The Kentucky Arts Council will celebrate Kentucky Writers’ Day on Tuesday, April 24, with an event at the Spalding Library, capping off a week of literary events around the state that recognize the Commonwealth’s literary tradition.
The Kentucky General Assembly established Kentucky Writers’ Day in 1990 to honor Kentucky’s strong literary tradition and to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of Kentucky native Robert Penn Warren, the first poet laureate of the United States and winner of three Pulitzer Prizes.
Current Kentucky Poet Laureate Frederick Smock will be among the readers and panelists at the Kentucky Arts Council’s Kentucky Writers’ Day celebration, beginning 6 p.m. in the Spalding Library’s Kentucky Room, 853 Library Lane.
Maureen Morehead, Spalding MFA faculty member and past Kentucky poet laureate
Following poetry readings by Smock and former poets laureate Maureen Morehead (2011-2012) and Joe Survant (2003-2004), poet Lynnell Edwards, Spalding’s associate program director for the Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing Program, will moderate a discussion about Kentucky’s literary tradition. Morehead is a member of the Spalding MFA faculty.
As Kentucky’s literary ambassador, Smock urges all Kentuckians to celebrate Writers’ Day, no matter where they are.
“On Kentucky Writers’ Day, turn off the phone. Log off the computer. Do not turn on the television. For a few minutes, just read a poem. Let it sink in,” Smock said. “Follow where your mind goes with it, for you are the only authority on what the poem means to you.
“As with love, the feeling of having read a good poem can induce a certain inner radiance. The poem sinks in and transforms itself from words on a page to a deep interior shift. After all, we go to poetry not to find out about the poet’s life, but to find out about our own.”
Spalding alumni and any other members of the Spalding community or friends of the university are invited to participate next Monday, April 23, in the second annual Spalding University Alumni Association Golf Classic at Chariot Run Golf Course in Laconia Indiana.
The cost is $150 per player or $600 for a foursome, and a few spots remain. You don’t have to be a Spalding alumnus/alumna to play. The foursome entry fee includes 18 holes and a cart, range access, a buffet lunch, two drink tickets, a gift bag and access to the silent auction.
You can register online at this link, or contact Liam Clemen in alumni relations at lclemen@spalding.edu or (502) 873-4551 with questions.
All proceeds go the Blue and Gold Fund to support Spalding students.
The event begin with lunch at 11 a.m., followed by a shot-gun start on the course at 12:30 p.m.
Liam Clemen, who coordinates alumni relations
“It’s just going to be a fun time,” Clemen said. “It supports the Blue and Gold Fund, which goes right back into scholarships and student funds. It supports the students, which is what we’re all about here at Spalding.”
Spalding will also host its 14th annual Day at the Downs at Churchill Downs on Sunday, June 3, the day after Commencement. Tickets and sponsorship opportunities for that are available at this link. Clemen said that event is always one of Spalding’s most popular and that dozens of tickets have already been sold.
Clemen especially encourages recent alumni to engage in Spalding events like the golf outing and Day at the Downs. He said a homecoming-style gathering next fall with drinks and music is in the works.
Clemen, a 2017 Spalding graduate and former baseball player who started at his job last October, is part of the alumni demographic he’s targeting. The Toronto native said he loved his experience at Spalding, majoring in communications and playing ball for a season before suffering an injury.
He did work study in the sports information office of the athletic department, including doing announcing for the live stream of Spalding basketball and baseball games.
Clemen said he’s enjoyed being on campus to experience the growth of the campus with integration of new properties like the College Street Center, the Republic Bank Academic Center and Trager Park as well as the proposed athletic fields project on Ninth Street.
“Being able to be a part of that has given me the Spalding spirit,” Clemen said. “That’s one thing I’ve been trying to get our alumni to do, come out to our games and events and show their support for their alma mater. I just love being here.”
Learn more about how Spalding alumni can stay engaged at Spalding.edu/alumni.
