burlington.

“Performing at the Capitol will force us take our productions up another notch. I’m looking forward to it.”

The Keokuk campus original production, Five Wounds, was the final project of instructor Jodi Cook’s semester-long Theater and Speech Participation class.

After all the class work was completed, Cook says that students had about three weeks to rehearse.

A poignant moment

“Even though there was a lot to do, everybody had fun.”

Cook adds that fellow SCC instructor Doran O’Donnell was crucial to the success of the production. “Doran secured a few grants this year that allowed us to buy sound and lighting equipment. Plus he put in an enormous amount of time. We couldn’t have done it without him.”

Cook was elated by all the community support. “This is only our second year and I was so excited by all the support we received from the students, volunteers, the community—it was great.”

Keokuk Country Club played host to this year’s production. Two performances entertained a total of about 200 show goers.

Cook wrote the script for Five Wounds. It was inspired by an event in Cook’s life.

“My son served in Afghanistan in 2010. The script is based on the interactions between him and my daughter before he left and the dreams I had afterward.”

Cook hopes to tour area schools next year with One Act productions to help build arts awareness, community support, and involvement.

Cook intends to expand the class offerings to include a fall and spring production next year. “We hope to offer drama classes each semester and down the road incorporate an acting course as we develop things a little more.”

To view photos of both productions, along with many others, visit the SCC Flicker photostream.

 

Lucky Seven: Lady Blackhawks Defy Odds for Record Season

For the SCC Women’s Basketball Team, this season was one for the books. Records were set, obstacles were overcome, players were honored, and heads were turned.

The team finished the season 26 & 6—the most in the program’s seven year history, smashing the old record of 18 wins. And they did it with a mere seven players.

 
From left: Natalia Merkulova, Jennifer Reittinger, Breana McCullough, Hazaria Washington, Cherelle Hicks, Breanah Manley, and Mariah Duke.

As the season got under way, what was once a squad of 11 was reduced to 7.

Head Coach Jerry Jerome says nobody expected such feats from a mere seven players.

The squad regularly faced teams twice their size.

Jerome says that winning teams aren’t made by the size of their roster, they’re made by the size of their heart. “We showed people that you didn’t need a 16 person team and a charter bus to win games.”

Briefly during the season, the Lady Blackhawks were even ranked sixth in the nation.

Jerome says that with such a small team, every player’s contribution was vital to the team’s success.  “I knew what I had to work with, so I built a strategy that took advantage of our strengths. It worked.”

Jerome adds that having such a small team helped everybody stay focused. Each person got a lot of playing time. They knew they’d only be on the bench for a little bit before having to get back in there.”
In addition to focus and determination, part of the team’s success was the overwhelming amount of community support.

Hawk Flock members cheer on

Laying it up for two.

A rowdy group of loyal fans lovingly referred to as the “Hawk Flock” kept the team motivated on and off the court. They baked cookies and provided home-cooked dinners for the players, and made sure they had a place to go during breaks and holidays.

“They were like family. That meant so much to to the team,” explains Assistant Coach Lene Lox.

That outpouring of support translated into an impressive 13-1 home court record.

“Playing on our home court was incredible. The atmosphere was so energizing,” adds Lox.

The team’s only loss at home was to Kirkwood—which would go on to take fifth place in the nation.

Out of a roster of seven players, five were named to All-Region teams—unheard of at the college level.
Hazaria Washington made the All-Region team and became the Lady Blackhawk’s first All-American.  Four others landed spots on All-Region teams as well: Natalia Merkulova and Mariah Duke earned second team honors, and Breana McCollough and Breanah Manley were named to third team.

A number of four-year Division I colleges made scouting trips to watch the Lady Blackhawks. To date, two of SCC’s graduating sophomores (McCollough and Manley) have signed to continue playing at the four-year college level. Jerome expects that number to rise to four.

Jerome says that the Lady Blackhawks earned a lot of respect in our conference over the past few seasons.

He adds, “we plan to keep that going.”

 

Making Money Out of Mud: Self-made man advocates for technical education

Lawrence and Marilyn Matteson

Lawrence Matteson has never been one to shy away from hard work. In fact, if it not for his dedication and resourcefulness, he wouldn’t be where he is today.

The young boy who grew up on his family’s farm outside of Wever, Iowa never dreamed he’d go on to build a multi-million dollar dredging company.

