October 2009 Articles
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Leaders Wanted! Step Up for the Future of COD by Nancy Stanko
Speaking Well at COD—And Building a Bigger Tradition by Lauren Morgan
Fostering Part-Time Faculty Development in Liberal Arts by Eva Maria Räpple, et al.
Accolades by Konkel & Hagman
Leaders Wanted! Step Up for the Future of COD by Nancy Stanko
Our growth and development over the past few years has been tremendous. The addition of new
buildings, new programs, and new administration has given us an opportunity to expand our
reputation as we continue to strive for innovation and work with dynamic change. Success brings
challenges along with opportunities. Our economic times can make our work complicated and
difficult. Your participation is even more important now as we strive to help COD to meet the
challenges we face now and in the future.
We are looking for faculty to step forward in leadership roles such as membership on Senate or joining the many openings we have on committees. If you enjoy developing and building relationships, then this will be an exciting time for you to get involved. It is a chance to develop friendships as well as acknowledge and accept differences.
On October 27, 2009 we elect new officers, senators, PAC Executive Director, and IEA Regional Council representatives. Petitions are due October 12 and should be sent to Kathy Horton, Business and Technology Division. We need faculty to fill the officer positions of Vice President and Secretary. Please contact me, Lisa Higgins, or Wendy Felder if you have questions about the duties of these positions. The ballots may also include Emerging Technology issues and Curriculum changes. Please be sure to vote!
We are planning a Senate Retreat after the elections for new and continuing Senators. We plan to have an update on parliamentary procedure and begin to develop strategic plans for our future. Shortly after the Retreat, Senate members will canvass the faculty face-to-face to help us begin to build a foundation for working together to improve the quality of educational opportunities for our students.
Faculty members who represent all of us on college-wide committees need to report back to Senate. Please e-mail agendas and minutes of your committee meetings to me or our Secretary, Wendy Felder. As representatives, you may also need to get input from your constituents as you are serving on the committee. Committee work should not be kept a secret. (However, search committees are confidential.)
What a fun time Senate Secretary Wendy Felder and I had volunteering at the COD Foundation's Annual Golf Outing on September 14. This scholarship fundraiser took place on a gorgeous day, and we helped raise over $500 for student scholarships. We encourage faculty to either golf (or play tennis) next year or volunteer as we did. It was an opportunity to develop college and community relations with fellow faculty members, trustees, administrators, foundation members, and community members. The Scholarship Reception is October 21, 5:30 p.m. in SRC 2800. Scholarship awardees will "tell their stories" about the impact these scholarships have had on their lives. I encourage you to attend this reception.
Speaking Well at COD—And Building a Bigger Tradition by Lauren Morgan
This year, Lauren Morgan (Director of Forensics) and Chris Miller (Assistant Director of Forensics)
took 11 students to compete at the national tournament in Portland, Oregon in 26 individual events, 2
Readers' Theaters, and 3 debate teams. While the students continued COD's tradition of competitive
success, bringing home gold, silver and bronze medals, the faculty discovered that COD has established
a new tradition: producing successful forensics coaches!
While at nationals, Morgan realized that there are six COD alumni coaching forensics at community colleges across the country: Bonnie Gabel (McHenry Community College, IL), Lauren Morgan (College of DuPage), Jim Dobson (Las Positas Community College, CA), Joel Chmara (College of Lake County, IL), Harish Rao (Rio Hondo Community College, CA), and Brandon Wood (Central Texas College, TX). These six coaches represent alumni from the 1970s through the 2000s and serve as a testament to 40 years of excellence in forensics education at COD. Both Gabel and Morgan were inspired to follow in the footsteps of their COD coaches, Jodie Briggs and Jim Collie, who brought the forensics program to national prominence in the 1970s and 80s. Faculty member Marco Benassi, who also competed for COD in the 80s, returned to COD and coached Chamara and Dobson's team to a National Championship in 1991. Other speech faculty who have "coached the coaches" are Joyce Holte, Steve Schroeder, and Lauren Morgan.
When Morgan found out about this alumni network, she had to laugh. "My husband, who is the Director of Forensics at Harper College, is an NIU grad, and there are at least five or six of their alumni coaching in Illinois, including Chris Miller. They love teasing me about their legacy and their Huskie pride! Now, I finally have something I can throw back at them!"
