Private lessons in voice, piano, guitar, Suzuki violin, drawing and photography offered through Community School of Arts

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Students in the Suzuki violin program from Evangel University's Community School of Arts play in the 2012 Christmas Concert.

Budding local artists of all ages have found a home at Evangel University’s Community School of Arts. Since 2008, the CSA has been offering classes in music, drama and art, uniting Evangel faculty and students with those in the surrounding community who share a passion for the fine arts.

Director Susan Sheets says the idea for CSA came during the 2007-2008 academic year when she and Dr. Michael Kolstad, chairman of the Music Department, shared a vision to offer classes and lessons in the fine arts to the surrounding community. The two met with Dr. Nathan Nelson, Humanities Department chairman, about including art and drama instruction along with the music. Together, they made the CSA a reality.

Opening to the community in 2008, the CSA initially offered classes and lessons in voice, piano, worship piano, guitar, Suzuki violin, drawing and photography. Since then, the CSA has decided to only offer private lessons. Instructors include Evangel faculty, graduate students and even qualified undergraduate students.

“It is a nice way for our EU music and art students to develop their teaching skills,” she says. “All of our student instructors are highly recommended to us by a EU professor.” 

Sheets says the instructors personally schedule, organize and promote their own lessons. While the instructors hold many lessons on campus, she says several instructors also teach in off-campus studios or from their homes. Recitals take place in Evangel’s Barnett Recital Hall.

Currently, the Community School of Arts offers lessons in drawing, digital photography, voice and several instruments. Sheets says the age range of students is 4 to 70.

“We are always adding new instructors and instruments options and are open to anyone who desires to teach private lessons in music, art and drama.” 

While the CSA does not currently offer any drama courses, Sheets says one of the plans for the future is to hold a community theatre production. Other goals include offering a public speaking class and music education classes to private preschools and schools that do not have music programs in their curriculum.  A community choir is also part of future planning.

Kolstad says the CSA serves as a valuable community outreach program for Evangel. He also says it allows fine arts students who may have never heard of Evangel to connect with the university.

“It is a wonderful recruiting tool,” he says. “For many participants this is their first exposure – and often only exposure – to the university.”

Anyone interested in beginning lessons can find the current lesson offerings on the Community School of Arts page. To get in touch with an instructor to set up lessons, email the CSA at CommunitySchoolofArts@evangel.edu for contact information.  

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Passionate Pursuits: Mark Oppenneer, Ethnos Project

Passionate Pursuits: Mark Oppenneer, Ethnos Project

By Mike Lesczinski, Excelsior Life News Staff—

Mark Oppenneer is not your average web content systems administrator. Through the Ethnos Project, a research portal and resource database he founded in 2008 that explores the cultural impacts of information and communication technologies when used by Indigenous peoples, Oppenneer is working to affect social change, sustain and stimulated rapidly disappearing traditions and improve the quality of life for indigenous peoples on their own terms.

Oppenneer sat down with Excelsior Life to discuss the initiative, reaction from the Indigenous communities, and what the future holds.

For additional information on the Ethnos Project:
EthnosProject.org Homepage
Ethnos Project Resources Database
Find Ethnos Project on Twitter
Ethnos Project on Facebook

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How do i sync iPod Touch 4th Gen with iTunes and PC?

Hi Recently my iPod Touch  (4th Gen) is not recognized by iTunes or ' My Computer' on my PC it was synced fine previously. I have tried to get an update via a Wi Fi network but this timed out... How can I get it recognized by cable?

Many thanks in advance...

Regards

Shane.

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my wifes iphone3 will not sync games etc etc because it keeps refering to my iphone4s account.

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How do i sync iPod Touch 4th Gen with iTunes and PC?

Hi Recently my iPod Touch  (4th Gen) is not recognized by iTunes or ' My Computer' on my PC it was synced fine previously. I have tried to get an update via a Wi Fi network but this timed out... How can I get it recognized by cable?

Many thanks in advance...

Regards

Shane.

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National Volunteer Week: In Depth with Paula Gabris

Editor’s note: In times of need, who can you count on? Everyday heroes are around us with spontaneous acts of kindness. Following the recent Boston Marathon Bombing, the images of citizens selflessly rushing to the aid of others in the midst of chaos was seen all over the news.

With National Volunteer Week, April 21-27, compassion towards the needs of others is so important. The attributes can be used to describe Excelsior College’s faculty and staff who collectively help various causes throughout the year.  This week we will share stories about  individuals working in higher education who are making a difference in their community.

Volunteer: Paula Gabris, Administrative Assistant, School of Nursing
Volunteer organizations: Patriot Hills of New York, Autism Society and Alzheimer’s Foundation.

Excelsior Life: Why is volunteerism personally important to you?
Gabris: Volunteerism is important to me because it’s my way of “paying it forward”.
It’s difficult to put into words! Sometimes, I wonder, if it’s an additional gene I was given at birth.

