February 20, 2006

In the Father-to-Be act from Hellcab , actor Julian Tabron appeals to taxi driver Scott Mueller to hurry as his wife, played by Dee Marie, huffs and puffs through a contraction.
Columbus State student actor Julian Tabron, set designer Slava Zalygayev and director Nancy Kephart each were honored for their work by the Central Ohio Critics' Circle and the Central Ohio Theatre Roundtable at their annual Roundtable Awards ceremony February 12.

The two students and Kephart, assistant professor in Communications Skills, produced the play Hellcab last summer, which features a day in the life of a Chicago cab driver whose passengers come from all walks of life. Tabron played several characters, including a delirious father-to-be, X-Hat, and Young Black Man.

The Hellcab set Zalygayev worked on won "Most Innovative" and consisted of a single Yellow Cab with two rows of seats and a steering wheel, behind which all the action and dialogue take place.

The Central Ohio Theatre Roundtable awards are selected based on reviews by critics who see all theater productions in central Ohio during the year. At least three critic/responders see each production and then nominate productions in the various categories.

Hellcab actors pose in character, from top Julian Tabron; middle row from left, Slava Zalygayev, Kair Cogswell, Kenny Hathaway, and Dee Marie; and front row, Jaclyn Ghiloni and Scott Mueller.

Campus invited to meet the three finalists for provost

Human Resources is hosting campus open forums to meet the three finalists for the position of Provost. These forums are your opportunity to learn more about the finalists and ask them questions.

All forums will be held 2:30-4 p.m. in the Franklin Hall Board Room. The forums will be Monday, February 27; Thursday, March 2; and Monday, March 6.

Free film and novel course offered through Lifelong Learning Institute

The Lifelong Learning Institute at Columbus State will present an eight-week course "The Elderquest in Today's Movies and Novels" free of charge to the public on Tuesday evenings in March, beginning March 7, and continuing on Monday evenings in April. President Moeller will kick off the series and welcome all participants to the first session.  

All sessions will be held at the Martin Luther King Arts Complex, 867 Mt. Vernon Ave., from 6-9 p.m.   Parking is available directly across the street from the King Arts Complex entrance.

Funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the course is being offered this spring by 20 Lifelong Learning Institutes in 14 states. Elderquest is intended to encourage discussion in communities across America about a new model for old age just as 77 million baby boomers approach retirement.

Films to be viewed and discussed with a multigenerational audience include Wild Strawberries, The Trip to Bountiful, The Straight Story, Central Station , and About Schmidt . The two novels to be read and discussed are Praisesong for the Widow by Paule Marshall and Carry Me Across the Water by Ethan Canin. Humanities professors from local colleges and universities will facilitate the discussions.

There is no fee to take the course, but registration is required. To register, call ext. 5858.

For more information about The Lifelong Learning Institute, contact Julie Maurer, coordinator of Workforce Development Programs at ext. 2576 or email jmaurer@cscc.edu.

Communication skills conference offers opportunities for personal growth

"Fostering Civility and Nonviolence," a communication skills training conference, will provide opportunities for individuals to express their needs and wants clearly, develop empathy, transform anger into a tool for connection, and resolve conflict with justice and safety. The conference, sponsored by Compassionate Communication-Central Ohio, will be held March 7-9 at the Franklin Park Conservatory.

Featured presenter Marshall Rosenberg, Ph.D., is a psychologist, the author of Nonviolent Communication , and founder of the Center for Nonviolent Communication.

Through small group and role-playing interactions, Rosenberg will help participants use the nonviolent communication model to develop communication strategies without judgments or evaluations.

"Self Empowerment," March 7, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., will focus on discovering the needs behind motivations, experiencing and valuing needs as a means of connection, and developing compassion.

"Negotiating Differences and Conflicts," March 8, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., will focus on getting to the heart of conflicts and disputes quickly, resolving conflicts peacefully, and transforming blame and criticism.

"Leadership Through Nonviolent Communication," March 9, 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m., will focus on improving teamwork, efficiency, and morale, learning to hear the needs behind what people do or say, and building emotional awareness.

Registration is $145 per daytime workshop. To register for the conference, go to http://www.version3programming.com/NVCOhio/index.cfm, or call the Ohio Center for Nonviolent Communication at 614-870-0040.

Retirement Income Planning Workshop to be held March 9

The Central Ohio Professional Education Council, a nonprofit educational organization, is offering a workshop on Retirement Income Planning on Thursday, March 9, at the Fawcett Center on the Ohio State University's campus.

The workshop is designed for college faculty and staff nearing retirement who have begun investigating their retirement income options. It will address Social Security, pension plans (PERS/STRS), supplemental retirement plans (403b/IRA), Medicare and health insurance, and long-term care.

The workshop will be offered at three different times: 12:30-2 p.m., 4:30-6 p.m., and 7-8:30 p.m. There is no charge for the workshop.

For more information or to register for the workshop, visit the COPEC Web site at http://www.thecopecnetwork.org.