<h2></h2>
<h2></h2>
<h2></h2>
<h2></h2>
<h2>
</h2>
<table border="0" width="1147">
<tr>
<td>
<ul>
<li><a href="#chingy">Chingy To Perform Live At SIUE
With Opener Nina Sky</a><br /></li>
<li><a href="#soldout">Garrison Keillor Appearance For
Arts & Issues Sold Out</a><br /></li>
<li><a href="#increase">SIUE's Enrollment
Has Increased For The Tenth Consecutive
Year</a><br /></li>
<li><a href="#jsupper">SIUE Jazz Supper Gala Set For
Oct. 3 To Feature Big Band Music</a><br /></li>
<li><a href="#ECC">SIUE Early Childhood Center Receives
Grant For Family Services</a><br /></li>
<li><a href="#dean">Gov. Howard Dean, Pundit Tony
Blankley To Appear Oct. 13 At SIUE</a><br /></li>
<li><a href="#reldin">SIUE Friends Of Religious Center
Awards Dinner Set For Oct. 2</a><br /></li>
<li><a href="#SONwalk">SIUE School Of Nursing
Scholarship Walk Raises Nearly $4,000</a><br /></li>
<li><a href="#mainstage">Noises Off To Open Oct. 13 At
SIUE Mainstage</a><br /></li>
<li><a href="#valley">Finalists Announced For
Mississippi Valley Family Business
Awards</a><br /></li>
<li><a href="#dedication">SIUE School Of Nursing Holds
First 'Dedication' Ceremony</a></li>
</ul>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
<h2><br /><a name="chingy" id="chingy">September 3,
2004</a></h2>
<h2>Chingy To Perform Live At SIUE With Opener Nina
Sky<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Chingy, popular rapper from St. Louis
who has toured the world and who has numerous club hits, will
perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, in Southern Illinois
University Edwardsville's Vadalabene Center. The opening act is
Nina Sky, a popular twin-sister singer-songwriter duo.</p>
<p>With recent releases such as Right Thurr and Hit the Club,
Chingy has earned high acclaim for his most recent album,
Chingy. He broke onto the world music stage in 2002 while
touring with St. Louis superstar Nelly. A member of the
"Lucacris Disturbing the Peace Family," Chingy credits Nelly
for teaching him "everything from how to run meet and greets,
operating backstage, and adjusting to life on the road." Chingy
is preparing for the release of a new album in November.</p>
<p>Nina Sky-otherwise known as identical twins Natalie and
Nicole Albino-is popular for Move Ya' Body, currently ranked
No. 1 on the Billboard dance chart. Nina Sky's music has been
described as a light R&B sound with a heavy influence of
hip hop.</p>
<p>Tickets are now on sale to the SIUE community at the Morris
University Center Information Center. Tickets are $22; SIUE
students with valid ID, $17. All members of the SIUE community
will be able to purchase a maximum of four tickets with their
SIUE ID. No phone orders will be accepted.</p>
<p>Tickets will go on sale to the general public for $22 at all
MetroTix locations or at www.metrotix.com beginning at 10 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 7. SIUE students must purchase their tickets at
the Morris Center Information Center to receive the student
ticket price. Doors will open for the event at 7 p.m.</p>
<p>The event is sponsored by SIUE's Campus Activities Board
(CAB). For more information, call CAB: (618) 650-3371, or the
Kimmel Leadership Center: (618) 650-2686, or, visit the CAB Web
site: www.siue.edu/CAB.<br /><br /> <a href="#top">Back to
top</a></p>
<h2><a name="soldout" id="soldout">September 7, 2004</a></h2>
<h2>Garrison Keillor Appearance For Arts & Issues Sold
Out<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Sept. 21 appearance of American
humorist Garrison Keillor, part of the 2004-05 Arts &
Issues series at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, is
sold out.</p>
<p>"We are happy with the response to Garrison's appearance and
we're sorry not everyone will have the opportunity to
experience his unique sense of humor," said John Peecher,
coordinator of the Arts & Issues series.</p>
<p>However, Peecher said a limited amount of subscription
ticket packages have been reserved for those who would still
like to purchase them. Subscriptions for seven events are $115;
students $57.50, or seven events plus the added attraction of
the Blind Boys of Alabama, $133, students, $66.50.</p>
<p>A 2004-05 season brochure is available by contacting the
Arts & Issues office, (618) 650-2626, or by e-mail:
jpeeche@siue.edu. Subscriptions or individual tickets also may
be purchased on the Web site: artsandissues.com.</p>
<p>Tickets still are available for the remaining Arts &
Issues dates: Marlin Fitzwater and Joe Lockhart (Oct. 13);
