Steve Fellers

Composer and violinist Philip Wharton and pianist John Krebs will perform at Henderson State University Sept. 26 in a joint guest artist recital.

The free performance will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Russell Fines Arts recital hall and is open to the public.

Wharton began playing the violin when he was 10 and went on to earn his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the Eastman School of Music. He continued his training at the Guildhall in London where he earned an artist’s diploma.

While at Eastman, Wharton also studied composition and continued those studies at The Julliard School.

Krebs holds degrees in piano performance from Northwestern University, The University of Illinois, and the University of Maryland. He has been teaching at Hendrix College in Conway since 1992.

An avid collaborative pianist, Krebs has performed in Canada, Germany, Iceland, Slovenia, Scotland and Thailand.

The duo will perform: Sonata in D Major, Op. 94a by Sergei Prokofiev; Sonata in G Major, Op. 78 by Johannes Brahms; and Games by Wharton.

The recital is presented by the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences and Henderson’s Department of Music

Henderson State University Theatre will present five performances of I am Emily Doe at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 3, 5, 6, and 7, and at 4 p.m. on October 4. All performances are in Arkansas Hall Studio Theatre. A reception will follow the opening night performance.

I am Emily Doe is an original script written by Magee-Lee Preston, a junior theatre major from The Colony, Texas. It began as a project in Preston’s fall 2016 playwriting class and has continued development through a public reading and a workshop production last spring. The production will be Henderson’s entry in this year’s Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

A chilling, dramatic retelling of the events in the Brock Turner rape case, I am Emily Doe follows the courageous victim, Emily Doe, in her journey to recovery. The play explores the societal pressures that inhabit college campuses around the country and the rape culture that is webbed throughout our society.

The cast of the Henderson production includes Reagan Hammonds of Benton, LaDarius Jamerson of Fort Smith, Joseph Kalinowski of Searcy, Dakota Mansfield of Benton, Madi Moore of Newport Beach, California, Savannah Reynolds of Monticello, and Jacey Russell of Morrilton.

The play is under the direction of Claudia Beach, director of theatre at Henderson, with scenic design by Doug Gilpin, professor of theatre. Lighting design is by Jennings Johnson of Heber Springs, and costume design by Tyler Felton of Batesville. The stage manager is Nicholas Bius of Benton.

The HSU Theatre Box Office in Arkansas Hall will be open for advance ticket sales from 1-4 p.m. beginning Monday, Sept. 25. All seats are reserved. Admission is $10, or free with an HSU student ID, courtesy of the Student Activities Board.

The play is recommended for mature audiences.

For more information or reservations, call 870-230-5291, or e-mail theatre@hsu.edu.

Two of Henderson State University’s educational leadership programs have been recognized for providing outstanding, affordable online education by AffordableColleges.com.

Henderson State’s Teachers College was named No. 18 in the country for two Master of Science in Education (MSE) degrees – educational leadership and technology education. The college earned an overall score of 7.37 out of 10 on the AffordableColleges.com value scale, which helps future students determine the potential return on their educational investment.

The value scale weighs criteria, such as loan default rates, graduation rates and financial aid data, to draw a distinction between the programs that appear cheap up-front and those that will pay off in the long run. When calculating the rankings, the organization uses the most recent data available from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) to create a 1-10 rating system. The closer a school is to a 10, the more value it offers its students.

“Earning a master’s degree in educational leadership can help teachers differentiate themselves when working for career advancement,” said Teachers College Dean Dr. Celya Taylor. “Our programs allow students to maintain their current jobs and take care of other responsibilities while they create new opportunities for themselves and their families.”

Henderson State recently made these programs even more affordable for out-of-state educational professionals with a lower out-of-state tuition rate. Now, professionals from neighboring states are able to achieve their educational dreams at an even better value.

“Our out-of-state tuition – now $336 per credit hour for graduate students – is comparable to many others in surrounding states,” said Graduate School Dean Dr. Ken Taylor. “The lower tuition will allow even more educational professionals to achieve their career goals on their own terms.”

Henderson State’s Office of Residence Life hosted a picnic Sept. 21 on the South Lawn to give students the opportunity to meet and mingle with campus police officers.

 

Internationally acclaimed author Jon Ronson spoke at Henderson State Sept. 20 about his book So You’ve Been Publicly Shamed.

In the book, Ronson investigates the obsession with social media and its sometimes disastrous impact on lives and collective conscience.

Ronson’s books The Psychopath Test, Lost at Sea, and The Men Who Stare At Goats have all been international and/or New York Times best sellers.

The Men Who Stare At Goats has been adapted into a movie and Ronson himself has done script writing for Netflix and award winning documentaries.

Ronson’s appearance was part of Henderson’s fall Reddie Read program which was started in fall 2006 with Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. Through reading and discussing a common book, everyone on campus has the opportunity to engage in formal and informal discussions about issues of importance in today’s world.

READ MORE about Ronson

Henderson State University’s Department of Nursing has received full approval, without any recommendations or revisions, from the Arkansas State Board of Nursing (ASBN) through 2022.

“The program has met the student learning and program outcomes according to the standards set by ASBN and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)” said Dr. Shelly Austin, assistant professor and chair of the nursing department. The CCNE is the program’s national accrediting agency.

“We must comply with many criteria to receive the recommendation for full approval without recommendations or revisions,” she said. “It’s a challenging process, but I am privileged to work with such an excellent team.”

Austin said it is “extremely important” for a student to graduate from a nationally accredited nursing program.

“Employment for nurses depends on it,” Austin said. “There are some graduate nursing schools that will not accept students who didn’t graduate from an accredited program.”

For the second year in a row, Henderson’s graduating nursing class received 100 percent first time pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for new nurses.

The NCLEX exam is a standardized exam that each state board of nursing uses to determine whether or not a candidate is prepared for entry-level nursing practice after completing an accredited nursing degree.

Earlier this year, Henderson’s nursing program was ranked as the best in Arkansas by RegisteredNursing.org.

Henderson State University’s music faculty will put their talents on display at the HSU Faculty Showcase Sept. 19. Instrumentalists and vocalists will perform solo and chamber works by a variety of well-known composers.

The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. in the Russell Fine Arts Harwood Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public.

Performing faculty include: Hee-Kyung Juhn, piano; Jamie Lipton, euphonium; David Evans, clarinet; Bill Higgins, baritone; Jena Gardner, horn; Matthew Smith, tuba; Jennifer Amox, flute; Laura Storm, soprano; Steve Becraft, clarinet; Andrew Kreckmann, baritone; Adam Davis, Marimba; and May Tsao-Lim, piano.

The event is presented by the Matt Locke Ellis College of Arts and Sciences and Department of Music.