Lecture focuses on end-of-life care

The Pittsburg State University Philosophical Society will sponsor a free public lecture, "Autonomy and Solicitude in End-of-Life Care," at 3 p.m. on Friday, March 31, in the Balkans Room of the Overman Student Center. This lecture is part of the group's Visiting Speaker Series.

Price is a professor of philosophy at Columbia College. Price works first and foremost in the area of bio-medical ethics, but also works in ethical theory, ancient philosophy, and 20th Century German philosophy. His research interests include ethics, history of philosophy and existentialism.

A discussion session will follow Price's lecture.

---Pitt State---

PSU organ series concludes

Pittsburg State University's 2005-2006 Fisk Organ Series will conclude with a concert by James David Christie at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 31. The concert is free and open to the public. Christie, an organ professor at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, will also present a masterclass from 3-5 p.m. that day. Christie's performance and all events in the Fisk Organ Series are sponsored by the Fisk Opus 106 Organ Society.

The Fisk Opus 106 was designed and built by C.B. Fisk, Inc., of Gloucester, Mass. The organ was completed in 1995 and presented by the PSU Foundation to PSU on October 29 of the same year. The inaugural recitals were performed by Susan Marchant, university organist, immediately following the presentation ceremony and again that evening. In March 1996, the inaugural celebration continued with a three-day festival.

The instrument has 41 independent speaking stops, 57 ranks and 2,270 pipes. The organ replaced a Reuter instrument installed in the 1950s. Extensive backstage modifications as well as the installation of new silent air handling equipment were carried out during preparations of the space for the new organ.

The visual design for Opus 106 was developed by Charles Nazarian to harmonize with and complement McCray Hall. The color scheme was inspired by the beautiful tiles in the foyer. Great care was taken to ensure that the visual effect would provide a subtle sculptural quality that would enhance the space and yet not overwhelm the hall.

Since its installation, the Fisk Opus 106 has drawn some of the most renowned organists from Europe and the United States to the Pittsburg State campus. The organ has also been heard in collaborative performances with the Southeast Kansas Symphony, the PSU Choirs, and visiting artists such as the Eastman Brass Quintet. The organ has even been featured on the nationally syndicated radio program "Pipedreams."

According to Susan Marchant, director of choral activities, organ and harpsichord in PSU's Department of Music, the Fisk Opus 106's most important role at PSU is as a teaching tool.

"The organ has served PSU's undergraduate and graduate organ students as one of the finest teaching instruments to be found anywhere," Marchant said. "Perhaps most importantly, the organ has provided many exciting moments for thousands of children who have visited McCray Hall for demonstrations and tours of the organ. This will continue to help build the audience of the future!"

The debut recording of the organ, a CD titled "Traditions," performed by Marchant, was released on the Pro Organo label in 1999 and was distributed to retailers throughout the United States and Europe. Copies of this recording may still be obtained through the Department of Music.

For more information:

Pittsburg State University Department of Music:
www.pittstate.edu/music
620-235-4466

The Fisk Opus 106 at PSU:
www.pittstate.edu/music/Fiskop106.html

The C.B. Fisk organ company, organ building, and some of the magnificent instruments built by the C.B. Fisk company (including PSU’s Opus 106):
www.cbfisk.com/welcome.html

---Pitt State---

Students learn about careers in nursing

A group of area high school and community college students interested in careers in nursing will get their questions answered during Pittsburg State University's Nursing Career Day on March 30 in McPherson Hall. Students in the Nursing Department’s senior leadership class will teach a variety of focus sessions that will include demonstrations on things like starting an IV and even cardiac care. The PSU students will even perform a mock Code Blue. Nursing Career Day begins at 9 a.m. and concludes at 1:30 p.m.

Mary Carol Pomatto, chairman of PSU’s Department of Nursing, said Nursing Career Day not only helps visiting students learn about the nursing profession and the programs Pittsburg State offers, but also is a good learning and leadership experience for the PSU students who conduct the sessions.

For information about PSU Nursing programs, call the Department of Nursing at 620-235-4431 or visit their Web site at www.pittstate.edu/nurs/.

---Pitt State---

Schools hope to fill important vacancies at PSU Teacher Interview Day

One of the top worries for most school superintendents is recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers. No Child Left Behind, initiatives to reduce class size, all-day kindergarten, growing diversity, more non-English-speaking students in many schools and the first waves of Baby Boomer retirements all work together to create staffing headaches for many school administrators.