Windham Hill Winter Solstice Holiday Tour (Nov. 19); Kathy
Mattea (Jan. 21, 2005); The Acting Company with its rendition
of Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona (Feb. 27, 2005);
Ladysmith Black Mambazo (March 19, 2005); Dallas Brass (April
22, 2005); The Blind Boys of Alabama (Feb. 4,
2005).<br /><br /> <a href="#top">Back to top</a><br /></p>
<h2><a name="increase" id="increase">September 8, 2004</a></h2>
<h2>SIUE's Enrollment Has Increased For The Tenth Consecutive
Year<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) — Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville's fall enrollment has grown to 13,493 students, an
increase of 198 students, or about 1.5 percent higher than fall
2003, according to Todd Burrell, the university's director of
Admissions. The figure represents the highest enrollment since
1975.</p>
<p>The enrollment announcement comes on the heels of SIUE's
recent ranking of 16th among public universities in the
Midwestern Universities-Master's category of U.S. News and
World Report magazine's annual university rankings. As part of
that U.S. News ranking, SIUE was recognized by university
administrators in the category with a peer assessment, or
reputation, score that was highest among Illinois public
universities.</p>
<p>Much of SIUE's fall 2004 enrollment increase is attributable
to student retention at the undergraduate level. The number of
continuing undergraduate students is up 278 over last year. New
freshmen for fall 2004 number 1,682, down from 1,709 last year.
"We could have enrolled more new freshmen if we had more
classroom space and additional space in the three residence
halls," Burrell said.</p>
<p>"But we feel our current enrollment management strategies
allow us to continue providing a quality education for our
students."</p>
<p>Not only is enrollment up, but there also was an increase in
full-time equivalent (FTE). FTE is based on the number of hours
taken by all students. The number is then divided by 12
semester hours, the level at which a student is considered
full-time at SIUE. The university's FTE jumped from 9,556 in
fall 2000 to 10,778 this semester, an 11-percent increase.
Burrell said growing FTE levels have prompted discussion
regarding stabilizing enrollment growth and also raising
admission standards.</p>
<p>"Over the last several years, there has been a great deal of
discussion on campus regarding enrollment and admission
standards, prompting a change in</p>
<p>admissions standards," he said. "The higher FTE is a
positive reflection of that change and puts SIUE at an optimum
level in the size of our classes, the available classrooms,
faculty load, and our ability to provide personal service for
our students."</p>
<p>Burrell attributed the increases to a continued awareness of
SIUE as an affordable institution that provides a quality
education.</p>
<p>The <em>U.S. News</em> rankings, published in August, are
based on several key measures of quality that are used to
capture the various dimensions of academic quality at each
college. These measures fall into seven broad categories: peer
assessment; graduation and retention rate; faculty resources
(for example, class size); student selectivity (for example,
average admission test scores of incoming students); financial
resources; alumni giving; and, only for national universities
and liberal arts colleges, graduation rate performance.</p>
<p>"We are excited about the continued growing interest and
reputation at SIUE," said Boyd Bradshaw, SIUE's vice chancellor
for Enrollment Management. "More and more students and parents
view SIUE as a first choice institution due to our course
offerings, first rate residence halls and the engagement of
students inside and outside the classroom," Bradshaw said.</p>
<p>Overall, in the Midwest Master's category, SIUE was ranked
58 out of 142 institutions, a list that includes private and
public universities.<br /><br /> <a href="#top">Back to
top</a><br /></p>
<h2><a name="jsupper" id="jsupper">September 10, 2004</a></h2>
<h2>SIUE Jazz Supper Gala Set For Oct. 3 To Feature Big Band
Music<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) With its theme of "Make Believe
Ballroom Time," the 16th Annual Jazz Supper Gala, featuring a
live old-time radio broadcast, will offer an evening of fun,
food, and music from 6-10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 3, at Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville. Reservation deadline is Sept.