Another successful Running of the Rodents is in the books.
Jaq Jaq, a white female rat trained by the Social Media Ambassadors team, was the winner of the signature Spalding Derby to end the 46th annual rat races on Thursday, April 12, at the College Street Ballroom, aka Spalding Downs.
“I think she was kind of a sleeper pick, hadn’t won a race (before the finale),” said Spalding freshman Ethan Thornton, a member of the Social Media Ambassadors and also one of the emcees of the event. “At the end, she decided to show what she’s all about and get the quick ‘W.'”
This year’s Disney-inspired rat race theme was Magic Ratdom, and many student and staff groups dressed up in Disney costumes. This year’s races were also a tribute to the late Sister Julia Clare Fontane, SCN, a former Spalding biology professor who created the Running of the Rodents with her lab rats in 1973. She died in February at the age of 97. On Thursday, there was a moment of silence, followed by a round of applause in her honor.
Before the races, university President Tori Murden McClure, dressed as the Disney’s Maleficent in an amazing homemade black costume that included 8-foot-wide wings, led a crowd of about 500 students, faculty and staff on the traditional Running of the Rodents parade through SoBro.
“This event is what we’re all about – an awesome sense of community and making sure everyone’s included,” Thornton said.
Check out videos and photos of the day, including plenty of folks wanting to pose with new Spalding mascot Ollie the Eagle:
Students and faculty wore Disney-themed costumes.The financial aid department dressed up like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.President Tori Murden McClure and Social Media Ambassadors and rat race emcees Ethan Thornton and Michaela Patton, who’s also the head of the Campus Activities Board.President Tori Murden McClure and Ollie the Eagle.Students enjoying the rat race parade.Nursing students outside the rat race.Student Government Association President Chris Muncy and Ollie.Ollie and a studentStudent Cameron Ferguson and Ollie.Ollie and a student.Ollie and a baby.Ollie and a student.One purpose of rat race is to teach students about animal care.Ollie and a student
Attention future Spalding students in the Class of 2022: The first official step for incoming freshmen to get set for college is to participate in beSU – the Begin Experiencing Spalding University program.
BeSU requires new traditional-age students who have been admitted to Spalding and paid their $100 enrollment deposit to visit campus for a spring or summer orientation – the first session is coming up soon – then return just before the fall semester for a two-night stay called Engage that includes additional college-readiness programming.
BeSU is mandatory – it’s how you register for classes and get answers about financial aid and housing – but it’s also fun. BeSU is packed with activities to learn how life at Spalding works, and it’s your first chance to meet your classmates and begin forging those bonds with your future college pals.
“It’s really their first step in their journey to becoming a college student,” said Katherine Walker-Payne, Spalding’s director of academic support.
New Spalding students are encouraged to use the hashtag #spaldingu2022 for all their posts on social media regarding their transition to college.
beSU Orientation
Things begin with a beSU Orientation session – the dates (with respective registration links) are Saturday, April 14; Wednesday, June 6; Tuesday, June 26; and Friday, July 13. (Conditionally admitted students must also participate in Spalding’s CONNECT week, July 9-12, in which they learn about the conditions of their admittance and begin mapping their academic plan.)
Walker-Payne said she considers beSU as the final touch in the recruiting process of new students and to “get them jazzed about their decision to attend Spalding.” There will be a Marketplace session with access to representatives from offices and departments all around campus.
“They’ll leave the orientation event with their schedule of classes for the fall and their student ID,” she said. “They’ll have some of the stuff squared away so that they’re ready to roll right in August and be ready for Engage.
“It gives them an opportunity to come on campus and really get a feel for what’s offered and what kind of support they can expect. We feed them lunch, tour them around campus. They’ll get to meet students in their sophomore and junior years who will serve as their peer mentors.”
There is also programming designed specifically for students’ parents, giving advice on helping their children transition to college.