After graduating from Fort Madison High School in 1948, he and brother Eugene didn’t go to college—they went to work. And work was cutting timber along the Mississippi and Skunk Rivers armed with little more than a sharp chainsaw and strong work ethic.

“There wasn’t a lot of training back then, and it sure wasn’t taught in some classroom. You learned by doing it first-hand,” recounts Matteson.

Indeed, Matteson’s career education would not take place in a classroom. It would be learned over the course of his life, starting on the farm at his father’s side. The mechanical and problem-solving skills he learned growing up would become the bedrock of a lifetime of learning. The practical on-the-job training that came later would simply build upon previously-acquired skills.

Throughout the 50’s and 60’s, Matteson honed that knowledge at Case Company and Murray Ironworks in Burlington working in production, machining, and maintenance, all the while still maintaining the family farm.

In 1970, Matteson went to work for First Miss gypsum fertilizer plant in Green Bay Bottoms east of Wever as a heavy equipment operator, building and moving machinery, and maintaining the fertilizer containment ponds.

Matteson on a job site circa 1980

Two years later he spotted an opportunity to put that hard-earned knowledge to work for a business of his own. He bought a used dredge and signed a contract to maintain the plant’s containment ponds and barge loading facility along the river.

“Although it was used, it still cost $100,000—and even then I had to rebuild it,” says Matteson.

The risky move paid off. Over the next few years he put his dredge to good use, picking up additional work digging ponds and removing silt from lakes. Work picked up so much that he purchased a second dredge.

Over the next 40 years, he and his son Larry expanded the business to include marine construction. They slowly secured larger and larger projects, building grain and coal loading facilities, harbors, and structures for locks and dams.

A dredging operation prepares to build islands

The L.W. Matteson Company would go on to build facilities all along the Mississippi, Missouri and Ohio Rivers, eventually becoming the largest fresh water dredging and marine construction company in the US.

“When jobs came up, we’d bid on them and most often we’d get them,” says Matteson.

Matteson developed a reputation as an innovator. Since he was relatively new to the dredging industry, he was open to doing things differently—one of his strongest competitive advantages.

Although not formally trained, Matteson used his acquired engineering skills and experience to tackle increasingly monumental jobs. Many were the first of their kind in size and scope. Problems would have to be solved as they arose.

 
A trade magazine featuring Matteson's company

Some projects involved designing and building machinery from scratch that could remove millions of cubic yards of sand and silt and push it through huge portable pipes over a mile long.

Matteson says that as years passed, fewer incoming workers had the same core skills like those he learned on the farm. He adds that over the past 50 years, a considerable amount of the practical, technical skills once learned at home – especially at farm homes – has been lost. With fewer people working on farms, in manufacturing, or in trade occupations, there are simply fewer people to hand down this knowledge and experience.

With that first point of contact all but lost, many young people’s experience with technical and vocational careers might not be until high school. Now those opportunities are dwindling, too, as schools struggle to match shrinking budgets with competing priorities.

Matteson, who at 82, is still a fixture on job sites, says that there is a mistaken mentality among many in education that only those who hold four-year degrees can be successful or have fulfilling careers with opportunities to succeed. Or, that bright young people shouldn’t even consider technical careers.

Matteson wants to correct that.

“There are all sorts of technical career jobs that offer good wages and advancement opportunities,” he explains.
Matteson points to his company as a prime example, “we have been very successful for a lot of years.”

When Matteson sold the dredging division of his company in 2010 for $50 million, he wanted to invest some of that money to promote technical education.

He worked with SCC to create the L.W. Matteson Endowed Scholarship. It is awarded to students enrolling in specific career or technical programs offered at SCC including Agriculture, Construction, Drafting, Electronics, Industrial Maintenance (InTech), Welding, and Pre-Engineering.

Up to 12 scholarships will be awarded every year and are designated for tuition and books up to $2000. The scholarship is renewable for a second year. The first year deadline was May 1, 2012, however, late applications may be considered. Complete details are available on SCC’s website: www.scciowa.edu/about/alumni_found.

In addition to the scholarships offered through SCC, Matteson created 12 more renewable scholarships through the North Lee County Community Foundation for local students wishing to study technical careers at a college of their choice. Application deadline is June 10.

Read related article: Videos Feature Technical Careers to learn more about opportunities in STEM careers. Click here.

After reflecting for a moment when asked to offer career advice, Matteson testified, “There are so many opportunities out there for people who are willing to do a better job and work a little harder than everybody else.”