24.</p>
<p>Proceeds benefit the SIUE Friends of Music scholarship fund
that provides scholarships to talented music students. Half of
the ticket price is a gift to the Friends organization and may
be considered a tax deductible contribution. The Friends
organization is a support group for the SIUE Department of
Music.</p>
<p>Set in Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of SIUE’s
Morris University Center, the Jazz Supper Gala offers a
cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing to the big band sounds of
SIUE’s Concert Jazz Band, under the direction of SIUE
Professor Brett Stamps, director of the Jazz Studies Program
for the university.</p>
<p>Vocalist Tom Heitman, guitarist Rick Haydon, also a
professor of music at SIUE, and pianist Reggie Thomas, an
associate professor of Music, will be featured artists. The
evening's “special honoree” will be jazz vocalist
Mardra Thomas.</p>
<p>The event also includes a live “Old Time Radio
Broadcast,” featuring on-air interviews hosted by WSIE-FM
(88.7) jazz personality Ross Gentile, who will invite audience
participation.</p>
<p>Tickets for the Jazz Supper are $50 per person; a table of
eight may be reserved for $350. A Blue Note sponsorship
entitles a table of eight to preferred seating and recognition
in the evening's printed program.</p>
<p>The Friends of Music is a support organization for the
Department of Music. For reservations or more information, call
Martee Lucas in the department, (618) 650-3799, or, from St.
Louis toll-free, (888) 328-5168, Ext. 3799.<br /><br /> <a
href="#top">Back to top</a><br /></p>
<h2><a name="ECC" id="ECC">September 10, 2004</a></h2>
<h2>SIUE Early Childhood Center Receives Grant For Family
Services<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville's Early Childhood Center (ECC), which has served
the university community's childcare and Pre-kindergarten
education needs since 1969, has been awarded a grant from the
Illinois State Board of Education to offer expanded family
services in collaboration with Edwardsville Community School
District No. 7.</p>
<p>The $58,776 grant will help expand high-quality early
childhood educational experiences and provide an added family
component in conjunction with the Pre-K program (FACES) in the
district. The grant is part of the Early Childhood Block Grant
Early Learning Partners program, said ECC Director Rebecca
Dabbs-Kayser.</p>
<p>"This grant is aimed primarily at SIUE student families with
Pre-K children," Dabbs-Kayser said. She said the ECC is staffed
with certified Pre-K teachers, but this grant will help expand
services to families. "We'll be offering parenting education,
such as parent workshops about child development and school
readiness, for example, as well as family events in conjunction
with the Edwardsville district and the SIUE Family Resource
Center," she said.</p>
<p>"Through the grant, children will be screened for hearing
and vision, kindergarten readiness skills, speech and language,
and fine and gross motor skills. The screenings will help to
identify if a child need additional developmental services
which will be provided through the collaboration.</p>
<p>"The ECC has been providing quality Pre-K education for more
than 35 years, but now we'll be collaborating with District 7,"
she said, "and, we are looking forward to working together to
provide more services for our families."<br /><br /> <a
href="#top">Back to top</a><br /></p>
<h2><a name="dean" id="dean">September 22, 2004</a></h2>
<h2>Gov. Howard Dean, Pundit Tony Blankley To Appear Oct. 13 At
SIUE<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) On the eve of the presidential
election, former Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean
and well-known conservative political pundit Tony Blankley will
offer lively debate as part of Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville's Arts & Issues series at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday,
Oct. 13, in Meridian Ballroom, on the first floor of SIUE's
Morris University Center.</p>
<p>Dean and Blankley replace Marlin Fitzwater and Joe Lockhart
on the Arts & Issues 2004-05 bill because of scheduling
conflicts.</p>
<p>Arts & Issues, which began in 1985 at SIUE, has a
long-standing tradition of bringing world-class performers and
noted speakers to Southwestern Illinois. "For two decades the
Arts & Issues series has been the benchmark of quality
entertainment and distinguished speakers for Southwestern
Illinois audiences," said John Peecher, coordinator of the
series. "Howard Dean and Tony Blankley have a great deal of
political savvy and will have much to say about the upcoming
presidential election," he said.</p>
<p>"Both Dean and Blankley continue our tradition of bringing
provocative speakers to the Arts & Issues podium."</p>
<p>Appearing on the covers of Time and Newsweek, all eyes were
on Howard Dean earlier this year as he mounted an influential
campaign as a candidate for the 2004 Democratic nomination for
President.</p>
<p>Dean, a medical doctor, has previously shared a private
practice with his wife, Dr. Judith Steinberg Dean, in Vermont.