About 50 incoming freshmen attend each of the four orientation sessions, and for students who may want to get to it right away, there are still spots open the April 14 session. Walker-Payne encourages students to register for the earliest beSU session they can because they’ll have more options for their fall class schedules.
Other beSU events
Here’s the gist of Engage and the related August beSU events:
beSU Move-in Sunday, Aug. 12
Settle in to your new campus home and connect with your new community and your residence life staff.
beSU Engage Sunday, Aug. 12 – Tuesday, Aug. 14
Kick-off your on-campus experience with this required 2-day, 2-night program. We’ll be providing you with everything you need to begin your college career. To register, please contact your Admissions Counselor.
beSU Welcome Week
Wednesday, Aug. 15 – Friday, Aug. 24
Start your first week of college off right with exciting events, friends, food, and fun.
Women’s History Month is a time to look ahead at Spalding University.
Spalding’s Office of Student Leadership and Multicultural Services will present the Future of Women panel and leaders forum 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, March 27 in the College Street Ballroom, 812 South Second Street. It’s a free public event that celebrates Women’s History Month in March, and audience members are encouraged to ask questions.
Twelve local women leaders from a range of fields, including politics, publishing, law, health care, technology and women-focused nonprofits, will give brief individual speeches, then join for a panel discussion, all aimed at sharing insight about the future of women in business, art, health care, science and tech, civic engagement and more.
There will also be a performance by poet and artist Rheonna Nicole.
Here are the scheduled speakers:
Phyllis M. Webb – University of Louisville Women’s Center
Rae Strobel – Kentucky Foundation for Women
Leigh-Ann Burke-Schaad – Junior League of Louisville
Heather Kolasinsky – Humana attorney in technology and litigation
Muriel Petersheim – The Center for Women and Families
Diane Cruze – Women Who Write
Cathy Zion – Zion Publications (Today’s Woman, Today’s Transitions, Today’s Family)
Tina Ward-Pugh – Louisville Metro Office For Women
Rachel McGalliard -The Software Guild
Jessie Powell – Doulas of Kentuckiana
Nubia Bennett – Spalding University
Angela Leet – Louisville Metro Councilwoman and Mayoral Candidate
According to the Office of Student Leadership and Multicultural Services, there are some topics that will be covered during the Future of Women event:
Women gaining the support they need to be their full, artistic, and creative selves.
Providing a safe place to hone leadership skills and afford opportunities that may not be present at work or home.
Owning your worth in the work place.
Women finding their voices through writing.
The future of women in making their voices heard in the boardrooms and bourtrooms and women becoming more involved in politics and corporate leadership.
The critical need for women be informed about the consequences of who and what they vote for, or not voting at all, and understanding tyranny, duty, and civility.
STEM careers and the challenges that women face in software development sectors and the strides that are being made to shrink the gap.
Empowering women to take a more prominent role in their medical/health care.
The Spalding Master of Science in Athletic Training program will celebrate National Athletic Training Month with a speech from Purdue University associate athletic director Doug Boersma at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 22 in the Columbia Gym auditorium. It’ll be preceded by a health fair from the Eagle Care Clinic at 11 in the gym lobby.
Pizza and soft drinks will be served.
The National Athletic Trainers’ Association has declared the theme of this year’s Athletic Training Month to be, “Compassionate care for all,” and Boersma will share his experiences in delivering compassionate care to student-athletes.
Boersma, a certified athletic trainer for more than 20 years, oversees the medical treatment and rehabilitation of for all 18 Purdue sports programs. He’s also had stints at Bowling Green State, the University of Kentucky and Notre Dame. Read Boersma’s full bio.
Spalding’s MSAT is the first master’s-level professional athletic training program in Kentucky. The program will hold an info session on April 12. Register for the April info session.
Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) and Spalding University are teaming up to host a three-day summit to highlight and train educators on restorative justice practices.
The Restorative Justice Practices Training Summit, being held March 14-16 at Spalding, will educate school administrators, teachers, staff and school resource officers about the methods of restorative practice, a social science that seeks to manage conflict and tensions by repairing harm and restoring relationships.
