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The 4th of July is here, the traditional mid-point of American summers. Perhaps you, like me, feel like the summer is far past being half over by this time. The 8-week summer session is about half finished. Other college summer activities are completed already, while some are just getting started. Here are a few of the exciting things that are part of COAL's summertime.
- Tent Theatre. Cyrano and Charlie Brown have played to rave reviews in this first-ever Equity season for Tent, and Anything Goes! opens July 9. In addition to great performances, sellout audiences have been graced with cooler-than-usual evening temperatures for most performances.
- Ozarks Writing Project Summer Invitational. Sixteen Ozarks-area teachers, kindergarten through university, are participating in the OWP's intensive summer workshop. These teachers will become Ozarks Writing Project Teacher Consultants, an expanding network of exemplary Ozarks educators.
- MSU Summer Debate Institute. High school debate students from across the country are here attending the MSDI, led by MSU debate coaches and students. Some of the nation's top debaters are drawn to this intensive summer workshop.
- Missouri Fine Arts Academy. For three weeks in June nearly 200 of the brightest and most creatively talented high school juniors and seniors in Missouri attended the Missouri Fine Arts Academy here on our campus. This year's theme was "Artist as World Citizen."
- Second Sundays @ 7. The second Sunday of each month through October you can relax on the south lawn of Meyer Library and enjoy the Carillon Recital Series. The series features guest performers from around the world in addition to our own Jeremy Chesman. Concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are followed by a reception and opportunity to tour the carillon tower.
- Downtown Art & Design Gallery. The gallery at Jefferson and Walnut features two exhibits this summer, the Rous African Art Collection and a New Faculty Exhibition. Summer hours are 10 a.m. -- 5:00 p.m., Tuesday -- Saturday and 6:00 -- 9:00 p.m. for First Friday Art Walk (including July 4).
- Moving and Construction. Maybe this falls in the category of will eventually be exciting, but much is happening to college spaces this summer. Siceluff Hall is empty and Craig Hall is a little fuller. The Standard and the Growl have moved into the former Center for Assessment and Institutional Research building at 744 E. Cherry Street (now officially known as the Student Media Center). And progress continues on Brick City in preparation for phase one of the Art & Design Department's move downtown this fall.
I could add to this list String Fling, mediation training by the Center for Dispute Resolution, the Performing Arts Institute, study programs in several foreign countries, and media students blogging about their Los Angeles internship experiences. What many of these activities share in common is their outreach to the local community and other constituencies. In addition to providing great experiences for hundreds of people, they demonstrate that the university is a 12-month operation offering year-round benefits to Missouri citizens.
July also brings leadership changes in the college, as Dr. Roger Stoner becomes Associate Dean and Dr. Dianne Strickland steps in as Acting Head of the Music Department. We all look forward to working with them in their new roles.
I hope you have plenty of fun an restoration left in your summer. Next week I'm taking a week of vacation and then Roger and I will be attending a national workshop for deans and associate deans in Pittsburg, PA July 13-16. I'll be looking forward to seeing all of you again in August.
Quick Hits & Short Bits -- college news and updates