He earned a bachelor's at Yale and received a medical degree at
Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.</p>
<p>Dean was a member of the Vermont General Assembly from
1983-85 and was elected lieutenant governor of the state in
1986, gaining re-election in 1988 and 1990. He became governor
upon the death of Gov. Richard A. Snelling in August 1991 and
was elected to a full term in November 1992, gaining
re-election in 1994, 1996, 1998, and in 2000.</p>
<p>Blankley served for seven years as press secretary for
then-U.S. Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. In that role,
Blankley became the leading spokesman for the "Contract with
America." Before his career on Capitol Hill, Blankley had
served as a speechwriter and senior analyst for President
Ronald Reagan.</p>
<p>After leaving Gingrich's staff in February 1997, Blankley
joined George magazine as a contributing editor. He currently
is a regular panelist for the McLaughlin Group and he also
appears regularly on CNN's Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer, as
well as CNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews, Rivera Live, The
News with Brian Williams, and MSNBC. In June 1999, Blankley
joined the Washington Times as a weekly political columnist; he
also is a popular columnist for the Los Angeles Times.</p>
<p>Tickets for the Oct. 13 Arts & Issues event are $12;
students, $6. A season brochure is available by contacting John
Peecher, (618) 650-2626, or by e-mail: jpeeche@siue.edu.
Individual tickets also may be purchased at the Web site:
artsandissues.com.</p>
<p>The remaining Arts & Issues season includes: Windham
Hill Winter Solstice Holiday Tour (Nov. 19) is SOLD OUT; Grammy
Award winning singer-songwriter Kathy Mattea (Jan. 21, 2005);
The Acting Company with its rendition of Shakespeare's Two
Gentlemen of Verona (Feb. 27, 2005); the powerful a cappella
singing of Ladysmith Black Mambazo (March 19, 2005); the
exciting sounds of the Dallas Brass (April 22, 2005); the
special appearance of the "funkified" gospel music of The Blind
Boys of Alabama (Feb. 4, 2005) is SOLD OUT.<br /><br /> <a
href="#top">Back to top</a><br /></p>
<h2><a name="reldin" id="reldin">September 22, 2004</a></h2>
<h2>SIUE Friends Of Religious Center Awards Dinner Set For Oct.
2<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) A Caseyville pastor and a Southern
Illinois University Edwardsville faculty member will be honored
Saturday, Oct. 2, at the Second Annual Interfaith Awards
Dinner, sponsored by the Friends of the Religious Center (FRC)
at SIUE.</p>
<p>The event is scheduled at 6:30 p.m. at the SIUE Religious
Center, the geodesic dome just east of the SIUE Art and Design
Building. The Rev. Douglas Cripe, coordinator of the Metro-East
Interfaith Partnership, and Assistant Historical Studies
Professor Rowena McClinton, who is dedicated to preserving the
history of the Cherokee Nation, will receive the Friends of the
Religious Center 2004 Interfaith Leadership Award.</p>
<p>Reservation deadline is Sept. 30; tickets are $25 per
person, which includes dinner and free parking.</p>
<p>The FRC established the awards to recognize religious
leadership and interfaith cooperation in the region. "Rev.