“Restorative practice has been a valuable tool in guiding how we respond to conflict and misbehavior in the classroom while emphasizing safety and accountability,” JCPS Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio said. “Our ultimate goal is to utilize these strategies to decrease referrals and improve school attendance.”
JCPS has turned to intervention strategies such as restorative practice and Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports in recent years to proactively manage student behavior. The district implemented a restorative practice pilot at 10 schools this fall, with another eight schools to be added in the 2018-19 school year. Preliminary data indicate that restorative practice elementary and high schools were outperforming the district on suspension incidents, suspension days and in-school suspensions, while two of the three middle schools in the pilot have shown recent improvements in the suspension data.
“We look forward to hosting JCPS leaders and resource officers on our campus to learn more about restorative practices,” Spalding President Tori Murden McClure said. “At Spalding, we’ve made restorative practices a priority and believe they are a thoughtful, compassionate way to manage conflicts and build community. Spalding has implemented restorative techniques and methods on our campus to help find solutions and understanding in a range of settings.”
The first day of the conference is designed for professionals who work in K-12 educational settings and are interested in finding ways to implement restorative practice in their schools.
School resource officers will take part in the second and third days of the conference, which will include training and offer examples on how to utilize authority in restorative ways. The focus will be on fostering positive relationships with students and how to implement talking circles – controlled group conversations designed to promote dialogue about difficult topics and offer all parties equal time to talk freely in a safe setting.
In some cases, restorative practices are also being used as an alternative to the traditional criminal justice system in Louisville. With restorative practices, the offender and victim volunteer to participate together to express what harm has been done, who is responsible for repairing that harm and how can that harm be repaired, according to Restorative Justice Louisville, whose offices are located on Spalding’s campus.
The International Institute of Restorative Practices and local law enforcement agencies will all be partners in the training. In addition, JCPS Behavior Support Systems Department Coordinator Naomi Brahim and resource teachers Angel Jackson and Ronzell Smith will present, along with Spalding Director of Forensic Psychology and Restorative Studies Dr. Ida Dickie and forensic psychology graduate student Mariya Leyderman. Dickie recently won the Kentucky Psychological Association’s Community Service Award.
The conference is being held at Spalding University’s College Street Building, 812 Second St.
March Madness is almost here. After Selection Sunday, the Spalding Bracketology event, once again, will have you covered on everything you need to know about the upcoming NCAA Tournament and the outlook for our local Division I teams.
Legendary University of Louisville coach Denny Crum will highlight the panel of basketball luminaries who will take the stage on March 12 – the day after the NCAA draw – for the 10th annual Spalding Bracketology fundraiser at Freedom Hall.
It’s a key event to support Spalding’s Division III athletic department and an opportunity for basketball fans to hear from hoops experts while having a chance at great prizes and auction items.
In addition to Crum, who is once again the honorary host of Spalding Bracketology, this year’s panelists include former U of L player Luke Hancock, former University of Kentucky player Mike Pratt, former Crum assistant coach Jerry Jones, former Cincinnati star Roger McClendon and former WNBA All-Star Kym Hampton.
WHAS-840 radio personalities Tony Cruise and Terry Meiners will also be on stage to offer their insights.
The panel will discuss the tournament field and college basketball in general and recount stories from their days on the court.
Hampton is a new addition to the Bracketology lineup. A Kentucky Miss Basketball runner-up from Iroquois High School, she led the state in scoring and rebounding as a senior before an All-American career at Arizona State.
Hampton remains the only basketball player in Arizona State history (male or female) to score more than 2,000 points (2,361) and grab more than 1,000 rebounds (1,145) in a career. After a long professional career in Europe, Hampton became the No. 4 pick in the first WNBA Draft and was voted a starter in the first WNBA All-Star game.
