The River Ramblers, including Professor Jennifer Ramm (chemistry), will perform in the Lincoln Land Community College Recital Series on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. in the Trutter Center on the Springfield campus. The recital is free and open to the public.

The River Ramblers are a five-piece bluegrass band that hails from Springfield and surrounding areas. The group assembled in 1987 with the commitment to maintain the traditional bluegrass sound. Members of the group include three of the band’s original members: Duane Patterson, Marc Bourne and Mike Smith. Other members are Don Randle and Rylie Bourne. The band performs the music of bluegrass icons such as Bill Monroe, the Stanley Brothers and Flatt and Scruggs, and has issued four recordings, which include traditional songs combined with original tunes.

Professor Leslie Stalter (art) and Paul Van Heuklom (English) were interviewed on FOX 55’s Good Day Marketplace Feb. 6 regarding the East Asian art exhibit currently on display in the James S. Murray Gallery, featuring pieces from the Trutter Collection. See the interview and don’t miss the exhibit, open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays through March 31.

A sincere thank-you to all who helped make the Spring 2016 Campus Visit Day a great success. Whether you gave a presentation, participated at an exhibit, helped with setup or teardown or provided other needed services, we greatly appreciate your support with this significant recruitment event. The day was a success with 408 registrants and 335 attendees. Thank you for your help in showing our guests that LLCC is the best college choice.

Save the date for the Summer 2016 Campus Visit Day being held on Tuesday, June 14.

The Public Relations and Marketing staff

Outlandish machines” designed by area fifth graders will be on display as Lincoln Land Community College hosts the 10th annual Springfield Area Rube Goldberg Competition on Saturday, Feb. 27. A Rube Goldberg device, such as the board game “Mousetrap,” is designed to complete a certain task through a number of complex steps. The event takes place from 9 a.m. to approximately 3 p.m. in the Student Union on the lower level of Menard Hall. There is no admission fee, and the public is invited to attend the competition.

Bill Bade, dean of math and sciences at LLCC, says the purpose of this event is to introduce children to the idea of pursuing a career in engineering or a closely related field. It is the only Rube Goldberg program in the nation specifically aimed at elementary school students.

This year, 13 classrooms are participating from Dubois Elementary, Fairview Elementary, Our Savior Lutheran, Owen Marsh Elementary, Rochester Intermediate, Springfield Christian and Trinity Lutheran – Springfield. Participating students are currently developing their own unique Rube Goldberg devices that will unload an object from a vessel or container and return it to the same vessel or container. They are assisted by nearly 30 engineer volunteers, many of whom spend more than 40 hours from mid-December through February visiting classrooms, helping students develop their machines and teaching about engineering in general.

Last year’s task entailed building a Rube Goldberg that would fold a piece of paper and resulted in a two-way tie between classes from Owen Marsh and Rochester.

A reminder that changes to regalia orders for 2016 Commencement are due by Friday, Feb. 19 Have you completed a higher degree in the past year? Did your gown or tam not fit right last year? Please submit any changes you have regarding your Faculty/Administrator regalia for this year’s commencement ceremony to Campus Services by calling or emailing Kim Lesko, 6-2456 or Kimberly.Lesko@llcc.edu, so we can update your order. LLCC’s Commencement Ceremony is being held Friday, May 13.

Prospective students and their families are visiting campus today. More than 300 people are expected to attend the morning and evening sessions. Information sessions are being held in the Student Union of Menard Hall, with exhibits in the A. Lincoln Commons. Tours also will be available.

Lori Smith, scholarship coordinator, LLCC Foundation, writes… The LLCC Foundation implemented an online scholarship application for the 2016-2017 awarding cycle. No hard copy applications were printed. And, no photo copying as Scholarship Selection Committee Members review all applicant documentation online. Thanks to Lori the Foundation saved Hard copy application – 500 copies of a 7 page scholarship application were printed = 3,500 Committee review – 14 copies of 90 applications with an average of 4 pages/application = 5,040

Lynn Whalen, executive director, Public Relations and Marketing, shared her paper reduction practices… Before putting paper with text on one side in the recycle bin, I keep it and use the blank side for notes, other copies, etc. I recycle it when both sides have been used. Great job Lori and Lynn! Please continue to share your paper/printing saving ideas for future LincIn reports!

Please help us welcome our visitors, including prospective students and family members, to campus Monday for Campus Visit Day. The morning session is from 9-11:30 a.m. and evening is from 5-7:30 p.m.

Due to the morning opening presentation in the Student Union, tables in the Union will be unavailable until 10:30 a.m. Several tables will be available in the Subway area prior to 10:30 a.m.

The National Weather Service will offer a free two-hour “Severe Weather Storm Spotting” class at LLCC Monday, Feb. 29 starting at 6:30 p.m. Open to the general public, in addition to learning about the formation and tracking of tornadoes, the session will give attendees an opportunity to become official NWS storm spotters. The training program–the only one in Sangamon County in 2016–will be held in the Student Union on the lower level of Menard Hall. Continue reading →

Join us for the 8^th annual Lincoln Lecture in commemoration of Lincoln’s birthday, Friday, Feb. 12, at 9 a.m. in the Trutter Center.

“Abraham Lincoln and the Todd Women of Aristocracy Hill” will be presented by Erika Holst, author of “Wicked Springfield: Crime, Corruption and Scandal during the Lincoln Era” and “Edwards Place: A Springfield Treasure.”

Ms. Holst, a frequent contributor to the Illinois Times, spent four years with The Papers of Abraham Lincoln project before joining the Springfield Art Association as curator of collections for historic Edwards Place in Springfield. She will discuss her research on how Mary Todd Lincoln and her sisters influenced a rough looking country lawyer who became President of the United States.

The lecture is free and refreshments will be served.