And who knows? Perhaps one of the team's 2009 award winners will become the next addition in this ritual: Heather Zupancic took Gold, Persuasive Speaking; Silver, Extemporaneous Speaking; Silver, Parliamentary Debate (with partner John Schuhriemen). John Schuhriemen took Silver, Persuasive Speaking; Silver, Parliamentary Debate (with partner Heather Zupancic). Gina Florino took Bronze, Speech to Entertain. Other students attending the tournament were Kelsey Danca, Stephen DeFalco, Mary Lazowski, Daria Skrypczynski, Naveed Shah, Brett Walker, and Joe Wentzel.
The coaching staff is looking forward to the 2009-2010 school year as five of these students have returned to compete for a second year. "We're typically lucky if we have two or three students returning each year," Morgan explained. "It's great to have so many team members coming back! It really helps build a strong foundation for this year's team."
The team is also coached by Steve Schroeder, Paige Tracy (COD adjunct faculty), Johanna MacKenzie-Miller (an accomplished professional actress in Chicago and wife of Chris Miller), and alumnus Kelly McCarthy. The team also had assistance from alumni Randy Daniels, Brian Hamman, Mike Spinelli, and Benjamin Wolfson.
The team had a special surprise this year, too, as Heather Zupancic and alumnus Mike Spinelli (Illinois State University), placed second and first, respectively, at the Illinois Intercollegiate Forensics Association, qualifying them as Illinois' representatives to the Interstate Oratory Competition, the oldest (and most prestigious) oratory competition in the country. After the winners were announced at state, Megan (Hogue) Koch, Spinelli's coach at ISU, approached Morgan: "Do you realize that COD just closed out the oratory final!?" It took Morgan a minute to realize what Koch meant. "Megan is a COD alumni, too," Morgan remarked. "We could barely contain ourselves when we realized that two COD alums had just coached the top two orators in the state who were also from COD. For me, it was a pinnacle in my career, as oratory was my best event as a competitor." And with Spinelli now coaching at ISU as a graduate student and intent on teaching at a community college, it looks like the tradition is continuing.
Fostering Part-Time Faculty Development in Liberal Arts by Eva Maria Räpple, Laura Zinger, Teresa J. Parker, John Arndt, and Karol Sue Reddington
Four remarkable part-time faculty received scholarship awards for professional development as a
follow up to the workshop series, Philosophical Ideas and Artistic Pursuits in the Traditions of Asia and
the West, partially funded by the National Endowment of the Humanities, and supported by the Liberal Arts
Division. The goal was/is to foster the relations between full-and part-time faculty members as well as
recognizing significant work. On the selection committee for Liberal Arts scholarship awards for
part-time faculty development were Franz Burnier, Lynn MacKenzie, Sheryl Mylan, Dan Blewett, Keith
Krasemann, and Eva Maria Räpple.
Laura Zinger, Motion Picture/Television: I received production funds for my current documentary, Dinner—a feature-length film that explores how Americans eat dinner and asks questions crucial to understanding our country's relationship with the dinner table. Dinner will also probe into the real, traceable affects of eating together as a family. Families who eat dinner together more often are less likely to have children who abuse drugs and alcohol, are more likely to go to their parents for help and advice, and have better academic performance than children who do not eat dinner with their parents as often. To make the film, we are interviewing American families around the country to see for ourselves how having or not having dinner together affects us. We are also examining the eating habits of Americans and the types of foods we eat through research and interviews with scientists, nutritionists, health professionals, and other industry experts. Dinner will be an important insight into our perilous relationship with meals and with each other. For more information about the documentary, Dinner, visit Brown Finch Films. A teaser trailer for the film will be on the site soon.
Teresa J. Parker, Fine Arts: I embarked on the first leg of research into my lifelong fascination with Micronesian applied arts in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), a collection of small island atolls in the remote south-central region of the Pacific Ocean. The design elements found in RMI applied arts are among the most elaborate and decorative weavings in the world. Dyes from indigenous plants and flowers are used to create brilliantly colored fans and covers for the baskets. Cowrie and other shells, found exclusively in the region of the RMI, are cultivated and interwoven as decorative focal points of into the delicate weavings, rendering them unique and one of a kind objects. The weaving intricacy of the RMI basket covers, place mats and wall hangings are not found anywhere else in the world. The sophistication of their knotting and design patterns relate in part to the RMI tradition of creating woven and knotted stick navigational charts. The RMI is a matrilineal society, and the applied arts are produced solely by the women. Recent initiatives have brought these arts that would normally be passed down from one generation to the next to a classroom setting, to ensure the cultural heritage is not lost. In addition, women's weaving cooperatives have sprung up in the RMI to train the younger generations in these tribal traditions.