Learn more about L.W. Matteson Company: www.lwmatteson.com. For more on Matteson’s North Lee County Community Foundation scholarship info, contact Matt Mendenhall at mattmendenhall@cfgrb.org or visit http://bit.ly/Kb7UAB.

 

Black & White and Read All Over

Chiaroscuro showcases student writing, art talent

When SCC Keokuk campus English instructor Tom Hayes had the idea of creating a college publication to showcase the student literary talent, he wasn’t alone.

Turns out, Erin Tapley, art instructor on the West Burlington campus at the time, wanted to do something similar for her art students,” Hayes recalls.

After a few planning discussions, the project got the nod from the Dean of Arts and Sciences, and the two set to work. The piece would feature writing and visual art works of SCC students.

“We didn’t know what to call it. One of the students on staff that first year, Glenn Myers, suggested an art term, ‘chiaroscuro,’ (pronounced key-ar-oh-SCOO-roh) which means the play between light and shadow,” Hayes says. Since the piece would be printed in black and white, it was the perfect title.

That was 1997.

SCC instructor Tom Hayes shows off some of the past editions of Chiaroscuro.

Fourteen years later, Chiaroscuro continues to showcase student writing and art at SCC.

Chiaroscuro is truly a student-driven publication. Magazine staff students review submissions for writing that are unique and innovative. Selected artwork must complement written works and reproduce well in black and white when scaled to fit the publication. Students create the layout and design the cover.

When Tapley left SCC in 2003, Tom approached Keokuk campus art instructor Suzanne Messer to take her place. Messer obliged, and the two have worked together since.

“Susie does a great job working with art students to create works for the piece.”

Hayes says there is rarely a shortage of student works worthy of publishing. He credits fellow English instructors Karen Cahill and Charles Burm for encouraging students to explore their creative side through the written word. He adds that in recent years, the creative writing club on SCC’s West Burlington campus, Di Dante, has boosted the quality and quantity of student works as well.

Chiaroscuro provides a unique opportunity for students to publish their work.

“Many of our students are thrilled to see their work in a public venue. SCC hosts events to showcase visual and performing arts, but there are fewer venues for students to show their writing talents.”
Hayes says that he encourages students to submit work for publication wherever they can. However it can be a little intimidating if they’ve never done so.

Past editions of Chiaroscuro. The magazine will publish its 20th edition in May.

“Getting published in our magazine is a good first step. Students gain confidence once they see their work in print. Sometimes that’s all it takes for them to submit pieces to other larger publications or writing competitions.”

The magazine is published every May. The 500 copies produced are gobbled up quickly – but not before Hayes gets one.

“I’ve got a copy of every edition.”

For more information or to request a copy of Chiaroscuro, contact Tom Hayes at thayes@scciowa.edu.

Giving Peace a Chance

SCC students and instructor visit Costa Rica to study a culture of peace and sustainability.

In June of 2011, SCC instructor Sandy Krell-Andre and four students participated in a study abroad class in Costa Rica. The class, entitled Historical, Social and Political Implications of Peace in Costa Rica, is part of a program offered in conjunction with Community Colleges for International Development (CCID) and La Universidad Latinoamericana de Ciencia y Tecnología in Costa Rica.

Sandy Krell-Andre

Krell-Andre, who teaches chemical dependency and conflict resolution, says that the idea for the class came out of a conference she attended in 2009.

“I was having dinner with instructors from Cuyahoga Community College in Ohio and Northampton Community College in Pennsylvania and we started talking about how we could utilize CCID to create a program that focuses on conflict resolution and peace studies,” says Krell-Andre.

Krell-Andre explains that it can be hard for community colleges to offer extensive study abroad programs due to the amount of planning and preparation required that smaller colleges aren’t equipped to manage.

“We found that through CCID, we could make this program available.”

After 18 months of planning with the other colleges, the class became a reality.

Due to the logistics of the trip, the class was limited to 16 students. SCC was allotted four.

SCC student travelers (from left):
Pete Smillie, Tiphney Strickland, Edgard Espinoza, Michelle Randall.

Students spent six weeks studying readings and participating in online discussions before embarking on the two-week trip to Costa Rica in June.

The full itinerary included visits to cultural and historical sites throughout the country. Guest lecturers discussed Costa Rica’s decision to disband its military, and the economic, political, security, and environmental implications of this decision. They visited the United Nations University for Peace, Earth University and the U.S. embassy. Students toured the Monteverde cloud forest high in the mountains where some enjoyed traveling on zip lines high above the forest canopy.

