By Carey Hix staff reporter No official word has been issued about who will be the interim director of the School of Music after Kenneth Raessler's retirement, but the candidates have been narrowed to four. David E. Whillock, interim dean of fine arts and communications, said the decision is imminent. John Burton, associate dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication, and Blaise Ferrandino, John Owings and Curt Wilson, all music professors, are the nominees for the position. Candidates were unavailable for comment or declined an interview until after the final decision is made. The search for an interim director began immediately after Raessler announced his plans to retire at the end of Spring 2000, Whillock said. "We went to the School of Music and asked them for names of people they would accept as interim director," he said. "These are names that came out of the faculty as a whole. Each of these names was basically given the approval by all the faculty members, both tenured and untenured." The next step in selecting the interim director, Whillock said, is for William Koehler, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, to accept the nominee. Each faculty member had a different reason for nominating the candidates, he said. "We wanted someone that everyone would agree would be OK to serve for a year," Whillock said. "What criteria they may have had as a faculty as a whole they did not share with us."A permanent director of music will be selected after a dean is chosen. "It will be better to hire an interim for a year until we get a dean in place," he said. "It would be nice for the dean who's coming in to have a choice in helping to select a permanent director for music." An offer for the interim director position has not yet been given, Whillock said. "We don't like to say someone's going to do it until they've signed the agreement," he said. The job description for the interim director will focus primarily on the future, Whillock said. "They'll be very involved with the future of TCU in fine arts and the selection of the dean of fine arts," he said. "They'll also be involved with some of the searches for new faculty that are going on right now in that department." Raessler will continue to handle daily operations until he retires."We still have a director of music and that person is still acting as director," he said. "Until Raessler steps down as director, the interim won't have anything to do with those day-to-day operations, that's still the director's job. So there's very much a distinction between what the director's doing presently, and what we'd like this interim director to do." John Alstrin, a senior music education major, said the most important quality the interim should have is the desire get to know students. "The reason I like (Raessler) is that he would hang out with the students and get to know us," Alstrin said. "When you're that high on the ladder, it's tough to get to know students, but (Raessler) is really good at one-on-one personal interaction. The new person has to be able to come to concerts, shows and rehearsals and get to know the students as well as (Raessler) did," he said. An extensive search for a permanent director will continue, Whillock said. "(We want to) select the best possible candidates," he said. "I think we'll have a search that's pretty broad. Maybe international, but definitely national. There will be a search committee and the interim director will be a major part of that search committee." Jeff Dazey, a freshman music major, said he thinks a well-rounded person would work best as interim director. "If they have a well-rounded background in music, as far as jazz, classical and even some marching band experience, that's what TCU would benefit from," he said. Past music experience is an important factor to consider, said Kim Lepine, a senior music education major."Preferably college teaching (background) so they would know students' expectations," she said. Karen Wimmer, a junior music education major, said someone highly familiar with TCU's music department should be considered. "(The interim should be) someone who's been involved in all the different aspects of music ... whether it's choir or orchestra, all the bands and all the different organizations in the school of music," Wimmer said.
Carey Hix
By Lori Eshelman staff reporter Student dissatisfaction with the Student Center and the Rickel Building may soon begin to dissipate. Cannon Design Group of Los Angeles and WTW Architects of Pittsburgh, presented proposals for improvements to the facilities last week to Chancellor Michael R. Ferrari. Their recommendations are now being considered by the TCU administration, said Don Mills, vice chancellor for student affairs. TCU selected these particular companies to assess the Student Center and the Rickel because both produced quality work on similar projects at other universities, Mills said. The two companies evaluated the buildings independently because the Rickel and Student Center will not be combined into one structure as was previously suggested, he said. "Eighty percent of students said they wanted two separate facilities," Mills said. "So the plan is to do two buildings." Of the two buildings, Mills said the Rickel meets the university's needs less than the Student Center because it was built more for classrooms and intercollegiate athletics than student recreational use. Cannon, which has designed about 60 college recreational facilities, worked with a committee comprised of students and Rickel staff members during the analysis of the Rickel and proposed three improvement strategies, Mills said. The first option, to tear down the existing building and start over, is the most expensive and would leave students without a recreational facility during construction, Mills said. The second alternative is to add a wing to the east where the tennis courts are currently located and the third is to add the east wing and rebuild the center section in the current building. The third proposal is optimal because the addition of the east wing would allow the center section to be renovated without interrupting student use of the facility, Mills said. The center section could then be renovated