Cripe has shown great dedication to his faith and has
encouraged dialogue in the region among many faiths," said SIUE
Associate Philosophy Professor Greg Fields, who is president of
the FRC board and coordinator of the SIUE Religious Studies
Program. "Dr. McClinton's work on Cherokee history is a great
contribution to the Cherokee people, and also is a resource for
all Americans who wish to gain a fuller understanding of
historical encounters between native spiritual traditions and
Christianity," he said.</p>
<p>"The FRC is honoring these two recipients so that the
community at large can learn about the good work they do."</p>
<p>Fields said the FRC, formed more than three years ago,
sponsors two main events each year to raise money to refurbish
parts of the 33-year-old Religious Center that is need of
repair. "We offer this Interfaith Awards Dinner in the fall and
also the Celebration of World Faiths in the spring to encourage
interfaith dialogue.</p>
<p>"The FRC is a support group dedicated to preserving the SIUE
Religious Center as a significant contribution to
architecture," Fields said, "as a place for the spiritual
growth of SIUE students as the next generation of leaders, and
for religious learning and fellowship within the
community."</p>
<p>Cripe, pastor of the Crossroads Christian Church in
Caseyville, is coordinator of the Metro-East Interfaith
Partnership. The organization is dedicated to promoting peace,
respect, and understanding among people of all faiths in the
Metro-East area, while providing a timely public voice on
issues of common concern. Cripe also serves on the boards of
the Area Agency for Aging of Southwestern Illinois and the
Beacon of Belleville, an interdenominational organization for
helping those in need. In addition, he also is president of the
Belleville Area Clergy Association.</p>
<p>In addition to scholarly research regarding the Cherokee
culture, McClinton served this past year on the Lewis and Clark
Bicentennial Committee at SIUE and was instrumental in bringing
Native American speakers to campus to discuss Indian
sovereignty. She is very active as a member of the board for
the Illinois chapter of the Trail of Tears Association, serving
as historian and archivist for the group. The chapter is
currently mapping the historic trail in Illinois for future
interpretive center sites. McClinton also is one of two
representatives from Illinois on the National Trail of Tears
Association.</p>
<p>Dinner reservations may be made through the SIUE Religious
Center, (618) 650-3246, or, toll-free from St. Louis, (888)
328-5168, Ext. 3246, or, by calling Greg Fields, (618)
650-2461; St. Louis toll-free, (888) 328-5168, Ext.
2461.<br /><br /> <a href="#top">Back to top</a><br /></p>
<h2><a name="SONwalk" id="SONwalk">September 23, 2004</a></h2>
<h2>SIUE School Of Nursing Scholarship Walk Raises Nearly
$4,000<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Seventy-five walkers raised nearly
$4,000 for the first Scholarship Walk sponsored recently by the
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of
Nursing.</p>
<p>Nursing Development Director Bob McElligott said more than
$3,800 raised by the volunteer walkers will be used for
scholarship funds for pre-clinical, clinical, and graduate
nursing students at SIUE. "Through scholarship support,"
McElligott said, "students will be able to focus more of their
energy on nursing education, rather than holding down a job
while attending school."</p>
<p>McElligott said more than 100 T-shirts were distributed to
nursing students, faculty, staff, and those who raised
donations.</p>
<p>In addition to fund-raising, the walk also was designed to
increase public awareness of the nursing shortage, and what the
SIUE School of Nursing is doing to address the problem.
Graduates of the school's basic program earn a four-year BSN
degree that develops and supports critical thinking skills,
clinical decision-making abilities, and nursing values and
ethics.</p>
<p>Two major sponsors of the Scholarship Walk were
Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, and St. Elizabeth's
Hospital in Belleville, McElligott pointed out. "The publicized
goal was to raise at least $10,000 in scholarships for nursing
students," he said. "Even though we did not reach this goal, we
will continue to seek donations to help our students become the
nurses that current and future patients depend on for personal
health care.</p>
<p>"We set the goal high because that is the need and
opportunity. We are grateful for the work and generosity that
the donation recognizes."</p>
<p>During the past five years, the SIUE School of Nursing has
graduated 681 baccalaureate-level (BSN) nurses and 231 master's
and advanced-practice (e.g., Nurse Practitioners) nurses. Most
SIUE graduates tend to come from-and return to work in-Southern
Illinois and in the St. Louis region.</p>
<p>SIUE graduates also are teaching at SIUE and in other
nursing schools around the country. Nearly 4,000 nursing
students have graduated during the school's 39-year
existence.</p>
<p>McElligott said enrollment at the School is up
significantly. "From fall 2003 to fall 2004, undergraduate
nursing enrollment of sophomores, juniors, and seniors
increased from 191 to 262; up 37 percent," he said.</p>
<p>"The RN to BSN program grew from 54 to 64; up 19 percent.