Krell-Andre says that students participated in a service-learning project to install a biodigester to collect methane from livestock waste on a remote farm in the mountains.

“It was a hard and dirty job and they did it all by hand. Students worked with an instructor from Earth University to build it. Fortunately one of our students was bilingual. If it wasn’t for his ability to communicate, it would have been infinitely more difficult.”

 
Students build and install a biodigester on a remote farm in Costa Rica. The biodigester will provide cooking gas for the family.

SCC student Pete Smillie says that, thanks to the group’s efforts, the biodigester is now a sustainable, environmentally-friendly source of cooking methane that will save that single family thousands of dollars over the next 16 years.

“Everything was made out of recycled or renewable materials. It was really low-tech but it will have a huge impact on that family,” Smillie explains.

Krell-Andre says that while many colleges offer study abroad programs, cultural learning is rarely the primary focus. “Students can visit a college in France, but they may not really be learning about French culture. This class truly facilitates international studies and understanding.”

Smillie notes that his experience challenged his previous beliefs.

“I was in the military and spent time in Central America. My experience was that the area was underdeveloped and hostile. Costa Rica is the total opposite. People are open-minded, tolerant, and generally happier with much less.”

Smillie attributes Costa Rica’s culture of openness and understanding in part to how the country addresses citizens’ basic needs.

“They’ve got universal education and health care. What many other countries spend on military, they spend on the well-being of their people. I think we can learn from that.”

 
An Earth University instructor demonstrates sustainable farming methods.

SCC student Michelle Randall added that the biggest take-away for her was how Costa Ricans are generally happier than Americans, yet they have so much less.

Randall continues that it was culture shock for her at first.

“Some days we didn’t have hot water for showers and the meals were always pretty basic, but it wasn’t a big deal to them. After living that way for two weeks, I realized that maybe I don’t need as many things in my life as I thought.”

Randall added, “if they can be happier and live a simpler life, then I can too.”

Krell-Andre says that coordinating so many moving parts was challenging at times.

“I was working with faculty and staff whom I had never met from two other community colleges and a number of institutions in Costa Rica. Plus there were very few of us who were bilingual, so the language barrier slowed things down, too,” she explains.

In the midst of such chaos, she was undeterred. “A lot of my learning on this trip was how we collectively worked through those challenges.”

 
Edgar Espinoza hams it up for the camera with his new friends.

Upon return, students are required to conduct service projects to implement what they learned.
Smillie is working to help develop a community garden in the South Hill neighborhood in Burlington.

“They were originally going to plant flowers and bushes but we’ve expanded it to include a vegetable garden with raised beds. I want to incorporate what I learned about sustainable gardening into this project as well.”

Krell-Andre sees this course as the first step in the creation of a more robust international studies program. Through the experience of developing this course, SCC might be able to explore other opportunities.

A Special Thanks

The success of this class was made possible in large part thanks to the generous contributions of a number of organizations including Kiwanis, Optimist and Rotary service clubs, Burlington Citizens for Peace, the SCC Foundation, SCC President Beverly Simone, and a host of individual donors.

“The cost of this class would have been prohibitive for most of our SCC students without the generosity of our patrons. You helped make this possible.

Thank you!”

- Sandy Krell-Andre

“I could see this class study successful peace efforts in countries besides Costa Rica – Northern Ireland for example. Or it could collaborate with other programs or disciplines such as Agriculture or Environmental Studies.”

Krell-Andre adds that there could be support for the creation of a specialized certificate in Conflict Resolution.

“Conflict resolution skills are an excellent value-added component of any degree. Wherever you have people, there will be conflict. These skills are portable across careers.”

Smillie agrees.

“I plan to take my learning in conflict resolution into the workplace after I graduate. As a chemical dependency counselor, I want to help people learn to deal with problems and conflicts in their lives in a healthy manner.”

Krell-Andre has already begun recruiting students for the 2012 trip. She encourages students to register early so they can participate in fundraisers and apply for scholarships to help defray the $2200 price tag. As next year’s lead instructor, she will be able to take eight students instead of four.

Students from three community colleges participated in the class trip.

“There’s been a good amount of interest already and I don’t expect the spaces will be vacant for long.”

View more photos of the Costa Rica trip on SCC's flickr page.

To contribute to the Costa Rica Scholarship Fund, click on the Give tab above or contact Becky Rump at brump@scciowa.edu or 319-208-5065.