John Arndt, Fine Arts: I am working toward a multi-media installation comprised of audio field recordings, video, photography and found objects, centered around the theme of the relation between the constructed human landscape and natural habitat, or the way in which flora and fauna coexist around and within the altered technological world. The project began with a focus on the area waterways near Chicago and has expanded to the greater Midwest region. Through an examination of the built environment, my intra-disciplinary approach will hint at where we have come as a nation and where we might be going. In November of 2009, I will have a solo exhibition at the University Galleries, Illinois State University, Normal. Included in the show, along with several sculptures and drawings, will be a 20-minute audio composition made possible by the Liberal Arts scholarship award.
Karol Sue Reddington, Music: I appeared in Paris in July at an international concert series of Les Arts George V at La Cathédrale Americain. This artist series invites international performers and is dedicated to furthering the musical works of all cultures. I presented works of Chopin, Rachmaninov, Debussy, and the iconic French composer, Olivier Messiaen. The Messiaen work, especially, was received with great interest and enthusiasm. I will apply my scholarship award toward providing a lecture/presentation dedicated to providing further tools and pathways to the understanding and enjoyment of the piano works of Messiaen. The presentation, featuring several segments from Messiaen's Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant—Jésus, will take place November 20, 2009 in MAC 139.
Accolades by Konkel & Hagman
Welcome back to Accolades and the new school year! Based on the submissions we've received since our last
column in spring, we know you've been busy. Take a moment, cop a squat, grab a
beverage, take a deep breathe, and re-ahhhhh-d.
Clyde Cox (Computer & Internetworking Technology)
Was asked to serve at a workshop for President Obama's health IT workforce. Sponsored by the Office of
the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), in collaboration with the Department of
Education and the National Library of Medicine, the invitational Workforce Technical Expert Workshop met
at the Vanderbilt Center for Better Health in Nashville, Tennessee, on August 18-19, 2009. The workshop
was charged with identifying core competencies for several types of personnel to provide assistance for
health IT deployment and ongoing support.
Jeff Curto (Photography)
Has a show of his photos at Chicago's prestigious Union League Club entitled, "Evidence of Hands on Stone:
The Italian Portfolio." Jeff is having a good year. The Union League show, which runs through September,
is one of three exhibitions he's had in recent months. This summer, his work was exhibited along with that
of famed photographer Arno Raphael Minkkinen at the Weeks Gallery in Jamestown, NY. His work is currently
showing at the Preston Contemporary Art Center in
Mesilla, NM.
Julia diLiberti (Humanities)
Authored "Vampires Suck But Not as Much as the Men Who Use Them: the Narratological Strategy of the Vampire
chez Gautier" in: Aimer et Mourir: Love, Death, and Women's Lives in Texts of French Expression
edited by Eilene Hoft-March and Judith Holland Sarnecki (Cambridge, MA: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009).
Julia Fitzpatrick-Cooper (Horticulture)
Selected as one of four judges this summer for the Chicago Tribune Glorious Gardens contest. This
year's judges came from Morton Arboretum, Chicago Botanic Garden, Chicago Park District and College of
DuPage. The top 5 gardens were showcased in the Sunday Tribune from August 16-September 13 with
each judge writing comments on a select garden. Her contributions were in the August 30 and September 13
Sunday sections.
Brad Killam (Art)
Presented various works from Suburban Gallery at an international
art exhibit, subdivision kunst. festival. off. in Hamburg, Germany, from August 26-September 6,
2009. More than thirty artists' initiatives from around the world presented their modern works at this
prestigious gathering in HafenCity.
Mary Konkel (Library)
Completed the Harbor Lights Triathlon, on July 19, 2009 in Waukegan, with a personal best swim of
17:56 min. Her unorthodox form "mean breaststroke with head out of water," was certainly not a contributing
factor; however, the 58 degree water temperature and the not too much warmer air temperature was the key to
her success. Note that this was accomplished sans wet suit. She also posted her personal best walking (she
knows nothing about no running) time of 42 minutes (14 min. miles) in the 5K Change the Face Race held
September 19. The race benefitted the American Epilepsy Outreach Foundation.
Chikako Kumamoto (English)
Presented a paper at the 2009 Wooden O Symposium, held August 10-12 at Southern Utah University, Cedar City,
Utah. Her paper was titled: "Shakespeare's translatio studii et imperii: Beyond the Bounds of
Language and History in Henry V." The Symposium is a cross-disciplinary conference exploring
Medieval through Early Modern Studies, through the text and performance of Shakespeare's plays. Scholars
from all disciplines are encouraged to submit papers that offer insights and new ideas springing from the
era of William Shakespeare.
