F E B R U A R Y
2 0 1 3
the
L.A. SP TLIGHT
NEWSLETTER OF THE LIBERAL ARTS DEPARTMENT
*In this Issue*
Welcome
Message from the Co-Chairs
English Composition Students
Music at the School by the Sea
BRAVO: Faculty Kudos
Special Thanks
L.A. SPOTLIGHT Staff
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~UPCOMING EVENTS~
Players by the Sea presents:
Charlayne Woodard’s FLIGHT
Feb 6-9 at 8pm & Feb 10 at 3pm
@ Kennedy Fine Arts
Auditorium
Admission: $5 Students, Faculty,
Staff & $10 General
Feb 6 performance will be a free
performance hosted by the Black
Heritage Festival reservations
must be made by calling
(912) 358-3190 to secure a ticket.
The 4th Annual Liberal Arts
Conference
February 7th @ 2:30-3:30pm
New Student Union
Please contact Dr. Metts or
Dr. Halpin for more details
2013 African-American Read-In
Art Gallery
Feb. 7th @ 9am-4pm
Asa Gordon Library
Valentine’s Day Open Mic
February 14th @ 7pm
Wiley-Wilcox Auditorium
As we come into February, we look forward to yet
another prosperous semester. We are pleased to greet all
new and returning students and faculty. The Liberal Arts
Department invites you to extend a warm welcome to
our new Spanish Instructor, Mrs. Randi Butter.
Mrs. Randi Butter has received a Bachelor of Arts
degree in English from Mercer University and a Spanish
degree as well as a teacher’s certification from
Armstrong Atlantic State University.
After teaching in the public school system for 8
years, she earned a Masters Degree from the Universidad
de Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain in 2012. Randi has
traveled extensively throughout the Spanish speaking
world enjoying the culture, the people and studying at
various independent language schools with her daughter
(not to mention dragging along a reluctant husband from
time to time). Mrs. Butters with excitement stated,
“Being part of the Savannah State family is a great
source of pride and enjoyment for her”.
Once again, WELCOME BACK!!! Welcome to
the SPRING 2013 term.
*Friendly Reminders*
February 4th – Mid-term (First Mini-Semester)
Last Day to drop/withdraw
th
February 26 – Last Day of Classes (Mini-Semester)
February 27th – Final Exams (Mini-Semester)
Volume 1, Issue 1
February 2013
THE LOREM IPSUMS
Greetings from the Co-Chairs:
We are elated to begin this semester with our newly hired Office Administrative Assistant, Ms.
Tanye Mosley. Tanye’ is a graduate of Valdosta State University, who was formerly employed as the
Academic Affairs Assistant at Georgia Military College. Her presence has already made a tremendous
impact on the general operation of the main office. We are now fully operational Monday-Friday, from
8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. She, along with our most dedicated and dependable work study student
Amanda Glover, has rearranged and updated personnel files. Moreover, Amanda has created a more
efficient “Drop and Call” system to assist students needing drop and add signatures while we are either
in class or out of the office attending to other departmental issues. Because of her initiative, there was
never a line of students waiting to see us. Students simply dropped off their forms with their contact
information (email or cell phone number). As soon as one of us returned, the forms were signed and
students promptly notified to pick up their forms. Both Tanye’ and Amanda have also designed and
compiled our first monthly newsletter, the L.A. Spotlight. Hopefully, this online newsletter will become a
departmental fixture for years to come, providing insights on the many accomplishments of our
departmental faculty and students.
As Co-Chairs, we have spent considerable time identifying immediate threats or deterrents to the
successful operation of our department. Our main threat is insufficient space to meet an expected
increase in personnel and students. We need more office space for our part-time faculty and for the
prospective new faculty who will join us Fall 2013. Furthermore, we need additional classroom space
and a multi-purpose Mac lab to accommodate the ARTS and FINE courses and our growing writing
program and new course additions approved and forthcoming. We are working with Mr. Arnold
Jackson, the Assistant Director of Plant Operations, for building renovations that include reallocating
and reassigning existing spaces, especially unused Payne Hall space. Because we literally have no funds
in our budget to implement this plan, we have solicited the assistance of Dean Schroeder in helping us to
identify campus resources to assist us in the spirit of the “One SSU” mission.
This semester, we plan to improve the registration processes by having area coordinators train in
BANNER along with us. This way, we can include them in course construction, course cancellation and
depopulation, and late registration of students. It is our aim for the processes to be implemented more
efficiently and proficiently.
Currently, we have four searches under way for three tenure-track positions in English and one
position as our new Writing Center Director. More positions will be opening up in the coming weeks,
and we will keep you apprised of the progress and informed of the itineraries for any campus interviews.
We look forward to a banner year (pun intended) with your continued support. We appreciate
your patience and collegiality.