 

Dreamers Wanted. SCC’s new computer animation program takes shape

Students returning to the West Burlington campus this fall will notice an all-new classroom addition on Building 200.

It will be the home of SCC’s newest program, Animation for Television, Film and New Media.

“We’ve been looking since 2006 for a unique program that would set SCC apart from other colleges in the state -- something high-tech and forward-thinking,” says SCC Vice President of Teaching and Learning Phil Thomas. “It needed to not only appeal to local students but also entice others from outside the area to move here specifically to enroll in the program. Animation fits that description.”

From top: New addition under construction, Grasshorse animator converts image to 3D, computer rendered sports car, Graphics Communication instructor Carlene Woodside helps a student.

The program will teach students a broad base of skills required for computer animation. Courses include drawing, story development, 3D modeling, character animation, stop-motion animation, lighting and rendering. Students in the program can earn an A.A.S. degree in just over two years.

Phil adds that there are surprisingly few colleges – and even fewer community colleges – with such an in-depth computer animation program located in the Midwest. Most are clustered in California and Florida and carry a hefty price tag.  SCC’s program now allows students to attend right here instead of move across the country and take out huge student loans.

Thomas explains that community colleges work with existing businesses in the area to create a curriculum that ensures students learn the right skills.

SCC found such a partner in Grasshorse, an animation company that had recently relocated from Hollywood to Winfield, IA.

Yes, Winfield.

Grasshorse owners, brother and sister Stephen Jennings and Kathy Buxton, say while large media companies are clustered in a select few cities, many small specialized shops are opting out of the rat race and relocating to where the living is less stressful and more affordable.

Kathy says that after six years, they had had enough. “We were making a name for ourselves and we wanted to grow as a company. We weren’t going to do that in L.A. Our grandfather operates a farm that’s been in our family for 150 years just a few miles from town. We love it here. Moving to Winfield made sense for us.”

Steven says that he and Kathy started working with SCC because they knew first-hand the need for skilled animators. “The demand for animation work is increasing 35% per year, and it’s not just movies. So much of people’s lives are based on consuming information on different devices. Movies, TV, gaming systems, mobile phones, computers – everything requires animated content. Somebody has to make all that.”

There are now a number of animation and production companies peppered across Iowa that do just that – all in need of skilled animators.

Phil explains that the program is designed to give students a solid understanding of the entire animation process. Students will perform a lot of work in teams so that they learn not just how the software works but also creative collaboration, group problem solving and project management.

  Computer animators are in demand...

It takes 50 animators over eight weeks to convert an existing 2-hour, 2D movie into a 3D movie.

Over 5 million games are downloaded each day by iPhone and iPad users alone.

Many industries employ 3D animators to simulate medical procedures, test product prototypes, and improve workstation ergonomics.

“So many people show us a bunch of fancy doodles and expect a job as a computer animator. It doesn’t work that way. Animation is very labor-intensive with a lot of detailed steps. While artistic creativity is important, you also need to know trigonometry and specialized software and teamwork,” notes Kathy.

Stephen says that animation is like building a car from scratch.

“It would take one person years, but imagine if you had 100 people working on it. That’s 100 brains coming up with all sorts of ideas about how to make it. Some of those ideas will work, others won’t. With that much trial and error, they’re going to learn what works at an infinitely faster pace than the guy doing it all by himself. And their car will be 100 times better. Animation is the same thing.  Good animators learn by doing things over and over and tackling problems from different angles each time.”

The person chosen to lead the charge as the animation program’s instructor is Ben Rosales.

“Ben has worked in the animation business for years and has a number of movies and other projects to his credit. He was most recently an animation instructor in Houston, TX. I think he’s going to bring a lot of energy and excitement to the program. Students are going to love him,” adds Thomas.

The program will be housed in a new three classroom addition on the West Burlington campus. One room will be a state-of-the-art computer animation lab, another will be used for a special stop-motion studio. The third classroom will become the new home of SCC’s popular Graphics Communications program.

The addition was funded by Accelerated Career Education (ACE) dollars provided by the State of Iowa.

The classrooms will be outfitted with the same equipment, hardware and software used by professional animators. Investment in the classroom addition and all associated technology will exceed $1 million.

“To teach students the skills they need to succeed as animators, we aren’t cutting corners. This program is going to be top-notch,” Phil notes.

Enrollment will be capped at 20 students for the first year.

Persons interested in learning more about SCC’s Animation for Television, Film and New Media Program should contact SCC Enrollment Services at 319-208-5010.