Graduate nurse enrollment increased from 140 to 214; up 53
percent."<br /><br /> <a href="#top">Back to top</a><br /></p>
<h2><a name="mainstage" id="mainstage">September 30,
2004</a></h2>
<h2>Editors: Photos are available:</h2>
<h2>Noises Off To Open Oct. 13 At SIUE Mainstage<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) Unlike some plays that have deep
intellectual levels of meaning upon meaning, the upcoming
production of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville's
Noises Off has none.</p>
<p>It's just plain fun and that may be why audiences have been
roaring for nearly 20 years at Michael Frayn's jaunt through
the foibles and mistakes of a traveling theater troupe.</p>
<p>The comedy, which is directed by Johanna Schmitz, an
assistant professor of Theater and Dance at the university,
runs at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 13-16, and at
2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 17, all in the Katherine Dunham Hall
theater. The three-act comedy is of the play-within-a-play
genre but that's about the only thing to be said about it in an
intellectual manner. "This play has no intellectual pretense
whatsoever," says Schmitz,</p>
<p>The SIUE production of Noises Off, based on a revised script
published by Frayn in 2000, chronicles a hapless theater troupe
performing the fictional British door-slamming sex farce
“Nothing On”: first at final dress rehearsal; then
behind-the-scenes at a matinee on tour a month later; and
finally, seven weeks after that, another matinee.</p>
<p>Practically everything that can go wrong does. The conflict
comes as we find most of the characters, including the director
and the stage manager, involved in romantic trysts, which set
up a destructive dynamic fueled by jealousy and ego.</p>
<p>The result is something beyond slapstick. "It is just the
funniest play I've ever seen," Schmitz said.</p>
<p>To work, the actors must perform choreographed movement with
precision, and Schmitz and her cast have been working
diligently on that aspect. "We had to mount the basic set much
earlier than we would any other play because we needed to begin
work immediately on the timing of the action.</p>
<p>"In this play, when one door opens, another door literally
must slam shut immediately after. It's all about the
timing."</p>
<p>Schmitz said directing Noises Off is a complete 180-degree
turn from her last effort at SIUE—directing Oedipus the
King last spring. "It's a joy and a new challenge for me to
direct this very demanding farce," Schmitz said. "The comedy in
Noises Off comes from the funny situations and the play's
increased momentum as it continues to move faster and faster,
becoming more complicated."</p>
<p>The play also gives students a chance to hone their comedic
skills. "Not only does the play give them a chance to show off
their training, but they also get to be in a cast that includes
two of our faculty members," she said. Associate Professor
Peter Cocuzza will be playing the part of Selsdon Mowbray, the
elderly has-been Shakespearean, while Assistant Professor Chuck
Harper will portray the role of the director, Lloyd Dallas.</p>
<p>"Peter has been teaching a comedy technique class and he
wanted to try his hand at this comic part," Schmitz said,
adding that both faculty members will lend some "maturity" to
the characters they play. There's a lot of exaggeration and
repetition, which also makes it very funny," Schmitz said.
"And, there are a lot of cheated expectations-you think one
thing is going to happen and then something else happens
instead."</p>
<p>Tickets are $10; senior citizens, students, and SIUE faculty
and staff, $6. SIUE students are free with a valid university
ID. For tickets, call the SIUE Fine Arts box office, (618)
650-2774, or, from St. Louis toll-free, (888) 328-5168, Ext.
