May 8, 2006
The USC Upstate Faculty & Staff Newsletter • Register Archives • EBlast
Extra! Extra!

Did you know that this week is National Nurses Week?

It coincides with Florence Nightengale’s birthday, May 12. Here are some facts about nurses…

2.4 million
 Number of registered nurses

92 %
Percentage of registered nurses who are women

623,000
Projected growth in the number of registered nurses between 2002 and 2012. It is expected that registered nurses will experience the largest job growth of any occupation during this time period.

531,000
 Number of licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses.

1,181
Number of nurses per 100,000 residents in Massachusetts, the highest rate among states. Nevada, with 517, has the lowest rate.

Source: www.census.gov

And here’s some facts about the nurse graduates from the Mary Black School of Nursing, a prestigious alumni group exceeding 2,300 …

View the USC Upstate Nursing ad!
Faculty & Staff

Thomas McConnell, English, read from his fiction at the first international Studies in English conference held at Bogazici University in Istanbul, Turkey, on April 25. Also, his most recent story, "A Proof for Roxanna," has been selected as a prize story in the 2006 South Carolina Fiction Project competition sponsored by the South Carolina Arts Commission. The story will appear in a special section of the Charleston Post & Courier this September.

Laura Puckett-Boler, dean of students, was recently awarded the Clarice W. Johnson Outstanding Professional Award by the South Carolina College Personnel association at their annual conference held April 20-22 in Charleston, S.C. This award was created to recognize and encourage outstanding contributions to the field of student affairs by a “seasoned” professional. Nominees must have been employed as a student affairs professional for more than five years and provided outstanding contributions to the field of student affairs.

Jane Nodine , professor of art and gallery director, has been selected to display her work “scarlet pageantry” at the A.I.R. Gallery Feminist Fashion Show on Saturday, May 20 from 5 – 7 p.m. at the A.I.R. Gallery in New York.

The Feminist Fashion Show will be staged as a two hour long installation that each audience member can observe at his or her own pace.

A.I.R. Gallery, located at 511 West 25th Street, Suite 301, New York, N.Y., is the oldest artist-run gallery in America devoted to women’s artwork. As part of A.I.R. Gallery’s NightAIR series, a Feminist Fashion Show, co-sponsored by BUST Magazine, Ladyfest*East, and the Department of Craft, will be staged featuring clothing inspired by feminism.

In addition to Nodine’s “scarlet pageantry,” the show will also include Hope Perkins’ (of Hot Pink Pistol) "Donkey Show" dress which portrays an absolute unrealistic version of the perfect man: he cooks, cleans and has rock hard abs, yet he is also as sweet as your favorite stuffed animal; Diane Arrieta’s "My Right to Choose," a dress, constructed from wire hangers, that considers alternative methods should Roe v. Wade be overturned; Robyn Jordan’s "Super Bowl XXXVIII," a combined replica of the clothing worn by Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake for their half-time performance at the 2004 Superbowl; Cynthia Krewson’s “Calendar Girl,” an ensemble celebrating two freedoms feminism has imparted to the contemporary woman, reproductive freedom made possible by birth control and the freedom of expression modern Western fashion brings to women's lives; and more.

Visit the gallery’s Web site at airnyc.org for additional information.

Tammy Whaley, University Communications, attended the national conference of the Association of Junior League International, Inc. held May 3 - 6 in Salt Lake City, Utah. She is the president-elect of the Junior League of Spartanburg, an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.
Athletics

Cheerleading Tryouts
Tryouts for the 2006-07 season will be held Friday, May 19 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday, May 20 beginning at 9:00 a.m. All participants must be present on both days. Tryouts both days will be held in the G.B. Hodge Center.

In the Spotlight

Below is a list of cadre and USC Upstate students contracted in the ROTC program who will receive intense career training over the summer. All of these cadre and cadets are doing things that the "typical" USC Upstate student won't be doing. Their training is often tough and demanding, but also fun and exciting.

SFC Fred Keigly cadre - teaches Military Science 100-200 level - will be going to ANOC (Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer course) this summer, which consists of 10 weeks of training at Fort Benning, Ga.

Maj. Scott Leblond cadre- assistant professor of Military Science - teaches Military Science 300 level, will be spending many weeks at lovely Fort Lewis, Wash. evaluating cadets as they perform tactical missions.

Stephen Prince USC Upstate student - will be spending a month and a half at Fort Campbell, Ky. to complete LTC (Leadership Training Camp) where he will be given the opportunity to whitewater raft, rock climb, learn military tactics, etc.

Tyner Elgin - USC Upstate student transferring in from SMC - will be going to Air Assault School where he will learn how to rappel out of a helicopter, sling loading, and perform a killer obstacle course.

The following USC Upstate students will be traveling to Fort Lewis, Wash. to complete LDAC (Leadership Development Accessions Course) where they will train, complete and compete in obstacle courses, slide for life, zodiac training (small watercraft), basic rifle marksmanship, tactical leadership with both squad and platoon sized elements, day and night land navigation, go through the gas chamber, learn first aid skills, live out in the field for about 12 days, and more.

Allen Lancaster

Allen Lancaster will also be attending Air Borne School where he will be taught how to parachute out of an airplane. He will complete three weeks of rigorous training and five jumps from an airplane.

Shaun Gray

Ashley Sellers

Alysia Butler

Sheresa Buchanan
Employment Opportunities

Application Process: Visit www.uscupstate.edu/employment.html
for additional information and online application submission instructions.

Staff/Administration Positions:

Assistant Athletic Director Development
(State Title: Alumni/Development Coordinator II)
Athletics Department
Requisition No. 041907
Online applications accepted through Monday, May 8, 2006

Assistant Athletic Director Marketing
(State Title: Public Information Coordinator) Athletics Department
Requisition No. 041904
Online applications accepted through Monday, May 8, 2006

Need to find someone?
Look them up in the
USC Upstate Faculty/Staff Directory.

 

Congratulations to the Class of 2006!
The USC Upstate quad was the scene of jubilation on Saturday, as 640 students walked the stage to collect their hard-earned diplomas, as their friends and families looked on.

Listen Up!
Tune in to the Bill Drake Morning Show “Awake With Drake” on Thursday, May 11 at 9:00 a.m. on 103.3 FM. Dr. Jack Turner, professor of biology, will be the guest and he will talk about the Watershed Ecology Center.

Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society Induction Ceremony
USC Upstate held its 2006 induction ceremony for the Sigma Chi Upsilon Chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda National Honor Society, the oldest and largest honor society devoted to the recognition of non-traditional students pursuing higher education, on April 21. Alpha Sigma Lambda’s aim is to give special recognition to full and part-time adult students who are excelling academically while facing competing interests of home, work and community. This year, 20 students were inducted. In this picture, Katie Salvo (center), who graduated Saturday with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies, is inducted.

Reflections on Building an Institution

Dr. G.B. Hodge was on hand last week to sign copies of his just-published personal memoir about the founding of the USC Spartanburg campus in 1967, Reflections on Building an Institution – The University of South Carolina Spartanburg. The book chronicles the “political struggles fought in the state legislature and the press to justify the need for a campus…exposes the opponents…documents the successes…and reveals the subsequent stages of growth culminating as the University of South Carolina Upstate under the visionary leadership of Chancellor John C. Stockwell.” The book contains historic photos, newspaper clippings, personal papers and official correspondence woven together to form a “personal and humorous” account of the history of our institution. Copies (some signed) are available for purchase at the University Bookstore.

 

Rhinestones & Boots Athletics Benefit Auction
The 12th Annual Athletics Benefit Auction, themed Rhinestones and Boots, raised over $60,000 and netted a little over $52,000 after expenses, making this the most successful auction ever.  The athletic department would like to thank all faculty and staff who attended the auction to help support our 11 athletic teams and the administration.  Without your loyal support, the auction would not have been as successful.  In all, there were over 300 people who attended the event and attendees were presented with barbecue-style food and a fabulous DJ that coupled to give the event a wonderful country and western theme.

The highlight of the night, though, was auctioning of several great auction items.  Vacation and golf trips, autographed sports memorabilia, service packages and everything in between were auctioned off to help supplement the budgets of our athletic teams and the administration.  Some highlighted items were the trips to Vail, CO, Myrtle Beach, Kiawah Island, and a private yacht leaving Hilton Head and traveling to Savannah, GA.  Golf outings to Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head, and several area courses also were items for which there was great competition.  Autographed footballs from John Elway, Bobby Bowden, and Joe Paterno drew a lot of interest and a $6,000 full set of braces was even sold during the event.

Commencement 2006 (check the homepage for the complete photo gallery later today!)

 

 

May Day Picnic
Faculty and staff were treated on Thursday to hotdogs, hamburgers and ice cream at the annual May Day Picnic. Chancellor Stockwell used the opportunity to acknowledge and thank employees celebrating 10, 20 and 30 year anniversaries of employment with USC Upstate. He also presented commemorative awards to retiring employees. And finally, he announced that Vicky Easler was the recipient of the Classified Employee of the Year Award.

 

 

Rhinestones & Boots Athletics Benefit Auction
 

 

Health Education Complex construction gets underway! (Photos courtesy of Mike Bruce)

Blackboard Academy

Monday – Thursday, May 8 - 11 … 10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
repeated 1:00 - 2:30 p.m. … Media 124
The Information Technology and Services Division announces the first annual Blackboard Academy for faculty who want to learn to use Blackboard, explore new features or just improve their Blackboard skills. Sessions will be held in the mornings and then repeated in the afternoons. Faculty may attend all or as many of the sessions as they wish. We are not planning to offer a similar WebCT workshop because they recently merged with Blackboard and indications are that the two will be combined in the next couple of years.

Introduction to Blackboard … Monday, May 8
Learn the basics of using this course management system to support or deliver a course online. Topics will include options for personalizing your course, posting documents, sending messages to the class, posting grades and anything else the participants want to cover.

Managing Content … Tuesday, May 9
Files of various types and formats can be posted on Blackboard and there is a new content management system which lets users upload entire folders of material at one time and then share them among courses and with other instructors. There will also be a demonstration of the new Breeze for PowerPoint program that lets you add narration to a PowerPoint presentation and convert it into a flash file that plays easily over the Internet.

Using the Communication Tools … Wednesday, May 10
Blackboard offers a variety of tools for communication, to include e-mail, messaging, chat, discussion boards and journals. This session will give you a chance to experience each and consider how they might be used in your course.

Assignments and Assessment Tools … Thursday, May 11
You can use the gradebook to post course grades even if you do not use Blackboard to administer tests. You can also use the testing features for surveys, practice tests and actual assessments. There are several options for submitting assignments, including the Safe Assignment feature which checks written work for plagiarism.

E-mail Tom Davis or call ext. 5502 if you have questions or wish to register. If you are interested, but unable to attend, he will arrange to meet with you at your convenience.

Maggie’s Drawers and A Near Miss Awards Ceremony
Tuesday, May 9 … 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. … HPAC Theater
Maggie's Drawers is dedicated to presenting the work of young writers and artists from area middle schools and junior high schools throughout the upstate area. Our high school publication, A Near Miss , is dedicated entirely to the work of young writers and artists in area high schools. Maggie's Drawers and A Near Miss is edited and published by the Department of Languages, Literature and Composition and is made possible by the generosity of the Carolina Piedmont Foundation. There will be light refreshments served. Contact Marilyn Knight ext. 5836 for additional information.

Summer Camps

Soccer Vision Academy/NSCAA Coaching Course
June 5 – 11 … 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. … Soccer Fields
There will be various levels of coaching courses for soccer coaching certification. The event is offered by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. Contact Kendall Reyes ext. 5130 for more information.

Children's Theatre Summer Camp
July 17-21 and July 24-28
Rich Robinson, assistant professor of theatre at the University of South Carolina Upstate, will teach two weeklong Children’s Theatre Summer Camps for ages second grade through high school at the Arts Center in Spartanburg. Children ages second through fifth grade attend camp from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. and children ages sixth through twelfth grade attend camp from 3:00 to 5:30 p.m. This marks the fourth year that Robinson has taught Children’s Theatre Summer Camp. The cost is $100.00 for one week or $180.00 for two weeks for the younger grades and $150.00 for one week and $250.00 for two weeks for the older grades. To register for the camp, call (864) 583-4891. For more information, call (864) 503-5621 or 680-1254.

Athletics Camps
Check out the USC Upstate Athletics Web site for information on summer camps. There will be fast pitch instruction, the Soccer Vision Academy, soccer and girls basketball camps.

Spartanburg Junior Writing Project
June 5-16 … 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. … University Readiness Center
This summer camp is a wonderful writing-enrichment summer program for students rising to grades 3 through 12. An outgrowth of the nationally-recognized Spartanburg Writing Project for teachers, it offers an opportunity to work with professional writers, poets, and story-tellers. Tuition is $125. For more details, contact Brenda Davenport at 503-5684.

Watershed Ecology Center Camps
The Watershed Ecology Center at USC Upstate will host Camp Discovery, its annual summer program for children. All sessions will be held at Hatcher Gardens.

“Introduction to Nature Photography” will be held June 26-30 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. for children ages eight to 12. Campers are introduced to the basics of nature photography. They will learn about different camera formats as well as basic operating and composition skills. The cost is $52 with additional fees included for personal film development.

“What On Earth” will be held July 10-14 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. for children ages four to seven. In this Earth Science based camp, campers will explore volcanoes and earthquakes along with geology and paleontology. Unique topics such as archaeology will be covered by a trained anthropologist. Students will enjoy participating in a mock archaeological dig. The cost is $52.

“Natural Wonders” will be held July 17-21 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. for children ages four to seven. This camp offers a broad overview of nature in general. Days will be filled with bird watching, exploring geology and creating a leaf identification press book. Favorite animals such as turtles, frogs and insects will be studied in the garden. The cost is $52.

“Creature Features” will be held July 24-28 from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. for children ages four to seven. Students will learn about South Carolina animals and view several of our state animals in the garden. Students will also learn about and investigate endangered animals from all over the world. The cost is $52.

“Nurturing Nature” is a camp designed especially for the preschooler. Children ages two and three may attend with a parent, grandparent or adult. The fee is $12 per child/adult pair (one adult per child, please). Siblings four years old and older may attend for a fee of $6.

“Dandy Dandelions will be held on June 6 and will teach campers how plants grow while creating soil art and planting their own flower. “Forest Frenzy” will be held on June 8. Campers will take a walk in the garden in search of their favorite animals, study animals in the forest and make their own critter. “Under The Sea” will be held on June 14 and campers will feel a live starfish in the touch tank and create one of their favorite ocean animals. Each camp is held from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m.

For more information or to register for a camp, call (864) 503-5728 or e-mail wec@uscupstate.edu

Tune In to Upstate TV
 The Hub City Writer’s Project and the online forum for Spartanburg’s artists, hub-bub.com, will be the topics on the next installment of Upstate TV hosted by broadcast veteran Julie Phillips. Her guest will be Betsy Teter, co-editor of the Hub City Anthology and “founding mother of the award-winning small literary powerhouse.” According to hub-bub.com, the group plans to launch in July a multi-purpose entertainment and alternative arts venue in the former Gilbert’s building on Daniel Morgan Ave., which will include office space for the Hub City Writer’s Project.

The show will air four times on cable TV. Here’s your TV guide:  

Channel 14

  • Tuesday, May 16 at 12:30 p.m.
  • Thursday, May 18 at 7:30 p.m.
  • Sunday, May 21 at 7:00 p.m.

 

Channel 10

  • Tuesday, May 23 at 10:00 p.m.
Items for publication should be submitted to Claire Sachse in the Office of University Communications, Admin. 222, by 2:00 p.m. on or before Thursday of each week.