Rock Creek USD 323

WESTMORELAND — Ellis Superintendent Robert Young is a candidate for the position of superintendent for Rock Creek USD 323, northeast of Manhattan.

Young is the first of three candidates who will be interviewed for the position.

He is currently serving as the school superintendent in Ellis USD 388 and has served in that position since 2011. Previously, Young served as a superintendent in Wallace County USD 241 and, prior to that, a math teacher and technology director in Ellis.

Young’s interview, which includes meetings with administrators, faculty, staff and constituents, is all day today.

The USD 323 Board of Education will conclude interviews on May 27. They will then choose one of the candidates for the superintendent position or will appoint a one-year interim superintendent and conduct a search next fall.

Fort Hays State University Relations and Marketing

The Management Development Center at Fort Hays State University will offer “Supervising with Confidence” this June as a part of its summer workshop series.

Training begins at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, June 16, in FHSU’s Memorial Union, Trails Room. Participants will have the opportunity to develop their supervisory skills using an assessment, a hands-on game and small-group activities.

Seth Kastle, instructor of leadership studies, and Sabrina William, director of the MDC, will facilitate.

The workshop will provide participants with a working knowledge and understanding of the five fundamental supervisory skills: guiding the work, organizing the work, developing staff, managing performance and managing relations. Participants will also discover ways to strengthen relationships with their employers and others.

“It can be difficult to examine yourself and your weaknesses. However, it is necessary in order to become an effective supervisor,” Kastle said. “This workshop will equip managers and soon-to-be managers for just that.”

Each person who completes the workshop will receive a completion certificate.

The cost is $219. Registrations received prior to June 10 are appreciated. Hays Area Chamber of Commerce members are eligible for a 15-percent discount.

The MDC is recognized by the Society for Human Resource Management to offer professional development credits for SHRM’s Certified Professional and Senior Certified Professional ratings. This program is valid for seven credits. For more information about certification or recertification, visit shrmcertification.org.

Registration is available online at www.fhsu.edu/mdc. To learn more about this workshop or receive discount codes, contact Conni Dreher by phone at 785-628-4121 or by email to [email protected].

By Randy Gonzales
Fort Hays State University Relations and Marketing

It’s a long way from Dighton to North Carolina. It’s an even longer distance from Salina to France. A pair of Fort Hays State University vocal students have come a long way, and their talent is being showcased this summer.

Clayton Capra, a third-year music education major from Dighton, was one of six artists selected from national auditions to be part of the Asheville Lyric Opera Summer Young Artist Program in Asheville, N.C. Jon-Luke Martin, a third-year music composition major from Salina, was invited to join the 2016 Franco-American Vocal Academy this summer in Perigueux, France. Both Capra and Martin are vocal students who are training under Dr. Joseph Perniciaro, associate professor of music and theatre and director of opera at FHSU.

Perniciaro, in his 11th year at Fort Hays State, has had two other students in the summer program in France and a little more than a half-dozen total students participate in summer arts programs in his time at the university. This is the first time he has placed a student in the North Carolina program.

“It’s only a few weeks away now; looking forward to the experience,” said Capra, whose program in North Carolina runs from June 3 to July 27. “I think it’s going to be really positive.”

Capra’s positive experiences when he visited the FHSU campus — and also when he attended the High Plains Music Camp on campus while he was in high school — influenced his decision to enroll at Fort Hays State.

“I came to Fort Hays State because I liked the atmosphere here,” Capra said. “I also felt it was good for me, coming from a smaller school environment, to come here because it was large enough to facilitate good programs but at the same time it was small enough I could make close friends, make good connections with my professors.

“I also really loved the music department here, all the faculty,” he added. “I was excited to get to work with them. I think that’s what really led my choice in the end.”

Perniciaro and Capra met at FHSU’s summer music camp, which expanded to include vocal instruction in 2012. Perniciaro started giving vocal lessons to Capra while Capra was in high school.

“It has been a good chance for high school students to get to know the voice faculty and our students,” Perniciaro said. “It has been very helpful. I think a good number of them see the quality of education they’re going to get.”

Martin’s summer program in France starts July 2 and runs through Aug. 15. He is leaving early to visit his sister, Bonnie-Jean Taylor, who is in the U.S. Air Force and stationed in Germany. He applied for the program after learning of a cancellation, and he was accepted.

“I was very excited but also very nervous, because all of a sudden I had all this music to learn in not a lot of time,” Martin said.

Composition is included in Martin’s instruction. He will work with composer Isabelle Abouker and perform in her opera, “Les Fables Enchantees.”

“I’m really excited, considering I’m a composition major,” Martin said. “I’m really hoping to get some composition techniques, learning from her. I’ve never had an opportunity like this before — it’s really big.”

Martin, a baritone, also will perform in Jacques Offenbach’s opera, “Pomme d’Api,” as part of an intensive study program. He will take French lessons due to having speaking parts in his roles. He also will have voice lessons, musical coaching, role preparation and career counseling.

Martin also participated in the High Plains Music Camp before enrolling at FHSU.

“I’m grateful to Fort Hays State,” Martin said. “They’ve given me a lot of opportunities.”

Martin started taking lessons from Perniciario his freshman year at FHSU.

“I really liked him; I really liked the campus,” Martin said. “So I decided I would come here to study under him. Dr. P definitely was one of the primary reasons I came to Fort Hays State.”

Capra, also a baritone, will perform a program of opera scenes while on tour in western North Carolina. He will have roles in “Man of La Mancha” and “The Tragedy of Carmen” with Asheville Lyric Opera. He will also receive intensive training two or three times a week in diction, acting and professional development.

FHSU played a large role in being chosen to participate in the program, Capra said.

“I definitely believe this university gave me the tools I needed to succeed,” Capra said. “That’s what really propelled me to look for these kinds of opportunities.”

Perniciaro is confident his two students will make the most of their opportunities this summer.

“The opportunities are hard to come by, but they’re particularly invaluable experiences for the singers,” Perniciaro said. “I think these two guys are particularly prepared for these opportunities.

“They’re both very talented, continue to grow,” he added. “These opportunities will only enhance that.”

Fort Hays State University Relations and Marketing

Amanda Fields, assistant professor of English at Fort Hays State University, recently received the 2016 Kairos Best Webtext Award for best academic webtext published in the previous academic year.

Judges praised Fields’ webtext, “Performing Urgency: Slamming and Spitting as Critical and Creative Responses to State Crisis,” for it’s engaging nature and, as one judge said, “the ways it rewards deep exploration through its winding paths of text, image and video.”

The work was recognized at the 2016 Computers and Writing Conference in Rochester, N.Y.

The text focuses on the possibilities of youth slam poetry through the Tucson Youth Poetry slam. Research focused on the ways that slam performance contains potential for responses to and movements against regressive contexts.

Fields collaborated with Londie T. Martin, Adela C. Licona and Elizabeth H. Tilley.

Due to the observance of Memorial Day on Monday, city of Hays refuse/recycling route collection schedules will be altered as follows:

Monday and Tuesday routes will be collected on Tuesday. Although collections might not occur on your normal day, collections will be completed.

There will be no change to Wednesday, Thursday or Friday collection schedules.

City of Hays customers that may have any questions regarding this notice should contact the Solid Waste Division of the Public Works Department at (785) 628-7357.

We remind you to always have your polycarts out by 7 a.m.

It is anticipated that heavy volumes of refuse/recyclable will be encountered around the holidays. Make sure polycarts are out by 7 a.m., and keep in mind that the trucks have no set time schedule.