Sincerely,
Nat and Joan
Volume 1, Issue 1
February 2013
THE LOREM IPSUMS
~ENCORE PRESENTATIONS~
Composition Students “Booked” for Volunteer Work
by: Professor Patricia West
Don’t be surprised if you
see a Savannah State student
shaking hands with former Vice
President Al Gore or Pulitzer
Prize winning columnist Leonard
Pitts, Jr. at the 2013 Savannah
Book Festival. Several of our
students have signed up to join
the core of volunteers who will
welcome, usher, and greet guests
who come to hear lectures by
public figures, authors, and
celebrities on Saturday, February
16 on Telfair Square. Lateefah
Smith, Sanchez Waller, Deboria
Huston, and Kianna Willis have
been assigned to help man the
doors of the Jepson Museum and
Telfair museums on Telfair
Square.
However, the involvement
will not stop with the volunteers.
Students in the ENGL 1101 and
ENGL 1102 classes of Prof.
West are encouraged to attend
the Saturday activities as an
independent field trip and to
pose informed questions about
the ideas they have read by Pitts
and Gore about raising the
educational bar and stabilizing
world populations within the
environment.
Additionally, the
volunteers will attend a training
session on February 11 at the
Trinity United Methodist
Church along with Prof. West,
also a volunteer. This
community involvement
demonstrates that even English
Composition can be tied to
service-learning. The upcoming
Savannah Book Festival is
certainly an ideal topic for our
course objectives which
emphasize “inquiry,
reflection, information,
observation, and
exploration.”
Whether it’s memoir
writing by NBC anchor
Hoda Kotb or musician
Greg Allman, lifestyle by
television cook Bobby
Deen, or fiction by James
Patterson, there is
something for all of us in
the 2013 line-up. To find
out more or to check out the
festival schedule of authors,
see
http://www.savannahbookf
estival.org/
Costa Rica Study 2013 is organized by Professor Tedrick,
from July 6-August 3 in Grecia, Costa Rica. Students can earn up to
nine credits in different levels of Spanish Classes (1001, 1002,
2001, 2002, 3001, and 3204. For further information, please contact
Professor Tedick via email at [email protected] or stop
by her office (Payne Hall Room 117)
Volume 1, Issue 1
February 2013
THE LOREM IPSUMS
Congratulations to our very own art professor,
Nicholas Silberg!!! He has made the Jacksonville News for
his work in resurrecting old printing presses and restoring
them back to their original glory. The article for his
extraordinary work can found at the following
link: http://m.jacksonville.com/news/premiumnews/2013-01-12/story/ashantilly-center-cranking-latefounders-old-printing-press
Savannah Home magazine featuring Dr. Chad Faries’ décor
(above)
KUDOS!!! Dr. Faries was featured in
the Savannah Home magazine. Dr. Faries
shows us how he makes room for the weary
traveler. See the Savannah Home Magazine
link below for the full story:
http://savannahmagazine.com/category/ho
mes/
Kudos to Coach Cohen!!! The USA Masters
Weightlifting Federation has selected Coach Cohen to be
inducted into their Hall of Fame under the category of
Lifetime Achievement Award. This prestigious event will
take place this year on March 10th in Moorestown, New
Jersey. More on Coach Cohen’s achievement can be
found at the following link:
http://www.thecoastalsource.com/content/news/locals
ports/story/Michael-Cohen-to-be-inducted-into-USAMasters-Weig/L1l4UbyY7Emo7viBhVR4SQ.cspx
BRAVA Professor Hamilton!!! Savannah
State's Concert Choir will be one of the many
featured choirs selected to be a part of a two-part
concert, AN EVENING OF NEGRO SPIRITUALS. This
event initially scheduled for Saturday, February 2nd
has been postponed until September 28th, 2013.
Professor Hamilton stated, “We are still very
excited about our participation and hope that
some of our SSU family will be able to attend.
When we stand on that stage, it is not just the SSU
Concert Choir, but SSU - WE ARE ONE!”
SSU Concert Choir Members:
Alexis Abollo
Sierra Blake
Christopher Boggs
Christopher Bostick
Tiffany Bostick
Maya Caldwell
Xavius Davis
Cymphony Dawkins
William Edwards
Alisa Ellis
Marquii Jacobs
Diamond Howell
Shanice Jordan
Crystal Keller
Ashanti Lee
Brendan Martin
Celia Milledge
Kimberly Morrison
Conquista Smith
Mardrena Smith
Chelsea Solomon
T'Nai Wilkins
A few members of SSU Concert Choir (above)
Volume 1, Issue 1
February 2013
THE LOREM IPSUMS
Special Thanks from the Co-Chairs
As one of the largest department on campus, we, as novices, encountered
numerous problems registering students, building new sections with
unoccupied classrooms, and cancelling and depopulating courses. Luckily,
some BANNER-knowledgeable staff members from other departments were
very generous with their time. These SSU staff members coached and walked
us through the processes and sometimes performed the processes for us. We
could not have gotten past registration without the assistance of Ms. Emily
Ruth-Brown in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Ms.
Cynthia Stephens in Student Affairs; and Ms. Alba Rodriguez in the
Registrar’s Office also under the aegis of Student Affairs; and Liberal Arts own
Professor Nick Silberg, who proved to be quite more technologically savvy
than us.
Meet the Staff of the SPOTLIGHT. . .
Tanye’ Mosley
Editor-in-Chief
Amanda Glover
Associate Editor
Contact Information:
Department of Liberal Arts
Savannah State University
P.O. Box 20029
Savannah, GA 31404
(912) 358-3322