James Ludden (Biology)
Successfully defended and completed his dissertation "Learning in a Heterogeneous Community of Practice" at
NIU, earning his doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in Adult Continuing Education this August. It will be a
forthcoming publication by ProQuest UMI Dissertation Publishing.
Jackie McGrath (English)
Ran the Soldier Field 10 Miler in 1:22:13 in May, finishing on the 50 yard line—probably the only
opportunity an ordinary person has to run onto the field without being tackled by security. She closed out
the summer by swimming the shorter but far more physically challenging Harbor Springs Coastal Crawl, the
annual US Masters Swimming 10 kilometer Open Water Championship in northern Lake Michigan on August 1st.
She swam a respectable 3:36:03 in water temperatures ranging from 61 to 65 degrees. Fortunately, there were
several nice, big hot tubs lining the shore at the finish line, and it didn't start raining until the race
was over. In between races, her review of Elise Marrubio's Killing the Indian Maiden: Images of Native
American Women in Film was published in issue 68.1 of Western Folklore.
Christine Monnier (Sociology)
Was quoted in The National
Post, a national Canadian newspaper out of Alberta. She was interviewed regarding the financial
crisis analyzed through the framework "moral Panics" (punctual events that make everybody freak out and look
for scapegoats—she argued this is the wrong framework to use) versus the correct framework of "risk
society" (systemic aspects of globalization that create collective risks for all of us, such as global
climate change, and financial meltdowns).
Mark Pearson (Architecture) and Brian Meade
(Architecture)
Were awarded an honorable mention for their entry in the "Design for the Children" international
architectural design competition. Their design for a sustainable pediatric clinic was one of five projects
to receive an award out of more than 300 entries from over 30 countries. Design for the Children challenges
architects and designers to develop an adaptable, sustainable, culturally responsive pediatric clinic to be
built in East Africa. The competition was launched through Architecture for Humanity: Seattle, who was proud
to partner with Humanity For Children, a nonprofit that envisions a world where no child shall suffer from a
treatable, curable or preventable illness.
Eva Maria Räpple (Philosophy)
Published her review of W. Glenn Most's Doubting Thomas (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press,
2007) in Biblical Theology Bulletin 39 (2009): 52-53. Presented "Parau na te Varua ino (Words of the Devil):
Paul Gauguin's Tahitian Eve" at the April 2009 Conference of the Midwest American Academy of Religion.
Steve Schroeder (Forensics)
Was one of 30 advisors from throughout the nation given the "Advisor Hallmark Award" at the 2009 Phi Theta
Kappa International Convention. He was awarded "Most Outstanding Advisor in Illinois" at the 2009 Phi Theta
Kappa Illinois Regional Convention. He served as a Faculty Scholar at the 2009 Phi Theta Kappa International
Honors Institute, which is a weeklong exploration of the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Study Topic. The topic this
year is "The Paradox of Affluence: Choices, Challenges, and Consequences." Steve also directed the musical
City of Angels for Wheaton Drama, which was met with critical acclaim and was the best selling show
in Wheaton Drama's 2008-2009 season. He had enough energy left to spearhead the advanced section of the 2009
International Institute for Reader's Theatre in Toronto, a two-week professional development program for
educators and others interested in implementing reader's theatre as an educational and performance outlet. He
also directed two independent productions during the institute, including a reader's theatre adaptation of
"Poems from Guantanamo: The Detainees Speak." Finally, August found him ruling at the Bristol Renaissance
Faire, where he served his usual term as Lord Mayor of Bristol for the last two weekends of the run.
Debra Smith (Library)
Delivered an 8 pound bouncing baby boy, Parker Francis on September 15, 2009. The name Parker comes from
husband Ed's great great great maternal grandfather. The name Francis comes from Debra's beloved father.
Accolades submissions can be sent to Ida Hagman or Mary Konkel. We want to hear about your personal accomplishments as well as your professional ones. Tell us about educational achievements, classroom and program successes/development, publications and presentations, awards, athletic achievements, musical/theatrical accomplishments and more. Acknowledge a colleague—we're always looking for a few good informants. We want to celebrate and rally around your creativity, innovation, spirit, and hard work. The Faculty Advocate is a publication that is open to our community.