Visit the Grasshorse website.

 

Blackhawks win! Men, women chalk up record seasons

The 2010-11 season was a big year for Blackhawk Basketball. The men’s and women’s teams each had an exceptional year.

The men finished the season 29-9. They brought home the Conference Championship for the third straight year and were crowned District Champions for the second year in a row. They capped off their winning season with a fourth-place finish at the National Tournament in Hutchinson, KS.

Mason Leggett goes over two defenders. Photo courtesy of John Larson.

SCC Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach Brian Turner says that in addition to the team celebrating success, so too did many individual players.

Five athletes were named to All-American teams; one was named Academic All-American. Next year, five graduating sophomores will move on to play at Jacksonville State University, University of Idaho, Tulane University, and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

“I believe what set us apart this year – and what sets us apart every year –is the emphasis Head Coach Terry Carroll places on defense. We spend a lot of time working on our defense.”

Brian continues that the team has proven it can score enough points in a game to win. “However, when we’re successful rebounding and guarding, the other guys can’t score. It’s that simple.”

SCC’s Men’s Basketball team has amassed the most wins of any junior college in the country. This year’s team added 29 wins to the tally. The Blackhawks now sit at 1599 wins.

“Next year, we’re going to break 1600. That’s an incredible feat.”

Turner credits SCC’s fan base for part of the Blackhawks’ history of successful teams.

“It’s hard to find another fan base in junior college basketball that’s as passionate as ours.  A winning tradition isn’t something you build overnight. It takes a long time – the fans have been there all along.”

Cherell Hicks drives for two. Photo courtesy of John Larson.

The Women’s Basketball team set milestones of its own.

Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jerry Jerome (JJ for short) says this was the first time in the program’s brief six-year history that it broke the .500 win/loss mark.

“It was a great year athletically and academically. We ended up 18-13. Three of our players made All-Region teams and five of them made it to All-Academic teams. The ladies should be proud,” notes JJ.

This was also the first year the team made it into post-season play. It won its first regional tournament game in a decisive victory against Iowa Lakes. The team lost the second game to Iowa Central 90 to 82. Iowa Central would go on to place fourth in the nation.

“We showed that we could compete with teams at a national level.”

He adds that the team’s success this year will bring about greater goals next year.

“Now that we’ve proven we can do it, we will expect more from ourselves.”

JJ has high hopes for next year’s squad. “We will be returning five sophomores, and we’re in the process of signing six new athletes. We really surprised a few people this year. Next year they’ll be expecting us.”

To view more photos of SCC Blackhawk basketball, visit our flickr page.

Beautiful Space for Beautiful Art

This spring, people passing by the art gallery in the Welcome Center on SCC’s West Burlington campus witnessed a transformation. Over the course of two weeks, the gallery was completely renovated.
SCC West Burlington Student Activities Coordinator Susan Reid says the project was a long time coming.

Artist and SCC alum Serena Stevens discusses her work during a recent show in SCC’s newly renovated gallery.

“It was a great display space but it needed updating. Some of the lights didn’t work, the walls were in bad shape, and the carpet needed replaced.”

Susan explains that the Student Board keeps a wish list and funds a handful of projects every year according to need and available dollars.

“The suggestion to renovate the gallery made it to the list back in 2008 but we knew that it would take a little time before we could save up enough money to do it.”
In early 2010, members of the SCC Art Collectors Club recommended that the space be renovated. By that time the Student Board had saved enough money to move forward with the project.

So Susan assembled SCC’s Executive Director for Institutional Advancement Becky Rump and West Burlington art instructors Cathy Gordon and John Bybee.

SCC’s Student Board committed $10,000 to the project and grants were secured from the Burlington Area Fine Arts League and the SCC Alumni Association for additional monies.

View photos of artist showings and other events on SCC's flickr page.

The gallery received all-new friendly wall coverings and flooring, new lighting and electrical, and a system for hanging art pieces without the use of nails.

It was ready just in time to host a showing by SCC art student alum Serena Stevens in March.
The team couldn’t be more pleased with the final product.

“It’s now a real nice place to showcase art. It’s bright and airy and welcoming – I love it,” attests Cathy.

Upcoming showings:
June: Tim Kowalczyk - Ceramics
July: Jared Whittenmyer - Drawings
September: John Carlson - Paint
October: Brent Houzenga - Mixed Media

For a complete list of showings, contact John Bybee at jbybee@scciowa.edu or 319-208-5216.