“These community leaders are tremendous individuals and wonderful ambassadors for their respective communities,” Spalding Chief Marketing and Public Relations Officer Rick Barney said. “We are so fortunate to have them involved in what we are building at Spalding.”
Big Cash Raffle
In addition to hearing from and meeting the celebrity panel of tournament prognosticators, guests will be able to buy tickets for a Big Cash Raffle in which a total of $25,000 will be given away. There will be silent-auction items and autographed sports memorabilia available for bidding.
Raffle tickets, which are on sale now and can be purchased online here, are $100, with a maximum of 1,000 to be sold. Doors will open at 5 p.m., and the program will begin at 6, with a first drawing for a $1,000 prize. A second drawing will take place at 6:45 for $1,500. A third will occur at 7:30 for $2,500. a final drawing for the grand prize of $20,000 will take place at 9 p.m.
Why should you take a shot? Your odds are to win are quite good compared with other popular ventures. The odds of picking a perfect bracket are in one in 9.2 quintillion. The odds of winning the Big Cash Raffle are one in 1,000.
Plus, the proceeds all good to help current and future student-athletes. Since its inception, the Spalding Bracketology event has raised over $1 million for the Golden Eagles’ D-III athletic program.
“The fact that this event has grown each year tells us we have developed a unique opportunity for folks to rub elbows with local sports celebrities while enjoying the excitement surrounding the NCAA Tournament,” said Spalding athletic director Roger Burkman, who played on Crum’s 1980 NCAA title team. “It provides a fun environment and spreads awareness about all we have going on at Spalding.”
If your organization is interested in purchasing a table to help support Spalding athletics or want more information on the event, please contact Lisa Bash DeFrees in the athletic office at 502-873-4201 or lbash@spalding.edu.
Spalding’s 10th annual Bracketology event will take place 6-9 p.m. March 12 at Freedom Hall. The fundraiser for Spalding’s NCAA Division III athletics program includes an all-star panel discussing basketball, a Big Cash Raffle, a silent auction and more
Get meaningful holiday gifts and support the students of your favorite university at the same time?! What a deal.
It can be a reality tonight (Monday, Dec. 4) from 6 to 8 p.m. at during the Community Shopping Night at Just Creations, 2722 Frankfort Avenue. A portion of all sales will go toward the Spalding Study Abroad in Ireland program.
Global education is an appropriate cause to be associated with Just Creations, which is a Fair Trade nonprofit organization that provides marketing assistance to low-income artisans and farmers throughout the developing world. Your purchase of gifts, household items, clothing, jewelry, and food helps to provide a fair wage for the artisans and enables them to pay for food, education, health care and housing.
It’s loaded with cool, one-of-kind items, and you can feel good about yourself when you buy it, knowing you’re making a difference.
We’ll see you there.
Best-selling author and award-winning teacher Dr. Sena Jeter Naslund is set to retire on Dec. 31, 2017 from her role as program director of Spalding University’s nationally distinguished low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program, which she co-founded in 2001.
Current Associate Program Director and award-winning poet Kathleen Driskell will assume the role of program director upon Naslund’s retirement.
As part of the ongoing Fall 2017 Spalding MFA Residency’s Festival of Contemporary Writing, Naslund will read from her work, with musical accompaniment by Frank Richmond, at the First Unitarian Church, 809 S. Fourth Street, at 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 17. It’s free and open to the public.
Naslund is the author of nine works of fiction, including best-selling Ahab’s Wife, a finalist for the Orange Prize. Her other bestselling novels include Adam & Eve, Abundance: A Novel of Marie Antoinette, and Four Spirits. Her awards include the Harper Lee Award and the Southeastern Library Association Fiction award. In 2014, Naslund retired from her position as Distinguished Teaching Professor at the University of Louisville. She is actively working on a new novel and a musical with composer Gerald Plain.