I didn’t volunteer when I was young; I wasn’t told that it is the right thing to do, giving back that is. I really can’t explain it.

Volunteerism has enhanced my personal life in many ways from making new friends to catching up with old friends. It has helped to shape my professional life I have acquired new skills that I apply everyday at my job.

It has become an important part of my lifestyle. I have gained a greater appreciation for life and all it offers, by giving back. There is some self satisfaction and relaxation I get from it. Serving others is something I am good at, I have no expectations when I volunteer, I am there to help because there is a need.

I think Danny Thomas says it best: “Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others”. -- Danny Thomas

I have volunteered for many organizations over the years and I am still trying to find the one or two organizations that are the best fit for me, that one group that I can give my very best and all my energy to. A lot of times, my volunteerism has been driven by family situations or illness.

Excelsior Life: Does it have a special meaning to you?
Gabris: For the past several years I have put my heart and soul into helping our veterans and their families. I have been a volunteer for a non-for-profit called Patriot Hills of New York ™.

Our mission is to take care of those who have sacrificed so much to defend our freedom. Our goal is to build a facility in the Capital Region where we can provide a safe haven for our nation’s warriors and their loved ones, a place where they can reconnect. We want to provide access to needed services for our military personnel and their families. We believe they did their part now it is our turn to give back to them.

Recently I have decided to volunteer for the Autism Society - my youngest granddaughter Marisa, has been diagnosed with Autism. I am on a mission to learn everything there is about it so I can educate myself and others.

Lastly, I started to volunteer for the Alzheimer’s Foundation since my aunt was recently diagnosed with this very sad disease.

Excelsior Life: The volunteer events you are currently working on?
Gabris: At Excelsior College I am a member of the Community Service Committee and a returning member of the Wellness Committee; outside of work I volunteer for Patriot Hills of New York, the Center for Donation and Transplant and most currently the Autism Society.

‘I am a better person today because I am a Volunteer.”

“The highest reward for a person's work is not what they get for it, but what they become because of it”. -- John Ruskin

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Student Loans Impact Higher Ed

By Alicia Jacobs, Excelsior Life Staff--

National news reports indicate student debt is now a trillion dollars. On average, school loan default rates are increasing, while educational costs continue to rise. Debts impact students. Conversely, student loans impact higher education.

Media focus is often placed on student debt, but a student's ability to repay their student loan does have consequences to an institution and default rates are monitored by the Department of Education (DOE).

On a national level, more students are borrowing more money than ever before to receive a degree,” said Christina Roarke, Excelsior College’s assistant director of financial aid. “Couple that with higher unemployment and other economic hardships and you get a record number of students having greater difficulty repaying their loans.”

The DOE uses the CDR (Cohort Default Rate) in one respect, as a measure of a schools capability and quality. At Excelsior College,  2011- 2 year draft Cohort Default Rate stands at 4.0 percent, well below the national average of approximately 13 percent. For institutions that have a consistently high CDR, there are ramifications.

A college can…

• Lose access to private loan funds.

• Be subject to sanctions if the schools 2yr default rate exceeds the federal cap of 15% or 3yr default rate exceeds the federal cap of 25%.

• Lose eligibility to provide federal financial aid to their students.

A higher cohort default rate for schools creates a domino effect for students and schools, and even impacts the economic health of our country.

“A school’s cohort default rate has far-reaching consequences, and the implications of a “bad” or high default rate can be devastating. Between the current economic environment and the changing federal student aid landscape, the government is looking more closely at the quality of a school’s education, the degrees a school offers, and whether or not they lead to gainful employment,” Roarke explains. “The government wants to be assured that higher education institutions are providing quality education in relevant areas of study, working hard to keep students on track to graduation, and making sure students understand their rights and responsibilities if they are borrowing to pay for this education.”

With this in mind, the DOE along with higher education institutions are working to create awareness of student loan repayment options. Helping students access the tools and resources to avoid the negative consequences of defaulting on student loans is a priority. For example, there is a plan referred to as Income-Based Repayment. It caps monthly student loan payments at 15 percent of their discretionary income.

“The DOE wants us to live up to our mission as an institution of higher education,” said Roarke. “They are beginning to create new and revised measures of program quality and effectiveness.” The result is tougher regulations and harsh consequences for a failure to serve students well.

It is important for an institution to provide students with all the tools they need to be successful in understanding the financial aid process, student loans, and options for repayment.  “At Excelsior College we support student success throughout the entire educational process, this not only translates into a low CDR but more importantly, qualified students graduating with affordable, quality degrees,” said Roarke.

Readers note: This is Part 2 of a feature story on student debt. To read Part 1, Excelsior College Students’ Median Debt is Substantially Less Than The National Average, click here.

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