Every month the gallery hosts showings of artwork by students, alumni, local artists and artists with ties to Iowa.

To join the SCC Art Collectors Club or to donate to the permanent art collection, contact Becky Rump at brump@scciowa.edu or 319-208-5065.

Determination to Inspiration: Remembering SCC's First Black Graduate

Rev. William Amos "Booker" Smith, Sr.

On March 25, SCC hosted a luncheon honoring SCC’s first black graduate, Rev. Dr. William Amos “Booker” Smith Sr. (BJC ’31). Guest speaker, Rev. Smith’s son, Rev. William (Bill) Smith II, shared stories of his father’s accomplishments and challenges.

Bill says that after his father’s family moved to Iowa from Kentucky, they lived in a boxcar near the train yards in West Burlington. “That’s what you call luxury accommodations,” he jokes.

Rev. Smith was an eager learner and excelled scholastically. He became the first black student to graduate from Burlington High School in 1929.

Bill says that in those days, opportunities for blacks were few and far between.
“He was black, he was poor, he had asthma and a stuttering impediment. That’s enough right there to say that you’ve got a formula for failure.”

Bill says in spite of his father’s situation, it wasn’t enough to stop him. “About the size of a pinhole – he had that much hope.”

He was offered a scholarship to attend then-Burlington Junior College (BJC). That one scholarship would open up an entire new world to him. Two years later, in 1931, he became the first black to graduate from BJC. He graduated at the top of his class.

Bill adds that Rev. Smith wasn’t driven by success or ego. “He wasn’t trying to be the first at anything or to be the best of anyone. He was simply trying to escape the bonds of poverty.”

Rev. Smith served as pastor for churches in six states.

In part due to his impressive academic achievements at BJC, he was offered a scholarship to attend Drake University in Des Moines where he earned a bachelor’s degree in history. His sports were football, track and shot put, and he served on the college debate team. He maintained an A- average.
After graduating from Drake, he returned to Burlington and became the first black ordained minister in 1934. He served as pastor of Union Baptist Church.

“He knew that’s where the source of his blessings were, so he answered the call to preach,” says Bill.

Over the course of his life, he would serve as pastor at six churches in five states.

He entered the Army during WWII, where he spent 15 years as an Army chaplain before retiring as a Major. In 1944, he was directed by General Eisenhower to study and make recommendations on negro troop morale.

“No matter where he was – all over Europe during the war, wherever he lived across the country, he never forgot Burlington. He kept this place in his mind and in his heart.”

As sponsor of the Ft. Valley State College debate team, 1957.

After retiring from the Army, he earned Divinity and Theology degrees from Crozer Seminary in Pennsylvania, and completed coursework for a Ph. D. at Temple University in Philadelphia.

He held a number of teaching and administrative positions at colleges and universities in South Dakota, Arkansas, Georgia and Florida.

Later he spent time as a minister at a church in Fort Valley, GA where he worked with college classmate Dr. Martin Luther King.

He moved to St. Petersburg, FL to become the pastor of First Baptist Institutional Church and serve as Professor of Social Studies at St. Petersburg Junior College. While there, he taught a new generation of students, giving them the same opportunities he had received so long ago.

Vivian (Dawson) Smith, Rev. Bill Smith, II, Charlotte Weldon hold Rev. Smith's Memorial Portrait.

His life had come full circle.

Rev. Smith passed away on October 2, 1973.

Bill adds, “you honor yourselves while you’re honoring him, because without that very first scholarship, who knows where he would have ended up.”

Rev. Smith’s plaque hangs in Building 400 near Loren Walker Arena.

Listen to Bill share a few stories of his father Rev. William Smith below.

 

For the Bill Smith's full speech, click here.

 

Drab to fab! New Art Collectors Club adds color, prestige to campus buildings

Wander through the halls on campus and you’ll likely notice a change. Thanks to the work of a handful of dedicated volunteers, the long, nondescript, institutional hallways are slowly coming to life with personality and color. SCC’s new Art Collectors Club has begun gathering artwork from    artists and private collections and displaying the works throughout the College’s campuses and centers. Now the College is quickly becoming a repository for artworks.

The idea for the creation of a club dedicated to securing artwork came out of a brainstorming session in 2008 to identify college improvement projects. SCC President Beverly Simone and SCC Executive Director for Institutional Advancement Becky Rump decided to measure public interest in the creation of an Art Collectors Club. So Rump contacted a handful of local art aficionados.