Kathleen Driskell / Photo by John Nation
The Spalding Low Residency MFA in Writing Program, founded by Naslund and current Administrative Director Karen Mann, was the first such MFA program in Kentucky and was named a top-10 low-residency MFA program by Poets & Writers. Its writing faculty include prizewinners in every genre, and alumni have garnered top national honors while publishing and producing more than 400 books, plays, and films.
“What I most want to say to Sena is thank you,” said Spalding President Tori Murden McClure, who is a graduate of the MFA program. “Thank you for creating a world-class program. Thank you for bringing it to Spalding University. Thank you for your wisdom and clarity as you established a nurturing culture that allows great writing to flourish. Sena has heard me say many times, ‘I did my undergraduate studies at Smith College, an excellent school. I went to Harvard for my degree in Divinity. I went to law school at the University of Louisville. The best academic program of my career was the Masters of Fine Arts in Writing at Spalding University.’ It was a mind-expanding program.
“Sena Jeter Naslund will always be the founding director of the MFA. She is leaving the program in superb hands with Kathleen Driskell. Kathleen has been a positive force in leadership at Spalding for many years. I expect that the MFA program will thrive at Spalding for many years to come.”
MFA students at Spalding concentrate in fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, writing for children and young adults, playwriting or screenwriting. In addition, all MFA students at Spalding have the opportunity to read and edit The Louisville Review, a nationally known literary magazine Naslund founded in 1976 and later moved to Spalding. In 1996 to honor the 20th anniversary of The Louisville Review, Naslund founded Fleur-de-Lis Press, which has published award-winning fiction, poetry and creative nonfiction titles.
“From the beginning, the Spalding MFA in Writing has distinguished itself by the caliber of writer-teachers on its faculty and staff who work tirelessly to provide a learning atmosphere that is highly individualized, and as I like to reiterate both intellectually stimulating and emotionally supportive,” Naslund said.
She added: “I’m happy to retire knowing the MFA program continues to be in wonderful hands, led by Kathleen Driskell and Karen Mann and a splendid staff and faculty – all whom I count as friends. As a huge number of our alums do, every year, I know I’ll enjoy coming back to give an occasional lecture or workshop and hob-nob at homecoming each spring.”
Director-to-be Driskell has published four full-length collections of poetry, including Seed Across Snow, which was listed as a national bestseller by the Poetry Foundation, and Blue Etiquette, a finalist for the Weatherford Award. She has published poems in many nationally known literary magazines such as The Southern Review, North American Review and Shenandoah. Her work has been featured online in Poetry Daily, Verse Daily and American Life in Poetry. Her awards include grants from the Kentucky Arts Council and the Kentucky Foundation for Women, and she has received prizes from the Associated Writing Programs and Frankfort Arts Foundation. She received the Trustees Outstanding Faculty Award from Spalding. Driskell earned her MFA in creative writing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and she has taught in and served as Spalding’s MFA associate program director since 2003.
Driskell will read at the Festival of Contemporary Writing at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 16, at the Egan Leadership Center, 901, South Fourth Street.
“It has been a great honor to have been mentored by Sena, an extraordinary talent and teacher,” Driskell said. “Writers have always provided fuel for thoughtful conversations about how to fulfill our human potential and connect meaningfully with each other, and I very much look forward to continuing to help educate, support and challenge future writers while building upon the strong foundation of Spalding’s nationally distinguished MFA program.”
Spalding Provost Joanne Berryman said: “Sena Jeter Naslund’s contribution to the academic offerings at Spalding has enhanced the stature of our historic university. Our mission talks of ‘meeting the needs of the times.’ Sena did just that in 2001, when she co-founded a national MFA program that, first, filled a void for a compassionate, supportive approach to teaching writing and, secondly, made literary arts accessible to all Kentuckians through its many free readings and advocacy of community engagement.
“I’m excited that our distinguished program won’t miss a beat with an established Spalding leader in Kathleen Driskell taking the helm. Her writing intellect, passion for teaching and advocacy of Spalding and the MFA program make her the ideal choice as Sena’s successor.”