after the completion of the east wing, and the west wing could continue to be used as classrooms for the kinesiology department, he said. Stephenie Spain, a senior social work major and a member of the committee working with Cannon, said she would like to see TCU construct a new building. "If they have a choice between renovating the old building and starting over, they should do it the right way and start over," she said. "The Rickel is not designed well. It does not appeal to students walking in and wanting to be a part of what's going on because they can't see everything that is happening." But Mills said it is not likely that the university will build a new facility. "The overall goal for the Rickel is to be welcoming to both main campus students as well as Worth Hills students," Mills said. "The current location serves that need really well." Student Center Director Larry Markley said WTW recommended adding either a 2-story or a 3-story wing to the west of the existing Student Center, and the proposals included amenities that students indicated they would like to have. "WTW has done over 30 student centers in their lifetime, and the recommendations matched the results of student surveys," Markley said. Overall, Markley said he likes the proposals. "It will make life better for students, faculty, staff and the campus life in general," Markley said, "But I would've liked to have seen a new building." Mills said there is no reason to build a new student center - even though WTW said the size needs to be increased by 75 percent - because it is in the best possible location. "We look at the Student Center as the crossroads of the university, and it is located perfectly right now," Mills said. "But the way it's designed makes it easier to go around it than in it. There is no real reason to go in except to eat." Mills said WTW proposed making the existing facility a crossroads by creating pedestrian paths through the building. It would be possible to enter through the front and exit through Reed Hall and walk in from the north side by Foster Hall through to the south side by Sadler Hall, he said. The main question concerning Student Center renovation is how far west to expand the building and how to incorporate Frog Fountain into the design. Markley said the issue of Student Center parking was also discussed by WTW and both proposals incorporate a passenger drop-off area. However, the firm did not consider parking garages in its recommendations and ruled out the possibility of an underground parking lot after determining it would be too expensive to construct. Mills said the estimated cost of the renovations is $20 million to $40 million for the Rickel and $30 million to $40 million for the Student Center. It has not been decided if the money will come from donors, loans, current funds or student fees, nor has it been decided if enough funding will be available to renovate both buildings simultaneously, he said. The analyses were done to get an idea of the options and estimated costs associated with updating the facilities, and there are no architectural designs or plans yet, Mills said. "We are not at the point where we are saying this is exactly what we want to do," he said. "And these aren't the only needs the university has." Mills said the administration will work with the TCU Board of Trustees to make the decision after final reports are completed by the companies in two to three weeks. Once the decision is made, it will take nine months to a year to do the architectural plans, then about another two and a half years to complete construction, he said. "It is my hope that some time in the next year we will have made a commitment," Mills said.
Lori Eshelman
By Mark E. Lewis skiff staff The catalysts were a professor in Oregon, a few letters from students and a national media adviser association. The result was national recognition of excellence given to TCU "Horned Frog" yearbook adviser Kathy Hamer. After eight years at TCU, Hamer became the first TCU yearbook adviser to receive the Distinguished Yearbook Adviser for Four-year Colleges and Universities award which is given to one recipient annually by the Association of College Media Advisers. "It's a surprise and it's very fulfilling," Hamer said. "I (first) came here and found the yearbook a heartbeat away from dead with no credibility. I've worked hard to raise its reputation." Hamer was notified of the award by mail in early August. Frank Ragulsky, head of student media at Oregon State University, nominated Hamer for the CMA award. Then family members and Stephanie Hersley, editor in chief of the "Horned Frog," wrote recommendation letters. Hamer will travel to Atlanta for the Fall National College Media Convention sponsored by the College Media Advisers Association and the Associated College Press on Oct. 27 through Oct. 31, where she will formally receive her award. Julie Hamer, a sophomore art education major, said she was proud to hear of her mother's award. "It's a huge honor because she's worked so hard for close to eight years," Hamer said. "I think she turned the yearbook around and has done a great job. She's awesome." Hersley said she thinks the award is appropriate because of Hamer's hard work. Outside of the yearbook office, Hamer works as a syndicated columnist for the Catholic Press. Her column appears in Catholic publications in 15 states. "What is really amazing is her relationship with her students on staff," Hersley said. "She treats us as individuals and is like a second mother on campus." Hamer said she thinks her relationship to the staff members is what is most important. "The students are important to me," she said. "I want a place where kids have a place to belong, and I want them to be proud of their work. I want them to feel that they are a contributing force to the university." Hamer said she tries to turn the yearbook office into a classroom. "I try to teach them, and I like them to write creatively and develop writing skills," she said. Hamer said she thinks her commitment to create a successful yearbook coincides with the improvement of the "Horned Frog." Since the notification of the honor, Hamer said she has enjoyed more respect for what she and the yearbook staff does.