Some of the these school officials will be looking over the most recent crop of Pittsburg State University teachers during PSU's annual Teacher Interview Day on Thursday, March 30. The interviews will take place from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the John Lance Arena in the Weede Physical Education Building.

More than 100 school districts, many with multiple vacancies to fill, are scheduled to attend. Schools from Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Nebraska will be represented. The district reaching out the farthest, however, is the Guam Public School System.

B.B. Stotts, assistant director for employer relations in PSU's Career Services Office, said school districts are seeking a wide variety of teachers.

"Special education, school psych., mathematics and science all continue to be high demand areas," Stotts said. "ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), Spanish, technology and family and consumer science are also big."

For more information on Teacher Interview Day, contact the Stotts at bstotts@pittstate.edu, 620-235-4143 or visit the Career Services Web site at http:www.pittstate.edu/car/.

---Pitt State---

Memorial to honor longtime colleague and friend

The Leonard H. Axe Library at Pittsburg State University will dedicate a memorial in honor of Leon Divel at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 29. Divel, a longtime member of the library staff, retired in 2004 after 35 years at PSU. He died in 2005.

"Leon had a tremendous positive influence on students and faculty at Pittsburg State University," said Robert Walter, dean of Learning Resources. "Not only did his tenure at the University leave a lasting impact on many, he was an inspiration to others through his activities in the community and his church. His life positively touched so many that his friends wish to leave a lasting memorial to Leon on the grounds of the Library."

The memorial dedication will take place at the northwest corner of the library and a reception will follow in the library browsing area. Persons wishing to donate to memorials in Divel's name may do so through the PSU Foundation in care of Axe Library.

For more information, call 620-235-4880.

---Pitt State---

PSU names new vice president

Pittsburg State University President Tom Bryant announced today that Steven Scott, dean of the PSU College of Education, has been selected to become the next vice president for academic affairs at PSU. Robert Ratzlaff, the current vice president for academic affairs, is retiring at the end of the academic year. Scott's selection followed a national search, which was narrowed to four candidates earlier this spring.

"Dr. Scott has prepared himself well for the leadership role he is about to assume," Bryant wrote in a memo to all faculty and staff announcing the appointment. "He understands and shares the core values that we as a university community share. His passion for students, for Pittsburg State University, and for the faculty and staff is evident in everything he does."

Bryant said that the strong pool of candidates made the selection difficult.

"Each of finalists possessed skills and experiences that would have been valuable to Pittsburg State University," Bryant said.

Scott, a native of Baxter Springs, received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics education from PSU, a master’s degree in mathematics from Oklahoma State University, an Ed.S. in higher education from PSU and an Ed.D. in higher education from OSU.

Scott began his professional career as a junior and senior high school teacher and coach, teaching in Riverton and then Miami, Okla. He was an instructor in the Department of Computer Science at NEO A&M in Miami from 1981-1988 and joined the PSU family in 1989 as an assistant professor of education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. In 1995, he was named chairman of the College of Education's Department of Special Services and Leadership Studies. He held that post until 1999, when he was named dean of the College of Education.

Scott has a long history of public service at the local, state and national levels. Currently, he is the chairman of the Kansas Professional Standards Board for Teachers and Administrators, a member of the Kansas Board of Education’s Professional Standards Board, is a member of the Family Resource Center Board of Directors, is a member of the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, and a member of the Pittsburg Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation Board. He served on the National Committee on Technology in Teacher Education from 2001-2004, and was member of the U.S. Department of Education's Teacher Assistant Corps from 2003-2004. Scott is a 2005 graduate of Leadership Kansas.

Scott and his wife, Cathy, have two children: Kylie and Phil.

---Pitt State---

Virginia research center features PSU student work

In Pittsburg State University's Wood Technology Program, student learning experiences can also become furniture with a life all its own. Some PSU students have recently solved an architectural woodworking conundrum and the result of their work will be an important feature in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Janelia Farm research campus now under construction in Virginia.

Students in the Society of Architectural Woodworkers (SAW) club at PSU have designed and are manufacturing a unique set of benches for an auditorium that is part of the research facility.

Tyler Hartman, a senior from Lamar, Colo., said the 26 sections would be assembled into a pie-shaped seating area in an auditorium at the research center. The students have already shipped 7 of the sections to Virginia and have 19 more to construct.

Hartman, president of the SAW Club, said the numerous curves in the benches posed the biggest challenge for the students. They solved the problem by cutting kerfs or channels in sheets of wood that allowed them to bend the sheets into the fluid form of the bench. The students then tested various materials to determine the best and strongest material for filling the kerfs after the benches had been formed. Finally, the students applied a veneer of Figured Makore, also known as African Cherry, to the completed form.

Hartman said he gets special satisfaction out of solving problems.

"I like being able to take technology and put it together with the work you do with your hands," Hartman said. "The fun part for me is trouble shooting and solving problems."

In the case of the current project, these were problems that some other companies had not been able to solve, according to Lindy Thomsen, an instructor in the Wood Technology Program.

"Three companies were contracted to do this job, but they couldn’t get it done," said Thomsen. "This is very, very challenging technically."

Faculty in the Wood Technology Program say it doesn't surprise them that a contractor thousands of miles away would turn to PSU students to solve an architectural woodworking puzzle.

"The curriculum (in PSU's Wood Technology Program) is really on-target with what industry needs," Thomsen said.

The Wood Technology Program will have an opportunity to highlight students and their work as well as a student designed and built office remodel during an open house from 1-5 p.m. on March 28 and 9 a.m. until noon on March 29. PSU's Wood Technology Program is located in the Kansas Technology Center at Ford and Rouse streets in Pittsburg.

For information:

The Wood Technology Program at PSU:
www.pittstate.edu/tst/woodtech/index.html

Wood Technology or the open house:
Phone: 620-235-4942
e-mail: jmiles@pittstate.edu

---Pitt State---

Student work the focus of PSU Wood Technology open house

(At right: Randy Fankhauser, Sr., Virgil, Kan., with his burl walnut, bow-front desk.)

The latest in wood technology as well as some of the best examples of student work will be on display when Pittsburg State University's Wood Technology Program holds an open house on March 28-29. The Wood Technology offices, classrooms and labs will be open from 1-5 p.m. on March 28 and from 9 a.m. until noon on March 29. The Wood Technology Program is located in PSU’s Kansas Technology Center at Ford and Rouse streets in Pittsburg.

According to David Miles, a member of the Wood Technology faculty, leaders of some of the largest companies and organizations in the wood industry will attend the event.

Miles said that a special feature of the open house will be tours of the newly remodeled Wood Technology Office. As might be expected, students were responsible for the design, engineering, manufacturing and installation in the office, which showcases the use of wood veneer. Fifty-two panels with an exotic veneer of figured quartered Anigre wood cover much of the wall space. Anigre is a wood that comes from West Africa.

"It's the same place that gorillas come from," Miles said, with a nod to PSU's mascot, Gus Gorilla.

A reception desk in the center of the room is covered with the same wood veneer. Miles pointed out the intricate sequencing and matching of the veneer throughout the room. Carefully placed lighting helps to highlight the level of craftsmanship.

The International Woodworking Fair (IWF) and the board of directors of the American Home Furnishings Alliance donated $7,500 to help with the office remodeling in honor of retiring IWF executive vice president and PSU alumnus John Zinn. Zinn is one of the wood industry executives attending the open house.

For information:
The Wood Technology Program at PSU:
www.pittstate.edu/tst/woodtech/index.html

Wood Technology or the open house:
Phone: 620-235-4942
e-mail: jmiles@pittstate.edu

---Pitt State---

Eating disorders expert to speak to PSU students

The National Eating Disorders Association estimates that as many as 36 million Americans are battling some type of eating disorder and the numbers are growing. Because most eating disorders manifest themselves in the teenage and college years, it is especially important for students to learn about strategies for the prevention and treatment of eating disorders, according to J.T. Knoll, coordinator of prevention and wellness at Pittsburg State University.

Laura A. Eickman, a specialist in the field of eating disorders, will bring those messages to students at PSU in a program entitled "The Changing Face of Eating Disorders: Implications for Education and Prevention." The free program, sponsored by Student Prevention and Wellness, and the Gorillas In Your Midst peer health education team, will take place from 1-3 p.m. on Thursday, March 30, in the Balkans Room of the Overman Student Center. The program is open to the public.

Eickman received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Nebraska and both a master's degree and doctorate from Baylor University. Eickman has coordinated campuswide eating disorders education and prevention efforts, developed an eating disorders peer education program for college students, and has spoken to a variety of audiences on health and wellness topics. In addition to education and prevention activities, Eickman also provides individual and group therapy for individuals with eating and body image issues.

For more information:

PSU Prevention and Wellness Programs:
jknoll@pittstate.edu
Eating Disorders (National Eating Disorders Association)
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org
Dr. Laura Eickman:
laura.eickman@gmail.com

---Pitt State---

Barnes & Noble wins PSU bookstore contract

Officials at Pittsburg State University have announced that the university has reached an agreement with Barnes & Noble for the operation of the campus bookstore. The transition is scheduled to take place after the close of the spring semester in May.

"It is an honor to have been selected to operate the bookstore at Pittsburg State University," said Max J. Roberts, president of Barnes & Noble College Bookstores, Inc. "We look forward to providing outstanding customer service to the faculty, staff and students. We will dedicate all of our resources to ensure a quick, orderly and professional transition, meeting student textbook needs, and establishing faculty relations and campus outreach as quickly as possible."

Steve Erwin, PSU associate vice president for campus life and auxiliary services, said Barnes & Noble won the contract following an exhaustive six-month competitive bidding process. PSU representatives visited nearly 30 bookstores operated by the three bidders, Erwin said. Bidders included Folletts, which has operated the bookstore at PSU for the past 27 years, Nebraska Bookstore, and Barnes & Noble.

"This was a difficult decision to make," Erwin said. "We appreciate the many years of service that Folletts has given to PSU. In the final analysis, however, it seemed that Barnes & Noble was going to be the best partner for Pittsburg State."

One of the company's strong points, Erwin said, was its array of Web-based services.

According to Barnes & Noble, the company offers students services that include online access to course and book information, the ability to have textbooks delivered to a student’s location of choice or to have those same books prepared for in-store pick-up.

Another aspect of the agreement, according to Barnes & Noble, will be the availability of a larger number of less expensive used textbooks, which will be provided by Barnes & Noble's affiliate company, MBS Textbook Exchange, Inc., the nation’s largest used textbook wholesale company. Barnes & Noble will also install the latest version of Text-Aid, a textbook management system.

"Students on campus are the single greatest source of used books for the next term and Barnes & Noble makes them aware of buyback on campus in a variety of ways," said Cynthia Bader, Barnes & Noble regional manager.

Under the agreement, Barnes & Noble has made a financial commitment to completely renovate and update the bookstore.

"The store's layout will be choreographed to allow visitors an intuitive understanding of the store’s offerings upon entering," said Robert Lucero, architect for Barnes & Noble.

Founded in 1873, Barnes & Noble is one of the nation's largest booksellers. The company operates more than 500 campus bookstores for many of the nation's top schools, including Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University of Chicago, Yale University, Harvard University, University of Pennsylvania, and Saint Louis University. In Kansas, Barnes & Noble manages the campus bookstores at Fort Hays State University and Emporia State University.

---Pitt State---

PSU events honor women's history

The Women's Studies Club will sponsor a series of events March 27-31 in honor of Women's History Month. “The theme for this year’s Women’s History Month is "Women: Builders of Communities and Dreams." According to the National Women’s History Project, the goal of the celebration is to present an expanded view of the complexity and contradiction of living a full and purposeful life.

At PSU, the observance begins on Monday, March 27, with a lecture by PSU Archivist Randy Roberts at 7 p.m. in the Special Collections and Archives of the Leonard H. Axe Library. Roberts’ lecture, "Notable Women of Southeast Kansas," will be followed by a reception.

On Tuesday, March 28, the Women's Studies Club will host a screening and discussion of the film "North Country" at 7 p.m. in Room 109 of Grubbs Hall. "North Country," starring Academy Award Winners Charlize Theron and Frances McDomand, is a fictionalized account of the first major successful sexual harassment case in the United States, Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines.

On Wednesday, March 29, the club will host a benefit concert featuring the music of Amanda Rainey, a PSU student and a popular local musician. The concert will take place at 7 p.m. in Timmons Chapel. Rainey, who spent several months in Tanzania in 2005, is performing to raise money for Godfrey's Children's Center, an orphanage in Tanzania.

The week's activities will conclude on Thursday, March 30, with a poetry reading by author Elaine Terranova at 8 p.m. in the Special Collections and Archives of the Leonard Axe Library. Terranova is visiting PSU as part of the PSU Department of English Distinguished Writers Series.

Terranova is the author of three collections of poems, "The Cult of the Right Hand," which won the Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American Poets; "Damages;" and "The Dog's Heart." Terranova has received a National Endowment in the Arts Fellowship, two Pennsylvania Council on the Arts grants, and a Robert Frost Fellowship in Poetry at Bread Loaf. Her poems have appeared in many journals, including The New Yorker, The American Poetry Review, and Prairie Schooner.

The reading will be followed by a reception.

For more information, please e-mail the PSU Women's Studies Club at psuwomen@yahoo.com.

---Pitt State---

Most PSU students defy spring break stereotype

For many Americans, spring break conjures up images of out-of-control college students partying on sunny beaches. J.T. Knoll, prevention and wellness coordinator at Pittsburg State University, said that although the college-students-gone-wild stereotype may be widely held, many people would be surprised at how few PSU students spend their spring break drinking and partying.

"When we survey students," Knoll said, "we find that relatively few plan big spring break trips. A lot of students use spring break week to earn some extra money for school."

Still others, like PSU junior Chelsea Schneck, are spending their spring break time giving back. Schneck was one of 83 students from across the U.S. chosen to participate in Storm Corps, a joint project between MTV and the United Way. Students in Storm Corps are in Biloxi, Miss., this week where they are helping victims of Hurricane Katrina. MTV will air a documentary of the work, “The Amazing Break,” at 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 25.

Whether they will be traveling to warmer climates, spending time at home with families or doing volunteer work, spring break is a time for students to think about safety, Knoll said. To encourage that, several PSU groups have joined to host Safe Spring Break Week, March 13-17. Spring break at PSU begins after classes on March 17. Classes resume on March 27.

The events scheduled for Safe Spring Break Week include:

Monday, March 13
11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. – Safe Spring Break Kits will be distributed in the Oval or Student Center by Gorillas In Your Midst – Peer Health Education.

3-4 p.m. – Safe Spring Break Sidewalk Chalk contest in the Oval – win up to $100 in gift certificates for yourself or your organization. Be at the Oval at 2:45pm to enter the contest. Sponsored by the Substance Abuse Focus Group.

7-9:00 p.m. – Poker Night, Dellinger Underground. Sponsored by Residence Hall Assembly.

Tuesday, March 14
11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. – Safe Spring Break Kits will be distributed in the Oval or Student Center by Gorillas In Your Midst.

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Army National Guard Climbing Wall, Oval.

5-7:30 p.m. Mini Golf, Four Oaks Golf Course (Free with PSU ID) Sponsored by the Substance Abuse Focus Group.

Wednesday, March 15
11:30 a.m. -1:00 p.m. – Safe Spring Break Kits will be distributed in the Oval or Student Center by Gorillas In Your Midst.

10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Army National Guard Climbing Wall, Oval.

5 p.m. –Free Safe Spring Break BBQ at the University Lake sponsored by GAMMA (Greeks Advocating the Mature Management of Alcohol. Door prizes to first 100 participants.

Thursday, March 16
11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. – Safe Spring Break kits will be distributed in the Oval or Student Center by Gorillas In Your Midst.

8-11 p.m. – Karaoke in the U-Club. Free refreshments. Karaoke contest for prizes. Door prizes, giveaways. Sponsored by Gorillas In Your Midst.

Safe Spring Break Week is sponsored by GAMMA, Gorillas in Your Midst, Pitt State Army ROTC, Campus Activities, Residence Hall Assembly & the Substance Abuse Focus Group.

For more information, contact J.T. Knoll, chairman of the Substance Abuse Focus Group, at 620-235-4062.

---Pitt State---

Native American activist to speak at PSU

Winona LaDuke, a Native American Indian activist and environmentalist, will deliver the Pittsburg State University Profiles of Women in Government lecture at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, March 14, in the Governors Room of the Overman Student Center on the PSU campus. LaDuke’s lecture, "Native Women in Education, Leadership and Government," is free and open to the public.

Winona LaDuke (Ojibwe) is an internationally renowned Native American Indian activist and advocate for environmental, women's, and children's rights. She is the founder and campaign director of the White Earth Land Recovery Project, a reservation-based land acquisition, environmental advocacy, and cultural organization. She is also founder and co-chairperson of the Indigenous Women's Network.

LaDuke organizes and hosts the annual "Honor the Earth" tour in conjunction with the folk-rock duo, the Indigo Girls, with whom she was named by Ms. magazine 1997 Woman of the Year. She joined Ralph Nader as his vice presidential running mate on the Green Party ticket in the 1996 and 2000 presidential elections.

In 1988, LaDuke won the Reebok Human Rights Award, launching the White Earth Land Recovery Project with the proceeds. In 1994 Time magazine named her one of the "50 For the Future," the country's most promising leaders under age 40. She has also been profiled in People, Sierra, E and Minnesota Monthly magazines.

LaDuke has written extensively on national environmental issues. She is the author of several books including: "All Our Relations: Native Struggles for Land and Life" (South End Press), the novel, "Last Standing Woman," (in which she chronicles a Native American reservation and its people's struggle to restore their culture), a non-fiction children's book, "In the Sugarbush," and "The Winona LaDuke Reader" (20-years of her writing, journalism, speeches, testimony, and poetry). South End Press released her latest book, "Recovering the Sacred," in late 2005.

LaDuke lives with her family on the White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota.

The Profiles of Women in Government Lecture Series is presented by Pittsburg State University and the PSU Foundation, Inc., through the generous support of the Helen S. Boylan Foundation.

For more information, please contact the Office of University Communication at 620-235-4122.

---Pitt State---

Korean students share their culture

The Pittsburg State University Korean Students Association will host Korea Culture Night at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 13, in the Crimson and Gold Ballroom of the Overman Student Center on the PSU campus.

The event, which is designed to share unique aspects of Korean culture, will include demonstrations of Taekwondo, Korean martial arts; Ssirum, Korean traditional wrestling; a traditional wedding ceremony; and folk songs and farm music. The event will conclude with a Korean buffet.

Tickets, which include the performances and demonstrations as well as the buffet, are $4 and are available at the door. For more information, please contact the PSU Office of International Programs and Services at 620-235-4680.

---Pitt State---

PSU Music faculty plan recital

Mezzo-soprano Jessie Wright Martin and baritone Patrick Howle will perform a faculty recital at 7:30 p.m. on March 13, in the McCray Recital Hall on the Pittsburg State University campus. The recital is free.

Martin and Howle are both members of the PSU Department of Music faculty. Their recital will feature works by Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Maurice Ravel, Jacques Offenbach, Amy Beach, Vincenzo Bellini and Paul Bowles.

Martin earned both a master's degree and doctorate in music from Louisiana State University. She earned a bachelor's degree in music from Florida State University. Martin has enjoyed success on both the lyric and concert stages. A frequent performer of 20th century music, Martin has twice performed George Crumb's "Madrigals, Book III," and appeared as mezzo-soprano soloist in the world premiere of Dinos Constantinides' "Voices of the Milleniums."

Martin has appeared with the Baton Rouge Symphony, the Louisiana Sinfonietta, Pensacola Opera, and the Ohio Light Opera, where, in addition to performing, she has also served as an administrator. Martin recently collaborated with James Stuart on an English translation of the operetta "Der Zigeunerprimas" by Emmerich Kálmán. A winner of numerous awards and competitions, including those sponsored by the Rose Palmai-Tenser Mobile Opera Competition, Baton Rouge Opera Guild, Baton Rouge Rotary Club, and the National Association of Teachers of Singing, Martin can be heard on recordings of several operettas on the Newport Classic and Albany Record labels.

Patrick Howle received a bachelor's degree in vocal performance from East Carolina University and a master's degree in vocal performance and literature at The Eastman School of Music. Upon graduating from Eastman, Howle worked as adjunct professor of voice at Alfred University and served as director of music at the First Baptist Church of Rochester, N.Y. Following his stay in Rochester, Howle performed with the Connecticut Opera as a member of their educational outreach program and as a main stage artist.

Howle has performed in more than 25 productions with The Ohio Light Opera and most recently appeared as Marat in the world premier of Robert Ward's "A Friend of Napoleon" with the same company. Howle was a finalist in the Jessie Kneisel lieder competition, a winner of the Orpheus National Vocal Competition, and has sung for soprano Reneé Fleming in master class. His many recordings with the Ohio Light Opera can be heard on both the Albany and Operetta Archives labels.

For more information, please contact the PSU Department of Music at 620-235-4466.

---Pitt State---

Chamber music ensemble to perform at PSU

The fifth concert in the 2005-2006 Solo and Chamber Music Series at Pittsburg State University will feature musicians of the Chamber Music Society of Kansas City. The concert will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 10, in McCray Recital Hall on the PSU campus.

The Chamber Music Society of Kansas City is composed of a diverse group of nationally recognized performers. Their diverse backgrounds and experiences help the group present a refreshing approach to music making. The Chamber Music Society specializes in works for ensembles of mixed instrumentation from the Baroque to the Contemporary eras that are not often performed during the regular concert season.

Members of the group include: James Hall, flute; Patricia Higdon, piano and harpsichord; Margaret Marco, oboe; Neomi Miloradovic, violin; Tabitha Reist Steiner, harp; Martin Storey, cello; Julie Whitton, viola; Leah Biber, clarinet; and Jodee Davis, trombone.

Tickets for the concert are $10 for the general public and $7 for persons over 65 or under 18. Full-time PSU students are entitled to a free ticket. Tickets are available in advance at the PSU Ticket Office in the Overman Student Center, 620-235-4796, or at the door the evening of the concert.

For more information, please call the PSU Department of Music at 620-235-4466.

---Pitt State---

Groups host International Food and Culture Fair

The Pittsburg State University International Programs and Services Office and the International Student Association (ISA) will host the sixth annual International Food and Culture Fair on Friday, March 3. The event will be held from 5-8 p.m. in the gymnasium of the Pittsburg Church of the Nazarene.

Groups and individuals from more than 10 countries will offer food, crafts, information, and entertainment. The countries and regions that will be represented include several African nations, China, India, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Paraguay, Russia, Taiwan, the Turkic countries and the U.S.

There is no admission charge for the event. Attendees may purchase tickets for 50 cents each to exchange for samples of food. Crafts may also be purchased at the fair, and cultural information and entertainment will be available free of charge throughout the evening.

"We are grateful to the Church of the Nazarene for letting us use their gymnasium. It has excellent facilities, great parking and a central location," said Jeff Hashman, International Programs Coordinator and ISA adviser. "This event was such a success last year because of the enthusiasm of the students, and I am glad to see it continue. I think PSU international students do a great job touching the community, besides Pittsburg State University, giving them a glimpse of the world."

For more information, contact Hashman at 620-235-4682.

--pitt state--

Music fraternity sponsors concert by Class Ltd. Choir

As a part of the Kansas Chapters Province Day, members of the Theta Alpha Chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, a national women’s music fraternity, will host a free concert by the Class Ltd. Choir of Parsons. The concert will take place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 4, in the McCray Recital Hall on the Pittsburg State University campus. The choir is under the direction of PSU alumnus Mike Fitzmorris.

Nationally, Sigma Alpha Iota is comprised of women from all academic disciplines who share a common love of music.

For more information, contact Mary Helen McCloud at maryhelen.mccloud@gmail.com.

---Pitt State---

Students show a growing interest in jazz

It's the only uniquely American form of music and Bob Kehle is happy that more and more American youngsters are discovering jazz. Kehle, a member of the faculty in Pittsburg State University's Department of Music and director of the annual PSU Jazz Festival, said more than 1,500 students from more than 70 high school, middle school and community college jazz bands will be at PSU on Friday, March 3, for the 32nd Jazz Festival.

"The demand has been so great that we opened up a fourth site for performance and judging," Kehle said. "Even with the extra site, I had to turn down some who wanted to register late."

The PSU Jazz Festival began in 1974 under the direction of Russell Jones, another member of the Music Department faculty. That first festival attracted 14 bands.

Throughout the day, beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 5 p.m., the participating bands will perform at McCray Recital Hall and the Overman Student Center, both on the PSU campus, and at Memorial Auditorium at 5th and Pine. The groups will play 30-minute concerts and will be judged by professional jazz educators and performers. They will also receive suggestions about how to improve their performances in the future.

All of the performances throughout the day are free and open to the public. In addition, the PSU Jazz Ensemble I and Jazz Combo will give a brief performance at 11:30 a.m. at Memorial Auditorium. That concert, as well, is free and open to the public.

Kehle said an impressive group of judges has been assembled for this year's Jazz Festival. They come from Missouri State University, Friends University, the University of Tulsa, Texas State University, the University of Michigan and other locations across the country. One has played with the Stan Kenton Band and another with the Count Basie Band.

The Jazz Festival will conclude Friday evening with a concert by the Count Basie Orchestra in Memorial Auditorium. The concert is sold out.

For more information about the 32nd annual PSU Jazz Festival, contact festival director Bob Kehle at 620-235-4474, . For information about Jazz Studies at Pittsburg State, visit the Department of Music Web site at .

---Pitt State---