Still Life with Pewter Plate
Len Gridley

Fragments from Nowhere
Ulfert Wilke

“I was ecstatic that once I shared our idea, most of the people I contacted agreed to join the club,” recounts Rump.

The group met formally for the first time in December of that year and have made steady progress ever since.

The very first member to officially join the club is long-time art collector and preservationist Bob McCannon of Burlington. McCannon’s accomplishments make him uniquely qualified to lead such a club. In addition to having been in antiques and fine furniture, his efforts to help establish the Historic Preservation Commission in Burlington and the University of Iowa Foundation Len Gridley Everett scholarship for talented UI art students will serve him well in this new endeavor.

McCannon says that it didn’t take much to persuade him to join the club.  “I’ve always been interested in SCC. As an institution dedicated to higher learning, it’s a very appropriate place to display artwork for students and visitors to see. If I can lend my time and experience to help make that a reality, I’m all for it.”

Other founding members include Joanne Dailey Bauer, Debbie Bessine, Mary Brockman, Barbara Grimmer, Barbara McRoberts, Robert Middaugh, Becky Rump, Mary Saxton, Beverly Simone, Angie Sodey, Lisa Walsh, retired SCC Art instructor John Weyl and current Art instructors, John Bybee, Cathleen Gordon and Suzanne Messer.

McCannon continues that SCC’s buildings and hallways are a gallery just waiting to happen. With long hallways and open spaces, there’s ample wall space to display artwork.

“I’d been to campus for different events over the years and the walls were- let’s just say they were very uninteresting,” McCannon jokes.

McCannon said that everyone benefits from being in creative environment, especially students.
“Art inspires. The colors, shape and designs inspire people to think differently, to explore, to create. Art encourages learning and development in all of us,” he notes.

Rump adds that SCC was not completely devoid of artwork over the years. “There were a few nice pieces scattered across the college but until recently we had no plan to actively develop an organized, cataloged collection.”

Birth of the American Farmer, Jams Walker Henry

The club is seeking donations of original or signed prints of paintings, drawings, photography, sculpture, pottery, and other display pieces.

“Our goal now is to feature original or signed prints by artists who are SCC alumni, who are from our region, or who have ties to Iowa. That is a must, but we can be flexible in our definition,” explains Rump. Pieces submitted for consideration must meet certain criteria before being accepted.

To date, most of the pieces have come from area residents and artists. Some pieces are on permanent loan, while others have been gifted to SCC.

Rump adds that the club is also recruiting members and soliciting donations. Annual membership dues are a modest $100 and help fund future purchases as well as arts programming. Persons who join by June 30, 2011 will be recognized as Charter Members and invited to a special event.

McCannon says that as SCC’s collection grows in size and notoriety, it will be easier for the club to solicit pieces from artists and collectors. “Working artists want to sell their pieces. Being able to have their work featured in various public collections alongside other recognized artists adds to their name recognition. It’s a win-win.”

Hillside Barn with Clouds, Gordon Kellenberger

He adds that soliciting pieces from private collectors becomes easier as prospective donors see the quality of existing works and catalog of featured artists. “It just takes a few nice pieces to get the ball rolling, and we’ve definitely got the ball rolling.”

Recent grants from the Burlington Fine Arts League and the Cullen Family Foundation through US Bank will enable the club to purchase art and acquire special cataloguing software.

The club has secured some impressive pieces from recognized artists in its short life. The current collection features pieces by Shirley Bliven, Robert Burrus, Len Gridley Everett, David Garrison, Jerry Granaman, James Walker Henry, May Hohlen, Martha Johnstone, Gordon Kellenberger, Kent Kelly, Julian Menke, Neil Peterie, Lillian Rubin, James T. Russell, Edna Schmidt, Bonny Thayer, Timothy Van Ginkel, Jane Thode Walsh, Joan Walsh, and Ulfert Wilke, and by talented student artists as well.

Nerium, Tim Van Ginkel; Late Summer Hay Bales, Barbara Grimmer

McCannon is impressed how SCC’s current art instructors are able to stand on the shoulders of instructors from the past who paved the way. “It’s great to see how active they are in the community and how they’re involved with their students’ development as artists.”

The club plans to host fundraising receptions on SCC’s campuses in 2011 that will also incorporate art tours.

Persons interested in joining the Art Collectors’ Club or donating pieces are encouraged to contact Becky Rump at 319-208-5065 or brump@scciowa.edu.

To view the rest of SCC's art collection, visit our flickr page