Mark E. Lewis
By Steven Baker staff reporter Associate professor of religion Nadia Lahutsky may have high expectations of her students in class, but outside she is one of the "coolest" teachers, said Joe Machemehl, a senior religion major. "She is an extremely busy person, but she takes her teaching to another level that a lot of the professors don't," Machemehl said. Ronald Flowers, professor of religion, said he is good friends with Lahutsky. Flowers and Lahutsky take walks on the TCU campus almost every day. They might talk about Lahutsky's 10-year-old daughter's girl scout troop or about one of their religion courses. Flowers said Lahutsky has great energy during her lectures in class. She spends a lot of time with students outside of the classroom discussing class work, exams or personal problems, he said. "She is a determined and enormously able teacher," he said. "She expects her students to work hard and really is quite remarkable for her accessibility. Some students think of her as intimidating, but she's not. She is outgoing and easy to know." Dustin Griffith, a junior theater-TV major, said Lahutsky had all the answers in his world religion class. "She was so knowledgeable," he said. "I'm glad I took the class. I wasn't worried that another professor would have a better answer. From that class, I gained an appreciation for other religions." Jennifer Spaeth, a freshman computer science major, said she was not expecting her freshman world religion class to be so challenging. "She has made a great effort to get to know her students," she said. "I wasn't expecting that on a college campus." Lahutsky is a mother, wife, professor and a member of the Disciples of Christ church. But most of all, she said she is doing something that she loves - teaching. "I love to read and think about things," she said. "For me to be able to do what I love to do and be compensated for it - it is a gift for which I am grateful. I have always wanted to be a teacher."
When she began college, Lahutsky changed faiths and discovered what she wanted to teach. Lahutsky received her bachelor's degree in Spanish and religion from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio. There, a Spanish professor told her she should teach college courses. "Pretty soon I discovered that I was more interested in the religion courses than the Spanish courses I was taking," she said. "I don't think anyone grows up wanting to teach religion." Lahutsky received her master's in church history from Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tenn., in 1974. She completed her doctorate there in church history and theology in 1984. At Vanderbilt, Lahutsky met her husband of 23 years, Ed McMahon, and found a Disciples of Christ church. "What I found was a church full of people who were looking for answers," she said. "They didn't already have them. That is a good place for a scholar to be." Lahutsky said one of the reasons she made a change in faiths was because some of the traditional religions like Russian Orthodox have some pretty old taboos that are unfair for women. "They would tell women that they may not be in certain places of the sanctuary because as women they may be sources of pollution," she said. "I couldn't imagine holding all that together. It was sufficient to cause me to think." Lahutsky came to TCU in 1981. She has taught courses at TCU in Catholicism and Buddhism. Lahutsky said she had an offer to go to another school in the late 1980s, but she made the decision with her husband to stay. One of the main reasons they decided to stay here was the quality of the TCU colleagues, she said. "The one thing you can't find, no matter where you go, is colleagues," she said. "The whole department here does its best to work together. We don't agree on things, but we agree to respect each other." "She has made a great effort to get to know her students," she said. "I wasn't expecting that on a college campus." Lahutsky is a mother, wife, professor and a member of the Disciples of Christ church. But most of all, she said she is doing something that she loves - teaching. "I love to read and think about things," she said. "For me to be able to do what I love to do and be compensated for it - it is a gift for which I am grateful. I have always wanted to be a teacher." Lahutsky grew up in northeastern Ohio, where she worshipped in a Russian Orthodox church. Growing up in the 1950s, she was a girl scout until her senior year in high school. When she began college, Lahutsky changed faiths and discovered what she wanted to teach. Lahutsky received her bachelor's degree in Spanish and religion from Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio. There, a Spanish professor told her she should teach college courses. "Pretty soon I discovered that I was more interested in the religion courses than the Spanish courses I was taking," she said. "I don't think anyone grows up wanting to teach religion." Lahutsky received her master's in church history from Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tenn., in 1974. She completed her doctorate there in church history and theology in 1984. At Vanderbilt, Lahutsky met her husband of 23 years, Ed McMahon, and found a Disciples of Christ church. "What I found was a church full of people who were looking for answers," she said. "They didn't already have them. That is a good place for a scholar to be." Lahutsky said one of the reasons she made a change in faiths was because some of the traditional religions like Russian Orthodox have some pretty old taboos that are unfair for women. "They would tell women that they may not be in certain places of the sanctuary because as women they may be sources of pollution," she said. "I couldn't imagine holding all that together. It was sufficient to cause me to think." Lahutsky came to TCU in 1981. She has taught courses at TCU in Catholicism and Buddhism. Lahutsky said she had an offer to go to another school in the late 1980s, but she made the decision with her husband to stay. One of the main reasons they decided to stay here was the quality of the TCU colleagues, she said. "The one thing you can't find, no matter where you go, is colleagues," she said. "The whole department here does its best to work together. We don't agree on things, but we agree to respect each other."
Steven Baker |
Lahutsky grew up in northeastern Ohio, where
she worshipped in a Russian Orthodox church. Growing up in the 1950s, she
was a girl scout until her senior year in high school.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |