Thank you to everyone for the flowers, cards, donations and kind words expressed after the passing of my brother and mother-in-law in December. It has been very much appreciated.

Dave Ferrill, information technology specialist

The James S. Murray Gallery is currently featuring the work of Arkansas artist LaDawna Whiteside. The exhibit “Animal Architecture/Landscape Empathy” is on display until March 8. The James S. Murray Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the upper level of Menard Hall.

LaDawna Whiteside’s projects are based in abstraction. Pursuing an alternative sublime, Whiteside chronicles this place and time, focusing on landscape topography and animal architecture. Line by line, she considers space and layers within a ritual in making marks. Her drawings reflect the transformation from individual fibers into cloth.

Read more about Whiteside, LLCC’s James S. Murray Gallery and its exhibits at www.llcc.edu/james-s-murray-gallery.

The National Weather Service will offer a free two-hour “Severe Weather Storm Spotting” class at LLCC on Monday, March 5 starting at 6:30 p.m.

The class is 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 will be held in the Student Union on the lower level of Menard Hall.

Co-sponsored by the Capital Area Amateur Radio Emergency Response Team (CAARERT) and LLCC, there is no age limit for those who wish to attend. However, attendees must be at least 18 years old to receive storm spotter certification. Pre-registration is not required.

The session will be led by Chris Miller, warning coordination meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Lincoln. The class will cover the formation and movement of tornadoes and other severe storms. Also included will be a discussion of personal safety considerations when severe weather is threatening. Read more.

For more information, contact Dean Butzow, professor of geography, at dean.butzow@llcc.edu or 786-4923, or visit www.weather.gov/Lincoln/spotter.

The U.S. flag and the state flag are being flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset today as a mark of respect in memory of Revered Billy Graham.

LLCC is hosting the sixth annual College Prep Summit today from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in A. Lincoln Commons. The event gives area high school juniors and seniors an opportunity to see what college is like firsthand and to learn more about the college experience and how they can prepare to attend.

LLCC Retention and Student Success is partnering with Springfield School District 186 and the Illinois Student Assistance Commission to offer the event. Representatives from various colleges and universities in Springfield and the surrounding area are participating.

Throughout February, LLCC has been celebrating African-American History Month with various events that share the theme “Celebrating Our Strengths While Overcoming Our Challenges.”

Today is African-American Food and Vendor Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in A. Lincoln Commons. The event features free samples of African-American food, displays exhibiting the wares of African-American entrepreneurs and “Saxophone and African-American Poetry Improvisations” performed by LLCC retired business law professor and jazz musician Virgil Rhodes, J.D.

LLCC has been named “Best College or University” in the SJ-R Readers’ Choice Awards for two years in a row, and we’d like to continue the trend. Cast your vote for LLCC in the “Services” category!

Melissa Franzen, student development professional, was awarded a $1,000 grant from the Schultz Foundation for Advancing Counseling. LaCleta Hall, board secretary and founding board member of the Schultz Foundation, presented Melissa with her award on Feb. 23. The grant will be used for professional development in cognitive behavioral training. Congratulations!

The James S. Murray Gallery currently features the work of Arkansas artist LaDawna Whiteside. The exhibit “Animal Architecture/Landscape Empathy” is on display until March 8. The James S. Murray Gallery is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the upper level of Menard Hall.

LaDawna Whiteside’s projects are based in abstraction. Pursuing an alternative sublime, Whiteside chronicles this place and time, focusing on landscape topography and animal architecture. Line by line, she considers space and layers within a ritual in making marks. Her drawings reflect the transformation from individual fibers into cloth.

Read more about Whiteside, LLCC’s James S. Murray Gallery and its exhibits at www.llcc.edu/james-s-murray-gallery.

Several years ago, LLCC began a concerted effort to reduce printing with the “Think before you print” campaign. Dr. Charlotte Warren and Cabinet recently reaffirmed the college’s commitment to encourage employees to reduce printing and use of copiers wherever feasible.

Remember that 500 sheets of paper = an estimated 2-6% of a full-grown tree.

Here are some paper-use reducers:

• Always print double-sided
• Set smaller margins and use smaller type sizes
• Reuse your scrap paper
• Save digital copies only, whenever possible