2774.<br /><br /> <a href="#top">Back to top</a><br /></p>
<h2><a name="valley" id="valley">September 30, 2004</a></h2>
<h2>Finalists Announced For Mississippi Valley Family Business
Awards<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville School of Business, celebrating its 10th
anniversary of presenting the annual Mississippi Valley Family
Business of the Year Awards, has announced the finalists for
the 2004 competition.</p>
<p>The prestigious, regional awards recognize outstanding
family businesses in Missouri and Illinois and are given in
three categories: large (250 or more employees), medium (50 to
250 employees), and small (fewer than 50 employees).</p>
<p>The 2004 Illinois Small Category finalists are: Freer Auto
Body & Accessories and White's Greenhouse Inc., both
located in Godfrey, and SUNCON Inc. in Alton. The Illinois
Medium Category finalists are: Fischer Lumber Company in East
Alton, and Korte & Luitjohan Contractors in Highland. The
Illinois Large Category finalist is Luhr Bros. Inc. in
Columbia.</p>
<p>The Missouri Small Category finalists are Nikco Sports
Memorabilia in Chesterfield, Mo.; Branneky Hardware in
Bridgeton, Mo.; and Lackey Sheet Metal in St. Louis. The Medium
Category finalists in Missouri are: Da-Com Corporation in St.
Louis; Salon De Christe in St. Peters, Mo.; and Commercial
Letter Inc. in St. Louis. The Missouri Large Category finalist
is The Western Group in St. Louis.</p>
<p>The Family Business of the Year Award is presented to
companies with a strong commitment to both business and family.
In addition to business success, those recognized demonstrate
positive family business values, have multigenerational family
business involvement, use innovative business strategies, and
make personal contributions to their industries and
communities.</p>
<p>Winners in each category will be announced at the 10th
Anniversary Dinner on Friday, Nov. 5, at the SIUE campus.
Tickets may be purchased for $125 per person, which includes a
reception with the finalists and sponsors, dinner, and the
awards presentation. For more information, contact Cheryl Camp
by phone: (618) 650-2317, or, by e-mail: chcamp@siue.edu.</p>
<p>Sponsors supporting this year's awards program include:
Colarelli Meyer & Associates, Lexow Financial Group,
MassMutual Financial Group, Moto Inc., Partners Bank,
Polsinelli Shalton Welte Suelthaus PC, Sheppard, Morgan &
Schwaab Inc., the St. Louis Business Journal, and TheBANK of
Edwardsville.</p>
<p>The SIUE School of Business is among the leading
institutions in the region that prepares students and business
professionals by creating high quality innovative programs to
serve Illinois and the St. Louis metropolitan area.<br /><br />
<a href="#top">Back to top</a><br /></p>
<h2><a name="dedication" id="dedication">September 30,
2004</a></h2>
<h2>Editors: Photo available at
www.siue.edu/PA/PHOTOS/photoindex.htm</h2>
<h2>SIUE School Of Nursing Holds First 'Dedication'
Ceremony<br /></h2>
<p>(EDWARDSVILLE, Ill.) The Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville School of Nursing conducted its first Dedication
to the Profession Ceremony recently at SIUE's Morris University
Center. Thirty-five students recently admitted to the School
participated, with 120 family members and faculty also
attending.</p>
<p>The ceremony is a milestone marking the students' entrance
into clinical practice, and their first steps in answering a
pledge to deliver excellent patient care.</p>
<p>During the program, the students and family members were
welcomed and congratulated by SIUE Provost and Vice Chancellor,
Sharon K. Hahs, Dean Marcia Maurer, and other Nursing .</p>
<p>An Alumni Award was presented to Michele Brown, associate
director of Patient Care Services for St. Louis Veterans
Affairs Medical Center in St. Louis, for recent accomplishments
in helping coordinate the development of a new master's program
at SIUE, the Clinical Nurse Leader.</p>
<p>The SIUE School of Nursing is increasing public awareness of
the nationwide nursing shortage, and what the SIUE School of
Nursing is doing to address the problem. Graduates of the
school's basic program earn a four-year BSN degree that
develops and supports critical thinking skills, clinical
decision-making abilities, and nursing values and ethics.</p>
<p>For more information about supporting the School of Nursing,
contact McElligott, (618) 650-3906, or by e-mail:
rmcelli@siue.edu. Information about the SIUE School of Nursing
also may be found on the Web: www.siue.edu/NURSING.<br /><br />
<a href="#top">Back to top</a></p>